Book Review – LunaLuminous

Wrong Place Wrong Time – A Time Travel Masterpiece: Book Review

Book: Wrong Place Wrong Time
Author: Gillian McAllister
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Time Travel, Romance Fiction
Pages: 370
Pace: Medium to Fast-Paced
Source:Amazon
Format: Paperback

Rating:

Synopsis:

A lawyer with a loving husband and a happy teenage son sounds like a picture-perfect family. But one autumn night past midnight, as she waits up for her son to come home she witnesses him kill a stranger. Why on earth would he do such a thing? She doesn’t know who this stranger is and why on earth her son killed him. All she knows is that her son is now in police custody and although she is a lawyer she has no idea how to help him. In despair, she falls asleep that night feeling helpless with a lot of questions swirling in her mind. But then when she wakes up it’s yesterday. And every day thereafter she takes a step into the past. Giving her a chance to find out what she has been missing all this time and the tiniest clue that will set things straight in the present. Anything that will prevent her son from becoming a murderer.

Book Review:

A time loop that never gets boring, a mystery that keeps you on the edge, and a romance that makes your heart melt. “Wrong Place Wrong Time,” by Gillian McAllister is everything I wanted in a time travel book. This book also dives deep into the joys, sorrows, and constant guilt of parenthood, but focuses more on the guilt a mother feels while raising her child. It revolves around a family that is light-hearted and deeply loving, but what lies beneath all of it is what Jen must find out as she travels to the past slowly uncovering and observing both strangers and her family. Throughout the book, McAllister has intelligently woven the mystery within her chosen timeline. Going backwards to stop a murder in the future is an interesting concept and McAllister wrote this story in a way that makes sense because she ensures that the significance of all the details she has mentioned form a connection to the puzzle pieces involved in this mystery.

Who Should Read This Book:

I loved reading this book!!! I was able to understand and empathize with the characters in this book, while being able to create my own theories on why Jen’s son murdered someone. If you enjoy mysteries, thrillers, and time travel books then this book is a must read for you. And a dash of good romance is always appreciated so that’s a bonus in this book.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below.

by Nav ♡

🎃A Spooky Read: The Ex Hex Book Review

Book: The Ex Hex
Author: Erin Sterling
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal Fiction
Length: 7 Hours
Pace: Fast-Paced
Source: Amazon
Format: Audiobook

Rating:

Review:

Hello readers!!

Plot:

What happens when you mix vodka with magic? A curse on your horrible ex-boyfriend. Nine years ago, a heartbroken witch, Vivienne Jones, cursed her ex boyfriend after he broke her heart. Of course she didn’t actually mean him any real harm, just a couple of bad hair days is all. Now when Rhys Penhallow, also a witch, has to return back to Graves Glen, Georgia, as a descendant of the town’s ancestors, everything goes wrong the moment he enters the town. When things get chaotic during the fall festival, Vivi realizes her silly Ex Hex may not be as harmless as she thought. To save Graves Glen from further chaos Vivi and Rhys must work together to undo the curse.

BOOK THOUGHTS:

“There’s no really good timing for this kind of thing, is there? Finding your person? It just kind of happens when it happens. Or so they say.” – Erin Sterling, The Ex Hex

Vivi and Rhys have charming chemistry throughout this novel. The back and forth bickering yet still being able to work as a team and finding each other irresistible all at the same time. This is an enemies to lovers and second chance romance trope. Probably more second chance than enemies to lovers but you get a bit of both of these tropes.

This book is perfect for spooky season! Or as Esther Fung said, this book is for, “girlies who love halloween but don’t want to be too scared to go pee at 3 am.” I’m glad I saw this book on Esther’s insta page and gave this book a chance. Listening to this book took me to a world similar to halloweentown, except this one was focused more on romance.

The supporting characters were memorable. Usually in romance books the main leads are the main focus and the rest of the characters blur into the background. However, the supporting characters in, “The Ex Hex,” were written really well by Erin Sterling. Vivi’s cousin and aunt, Rhys’s dad and brother, the cafe owner/employee, and the ghost were all well written in this book. Their roles were short but memorable.

