Binge by Tyler Oakley

Binge

by Tyler Oakley

Original Synopsis: 

Pop-culture phenomenon, social rights advocate, and the most prominent LGBTQ+ voice on YouTube, Tyler Oakley brings you his first collection of witty, personal, and hilarious essays.

For someone who made a career out of over-sharing on the Internet, Tyler has a shocking number of personal mishaps and shenanigans to reveal in his first book: experiencing a legitimate rage blackout in a Cheesecake Factory; negotiating a tense stand­off with a White House official; crashing a car in front of his entire high school, in an Arby’s uniform; projectile vomiting while bartering with a grandmother; and so much more. In Binge, Tyler delivers his best untold, hilariously side-splitting moments with the trademark flair that made him a star.

My Review: Okay so I'm writing this fresh from finishing it so excuse me if my thoughts are disorderly or random. Firstly, this is addicting, much like the title implies. Once I started, I couldn't stop. This book was so real and raw. I have been a fan of Tyler Oakley for a long time now and this book still surprised me. He reveals so much through his videos and you would think that you know him pretty well but this book opens up so much more. Tyler is such a bubbly and happy person but this book really lets you into his hardships and struggles he faced in the past, and recently as well. My favorite chapter, by far, (if you've read it) is the Adam chapter titled, "the one that got away." It was so heartbreaking and yet so sweet. Tyler writes this book very well. It has just the right amount of formality but his personality is spread through the words and pages. Binge has so much character in its stories and words. I am very disappointed that I didn't listen to the audiobook but at the same time when I read the book I was reading in his voice. That's how distinct it is. I don't usually read memoirs but I have developed a new found love for them. There is something so refreshing about them, especially this one. Most stories are fiction and they're great to escape for a while but in Binge there was something about the fact that he has actually lived through these things that comforted me. All around, this was a great book, amazing actually. However, there are some things that weren't as great. I will admit that sometimes I felt that the chapters were a bit too sporadically placed but at the same time I enjoyed it. It took me on a roller coaster, with the sad and funny chapters just coming and going. Also, it should be said that this book should be intended for older readers. There are scenarios where a little tween shouldn't be reading this. I mean I as a 16 year old was shocked at some of the things in here, mostly because I don't get out much. But yes there is a lot of instances where Tyler discusses sex, drugs, drinking, and then there is the occasional profanity. I think you should be mature enough to read it because you could actually learn a lot from his stories. Like how love is not pain, abuse, or being damaged mentally, physically, or emotionally for the sake of someone you love. Or that feeling lonely is okay and working through it is possible. Or to be yourself unapologetically. 

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter

By Marissa Meyer

   

Original Synopsis: Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? 

My Review: I love the Lunar Chronicles and reading this book was really bittersweet. However, I would say that this is one of my favorite books from the series. It's a tie between Cress and Winter mostly because I love Thorne and Cress. I really enjoyed reading Winter, like a lot. I loved how all the characters' lives meshed together. The new character that was introduced, Winter, was really unique and different. Winter is Queen Levana's step daughter and she is...mentally ill (is that the right word for it?). She gets these visions, like the walls bleeding or her turning to ice and they come from years and years of suppressing her gift and powers. And Jacin from the previous book is her best friend who's she's madly in love with and he feels the same but he is just a royal guard who Levana would never let marry or be together. Winter also has these scars on her face that is rumored to be from the Queen forcing her, with her power, to harm herself because she is naturally beautiful. Winter doesn't use glamour and the people think she the most beautiful even with her scars. And so the Queen wants Jacin to kill her and he doesn't and sends her to hide, like the typical Snow White story. The book also catches people up on the other couples of the story and it is so cute. Cinder, Kai, Cress, Thorne, Iko, Scarlet, and Wolf navigate their way into getting Levana overthrown and this story has so much action and romance, it's amazing. Overall, I loved this book. Marissa has such a way with words and always makes her characters vibrant and unique. I absolutely love her romance scenes, especially Cress and Thorne, which by the way- they took an entire book and nothing happened really but in this one... Anyways, it was great to see another strong female come to the story and see all the loose ends tied up. Great beginning, great middle, and great ending. 10/10 would recommend.


OKAY SPOILERS UP NEXT. 

Okay so if you have read it, were you upset with Wolf's physical reconstruction? Because I kind of was. I didn't think he deserved it and it was sad how after all he's done, he'd get an ending like that. I mean it was sweet that Scarlet didn't care and still loved him because it added a lot of depth and meaning to their relationship but if felt wrong. Also when the story ends with Winter not fully recovering, I was left a little hanging but it's all good since it shows that not everything is all sunshines and rainbows. And Cinder and Kai, the original duo, together forever. I mean I loved how Cinder's character was very private and closed off but I would like to have seen more from them. But at the end when he asks her if she'd ever consider being empress and she says yes, I internally died. They will be amazing rulers. Okay now for Cress and Thorne.. It kind of sucked that they had a whole book but nothing really happened but in this one, it was so sweet. It was nice that Thorne was showing his true feelings because, before, it was mostly Cress pining for him but in this book we know he was equally interested. They had a really nice scene at the end where Captain spoke his true feelings and won Cress but also kept his flair of personality. I really hoped you liked this book as much I did. Did you like the closing to the Lunar Chronicles because I sure did.

