Scan barcode
linzbassett's reviews
553 reviews
Freak of Nature by Julia Crane
3.0
Interesting concept. It was a little cheesy but entertaining enough. Not sure if I'll read the 2nd or not.
Dying to Remember by Trish Marie Dawson
2.0
Compared to the first book, I feel like this one is a mess. I didn't feel all that connected with Piper. She has a lot of new 'challenges' in this story, and they just made me uninterested in her story. While reading these new ideas seemed forced, and like they didn't fit in with the story. A lot of the chapters I would have liked more detail on just seemed rushed to keep it under how many ever pages. I hope the series gets better, but I won't be reading it to find out first hand.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
5.0
I didn't want to read this book. I really didn't. I hate sappy tearjerker books. At the request of two friends in the same day, and seeing the trailer for the movie, I decided to read it. I started reading it and told myself I wasn't going to like it. I told myself that it was a Walk to Remember rip off, and it was going to suck. Yeah... about that.
This book hit me in so many ways. First off I grew up about a half hour from where the book takes place. I've been away from Indiana for five years now, so this book made me so incredibly homesick. It gave me a lot of nostalgia, because Castleton was one of the places me and my friends would sneak off to when we were old enough to drive, but told not to leave our tiny town of Anderson, Indiana. I never thought I would be homesick for Indiana, but I am right now. Thanks John Green.
While reading this book, I prepared myself for Hazel to die. I just thought it was a given that this sick was going to pass on. I had all kinds of events drummed in my head that were going to happen, she was going to die in Amsterdam after her dream came true, she was going to die mid-sentence, like the character in her favorite book. I was so completely unprepared for what actually happened.
I think one of the things I loved the most about this book is that it's funny. One of the friends who recommended it to me told me I'd enjoy the humor in it. I didn't believe her, because cancer books aren't suppose to be funny. But even though the book had it's super sad parts, it actually was really lighthearted and funny. I also think that's what I loved about Hazel. Yes she has cancer, yes she's terminal, but she goes about making jokes and acting like it's no big deal. She just does what she does and accepts it. This was kind of a slap in the face for me, because here we have this girl who, let's be honest, is in a shitty predicament, but she doesn't really complain much about it. She accepts what's going to happen to her and tries to make the best out of what time she has left. Because of that, I found myself evaluating my life. In a cliche (and morbid) sense none of us really know how much time we have left, and yet how many of us waste the day away pissing and moaning about everything that's wrong with it? I know I certainly do. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but the book was an eye opener for me.
I'm trying to do this with out spoilers... One of the friends who recommended this to me just asked what my favorite and least favorite parts were about the book. I had to think a moment, but what I came up with is a contradiction (I love contradictions.) I love the brutal honesty of the book, in the sense that it shows you that just because someone is sick, dying, or dead doesn't mean we have to make them into heroes. Some people are just sucky people. Period. In the same sense, this is also my least favorite part. Just because something is honest, doesn't mean it won't hurt. It still hurts to watch these people be awful, honesty doesn't really make that any easier to deal with it.
This book hit me in so many ways. First off I grew up about a half hour from where the book takes place. I've been away from Indiana for five years now, so this book made me so incredibly homesick. It gave me a lot of nostalgia, because Castleton was one of the places me and my friends would sneak off to when we were old enough to drive, but told not to leave our tiny town of Anderson, Indiana. I never thought I would be homesick for Indiana, but I am right now. Thanks John Green.
While reading this book, I prepared myself for Hazel to die. I just thought it was a given that this sick was going to pass on. I had all kinds of events drummed in my head that were going to happen, she was going to die in Amsterdam after her dream came true, she was going to die mid-sentence, like the character in her favorite book. I was so completely unprepared for what actually happened.
I think one of the things I loved the most about this book is that it's funny. One of the friends who recommended it to me told me I'd enjoy the humor in it. I didn't believe her, because cancer books aren't suppose to be funny. But even though the book had it's super sad parts, it actually was really lighthearted and funny. I also think that's what I loved about Hazel. Yes she has cancer, yes she's terminal, but she goes about making jokes and acting like it's no big deal. She just does what she does and accepts it. This was kind of a slap in the face for me, because here we have this girl who, let's be honest, is in a shitty predicament, but she doesn't really complain much about it. She accepts what's going to happen to her and tries to make the best out of what time she has left. Because of that, I found myself evaluating my life. In a cliche (and morbid) sense none of us really know how much time we have left, and yet how many of us waste the day away pissing and moaning about everything that's wrong with it? I know I certainly do. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, but the book was an eye opener for me.
I'm trying to do this with out spoilers... One of the friends who recommended this to me just asked what my favorite and least favorite parts were about the book. I had to think a moment, but what I came up with is a contradiction (I love contradictions.) I love the brutal honesty of the book, in the sense that it shows you that just because someone is sick, dying, or dead doesn't mean we have to make them into heroes. Some people are just sucky people. Period. In the same sense, this is also my least favorite part. Just because something is honest, doesn't mean it won't hurt. It still hurts to watch these people be awful, honesty doesn't really make that any easier to deal with it.
Death has a Daughter by Candice Marie Burnett
5.0
My only issue with this book is that I have to wait until August for the next one.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
5.0
I've always loved various versions of the Wizard of Oz, but never actually read the book. I finally got around to doing so for and am so glad that I did. Despite being very morbid for a children's story, it's really cute and sends a great message about having intelligence, a heart, and courage. Such a great classic.