catlynn-reviews

[catlynn-reviews]

I didn’t finish this in 2019, so I’m going to try again this year! 

This list is from this post from Macrolit.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen 2 Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien 3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte 4 Harry Potter series 5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 6 The Bible 7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte 8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell 9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman 10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens 11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott 12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy 13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller 14 Complete Works of Shakespeare 15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier 16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien 17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks 18 Catcher in the Rye 19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger 20 Middlemarch – George Eliot 21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell 22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald 23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens 24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy 25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams 26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh 27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky 28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck 29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll 30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame 31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy 32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens 33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis 34 Emma – Jane Austen 35 Persuasion – Jane Austen 36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis 37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini 38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres 39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden 40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne 41 Animal Farm – George Orwell 42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown 43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez 44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving 45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins 46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery 47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy 48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood 49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding 50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel 52 Dune – Frank Herbert 53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons 54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen 55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth 56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon 57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens 58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon 60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez 61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck 62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov 63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt 64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold 65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas 66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac 67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy 68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding 69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie 70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville 71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens 72 Dracula – Bram Stoker 73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett 74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson 75 Ulysses – James Joyce 76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath 77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome 78 Germinal – Emile Zola 79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray 80 Possession – AS Byatt 81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchel 83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker 84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro 85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert 86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry 87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton 91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad 92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery 93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks 94 Watership Down – Richard Adams 95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole 96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute 97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas 98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl 100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

By the end of this year, I want to have every book bolded. I’ll update this every month to see how well I can do.

Currently I am at: 

21/100

I have 79 more to read!

#reading goal #2021 reading goal

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: Children of the Corn Series: Standalone Author: Stephen King Pages: 50 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: n/a Recommendation: If you like short stories, horror, apocalypse, religious themes (not from an established religion)

Synopsis:

Driving through the cornfields in rural Nebraska, Burt and Vicky run over a young boy—only to discover that they may not be responsible for his death. Out in the corn, something is watching them, and help is nowhere to be found.

My Opinion:

This is the epitome of a Stephen king short story, short, sweet, and sends the creepy crawlies up your spine

The religious themes in this one aren’t offensive like they are in most stories, likely because they aren’t specific to any religion that currently exists in the world (that I know of, fans of Stephen king might have tried to replicate it but I doubt it)

*Spoilers under the cut*

The old corn god is one of my favorite monsters Stephen King created, because it isn’t scary because of what it does, but by what it inspires. That makes it more realistic than any of the other monsters King writes about. I almost want to draw it.

Reminds me a little bit of how Christians are willing to throw their own under the bus for breaking one of the arbitrary rules written in their bible.

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #children of the corn #children of the corn review #Stephen king #Stephen king review #airy #5 stars

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: Nightmares and Dreamscapes Series: standalone Author: Stephen King Pages: 912 Favorite Quote: “I think that myth and imagination are, in fact, nearly interchangeable concepts, and that belief is the wellspring of both.” Recommendation: If you like horror, Stephen King, stories that stick with you, anthologies Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Synopsis: 

The classic short story collection from #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King! A wrong turn on a lonely road lands a wayward couple in Rock and Roll Heaven, Oregon, where there’s no escaping the free nightly concert….A novelty toy becomes an unexpected and terrifying instrument of self-defense….An ex-con pieces together a map to unearth a stolen million dollars—but at what price?...A private investigator in Depression-era Los Angeles is finding his life unraveling as he discovers the shocking truth of who he really is….A third-grade teacher is willing to dig deep in order to exact revenge for his murdered wife.... These are just some of the haunting scenarios to be found in this classic collection—spellbinding tales from the darkest places and the unparalleled imagination of fiction’s master storyteller.

*This book will be a little different as an anthology. I’m going to give each story in it a rating and one note. Because there are so many stories I’ll do this below the cut.*

Dolan’s Cadillac

This book entangled itself in my thoughts so completely that it was all I talked about in the days after I read about it

★★★★★ (5/5)

The End of the Whole Mess

I enjoyed the twist on this one, but it was a little hard to read at the end (even if that was the point. Not as memorable as Dolan’s Cadillac.

