Tag: you bring the distant near

The Twenty Questions Book Tag

Grace10 Comments

I have a lot of opinions about books. I like writing my opinions about books. Therefore, I was delighted to be tagged by Beth at Reading Every Night to do the Twenty Questions Book Tag. Here are twenty of my opinions on everything from love triangles to cover type.

How many books are too many books in a book series?

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Some stories have expansive worlds, a gigantic, multi-faceted storyline, and many characters. Fantasies such as The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and Eragon by Christopher Paolini seem like they are made to be a series.

And then there are authors who just need to learn that sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.

In general, I think two to four books is a good amount for a series, with just a few exceptions.

How do you feel about cliffhangers?

It’s sort of a love-hate relationship. I like it when I can go read the next book in the series right away. I love it in serial stories. I really don’t like it in a series when the next book isn’t going to be published for a long time. I abhor it in a standalone. Why would anyone put a cliffhanger in a standalone?  

Hardback or paperback?

Hardbacks are usually beautiful and durable, but paperbacks are easier to read, and not as expensive. I always buy paperbacks if it’s a book I haven’t read before, and I’ll sometimes get hardcovers of old favorites or books I want to keep for a long time or intend to lend to other people.

Favourite book?

Image result for you bring the distant near

Short answer: You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins.

Long Anser: One? Did you mean to ask what my favorite books are? Here’s my top 27: here and here’s my top 5: here.  

Least favourite book?

I don’t really have a least favorite book. I would have to vehemently disagree with something the book praises and really dislike the writing to call a book my “least favorite.” As for now, we’ll just say I don’t have one.

Love triangles, yes or no?

My thoughts on love triangles, in a triangle for maximum effect: 

no

NoNoNoNoNo

NONONONONONONONONONO

I don’t like love triangles. Unless they are necessary element in the character arc, they seem to detract from overall character development and provide unnecessary complication and drama to a book that otherwise might have potential. 

The most recent book you just couldn’t finish?

I don’t remember. I’m a pretty fast reader, so even if I’m not completely immersed in the story, it isn’t too much of an investment to finish it. If I think I don’t like it, I just skim ahead.

A book you’re currently reading?

Ooh. This book is fascinating. It’s called The End of Epidemics and it’s about how epidemics start, spread explosively, and what we can do to stop them. It’s not so scientific as to bog a reader down, and it’s actually quite interesting.

Last book you recommended to someone?

Romanov by Nadine Brandes. This book was amazing, and I think it will appeal to a lot of different readers because of the historical elements and the fantasy elements.

Oldest book you’ve read?

The oldest fiction I’ve read was maybe the Odyssey by Homer? People don’t agree on exactly when it was written. Some say it was passed down for a long time as a spoken story as it was written. The general consensus seems to be that it was probably written somewhere between the 8th and 10th century BC.

Newest book you’ve read?

Romanov by Nadine Brandes is coming out on May 7, 2019. I’m so excited to see what people think of it! I liked it even better than Fawkes, and the Russian revolution is a fascinating time period, to start with.

Favourite author?

Hmm… I’ll refer you to my list under ‘favorite books’ again and then just say Mitali Perkins, author of You Bring the Distant Near, and Andrew Peterson, author of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness.

Buying books or borrowing books?

I get most of my books from the library. You can actually get a new book from the library quite quickly if you get on the hold list fast enough, in my experience. If I’ve read a book and really like it, I’ll buy it to have and reread. Or if there is a really good sale on books, sometimes I’ll buy one.

A book you dislike that everyone else seems to love?

Image result for the selection

I didn’t like The Selection by Kiera Cass. I know that’s an unpopular opinion (that’s why it’s in this section), but I felt like the story was too predictable and cheesy, and I didn’t really like Kiera Cass’s writing style. It just felt cliché and overly dramatic. Also, there was a love triangle, and you probably remember my feelings on love triangles.

Bookmarks or dog-ears?

Bookmarks, all the way.  I get most of my books from the library, as I said before, and I don’t want to ruin my own books.

A book you can always re-read?

Image result for on the edge of the dark sea of darkness

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a great book to reread, as is You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins and On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson, as well as Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.

Can you read while hearing music?

I can. It’s easier if it’s music I’ve heard before, but even if it’s new, I can usually do both.

