Category: Book Review

Book Review

Book Review: The Rosie Project

Tiffany Renee Harmon

As I’ve stated before, I don’t typically gravitate towards romance. However, I read The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion for one of my book clubs and it was a very fun read.

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This book centers around a professor named Don Tillman who has decided that he is ready to find a wife. He is quite awkward socially since he is on the autism spectrum, and he creates very specific criteria for his ideal mate and systematically tries to find her. However, he finds himself falling for someone whimsical who doesn’t meet his criteria, and she challenges him in ways he didn’t even know he needed to be challenged.

This was an adorable romance with other fun subplots. Don is an interesting, quirky main character (kind of like Sheldon Cooper on the TV show The Big Bang Theory). Although it was an adjustment to read in his character’s perspective, the character does come across as endearing. The character of Rosie is also a perfect foil for Don, and watching their relationship progress was a lot of fun.

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who loves both romance and psychology or genetics (both of those topics play a large role in the plot and are detailed well). This was a strong debut novel, although I was disappointed in the sequel The Rosie Effect. To me, this was a perfect stand-alone.

Book Review

Book Review: A Monster Calls

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I don’t read a ton of teen fiction, but the book A Monster Calls was recommended to me, and I’m so glad that I gave it a try. This book was written by Patrick Ness, but the original idea came from Siobhan Dowd, who unfortunately died before she could write the novel.

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This book is about a young boy named Conor who is struggling with understanding and coming to terms with his mother’s illness. He is visited by a tree-like monster who demands that Conor tell him the truth. The writing style is hauntingly beautiful and feels almost like a parable or fairy tale. There is a timeless quality as it deals with universal emotion.

A Monster Calls is such a quick read, and I think it would be great for a high school English class. It deals with heavy themes like illness, divorce, death, and bullying. However, it is written in a very accessible and respectful way. There were no vulgar moments that I think might give parents pause. It is definitely age appropriate in my opinion.

I don’t often enjoy movies that are based on books, especially if I loved the book, but I do think that I’d like to see this movie. I think that there could have been more description in the book, and I’d be excited to see how it plays out visually on screen. Overall, I think this was a great book that both teens and adults will be able to relate to. Definitely, give this one a try if you don’t mind crying a bit.

Book Review

Book Review: Me Before You

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I don’t typically read romance. There’s just something that feels too artificial in a lot of books where romance is the main point. Still, I like romance as a sub-plot if it is done well, and I was very impressed by the book Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.

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This book centers around the main character Louisa Clark who finds employment taking care of a quadriplegic man. Throughout the book, Louisa not only falls in love but discovers a lot about herself. She is challenged in many aspects of her life, and she grows a lot throughout the course of the book. I found her to be a very engaging character, and I think a lot of readers will be able to identify with parts of her character.

I do not want to give away too much of the plot, but I will say that I thought the ending was very well done. It made me feel many complicated emotions. I won’t say more because anticipating the ending was one of the best parts of this book reading experience.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this one to anyone who wants romance with much character development. It was a very fast read, and I can see it doing very well in a book club because there is a lot to discuss at the end (again, I don’t feel I can say more without giving important things away).

Book Review

Review: The $12 Million Stuffed Shark

Tiffany Renee Harmon

I love going to art galleries and museums, but sometimes I do feel truly baffled by some contemporary art. However, when my best friend found this book and suggested I give it a read, I found that it started to make a bit more sense. I think art lovers and those still on the fence will both enjoy The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art by Don Thompson. 

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There was something really mesmerizing about this book. I think it was just fascinating to learn more about the business side of art which deals with people who are able to spend more on a piece of art than I will probably earn in my entire life. The book deals a lot with the difference of cost and worth and shows how marketing and jealousy can really work to a an artist’s advantage when selling art.

I can’t say that I will enjoy contemporary art more after reading this book, but I do have more of an understanding and appreciation for it on the whole.

 

Book Review

Book Review: The Ruins

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Every once in a while, I get on a kick where I just want to read and watch horror movies. There’s something exciting about being  scared sometimes, especially when you know you’re really safe on your couch. One horror novel that I really enjoyed recently was The Ruins by Scott B. Smith.

