The Book Blog

Hi! Brenda Hoffman here. Because Pippa Crews and I love the story of The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North, we thought it would be fun to do an interview style blog this week. “Hope” you enjoy.

Synopsis: When a dear friend of Hope’s commits suicide, she suspects a popular app called “Perfection” to be the cause. She embarks on a convoluted path to end perfection and “Perfection.” The Sudden Appearance of Hope is the tale of a girl no one remembers, yet her story will stay with you forever. Told in first person, Hope explains her sad plight. From the novel:

My name is Hope Arden, and you won't know who I am. But we've met before - a thousand times.

It started when I was sixteen years old.

A father forgetting to drive me to school. A mother setting the table for three, not four. A friend who looks at me and sees a stranger.

No matter what I do, the words I say, the crimes I commit, you will never remember who I am.

That makes my life difficult. It also makes me dangerous.

Pippa Crews is a student and guest blogger who so loved Hope that she wanted to share her love of the novel with St. Johns River State College. Below is her bio:

My name is Pippa Crews. I’ve been at St. Johns River State College in St. Augustine for half a semester. My favorite genres are historical fiction, science fiction, and thrillers. My least favorite genre is YA fantasy. Some of my favorite books are The Sudden Appearance of Hope (of course), The Giver, The Outsiders, and Howl’s Moving Castle. I am not fond of any book by Sarah J Maas. I would not recommend going down that rabbit hole. 

I fell in love with reading at a young age. My parents read to me every other night and took me to the local library every week to pick out books. Most of the time I prefer to read the traditional way with paperbacks, but I like the convenience of eBooks. I love to read almost anywhere whether that be in a coffee shop or in my bed way past my bedtime.

Brenda: What is your favorite scene? Why? 

Pippa: My favorite scene was in chapter 36 when Hope went to Japan. I really liked how she described her surroundings and introduced readers to parts of Japanese culture they might not be aware of. I also appreciated the brief mention of Taekwondo. I used to do Taekwondo, so I am giddy over any mention of it in books and media.

Brenda: Does Hope remind you of any other dystopian novels? How? Which one (s)? 

Pippa: The Sudden Appearance of Hope reminded me of The Giver by Lois Lowry. The Giver tells the story of an eleven-year-old boy named Jonas who lives in a utopian society. However, the society is revealed to be more dystopian as the story progresses. In the world of the Giver, the government takes away pain and conflict by converting it to “Sameness,” a plan that removes emotion from their lives. The concept of “Sameness” is like “Perfection” in Hope in that both societies are against imperfection. While “Perfection” is mainly against physical imperfections, encouraging users to diet to get the perfect body and dress a certain way, “Sameness” is against imperfection on the emotional level.

Brenda: Hope’s gift is that she is unremembered. She is arrested and left in an interrogation room. When the officer returns to question her, she says, “Where is my client?” The cop forgot he arrested her. What is the worst aspect of being forgotten, especially by those for whom you care? 

Pippa: I feel like the worst aspect of being forgotten is not being able to form new connections with people. If I always knew I was going to be forgotten, I’d be reluctant to get close to anyone.

Brenda: The plot of Hope centers on a self-improvement app called Perfection that, ironically, encourages sadness and depression in its users. Do you see any connections between the Perfection app and Instagram, Twitter or TikTok? 

Pippa: Perfection reminded me of a lot of Instagram and TikTok. Though it is more present in TikTok than Instagram, the most beautiful or “perfect” creators with “pretty privilege” gain a platform of followers easier than someone who was not as conventionally attractive. Research also suggests that teenagers who spend more time on Tik Tok are more likely to experience depression and anxiety.

Thanks for sharing your insightful thoughts about this wonderful novel, Pippa! I’m so glad that you enjoyed Hope as much as I did. I only wish that I could forget my first reading of Claire North’s masterpiece, so that I could read it anew again.

Check out North's 84K!

