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travsbookshelf's reviews
61 reviews
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was an incredible story! It was a delightful, feel-good tale made very memorable by the three main protagonists Alice, Jake and Harry. Each of these characters drove the story full force with each of their different backgrounds and present circumstances culminating in their imminent encounters with each other and forming an odd but strong, familial friendship.
Jake’s and Harry’s stories were a bit more parallel to each other while Alice seemed to be a bit more isolated, yet they all worked stronger as a cohesive unit. They had a lot more in common than one would think. But as the story is indeed mostly character driven, it doesn’t flesh out the characters to make a statement about them being friends. The story isn’t about “forcing” a friendship between these 3 people. It’s about 3 people from very different lives that are forced to face their issues and develop a healing process within themselves. The friendship became more of a character aid than a plot device. And it worked extremely well.
I loved learning about the behaviors and workings of honeybees. Each chapter begins with a quote from Langstroth’s 1860 treatise about bees that not only incited a scientific interest in bees but also served as a symbolic factor to the narrative within the chapter, linking a metaphor between the lives of bees and human nature. It was a clever way to tell a story.
I was a little surprised by the fact we didn’t get more from the environmental threat part of the plot but I discovered that it was ok because, as this was a mainly character study kind of story, we didn’t need too much of that. I felt like what we got was enough to do the job it was meant to do.
I was also surprised at some of the harsh language throughout. My initial instinct from just the premise was expecting something more Hallmark Channel but this is quite a mature book. There was nothing explicit or graphic or even raunchy within it but language-wise it is a very mature book. Well, honestly not THAT bad. With Jake’s character being paraplegic I expected a possible trigger of ableism to arise, and at one definite point it does in a small discriminatory way, but mostly it just stems from Jake’s and others’ relatively harmless but honest questions about his lack of ability to do certain things. But nothing that really outright demeans a disabled person.
I have to give this 5 stars. It was an outstanding read. Very highly recommended.
Jake’s and Harry’s stories were a bit more parallel to each other while Alice seemed to be a bit more isolated, yet they all worked stronger as a cohesive unit. They had a lot more in common than one would think. But as the story is indeed mostly character driven, it doesn’t flesh out the characters to make a statement about them being friends. The story isn’t about “forcing” a friendship between these 3 people. It’s about 3 people from very different lives that are forced to face their issues and develop a healing process within themselves. The friendship became more of a character aid than a plot device. And it worked extremely well.
I loved learning about the behaviors and workings of honeybees. Each chapter begins with a quote from Langstroth’s 1860 treatise about bees that not only incited a scientific interest in bees but also served as a symbolic factor to the narrative within the chapter, linking a metaphor between the lives of bees and human nature. It was a clever way to tell a story.
I was a little surprised by the fact we didn’t get more from the environmental threat part of the plot but I discovered that it was ok because, as this was a mainly character study kind of story, we didn’t need too much of that. I felt like what we got was enough to do the job it was meant to do.
I was also surprised at some of the harsh language throughout. My initial instinct from just the premise was expecting something more Hallmark Channel but this is quite a mature book. There was nothing explicit or graphic or even raunchy within it but language-wise it is a very mature book. Well, honestly not THAT bad. With Jake’s character being paraplegic I expected a possible trigger of ableism to arise, and at one definite point it does in a small discriminatory way, but mostly it just stems from Jake’s and others’ relatively harmless but honest questions about his lack of ability to do certain things. But nothing that really outright demeans a disabled person.
I have to give this 5 stars. It was an outstanding read. Very highly recommended.
After Oz by Gordon McAlpine
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was mixed over this book.
I liked the familiarities we got from Dorothy’s reminiscences of her time in Oz. I appreciated the author mixing genres by incorporating mystery and thriller elements into the fantasy and “real life” essences of the story. I liked that we got an actual account of both the reconstruction after the tornado by the townsfolk and Dorothy’s origin background. I even liked that we get a perspective from an anonymous townsperson who we never get to identify which added a bit of fun to the mystery. I respected the nod to the original creator (L. Frank Baum) that McAlpine gave by making him a brief secondary character, albeit off-page.
I didn’t really mind the over-religious references and scripture quoted throughout but it felt so out of place in a story born out of fantasy. I didn’t care for the depressing turn of the characters of Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. The climax and ending were just a bit of a letdown. Dorothy’s origin story was depressing and disturbing and felt very out of context for her character.