Reminiscent of Flowers for Algernon

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Suffer the Little Children

This one was amazing. Had a lot of twists and bordered the line between psychological horror and monster horror very well

★★★★★ (5/5)

The Night Flier

This one was too obviously horror for me. I like mine to subtly wrap its way around your spine until you involuntarily shudder. Not so much the monsters.

★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Popsy

Seemed unoriginal after the Night Flier and focused too much on the monsters.

★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

It Grows on You

I didn’t really understand this one but according to King it’s related to Needful Things so I might need to read that one.

★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Chattery Teeth

This one was interesting to me, supernatural with the barest twinge of psychological

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Dedication

This story would have been so good (fully psychological) except for one gross scene that made me need to put the book down

The premise of this story makes sense to me - even if it doesn't happen the way King describes

★★★★☆ (4/5)

The Moving Finger

Creepy as hell - to the point where I had to side eye all of the drains in my bathroom.

★★★★★ (5/5)

Sneakers

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would, no matter how improbable the setup seemed.

★★★★☆ (4/5)

You Know They Got a Hell of a Band

Second best story in the anthology to me

I didn’t know half of the famous names mentioned and I was still captivated by the story

★★★★★ (5/5)

Home Delivery

This story felt rather meh to me. The premise has been done so many times that something new and exciting has to be added for them to bring me any sort of enjoyment

★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Rainy Season

I love the deeper questions this raised about fate, and the unreal quality everything in the story seemed to take

I think I would enjoy a longer story about this town.

★★★★★ (5/5)

My Pretty Pony

This felt just weirdly preachy and didn’t really have any salient plot points - or plot at all for that matter. 

★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Sorry, Right Number

Super engaging. This one had me the most worried to see what happens next, both anxiously and excitedly.

The fact that she ended up being right, but not in the way she thought of? Amazing

★★★★★ (5/5)

The Ten O’Clock People

I enjoyed that nothing in this story happened like I thought it would

Didn’t resonate with me as much as it would to someone who grew up in a time where smoking was more populat

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Crouch End

This was very reminiscent of Portero from Dia Reeves’s books, Slice of Cherry and Bleeding Violet. I love those books but this one was less interesting to me. Not bad, just slower paced.

★★★★☆ (4/5)

The House on Maple Street

This one was much more monstery than I usually enjoy but this story was amazing. It also vaguely reminded me of something that would happen in Portero.

I actually laughed out loud at the climax of this story, so definitely enjoyable.

★★★★★ (5/5)

The Fifth Quarter

This was just a lackluster story to me. Felt a lot like a pirate movie or western.

★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

The Doctors Case

If copyright law does one thing good, its that all of the works people make based on the original come flooding in after the copyright expires.

I thoroughly enjoyed King’s Sherlock Holmes story, and the expansion of Watson as a character.

★★★★★ (5/5)

Umney’s Last Case

Time travel, depression, and authors oh my!

Interesting, but not the best. I do like the idea of how the principles could be applied to a different story though.

★★★★☆ (4/5)

Head Down

I dont read Stephen King for non-fiction, nor do I read non-fiction at all.

Especially not about sports.

★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

Brooklyn August

Still baseball, not really the non-fiction horror story I read the anthology for

★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #nightmares and dreamscapes #nightmares and dreamscapes review #stephen king #stephen king review #heavy #long post

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: Bad Magic Series: The Bad Books (Book 1) Author: Pseudonymous Bosch Pages: 368 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: n/a Recommendation: If you like spinoffs, found family, secret societies, shakespeare, summer camp

Synopsis: 

The magical, bestselling series from Pseudonymous Bosch, the author of the Secret Series! Magic is BAD. As in fake. Cheesy. Unreal. At least, that's what Clay, who has seen one magic show too many, thinks. When words from his journal appear mysteriously on his school wall as graffiti, he never imagines that magic might be to blame. And when the same graffiti lands him at Earth Ranch, a camp for "troubled" kids on a remote volcanic island, magic is the last thing he expects to find there. But at Earth Ranch, there is one strange surprise after another, until Clay no longer knows what to expect. Is he really talking to a llama? Did he really see a ghost? What is the scary secret hidden in the abandoned library? The only thing he knows for sure is that behind the clouds of vog (volcanic smog), nothing is as it seems. Can he solve the riddle of Earth Ranch before trouble erupts? Elusive author Pseudonymous Bosch introduces an extraordinary new series that will have you believing in the unbelievable.

