Down the Rabbit Hole

May 2017 Book Haul

May 8, 2017May 8, 2017 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

So this is my very first book haul that I’m actually sharing on this blog. Honestly, these days I barely go out to buy books, but nothing beats retail (book) therapy to get this girl’s heart beating again with joy. Seriously. The excitement level is like a child inside a candy store (if you’re into that kinda thing – otherwise picture a child running free at some amusement park). And so the great sales I got on these books over the weekend just had to be worth sharing here. Granted, I haven’t read most of these books yet, so your opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Here goes.

Defy by Sara B. Larson

In hindsight, I really enjoyed this book more than my initial review and rating might’ve let on, so a paperback version of this novel was worth the money in my opinion (although even paperbacks are unfairly expensive these days too…does anyone remember a time when you can buy a paperback for less than $10? This girl does!! Where can I find a way to save money even on these books??)

Defy, in case you haven’t read it yet, had a storyline centred on a girl pretending she had to be a guy. I got a very She’s the Man kinda vibe going on when I read it – if it wasn’t a comedy, that is. Basically, a girl who fights as the prince’s guard gets sucked into some nefarious plan to overthrow the kingdom while trying to keep her identity a secret from both the prince and her closest friend. That’s right. You sniffed a love triangle out! But I promise you, it didn’t suck as much as I thought it would. So maybe it’s totally worth a read for any one of you who loves a lighthearted fantasy from a debut author.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Does this even warrant much of an explanation? I came across this series, which as I understood it at the time was supposed to be a standalone novel that you know, STOPPED, at To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (totally not complaining…). But I don’t totally regret the fact that it continued on…much. Though I was very much excited to see how my favourite ship was going on there. Crossing my fingers! Anyway, if you want a contemporary that’s both fun and deliciously sweet, with a beautiful mix of diversity thrown into it with Lara Jean’s half-Korean ancestry, Jenny Han does a beautiful job with this series (so far).

Honestly, I went into the bookstore for the sole reason of hoping to purchase this book. It better be good. ~~hope I’m not gonna eat my words.~~ At least it was on sale (~~this is me trying to console myself)~~.

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

This dystopian has been on my distant radar for a long while now. I kept telling myself to get it at some point, but with it being a hardcover for only $6 and in decent condition, I found myself asking, Why not, huh? The kind of tropes that the synopsis gives me (a girl living in the more privileged society finds out more about the unfortunate group in her world who survives off of what’s left for them – oh no, what’s she gonna do about it?) brings to mind so many different stories that’ve popped up in recent years. I don’t believe the series (I didn’t even know it was more than a standalone novel earlier) really got too much attention but I’m excited to see if it’s as good as similar plots. And hopefully won’t regret my $6.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Yep, this book is on a lot of my lists. Including my list of I-wish-I-read-this-in-2016. Yet I found myself always hesitant in reading this one. I adored Since You’ve Been Gone, and maybe I’m just nervous that nothing else by Matson would ever compare to the adventure whirlwind that was for me.

I’m actually not 100% sure what this book is about beyond what the cover (and the very vague synopsis description) portrays. Sounds like a great summer read about a girl who has her life turned around due to some scandal and now walks dogs (which sounds pretty awesome to me…compared to sitting in a cubicle all day long for work). But hey, no matter how it turns out for me, opinion-wise, I’m pretty sure getting this hardcover for $6 was unheard of, and in fairly amazing condition too! A total score on this book haul amidst all the usual less popular books that the bookstore wanted to get rid of (’cause honestly, why else would they be willing to sell them for so much less? You can probably tell I’m pretty jaded when it comes to businesses)

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Quick admission. I honestly bought this one for the value as I’m pretty sure I never picked up its 1st book (yes, I bought book 2 without reading book 1, so sue me) ’cause it seemed a little scary. Didn’t help that most reviewers I read said it’s best not to read at night – which you know, is my favourite time of day (or night) to be picking up a book. Gonna be problematic. But anyway, I’m a total sucker for beautiful world building, particularly those set in a certain historical time period. With supernatural happenings mixed in to create a historical fantasy, it got me comparing more recently to Alison Goodman’s The Dark Days Club series that I raved and raved about. So maybe I will summon up the courage to read this and book 1…but first, let’s just admire the VALUE I got this book at. Trust me, you never see such a good sale for a book I actually know of and would read.

The Secrets of Attraction by Robin Constantine

Last but not least, another contemporary also worth a beautiful price. Such a steal. I first got exposed to Robin Constantine last year when I *almost* got to review her arc for The Season of You & Me. Unfortunately, due to some weird technical error on my Kindle, it the eARC never got sent to my device (no matter how many times I pressed the darn button to send to it). So I’ve been curious about her work ever since then. This one sounds like a typical boy-meets-girl-omgwhat’sgonnahappennext? kinda story, which I find myself more inclined to read in the warm depths of summer (when I’m wishing I wasn’t at work and could just be relaxing like these kids are doing).