I’m giving this a neutral 3 stars as I’m just too torn over which way to go with rating this. My advice before reading this: do not go into this with obvious expectations.
I liked the familiarities we got from Dorothy’s reminiscences of her time in Oz. I appreciated the author mixing genres by incorporating mystery and thriller elements into the fantasy and “real life” essences of the story. I liked that we got an actual account of both the reconstruction after the tornado by the townsfolk and Dorothy’s origin background. I even liked that we get a perspective from an anonymous townsperson who we never get to identify which added a bit of fun to the mystery. I respected the nod to the original creator (L. Frank Baum) that McAlpine gave by making him a brief secondary character, albeit off-page.
I didn’t really mind the over-religious references and scripture quoted throughout but it felt so out of place in a story born out of fantasy. I didn’t care for the depressing turn of the characters of Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. The climax and ending were just a bit of a letdown. Dorothy’s origin story was depressing and disturbing and felt very out of context for her character.
I’m giving this a neutral 3 stars as I’m just too torn over which way to go with rating this. My advice before reading this: do not go into this with obvious expectations.
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This was an extremely well-written book! Liu is clearly a very talented writer. The ways in which he really lets the story flow while maintaining such a high level of maturity about it were sensational.
The stories forming this collection were a mixed bag of sci fi, fantasy and history. Quite a few magical elements thrown in as well. They were all very descriptive, poignant, tragic, and at times even horrific. And while I did enjoy the characters I just couldn’t connect with them beyond a surface level. They just weren’t that memorable to me.
Not one story in this book was below a 4 star rating for me. Overall I give the book a 4.75 stars. Highly recommended short story collection.
The stories forming this collection were a mixed bag of sci fi, fantasy and history. Quite a few magical elements thrown in as well. They were all very descriptive, poignant, tragic, and at times even horrific. And while I did enjoy the characters I just couldn’t connect with them beyond a surface level. They just weren’t that memorable to me.
Not one story in this book was below a 4 star rating for me. Overall I give the book a 4.75 stars. Highly recommended short story collection.
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This series just keeps getting better with every volume. This was a particularly unusual case for the TMC but nonetheless intriguing from beginning to end.
These characters are some of the most entertaining and overall best I’ve ever read. I’m still enjoying the nostalgic aesthetic of old fashioned mystery storytelling while placing it in the modern era. It’s a formula I hope continues as the series progresses. And the cases are truly thought-provoking and obviously well-planned which highlights very clever writing from Osman.
As with the first 2 novels I’m giving this 5 stars. A highly recommended book and series.
These characters are some of the most entertaining and overall best I’ve ever read. I’m still enjoying the nostalgic aesthetic of old fashioned mystery storytelling while placing it in the modern era. It’s a formula I hope continues as the series progresses. And the cases are truly thought-provoking and obviously well-planned which highlights very clever writing from Osman.
As with the first 2 novels I’m giving this 5 stars. A highly recommended book and series.
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Stephen King certainly chose the right title for this book. Every one of these four novellas was dark. The author himself even admitted that these tales were harsh.
There were a lot of disturbing moments to read throughout this collection. At one point it was even downright uncomfortable to read. However, these were, in my opinion, some of King’s best ever work. Of particular interest was his writing in the first story, titled “1922”, which brilliantly depicted the historical ambience of that time period. King has always been a genius at writing historical narrative.
These were also some of King’s shorter novellas in his entire bibliography. But they supplied so much emotional and imaginative punch nonetheless. Three of the four endings were pretty much fulfilling, one was left in ambiguity, but they ALL ended satisfactorily.
It’s probably my next favorite of King’s collection works right after “Different Seasons”. A highly recommended book.
There were a lot of disturbing moments to read throughout this collection. At one point it was even downright uncomfortable to read. However, these were, in my opinion, some of King’s best ever work. Of particular interest was his writing in the first story, titled “1922”, which brilliantly depicted the historical ambience of that time period. King has always been a genius at writing historical narrative.
These were also some of King’s shorter novellas in his entire bibliography. But they supplied so much emotional and imaginative punch nonetheless. Three of the four endings were pretty much fulfilling, one was left in ambiguity, but they ALL ended satisfactorily.
It’s probably my next favorite of King’s collection works right after “Different Seasons”. A highly recommended book.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was one of my fastest reads ever, especially for an almost-400 page tome.
And for very good reason.