I’m not the biggest fan of spice in books but this book had just the right amount. So if you like spice in books but not too much that it’s overbearing on the plot then you will like this book. The romance between Vivi and Rhys was nontoxic and their communication was quite cute.

“The Ex Hex,” is a fast-paced read or listen. I listened to this book at a speed of 1.5 to 1.75. I enjoyed listening to this book. it brought back feelings from the Halloweentown Movies, and I just loved the chemistry between Vivi and Rhys.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below.

by Nav ♡

Book Review: The Midnight Library

Book: The Midnight Library
Author: Matt Haig
Genre: Fantasy Fiction & Magical Realism
Pages: 288
Pace: Medium-Paced
Source: Amazon
Format: Paperback

Rating:

Review:

Hello readers!!

Plot:

TW: Suicide, Self-Harm

Nora is unhappy with her current state of life. A series of unfortunate events leads her to a point where she no longer wishes to live. Her attempt to end her life brings her to the midnight library. The midnight library is filled with books containing infinite possibilities and variations of how Nora’s life could have turned out. As she goes through these possibilities she learns more about the rewards and consequences of each decision she could have made. In search of a life of happiness, success, and satisfaction, will Nora find her best life?

BOOK THOUGHTS:

“Life is strange. How we live it all at once. In a straight line. But really that is not the whole picture. Because life isn’t simply made of the things we do, but the things we don’t do too. And every moment of our life is a … kind of a turning.”

The Main Character:

There were a lot of positive messages in this book along with some interesting insights about life and what it means to live a “good,” “meaningful,” or “fulfilling” life. Every decision we make, especially the small ones, leads us to the life we are living now, and if we wanted to change that course all we must do is make a different decision. However, there are consequences to these decisions as well. Nora doesn’t want to live because she is unhappy with her current state of life. Throughout the book, I felt like she was whining instead of working towards changing the course of her life. I had a difficult time relating to her and the circumstances she was in and I never once caught myself rooting for her happy ending.

Supporting Characters:

The supporting characters in this book were underdeveloped and there wasn’t much opportunity to understand the circumstances or complexities of the supporting characters. The character I was least annoyed with was Ash, but even with him, I felt as if the author did not provide enough dialogue or information for me to fall in love with this character or at least empathize with and like him a bit more.

Romance & Empathy:

The romance in this book felt non-existent. I know this isn’t romance fiction, but there was a love story in this book. I have always believed that most stories have a love story even if it might be playing in the background and is presented in a very subtle manner. The love story can act as a tool or strategy for the reader to fall in love with the characters or lead them to root for their happy ending. But in this book, love or emotional attachment seemed more like a statement than an emotion that is felt.

The Hype:

I went into this book with high expectations because the rating on Goodreads and Amazon were 4+ stars, however, I couldn’t quite understand how several readers were able to finish this book in the first place. Once I was halfway through this book I had a difficult time getting through this book. As I progressed through this book, I realized that it seems to be written for a certain event, a period where almost everyone was going through similar unfortunate events that lead them to question their life. “The Midnight Library,” by Matt Haig was published 2 years ago in August 2020, which was amid the pandemic. During the pandemic, many people were questioning their life choices and many came face to face with their mental health issues as well, therefore, this book would have been a great comfort during that period.

Is this book worth the read?

For me, it wasn’t worth the read. I enjoyed How to Stop Time by Matt Haig because he successfully depicted the journey through historic events of an immortal being and I had been able to empathize with the characters as well. The Midnight Library was too long and unnecessarily descriptive. I understood the intent of the story and there were some great life quotes as well, however, it wasn’t enough to keep me hooked throughout this book. Read this book if you want to explore the concept of how it would feel to live your various potential lives. But be ready for a lot of repetition. I think this book would have been a great healing read during the pandemic, but at this time I felt detached from the plot and the characters.

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below.

by Nav ♡

Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

Book: Where the Crawdads Sing
Author: Delia Owens
Genre: Historical Fiction, Murder Mystery, Romance
Pages: 400
Pace: Medium-Paced
Source: Amazon
Format: Kindle + Audiobook

Rating:

★★★ 3/5

Review:

Hello readers!!

