wuthrinheights's reviews
194 reviews

The first part (or rather, Book 3) was a lot less enjoyable than the previous books. Without my main favourite characters, I found it hard to concentrate on their journey. The adventures weren't as bright as in The Fellowship (or The Hobbit), the new characters weren't as fun, and I felt sleepy through most of it. 

Thankfully it picked up in part two (Book 4). My favourite characters were back, Smeagol was around and he made things much better. The difficult relationship he had with the hobbits were entertaining and comical. There were times where I actually pitied the foul creature. 

By the last five chapters or so, I couldn't put the book down. The scenes were picking up so fast, my hands were clammy (even now as I write down my review). I definitely must get to the last book and see how it all ends. Will justice prevail?

I read the Usborne Classics version, retold by Henry Brook and illustrated by Bob Harvey. They did a brilliant job (despite changing the format of the story) and as my first Sherlock book, I was hooked!

The language was simple, the story was intriguing, the illustrations were just as I imagined (and more!), and I've grown so fond of the sleuthing duo. 

I've never really been a huge fan of mystery books, but this year has really opened me to some great new ones. I love being surprised with plot twists and this one didn't fail me so. It kept me on my toes and it was such a refreshing read. 

Dr. Watson was a darling and I loved his relationship with Sherlock. How they've grown so familiar with one another, it's like seeing an old married couple. The "I know you so well, I'll give you space if you need it" and "I know when you're angry and when you are not, and I'll make you feel at ease". It was so lovely and intimate.

With this, I have no other notes. It was a 5 star read and I'm quite curious to read his other works. This was fun!

After reading (and loving The Hobbit) months ago, I've been itching to try out The Lord of the Rings. Younger me would never have guessed that I'll be reading these books. I used to think it was utterly boring and weird that my sister loved it so much. I'm afraid I could be a bigger fan than her. 

The prologue was a little slow, as it talked about the history of hobbits but it was nice to read a recap of Bilbo's adventures. After that, the book picked up nicely. 

The Fellowship of the Ring had a lovely, warm feel to it. The peculiar and lovable hobbits, the various types of relationships between hobbits and other creatures, the historical lore, the silly singing in between scenes, the woods and food and magic. It was all-engaging. 

I am incredibly in awe of Tolkien's talent in creating this world and all the languages and lore. I can't wrap my mind around it, but he is as close to real magic as can be. 

I've been reading this book slowly. I'll read one chapter, close it and think about it, and wanting to dive back in. If I'm not reading it, I'm thinking about it. Like Gollum and his obsession with the ring. It beckons to me again and again. Hypnotising. 

However, reading this book also spiked up my anxiety. I was constantly worried for Frodo. Is he doing the right thing? How will he know where to go? Can he trust his friends accompanying him? Will he succumb to the power of the ring like how it affected Gollum and Bilbo? Is he safe around whoever he meets on his journey? I felt like a worried mum! I couldn't rest until I know he was really safe. 

Going into Book 2, I've grown attached to the hobbits, especially Frodo and Sam, who were so sweet and lovable. Their friendship melts my heart. And I'm certainly fond of Aragorn, who I think was really cool and a lovely addition to the group. Sometimes I wished I could've been there with them (despite the many dangers).

After a while, I've grown less anxious and I've enjoyed it more and more. The Company was growing on me and I felt more safe with all their different talents and characteristics. I was speeding through the last eight chapters and almost held my breath through it all. 

This book made me gasp in shock and laugh out loud and snicker to myself. At times, I couldn't put it down. I am terribly curious about the next two books and I absolutely could not wait to devour them too.

I often have a hard time switching my brain when reading a classic sci-fi book. Especially when I just freshly finished a YA supernatural romance book right before diving into this as a sudden buddy read. 

The Time Machine reminded me of the books I've read by Jules Verne. It had a futuristic feel, with tons of wild adventures. The scenes pass by so fast, if you so much as blink, you'll miss a crucial scene. But more often than not, I do not care enough to go back to see what I missed.

When reading, I find that there are several different experiences. Some may flow easily like pouring water out of a jug, some are like walking against a hurricane, and sci-fi books often feel like solving a rubicks cube as a beginner. It's confusing and frustrating and klunky.

I feel like sci-fi writers have a lot of creativity and they have so much potential but they're not very great at story telling. It feels awkward and rough. Like putting your ear next to someone typing on a keyboard slowly. Clack-clack-clack. It's not pretty. 

I was confused most of the time, and I wish I could dive into the pages, travel back in time, and shake him by the shoulders. START ALL OVER! MAKE IT NICER! Or maybe sci-fi just isn't for me. 

I was very relieved when it was over, and I might put The Invisible Man on hold for now. Wells hasn't won me over, sadly. 

I got this book for my birthday and it's taken me a little over a month to finish it because as I often believe: you can't rush poetry. You need to sit and listen and feel it. And so I did. 

The first half of the book was spectacular. It contained his sonnets and I tabbed so many of them; my copy is now decorated with hues of blue and green tabs sticking out like frills on a cowboy jacket. 

But the second half of the book (a compilation of his elegies, epithalamia, satires, verse letters and epic poems) was less than enjoyable. Funny how they had shorter sections but it felt like it stretched on and on, and I had to speed through them. 

However, I really enjoyed John Donne. His sonnets felt like a breath of fresh air. Like opening your window and smelling dewey flowers on a sunny day. I'd definitely recommend his works to my fellow poetry lovers. 