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A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

Hello! This year I became a sophomore in high school and you know what that means... dialectical journals! I personally love reading but these things require a lot of tedious work and energy, so overall this wasn't the worst assignment. I decided to read a Sherlock Holmes book since I had read other ones but not the first one. In the process, I was required to write a reflection and so I did. But then I thought, why not post this up and that way I don't have to rewrite a whole new review. So here it is...

A Study in Scarlet Reflection

First of all, I would like to say that I have previously read Sherlock Holmes novels and did not choose this book because of its small size. I really enjoyed this book and did not want it to end. Sherlock Holmes is definitely one of my absolute favorite characters in literature. The characters were so interesting and the plot was fast paced, all of which I liked.

Firstly, the characters: Holmes and Watson. They are such a great team and even though many people find SHerlock Holmes as conceited and cocky character, I really liked that about him. His confidence made him vibrant and interesting. It was great to read many of his famous quotes like “the plot thickens.” And then whenever Holmes explained his train of thought, I was left in awe. Doyle did a great job of making Watson express how the reader felt. I really liked Watson because he always asked the questions I was thinking. And then when the story shifted to the Utah part, I really liked the romance in it. I love romance novels and this one had a nice gentle touch of it. Lucy and Hope were very unfortunate and her death really made me sympathize with Jefferson, to the point where I hoped he wouldn’t go to jail. I also really liked John Ferrier’s character, I liked how he never gave his beliefs and never forced Lucy to marry a Mormon. He was strong willed and very brave.

Secondly, the plot. It was amazing. It moved at a good pace and I never got bored. I do admit the mystery part of the book was not very mysterious since Holmes always seemed to explain everything he thought a few pages later but I liked the suspense of it. The Flower of Utah story was sweet, sad, and did add to the story.

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed A Study in Scarlet, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I would definitely recommend it to a friend because this book covers a lot of bases. It has mystery, romance, action, suspense, and a great insight to late nineteenth century London and Mormons in America.

Stranded by Melinda Braun

Stranded

By Melinda Braun

Book Synopsis: In the tradition of 127 Hours and The Edge, a fascinating and suspenseful novel about a group of teens battling for their lives against the most violent villain in history—Mother Nature.:

                   It’s human instinct to survive…but Mother Nature has other plans.

Plagued with guilt after surviving the car accident that took her sister’s life, Emma ventures into the rugged and mysterious wilderness of the Boundary Waters in search of some much needed peace. But when a freak windstorm kills her guide, Emma and a handful of other campers are forced to fend for themselves. Lost, hungry, and exhausted, the small group must rely on their survival instincts as they travel through the forest towards Lake Superior.

              But the Boundary Waters is vast and unpredictable, and as the days drag on, it becomes clear that the group is no match for what Mother Nature has in store—and time is running out.

As they continue to battle the elements, Emma realizes that nature isn’t her only threat: there’s one camper who will do whatever it takes to make it out of the Boundary Waters alive. Even if he’s the only one…

            With ripped-from-the-headlines drama, this stirring story of heroism and survival will have you at the edge of your seat until the very last page.

My Review: I was casually glancing the book aisles in Barnes & Noble when I came across this book. It looked really interesting but I was kind of hesitant since I feel like there's been multiple books written about this. But I hadn't read a book like this and it turned out to be really good. I like the characters and the writing. I feel like none of the characters were boring but they did fit into the typical stereotypes like the  Jerk, The Attractive Nerd, etc. The characters were a bit underdeveloped though. And I will say that Emma's reaction to one of the first catastrophic event what completely unreasonable and made her and the others seem a bit heartless (Wish I could say but not going to spoil it, just watch for the freak windstorm and what that causes). The plot and events were very realistic too. They encountered struggles that I thought were completely probable. Overall, I would give this book 3 out 5 stars. I enjoyed it and was not bored during the novel but I did feel that the characters needed a bit more work and at times the plot fell a bit flat and predictable.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn

by Renee Ahdieh

  

Book Synopsis: A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and break the cycle once and for all.

My Review: I fell in love with this book. It has become one of my all time favorites. I originally heard of through my favorite BookTuber, The Bookbasement. After I finished and watched her review she basically voiced my thoughts on it. (The Bookbasement's review: https://youtu.be/iI9xiu8Hlwc) She even noticed me! 

 

Anyways so I really enjoyed the concept of the book. It had a lot of culture that you don't see often in books these days. I will admit I didn't like the alternating point of views. I only wanted to read about Shahrzad and Khalid. There were some bits of magic but I never felt it was relevant until maybe the end of the book. I really enjoyed Shahrzad's character, she is very strong, confident, and a bit revengeful. However, she did give in the her feelings for Khalid very easily but I did not want her to kill Khalid anyway. Khalid was is super serious. He keeps his feelings locked away and is really scared of his feelings toward her. But he was always so kind. Shahrzad's does have a boyfriend back at her home and though I hardly knew about him, from his point of view I started to hate him. He is so cocky and I couldn't stand that. I really enjoyed Jalah, Khalid's cousin. He brought a really funny and carefree atmosphere to the book. He is probably my favorite. This book had avery ancient world and culture feel to it and it really interesting. I couldn't put this book down. After I finished it, I still read it many times over again. I'm a huge romatic and this was a good romance book. I honestly give this book 4/5 stars, mostly because the points of views that weren't Shazi"s bored me. I recommend this book to those looking for a romance book with middle eastern culture.