Hand to Mouth, Living in Bootstrap America

The Book: Hand to Mouth, Living in Bootstrap America

The Author: Linda Tirado

The Publisher: Putnam Adult, 2014

The Acquiring: Goodreads Giveaway, In the end of September.

My Thoughts: I love her in your face, take no prisoner writing style. It's refreshing to see someone just write and not worry about being politically correct like so many non-fiction books. She hides nothing, sugar coats nothing and tells her life of what it's really like to live in poverty.

Everyone should have to read this book. It's very much an honest unapologetic look into the working class and poverty in first world countries. I'm Canadian not American but I'm sure that it applies very much to Canadian culture as well.

I had not read or even heard of her essay before I read the book. Actually, I still haven't read it.. well only if the entire essay is in the first part of the book. I'm not sure. I guess I should go and find it on the interwebs to see.

The Children Act by Ian McEwan

The Book: The Children Act

The Author: Ian McEwan

The Publisher: Doubleday, 2014

The Acquiring: Goodreads Giveaway -- Bound Galley (Not sure what that means) in September sometimes.

My Thoughts:   At first, I was really excited to start reading this book. I have never read Ian McEwan before and I won it as a Goodreads Giveaway as a pre-sale copy. I started reading moments after I opened the package but after about 25 pages.. I could have easily just put it down... and then I wasn't too eager to pick it up again... hence why I'm so late reviewing it.

Not that I didn't like it... but I just didn't care.. It's like when you watch a TV show because there is really nothing else on. I just read it to read it. I feel like if this wasn't Ian McEwan without his reputation... it would be just another book on the self.

East of Eden by Steinbeck

The Book: East of Eden

The Author: John Steinbeck

The Publisher: Penguin Books, 2002

The Acquiring: Bought at Chapters several years ago… I’m sure for full price since none of their pretty covered classics ever go on sale.

My Thoughts: It's the best book I've ever read.This is one of the best books ever written... ever.. through time.. through... the entire Universe.  

When I finished I said to myself " Self, why haven't you read more Steinbeck?.. What is wrong with you?"

The story is incredible. When I was done, I just sat back in amazement and let the story run through my head again and again. It is one of those novels that will stay with me for a long time. Definitely in my top 10 books I'm glad I decided to read. The imagery of the Salinas Valley makes me want to visit California and see it for myself. 

Interview With The Vampire

The Book: Interview With The Vampire (he Vampire Chronicles Book 1)

The Author: Anne Rice

The Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 1991

The Acquiring: Chapters, Mass Paperback, in store for around 10$

My Thoughts: This book is Fan~freaking~tastic! At about 100 pages in, I started thinking.... "Where is this book going" then "ohhh" .. "oh it's going this way"... "nope it's going to go that way".. "Nope, This is not going where I'm guessing so I'll just stop guessing" . 

The story is about the search for the answer to the age old question of "What is evil in actuality?" and "What is it to be damned?"... and "who really knows the answers?"...

Shadow and Bones by Leigh Bardugo

The Book: Shadow and Bone
The Author: Leigh Bardugo

The Publisher: Henry Holt And Co., June 2013

The Acquiring: Giant Tiger (which is a discount/ bargain store) for 4.99$

The Thoughts: I was randomly waiting around and browsing through the store when I seen Joyland by SK. at the very top. I just took a quick look through to see what else was there when I spotted this book. I had hear several other people talk about it on YouTube's BookTube community so I just couldn't leave it there since it was only 5$. I didn't even bother read the back of the book so I kind of went into it blindly.

I began reading that day and I was hooked. It was an easy read. I really enjoyed it. It would be a great beach book for people who aren't into all that romance stuff. Don't get me wrong, there is kind of, sort of a romance story to it but the focus isn't all about getting the guy. I mean, it's a YA novel so you kind of have to go into it knowing that it's not going to be 1984 or Grapes of Wrath or something but it is an overall great read.

Though it's set in some sort of mystery fantasy place, I feel it has a Russian culture vibe. I don't know too much about the author but I feel there is a lot of Russian folklore to the book. I say this because from what I've read of the translated folklore, it has a deeper darker "Cinderella isn't going to find her Prince Charming" edginess to their stories. I appreciate stories like that, I think they portray a more believable world. Plus I've always been fascinated by Russian Culture.

I think this would make an amazing movie.

Mr Mercedes by the Obi-Wan of writers

The Book: Mr Mercedes

The Author: Stephen King

The Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2014

The Acquiring: Chapters for 40% off

The thoughts: My First thought- ***sigh*** ...  I love Stephen King. 

That being said, I did find it sort of slow about a quart of the way in but then I really got into it and ended up staying in on a Saturday night to finish it. 

 WARNING: Unlike most SK.. there are no supernatural elements. I didn't have to ask anyone to come stay with me or talk to me on the phone until I fell asleep at night. It was straight up crime fiction.. 