Here’s a quick snapshot of my little haul. Honestly, I’m quite happy staring at this. A little poorer (oh well), but these days a hardcover can cost $25 so who am I to complain anyway? Gotta support those authors. Let me know if you’ve read any of these books before and what you think/thought of them! I’d love to hear your opinions before diving into them over the course of the next few weeks (~~please tell me they’re good~~ I’d settle for decent quality)

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P.S. you can look forward to seeing reviews up in the next few days on Evelyn Skye’s The Crown’s Game and its almost-released sequel The Crown’s Fate as it hits stores next week.

Review: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

April 27, 2017May 9, 2017 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: The Crown’s Game #1

the crown's game -evelyn skye Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

2.5 Drink Me Potions

The Crown’s Game delivered a beautiful setting in nineteenth century Russia that stirred my heart, but ultimately didn’t capture it with its story.

I love the whole idea of this story. A Game set in place for 2 magical enchanters to fight for the illustrious prize of Imperial Enchanter. Add into the mix bits of wonderful magic and princes , you have the makings of a novel that I would absolutely adore to read.

Now what went wrong, exactly?

It took me a long time to finish this book, clearly. And if I had to pinpoint what things really made this experience less than lovely, it would boil down to these few things.

1) The lack of connection

I liked Vika and I liked Nikolai, and I even liked Pasha although he was clearly not the ship I was cheering for in this love triangle (if one can really call it that?). But it was hard for me to really FEEL for these characters. Maybe it’s the 3rd person writing, but I’ve encountered plenty of books who write in 3rd person and still convey feeling as beautifully as first person narrative, if not even better. So I’m a little stumped how I felt so little for these characters over all. I didn’t feel shoots of pain when the cliffhanger ending took place. Just…a twinge of sadness that it had to be this way. So maybe my rating would’ve been higher if this was the only problem, something solely due to me.

2) The slownessssss of the book

For a book that has really short chapters (like honestly, some were less than a page), I dunno how it felt so dragged out. The Game took a while to get started, and the meeting of the enchanters wasn’t as quick as I thought. But then, the Game itself wasn’t as fast-paced as the synopsis might’ve suggested. How can someone take so long to make their turn? Vika and Nikolai alternate their moves by showing off their power in a way that would impress the tsar of Russia, and while they were impressive in some ways, this wasn’t the exciting feats of magic to be performed as I suppose I was hoping for. Turning a river into a display of colours and making a wardrobe that would outfit you however you wish isn’t all that exciting at the end of the day. Impressive, yes, but not exciting.

3) The lack of romance

Huh? How’s that even possible? I thought this book was on a love triangle. Oddly enough, nothing truly moves very fast on this front. True, it’s not the best timing to be falling in love what with the dangerous Game they’re playing, but it could’ve happened. And it’s not like having little romance is a bad thing. Sometimes it’s the perfect move for a novel, but this WAS NOT one of those kind of stories. Then somehow the characters “fall” for each other, and it just didn’t please me as much when the magic of their love never really came across the pages.

Sigh. I guess I can say the overall feeling was a bit of disappointment. I know other reviewers enjoyed the novel, but it wasn’t like I put very high expectations for this. I’m a little sad that the rating isn’t as high as I had hoped it, and even after a break while reading this book, it hadn’t gotten any better. When you’re feeling a little apathetic to Vika and her love life, you know that the experience isn’t gonna get so much better. The only highlight was Nikolai and the beauty of his magic and his unique backstory which unfolded in slightly surprising ways.

Overall Recommendation:
The Crown’s Game had a lot of potential going for it as a historical fantasy set in Russia. With this setting well-researched and an author who actually knows her stuff, I was disappointed with the slowness of the plot – which also had so much potential with the Game between enchanters – and the lack of connection I felt with the characters. Vika was just another strong-willed protagonist but lacked true depth to her personality. The love triangle wasn’t even fully present as the romance took a huge backseat to everything and felt more insta-love than anything. I will read its sequel, but my expectations are already wayyyyy down there.

adult

Review: Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

scrappy little nobody -anna kendrick A collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the Academy Award-nominated actress and star of Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect.

Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen starring in films like Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, Twilight, and Into the Woods, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, and “10 percent defiant.”

At the ripe age of thirteen, she had already resolved to “keep the crazy inside my head where it belonged. Forever. But here’s the thing about crazy: It. Wants. Out.” In Scrappy Little Nobody, she invites readers inside her brain, sharing extraordinary and charmingly ordinary stories with candor and winningly wry observations.