My Opinion:

I love the disconnect between “bad words” and magic words. Profanity is only considered that because people decided it so, so what stops people deciding the other way.

This book felt more pandery than the other series. I think its aimed at an even younger audience, or the characters weren’t fully fleshed out. Either way I don’t like it as much as The Secret Series. Then again, with children’s books you have to accept a certain amount of lessons that it tries to teach you.

I do love how it connects to the previous series. I didn’t realize it was Max-Ernest’s brother until it was explicitly spelled out, and I love that about it. That part at least had some subtlety I appreciated.

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #5 stars #bad magic #bad magic review #pseudonymous bosch #pseudonymous bosch review #the bad books #airy

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: You Have To Stop This  Series: The Secret Series (Book 5) Author: Pseudonymous Bosch Pages: 361  Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: “ALTHOUGH CHEATING IS FROWNED UPON, IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO AWARD YOURSELF BONUS POINTS FOR PARTICULARLY GOOD ANSWERS.” Recommendation: If you like children’s books, mysteries, author as a character, secrets, magic, egyptian mythology, time traveling, mummies, museums

Synopsis:

The finale to the New York Times bestselling Secret Series! I always feared this day would come. A secret is meant to stay secret, after all. And now we've come to this: the fifth and final (I swear!) book in my saga of secrets.

My Opinion:

This series is aimed at a much younger audience, but even at the age of 17 I love these books as much as I did when I was 9.

These characters are some of the most relatable I’ve found, even though they’re written to be middle schoolers.

I love books that reinforce the magic of the real world, even if they’re a bit fantastical in themselves. I could read this series 1000 times over and still find new things to marvel at and be entertained.

I accidentally read this one before the 4th book and only realized when a battle was mentioned that I hadn’t remembered.

*Spoilers below the cut*

The secret was lackluster but honestly I wasn’t expecting the secret to immortality to be written in a book for 9 year olds. 

Even with the so so secret I love this series, and highly recommend it.

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #5 stars #you have to stop this #you have to stop this review #pseudonymous bosch #pseudonymous bosch review #the secret series #airy

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: This Isn’t What it Looks Like Series: The Secret Series (Book 4) Author: Pseudonymous Bosch Pages: 421 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: “Truth is only stranger than fiction if you’re a stranger to the truth.” Recommendation: If you like children’s books, mysteries, author as a character, secrets, magic, medieval times, time traveling

Synopsis: 

The Secret Series continues in this dangerous and daring fourth adventure. Cass finds herself alone and disoriented, a stranger in a dream-like, medieval world. Where is she? Who is she? With the help of a long-lost relative, she begins to uncover clues and secrets--piecing together her family's history as she fights her way back to the present world. Meanwhile, back home, Cass is at the hospital in a deep coma. Max-Ernest knows she ate Time Travel Chocolate--and he's determined to find a cure. Can our expert hypochondriac diagnose Cass's condition before it's too late? And will he have what it takes to save the survivalist?

My Opinion:

This series is aimed at a much younger audience, but even at the age of 17 I love these books as much as I did when I was 9.

These characters are some of the most relatable I’ve found, even though they’re written to be middle schoolers.

I love books that reinforce the magic of the real world, even if they’re a bit fantastical in themselves. I could read this series 1000 times over and still find new things to marvel at and be entertained.

This book unfortunately is the most forgettable of the series. I read the fifth book first both times I’ve read this series, only realizing it 75% of the way through the last book.

The pace is much slower than the rest of the books, which is understandable considering the subject matter. It’s still a bit annoying to me though.

