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rubygranger's reviews
303 reviews
The Martian by Andy Weir
4.0
Wonderful science here. It was fascinating to see the narrator's thought process!
The Circle by Dave Eggers
5.0
An incredible read which captures the dangers of the internet. The society presented could very well be us in a few years -- after all, the major social media sites (snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and also google) have a massive influence on people of the 21st Century. Propaganda can be easily distilled and it is frightening to see how brainwashed Mae becomes over the course of the novel. The reader, gradually becoming used to and marvelling at the powers of the circle, soon realises just how dangerous their influence is and how quickly this alternate world could turn into a totalitarian state (that is, if it hasn't already!). I would call this a modern take on Orwell's 1984, similarly disturbing, intrusive and possible.
The Myth of Mars and Venus: Do Men and Women Really Speak Different Languages? by Deborah Cameron
4.0
Gregory and the Grimbockle by Abigail Kraft, Jared Kraft, Melanie Schubert
4.0
'Gregory and the Grimbockle' is a delightful book for younger readers and one that I will certainly be recommending to my eleven-year-old cousin; however, having said this, I also greatly enjoyed it myself, despite the fact that I lie outside of the recommended age range.
The book follows the story of a young, lonely boy named Gregory who, to his, his family's and his neighbours' distaste, has a large mole just underneath his nose. However this mole proves to be anything but a nuisance when Gregory finds that it is home to a small, purple 'grimbockle'. These creatures are responsible for maintaining the 'exoodles' which are a physical representation of the emotional connections between people. One evening, Gregory (and us too!) are introduced to this strange world and the adventure which follows is enchanting and magical -- it actually reminds me a lot of Roald Dahl's 'The BFG'. Gregory himself also shares some key traits with Dahl's 'Matilda': both protagonists seem mature beyond their years and are rather precocious (in a positive way!).
I loved that Schubert created new words for her novel (like 'exoodle' and 'grimbockle') and, whilst it occasionally meant that you had to re-read a sentence to make sense of it, the general effect was more than positive. It meant that you were able to more fully engage yourself in the magic of this story.
The music was similarly able to enhance the reading-experience. I have never read a book which has an accompanying soundtrack and I truly think that it is a revolutionary idea. One thing I will say is that the track lengths do not fit exactly to the chapter length (which is inevitable seeing as we all have different reading speeds) and I found this to be occasionally frustrating but not to the extent that I would say that I disliked the music. In fact, I love the soundtrack so much that I have been listening to it whilst studying!
The book is funny and light-hearted and the language is fairly simple meaning that it is a quick read. Nonetheless, the deeper values which Schubert touches upon are permanent, especially for younger readers. Schubert emphasises the importance of relationships and sociability in an increasingly isolated and digital age (which is directly criticised by the Grimbockle when he states that "currents and waves is damaging more exoodles these days more than anything else"). Schubert teaches her reader that goodness and friendship is up to you to implicate: a valuable message.
The book follows the story of a young, lonely boy named Gregory who, to his, his family's and his neighbours' distaste, has a large mole just underneath his nose. However this mole proves to be anything but a nuisance when Gregory finds that it is home to a small, purple 'grimbockle'. These creatures are responsible for maintaining the 'exoodles' which are a physical representation of the emotional connections between people. One evening, Gregory (and us too!) are introduced to this strange world and the adventure which follows is enchanting and magical -- it actually reminds me a lot of Roald Dahl's 'The BFG'. Gregory himself also shares some key traits with Dahl's 'Matilda': both protagonists seem mature beyond their years and are rather precocious (in a positive way!).
I loved that Schubert created new words for her novel (like 'exoodle' and 'grimbockle') and, whilst it occasionally meant that you had to re-read a sentence to make sense of it, the general effect was more than positive. It meant that you were able to more fully engage yourself in the magic of this story.
The music was similarly able to enhance the reading-experience. I have never read a book which has an accompanying soundtrack and I truly think that it is a revolutionary idea. One thing I will say is that the track lengths do not fit exactly to the chapter length (which is inevitable seeing as we all have different reading speeds) and I found this to be occasionally frustrating but not to the extent that I would say that I disliked the music. In fact, I love the soundtrack so much that I have been listening to it whilst studying!
