Tag Archives: Valerie H.

Books on the Big Screen

Posted on by

Summer is known for blockbuster movies, but it’s the holiday season that makes me the most excited.  November and December have brought us Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Les Miserables, and this year’s Murder on the Orient Express.  The holidays always seem to bring some great books to life on the big screen.  If you love reading the books that inspired the movies, then check out this list of titles that have recently been (or soon will be) given the star treatment.  Do you have a favorite movie adaptation?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review: Sourdough

Posted on by

Sourdough
by Robin Sloan
4 stars

I enjoyed Robin Sloan’s quirky book Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, so I was eager to read his latest novel.  I was pleasantly surprised to find the same wonderful quirkiness in Sourdough.

Lois Clary, a workaholic living in San Francisco, finds a menu on her doorstep one day offering spicy sandwich, spicy soup, or a combo of both.  Having survived primarily on a food substitute, Lois decides to give this new place a try.  She falls in love.  The food and the bread are healing to her, and the highlight of her day.  When the owners of the restaurant have to move away, they give her a gift – some of their sourdough starter.

Lois, who has never baked in her life, decides to learn and finds herself quickly pulled into a culinary world.  With her background in computer technology, Lois decides to try combining her knowledge of robotics with her new passion which leads to some interesting outcomes.  This is a fun, fast read that will have you craving sourdough.

Read-alikes

Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

The View from Penthouse B by Elinor Lipman

Review: Adulthood is a Myth

Posted on by

Adulthood is a Myth
by Sarah Andersen
5 stars

If you’re looking for a quick, funny read then look no further than Sarah Andersen’s Adulthood is a Myth.   This book is a collection of Andersen’s web comics all about dealing with the world as an introvert, and facing the fact that you never really feel like an adult.

Accompanied by her moral compass, who just happens to be a bunny, Sarah’s character faces things such as staying up all night reading, facing beauty standards, and fully admitting that you really just want to be at home in your pajamas.  These cute, short comic strips are glimpses at real life that not only resonate with the reader, but will make you laugh out loud.  Highly recommend.

Read-alikes

The Worrier’s Guide to Life by Gemma Correll

Heart and Brain by Nick Seluk

Giant Days by John Allison

Review: Giant Days

Posted on by

Giant Days
by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, & Whitney Cogar
4 stars

I had heard people rave about different graphic novels, but I was reluctant to try reading one.  It just didn’t seem like a format I’d enjoy.  Plus, I didn’t really want to read about superheroes all that much.  Recently, however, I decided to finally see what all the fuss was about.  Oh my goodness!  I’ve been missing out.  The past few weeks have been full of different graphic novels for me, and I’ve been having a blast.

Giant Days has been my favorite read so far.  It’s a light-hearted, realistic fiction about a group of three freshman girls who just started at a British university.  Susan, Esther, and Daisy quickly become friends as they face issues with relationships, reputations, illness, and school.  I love that I was surprised by this format and fell in love with this story.  I found myself laughing at various points, and I’m excited to get my hands on the next volume.

Highly recommend to fans of Rainbow Rowell or Noelle Stevenson.

Read-alikes

Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson

Review: The Handmaid’s Tale

Posted on by

The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood
5 stars

The Handmaid’s Tale is one of those novels that has been on my list to read for quite some time.  I finally decided to read Atwood’s classic dystopian tale, and I’m so glad I did.

Offred is a handmaid in what used to be the United States.  Birth rates are declining, and women are only really valued for their reproductive value.   Handmaids are women who are expected to produce babies for the commanders and their wives.  They are not allowed to read, travel alone, or be alone with a man.  Limitations are set on all in this strict society.

Atwood does a masterful job of revealing the details of this society slowly.  You can’t help but continue reading just to uncover more information about how the United States became this way, and why these rules are set.  The eerie part of this book is how logical some of it seems.  It’s the fear that the well-meaning plan can go too far resulting in a dystopian society, that really creates the suspense of this novel.  It’s easy to compare this society with what happened in Europe during WWII.  Definitely a book that will make you think.

Read-alikes

Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury