A few months ago, I talked about a plan to read a book every month, and then proceed to review each book in the form of a vlog. I kept up with it! Since August, I've read and reviewed four books, having just received the fifth in the mail today (con to buying books for the love of books: you end up with a teetering stack of them on your bedside table). The experience so far has been really great. Over time, my 'vlogging skills' have gotten much better (you can tell). With my internship doing video production, the video editing bit I think has improved. I have gotten back to my bookworm-y self as well (virtual high fives anyone?)
Basically, I am very excited to share what I have done so far. So for this post, I will be providing mini-reviews of each book I read in their written and vlog forms.
Book 1: Paper Towns. Paper Towns is a young adult fiction novel written by John Green. The story follows high school senior, Quentin, better known as Q by his friends, and the mysterious Margo Roth Spiegelman. Q's life, in a word, is boring. He has a routine, he knows what he will be up to next; nothing out of the ordinary is really 'penciled in' to his schedule. Margo, however, is iconic. She's popular, goes off to who-knows-where days at a time just for the heck of it, and is basically a plot twist waiting to spring any moment. After Margo and Q go on a little adventure, Q learns that Margo's identity as a person is totally obscured from reality. This is a great book, quite witty on all accounts. The plot keeps the reader engrossed throughout, as it has a vibe of mystery.
Book 2: The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an American classic. The story itself takes place in the early days of settlements in the New World in the town of Salem (right by Boston). Big thing to know: religion plays a huge role in how the people in the town make their choices and how the laws were, at the time, written. A woman, by the name of Hester Prynne, commits the crime of adultery, and is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' on her breast forever. Background on Hester: she was once married. However, when her husband was crossing the sea from England to the New World, he disappeared, presumed dead. A new man comes into town when Hester receives her punishment, and is intent on finding the man Hester slept with. A lot of schools require this book in language arts courses. I will admit, there is a lot more depth in this book than I had anticipated. The language can get cumbersome for the younger, more modern mind, but this is book worthy of attention.
Can you tell I had too much fun with thumbnails?
Book 3: The End Games. The End Games is a zombie novel written by T. Michael Martin. The zombie apocalypse has taken over the world from what brothers Patrick (five years old) and Michael (seventeen years old) have seen. Ever since Halloween, they have been running. They receive instructions from the Game Master, and find themselves part of The Game. If they follow the rules, they can get to the Safe Zone, but when they come across other survivors, the rules begin to change. This is the first zombie novel I have ever read, and it was amazing. It was totally plottwist-y. Right when you were sure you knew where the story was going BAM--the story veers into a totally unprecedented direction. Great suspense from beginning to end, more than just gore, and a pretty great start to T. Michael Martin's career as an author (should he continue to write books).
Book 4: The Fault in our Stars. The Fault in our Stars is the most recent book by John Green. We are introduced to sixteen year old Hazel Lancaster, a girl diagnosed with terminal cancer. At the age of thirteen was when she was first diagnosed, but a miracle drug extended her life a bit. Hazel carries around an oxygen tank 24/7 to keep her lungs going, and stays home a lot. This is primarily because she does not go to regular school, due to cancer, and tends to keep to herself...also because of the cancer. Her mother has her attend a Cancer Support group every week, and it is at one of these meetings that we meet Augustus Waters, the boy that will change her life forever. I thought this book was beautiful, on the grounds that it was funny, but tragic, totally satisfying, but leaving the reader hungry for more. It is an impressive story, philosophical, witty, heart-wrenching, entirely bittersweet and perfect in every way. Read it.
The video embed isn't working too well, so click here to see the Book Review for The Fault in our Stars.
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