The book is funny and light-hearted and the language is fairly simple meaning that it is a quick read. Nonetheless, the deeper values which Schubert touches upon are permanent, especially for younger readers. Schubert emphasises the importance of relationships and sociability in an increasingly isolated and digital age (which is directly criticised by the Grimbockle when he states that "currents and waves is damaging more exoodles these days more than anything else"). Schubert teaches her reader that goodness and friendship is up to you to implicate: a valuable message.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, Luciana Pirè
5.0
If you haven't already, you HAVE TO read this! Wilde delves into the cartesian dualist debate, asking us to question where the self truly does reside (and contradicting the popular Victorian idea of physiognomy). In his personal Fall and descent into sinfulness I saw similarities with H.G. Wells's 'The Invisible Man' where sin thrives simply because the individual cannot be held accountable. Similarly, the debate about the value of art is intriguing and, after reading this, I recommend reading Poe's 'The Oval Mirror' because, again, there are definite similarities.
Bullies like Me by Lindy Zart
5.0
I adore books about bullying and have read dozens of them but 'Bullies like Me' is the second best that I have ever had the fortune of reading (after Atwood's [b:Cat's Eye|51019|Cat's Eye|Margaret Atwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1385207977s/51019.jpg|1019987]!).
Based on the author's own experiences, 'Bullies Like Me' is about a 16/17 year old girl called Alexis who, after moving to a new school, is relentlessly bullied by her peers to the point that she attempts suicide. The book is set a few months later when Alexis is released from a teenage mental institution. There are three different narrators and the story flits between Alexis, Melanie (her bully) and Nick (her love interest). In doing this, Zart distinguishes her novel from much YA bullying-fiction because, more so than in any other novel I have read, there is a focus on the BULLY and not just the victim. She explores the consequences of bullying for all those who are involved.
Usually I don't like teenage romance novels but her and Nick's relationship, whilst significant to the plot, was not the centripetal force of the novel. Rather than repetitive and cliche, their love enriched the novel and it would not have been so excellent if it had not been for Nick.
There are many plot-twists, each one ensuring continued engagement, and I was unable to put my kindle down all morning - it took me three hours in total so is a fairly quick read and one which I am glad to have read all at once. I don't think it would have been so powerful if I had not been so heavily invested. At moments, I truly did laugh out loud and I will not hide the fact that I cried a little as well. It is a heart-wrenching tale (even more so seeing as it is semi-autobiographical) and I know that I will not forget it lightly.
The novel itself is quite dark in terms of subject matter and so I would only recommend this for those age 13 and up. If you have been bullied, been a bully or watched bullying take place, you have to read this novel!
Based on the author's own experiences, 'Bullies Like Me' is about a 16/17 year old girl called Alexis who, after moving to a new school, is relentlessly bullied by her peers to the point that she attempts suicide. The book is set a few months later when Alexis is released from a teenage mental institution. There are three different narrators and the story flits between Alexis, Melanie (her bully) and Nick (her love interest). In doing this, Zart distinguishes her novel from much YA bullying-fiction because, more so than in any other novel I have read, there is a focus on the BULLY and not just the victim. She explores the consequences of bullying for all those who are involved.
Usually I don't like teenage romance novels but her and Nick's relationship, whilst significant to the plot, was not the centripetal force of the novel. Rather than repetitive and cliche, their love enriched the novel and it would not have been so excellent if it had not been for Nick.
There are many plot-twists, each one ensuring continued engagement, and I was unable to put my kindle down all morning - it took me three hours in total so is a fairly quick read and one which I am glad to have read all at once. I don't think it would have been so powerful if I had not been so heavily invested. At moments, I truly did laugh out loud and I will not hide the fact that I cried a little as well. It is a heart-wrenching tale (even more so seeing as it is semi-autobiographical) and I know that I will not forget it lightly.
The novel itself is quite dark in terms of subject matter and so I would only recommend this for those age 13 and up. If you have been bullied, been a bully or watched bullying take place, you have to read this novel!