These Books Among Us

If you're a writer , you have probably heard the phrase, "sometimes you have to kill your darlings." I know the first time I heard that, I was confused to all kinds of new levels. In my head, I was asking, so I have to kill off my main characters in order to have a good book?  i can assure you, that is not necessarily what is meant by this phrase. Most commonly, this can refer to one of two things: killing a beloved character of having to if one of your favorite words, sentences, paragraphs, scenes, orchards from what you are writing. The main question here is how do you know when it is the right time to "kill your darlings" and to that there is no one answer, but I will try to explore when you may be seeing the signs throughout this post. Let's start with killing a character off. Many authors use this as a plot device to either move the story along or to see how their main characters will react to said death. It's a form of test, if you ...

Hello everyone! I am back with a new post! Woo! So this week, I want to focus on the horror novel. This is one of my favorite genres, when done right, but it is also one of the most difficult to pull off. I am going to be attempting to answer why that is. What makes a horror novel truly frightening? Is there a standard to which these novels must be held to to remain scary? Is there a reason reading some older novels are more frightening than the ones written today? Is this true for the opposite as well? What kinds of societal issues are drawn from for the authors? All of these questions are valid and quite complex, so I may not be able to get to each one as fully as I would like to, but I will definitely make an attempt. (I will also be looking at other media as well, namely film, television, and possibly video games, though I do not have as much exposure to that as the other media outlets.) Okay, so why is this genre so difficult to pull off? I have attempted (and failed)...

Hello Everyone! Nice to see you again! As I told you in the last post, I am changing this blog up a little. Instead of doing book reviews, I am going to be attempting to do some more “intellectual” posts dealing with themes that I can then transition onto the books I am reading or have read. There will also be some recommendations on the genre I am talking about in the post and some possible topics that you can come up with your own answers for in the comments! So, without further ado, here’s the first post. So let’s talk about King Arthur. I know, I know. Why talk about some legends that don’t tie into anything I like to read? How can this tie into young adult novels? I am glad you asked. I am going to explain my theories to you right now in this, probably, long winded post! Okay, we all know the legends of King Arthur. A man, who is chosen by his lineage, draws a sword from the stone, becomes king, gets betrayed by his best friend and his wife, then being possibly ki...

Hello there everyone! Long time no talk! I have been super busy with graduating college, trying to find a job, and just life in general that I haven't updated this in about six months! Oh no! I am going to try to get back into it, hopefully making posts every Tuesday. I will also start posting links to my YouTube videos, which I will also be updating, every Thursday, so be on the lookout for those. Did you notice the new theme? I like this one just a  bit better. There are going to be more pages and ways for you to interact on here as well. I also posted a new way for you to follow the blog. Just be sure to hit the Subscribe button on the top of the page and you will be notified when I make a new post! I am really excited to be starting this up again. It is going to (hopefully) help me stay focused in my reading and writing that I want to get done. Now onto some more updates. I am currently in the midst of writing my second book. It will not be the sequel to the ...

Hey, y'all, So sorry I haven't been updating lately, it's been crazy hectic, but remember when I said I would be making a YouTube channel? Well. I did it!! My first video is up, and I posted the link on here! Check it out and let me know what you think!! https://youtu.be/LgcY1mpg8ek XO Dana

Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Kieth (112 [ages) My Rating: 3 Stars Date Read: 5 January 2017 Synopsis: It is the most feared house in all of Gotham. It contains the worst that the city has to offer. It is the place where the Dark Knight's most dangerous and psychotic foes call home. Writer / artist Sam Kieth, the creator of THE MAXX, invites you to spend 24 hours in the most haunted house in the DC Universe, Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane in this original Batman graphic novel. My Review:  While I enjoyed this comic, it was not as good as the others I have read recently. This one focuses more on the fact that these villains are cruel with not much reasoning behind their actions. They torment the staff because it is fun and they get off on it. The story itself was weak to me, but it was still entertaining for what it was. Like I said, it was not my favorite, so I don't have much to say about it.

Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (216 pages) My Rating: 4.5 Stars Date Read: 5 January 2017 Synopsis: In this groundbreaking, painted graphic novel, the inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over Gotham's detention center for the criminally insane on April Fools Day, demanding Batman in exchange for their hostages. Accepting their demented challenge, Batman is forced to live and endure the personal hells of the Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Two-Face and many other sworn enemies in order to save the innocents and retake the prison. During his run through this absurd gauntlet, the Dark Knight's own sanity is placed in jeopardy. This special anniversary edition trade paperback also reproduces the original script with annotations by Morrison and editor Karen Berger. My Review: I have not read too many of the DC Comics, but this one was really good. Batman is one of the few DC heroes that I like, so it was cool to see this side of him through the J...

The Killing Joke by  (50 pages) My Rating: 4 Stars Date Read: 5 January 2017 Synopsis: For the first time the Joker's origin is revealed in this tale of insanity and human perseverance. Looking to prove that any man can be pushed past his breaking point and go mad, the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. After shooting and permanently paralyzing his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl), the Joker kidnaps the commissioner and attacks his mind in hopes of breaking the man. But refusing to give up, Gordon maintains his sanity with the help of Batman in an effort to beset the madman. My Review I really enjoyed reading this comic. We get the Joker's origin story. He was in a robbery gone wrong and fell into acid because his wife and unborn child died in an electrical fire accident right before the robbery. He was poor, down on his luck, trying to get a job as a comic, and needed some money fast to keep them from losing their apartment. He started off...

