Anosmic Aussie Inc.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
First Published: 1900
190 pages
Classic / Children’s Classic Novel
My Rating: ★★ / ★★★★★
tl;dr The classic novel about Dorothy and Toto and their adventure to visit the Wizard of Oz by following the Yellow Brick Road. Obviously written when L. Frank Baum had been sniffing a bit too much talcum~
Brief Overview:
Most people are familiar with the story of Dorothy and Toto. Carried from their hometown (rural Kansas) by tornado all the way to the Wonderful Land of Oz, landing on and killing the Wicked Witch of the East and earning themselves a favour from Glinda the Good Witch. They then follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to ask the Wonderful Wizard of Oz for a ticket home, along the way meeting the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion each in need of a brain, heart and courage respectively. The story follows their adventures and mishaps.
And welcome to a new year of Anosmic Aussie reviews!
I say that now, and I am going to try my hardest with this newest of resolutions to review each book I read this year (whether video or text reviews) - but this will be a busy year and unfortunately it won’t be my top priority.
However another thing I’m going to be doing, as is relevant to my personality and hobbies, is a series of blog posts/videos about tv series that I am a fan of. TV is almost a more consistent hobby in my life than reading, and I feel as though it will be fun to review shows as well. However, we’ll see how that goes!
That is all for now, but I am updating the anosmicaussie.com page, and I will attempt to post a review by the end of the week!
Happy New Year, everyone :D
- Casey
Dewey, by Vicki Moran
Published October 1st, 2009
323 pages
Auto-Biography / Animal Biography
My Rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★
tl;dr? A … sentimental narrative about a “Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World”, while simultaneously hearing about the woes of a small town Iowan woman… and a small town in Iowa… and everyone else. Three out of five stars.
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Translation Published in 1998 by Wordsworth Editions Limited (original French publication in 1943)
109 pages
Children - Fantasy
My Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★
I’ve been hearing about The Little Prince (or to be more specific, Le Petit Prince, as it was in it’s original French publication) for years, specifically since my foray into the YouTube and online communities has become second nature.
you haven’t actually posted a book review in over a month. I feel very unprofessional, and I apologise a lot. I have [more] recently posted a video review and some other videos on my YouTube channel, but I feel terrible about neglecting this blog for so long.
It has been a particularly stressful month and a half of university work, however it is slowing down slightly and I should be able to get back into reading more.
Unfortunately I am predominantly a BookTuber, however I do usually post corresponding reviews on this blog as well. If you’re looking for where I post most often you can subscribe to me on YouTube!
However even right now I am using up precious reading time so I’m going to go! I’m currently reading a bunch of books and I should be finished at least one of them by the end of the week, so you can expect a review soon - I won’t give you a specific date because when I do that Casey the Lord of Procrasti Nation kicks in and you won’t get a review for quite a while.
Oh! However there is something you can do in the meantime! A group of Perth book reviewers have started a blog, petition and Facebook page designed to raise YA Authors awareness about how little we get visited by them. It’s called YA Fans Unite and you can find the Facebook page here and the blog page here for more information. I’d love for you to check it out, like the page and sign up if you want to support our attempt. I’m fairly sure you won’t get spammed by us or anything and it would be great to have as many people helping out as possible.
Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelopes, #1)
Published in 2005 by HarperTeen
336 pages
Realistic Young Adult
When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn’t know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.
My Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★
The Last Little Blue Envelope (Little Blue Envelopes, #2)
Published in 2011 by HarperTeen
282 pages
Realistic Young Adult
Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny’s backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.
Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he’s found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits … and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.
My Rating: ★★★★ / ★★★★★
tl;dr A fantastically written and hilarious series about a girl’s journey both through Europe and of discovery. Maureen Johnson continues to have my vote as one of the best YA novelists around today. I definitely recommend this book, particularly as a summery read.
Click Read More to read the in-depth review. There are no spoilers ahead.