I’ve actually listened to an audiobook while reading before on several occasions. I don’t know how, but I remember most of both stories.

One POV or multiple POVs?

It really depends on the book. Some authors need the whole book to develop their story and their character, and one point of view works well for that. Some authors do a really good job at making their characters feel real even when they have a lot of characters.

I like multiple POVs when the author can distinguish and develop all her characters and especially when they all have unique voices. It’s also interesting to realize that every character can have their own unique story, whether or not it’s the one being told.

I like single POVs when the book already has a lot of details or characters to keep straight (no multiple POV fantasies for me, thank you very much) or when one character should really be the main focus.

Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?

It depends on the length. Most books I read in one sitting. I remember the book better that way, and the events make more sense and feel more timely. If it’s a long, detailed, or weighty book, or a book in verse, I’ll often read that over multiple sittings.

So, that was fun. Thanks, Beth, for tagging me!

I tag:

Also, I tag anyone who wants to do it! Just link back to whoever tagged you, answer the questions, and tag a few more bloggers.

“Most” Books of 2018

Grace21 Comments

These are some of the most outstanding, unique, anticipated, and in some cases disappointing books that I read in 2018. Not all of them were published this year.

Most Anticipated Prequel

Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: When the fairy Lucinda turns Evora, a young healer, into an ogre after she rejects her apprentice’s proposal of marriage, she has 62 days to accept another proposal or forever be an ogre. I found this book rather disappointing in the pacing and character development.  

Most Amusing Fantasy

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson: The three Igiby siblings evade the evil Fangs of Dang while they discover family secrets and search for a hidden treasure. This story is full of character, and is a funny and engaging story with an intriguing world.

Most Remarkable Historical Setting

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani: Nisha receives a diary on her 12th birthday and turns to writing to make sense of her world during the Partition of India in 1947.

Most Genres Mashed into a Historical-Fantasy-Regency-Spy-Mystery

Murder, Magic and What We Wore by Kelly Jones: Annis Whitworth can sew magical garments and uses her talent to leave her privileged lifestyle and open a dressmaking shop as a cover while she investigates her father’s suspicious death.

Most Potential

A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan: Kora must use her ability to sense gold to track down a thief who stole from the kingdom’s treasury in this tale full of pirates, thieves, danger, and gold. This book had a lot of potential, but was lacking in world-building and a good sense of time and place.

Most Powerful Voice

Audacity by Melanie Crowder: Clara Lemlich flees from Russia and begins working in a sweatshop where she is shocked by the horrific working conditions and leads other women in the fight against injustice. This book is written in verse, with powerful voice and a touching story.

Most Realistic Characters

You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins: This book follows three generations of Indian-American women and their struggles with culture, friendship, family, love, race, and identity.

Let’s Chat!

Have you read any of these books? What were some of your favorite (or least favorite) books this year?

Ten Favorite Book Characters

Grace9 Comments

As a reader, I think characters are one of the most important parts of a book. We care about the characters; we pick up the sequels to see what becomes of the characters. We love a strong, relatable character and leave a flat, annoying character. These ten characters are some of my favorite characters in fiction. They are often complex and flawed, they have problems and they try to find solutions, and they are interesting and unique.

Kira from Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry: Kira is crippled, and when her mother dies, she is at the mercy of the manipulative Council of Guardians in a town where the weak are killed or cast out. She is reserved, but not shy or complaining, and she is an intelligent and strong character who acknowledges her weaknesses and strives to be a light in her dark, fearful, trustless community. I think Kira is one of Lois Lowry’s most complex, interesting, layered, and relatable characters.

Levana from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a fascinating character. She thinks she is doing the right thing and deserves to be in charge, but really, she is a manipulative, frightening, power-hungry, and evil queen.  She is completely twisted and blinded, and in Levana Marissa Meyer has created a villain of the best sort.

Logan from the Swipe series by Evan Angler is a scaredy-cat with good reason. I appreciated seeing a character that developed over the course of the series, but didn’t get to the end of the story and have a completely new personality and be a perfect, outgoing, kind and wonderful person.

Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is renowned, and I probably don’t need to repeat why. I loved Scout because I can very much identify with her drive for justice and distaste for not knowing what’s going on or who is telling the truth.