Plot:

“Where the Crawdads Sing,” by Delia Owens is a murder mystery romance set in mid to late 1900s. Kya, also known as the marsh girl, was abandoned by her family. She learned how to survive in the marsh on her own and gradually found ways to become independent and financially secure. When one of her ex-lovers is found dead the evidence and circumstances lead to Kya becoming the prime suspect in the murder case. This is a story about surviving in nature at all costs.

TW: Domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, racism

BOOK THOUGHTS:

“I wasn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.”

“Where the Crawdads Sing,” is a book about surviving as an outsider. People don’t know much about Kya other than the fact she lives in the marsh. This leads to the formation of several unpleasant rumors about her, which adversely affect her life leading her to grow up in a lonely environment.

I gave this book three stars because it didn’t live up to the hype around it. My expectations were high when I started this book, and yet I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. The second half of the book was fast-paced but not as interesting as I had anticipated it to be. The courtroom drama felt “bland” and far too simple and easy. This could be because I usually read or watch a lot mysteries and courtroom dramas, therefore the mystery in this book did not appeal as much to me.

There were two Black American characters in this book, husband and wife, who were refered to as Jumpin and Mabel, respectively. Before I analyze anything I want you to know that my knowledge on Black American history is limited to a history course I took in University a couple years ago and any alternative research I may have done to self-educate myself. While reading (and listening) to this book what stood out to me was the way the Black American’s speach and dialogue differed from the rest of the characters in the book. I didn’t catch this as racisim right off the bat but it did make me feel quite uncomfortable and it made me question the reasoning behind it. I understand that the author may have wanted to represent the times while still having Kya as the main focus of this book, however, I wonder if it was necessary to portray these two characters in the manner Owens did. Was it necessary that they spoke differently from the rest of the characters? Was it necessary to keep these characters in the “shadows” eventhough Jumpin and Mabel’s roles were highly significant in this book? I could be reading into this more or less than I should be but I felt like it was important to mention the discomfort it caused me. If I missed something or misread something please let me know in the comments below.

My favorite characters:

Jumpin and Tate were my favorite characters in this book. Jumpin was a kind, supportive, and strong character. I admired how he helped Kya and had her back many times in this book knowing well how difficult it must have been for him to do so becuase of everything that was going on for Black Americans around 1950s and 1960s (I only mentioned these two decades because these are the two decades that were mentioned the most throughout the book). The book didn’t mention much about the segreation and what Jumpin and Mabel were going through during these times other than an instance where Kya defended Jumpin. Tate was really sweet and kind and I loved how he always suggested and adviced oppertunites to Kya that would make her more independant and successful in life. He was her number one fan. There were a couple of things that bothered me about him including the age gap between him and Kya when they became intimate with each other and how he left her as well. Overall, both of these characters looked out for Kya and supported her throughout the book.

Is this book worth the read?

It depends. It depends on the genre you enjoy reading, if you don’t read a lot of mystery then this could be a nice introduction and a way to ease you into it. If your curious about how Kya survives in the marsh and want to learn more about nature through her eyes you may find this to be an interesting read. However, I wouldn’t reccomend this book to readers who are familiar with mysteries and thrillers and typically enjoy reading books that keep you at the edge, because this book failed to do that for me. I liked the writing style of this book, but the flipping back and forth in time confused me a bit especially when I was listening to the book instead of reading it. This book may be worth the read for some readers but might be a waste of time for others. I would reccomend making the decision based on what genres you usually prefer to read.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Unworthy boys make a lot of noise.”
“If anyone would understand loneliness, the moon would.”
“Faces change with life’s toll, but eyes remain a window to what was…”
– Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below.

by Nav ♡

Book Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Book: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Genre: Magical Realism, Fantasy Fiction, Time Travel Fiction
Pages: 272
Pace: Slow Paced
Source: Amazon

Rating:

★★★★ 4.5/5

Review:

Hello readers!!

Plot:

A cafe in Tokyo with a magical and heartfelt history. There is a famous legend that if someone drinks the carefully brewed coffee at this cafe then they get a chance to travel back in time. The book is set during one summer season when four customers visit the cafe to travel back in time. However, there are some complicated rules that must be followed to travel back in time and these rules add some constraints as to what is possible during their visit to the past.