It. Was. So. AWESOME!!! I am near speechless. This was one of the most dramatically emotional books I’ve ever read. I got hooked right from the beginning and the only reason I didn’t make it in one sitting is because I got tired and had to go to bed. Because I started the book late in the day. The messages were so powerful in this book and it only enhanced the importance of them through TJ Klune’s utterly brilliant writing by integrating fantasy into societal issues.
Klune is damn near becoming one of my top literary gods. His unique fantasy elements are so vivid and colorful and he creates such a diverse cast of unusual characters in his novels, all while interspersing crucial subject matters within the story plots. This mixture provides both metaphorical and literal storytelling that aids in the importance of understanding his messages but also for being entertained at the same time, in a way such that the reader is left with a sense of not only general awe but a feeling of hope and a sense of looking at things in a brighter light. This book was the very definition of that for me.
Of course, there were surprising twists in the story but ultimately it was the characters that made it what it was. One simply can’t walk away from this book without feeling love for these characters. So many times I wanted to just reach into the pages and pull them out to hug them. The ending was perfection.
This is hands down 5 stars for me and I highly recommend it.
And for very good reason.
It. Was. So. AWESOME!!! I am near speechless. This was one of the most dramatically emotional books I’ve ever read. I got hooked right from the beginning and the only reason I didn’t make it in one sitting is because I got tired and had to go to bed. Because I started the book late in the day. The messages were so powerful in this book and it only enhanced the importance of them through TJ Klune’s utterly brilliant writing by integrating fantasy into societal issues.
Klune is damn near becoming one of my top literary gods. His unique fantasy elements are so vivid and colorful and he creates such a diverse cast of unusual characters in his novels, all while interspersing crucial subject matters within the story plots. This mixture provides both metaphorical and literal storytelling that aids in the importance of understanding his messages but also for being entertained at the same time, in a way such that the reader is left with a sense of not only general awe but a feeling of hope and a sense of looking at things in a brighter light. This book was the very definition of that for me.
Of course, there were surprising twists in the story but ultimately it was the characters that made it what it was. One simply can’t walk away from this book without feeling love for these characters. So many times I wanted to just reach into the pages and pull them out to hug them. The ending was perfection.
This is hands down 5 stars for me and I highly recommend it.
The Asylum Confessions: Serial Killers by Jack Steen
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Maybe I should be reading this series in chronological order after all. The way this volume ended felt like there is an overarching storyline happening at some point, whether it has been going on very subtly throughout the series or this is just the beginning. Then again, if that’s not the case then it was just a truly chilling ending. Not that it wasn’t regardless.
And not just the ending. This volume was by far the most disturbing and frightening all around. At least to me it was. It felt like a huge nod to the first book in the series in that the confessions were totally varied, even though the volume is specifically themed as “Serial Killers”. Of course, there are all kinds of serial killers so it really isn’t that big a stretch to expect some variety. It even mentioned a patient from the first book, which made the nod more special.
The details in the confessions were pretty vivid and scary and made for a really intriguing read. Had a few triggers that were, of course, disturbing yet served to heighten the tension.
Probably my favorite volume in the series thus far. A highly recommended book.
And not just the ending. This volume was by far the most disturbing and frightening all around. At least to me it was. It felt like a huge nod to the first book in the series in that the confessions were totally varied, even though the volume is specifically themed as “Serial Killers”. Of course, there are all kinds of serial killers so it really isn’t that big a stretch to expect some variety. It even mentioned a patient from the first book, which made the nod more special.
The details in the confessions were pretty vivid and scary and made for a really intriguing read. Had a few triggers that were, of course, disturbing yet served to heighten the tension.
Probably my favorite volume in the series thus far. A highly recommended book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual content, Excrement, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia
We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I’m actually torn on this book. The story was honestly extremely interesting and well done. It had one of the most powerful premises I’ve read in a while and it evoked a full range of emotions from me. The characters were perfectly flawed which made them all the more better to get emotionally invested in.
Yet, I didn’t feel challenged by the book. And I thought it’s because, as I’ve stated before about my hesitancy of reading this book on my YouTube channel, the book is a YA novel and I’m quite a bit older than a YA therefore I felt I wouldn’t relate to the maturity of the material. Turns out, I was kind of right about that. Understanding the plot was a breeze and I was indeed drawn into the story and characters as usual. But it left a void for me in terms of really thinking about the material. It had nothing for me to chew on mentally, because it was so straightforward it felt to me like a sort of school lesson: simple information meant to be taken in as you go and not think twice about it. I’ve just grown to enjoy reading something that forces me to really think about and challenge me. This just didn’t.
