Miss Riki

Welcome to My Literary World

  • About Riki
  • Book Reviews
    • By Author
    • By Title
  • Review Policy

October/November Book Challenge Update!

December 1, 2013

books

Is it December already?!? I’m sure I’m not the only one who is in awe of how quickly this year has gone by. It seems like just yesterday I was lying on the beach reading (for the record that was April…) and now all of a sudden I’m wrapping up my semester and getting ready for Christmas!

For those of you who have been paying attention, there was no October Book Challenge Update! For shame, right? I’m currently finishing up the last semester of my degree and I just got overwhelmed with everything at the end. The first thing to go was blogging, and now here we are at the end of November with two months to report on. So, we’ll cover both October and November in this post. The other thing you might notice is that I don’t have a formal book review written for every book read these past two months. I apologize profusely, but once again, time got in the way and I did my best with the time I had!

For those of you who missed my initial post on this topic, I have decided to embark on a most enjoyable challenge to read 75 books in 2013. (This goal was updated from 52 to 75 mid-year). I have chosen to participate in the Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge in which I select my own goal, and a book a week is what I came up with as truly doable this year. Each month I will give you an update on where I am in the challenge and what books I was lucky enough to indulge in. I’ll also include a link to Amazon.com for each book in case you would like to pick a read up for yourself.

In the months of October and November I have read twenty-four books (!!) and according to the graph on Goodreads, I am at 109% of my goal! My total for the year sits at 82 books, surpassing my goal and making me a very happy reader! It became clear late in October that I was going to surpass my updated goal once again, but I decided to leave it at 75 books since I just wasn’t sure what the end of the semester would bring. (I’m going to have to think long and hard about next year’s goal. We might be looking at 100 books)!

These past two months I have read the following books. The ones with reviews have clickable links.

 

The Changeling by Thomas Middleton

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

 

King Lear by William Shakespeare

 

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

 

The Golden Ass by Apuleius

 

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

 

The Shoemaker’s Holiday by Thomas Dekker

 

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci

 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

 

Without You by Brooklyn Skye

 

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

 

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

 

The Knight of the Burning Pestle by Francis Beaumont

 

Twelfth Night (or What You Will) by William Shakespeare

 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

 

Volpone by Ben Johnson

 

Rapture Practice by Aaron Hartzler

 

Canary by Rachele Alpine

 

Fault Line by Christa Desir

 

Inexcusable by Chris Lynch

 

Empty by K.M. Walton

 

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

 

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

——-

As usual I am open to your recommendations and look forward to talking books with you!

 

Happy Reading!

 

Leave a Comment · Labels: All Miss Riki's Posts, Books & Reading Tagged: 2013 Goodreads Book Challenge, book review, November Book Challenge Update, October Book challenge Update

September Book Challenge Update!

October 10, 2013

books

Summer is officially over and even here in perpetually hot and sunny Arizona we are starting to see some signs of Fall weather. As a college student that means that I’m knee-deep in school reading and trying desperately to fit in a just-for-fun romance novel or two into the mix. It’s been a great September full of inspiring reads and I’m excited to share with you!

 

For those of you who missed my initial post on this topic, I have decided to embark on a most enjoyable challenge to read 75 books in 2013. (This goal was updated from 52 to 75 mid-year). I have chosen to participate in the Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge in which I select my own goal, and a book a week is what I came up with as truly doable this year. Each month I will give you an update on where I am in the challenge and what books I was lucky enough to indulge in. I’ll also include a link to Amazon.com for each book in case you would like to pick a read up for yourself.

 

In the month of September I have read nine books and according to the graph on Goodreads, I am at 80% of my goal, which is three books (3%) ahead of schedule! I’m well on my way to meeting my goal of reading 75 books for the year.

 

This month I have read the following books. You may click on each one to see my review and purchase information.

 

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

 

Looking for Alaska by John Green

 

Odyssey by Homer

 

Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare

 

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

 

Ball Don’t Lie by Matt de la Pena

 

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

 

The Metamorphosis of Ovid

 

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

 

As usual I am open to your recommendations and look forward to talking books with you!