84k by Claire North

ISBN: 9780316316804

Publication Date: 2018-05-22

A powerful dystopian vision of a world where money reigns supreme, from a World Fantasy Award-winning author. "An extraordinary novel that stands with the best of dystopian fiction, with dashes of The Handmaid's Tale." -- -Cory Doctorow The penalty for Dani Cumali's murder: $84,000. Theo works in the Criminal Audit Office. He assesses each crime that crosses his desk and makes sure the correct debt to society is paid in full. These days, there's no need to go to prison -- provided that you can afford to pay the penalty for the crime you've committed. If you're rich enough, you can get away with murder. But Dani's murder is different. When Theo finds her lifeless body, and a hired killer standing over her and calmly calling the police to confess, he can't let her death become just an entry on a balance sheet. Someone is responsible. And Theo is going to find them and make them pay. Perfect for fans of 1984 and Never Let Me Go, Claire North's moving and unnerving new novel will resonate with readers around the world.

In 1920, actor and humorist Robert Benchley opined: “There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who divide everybody into two kinds of people, and those who don’t.” Since then, there have been hundreds of iterations of two kinds of people. Pinterest weighed in with: “There are two types of people in the world: Avoid both.” Mark Twain responded with his usual rapier wit: “There are two types of people in the world. People who have accomplished things and people who have claimed to accomplish things. The first group is less crowded.” And Neil deGrasse Tyson quipped on Twitter in 2017: “There are two kinds of people in the world—those who divide everyone into two kinds of people and those who don't." I classify people into two categories as well: There are two types of zombie fans: Those who prefer fast zombies and those who prefer slow zombies. Me? I am all in with the slow, lumbering zombie. Quora asked its readers to pick between fast and slow zombies, too. The granddaddy of the modern zombie film, George Romero, agrees with me and saw fast zombies as a symptom of a film industry “obsessed with size and speed.” "Logically," he claims, "zombies can’t run! Their ankles would snap. What would they do—wake from the dead and

immediately join a health club? I don’t get it.” Director and writer Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and Peter Jackson (Dead Alive) of Lord of the Rings fame “[remain] stuck on the shuffle,” as they also prefer the slow undead. The fast zombie leaves no chance for the living to survive. It’s nerve-wracking. Remember that claustrophobic airplane scene from Marc Forster’s World War Z? Brad Pitt, even as a young and fit scientist, can’t outrun a fast zombie on a plane. Okay, so he did, but how believable was that? Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later and the follow-up 28 Weeks Later leave Jim and Selena with little to no breathing room. One drop of zombie blood and the change to an undead flesh eater is immediate. Netflix’s “Black Summer” series features super-fast zombies, too. When the dead are unleashed at an airplane hangar, the living run between buildings dodging the turned-too-quickly walkers. The scene resembles a Bugs Bunny cartoon where that loveable rabbit runs down hallways, ducks into rooms, and bumps into Yosemite Sam along the way. Only Bugs’ nemesis isn’t the undead.

On the other hand, Shaun of the Dead’s shuffling zombies turn the genre on its head. A British zom-com, the movie’s protagonists, Shaun and Ed, can run faster than the undead, but they’re about as intelligent as them. But at least our beloved Brits stand a fighting chance! “The Walking Dead” television series revived the sleepy zombie genre with slow-moving walkers, too. I was introduced to Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead graphic novel series at the Miami Book Fair in 2004 and was excited when AMC picked up the series for one season. The executives at AMC thought the eight-episode season would be one and done. Viewers, however, devoured the episodes like so many ravenous flesh eaters. This year marks the eleventh season and final eight episodes. Regardless of the shuffling walkers, George Romero didn’t like the series calling it a “soap opera.”