Not a good explanation, that, but this would definitely have fit me to a T back in my youth because this book is the level of maturity for that demographic. I would have sat and pondered on this book way back then; today not so much as I wanted more to analyze from the story. Don’t get me wrong, I strongly enjoyed this. There were some truly wonderful moments throughout and lots of interesting surprises. I just felt it was too simple a read for me.
I’m giving this 4.5 stars. Excellent story but just not my bag.
Yet, I didn’t feel challenged by the book. And I thought it’s because, as I’ve stated before about my hesitancy of reading this book on my YouTube channel, the book is a YA novel and I’m quite a bit older than a YA therefore I felt I wouldn’t relate to the maturity of the material. Turns out, I was kind of right about that. Understanding the plot was a breeze and I was indeed drawn into the story and characters as usual. But it left a void for me in terms of really thinking about the material. It had nothing for me to chew on mentally, because it was so straightforward it felt to me like a sort of school lesson: simple information meant to be taken in as you go and not think twice about it. I’ve just grown to enjoy reading something that forces me to really think about and challenge me. This just didn’t.
Not a good explanation, that, but this would definitely have fit me to a T back in my youth because this book is the level of maturity for that demographic. I would have sat and pondered on this book way back then; today not so much as I wanted more to analyze from the story. Don’t get me wrong, I strongly enjoyed this. There were some truly wonderful moments throughout and lots of interesting surprises. I just felt it was too simple a read for me.
I’m giving this 4.5 stars. Excellent story but just not my bag.
Duma Key by Stephen King
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My first impression of this book was that it bore a striking similarity to “Bag of Bones”: main character suffers great loss and travels to another location to recuperate only to find out there’s a ghost story he’s wandered into. And this is true, which made me a little hesitant at first. But I quickly learned that this story was so much more. This was a tale that had humor, very likable characters without the usual Stephen-King-ton-of-baggage types, a terrifying but BEAUTIFUL (yes, I said beautiful!) ghost story connected to a rather engagingly tragic family history, and it was set in a completely different setting unique to King’s usual backgrounds.
But what I found most clever was the writing structure. The story is set up in large sections that give the literary illusion of teaching one long art lesson on drawing pictures. It was a very unique and insanely clever way to tell this story by blending narratives together and illustrating the plot and action and emotion throughout. I literally felt like I was reading a portrait coming to life with each turn of the page. Especially the ghost story parts, and that’s why I called it beautiful. Some of the eeriest scenes I’ve ever read, and made more effective by its artistically descriptive writing. Which is gold to me because I love good ghost stories anyway and I struck the motherlode with this one. I won’t be getting much of the imagery from this book out of my mind anytime soon. Cool!
The emotional levels ran a pretty full gamut throughout as well. There was (of course) tragedy, horror, a quite large amount of humor, happiness, and even hopefulness felt by a lot of the characters. It was different for a King novel but a very nice and welcome change of pace. Wireman and Jack were definitely two standout characters for me and I loved their friendship with Edgar. They made for a quite diverse yet interesting compatible trio that worked well together. The history story was a little challenging to get through but paid off in spades once everything was revealed. And the ending is by far one of Stephen King’s best ever! I thought it was perfect.
A definite 5 star read and highly recommended book. This would be an excellent Stephen King starter novel.
But what I found most clever was the writing structure. The story is set up in large sections that give the literary illusion of teaching one long art lesson on drawing pictures. It was a very unique and insanely clever way to tell this story by blending narratives together and illustrating the plot and action and emotion throughout. I literally felt like I was reading a portrait coming to life with each turn of the page. Especially the ghost story parts, and that’s why I called it beautiful. Some of the eeriest scenes I’ve ever read, and made more effective by its artistically descriptive writing. Which is gold to me because I love good ghost stories anyway and I struck the motherlode with this one. I won’t be getting much of the imagery from this book out of my mind anytime soon. Cool!
The emotional levels ran a pretty full gamut throughout as well. There was (of course) tragedy, horror, a quite large amount of humor, happiness, and even hopefulness felt by a lot of the characters. It was different for a King novel but a very nice and welcome change of pace. Wireman and Jack were definitely two standout characters for me and I loved their friendship with Edgar. They made for a quite diverse yet interesting compatible trio that worked well together. The history story was a little challenging to get through but paid off in spades once everything was revealed. And the ending is by far one of Stephen King’s best ever! I thought it was perfect.