 

Happy Reading!

Leave a Comment · Labels: All Miss Riki's Posts, Books & Reading Tagged: 2013 Goodreads Book Challenge, book review, September Book Challenge Update

Book Review: Looking For Alaska

September 9, 2013

LookingForAlaska

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Looking for Alaska is a story of growing up and finding out what you mean to the world around you. Miles “Pudge” Halter has been flying under the radar of his own life, with very few friends and a great desire to find out what he’s been missing. When he decides to go away to boarding school at Culver Creek to seek his own “Great Perhaps” he launches himself into the great unknown, where he will test the bonds of friendship and expand his very small world to something much bigger and more meaningful. Along the way he is faced with the smaller questions of how to best prank those who throw you in a lake in your underwear, as well as the much larger questions of life and how we all fit into the grand scheme of things. With the help of a genius religion teacher who asks all the right questions and a small group of friends who teach him the real lessons in life, Miles finds out what it means to love, and to lose.

 

John Green writes Looking for Alaska within the restraints of a certain timeframe. He uses time and the space within as a literary device that not only builds tension towards an eventual climax, but also serves as a resolution after a traumatic event. The book is split into two sections, “Before,” and “After,” and uses a countdown approach, starting one hundred thirty-six days before the climax of the story. From the first page the reader is hooked, wondering what event looms one hundred thirty-six days ahead. With each passing day within the narrative we are brought closer to the moment of truth until we reach the climactic event of Alaska’s death.

 

In the second “After” section the count moves forward to where we are no longer counting down to an event, but counting up after it occurs. The narrative moves forward after the death of the title character, counting to one hundred thirty-six days after the climax of the story. In this second section the counting of days no longer creates a sense of suspense, but shows the slow but sure healing of the individuals in the story. It is as if each day brings them more closure and allows them to move on in their lives.

 

I found Green’s approach to the story using time as the framing device to be quite effective. From page one I was drawn into the story and wondered what climax awaited me. With each approaching scene the drama was built up until a highly emotional and raw event. As the countdown gets closer to the climax, the writing also becomes more emotional and the characters more real to me. After the traumatic events of the climax the counting away from that day helped me as a reader come down from the emotional high and settle back in to the narrative.

 

I really enjoyed this book. Looking for Alaska was the second novel I have read written by John Green (the first being The Fault in Our Stars) and I have to say that I am drawn to his style. He writes very believable, smart teen protagonists and tackles highly emotionally charged subjects that make me think about myself and my place in the world. In this book Green even manages to ease my mind in a situation where I might otherwise be bothered. I usually like books to have a very definitive ending, where there is no question as to the outcome for the characters. Looking for Alaska leaves the reader with many unanswered questions, the biggest being the cause of Alaska’s accident. Was it truly an accident caused by drinking and driving, or was it a suicide? I ordinarily would be dying to know the real answer, but in the resolution of the story Green makes it okay for me to wonder. He wraps up enough questions to make the ending satisfying while still allowing the reader to come to his/her own conclusions about the event in question.

 

I believe this book would be a good read for most any teen, although there are some adult themes addressed in the book. The teen characters smoke and drink, and even experiment with oral sex. Although these may be more mature situations, they are presented with a questioning nature and an innocence very fitting of a young adult. At no time are the situations tawdry or inappropriate, even for a younger audience. I feel as though teens reading Looking for Alaska will find a little something for everyone. There’s adventure, plenty of humor, and dramatic moments throughout. As an adult I was moved to literal tears at some moments and laughing out loud at others. I would highly recommend this books to both young adult and adult readers alike.

2 Comments · Labels: All Miss Riki's Posts, Books & Reading Tagged: 2013 Goodreads Book Challenge, book review, John Green, Looking for Alaska

Book Review: Doctor Faustus

September 7, 2013

DoctorFaustus

Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

 

What would you pay for twenty-four years of complete knowledge and total power? Would you forsake God and turn your allegiance to the devil? In Christopher Marlowe’s classic epic tragedy the German Doctor Faustus does just that, selling his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge, power, and the service of Mephistopheles to cater to his every whim. Faustus is consumed with the desire to know everything and to remain youthful and vibrant.