Romero’s 1968 Night of the Living Dead remains the go-to ghoul/zombie (Romero didn’t use the word zombie; he called his undead ghouls) movie. If you’re new to zombie films, you might want to start with this perfect film. Shot near Pittsburgh on a shoestring budget of $114,000.00, this black and white masterpiece surpasses current gore fests. An allegory for the Vietnam War and the civil unrest that marked the late 1960s, Night works on two levels. The film is brutal in its depiction of flesh-eating zombies. Romero’s crew, made up mostly of friends and clients of his production studio, pitched in and helped define the current zombie mythology. One of Romero’s friends owned a butcher shop, so the guts and livers that zombies chow down on are from butchered animals. Pittsburgh city police answered Romero’s call with authentic cop cars and German shepherds to hunt down and kill the ghouls. And Pittsburgh native “Chiller Theater” host, Bill Cardille, shows up with his real cameraman as a reporter. Friends acted as zombies and when they asked for direction from Romero about how to act dead, his advice was to "walk slow and drag your feet."

Pittsburgh University holds a yearly event honoring Romero’s legacy, and I was fortunate to attend the inaugural program in 2018. Sitting in the audience, I was rapt listening to the famous director’s friends, co-workers, and film historians discuss the mark that Romero left on the horror genre. When an audience member asked if Romero’s subtext of Vietnam and civil unrest was intentional in Night, all panel members agreed that “George knew what he was doing. The subtext was intentional.”

If you’re looking for slow-walkin’ zombies with a social commentary bite, I implore you to check out Night of the Living Dead this Halloween. Borrow it from the library and invite some friends over for a very scary movie night, or catch it for free on YouTube here. The final shot of Night remains one of the most shocking and sad in film history. Which do you prefer? Crazy fast flesh eaters, or lumbering I-have-a-chance-of-escape walkers? Let me know what you think of the film, as well as your preference for fast or slow zombies in the comments section!

Since classes were canceled on Wednesday, Sept. 28 due to Hurricane Ian, we canceled the book club meeting. We return on Wednesday, Oct. 26 on all three campuses. See you then!

Night of the Living Dead

Call Number: PN1997 Night_Of _The_Living DVD

ISBN: B00005Y6Y2

A simple, peaceful countryside is being terrorized by killer zombies with only one thing on their minds--destroy all humans. A small stronghold of survivors must hold the zombies at bay outside an old, abandoned house for any future hope of humanity.

 

The Complete Night of Living Dead Filmbook by John Russo

ISBN: 0517561700

Publication Date: 1989-01-13

 

World War Z by Max Brooks

Call Number: St. Johns River/Palatka Popular Fiction -- PS3602.R6445 W67 2007

ISBN: 9780307346612

Publication Date: 2007-10-16

An account of the decade-long conflict between humankind and hordes of the predatory undead is told from the perspective of dozens of survivors who describe in their own words the epic human battle for survival.

The Walking Dead: Season 5

Call Number: PN1992 Walking_ Dead Sea.5 DVD

ISBN: B00VGQJLDO

The group crosses paths with a mysterious priest and takes shelter in his church. As Daryl and Carol follow a lead to the whereabouts of Beth, the others begin to realize that they’re being hunted. As Bob’s life hangs in the balance, the group prepares to face off against the cannibalistic hunters of Terminus.

 

 

Rhetoric of Modern Death in American Living Dead Films by Outi Hakola

ISBN: 9781783203796

Publication Date: 2015-01-15

Zombies, vampires, and mummies are frequent stars of American horror films. But what does their cinematic omnipresence and audiences’ hunger for such films tell us about American views of death? Here, Outi Hakola investigates the ways in which American living-dead films have addressed death through different narrative and rhetorical solutions during the twentieth century.nbsp; She focuses on films from the 1930s, including Dracula, The Mummy, and White Zombie, films of the 1950s and 1960s such as Night of the Living Dead and The Return of Dracula, and more recent fare like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, The Mummy, and Resident Evil. Ultimately, the book succeeds in framing the tradition of living dead films, discussing the cinematic processes of addressing the films’ viewers, and analyzing the films’ socio-cultural negotiation with death in this specific genre.nbsp;

While I have read many fantasy books over the years, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth contains the best world building in the genre. Tolkien’s command of history and linguistics gives his fantasy works an air of authenticity unseen in later imitators. With these elements, the world Tolkien created for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings feels lived in and real.