Lucy from Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo has an unusual identity crisis. (I know, I know, all YA characters have an identity crisis and they all follow pretty much the same pattern. This doesn’t.) Lucy washed onto shore on an island in Scillies with amnesia and no memories, no backstory, and no family. She must discover who she is over the course of the story with the help of a kindly fisherman and his family.

Nisha from The Night Diaries: Nisha is a sweet,sensitive girl confused by the turmoil in her world. I enjoyed getting to know her in The Night Diaries.

Henry from 100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson: Henry is an unusual character. He is an eccentric and awkward boy, but he is also the typical adventure hero with energy, bravery, something to overcome, something to defeat, and a sidekick.

Sonia from You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins is a book-loving, cause-supporting, opinionated girl, and I wrote a post about her and the other characters in You Bring the Distant Near in this book review.

Chess from The Fog Diver is a daring, precocious character trying to survive on a makeshift raft as he dives down beneath the fog to salvage what is left of the world before his. He is perfectly suited for his setting, and was a very entertaining character.

 Charles Wallace from the A Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L’Engle: Charles Wallace is a brilliant, quiet boy who knows everyone and whom everyone thinks they know. He is the best kind of character: one who is flawed and sometimes wrong, yet ultimately comes to realize and acknowledge that fact and find a way to overcome their obstacles.

Let’s chat!

Who are some of your favorite characters? Do you prefer plot-driven or character-driven stories? Have you read any of the books I mentioned?

Review: You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins

Grace4 Comments

Title: You Bring the Distant Near

Author: Mitali Perkins

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers

Summary

This book follows three generations of Indian-American women and their struggles with culture, friendship, family, love, race, and identity. It opens in 1965 when Ranee Das and her two daughters, Sonia and Tara, are moving to the United States where Mr. Das has found work. It follows the lives of Sonia and Tara as they adjust to a new culture and school, pursue their dreams, fall in love, and grieve over their father’s death. About halfway through, the book begins following the lives of Anna, Tara’s daughter, and Chantal, Sonia’s daughter.

Review

You Bring the Distant Near is certainly a character-driven book, but it is my no means uninteresting. Mitali Perkins does a wonderful job of crafting an interesting and inspiring story, of making us care about her characters and feel like we know them. She shows us her characters’ hopes, dreams, failures, and flaws; their greatest joys and their greatest struggles.

Tara has always wanted to act, but her mother expects her to marry or become an engineer or doctor, like a good Bengali girl. Anna, Tara’s daughter, just started attending her cousin’s school in America and struggles with feeling overshadowed by her cousin Chantal. Chantal comes alongside her cousin and makes her feel welcome in the school, even though she doesn’t share in Anna’s personal struggles.

Mitali Perkins gracefully and honestly addresses issues of race, prejudice, and relationships in You Bring the Distant Near. She acknowledges these important part of her characters’ stories and struggles, and represents her characters admirably.

You Bring the Distant Near is one of my favorite books, for the characters, the settings, the struggles, and the writing. It tells a story that many can enjoy, and also identify with. It has received awards and acknowledgements such as the ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults, Boston Globe Best Book of the Year, and South Asia Book Award. I would recommend this book to fans of Piecing Me Together, The Hate U Give, Salt to the Sea, and American Street, as well as  anyone who enjoys beautiful story full of character


Let’s chat!

Have you read You Bring the Distant Near? Do you prefer character-driven or plot-driven stories?

Meet the Blogger

Grace7 Comments

Hello! I’m Grace. I love books, writing, strange facts, art, and lists. On this blog, I’ll be posting book reviews, lists, and opinions.

My top five favorite fiction books are:

  1. You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins
  2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  3. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
  4. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
  5. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

I particularly like fiction, historical fiction, biographies, interesting nonfiction, and fantasy but I’ll try most things that catch my eye and sound interesting.

Character is very important to me in a book, but I love excellent plots, unique voices, well-placed descriptions, and masterful world-building.

My rating system for fiction is simple:

  • 1 star for character
  • 1 star for plot
  • 1 star for world-building
  • 1 star for voice
  • 1 star for overall excellent writing and solid voice

I’d love to learn more about you. Comment below and let me know you stopped by!

-Grace

Let’s chat! What kinds of posts would you like to see?