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #5 stars #this isnt what it looks like #this isnt what it looks like review #pseudonymous bosch #pseudonymous bosch review #the secret series #airy

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: This Book is Not Good For You Series: The Secret Series (Book 3) Author: Pseudonymous Bosch Pages: 416 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: “You know, people always warn children about taking candy from strange adults. But they never warn us adults about taking candy from strange children. All those sweet-looking kids who sell boxes of candy bars on the street to help pay for schooling - how do we know what's in those bars? And don't even get me stated on that nefarious institution designed to lure unsuspecting customers into buying mysterious frosted goodies: the bake sale. Adults, be warned: if a child wanted to poison you it would be a piece of cake! Literally a piece of cake.” Recommendation: If you like children’s books, mysteries, author as a character, secrets, magic, chocolate

Synopsis:

Between the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you...and this story is particularly scrumptious! In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass's mom has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Señor Hugo! The ransom...the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it's too late? Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Señor Hugo's chocolate success? If you're tempted, take a taste, but just remember...this book is not good for you.

My Opinion:

This series is aimed at a much younger audience, but even at the age of 17 I love these books as much as I did when I was 9.

These characters are some of the most relatable I’ve found, even though they’re written to be middle schoolers.

I love books that reinforce the magic of the real world, even if they’re a bit fantastical in themselves. I could read this series 1000 times over and still find new things to marvel at and be entertained.

*Spoilers below the cut*

The twist in this book was so well written that it was one of the only one I didn’t remember.

This was a bit too on the nose, especially given the problems within the chocolate industry.

I desperately want to know what I would see if I ate a bar of the special chocolate but I’m unfortunately pretty sure it would be slavery.

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #5 stars #this book is not good for you #this book is not good for you review #pseudonymous bosch #pseudonymous bosch review #the secret series #airy

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late Series: The Secret Series (Book 2) Author: Pseudonymous Bosch Pages: 385 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: “Oh, talking is not so bad as that," said the Jester. "True, most people say only silly things when they speak. But it's easier to ignore them if you're saying silly things yourself.” Recommendation: If you like children’s books, mysteries, author as a character, secrets, magic

Synopsis: 

Beware! Dangerous secrets lie between the pages of this book. OK, I warned you. But if you think I'll give anything away, or tell you that this is the sequel to my first literary endeavor, The Name of This Book is Secret, you're wrong. I'm not going to remind you of how we last left our heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest, as they awaited intiation into the mysterious Terces Society, or the ongoing fight against the evil Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais. I certainly won't be telling you about how the kids stumble upon the Museum of Magic, where they finally meet the amazing Pietro! Oh, blast! I've done it again. Well, at least I didn't tell you about the missing Sound Prism, the nefarious Lord Pharaoh, or the mysterious creature born in a bottle over 500 years ago, the key to the biggest secret of all. I really can't help myself, now can I? Let's face it - if you're reading this, it's too late.

My Opinion:

*All errors in the synopsis are the fault of whoever put it up on Amazon.*

This series is aimed at a much younger audience, but even at the age of 17 I love these books as much as I did when I was 9.

These characters are some of the most relatable I’ve found, even though they’re written to be middle schoolers.

I love books that reinforce the magic of the real world, even if they’re a bit fantastical in themselves. I could read this series 1000 times over and still find new things to marvel at and be entertained.

*Spoilers below the cut*

Cabbage face is one of my favorite characters in the entirety of the series, if not my favorite.

I actually made myself a sock monster using the pattern in the back of the book.

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #5 stars #if you're reading this it's too late #if you're reading this it's too late review #pseudonymous bosch #pseudonymous bosch review #the secret series #airy

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: The Name of This Book is Secret Series: The Secret Series (Book 1) Author: Pseudonymous Bosch Pages: 400 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: “Generally speaking, books don't cause much harm. Except when you read them, that is. Then they cause all kinds of problems.” Recommendation: If you like children’s books, mysteries, author as a character, secrets, magic

Synopsis: 

Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.

My Opinion: 

This series is aimed at a much younger audience, but even at the age of 17 I love these books as much as I did when I was 9.