For Middle Earth, Tolkien created real languages that can be spoken by those with the patience to learn them. As a philologist who specialized in Old English (Anglo Saxon), Tolkien incorporated his love of language into his fantasy works. He created many languages spoken by the inhabitants of Middle Earth. These include elvish, dwarvish, and other fictional languages with pronunciation guides that define specific vowels and consonants. The creation of these languages helps give Middle Earth an old-world feel.

Tolkien massively expanded Middle Earth’s history in The Silmarillion, an anthology that describes the creation of the world among other foundational stories. The text of The Silmarillion reads like a civilization’s ancient history from a detached point of view; much like Herodotus’ Histories but without giving first-person impressions of events. Stories found in The Silmarillion include the “Ainulindalë: The Music of the Ainur” which describes the creation of Middle Earth à la The Book of Genesis, and the “Akallabêth” which is an account of the fall of Númenor with similarities to the fall of Atlantis. These homages to real-world foundational stories and mythologies help make Middle Earth feel connected to our collective past.

Tolkien’s mastery of linguistics and history gives Middle Earth a sense of legitimacy that has not been surpassed by other fantasy writers. Writers interested in world building with authenticity need to give J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth a look.

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien; Christopher Tolkien (Editor)

ISBN: 0395257301

Publication Date: 1977-09-01

Set in a time far earlier than Tolkien's master works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, this is the epic history of the elves, and the grand story of the creation of Tolkien's magical world. The Lord of the Rings narrated the great events at the end of the Third Age; but the tales of The Silmarillion are legends deriving from a much deeper past, when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils. Never published in the author's lifetime, The Silmarillion is an essential compendium for all Tolkien fans. It will be published in five consecutive volumes, each completely unabridged. The series contains not only the Quenta Silmarillion, but four other short works: the Ainulindale, Valaquenta, Akallabeth and Of the Rings of Power.

 

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

ISBN: 9780618640157

Publication Date: 2005-10-12

Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with J.R.R. Tolkien's classic masterpieces behind the films... This special 50th anniversary edition includes three volumes of The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King), along with an extensive new index--a must-own tome for old and new Tolkien readers alike. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), beloved throughout the world as the creator of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College until his retirement in 1959. His chief interest was the linguistic aspects of the early English written tradition, but while he studied classic works of the past, he was creating a set of his own.

 

The Hobbit: Pocket Edition by J. R. R. Tolkien (Illustrator)

ISBN: 9780547928241

Publication Date: 2012-09-18

A great modern classic and the prelude to The Lord of the Rings This charming pocket-sized edition contains the complete unabridged text and features the original cover illustration, painted by J.R.R. Tolkien himself.  The perfect gift for little Hobbits everywhere! Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.

 

The Histories by Herodotus; Robin Waterfield (Translator); Carolyn Dewald (Editor)

ISBN: 9780199535668

Publication Date: 2008-05-15

Herodotus is not only known as the `father of history', as Cicero called him, but also the father of ethnography; as well as charting the historical background to the Persian Wars, his curiosity also prompts frequent digression on the cultures of the peoples he introduces. While much of theinformation he gives has proved to be astonishingly accurate, he also entertains us with delightful tales of one-eyed men and gold-digging ants. This readable new translation is supplemented with expansive notes that provide readers the background that they need to appreciate the book in depth.* Introduction * Textual Note *Bibliography * Chronology * Appendices * Glossary * Maps * Explanatory Notes * Textual Notes * Index of Proper Names

Hey what’s up everyone this is Andrew! For my next post, I am going to be examining a topic that has been a heartbreaking issue for a while in our country. This is the opioid epidemic. In my last blog, I spoke about the life of Kurt Cobain. He began using opioids in the late 80s and early 1990s. He used heroin, bought from the streets. My next book talks about synthetic forms of heroin, specifically OxyContin, which has wreaked havoc across the nation. This week I will be discussing and reviewing Dopesick by Beth Macy.