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The general plot of this book is that a group of travelers who are exploring the Mexican jungle find themselves at the mercy of some very dangerous ancient plants. I don’t want to give too much else away about the plot in order to avoid spoilers, but I definitely enjoyed trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

I can’t say that any of the characters really stood out to me. This one is definitely more focused on plot than character, but it was still a really exciting read, and it moved very quickly. The atmosphere is consistently creepy and the plot is not as predictable as many horror novels. I also really loved the setting of the Mexican jungle. It was exotic and much different than a lot of horror novel settings which rely heavily on cliches.

I haven’t read any other books by Scott B. Smith, but I’d definitely love to read another one to see if it is just as good as this one. Also, for those who may have seen the movie based on this book, I can assure you that the book is MUCH better!

Book Review

Book Review: A Discovery of Witches

Tiffany Renee Harmon

It’s very rare that I reread books. I just find that there are so many things I want to read that I often don’t make time to reread something. There are definitely exceptions to this like with the Harry Potter series which always helps me to relax and find an escape, but for the most part, I don’t often make time to reread things.

Another exception is the book A Discover of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I believe I have read this wonderful work of fantasy three times now, and I feel like something new stands out each time.

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This book is essentially about a powerful witch who falls in love with a vampire. It’s sometimes marketed as a grown-up version of Twilight, which I suppose is fair in some ways, but I think that this book is so much more than a love story. Diana, the witch and main character, is a really interesting character and she grows a lot throughout the book and the trilogy. She is complicated because she seems to be simultaneously strong-willed and unsure of herself. She has very relatable fears and hopes. And while the love story is interesting, I find her discovery of herself and the journey of her coming to terms with herself to be an even more gripping aspect of the book.

While this is fantasy and has an amazing amount of world-building, I am so impressed at the other things contained in this book: vast descriptions of history and science (especially when it comes to genetics). This is a well-researched book that shows off Harkness’ prowess as a historian as well as her great imagination.

At 579 pages, it is quite long for a novel (although most fantasy novels do tend to be longer generally). There is a lot of description and the pace is quite slow. These are things that don’t bother me, but I think it is fair to mention them since I’m sure they will deter some readers. Overall, however, I think that it will be worth your time if you’re interested in the subject matter and want a character-driven magical realism book. Also, if you adore history, you’ll want to definitely continue on to the second book of the series Shadow of Night, which I thought was even better than this first installment.

Book Review

Book Review: Creating Magic

Tiffany Renee Harmon

Have you ever been to a theme park run by Disney? If so, it was probably a pretty magical experience. I remember going to Disney World when I was seven and being just enamored by everything, and I’d love to go back some day.

Disney has thrived as a company for a very long time, and so I was intrigued when I saw a book called Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a  Life at Disney. This book was written by Lee Cockerell, a former executive at Disney, and it is an astounding read for anyone who works in a leadership position.

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This book contained some of the most practical advice about leadership that I’ve ever read. It was incredibly inspiring, and it helped me to feel a little better about my own situation because it helped to renew my focus of providing the best version of myself for my coworkers and customers. Work places are incredibly varied, but I believe that this book has a little something for everyone. It does contain some Disney-specific anecdotes, but there are many principles that can apply to anyone who leads any number of people in any context. I believe that even leaders in non-customer service-oriented industries can benefit from this book because it focuses so much on communication and employee treatment.

I appreciated how quick of a read this was. It didn’t get bogged down by jargon. Instead, it was very accessible and fast-paced. I also just really loved that the focus was people, customers, communication, and employee satisfaction instead of just the bottom line of profit. The book explains why top-down management just doesn’t work anymore, and it provides some excellent alternatives. I am not in management, but I do train people, so I still found that this book was very helpful even if I was not it’s target audience. If you have any sort of leadership role in your work and you’re feeling a bit flustered or stuck, I would definitely encourage you to read this book.

 

Book Review

Best Books of 2016!

Tiffany Renee Harmon

To be completely honest, I felt like I didn’t read as many masterpieces in 2016 as I have in previous years. I had several readings slumps where I just didn’t like anything, but some gems did still appear! Here are the top 7 books I read in 2016:

1. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

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This contemporary fiction novel follows the lives of four siblings who have to restructure their lives after the nest egg that they were expecting is suddenly threatened. Read my full review here!