BOOK THOUGHTS:

“If you could go back, who would you want to meet.”

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a book about second chances. Not necessarily another chance to change the present or future, instead it’s a chance to get closure, a chance to move on, and a chance to say what was left unsaid. There are four chapters in this book where each chapter is dedicated to a particular customer and focused on a specific relationship that needs to be healed. This is a healing book. It’s about self-reflection and putting yourself in others’ shoes, along with overcoming misunderstandings.

To me, the key to this story was that one should never stay too long in the past, as it is important to know when it’s time to return to the present. The warmth of the coffee symbolizes the time we are allowed to stay in the past, and as the coffee cools down we know that it is time to return to the present and leave the past behind us. In real life, it might be difficult and near impossible to find a cafe where we can return to the past to meet a loved one and redo a conversation we had in the past. However, we can recreate the conversation in our mind and say the things we wanted to say at that time, and this third-person view of the conversation might give us a better understanding of what we need to do now. We may need to move on from a relationship, change our mindset, heal our broken hearts, or grieve our loved ones. Whatever the purpose is it is important to reflect on what was and how we can change our present to alter what will be for the best.

This book was slow-paced and even though it was such a short book it took me a long time to get through the book and process each relationship in this book. At first, I was expecting a lot of heartfelt quotes and meaningful dialogue. When I didn’t see that I got a bit disappointed and was unable to continue the book for some time. However, when I picked up the book again I realized that the meaning was in the relationships, the meaning was in the actions the characters took and the purpose and intention behind how they lived. There is a saying, “actions speak louder than words,” I was surprised to learn that even in a book action speaks louder than words.

Give this book a fair chance, because you never know what will actually connect with you and heal you.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“At the end of the day, whether one returns to the past or travels to the future, the present doesn’t change.”
“But Kazu still goes on believing that, no matter what diffculties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart.”
“I was so absorbed in the things that I couldn’t change, I forgot the most important thing.”
“With the coffee in front of her, she closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. it was her moment of happiness.”
“. . .as the future hasn’t happened yet, I guess that’s up to you. . .”
– Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, a novel

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below.

by Nav ❤

Book Review: How to Stop Time

Book: How to Stop Time
Author: Matt Haig
Genre: Romance fiction, Historical fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 325
Source: Amazon

Rating:

★★★★

Eternal Mind Review:

Hello readers!!

Plot:

The story revolves around Tom Hazard, a man that ages SUPER slowly and has an extremely long life span, but he’s not immortal. Throughout the book, we transition from the present day in Tom’s life to various times in the past from his point of view. Tom has lived through many centuries and has had the opportunity to interact with Shakespeare and F. Scot Fitzgerald. He is a member of an organization that protects him, but he must follow a few rules. The most important one is to NEVER fall in love. But that is exactly what Tom does, he falls in love.

BOOK THOUGHTS:

“How to Stop Time,” by Matt Haig uses the concept of time to explain human nature, and the way fear, anger, love, and other emotions can change our thought process which makes us react to life in a different manner. Haig also asks a lot of rhetorical questions throughout the book compelling the reader to reflect on these ideas that are repeatedly visited in the book.

Haig uses a lot of historical references throughout the book which makes the book more interesting to read. It was like reading about behind-the-scenes, getting a “real” glimpse of some well-known personalities, like Shakespeare. The witch hunt time period is repeatedly mentioned throughout the book, which was really sad and disturbing at times. But it was necessary to speak about the witch hunts in the way Haig did in this book. Also, it made me question if witch hunts have actually stopped or throughout the years humans have just been changing the description of witches. The fear of the “odd” person, a person we cannot relate to still seems to be present and it can lead humans to hunt and disturb those “odd” individuals. Looking into our fears is important so we can truly realize if there was ever a need for that fear in the first place. Living a life in fear is simply a life wasted.

During the 4th part of this book, Haig uses sound to describe the settings, time periods, and feelings of the characters. He described the 1920s as loud, noisy, roaring, but when he speaks about playing the piano and music in general he describes it as being, “a distant safe haven.” The thought of a safe haven makes me want to learn the piano again. Additionally, Haig uses the terms pattern and rhythm to describe how one lives life.

