Review: Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Another really popular classic that I just didn’t really understand the appeal of. If you like books about how cruel the world is, animal abuse and people with mental health issues not getting the help they need until it’s too late then this is the book for you. I mean it was horrible and shocking but I’m sure that was the point of the story. A very short book that I can honestly say I hated every single page of it, nothing more to add really.

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Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This made an interesting short read. Like everyone else on the planet I had watched the movie and like most people had never read the book. The movie was definitely a brilliant adaption of the book and it took the best parts of the book in my opinion. It was great to read the other bits though the parts that didn’t get into the movie.

Things that were great about the book that was missing from the movie was the backstory on why the scarecrow wanted a brain, tinman wanted a heart and lion wanted courage (The book was worth reading just for those answers in my opinion). There is a backstory behind the flying monkey’s too the wicked queen can’t just call them whenever she wishes. The book also had a lot more violence than the movies. They fought off a lot more attackers on their quest.

Also biggest thing I noticed slippers were not actually Ruby Red which was shocking!


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Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anyone wanting to get into reading classic books the Sherlock Holmes books are such a great place to start. Unlike a lot of classics, the books are so easy to read and understand in 2018 even though they were written over 100 + years ago.

I don’t think there has ever been a more interesting character than Sherlock Holmes in any book ever written. There has been so many TV shows and movies about him purely for the fact that he is so fascinating a character.

The dialogue is always sharp and witty and the relationship between Sherlock and Watson still to this day makes them probably one of the greatest duos ever written.

This story had everything from devil dogs, murder, a haunted old house and a mystery. The mystery is classic and compelling from beginning to end. That being said it’s not my favorite of the Sherlock Holmes stories but it’s brilliant all the same.

A must read for basically everyone.


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Review: I Am Jazz

I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whether you are fans of the show or just interested in learning about what it’s like growing up feeling like you are in the wrong body this book is a short but interesting read.

It looks at Jazz Jennings star of the show ‘I am Jazz’ and her life growing up as trans, her story is pretty different to a lot of trans kid stories just because she started taking hormones so young compared to a lot of people and her family have been super supportive which as Jazz states in the book makes her very lucky because a lot of people don’t get that level of family support.

She is brave and honest about her struggles with weight gain and depression that her gender dysphoria has led too. She discusses some of the issues she has faced with bullying and name calling and not being allowed to play on the girls’ sports teams she wanted to and not being able to use the bathroom of the gender she felt she was.

It’s a very simple take on the subject as really written for young children to grasp but I think it teaches an important lesson about not judging others and everyone battling their own demons and basically just not being a jerk to people because they are considered ‘different’ to you. Also, think it would be a good book to read for young people who feel like Jazz does.


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Review: Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice

Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice by Thea Sabin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked this book mostly because it was easy to understand for anyone no matter their experience with Wicca. It's a very basic but informative guide for people interested in the topic.

It wasn’t snobbish and trying to make out you cannot understand anything about my beliefs till you have read the works of these 50 authors like a lot of elitist Wicca books I have read.

The exercises were realistic and actually possible for someone with no experience and not like ones in a lot of books that would be pretty impossible to accomplish without the use of some rather impressive drugs.

I also really liked the fact that this book wasn’t trying to sell us something most of the book doesn’t really mention tools at all the author explains that you don’t need 9000 candles and 15,000 crystals and a $200 athame to practice.

A really good guide for people interested in learning more.

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Review: The Hobbit

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I really tried to like this book I really did. I thought it’s such a small book it would be a really quick read and then I could get on to the Lord of the Rings books which I have never read either. Now I’m just not sure I have the patience for that. This book took me sooooo many hours to get through!

Honestly very little seemed to happen in this book. I watched the first movie and I thought well they are trying to stretch a small book into 3 movies that’s why nothing really happened. Nope, I was wrong though nothing happened in the first 2 movies because barely anything happened in the actual book.

I feel guilty for having hated a classic book this much but man it was so slow. Three-quarters of the book is a dinner party and a walk. I’m wondering if I should even bother reading Lord of the Rings now or if I’ll just not be able to get through it.

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Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book, it’s probably one of my favorites of all time. This is such a beautiful book. I was actually kind of devastated when I got to the end and realized not only was the book fiction but that it was written by a man.

All of the characters in this book were so well written they were all flawed human beings but you still kind of rooting for them. I wanted Hatsumomo to do well and be a success, you could completely understand why she acted the way she did even though her treatment of Sayuri was so cruel at times.

I really wanted a happy ending for Sayuri, she had a tough life being sold into slavery and separated from her sister. Even though her relationship with the chairman would have been doomed from the beginning as he was married and would have basically always just seen her as a Geisha I still really wanted them to end up together. It’s an impressive book when it makes me root for the side-chick this much.

I can’t say I really had any interest in Japanese culture before I started reading this book but I found the daily life of a Geisha fascinating. I loved the rituals and the ceremony and the dress and the astrology and everything that went into it more than just pouring tea and laughing at men’s jokes. It is definitely a fascinating and well-researched look into Geisha life.

I loved the ending though because it wasn’t a perfect and they lived happily ever after type ending it was more the only ending that would have seemed realistic to the characters.

I am still completely gutted Sayuri isn’t a real person.

Would recommend to everyone who likes a good memoir whether they are particularly interested in the Japanese culture or not it’s still such an interesting read.


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