Book Review: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Hello Everyone,

Today’s review is on A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers.

Summary:

After touring the rural areas of Panga, Sibling Dex (a Tea Monk of some renown) and Mosscap (a robot sent on a quest to determine what humanity really needs) turn their attention to the villages and cities of the little moon they call home.

They hope to find the answers they seek, while making new friends, learning new concepts, and experiencing the entropic nature of the universe.

Becky Chambers’s new series continues to ask: in a world where people have what they want, does having more even matter? – Taken from GoodReads.

My Thoughts:

This was a quiet but interesting sci-fi. I loved the setting and I loved getting to know Monk as they try to figure out what they want for their lives. I also enjoyed getting to know the robot and how fascinated it is with the human world. I really liked it and I am looking forward to reading the next book. 3.5/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

First Line Fridays #92 – Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another installment of First Line Fridays hosted by Reading is My Superpower.

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

“When Salma peers into her daughter’s coffee cup, she knows instantly she must lie.”

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Book Review: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Hello Everyone,

Today’s review is on The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.

Summary:

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky. – Taken from GoodReads.

My Thoughts:

This was a cute romance with a little bit of steaminess. I was a bit hesitant to pick i t up because my first read from Christina Lauren, The Soulmate Equation, was a meh experience for me. But I am glad that I didn’t let it deter me me. I loved this enemies-to-lovers story, and I also loved how the source of conflict between the main characters’ was not as a result of miscommunication, but rather something different. I won’t say what it is, but if you know, you know.

This was a great, and it definitely reignited my desire to read some of their other works. 4/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

First Line Fridays #91 – The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another installment of First Line Fridays hosted by Reading is My Superpower.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

“The morning one of the lost twins returned to Mallard, Lou LeBon ran to the diner to break the news, and even now, many years later, everyone remembers the shock of sweaty Lou pushing through the glass doors, chest heaving, neckline darkened with his own effort.”

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Book Review: Disney’s Land by Richard Snow

Hello Everyone,

Today’s review is on Disney’s Land by Richard Snow.

Summary:

A propulsive history chronicling the conception and creation of Disneyland, the masterpiece California theme park, as told like never before by popular historian Richard Snow.

One day in the early 1950s, Walt Disney stood looking over 240 acres of farmland in Anaheim, California, and imagined building a park where people “could live among Mickey Mouse and Snow White in a world still powered by steam and fire for a day or a week or (if the visitor is slightly mad) forever.” Despite his wealth and fame, exactly no one wanted Disney to build such a park. Not his brother Roy, who ran the company’s finances; not the bankers; and not his wife, Lillian. Amusement parks at that time, such as Coney Island, were a generally despised business, sagging and sordid remnants of bygone days. Disney was told that he would only be heading toward financial ruin.

But Walt persevered, initially financing the park against his own life insurance policy and later with sponsorship from ABC and the sale of thousands and thousands of Davy Crockett coonskin caps. Disney assembled a talented team of engineers, architects, artists, animators, landscapers, and even a retired admiral to transform his ideas into a soaring yet soothing wonderland of a park. The catch was that they had only a year and a day in which to build it.

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened its gates…and the first day was a disaster. Disney was nearly suicidal with grief that he had failed on a grand scale. But the curious masses kept coming, and the rest is entertainment history. Eight hundred million visitors have flocked to the park since then. In Disney’s Land, Richard Snow brilliantly presents the entire spectacular story, a wild ride from vision to realization, and an epic of innovation and error that reflects the uniqueness of the man determined to build “the happiest place on earth” with a watchmaker’s precision, an artist’s conviction, and the desperate, high-hearted recklessness of a riverboat gambler.

My Thoughts:

It took me a while to get through Disney’s Land due to a bunch of other reading commitments I had in the latter bit of the year. I really liked this thorough look at the making of Disneyland, including what led Walt Disney to decide to build the park.

While this is very much written by someone who loves Disneyland, the author does not shy away from showing some of the not-so-great things that happened behind the scenes, as well as the person of Walt Disney himself. However, he does it in such a way that makes Disney more human, and also makes readers admire him and his work even more. My only complain is that it did get a little bit dry at times, but I still highly recommend it. 4/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

First Line Fridays #90 – When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another installment of First Line Fridays hosted by Reading is My Superpower.

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

“I can turn invisible.”

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

Book Review: The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia #1)

Hello everyone,

Today’s review is on The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis.

I decided in December 2020 that this year would be the year that I finally reread the Chronicles of Narnia. The last time I had read the whole series was back when I was a senior in high school – in 2012 – and I am glad to finally return to the land of Narnia.

The Magician’s Nephew is the first book in the series (although it was the sixth book published). We are introduced to Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer, two children who meet and become friends. One day, while trying to explore an empty house, they come upon Digory’s uncle’s study. In the study, his uncle gives the two children rings and the adventure begins there. First, they are transported to an in-between land. Secondly, they travel to another world that is dying and due to a foolish move on Digory’s part, they meet Jadis, the ruler of that world, as well as the one responsible for it’s destruction. After a quick jaunt to London, they try to return Jadis back to her own world, but instead end up in a world that is just being born – Narnia, where they also meet the ruler, Aslan.

Rereading The Magician’s Nephew always shows me more things that I missed the previous time around, especially as Christian. While the book as a whole serves as an allegory of the Creation account in Genesis 1-3, I found myself noticing more specific allegorical elements. For instance, how evil is brought into Narnia in the form of Jadis, and how she was brought in by Digory. There is also a scene in the garden where she tries to deceive Digory into breaking his word to Aslan by telling him to steal one of the apples and take it home to his mother, who is ill. A Lot of what she says in this scene reminded me of what the serpent says to Eve in Genesis 3, and how he twisted God’s words to her. There are so many elements that could be discussed at length, but whole books have been written on this topic!

I also loved the references to things that appear in the other books in series. Some examples include how Digory grows up and becomes the Professor that the Penvensies goa nd stay with in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We also get a description as to how a lamppost ended up in Narnia. We are also introduced to Jadis, who eventually becomes the White Witch. There are so many easter eggs in this book and its fascinating to read and discover them.

In the last chapter there is a passage where Aslan warns Digory that our world could eventually become like Charn, Jadis’ former world, especially if we discover a magic or weapon equivalent to the Deplorable Word that she used to destroy Charn. Part of me wonders if this was C.S. Lewis’ way of critiquing the discovery of nuclear weapons and the Cold War, or if he was referring to something else. I’m just speculating, but it would also make sense.

Overall, I enjoyed my reread of The Magician’s Nephew. It’s not as powerful as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but it is still a fantastic read. 4/5 Stars.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.

First Line Fridays #89 – The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another installment of First Line Fridays hosted by Reading is My Superpower.

The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson

“My sister has always been the pretty one.

Happy Reading,

Janelle L. C.