2. Peach Pies & Alibis by Ellery Adams

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This is the second book in this cozy mystery series which centers around a witch who bakes magical goodies. It’s a fun bit of fluff that I found more engrossing than the average cozy mystery.

3. Love Your Enemies by Sharon Salzberg

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I’m sure we all have that one person in life who grates our nerves. This self-help nonfiction book helped me change my perspective and find compassion instead of irritation.

4. The White Magic Five and Dime by Steve Hockensmith

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This was a great mystery about a tarot-card reading con artist who has to solve her mother’s murder while considering whether or not she’s making the right choices in life.

5. Girl Online by Zoe Sugg

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This was such a fun bit of YA fiction. It centers around an anxiety-ridden blogger whose worst fears are realized when her online persona becomes public.

6. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

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I know I’m late to the party on this one, but I love it. This one is historical fiction about a family in Afghanistan. It was heartbreaking but beautiful.

7. Murphy’s Law by Rhys Bowen

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I really enjoyed this book that launched a historical cozy mystery series about an Irish immigrant. I appreciated that, while still cozy in tone, the series has been dealing with a few darker issues. I’ve only read the first three books so far, but I’m very curious to see where everything is headed.

I’m very excited for 2017! I have a lot of reading and writing goals, and I hope I’m able to share some great content with all of you. Have a lovely rest of your 2016!

Book Review

Review: Stars of Fortune

Tiffany Renee Harmon

With the holiday season, I have been wanting lighter things to read. The other day, I picked up a book at the library mostly because it had a beautiful cover: Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts.

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Before this book, I had never read a book by Nora Roberts except for two of her In Death series, which she writes under the pseudonym J.D. Robb. I was a bit afraid that this book would be a bit too frothy and romantic for me, but it ended up being just what I needed to chill out and relax.

This book is hard to describe because it crosses so many genres. I think it’s apt to call is a contemporary magical realism romance. There are fantasy elements, but it takes place in our current world. There is also quite a bit of romance, but I thought it was offset nicely with the plot. I certainly don’t mine romance, but I dislike when it is the primary plot and there is little else in the story. Thankfully, this one had an exciting fantastical plot and a traditional quest often found in fantasy and magical realism. Also, while this was definitely plot-heavy rather than character-focused, I did find myself really liking the character of Sasha. I felt like I could see my own insecurities in her, and I was definitely rooting for her.

In this story, 6 strangers band together to find 3 mystical stars that have fallen in order to keep them out of the hands of a dark fairy who wants to destroy the moon. As you may have guessed from that sentence, this book does require more suspension of disbelief than most that I recommend on this blog. If you love intricate character development and detailed world-building, this probably isn’t the book for you. It’s imaginative and fun but it is very fluffy and a bit shallow. Still, I really enjoyed it and I’m excited to read more of Nora Robert’s works when I’m looking for pure escapism. I think I’ve found a new guilty pleasure!

Book Review

Why do YOU Read?

Tiffany Renee Harmon

As a creative writing MFA student, I feel like I hear a lot of people tell me why they read. I’ve always been fascinated with this because I sometimes feel like an outsider when this question comes up. I love exploring the human condition and learning something new, but really the main reason that I read is pure escapism!

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Credit: Creative Commons 

Academic crowds don’t seem to value escapism very much, and I’ve been told several times that this is a very shallow reason. But it’s still my honest reason. I read so that I can have a break from my life. I have a great life, and I know I should appreciate it more, but I also have a lot of anxiety and occasional depression. Books help me leave this behind, at least temporarily. If that’s shallow, then I guess I should just embrace being shallow.

I bring this up because I’m curious if it will get a response – why do you read? Are you part of academic circles or commercial circles or both? Are there specific genres you always read or do you read a variety of things?

My life at the library is a lot different than my life in academia. I work in a public library, and I see all sorts of people – those who love literary fiction or academic subjects, those who only read for escapism, and those who really prefer not to read at all and would rather get DVDs. I think that all of these things are okay – I don’t like passing judgement regarding how people are entertained or spend their free time. But I’m still curious – why do you read?