Three Dark Crowns has a fantastic premise: three sisters who must kill the others in order to become the queen, each with her own set of unique powers and interested king-consorts. Even before I began reading, I was excited. The plot promised drama, blood, romance, and darkness. Unfortunately, Three Dark Crowns fell short of my high …
Tag: books
HOLDING ONTO LOVE DURING TRYING TIMES: An Essay on “The Gift of Magi” by O. Henry
Love conquers all. In the short story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, Della and Jim live in abject poverty. Their lives are filled with bleak days in which their small sums of money come merely from making crude deals. Della and Jim show much love for one another, but as Christmas arrives …
LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN: Foundation by Isaac Asimov
For a few weeks, I was in a bit of a reading slump. A busy schedule had kept me from doing too much reading, but even in the small pockets of down time that I did have, I felt bored, unproductive, and restless. I was itching for action and a source of adrenaline. When I read Foundation, …
LIKE WATCHING PAINT DRY: 1984 by George Orwell
I have been meaning to read 1984 for a while, so when summer rolled around and I finally had the time to do so, I was excited and ready to dive in. The beginning of the book quickly had me hooked. 1984’s dystopian future is fascinating and unique, presenting concepts that are both thrilling to …
GIVE NON-FICTION A CHANCE: Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
If I’m honest, I don’t often enjoy nonfiction books — including biographies, memoirs, and the like. They often feel uneventful and bland in comparison to the vibrant, drama-ridden novels towards which I typically gravitate. For this reason, I had a difficult time getting myself to pick up Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!, even after my dad’s …
THE VALUE OF PRESERVING SIMPLICITY: An Essay on The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
Less is more. In the science fiction novel The Eye of Minds by James Dashner, the author’s attempts to add more detail to Michael’s journey only lead to the disinterest of the reader. Michael is on a mission like no other; he must defeat and stop the greatest hacker of the VirtNet, and along the way, …