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honeycoffeereads's reviews
238 reviews
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
4.0
Entirely reliant on a fictional series and her fiercely independent sister, a young woman Cath learns how to navigate her own fangirl interests during her freshman year at college. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is an enjoyable and highly relateable book for Generation(s) XYZ.
If you're addicted to any kind of fandom - televison, books, or movies - there is something or someone relatable within this young adult novel. The main character Cath is a welcoming reflection of anyone whose heart has been captured by a series and falls head over heels for its characters and world a little too deeply. Dedicated to the fictional Simon Snow series filled with vampires and magic (a wonderful nod to the Harry Potter phenomenon), Cath writes fanfiction followed by thousands of readers and creates an extension of her favorite world through her words.
Having been a homebody compared to her sisters' flirtatious and outgoing nature, Cath enters her freshman year of college where plenty of self-doubts and fears pile up. Cath's relationship with her twin sister Wren grows increasingly apart as their shared fandom becomes a distant memory and their relationship with the emotionally frantic father becomes a constant worry on her mind. Attending an advanced Fiction Writing class her ability to draw the line between Gemma. T. Leslie's world and her own becomes a challenge. With a hotheaded sarcastic roommate Reagan, and an ex-boyfriend Levi who never seems to run out of smiles, Cath experiences anxieties about letting her geek flag fly in this new world of strangers and acquaintances who all seem to be too busy for the fandom she is reluctant to leave behind.
What I enjoyed most is that the book doesn't challenge the passion of geek culture with an obstrusively critical point of view. Through Cath's socially awkward exterior and rapturously charming wit, her personality and experiences are something we as young adults have all gone through or at some point eventually will - falling for the wrong crushes, making small leaps to put our true selves out there in different experiences and coming into our own with close groups of new friends. The book observes the fanperson's perspective and questions the "real worlds" perspective about the level of fandom some people believe is too much.
Where readers may find the book so startling similar is the nods to the well-known series Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Interspersed throughout each chapter, Rowell includes small paragraphs of the Simon Snow series written by the faux author Gemma T. Leslie as well as fanfiction work written by the main character. The characters are humorous clones of well-known literature icons like Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger. Rowell's nod to the magical series not only has nearly identical summary but also brings up well-discussed fandom debates. Through a variety of characters there are enlightening deliberations and perspectives about what it means to be a true fan; reading the books, seeing the movies, doing both. Through Cath's raptured involvement in a series' journey reaching its grand finale, to the simplicity of the prose, the novel is contagious and entertaining.
Familiarity for any young adult is not easy to say goodbye to whether it's family or fandom. As a fellow college student and Potterhead, Fangirl was something that I couldn't put down. Every time I picked up the book, I felt like Cath was me and vice versa. To an extent I felt myself becoming a thorough fangirl of Rowell's work.
Enjoy more of my reviews at PotterTalk.net!
If you're addicted to any kind of fandom - televison, books, or movies - there is something or someone relatable within this young adult novel. The main character Cath is a welcoming reflection of anyone whose heart has been captured by a series and falls head over heels for its characters and world a little too deeply. Dedicated to the fictional Simon Snow series filled with vampires and magic (a wonderful nod to the Harry Potter phenomenon), Cath writes fanfiction followed by thousands of readers and creates an extension of her favorite world through her words.
Having been a homebody compared to her sisters' flirtatious and outgoing nature, Cath enters her freshman year of college where plenty of self-doubts and fears pile up. Cath's relationship with her twin sister Wren grows increasingly apart as their shared fandom becomes a distant memory and their relationship with the emotionally frantic father becomes a constant worry on her mind. Attending an advanced Fiction Writing class her ability to draw the line between Gemma. T. Leslie's world and her own becomes a challenge. With a hotheaded sarcastic roommate Reagan, and an ex-boyfriend Levi who never seems to run out of smiles, Cath experiences anxieties about letting her geek flag fly in this new world of strangers and acquaintances who all seem to be too busy for the fandom she is reluctant to leave behind.
What I enjoyed most is that the book doesn't challenge the passion of geek culture with an obstrusively critical point of view. Through Cath's socially awkward exterior and rapturously charming wit, her personality and experiences are something we as young adults have all gone through or at some point eventually will - falling for the wrong crushes, making small leaps to put our true selves out there in different experiences and coming into our own with close groups of new friends. The book observes the fanperson's perspective and questions the "real worlds" perspective about the level of fandom some people believe is too much.