As I continue, let me tell you that this book is not for everyone. The opioid epidemic has affected many Americans. It has caused pain and suffering not only for the people who became addicted, but for their friends and families as well. The epidemic has ensnared people as well as entire towns and sections of the country. I have had both friends and family members who have passed from battles with addiction to prescription medication. If you are triggered by scenes of drug use or descriptions of violence associated with drugs, please be careful.

Beth Macy tells this story as a reporter who has entrenched herself in a corner of northwestern Virginia. It is the heart of Appalachian country and ground zero for the opioid epidemic. She follows the everyday lives of Americans who have become caught up abusing opioids. As she tells their stories, she begins to weave a narrative together that tells how this epidemic came to be. She tells about older folks prescribed OxyContin for pain, high school football players who were prescribed it for injuries. How they were treated by doctors who had been told that this synthetic opioid was not addictive and was a “miracle drug” in the treatment of pain.

This of course was not the case. The drug, OxyContin, a powerful, man-made opioid was patented by Purdue Pharma- the company owned by the Sackler family. Macy then goes into how Oxycontin was pushed by Purdue and its representatives, and how the research into the drug was buried by the company, in favor of record sales and profits.

If you are interested, please read more for yourself. I did because I wanted to understand what addiction is like for these people. I have seen the pain myself, I wanted to understand how it began, and what is being done now to help our fellow humans out of this mess.

Dopesick by Beth Macy

ISBN: 0316551244

Publication Date: 2018-08-07

A Hulu limited series inspired by the New York Times bestselling book by Beth Macy.  Journalist Beth Macy's definitive account of America's opioid epidemic "masterfully interlaces stories of communities in crisis with dark histories of corporate greed and regulatory indifference" (New York Times) -- from the boardroom to the courtroom and into the living rooms of Americans.   In this extraordinary work, Beth Macy takes us into the epicenter of a national drama that has unfolded over two decades. From the labs and marketing departments of big pharma to local doctor's offices; wealthy suburbs to distressed small communities in Central Appalachia; from distant cities to once-idyllic farm towns; the spread of opioid addiction follows a tortuous trajectory that illustrates how this crisis has persisted for so long and become so firmly entrenched. Beginning with a single dealer who lands in a small Virginia town and sets about turning high school football stars into heroin overdose statistics, Macy sets out to answer a grieving mother's question-why her only son died-and comes away with a gripping, unputdownable story of greed and need. From the introduction of OxyContin in 1996, Macy investigates the powerful forces that led America's doctors and patients to embrace a medical culture where overtreatment with painkillers became the norm. In some of the same communities featured in her bestselling book Factory Man, the unemployed use painkillers both to numb the pain of joblessness and pay their bills, while privileged teens trade pills in cul-de-sacs, and even high school standouts fall prey to prostitution, jail, and death. Through unsparing, compelling, and unforgettably humane portraits of families and first responders determined to ameliorate this epidemic, each facet of the crisis comes into focus. In these politically fragmented times, Beth Macy shows that one thing uniting Americans across geographic, partisan, and class lines is opioid drug abuse. But even in the midst of twin crises in drug abuse and healthcare, Macy finds reason to hope and ample signs of the spirit and tenacity that are helping the countless ordinary people ensnared by addiction build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. "An impressive feat of journalism, monumental in scope and urgent in its implications." -- Jennifer Latson, The Boston Globe

 