As a broke but physical book lover, I unfortunately had to read this as an ebook. I thought I'd get bored with it, as I usually do with ebooks, but this time it's different. It's Maggie Stiefvater (one of the very, very few authors I could stomach a digital book), and Mercy Falls (my favourite wolf pack).

Sinner was a lot different than the previous three Shiver books. Where Shiver was cold and white and terrifying, Sinner was hot and sticky and electrifying. It's Cole St. Clair with his return to his rockstar era, and Isabel Culpeper with the steely eyes and perfect hair. They're everything Sam and Grace aren't. They're icy and snappy and complicated. They're locked books and incomprehensible smiles. They're lust and snarky remarks and secret softies who would rather die than to admit that.

For the first half of the book, I read it slowly. Half savouring, half afraid (of finishing it). This is the last book of Mercy Falls. This is the last time I'll read it for the first time. It's new, and I'll never find new books about them any more after this. But while reading it, I was soaring through the second half. I decided to be a little like Cole St. Clair. The boy who fears nothing. Life is too short to save something for a rainy day. I may never get to see that rainy day.

Isabel and Cole are constantly dancing. Take one step further, two steps back. It's a game and their hearts are at stake. "I need to do something. I can't be like my parents. I need to change for the better, even if no one ever acknowledges the good in me." And that's what Sinner was about. Two broken individuals desperately trying to claw out of their prisons, wanting to leap in love but fearing that it will fail miserably. How will it all end? Not just for the two of them, but for the whole Mercy Falls saga. 

And I'm so glad to see the little mentions of Sam and Grace, even if they weren't physically there. It made me hopeful. And even through the tiny interactions, it satisfied me to see Grace and Cole, I've always loved their relationship. Sam and Cole always had a strained brotherly relationship but with Grace, Cole melts like a puddle of ice cream on a hot sidewalk. And it's so cute to me.

I loved this. After finishing the last page, I said to myself "I did it." And let out a high pitch shriek. It's over and I've reached the end. The end of Cole St Clair and Isabel Culpeper. The end of the wolves of Mercy Falls. The end of Sam Roth and everything else I loved about this wonderful, brilliant series. I'm saying goodbye to them all, the characters I've loved as if they were real. Picking up this series was one of the best things I've ever done. I am in love. Love! Overall, it felt satisfying to end this way. I would never again wonder about what will happen to them. I wish I could never reach the end but for now, I'm a happy girl. 

One of my favourite writers, it always feels like a breath of fresh air when reading his works. There were familiar ones, and some were new to me. But he often has a knack for reaching softly into my soul and to scoop out the bad, and to breathe in the good in me. His words are so refreshing and timeless, I could reread this again and again for years and still find something to love and appreciate. 

As my second Nietzsche book, it's a stark difference between his philosophical essay (current book) compared to his fictional work (Thus Spoke Zarathustra). Mainly, I was a lot more interested in what he has to say in TSZ than in his essay. His novel was a lot more engaging and beautiful to read through. Meanwhile his essay was harder to get through (or maybe it isn't comprehensible to me). 

His writings were more erratic here, and at times I felt like he was rambling like a madman. It was quite stifling, and most of the time, I didn't care much about what he had to say. Maybe if I had a philosophical background, I would've understood it better. The satirical components were supposed to be ironic but I couldn't help but think that maybe deep down, he actually meant what he said. (But then again, what do I know?)

For most of the essays, I found it hard to concentrate on his writings. But the last few chapters were surprisingly pleasant to read, as they contained his poetry. I enjoyed it a lot, which bumped my initial rating of 2 stars to 2.75. Maybe Nietzsche should've been a poet instead of a philosopher lol.

My copy was actually published by Wilco and I loved the translator (Anthony M. Ludovici). He had lots of informational annotations/footnotes that made the reading more easily understandable. 

There were some great quotes in here, which made the book more bearable to read. I am still curious about his other works so this probably won't be the last Nietzsche I'll get to meet. Hopefully in time I'll appreciate his works more. 

With everything currently going on, I'm saddened I won't be able to know how this will all end. I feel like I know all these characters personally and I wish I could see it till the end!

For now, though, I keep getting surprised with the turn of events. Jade gave up cheerleading for basketball and she dated Evan but broke up and now they're back together? Will and Melissa are back together and he's still resenting her for how she is? Why is he even with her? Ken and Maria are back, but there's trouble in paradise because apparently Ken's dad bribed University of Michigan in order for him to get the football scholarship. Conner isn't present but he's currently seeing someone new, who I'm guessing is also from rehab cause now they're not talking after he found out she's been secretly drinking. Tia and Angel broke up?? No wonder she hasn't been talking about him in the last book. Now she's dating Trent (whoever he is) but things may not work out because Jessica has been thinking about him a little too much.

Oh, I'm going to miss this series a LOT. I don't know if any other series will have me this invested. 

With books missing in between, I am once again shocked at the developments I've missed. I literally gasped out loud when I learned about what happened since the last SVH:S book I've read.

The supposedly "forever" couple broke up AND Melissa is dating Ken, which makes me feel terrible for sweet Maria who keeps having ill luck in love. Conner is out of the picture (rehab) and broken up with Liz, and all those times she had ignored her academics made her ineligible for the prestigious scholarship. Jessica is back with Jeremy thanks to Jade, who apparently is her good friend now.

I am always in awe of their drama!

This book went by quickly, I've finished it within 2 hours. I'm really happy with the turn of the events, and I'm glad it's a lot less toxic now. There's a lighthearted feel to SVH compared to the start of the series. But I'm always eager for more. Sadly I only have one more book on my shelf!