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
Published in 2007 by Penguin
288 pages
Realistic Young Adult
ISBN: 9780141328294
You can’t stop the future. You can’t rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret… is to press play.
Clay Jensen returns home to find a strange package with his name on it. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and first love - who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
Hannah’s voice explains there are thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.
All through the night, Clay keeps listening - and what he discovers changes his life…
Forever.
My Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★
tl:dr This novel covers quite a morbid topic, but in a very interesting way. It has earned itself a place on my favourites shelf, and I would recommend it to older YA readers and fans of John Green’s novels Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns.
Click Read More to read the in-depth review. There are no spoilers ahead.
Thirteen Reasons Why follows the stories of both a girl named Hannah Baker who had a troubled high school experience and was pushed to commit suicide, but first created cassette tapes identifying the thirteen people in her life that caused her to make that decision, as well as Clay Jensen who was one of the thirteen people and has to listen to the stories then forward on the package. The problem is that Clay is a nice guy who loved Hannah, so why is he on the tapes to begin with?
This novel was Jay Asher’s debut in 2007 and was a fantastic and interesting read, although I’m not a huge fan of morbid stories and it often made my stomach clench to read some of the things that happened throughout the book. However, it was well written and reminiscent of John Green’s novels, in particular Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns. The most impressive and interesting part of the story however was the fact that the two stories were told along one timeline, almost like a conversation, italicised for Hannah’s part and regular font for Clay’s. It showed how the two stories became one and I just thought it was a really good way for the story to be put together.
The characters in this novel are constructed via backstory rather than as the story moves forward, and because of this all of them, even the background characters, are created as a combination of events they are involved in rather than just descriptions of their personalities and this makes for well developed and interesting characters, rather than flat descriptions of people.
Overall I gave this novel ★★★★★ / ★★★★★ and it has become one of my newest favourites of this year and possibly of all time. I would recommend this book to fans of realistic (hard-hitting) fiction and John Green’s novels, but not to those easily offended by scenes featuring suicide (or rape and violence etc).
There are two reasons that I’m posting this here originally, and they are:
a) Because this is where I talk about “literary” things, and although Harry Potter is more than just a couple of books, it just seems fitting; and
b) Because I’m going to post this to Facebook and I’m not quite ready for Facebook to find my personal tumblr just yet.
But I need to say something because I feel like I’m a bad fan if I don’t, which you can debate either way you like, but that’s how it feels to me and I can’t not do it.
This is going to be a new feature on this blog where I pick my top three YA books that will be released this week (or that I haven’t read yet and are to be re-released in paperback) and explain why it is that I’m looking forward to reading them.
I’m not sure how well it will work, but I’m experimenting with different types of posts that I can do on this blog and this is attempt #1!
So now I present to you:
My Top 3 Anticipated Reads for the Week of July 3rd, 2011:
Falling for Hamlet, by Michelle Ray
What it’s about: A modern retelling of the famous play Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Why I want it: Because I love modern retellings of famous plays and stories, think Sydney White with Amanda Byrnes.
Nerd Girls: The Rise of the Dorkasaurus, by Alan Lawrence Sitomer
What it’s about: Nerd Girls who aim to take down the ThreePees (Pretty, Popular, Perfect) in a high school talent show.
Why I Want It: It reminds me of the Georgia Nicholson books, and also because who doesn’t like a good “Nerds Strike Back” story.
Bestest. Ramadan. Ever., by Medeia Sharif
What it’s about: A muslim girl’s journey for self discovery.
Why I want it: Because it’s a different spin on a common story and something I haven’t read the likes of before?
Which books are you looking forward to reading from this week? Let me know in the ask box on this page and I’ll post some replies*.
* if you need to reply as anonymous (if you don’t have a tumblr account) leave a name or a twitter/blog url so I can put that with the post =D
Passion (Fallen, #3) by Lauren Kate
Published by Random House in 2011
Paranormal (Angelic) Romance
420 Pages
“Every single lifetime, I’ll choose you. Just as you have always chosen me. Forever.”