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

ISBN: 0385545681

Publication Date: 2021-04-13

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE NOMINEE * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR * NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * A grand, devastating portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, famed for their philanthropy, whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was destroyed by OxyContin. From the prize-winning and bestselling author of Say Nothing The history of the Sackler dynasty is rife with drama--baroque personal lives; bitter disputes over estates; fistfights in boardrooms; glittering art collections; Machiavellian courtroom maneuvers; and the calculated use of money to burnish reputations and crush the less powerful. The Sackler name has adorned the walls of many storied institutions--Harvard, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oxford, the Louvre. They are one of the richest families in the world, known for their lavish donations to the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that the Sacklers were responsible for making and marketing a blockbuster painkiller that was the catalyst for the opioid crisis. Empire of Pain begins with the story of three doctor brothers, Raymond, Mortimer and the incalculably energetic Arthur, who weathered the poverty of the Great Depression and appalling anti-Semitism. Working at a barbaric mental institution, Arthur saw a better way and conducted groundbreaking research into drug treatments. He also had a genius for marketing, especially for pharmaceuticals, and bought a small ad firm. Arthur devised the marketing for Valium, and built the first great Sackler fortune. He purchased a drug manufacturer, Purdue Frederick, which would be run by Raymond and Mortimer. The brothers began collecting art, and wives, and grand residences in exotic locales. Their children and grandchildren grew up in luxury. Forty years later, Raymond's son Richard ran the family-owned Purdue. The template Arthur Sackler created to sell Valium--co-opting doctors, influencing the FDA, downplaying the drug's addictiveness--was employed to launch a far more potent product: OxyContin. The drug went on to generate some thirty-five billion dollars in revenue, and to launch a public health crisis in which hundreds of thousands would die. This is the saga of three generations of a single family and the mark they would leave on the world, a tale that moves from the bustling streets of early twentieth-century Brooklyn to the seaside palaces of Greenwich, Connecticut, and Cap d'Antibes to the corridors of power in Washington, D.C.  Empire of Pain chronicles the multiple investigations of the Sacklers and their company, and the scorched-earth legal tactics that the family has used to evade accountability.  Empire of Pain is a masterpiece of narrative reporting and writing, exhaustively documented and ferociously compelling. It is a portrait of the excesses of America's second Gilded Age, a study of impunity among the super elite and a relentless investigation of the naked greed and indifference to human suffering that built one of the world's great fortunes.

 

I don’t like fantasy novels. I don’t like stories about the Fae and Fairies and magic. I stopped reading fantasy novels in middle school and never looked back. I dislike the genre so much that I have only ever read the first Harry Potter book. That being said, I have heard nothing but good things about Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series and with all the commotion about these books in regards to high school libraries, I figured I would give it a shot. I have to say… these books are amazing!

Here is the synopsis for A Court of Thorns and Roses from Goodreads…

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

I started reading the first book in the series (A Court of Thorns and Roses) and through the first ten chapters, I was still on the fence about it. The first part of the book was a lot of buildup and character introductions but once I was past that, I was hooked! Before I even finished the book, I was already at Barnes & Noble buying the next two. I flew through the book and once I finished, I immediately started reading the second one. A Court of Mist and Fury has been my favorite book in the series (so far.) Maas’ writing really pulled me into the story and while the slight twist of the romance was predictable, it was so satisfying to watch play out. A Court of Wings and Ruin (which I finished last night) was just as good as the first two. While I thought that it dragged in places, it definitely picked up once the action started, and I couldn’t put the book down. I’m about to start reading the next book in the series which is a novella called A Court of Frost and Starlight, then finish with the latest book in the series A Court of Silver Flames.

Even as a reader who dislikes fantasy, I really liked this series. While this book does have a lot of talk of Fae and magic, it really plays the supporting role to the characters who go through hell and high water for each other. The characters are what hooked me and kept me reading. I really recommend reading these books if you have been on the fence about it or are just looking for something to read. While the second, third, and fifth book are very long, it is definitely worth the time!

Have you read this series? Tell us about it in the comments below! Don’t forget to subscribe!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

ISBN: 9781635575569

Publication Date: 2020-06-02

The sexy, action-packed first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series from Sarah J. Maas. When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world. At least, he's not a beast all the time. As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever. From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.