 

I loved the undertones of humor always present in this text. Although Faustus is granted unlimited knowledge and power, he squanders his newfound gains on silly pranks and opportunities to impress the rich and influential in society. Of course he travels and sees the world, but he never quite seems to get his money’s worth in the realm of true power. It seems to me that one night of perhaps drunken talk with his fellow magicians and scholars leads Faustus down the road to necromancy, where he falls victim to his own base desires and pays the price with his soul.

 

I read this play for a course in Renaissance Drama and found it highly enjoyable. As one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, Marlowe’s play is written in the same style and early English language yet is much more serious with more moral and religious meanings. After watching two different stagings of the play I found the language easier to understand and the humor more apparent. Doctor Faustus is a timeless, thought-provoking story that brings about questions of morality. Although Faustus is not a highly developed character, the reader can identify with his thirst for knowledge and might even feel sympathies towards this man who realizes much too late that he has made a terrible mistake.

Leave a Comment · Labels: All Miss Riki's Posts, Books & Reading Tagged: 2013 Goodreads Book Challenge, book review, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus

August Book Challenge Update!

August 30, 2013

book1

I’m finding it difficult to believe that summer is over and I am back to school already! It was a busy summer filled with lots of reading and book reviewing. Back at school this semester I am already knee-deep in English Renaissance Drama, Shakespeare, Modern Grammar, and Young Adult Literature. You all know what that means….less time for pleasure reading but still plenty of books to review! I’m looking forward to sharing my take on some literary classics with you as well as exploring the world of Young Adult literature.

 

For those of you who missed my initial post on this topic, I have decided to embark on a most enjoyable challenge to read 75 books in 2013. (This goal was updated from 52 to 75 mid-year). I have chosen to participate in the Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge in which I select my own goal, and a book a week is what I came up with as truly doable this year. Each month I will give you an update on where I am in the challenge and what books I was lucky enough to indulge in. I’ll also include a link to Amazon.com for each book in case you would like to pick a read up for yourself.

 

In the month of August I have read three books and according to the graph on Goodreads, I am at 65% of my goal, which is one book (1%) ahead of schedule! I’m just a bout where I need to be in order to reach my goal on time this year. With all of the books I’ll be reading for class this semester I’m not too concerned about not meeting the goal!

 

This month I read the following books. You may click on each one to see my review and purchase information.

 

The Potty Mouth at the Table by Laurie Notaro

 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

—–

As usual I am open to your recommendations and look forward to talking books with you!

Happy Reading!

Leave a Comment · Labels: All Miss Riki's Posts, Books & Reading Tagged: 2013 Goodreads Book Challenge, book review, books, Brian Selznick, John Green, Laurie Notaro, The Fault in Our Stars, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, The Potty Mouth at the Table

Book Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

August 17, 2013

hugo_intro_cover2

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Hugo Cabret is an orphan who lives with the hope of repairing an automaton that his deceased father once discovered abandoned in a museum. After Hugo is left behind by his alcoholic uncle he spends his days diligently maintaining the clocks of the Paris train station and using his free time to pore over his father’s notebooks kept on the automaton. One day as Hugo steals a toy from a train station shop he is caught by an old man and introduced to Isabella. The old man takes away Hugo’s beloved notebook, setting into action a delightful series of actions to get it back. With the help of Isabella and a mysterious friend met in the bookstore, Hugo not only recovers his notebook, but is able to bring the automaton to life. The secrets that the automaton unfolds hinges upon a great discovery that will change the lives of everyone involved forever. What was thought to be lost forever is found and there is celebration in the discovery.

This charming book is told partially through words on the page and partially through wonderfully detailed illustrations. Although the book appears long at 533 pages, it is full of these beautiful illustrations and short bits of prose. Even though you can read this book easily in an hour, its captivating storyline and amazing illustrations will make you want to linger much longer in the enticing wold of Hugo Cabret.