Before Luce and Daniel met at Sword & Cross, before they fought the Immortals, they had already lived many lives. And so, Luce, desperate to unlock the curse that condemns their love, must revisit her past incarnations in order to understand her fate. Each century, each life, holds a different clue.
But Daniel is chasing her throughout the centuries before she has a chance to rewrite history.
How many deaths can one true love endure? And can Luce and Daniel unlock their past in order to change their future?
My rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★
tl;dr? Passion by Lauren Kate is the third novel in the Fallen series, featuring Fallen Angels and forbidden love. It’s no secret that I’m not Lauren Kate’s biggest fan, however I was surprised with this addition to the series, and though I wouldn’t recommend struggling through the first two just to make it to Passion, but if you’ve already read the first two I would consider reading the third as well.
Click READ MORE to read the in-depth review. There are no spoilers ahead.
Hi bloggies =D
It’s that time of year again - June/July. For me that means Winter break from my busy uni life and I’m sure that it’s the same for some of you, and for most of those who live in the Northern Hemisphere it means Summer Holidays. For most of us though, it means reading more than usual, and that’s why I have decided to create a “Winter Holiday Personal Reading Challenge”! Between now and the 18th of July which is when I go back to uni for the second semester, I am going to read another 11 books!
11? That seems like a random number, Casey! That’s because it kind of is, but also because I’ve already read four of them these holidays and so my total will hopefully come to 15 books all together!
Most of them I’ll be reviewing here (or on Youtube) and I’ll probably keep an updated list in the sidebar —->
Do you have any big reading plans for your Summer/Winter/Year/Whatever? Either answer in the answer section of this post, or reblog and add your comments!
Also, what’s your favourite book you’ve read so far this holiday season?
Bianca wants to escape.
She’s been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn’t fit in.
Then she meets Lucas. He’s not the “Evernight type” either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs and warns Bianca to be careful - even when it comes to him.
“I couldn’t stand it if they took it out on you,” he tells Bianca, “and eventually they would”.
But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can’t be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them both apart… and to make Bianca question everything she’s ever believed.
My rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★
tl;dr : Another paranormal romance novel featuring vampires, but this time they are the hunted. An interesting plot that was executed poorly. For fans of the Fallen and Twilight series.
WARNING: Possible (MILD) spoilers ahead. Proceed with caution.
A young girl named Bianca has moved with her family to Evernight Academy, a dark and seemingly disturbing school where Bianca doesn’t feel at home, and which she soon tries to escape. This is when she meets Lucas, dark and good-looking, after a misunderstanding they become close friends and eventually something more. Then one day when they are getting hot and heavy, things get taken too far and their relationship changes more than either of them could believe, however it soon turns out that Bianca isn’t the only person with secrets.
Beginning with the cover - who’s art I don’t particularly like, and the only good thing I could say is that it matches (too well) with the art from the next two books - from just reading the summary on the back of the book, we have no knowledge of paranormal themes in this novel, and the same is true for the first 100 pages of the book. There is a fine line between deception in terms of hiding plot twists, and actually not writing in any clues at all. Evernight is on the wrong side of this line, and it is distracting, if not completely off putting.
The most annoying part of the story/way it’s written is how it seems like Bianca suddenly realizes in the middle of the book that she’s a vampire and only then does it seem convenient to tell us the stories her parents told her. Another frustrating tidbit was that during the entire story they used “Lucas’s” not for “possession” but for “Lucas is” and it was incredibly annoying.
Something done well in certain places was the humour that Gray used, for example: in a class named “Modern Technology” where the vampire students are trained to learn about newer technology like microwaves and iPods, and the “older” vampires struggle to understand, specifically one from the Middle Ages who is convinced that any kind of machine has an animal spirit inside of it.