This book is perfect for people who enjoy reading a medium-paced book about the history and about life. This book had a lot of thoughtful quotes that make you reflect on your own life, and I really liked that. I gave this book 4 stars because it was an enjoyable book but the romance was a bit dull in this book. Since this is romance fiction I was hoping this book would have more romantic themes, but it didn’t. It was a very subtle romance, and because the author didn’t describe the relationship to the extent that would be necessary for romance fiction it made it difficult for me to root for the couple to be together. I honestly didn’t care for the couple. But don’t let this hold you back from reading this book, I still enjoyed this book a lot. I LOVE the quotes from this book. ❤❤❤ The book was very insightful and the themes of life and human nature were very well written.

Final Thoughts: Fear often holds us back and keeps us from living our life. Once we let go of our fears everything lightens up, the headaches vanish, and we finally start to live, live in the present. The present was once our future and will soon be our past. If we live in the present we can ensure to have a better future and a memorable past. ❤

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world”
“The progress of humanity seemed to be measured in the distance we placed between ourselves and nature.”
“The past is never gone. It just hides.”
“Everything changes and nothing changes.”
“Everything gets smaller overtime. Computers, phones, apples, knives, souls.”
“You see, when you look at events in history there is a two-way perspective. Forwards and back. But at the time everything is one way. “
“People you love never die.”
“All you know is the moment you are in.”
– How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below.

by Nav ❤

Book Review: Six of Crows

Book: Six of Crows
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Pages: 462
Source: Amazon

Rating:

★★★★★

Hello readers!!

Plot:

Gang leader Kaz Brekker, aka Dirtyhands, is clever, dark, dangerous, and has accepted to execute an impossible heist which can make him filthy rich. He forms a crew that consists of a convict, a sharpshooter, a runaway, a spy, a heartrender, and a thief, but what are the chances of them successfully retrieving the “package” from the Ice Court when their lives are constantly at stake.

BOOK REVIEW/THOUGHTS:

“No mourners, no funerals.”

An impossible heist and only six outcasts together stand a chance to make this heist possible. Leigh Burdugo has created a dark verse, named Grishaverse, that is filled with dangerous and intelligent characters with a past that has shaped their characters, making them who they are in the present day. Grisha’s have magical abilities, where some want to destroy them, there are others who want to dangerously use Grishas’ abilities to the max. In this complex world, a gang leader has accepted the job to retrieve a “package” from the ice court. The only problem is that the ice court has excellent security, therefore is both impossible to break into and impossible to stay alive if you do.

This is a young adult fantasy book about teens, but I kept forgetting that they were teens throughout the book. The characters have experienced a great deal of suffering in such a short span of time and at such a young age, consequently, you forget their age because of how they carry themselves throughout the book. So you don’t have to be a teen to enjoy this book, because the way Burdugo unravels the story and has vividly written all the torturing, suffering, and cruelty-themed scenes will blow your mind. It’s a very dark verse, with characters who have suffered immensely and have all kinds of physical, emotional, and psychological scars.

I LOVED this book!!! ❤❤❤ The writing is descriptive but not over-written to the point where it makes the story aimlessly long, it’s the perfect amount for one to vividly see Grishaverse in their mind. Each and every character is incredibly well-thought-out and complex in a way that makes them unpredictable at times. The dialogues in the book were also very well written, and you will repeatedly read, “No mourners, no funerals.” Believe it or not, this quote was quite motivational.

I haven’t read Shadow and Bone by Burdugo, which is a trilogy that was written prior to Six of Crows’ duology, but that didn’t hinder my reading experience with Six of Crows as I didn’t see any direct references to that series in this book. So if you haven’t read Shadow and Bone you can still enjoy Six of Crows, but just know that you will want to read the Shadow and Bone series after this book because you will fall in love with the world created by Leigh Bardugo.❤I would love to see this book come to life as a Netflix series or a film like they created the Shadow and Bone series on Netflix. I’m looking forward to reading Crooked Kingdom so I can finally know how it ends.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“No mourners, no funerals.” “Be decisive…you have to know where you want to go before you get there.” “Better terrible truths than kind lies.”Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

“No mourners, no funerals.”
“Be decisive…you have to know where you want to go before you get there.”
“Better terrible truths than kind lies.”
– Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below. 🙂

-Nav ✨

Book Review: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

Hello readers!!