I loved the way that history intertwined with fantasy in this book. I fell in love with young Hugo and cheered for him from start to finish. His friend Isabella is also charming. I love how she always has a book in her hands and when Hugo asks her how she knows how to pick locks she nonchalantly tells him her knowledge is from books. This book is a lovely mystery that unfolds beautifully. It is a story that will delight readers of all ages.

On a side note, I picked up The Invention of Hugo Cabret because we bought the 3-D film based on the book and I always want to read the book before seeing the film. I’m curious to see how the world of Hollywood filmmaking brings to life a book that is in itself an homage to the magic of filmmaking.

 

1 Comment · Labels: All Miss Riki's Posts, Books & Reading Tagged: 2013 Goodreads Book Challenge, book review, Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

August 15, 2013

The_Fault_in_Our_Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Hazel has terminal cancer being treated by a miracle tumor-shrinking drug that has bought her more time. Her life is pretty predictable with her careful and loving parents taking care of her, her classes at the local community college, and a Cancer Kid Support Group that she dislikes attending. Everything changes on a dime for smart and witty Hazel when Augustus Waters walks into the group. All of a sudden her small world opens up and she finds herself falling in love.

This book has everything I could possibly ask for within its pages. There’s amazing witty teen voices, a tender love story, strong family ties, and unbreakable bonds of friendship. I loved the precocious and beyond-their-years dialogue between Hazel and Augustus. I read some reviews that blasted the more complex vocabulary and adult viewpoint of these two teenage characters, but lets face it; these are not your average teens. They are terminally ill cancer patients who have seen more death and experienced more pain than most people see in a lifetime. Their views of the world are going to be more mature and drastically different than your average teen. John Green does an excellent job of proving this in writing Hazel’s friend Kaitlyn. She lives in a different world than Hazel and worries about much more mundane things. Hazel feels slightly adrift from her former schoolmates. I think that knowing you are going to die young and feeling the burden of leaving family and friends behind ages you, and Hazel and Gus have a dialogue that reflects that maturity.

I loved that this book had a healthy dose of realism. The cancer patients are not treated as wonder beings with more insight to life than a healthy person. Green portrays these patients in a very realistic manner. When Isaac gets dumped by his healthy girlfriend he goes crazy breaking things and ranting with his friends. His raw emotion over the loss of normalcy in his life is evident and he is a real teen. He is almost as broken up over his breakup as he is over the loss of his eyes. The teen emotions are very real.

okay,okayThe love story in this book is beautiful and tragic, but it is not perfect. Hazel and Augustus don’t always see eye to eye and their love for one another grows slowly out of mutual understanding and respect. Knowing we are dealing with cancer and shortened life spans you know this book will be sad, but it was all the more heart wrenching because John Green writes such complex and likable characters. I was laughing out loud with Hazel in her good times and crying tears of real sadness when life takes its inevitable turns for her.

The writing is beautiful and Green is a master storyteller. I found myself highlighting lines like this one throughout the book: “As he read, I fell in love the way you fell asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” It’s absolutely stunning the way Green makes the reader feel. I highly recommend this book. It is by far one of my favorites read all year. Yes, it will make you cry, but it will make you laugh too, and see the world though different eyes, and isn’t that what good book is supposed to do?

Leave a Comment · Labels: All Miss Riki's Posts, Books & Reading Tagged: 2013 Goodreads Book Challenge, book review, John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 6
  • Previous Entries

Hi, I'm Riki! I'm a writer, an avid reader, and lover of all things literature! Feel free to contact me and follow along!

Follow Me:

Miss Riki’s Bookshelf

Riki's books

Isla and the Happily Ever After
Lola and the Boy Next Door
The One
The Elite
The Selection
If I Stay
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Kissing Kris Kringle
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Ex-mas
Decked with Holly
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
A Very Grey Christmas
My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories
Let It Snow


Riki's favorite books »

Subscribe by Email!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Theme by 17th Avenue · Powered by WordPress & Genesis