Annihilation: Conquest Book One Kieth Giffen (272 pages) My Rating: 3.5 Stars Date Read: 5 January 2017 Synopsis: The next sci-fi epic blasts-off here! In the grim aftermath of the Annihilation War, a devastated universe struggles to rebuild. Gripped by fear and paranoia, civilizations have collapsed and entire worlds are now smoking ruins. What is next for the battle weary heroes known as Nova, Peter Quill and Quasar? What are Ronan's plans for the once-mighty Kree Empire? Which cosmic characters of the past are about to return? Who is the new hero approaching on the horizon? And what is the new threat that no one suspects? Collecting: Annihilation: Conquest Prologue, Annihilation: Conquest: Quasar 1-4, Annihilation: Conquest: Starlord 1-4, Annihilation Saga My Review These guys can't catch a break, can they? So, plot summary: Sentinals are destroying the Kree empire. Starlord (aka Peter Quill), Heather (aka Moondragon, Drax's daughter) and Quasar (aka Ph...

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher (260 pages) My Rating: 5 Stars Date Read: 4 January 2017 Synopsis: The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher’s intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie. When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a (sort-of) regular teenager. With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic ro...

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis (376 pages) My Rating: 4.5 Stars Date Read: 30 December 2016 Synopsis: Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum. When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own pas...

Heartless by Marissa Meyer (456 pages) Date Read: 29 December 2016 My Rating: 3.5 Stars Synopsis: Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Long before she was the terror of Wonderland, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen. Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, ma...

Annihilation Book Three by Keith Giffen (304 pages) Date Read: 27  December 2016 My Rating: 4 Stars Synopsis: The epic collection of the cosmic event concludes! One empire has fallen. Two heroes are dead. It all comes together here! Individually, the Silver Surfer, Super-Skrull, Ronan and Nova have faced down the Annihilation Wave...and lost! Now, they must unite those who remain or die by Annihilus' hand! The Annihilation has only begun! Plus: Get caught up on all of the players in the Annihilation event - Annihilus, Nova, Ronan, the Silver Surfer, the Super-Skrull, Thanos and more - courtesy of the Xandarian Worldmind files of the Nova Corps! Collecting: A nnihilation 1-6, Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus 1-2, Annihilation: The Nova Corps Files My Review Again, this review will probably be quite short because I have already stated a lot of my thoughts on these characters. I really enjoyed what they did what this series. The story line was well thought out, thou...

Hello All!! Long time, no update! I have decided that I am going to do an update at the end of each month instead of a weekly one, as you can see. Some changes are coming to the blog soon! I will be starting to make video reviews more instead of only doing text reviews. I will be starting making them this weekend and doing about one per week. I will mainly be doing reviews, but I may throw in some other book or Disney related videos into the vlog! I will post them on my Youtube channel: dsbookie as well as a link on here in a post of its own. Okay, so onto what has been happening this month! I have been reading quite a bit, I got a total of eight books done!! A great start to the year, if you ask me! I am trying to read about six or seven books next month as well, which I will post a list of the books I am planning on reading at the end of this update! Movie wise, I have been watching a lot of documentaries, so if you know of any that were interesting or you think I should watc...

Annihilation Book Two by Keith Giffen (320 pages) Date Read: 27 December 2016 My Rating: 4.5 Stars Synopsis: The epic collection of the cosmic event continues, as the the Annihilation Wave targets Galactus' ex-heralds! Hunted by beings every bit as powerful as himself, the Silver Surfer must find a way to unite the one-time heralds against a common foe. But can even the united cosmic might of those who served Galactus stand against these powerful beings!? Meanwhile, no longer recognized as "Accuser," Ronan himself has been accused, tried and stripped of his rank. Now, he's out to clear his name! And finally, from one of the writers of ABC's smash hit Lost comes a new vision of a venerable villain as Super-Skrull brings his devious cunning to bear on an unstoppable enemy! Super-Skrull bursts into the frontline of the war against the Annihilation Wave, taking the fight to the enemy in his own ruthless way! Collecting: Silver Surfer 1-4, Super Skrull 1-4,...

Annihilation Book One by Dan Abnett (256 pages) Date Read: 27 December 2016 My Rating: 4.5 Stars Synopsis: The Annihilation Wave has come! Annihilus, lord of the Negative Zone, has declared war! Hordes of loyal soldiers swarm from the center of the universe, and only a handful of heroes can resist destruction! As the Xandarian Nova Corps meets its doom, only Richard Rider - the man called Nova - survives. Drax the Destroyer returns from exile on Earth to mentor Nova - but wait until you see his dangerous new persona! Guest-starring Quasar, Ronan the Accuser, the Super-Skrull and Thanos! Collecting: Annihilation Prologue, Annihilation: Nova 1-4 My Review: So this was my first time being introduced to some of these characters, others, such as Drax, Ronan, Thanos and Gamora I was a bit more familiar with, but only their basic story lines from Guardians of the Galaxy. My dad gave me these three books to borrow and read because I had told him I wanted to read more graphic ...

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan (297 pages) My Rating: 3 Stars Date Read: 23 December 2016 Synopsis: Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead. But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized. With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet. My Review: Okay, so in this review, there will be some pretty general spoilers in the charact...

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver (357 pages) My Rating: 5 Stars Date Read: 22 December 2016 Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident. Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late. In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other. My Review: I am not sure why I keep being surprised at how good books are, especially since I have read some of these authors before! This book is no dif...

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas (337 pages) My Rating: 3.5 Stars Date Read: 19 December 2016 Synopsis: Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after. One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale. Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept. As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her ki...

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye (408 pages) My Rating: 4 Stars Date Read: 18 December 2016 Synopsis: Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side. And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death. Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has? For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with...