A definite 5 star read and highly recommended book. This would be an excellent Stephen King starter novel.
Spare by Prince Harry
4.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. By that, I mean, I never read memoirs (except one many years ago that captured my attention and it was good). Second, I do not follow the Royal Family. Of course I hear things and see the occasional news clip or video about some of the happenings there but I never really invest in their stories. However, this book seemed to be skyrocketing in the book charts so I decided to pick it up out of sheer curiosity.
Another thing I don’t do reading-wise is I never use audiobooks. I have nothing against them, I certainly see the convenience for people on the run, don’t have time to sit and read a book, etc. I just personally don’t want a book read to me, plus my focus gets very skewed when trying to listen to a story but I get easily distracted. But I broke down and bought the audiobook of this as it is narrated by Prince Harry himself, which I thought would be very interesting.
And it paid off. I sat and read the book and listened to the prince narrate at the same time because I figured that’d be “safer” for me to not get too distracted considering it was a memoir, so it was fairly easy to stay focused and invested since hearing Harry discuss his life story would be helpful hearing his feelings through his voice.
I won’t get into the details of the book because I don’t want to spoil anything but here’s where the mixed feelings come in. Style-wise this book is excellently written. It’s divided into 3 clear, distinct parts and the chapters within each part are carefully laid out and sectioned flawlessly. Story-wise….I don’t know. A large part of this young man’s life, I felt a lot of sympathy for him. But there are other parts where it seems he comes off as….I don’t know, I honestly don’t know how to feel about. I found myself looking up videos of the backlash this book is getting and I feel the press is cherry picking certain things from the book when there is so much more to consider. Again, not to spoil, but I found that there were 2 major motives that Prince Harry had (and, honestly, rightfully so) that spurred him to react in certain ways that he did at times. And that is something that I never expected from a memoir of all things: a lingering afterthought, like what could have been, how could this be another way, while that never had to be, etc…
All in all, I’m giving this book 4 stars. Usually I’d give a memoir at best 3 stars because they are usually just diary-esque accounts of someone’s life. It’s not perfect, of course, and even though the style is very good, it also gave me that afterthought I mentioned above. That is, I didn’t just read someone’s life story and just put it down. It actually made me think about it afterward. Best I can explain it. But my advice: pick it up, read it. It’s actually very good.
Another thing I don’t do reading-wise is I never use audiobooks. I have nothing against them, I certainly see the convenience for people on the run, don’t have time to sit and read a book, etc. I just personally don’t want a book read to me, plus my focus gets very skewed when trying to listen to a story but I get easily distracted. But I broke down and bought the audiobook of this as it is narrated by Prince Harry himself, which I thought would be very interesting.
And it paid off. I sat and read the book and listened to the prince narrate at the same time because I figured that’d be “safer” for me to not get too distracted considering it was a memoir, so it was fairly easy to stay focused and invested since hearing Harry discuss his life story would be helpful hearing his feelings through his voice.
I won’t get into the details of the book because I don’t want to spoil anything but here’s where the mixed feelings come in. Style-wise this book is excellently written. It’s divided into 3 clear, distinct parts and the chapters within each part are carefully laid out and sectioned flawlessly. Story-wise….I don’t know. A large part of this young man’s life, I felt a lot of sympathy for him. But there are other parts where it seems he comes off as….I don’t know, I honestly don’t know how to feel about. I found myself looking up videos of the backlash this book is getting and I feel the press is cherry picking certain things from the book when there is so much more to consider. Again, not to spoil, but I found that there were 2 major motives that Prince Harry had (and, honestly, rightfully so) that spurred him to react in certain ways that he did at times. And that is something that I never expected from a memoir of all things: a lingering afterthought, like what could have been, how could this be another way, while that never had to be, etc…
All in all, I’m giving this book 4 stars. Usually I’d give a memoir at best 3 stars because they are usually just diary-esque accounts of someone’s life. It’s not perfect, of course, and even though the style is very good, it also gave me that afterthought I mentioned above. That is, I didn’t just read someone’s life story and just put it down. It actually made me think about it afterward. Best I can explain it. But my advice: pick it up, read it. It’s actually very good.