Note: these are in no particular order of which one I finished first.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
This book is about Jonas who's chosen as the receiver of memories in his perfect society. The one who trains him to be a Receiver is The Giver. And soon he realizes that his society is more than meets the eye and that YA bull. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good YA series (The Maze Runner is my all-time favorite) but, God, this book was so slow. And for a book this small, nothing really happens until the last few chapters. Though, I have to give the book some credit because the simple writing sort of inspired me to write more.
Overall: I'm not sure if I'm going to continue reading this series, but if I wanted to, it's not going to be sometime soon.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
About the disappearance of Nick Dunne's beautiful wife, Amy Elliot Dunne. It shifts between Nick trying to find her, and Amy's diaries about their marriage. Let me just say this, the book is so messed up and shocking, I had to stop reading at some point. I have not read a book like this before, it's truly great and mysterious. While there are some things I don't get about what happened (it's not that I don't understand them, it's just that they made me just go "but... why?").
Overall: It's a very nice book for people who love mystery and thriller. I don't think you should watch the movie version for this, though. I don't know, it just felt meh.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
This is a collection of short stories where (as I read in one of the reviews) nothing happens. It's just told in a way that is so captivating. This was recommended to me by Dr. Keith Jardim (shout out to my adopted father!) because he thought that my short stories reminded him of this author's writing. Honestly, when I read the book, I was flattered because he thought so. Although some stories didn't catch my interest; it happens when it comes to short story collections.
Overall: Amazing. You should get it. That's all.
Near Open Water by Keith Jardim (A.K.A, my professor and life coach)
Another collection of short stories. These are set in the Caribbean Islands, specifically in Trinidad. It's so shockingly honest about the Islands. It's not what it seems. I've sorta cheated on this book. There are two stories I haven't finished, and I haven't even read the last story. It's not that I don't like the book or I found it boring. On the contrary, it's so descriptive that you can actually taste the water and smell the air when he describes the beach, and I found that so fascinating, the way he could accomplish it. The reason I didn't finish some of the stories is because they are so tiring to read! The book is so condensed that I kept reading the same line three times without realizing it. Nevertheless, it's a very honest and beautiful book. Nothing surprising since Dr. Keith is the one who wrote it. That guy made me a better writer to be honest.
Overall: Read this book if you want a boost of creativity.
The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith
Warning: this opinion will sort of be biased because good God, I've waited so long. Also, there might be spoilers if you haven't read the first book (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). So yeah, you've been warned, my friends.
You see, this book was the highlight of my month, no lie. When SGS announced that he was writing it last year, I swear I felt like I couldn't breath properly because I never thought this book was coming. And I've waited four years for that one chapter that explains to you what was concluded in the first book. Yeah, imagine my excitement. If you've read the first book, you might know Henry Sturges (Abraham's mentor, best friend, a vampire). Well this book is about Henry's life after Abraham's death. To me, the book was one big history lesson, but with more vampirism and bloodshed added to it. Unlike the first book. it has more gore, violence, and sexual images. But, but, it has more Henry since it's about him, which is basically a gift given to me in a form of a book. After finishing this book, I don't know if I want another one. This book just gave me everything I wanted from the first book -which is more Henry. Sorry-.
Overall: Live. (You'll get it when you read the books. You should get them both right away. I mean come on, it's Abraham Lincoln wielding an ax, slicing down vampires with Henry freaking Sturges as his mentor.)