These characters are some of the most relatable I’ve found, even though they’re written to be middle schoolers.

I love books that reinforce the magic of the real world, even if they’re a bit fantastical in themselves. I could read this series 1000 times over and still find new things to marvel at and be entertained.

#catlynncontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #5 stars #the name of this book is secret #the name of this book is secret review #pseudonymous bosch #pseudonymous bosch review #the secret series #airy

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: We Contain Multitudes Series: Standalone Author: Sarah Henstra Pages: 336 Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5) Favorite Quote: “The US Postal Service is abuzz with the missives of sad, solitary, estranged teenagers.” Recommendation: If you like epistolary novels, gay romance, enemies to lovers, high school setting Synopsis: 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets I'll Give You the Sun in an exhilarating and emotional novel about the growing relationship between two teenage boys, told through the letters they write to one another.

Jonathan Hopkirk and Adam "Kurl" Kurlansky are partnered in English class, writing letters to one another in a weekly pen pal assignment. With each letter, the two begin to develop a friendship that eventually grows into love. But with homophobia, bullying, and devastating family secrets, Jonathan and Kurl struggle to overcome their conflicts and hold onto their relationship...and each other.

This rare and special novel celebrates love and life with engaging characters and stunning language, making it perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, Nina LaCour, and David Levithan.

My Opinion:

The armpit scene was completely disturbing. It didn’t need to exist and read like it was only for the author’s indulgence.

I absolutely adore epistolary novels, but this one wasn’t the best written I’ve ever seen. The way they repeated scenes they were both present for didn’t seem realistic.

I loved the realness of transitioning from the state of unknowingly suppressing who you are to accepting it

Gay representation is usually good, but this one didn’t read properly, likely because of being written by a straight women.

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #3 stars #we contain multitudes #we contain multitudes review #sarah henstra #sarah henstra review #normal

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: The Colorado Kid Series: Standalone Author: Stephen King Pages: 186 Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5) Favorite Quote: “Feature stories are happy stories because they’re over.” Recommendation: If you like coming up with your own endings, mysteries, small towns, improbable odds

Synopsis: 

On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues, and it's more than a year before the man is identified. And that's just the beginning of the mystery. Because the more they learn about the man and the baffling circumstances of his death, the less they understand. Was it an impossible crime? Or something stranger still...? No one but Stephen King could tell this story about the darkness at the heart of the unknown and our compulsion to investigate the unexplained. With echoes of Dashiell Hammett's THE MALTESE FALCON and the work of Graham Greene, one of the world's great storytellers presents a moving and surprising tale whose subject is nothing less than the nature of mystery itself.

My Opinion:

*Spoilers under the cut*

I wasn’t a big fan of not knowing the ending, because I like reading mysteries for the finale when you learn whodunnit.

It was remarkably well characterized though, I felt attached to everyone even with how short it was.

I still want to know the ending and I’m still thinking about it, so it was definitely well written.

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #4 stars #the colorado kid #the colorado kid review #stephen king #stephen king review #airy

[catlynn-reviews]

Books I Read in 2021

My goal for this year is to read 365 books. A book a day. That’s a lot. I’m going to try and write reviews for them all, but at the very least I’ll keep this list updated (by refreshing it once a month, once a day is just too much).

1. The Colorado Kid

2. We Contain Multitudes

3. The Name of this Book Is Secret

4. If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late

5. This Book Is Not Good For You

6. This Isn’t What It Looks Like

7. You Have To Stop This

8. Bad Magic

9. Nightmares and Dreamscapes

10. Children of the Corn

11. Riding the Bullet

12. The Lost Days

13. Stranger and Stranger

14. Dark Times

15. Piece of Mind

#2021 reading goal #reading goal

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: Bad Luck Zach Series: Stand-alone Author: Emerson Gamble Pages: 279 Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5) Favorite Quote: n/a Recommendation: If you like children’s books, found-family type friend groups, middle school settings, sci-fi, Star Trek, male protagonists, representation

Synopsis:

A young prodigy. A band of outcasts. An incredible adventure. In San Diego's South Bay Middle School, Zach Larsson finds he just doesn't belong. He's too young, too smart, and too different; the perfect victim for bullying. The worse his luck gets, the more he dives into his writing to escape real life.