With her razor-sharp wit, Anna recounts the absurdities she’s experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture as only she can—from her unusual path to the performing arts (Vanilla Ice and baggy neon pants may have played a role) to her double life as a middle-school student who also starred on Broadway to her initial “dating experiments” (including only liking boys who didn’t like her back) to reviewing a binder full of butt doubles to her struggle to live like an adult woman instead of a perpetual “man-child.”

Enter Anna’s world and follow her rise from “scrappy little nobody” to somebody who dazzles on the stage, the screen, and now the page—with an electric, singular voice, at once familiar and surprising, sharp and sweet, funny and serious (well, not that serious).

4 Drink Me Potions

I think Scrappy Little Nobody would’ve been even better if I had listened to the audiobook with Anna Kendrick reading it to me with all the proper intonations. But even with my imperfect understanding of what should be highlighted in the novel, her imagined voice in my head managed to deliver the perfect balance of snark (which was the majority of the book) with a tiny bit of heart mixed in. Honest to the point of self-deprecating, Anna’s voice brings to life her own story that kept me mostly entertained with the stories she chose to share and her down-to-earth attitude about her life even with her current fame.

I’ve known Anna Kendrick since she first was cast in a very minor role in Twilight. Yes, that’s right. She was Jessica Stanley in that novel. And I only knew her name ’cause I stalked all the cast actors and actresses prior to the movie release. (And this may tell you how Twilight-freaky I was in my early teen years). But she’s become so much more well-known since then, and she very much deserves it. Scrappy Little Nobody details her beginnings and highlights how her life has changed (or barely changed) since then.

Her beginnings began in theatre and along with lovely little Anna pictures, this book describes a mostly ordinary childhood with the occasional trip to New York for her roles in theatre productions. This was one of the things that I felt lowered my rating a little. Although important, her beginnings dragged out the novel a little and it made it hard to continue reading straight through. But the one thing I loved about this section was the way she really set the tone for the rest of the novel. She wasn’t some special somebody, even in the beginning. Even after landing certain roles, like her first film credit, pride wasn’t a huge factor in her attitude towards friends and classmates at school. Of course it’s natural to want to share tidbits about the new thing in her life, like, hey, I went to the Sundance Film Festival last week and I met cool people, but none of her “luckiness” got to her head. In fact, she even stated,

“I sometimes think that I should have a sense of pride knowing that I’ve achieved more than my sixteen year old brain would have ever let me imagine, but mostly it’s just the opposite.
I think self-doubt is healthy. And having to fight for the thing you want doesn’t mean you deserve it any less.”

With her very down-to-earth attitude and her general Anna quirkiness, her stories about very regular things like BOYS (omg, that section!) and friends and her initial struggles in LA were made all that much more interesting. Add to that the very honest and sometimes very personal examples she included, it sometimes felt like Anna was sitting next to you telling you this story like you were her friend. Honestly, I think the audiobook would’ve made this 10x better.

But the best part was hearing her stories of being in Hollywood, post-Twilight and shooting in stardom with Pitch Perfect. From her very detailed imaginary holiday parties that she wished to host, to the surprising behind-the-scenes at award shows, and the craziness that is answering the same questions to a multitude of journalists all day, this book has it all. The stories at the end were rather quick and had a specific point, never quite dragging on too long. It was enough of a tidbit of each of these areas of her life that made it satisfactory (although to be honest, I would’ve loved hearing more about some of those experiences…like being rained on during that Twilight wedding scene).

She ended off in the last section of the book very aptly with her book title. And it reinforces her overall attitude about herself. She admires others whom she works with, either directors or actors, and never seems to portray anything but awe and gratitude in working with these different, accomplished people. But she’s also so relatable even to us normal folks. She’s not perfect. She has anxieties and fears about the next potential placement. She doesn’t always want to dress up and go out, but is in fact a fellow Netflix binge watcher and take-out eater for weeks at a time. I guess being famous and leading such high-profile roles on film makes her seem superior but in fact, she reminds us that she’s indeed just a scrappy little nobody (who likes to dole out fun advice like using a childhood psychotic picture to encourage persistence and hard work).

Overall Recommendation:
Scrappy Little Nobody was a fun, entertaining and very honest look into Anna Kendrick’s beginnings and journey into fame. With her quirky and fun attitude, her stories were made so much more interesting and it felt like she was personally sharing these things with you. Her down-to-earth tone made her seem very relatable, no matter if we haven’t experienced half the things she did. She never makes you feel like you’re her inferior, but rather that we’re all facing similar issues, although she has some comical advice to give on getting over some of these problems. Having no issue with making fun of herself, Scrappy Little Nobody was written with heart and if you’re a fan of hers, I would suggest you read it. She makes an autobiography fun to read if that’s not normally your thing.