I actually think my mother would kind of like this book. She usually hates Stephen King because she not into all the supernatural stuff. I am trying to think of a way to convince her to read this book. The argument that I've come up with so far goes something like this... 

"It's not like his other books, no supernatural witchy weird sh*t going on, just plain straight up psychological crime fiction.. think more Agatha Christie than J.R.R. Tolkien."

Also, I was not a big fan of the cover because I don't like the sight of blood... but it's growing on me... sort of.. 

This Just Happened

OH YEAH!!
Went to Chapters to buy SK's new book Mr Mercedes and by a stroke of luck I found Hardcover Ken Follet's Fall of Giants for 5$

If you haven't seen the "book trailers" for Mr Mercedes then you've been missing out. They are essentially all of SK's most famous (or infamous) characters introducing the character Mr Mercedes. They are amazing....

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Book: The Road

The Author: Cormac McCarthy

The Publisher: Vintage Books, 2006

The Acquiring: Bought at Chapters last year… I’m sure for full price

My Thoughts: I don’t even know how to begin…

I find myself saying “On my f@#k” repeatedly and rocking back and forth trying to console myself as I read this book.

I have read this book several times. Twice in the first week that I owned it. ...Well I skip over some parts because they frighten me. But each time it leaves me with the strangest feelings that I cannot shake for days. There is something both horrifying and beautiful at the same time and I both love and hate the story. I have so many mixed feelings that I cannot decipher through them and it has been almost a year since I read it for the first time. It emotionally drains me (in a good weird way) each time.

The Gunslinger By Stephen King

The Book: The Gunslinger, Dark Tower Series Book #1

The Author: The Grand Master, His Lordship Stephen King

The Publisher: Signet, 2003 (first published in 1983)

The Acquiring: Bought at Chapters for regular price for a mass paper copy, 9.99$

My Thoughts: I could not put this book down. I kept telling myself, just one more chapter, just one more chapter, just one more chapter (or rather sub-chapter). Then three hours later I was still reading.

After I finished reading The Gunslinger, I mentally beat myself up for not picking up this series before now. I know many people claim all kinds of different books as Harry Potter for adults and they just never measure up but this is the true Harry Potter for adults. Actually, it is more like Harry Potter is the Dark Tower Series for the youngins.

The Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

The Book: The Truth that’s in Me

The Author: Julie Berry

The Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 2013

The Acquiring: Was sent to me as a Goodreads Giveaway, First Reads

My Thoughts: I received this book via a First Reads Giveaway. I was hesitant at first because I was unsure of the whole process since this was my first giveaway that I had received. I am very grateful that this was the first book that was sent to me.

The book is written in a Cormac McCarthy The Road sort of style of writing. The Chapters are short and the book moves very fast, somewhat non linear and very mysterious with deep emotions. I am really hesitant to make that comparison because McCarthy is a grand master at what he does so I feel like I may be setting it up for failure but I’m not sure who else to explain it. You just have to keep in mind while reading that it’s a YA novel and written to those standards.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

The Book: Hollow City

The Author: Ransom RIggs

The Publisher: Quirks Books, 2014

The Acquiring: Bought at Atlantic SuperStore for 40% off

My Thoughts: This is the sequel to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children which I’ve heard of but never read. Sometimes I do these things…

The author’s first name is Ransom, which I had not realized before right now. Yes! I love it. I hope it’s his real name  One day if I have children of my own, I wish to name my child an equally as awesome name.

At the beginning of the book, there is a series of photos of weirdly unusual children. They are photos of the characters. My first reaction was maybe the writer is horrible at character descriptions which caused me to prejudge his writing.. in a negative way. I was wrong, once I’d read about a particular character, I simply returned to the pictures to compare my imagination to.. I guess.. the writer’s imagination, and they were pretty much exactly how I pictured them. So LESSON LEARNED: don’t judge a book’s ability by the pictures in the beginning.   

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

The Book: Stardust

The Author: Neil Gaiman

The Publisher: William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers

The Acquiring: Bought at Chapters for full price (something I rarely do) 16.50$

My Thoughts: I must confess, this was my first Neil Gaiman book. I know what you’re thinking… where have I been living all my life… I’ve been asking it to myself since I finished reading the first chapter in this book and I just do not have a good answer to that question. I tell myself and others that I’m not really into fantasy novels but that’s just a lie I like to tell them (and myself) so people don’t see me for the nerd I really am.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Book: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

The Author: Douglas Adams

The Publisher: Pan Books, 2009

The Acquiring: Bought at Chapters in the Bargain Books section for 5.99$

My Thoughts: I’m not sure why I chose this book in particular to become the first review on my blog ever…. maybe I have a subconscious death wish?

I read some of the reviews on Goodreads and boy, some people sure do love their Douglas Adams…. and venomously defend his honour, ripping apart any reader who dares besmirch his novels.  

I really wanted to LOVE this book, much like I really wanted to LOVE Sam Robert’s Band’s new album…. (sigh)… but I don’t.