Zach finds acceptance in a diverse group of unpopular kids. As their friendship grows, they discover his adventurous stories are bringing an astonishing mystery into real life. Their quest to solve it takes them across an ocean, and right back to face Zach's biggest fear.

#BadLuckZach embraces second language learning and the cultural mix that makes middle school life that much harder when it's right by the biggest international border crossing in the world.

My Opinion:

*Quick Note* I did receive a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are, however, entirely my own.

I was not prepared for this to be a children’s book, but I honestly wasn’t mad about it. It’s written for a younger age group, and you can tell, so keep that in mind when purchasing

This book does a lot of brand name dropping, which I don’t enjoy, but is good for people who like full immersion

I absolutely adored the chemistry in Zach’s band of friends. They had such a fun group dynamic, and the representation (women, poc, disability) was refreshing.

The plot was engaging enough to keep even me entertained, despite being out of the target age group

I noticed a couple of grammar errors, and the flow was a little off in dialogue.

Overall, great idea but imperfect execution!

#catlynnscontent #catlynnreviews #book review #book #review #books #booklr #3 stars #bad luck zach #bad luck zach review #emerson gamble #emerson gamble review

[catlynn-reviews]

Book: The Bone Gap Series: Stand-alone Author: Laura Ruby Pages: 373 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: “But wasn't that love? Seeing what no one else could?” Recommendation: If you like unorthodox settings, imperfect characters, emotion, fantasy, surreal stories, mystery Synopsis:

National Book Award Finalist * Printz Award Winner for Best Young Adult Book of the Year

“Ruby’s novel deserves to be read and reread. It is powerful, beautiful, extraordinary.”—School Library Journal

Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps.So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. But Finn knows what really happened to Roza. He knows she was kidnapped by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember.

As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap, acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a tale of the ways in which the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.

My Opinion:

This book was wonderful. 

I absolutely love settings that don’t follow the typical rules of the world, whether those be the laws of physics or societal norms. Bone Gap definitely fits the bill. The town itself is extremely odd, and I loved every second I spent reading about it.

The characters were so amazing! They were multi-faceted, and interesting, and diverse, and all-around great. I was thoroughly invested in what happened to them, which is hard to write and great to read. 

I don’t believe this is a very extreme spoiler because it is touched upon in the synopsis, but I’m still going to put it under the cut.

*Spoilers Below the Cut*

This is only the second book I’ve read with face blindness in it, and I feel intrigued. Face blindness is such a unique condition, and I’m always eager to learn how other people see (or don’t see) the world. I’m glad that it was a major plot point because that made sure that I noticed it.

It also made what appeared to be a major plot hole into a new plot point. 

Because Finn can’t remember anyone’s face, it makes the descriptions of the book hit harder. Saying that the man moved like a stalk of corn in the wind carries more weight to it than saying he shuffled.

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[catlynn-reviews]

Book: Cycle of the Werewolf Series: Stand-alone Author: Stephen King Pages: 128 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: n/a Recommendation: If you like werewolves, horror, Stephen King, short stories, graphic novels, unlikely heroes, unlikely villains. Synopsis:

The isolated Maine village of Tarker Mills is terrorized by the horrifying bloodthirsty creature stalking its inhabitants at the time of the full moon

My Opinion:

As the short synopsis reveals, this book is very short. It says that it is 128 pages, but I’d say around half of it is pictures, if not more. I usually prefer books with more words, but I want to read every Stephen King book, so I read this one on principle.

A classic example of a Stephen King novel, with a fantasy horror element and a sort of surreal plot. I enjoyed it, and I feel that others would too.

There wasn’t a lot of substance to the novel, so I really don’t have a lot to say about it.

