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Weve almost made it to the final third of 2023, and so everyone is planning their final big summer adventures before school is back in session.Dont worry, though, dear Book Nerds: Here at The Book Nerd Diaries, were far from cooling down! Its time to bring you our first edition of Alpha-Books for the month, which means that we`re giving you an all-access alphabetical tour of our bookshelves, from A to Z!
Throughout August, Alpha-Books will be brought to you by the letter G, so lets see what weve got to share with you this time, shall we?
Book #1: “Good Omens”, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett – What an absolutely legendary classic, from two true titans of literature! In this hilarious apocalyptic comedy, we meet an angel and a demon named Aziraphale and Crowley, respectively, who have been posted on Earth to intervene in the lives of humans for their respective sides. The problem is that after a few millennia, these two beings have developed a grudging sort of fondness for humanity, as well as each other. They enjoy the comfortable lives they have built during that time, but that is put into jeopardy when the antichrist is born, marking the beginning of the end of days. As such, our duo must find this powerful child before he destroys the world, and everything they love on it. This book is one that I turn to again and again because every single page is full to the brim with equal parts raw wit, and pure heart… Who knew armageddon could be so much fun?
Book #2: “The Good Guy”, by Dean Koontz – In this nail-biting thriller by beloved novelist Dean Koontz, we meet a mild-mannered everyday man named Timothy Carrier. He is enjoying a drink at a local bar when a fellow Patron mistakes him for a hired hitman he was supposed to meet there. What makes things even more complicated, is the discovery that the hitman hes been mistaken for happens to also be a cop. In the blink of an eye, Timothy finds himself going from just going about his business, to being stuck in the middle of a web he cant get out of, the life of a total stranger hes never met in his hands. If you need a story that will keep you guessing, and your pulse pounding, then this one might be for you!
Book #3: “Goddess: The Secret Lives Of Marilyn Monroe”, by Anthony Summers – No matter what generation you`re from, the name Marilyn Monroe looms ever large in the zeitgeist of American pop culture. More than being just an actress, she stands as a perennial symbol of classic Hollywood beauty to which so many aspire to this day. She was charming, glamorous, and bigger-than-life in a way only true stars can achieve, but beyond the spotlight, she was so much more than that. In this chilling biography, we learn the heart-breakingly tragic story of a woman who would become an icon, and how often the cost of fame is far too high to pay. I myself had only known Marilyn by name and face before reading this book, but learning her story really does put her into a whole new perspective, and gives you even more respect for what she was able to achieve in her far-too-short life…
(***Note: The above books have not been reviewed for this article, so we are unable to provide accurate content warnings for them. As such, reader discretion is advised, if you choose to read any of these titles for yourself. Please proceed with caution!***)
…With that, all, we reach the end of our Alpha-Books offerings for this week. Have you read any of the books named above? Do you plan on reading them? Please feel free to let us know in the comments below! We love talking to fellow Book Nerds like you!
Take care all, and we hope we`ll see you again soon!
Weve now officially made it to the cusp of August. Before too long, some will be headed back to school, but not just yet. First, we must bring you one last Book Report for the month of July, and its an absolute doozie, to be sure..
What book might that be, would you be asking? Well, its none other than The Hunger Games prequel "The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes", by Suzanne Collins ! Weve been waiting for this one for a while, so let`s slither right into it, shall we?
“May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor!”
What Its About: Set decades before the events of “The Hunger Games” trilogy, we follow the story of the future President of Panem, Coriolanus Snow. With his once wealthy noble family now all but destitute, young Coriolanus is desperate to regain their status, and restore their fortunes. When he is assigned to mentor a Tribute (or contestant) during a gruesome yearly event known as The Hunger Games, during which children are forced to fight to the death, he hopes that winning the substantial cash prize awarded to the last team standing will be just the opportunity he needs to finally move up in the world. His convictions are tested however, when he and the Tribute he was assigned to, a plucky musician named Lucy Gray Baird, slowly start growing closer, and Lucy opens his eyes to what it means to be part of a game you never wanted to play.
What I Expected: A fun and gritty tie-in to the Hunger Games
What I Got: A tragic, haunting story of corruption, greed, and love turned toxic.
What I Loved: One of the biggest hallmarks of The Hunger Games series, is that it pulls absolutely no punches. Its commentary on the damage wrought by class disparity and discrimination, as children from vulnerable means are forced to hunt each other for the entertainment of the wealthy, is crystal clear. A lot of major franchises offer pure wish-fulfillment escapism, but The Hunger Games is anything but that.
The world Suzanne Collins build is stark, bleak, and soul-crushingly painful from the first page to the very last. Despite this,the story is still so hypnotically compelling that you can`t turn away from it if you tried. It feels like you, the reader, are every bit a witness of the Games and their brutality as the people of Panem watching on their screens, helpless to do anything about the injustice being played out right in front of them.
During The Hunger Games series, we follow Tribute Katniss Everdeen as she tries to take down the heartless President Snow, and put an end to The Games forever. In “The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes” however, we get to look through the eyes of President Snow himself, decades before he rose to power. As we are following the man who would one day become a villain, Collins does an excellent job of showing what ultimately made him such a hated figure, while never fully forgiving him for the choices he made.
