Drabble Geeks

Geeks…Being Total Geeks.

Category: Books

Personal Legend

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It’s rare that a book really makes me think. Especially a fictional. While this book may come across as woo-woo (if that’s even a word), but at the same time, it had a compelling statement. This story is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

All the religious talk aside, it is very much about fulfilling a personal philosophy that is much bigger than oneself. I believe this is something that everyone can get behind. It also got me right in the feels because there is some truth about what the book says. It sometimes feels like the world is against you, and there’s no point when you look at the rest of what is around you. This book really just convinces you to keep going for your dreams with a really compelling and beautiful story. My dad recommended this book years ago, but I never really got around to it. So I’m happy that I finally have.

Along that Yellow Brick Road Pt 4

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After reading the fourth book, the wizard has a name, and his initials are, in fact, O.Z. It always confused me as to whether the country was named after him or named after the country. Nope, his parents obviously had big plans for him. Also, never understood why this book was called “…in Oz” when this book does not occur in Oz for the most part.

In fact, this book talks about a journey to try to get to Oz. Dorothy is on her way to visit Uncle Henry after being by herself for a while, because ten-year-old girls don’t need any kind of adult supervision, when she and her cousin, Zeb, fall into the center of the earth after an earthquake. This time, the two are trying to get to safety from the horror movie-esque characters we meet along the way, along with some friends that we are well aware of. To be honest not much happens, just some world-building of surrounding the country of Oz and some history, that would have been great to know a couple of books ago, but this book is short and sweet. The murder trial was also exciting.

Utopic Dystopian Pt 2

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I’m back after reading Lois Lowry’s Gathering Blue, and I am once again wondering why I never read these books. They are so good. In this rendition, we are in a different universe from what The Giver took place in. You don’t even have to read the first one to understand this book. I’m hoping that it continues.

One of the things that was different from the giver is that this takes place in a more stereotypical dystopian environment. Everyone is struggling for food and their place in the group. We follow a girl named Kira who is discriminated against because of her disability status. My heart went out to this girl as someone else who struggles with my own disability struggles. Watching Kira go through all of the challenges facing her was very inspiring. I had hoped she would succeed in every single thing she went after.

Here’s to the next book being good.

Test for Your Life Pt 2

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Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau was an exciting continuation of The Testing trilogy. Instead of university entrance exams, there are program entrance exams. And of course, I’m using exams loosely. While there is a standardized test, there is more than passing classes to survive. There is the lovely ritual of messing with all the new kids. That thing that everyone just loves and in no way will go wrong.

This book does a fantastic job of flipping expectations. It was also interesting that you know more than our protagonist at many points during the book. It also fills in a hole that you were wondering about from the last book. The closure to the issue was well handled, and something that I have a feeling will come up again. Now, I need to prepare myself for the last book. Maybe this time, I will be ready for the twists and turns. (Probably not)

This is Romance? Pt 1

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I’m a sucker for romance. That being said, I have some standards. Such standards include having some kind of conflict, whether an external force causing friction in the relationship or some internal conflict of not feeling good enough. That being said, The Notebook is the worst romance novel I have ever read.

For years, I was told that The Notebook was the most romantic movie ever made. In my thinking, the book should be better. It wasn’t. Now, I have adored other books by Nicholas Sparks, such as Safe Haven and The Lucky One. There was just literally nothing going on in this book. Our couple spent a day together, and we’re just supposed to believe in happily ever after? Yes, they grew old together, but their relationship, in essence, amounted to nothing. I honestly expected more from this novel. There is a sequel, and I don’t know what it will entail, but I’ll read it. See if this relationship gets any better.

Cold Reality

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Books have a way of punching you in the face, leaving you bleeding, and coming back for more to kick you while you are down. This is how Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck made me feel so many things within a short timeframe. I was one of those people who was someone who wasn’t spoiled, but this was a remarkable story.

This was short and sweet and so beautifully written. I could visually see everything with how descriptive the setting was. I would consider this must-read, but do consider the period this story was written. There is some language that is no longer acceptable.

Breakfast Murder Club Pt 1

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Some have nostalgia over their experiences in high school. I am not one of them. In fact, this book encapsulates everything I hated existing for those four years that I had second-hand dread reading from each character’s point of view. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus is one of the most exciting mystery stories I have read in a while.

The premise of this book is that a student is killed in detention one day, and there are four suspects. You, as the reader, aren’t too sure about what’s going on. You do know that everyone is lying. You follow all four suspects throughout the book that lying about something, but you’re never too sure of the extent of it. I do love this because not knowing what’s being lied about allows your mind to wander. To be fair, my thoughts wandered to some really dark places trying to figure out the lies. There is a second book, but I don’t know how it will stack up, especially since the setting is exactly the same. In my opinion, so far, the author is going to have to come up with a couple more lies different from those found in this book.

Along that Yellow Brick Road Pt 3

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After reading the third book in the series, Dorothy has a last name for herself. We should congratulate her. In this book, Dorothy is on an adventure to another magical place: Australia. I’m kidding, sort of. She traverses this new world with a chicken who doesn’t believe a single thing Dorothy says. I mean, I agree entirely with the talking chicken when she says there is no such thing as talking animals. It’s just ridiculous.

Anyway, in this book, we do get to see the new land of Ev. I think Baum had a thing about naming countries with only two letters. The magic is slightly different from Oz’s, but interesting nonetheless as we go on another adventure to find Dorothy a way home as we are joined with the return of other fun characters. I personally felt there were way more characters in the book than necessary, but that was the purpose of the quest, in a way. It was weird picturing all these characters interacting, especially toward the end. Overall I thought it was a good book. Just don’t see why the book was titled as it was.

Up in the Clouds Pt 2

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After reading the book after The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, I’m back where the question everyone was asking gets answered: What happened to that one girl? Through the entirety of the first book, you’re not even sure of her name, but you want to know. This book is her story.

This book is an even bigger whirlwind adventure than the first one. Even knowing the basic premise from the first book, this book will still wholly blow your mind as you go through the book. The first book will not thoroughly prepare you for what this book will teach with its different lessons to be introduced to our protagonist. You want to keep find out more about her. This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. If you enjoyed the first, you’ll love this one as well.

Test for Your Life Pt 1

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Apparently, I was on a dystopian kick because I am discussing another dystopian novel, but with characteristics that you are probably well versed with. A brunette teenage girl trying to find her way through society with some weird side romances that don’t make any sense and really don’t add anything to the story other than being really weird. I’m not talking about the Hunger Games, but it’s close enough.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau is very reminiscent of The Hunger Games, but there is a slight twist to everything. Instead of a competition where the young kill each other, they see who gets to go to university, a privilege allowed by a select few across the war-torn United States. To get to university, you must take part in The Testing. The only difference is that it’s not the typical standardized testing that we are used to.

I really enjoyed the flip of expectations that was introduced in the story. As soon as you think you know what’s going on, something happens to twist your thoughts on everything. What is really chill becomes explosive in an instant. I would definitely recommend this book, even though I do not know where the rest of the series goes. I guess I’ll find out soon.