The characters were also portrayed uncharacteristically for their ages, particularly Bianca and Lucas who acted like they were 13 and were actually 16 and 19 respectively.
Overall: The writing was where the story fell down. The plot was interesting enough that if it had been written in a more impressive style I would have immediately picked up the second and third novels in the series, but as it is I have put the next two novels on the back-burner for the time being.
Ratings:
- Cover: 3/5
- Writing: 2.5/5
- Characters: 3/5
- Plot: 3.5/5
- OVERALL: 3/5
Recommended For: Fans of the Fallen and Twilight series.
Every year Isabel spends a perfect summer at her family friends’ house.
There’s the swimming pool at night, the private stretch of beach - and the two boys.
Conrad - unavailable, aloof - who she’s been in love with forever.
Jeremiah - friendly, relaxed - the only one who’s ever really paid her any attention.
But this year something is different. They seem to have noticed her for the first time. It’s going to be an amazing summer… one she’ll never forget.
My rating: ★★★ / ★★★★★
tl;dr A summer novel about Belly (Isabel) and her sixteenth summer spent at her family friends’ beach house. A light read but with a bit of seriousness at the end. Recommended for anyone looking for a light summer read, or probably for fans of Sarah Dessen’s novels.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is a novel about a sixteen year old named Isabel who spends every summer at her mother’s friends’ beach house with her mother, her brother Steven, her mother’s friend Susannah and her two sons Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has had a huge crush on Conrad since she was ten and this year is the year he seems to finally be noticing her at last, but so too is her closest friend Jeremiah, not to mention other relationships are changing too. Perhaps this really is the summer when everything changes for good.
This novel is written to be a beach read, but with a slightly serious bite in some parts. It’s “coming-of-age” romance style is probably what people are looking for in a light read for the summer, at least for those northern hemispherean people who actually have summer at the moment. It is reminiscent of Sarah Dessen’s novels, particularly those about vacation time. The plot matched this theme, and if you’re interested in these types of novels you’d probably like this one as well.
The main character Isabel has both “youngest child” and “only girl” syndrome which means that she is constantly craving the attention of the older boys and when she doesn’t receive it she can be a brat which makes her a particularly annoying storyteller even if you can see where she’s coming from. I didn’t particularly like how Conrad’s character was written either - he seemed a bit flat. We were told what he didn’t do, who he didn’t like, why he didn’t like things and he just didn’t seem “swoon-worthy” as is often supposed to be the case with YA romance reads.
The writing matched the genre and the plot. It wasn’t too heavy and flowed well with the story.
However I did have a giggle at a line close to the end where two of the characters were “buttering muffins”. I don’t know, maybe I watch too much Mean Girls.
Overall, the story wasn’t much what I was into and the characters were annoying, so I gave it a “★★★” but for what it is, it was suitable and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a summery, romancey, young-adult read for the holidays.
Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she’s less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all… including a serious girlfriend.
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long awaited French kiss?
tl;dr I was pleasantly surprised with this book, when I finally read it after being told to about a thousand times. Note: Etienne is not a snobby French guy, he’s pretty cool, and although I’m not a fan of romances, I gave this one a 4 outta 5. I would recommend it for fans of Sarah Dessen or the Sloppy Firsts series.
Hundreds of years in the future, the world is an alarmingly different place. Life is lived according to The Rulebook and social hierarchy is determined by your perception of colour.
Eddie Russett is an above average Red who dreams of moving up the ladder. Until he is sent to the Outer Fringes where he meets Jane - a lowly Grey with an uncontrollable temper and a desire to see him killed.
For Eddie, it’s love at first sight. But his infatuation will lead him to discover that all is not as it seems in a world where everything that looks black and white is really shades of grey.
tl;dr This book took me a super long time to read, but it was so worth it. It really is as good as it sounds. I gave it a high four point five stars out of five and recommend it to fans of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and Fforde’s other novels.