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[catlynn-reviews]

Book: The Diary of a Bookseller Series: Stand-alone Author: Shaun Bythell Pages: 312 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) Favorite Quote: n/a Recommendation: If you like nonfiction, bookstores, diary format, interesting characters Synopsis:

A WRY AND HILARIOUS ACCOUNT OF LIFE AT A BOOKSHOP IN A REMOTE SCOTTISH VILLAGE "Among the most irascible and amusing bookseller memoirs I've read." --Dwight Garner, New York Times "Warm, witty and laugh-out-loud funny..."—Daily Mail The Diary of a Bookseller is Shaun Bythell's funny and fascinating memoir of a year in the life at the helm of The Bookshop, in the small village of Wigtown, Scotland—and of the delightfully odd locals, unusual staff, eccentric customers, and surreal buying trips that make up his life there as he struggles to build his business . . . and be polite . . . When Bythell first thought of taking over the store, it seemed like a great idea: The Bookshop is Scotland's largest second-hand store, with over one hundred thousand books in a glorious old house with twisting corridors and roaring fireplaces, set in a tiny, beautiful town by the sea. It seemed like a book-lover's paradise . . . Until Bythell did indeed buy the store. In this wry and hilarious diary, he tells us what happened next—the trials and tribulations of being a small businessman; of learning that customers can be, um, eccentric; and of wrangling with his own staff of oddballs (such as ski-suit-wearing, dumpster-diving Nicky). And perhaps none are quirkier than the charmingly cantankerous bookseller Bythell himself turns out to be. But then too there are the buying trips to old estates and auctions, with the thrill of discovery, as well as the satisfaction of pressing upon people the books that you love . . . Slowly, with a mordant wit and keen eye, Bythell is seduced by the growing charm of small-town life, despite —or maybe because of—all the peculiar characters there.

My Opinion:

This is the only nonfiction book that I have ever enjoyed. In my entire life. I read a lot of books, and in my 15 (almost 16) years, I’ve been recommended a lot of nonfiction books, and I’m going to be completely honest. They’re all really boring. This one was so interesting that I didn’t even realize it was nonfiction until the end. I was just impressed with how much detail the author went into.

I don’t have a lot of experience reviewing nonfiction, so all of my standbys aren’t applicable. Of course, the characters were so real, and the dialogue was realistic. It all actually happened.

I’ve never harbored a desire to go to Scotland before, but now I am considering it. I almost want to plan an entire trip just to finish The Bookshop. That’s probably one of the best parts about this book being nonfiction: I can actually go to the places I read about.

It’s exactly as promised, but better. There’s no real way to put into words why it is such a good book, but it made me happy. I believe that it would be a good read for most, if not all people.

I feel bad about purchasing so many of my books off of Amazon now, and actually, after I read this book, I went to my local bookstore and purchased a few titles.

I’m linking the social media of The Bookshop in this review because it is mentioned a lot in the novel, so I think that if anyone reads the book (and subsequently sees my review) it should be interesting.

Link to its Facebook

Link to its Twitter

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[catlynn-reviews]

Book: Toxic Series: Pretty Little Liars (Book 15) Author: Sara Shepard Pages: 341 Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5) Favorite Quote: “If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” Recommendation: If you like teenage drama, murder mysteries, mystery, secrets, backstabbing, easy reads Synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling series

The fifteenth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that inspired the hit ABC Family TV show Pretty Little Liars.

High school seniors Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna barely survived their most recent encounter with A. And it's not over yet . . . The police don't believe that the real A is still out there, but the girls know what—and who—they saw. If they don't track down this final tormentor soon, A will silence them forever.

Full of unexpected twists and shocking revelations, Toxic is the penultimate book in New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard’s compelling Pretty Little Liars series.

My Opinion:

To me, these books have lost any semblance of being interesting. They’ve gone through 2 plot arcs already, and that’s enough. They became stale, and I’m only reading them still because of my reading rule.

I can’t even be bothered to spend more brain power on these reviews, so I’m going to just bullet point (with way fewer details because the details aren’t important anyway).

Wholly unnecessary plotlines! Yay! (I hope everyone can read the sarcasm). There was only one plotline that mattered to me, and I’m biased here.

GAY REPRESENTATION! They finally gave Emily a love interest, but of course, they couldn’t just let her be happy. Her happiness is shattered and I was so sad for her.

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