Where readers may find the book so startling similar is the nods to the well-known series Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Interspersed throughout each chapter, Rowell includes small paragraphs of the Simon Snow series written by the faux author Gemma T. Leslie as well as fanfiction work written by the main character. The characters are humorous clones of well-known literature icons like Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, and Hermione Granger. Rowell's nod to the magical series not only has nearly identical summary but also brings up well-discussed fandom debates. Through a variety of characters there are enlightening deliberations and perspectives about what it means to be a true fan; reading the books, seeing the movies, doing both. Through Cath's raptured involvement in a series' journey reaching its grand finale, to the simplicity of the prose, the novel is contagious and entertaining.
Familiarity for any young adult is not easy to say goodbye to whether it's family or fandom. As a fellow college student and Potterhead, Fangirl was something that I couldn't put down. Every time I picked up the book, I felt like Cath was me and vice versa. To an extent I felt myself becoming a thorough fangirl of Rowell's work.
Enjoy more of my reviews at PotterTalk.net!
The Shadow Effect, a movie: Illuminating the Hidden Power of Your True Self by Deepak Chopra
4.0
I thought the first chapter with Deepak Chopra offered a lot of insight into how we think and how we get wrapped up in our thoughts, our predictions to others, and how we based our decisions. He gives us some great insight on how to develop way to calm ourselves and lessen the effect our thoughts have on us, and how it can take us on negatively. However, for those who do not read a lot on spirituality, consciousness, etc...Chopra's writing might go over some readers head - at some points it did to mine!
Moving into the second chapter written by Debbie Ford, I felt the content fell a little short. She didn't really explain too much new information on how we fall for our negativity/negative parts of ourselves. I felt her prose fell into a loop of information of how people can live by listening to the skeptical/fearful/jealous parts of ourselves. I sorta felt like I could do a shot-game to how many times 'shadow' appeared within the text, and I would have been smashed by page 5....
I stuck with it until the last section which was written by Marianne Williamson. The last chapter brought together a loving culmination of both chapters, and how living with love for others is the most hopeful, positive way to live. I particularly enjoyed her conversational tone, which might be something readers feel is missing from the first chapter. I also liked her ability to explain how easy we can go into judgmental/sarcastic/skeptical mode because at one point love has been withheld or torn away from us, and going into a mental attack mode, is a reflex rather than offering up more compassion or love.
Moving into the second chapter written by Debbie Ford, I felt the content fell a little short. She didn't really explain too much new information on how we fall for our negativity/negative parts of ourselves. I felt her prose fell into a loop of information of how people can live by listening to the skeptical/fearful/jealous parts of ourselves. I sorta felt like I could do a shot-game to how many times 'shadow' appeared within the text, and I would have been smashed by page 5....
I stuck with it until the last section which was written by Marianne Williamson. The last chapter brought together a loving culmination of both chapters, and how living with love for others is the most hopeful, positive way to live. I particularly enjoyed her conversational tone, which might be something readers feel is missing from the first chapter. I also liked her ability to explain how easy we can go into judgmental/sarcastic/skeptical mode because at one point love has been withheld or torn away from us, and going into a mental attack mode, is a reflex rather than offering up more compassion or love.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
4.0
I don't think I ever read a book faster than John Green's The Fault In Our Stars. Every word on the last page intrigued me to read the following words on the next page. Hazel and Augusts' voices were original, frank, honest, sincere, humorous, and a bit heartbreaking. I never believed that so much intimate details and perspectives about life, love, and death could be shared in such a moving book. I can't remember the last time I read a book that was truly amazing (though I really loved Cinder by Marissa Meyers which I recently read...)
It is easily and most definitely one of my favorite books of all time. I'm sorry this is not much of a coherent review, but I feel there are some books you could advise others to read and make sure that they do. Go with all the positive reviews on GoodReads, Amazon, book blogs, etc. and take a leap into the literature unknown and just read The Fault in our Stars. Okay? Okay.
It is easily and most definitely one of my favorite books of all time. I'm sorry this is not much of a coherent review, but I feel there are some books you could advise others to read and make sure that they do. Go with all the positive reviews on GoodReads, Amazon, book blogs, etc. and take a leap into the literature unknown and just read The Fault in our Stars. Okay? Okay.