We see Coriolanus sincerely wish to help the people who have been so wronged, and yet the same system that has caused so much destruction is the one he believes protects the world from falling into chaos, so why would he wish to go against it? He falls truly, deeply in love with his Tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, and does everything to save her in the arena, but his love for her quickly becomes corrupted, as he sees her as little more than another prize to be won. He loves his family more than anything, but he does not care who he has to crush in the process of helping to get them out of poverty.
This inner turmoil and contradiction is the mark of an incredibly written villain, and im absolutely obsessed with how Snows descent into darkness is portrayed in this book. Its sad and painful, yet inevitable, like the very best classical Greek Tragedy. It ties into the later books in ways that are subtle, yet powerful, so if you`re a fan of The Hunger Games, I promise that this is more than worth your time!
What To Watch Out For When Reading: (Including but not limited to) Child Death and abuse, General Violence, Execution by hanging, References to cannibalism, Drug use, Snakes, Rats, Blood, PTSD, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Mistreatment of a dead body, Poisoning, Shooting
…And it is with this, dear Book Nerds, that we reach the end of our final Book Report for the month of July! Have you read this book yourself, or do you plan on reading it in the future? Please feel free to let us know in the comments below!
We`ll be back soon with more Bookish content, so until next time, take care all, and we bid you good reading! ❤
Please join us this Friday over athttps://bndpod.wordpress.com , as we slither into The Hunger Games prequel “The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes”, by Suzanne Collins!
Were already more than halfway through the end of July now, which means that we have time to bring you one more installment of our special Alpha-Books feature before the month ends. Here, we take you on a special all-access tour of our bookshelves, from A to Z. Weve now made it to the letter F, and were thrilled to bring you some heavy hitters this time around , so theres no time to lose.
Lets go meet our books, shall we?
Book #1: “Fahrenheit 441”, by Ray Bradbury – Full disclosure: This chilling sci-fi dystopian classic is one of our absolute favorite books ever written. Here, we are told the story of a world where possessing books is illegal, in favor of pursuing nonstop decadence and excess. Whenever books are found, a team of trained “Firefighters” is tasked with burning them to ashes. One such Firefighter, Guy Montag, is more than happy to play his part in removing the poisonous tomes from the world. That is, until his eyes are opened to the fact that perhaps books aren`t the real problem with society, after all…
Book #2: “The Face On The Milk Carton”, by Caroline B. Cooney – Imagine this: You`re living a perfectly normal, carefree life in small-town America. You have friends and a family that loves you. In your mind, you want for absolutely nothing. Then one day, everything turns upside down, when you realize that your happy life is completely a lie. That`s exactly what happens to protagonist Janie Johnson in this classic YA thriller when she finds a picture of her younger self on the side of a milk carton, naming her as a missing person…
(NOTE: We did not have the time available to thoroughly read these books, and therefore are unable to provide proper content warnings for them. As such, please proceed with caution if you decide to check them out for yourself. Reader discretion is advised…)
It is here, dear Book Nerds, that we conclude our final installation of Alpha-Books for July!
Dont worry, though; We‘ll be back again soon, for more literary fun… See you then!
Please join us this Friday over at https://bndpod.wordpress.com , as we bring you another installment of our Alpha-Books feature, chronicling an a-z journey through our bookshelves.
Now that the weekend is almost here, its time once again to bring you yet another edition of our special Book Report feature. Here, we give you a quick rundown on all the ins and outs of our lastest reads. This time around, we`re diving into the dark world of political high-fantasy intrigue, with the novel “Castles In Their Bones”, by Laura Sebastian.
Everyone, the ball is just about to begin, so let`s strike up the band and get going!
What Its About: Three teen triplets, named Beatriz, Daphne, and Sophronia, were raised to do just one thing: Destroy kingdoms. They were betrothed to nobles of three separate countries when they were infants by their mother, Empress Margaraux, to bring them all under her own rule through warfare. The girls are all highly trained in flattery, subterfuge, and weaponry, perfectly honed tools for their Mother to wield as she will. With their marriages upcoming, the Empress` plan is finally coming together perfectly, and nothing will get in the way of her getting what she wants: Everything.
What I Expected: A high-fantasy spy thriller, told entirely from the perspective of the villain.
What I Got: An incredibly dark, tragic tale of family, loss, and betrayal
What I Loved: As someone with a weakness for villains and anti-heroes, a book that follows an entire family of them is directly up my alley. The three triplets are literally born to kill, charm, and destroy their enemies, all in service of bringing more power to their Mother, and their country. As such, there is not a single true hero to be found in this entire book, making you instantly mistrust every single character you meet. This high volume of morally grey characters certainly makes for a veritable roller-coaster of a read, as you never know what they may choose to do next, or what destruction their choices may cause. Here, we find a book about the destructive nature of love, and how the people closest to us, are the ones most capable of destroying us in the end…
What To Watch Out For When Reading: Brief non-graphic nudity, Sexual language, Sexual Harassment, References to pedophilia and rape, Self-Harm, Blood, Religious persecution and trauma, Execution by burning and guillotine, Suicide, Homophobia, General violence, Main character death.
…And with with that, all, we reach the end of our Book Report for today! Now, wed love to know: Have you read this book for yourself? If so, what did you think?Is this the kind of book youd read for yourself? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, and well be back again in two weeks, for another installment!
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