Book: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Author: Haruki Murakami
Genre: General Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Pages: 400
Source: Amazon

★★★★★

Eternal Mind Review:

Two parallel universes, but not your usual, ordinary universes. Murakami creates two strange yet thought-provoking universes.

The story revolves around a smart data processor, a mad genius scientist, his interesting granddaughter, various organizations with questionable motives, librarians, and various creatures all collide in parallel universes.

This story is simultaneously horrifying and funny, and it takes the reader through a journey of uncovering the works of the human mind.

This was my first time reading Haruki Murakami’s written work, and I was immensely impressed by his writing style. He created an unbelievable world filled with fascinating characters and creatures while still expressing them in a relatable manner. The human mind is complex and has been found to be extremely difficult to fully understand all aspects of it, and Murakami exudes the complexity of the human mind in this work of fiction. He engages the reader from the beginning of the book to the end. This book incorporates humor, adventure, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and romance (I was surprised about how boldly Murakami wrote about his character’s sexual thoughts).

I rated this book with 4.5 stars and not 5 because of the ending. I had hoped for a different ending while reading this book. Not to say the ending was bad, because it’s not. But, it was just not a satisfying ending for me and I felt like I was left without proper closure. I don’t want to reveal any spoilers so I won’t dive into this any further and I’ll let you decide for yourself if the end was satisfying for you.

This book is for anyone who enjoys Haruki Murakami’s writing style. If you are new to his written work, then this book would be a great read for you, especially if you would like to read about the complexities of the mind through two parallel universe narratives.

BOOK THOUGHTS:

There were many many moments while I was reading this book when I was in awe of how something was written or described. This book really makes you think about how complex our minds are and how it can change the way we perceive the world around us.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“To stop experiencin’ is to die.”
“Stealing memories was stealing time.”
“Most human activities are predicated on the assumption that life goes on. If you take that premise away, what is there left?”
– Haruki Murakami – Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below.

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Book Review: My Name is Memory

Hello readers!!

Book: My Name is Memory
Author: Ann Brashares
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Source: Amazon

★★★

Eternal Mind Review:

Plot:

Daniel’s soul has lived for many centuries now just like many other souls on earth, however, he remembers all the lives he has lived. Is his exceptional memory a blessing or a curse? In the present time, Lucy (aka Sophie many lives ago) has no memory of her past lives. Daniel and Lucy have loved each other for centuries, but Lucy does not remember and Daniel cannot forget. One common factor always comes as an obstacle in their lifetimes to ensure they never end up together. But will they overcome this obstacle in this lifetime? My name is memory is a heartfelt fantasy love story that allows the reader to travel through time with the characters.

This story gives you a glimpse of various time periods through the eyes of two lovers that have a deep connection. Turning through these pages one learns about the struggles and consequences of love and hatred. While reading this book there were moments where I was frustrated with the characters and at other moments I empathized with them. By the time I reached the end, I was rooting for these lovers to have a happy ending.

If you enjoy reading a book about traveling through both time and destinations, with a strong touch of love and romance then this book is for you. This book also makes you think about the concept of life and death. There were moments when after reading a particular line I would put the book down to spend some time letting those words sink in to understand the meaning it was attempting to convey.

Also, the author of this book, Ann Brashares, is also the author of the book series, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Plants,” so if you enjoyed reading that series then there is no doubt in my mind that this book is for you.

BOOK THOUGHTS:

Time has a way of just slipping away like sand in a clenched fist, therefore it is necessary to enjoy each and every moment we are blessed with in our lifetime.
Trusting someone can be a scary thing. It can be really difficult to put your faith in someone when they speak of unbelievable things. You can either refuse to trust someone and miss out on an amazing adventure or you could take a leap of faith for an undeserving person and end up in an awful situation. It can be difficult to trust someone, but your gut doesn’t lie.
If you don’t have time for love, then make time for love. Love is a precious feeling and an unforgettable experience so make it a beautiful part of your life.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

“Your death is a shadow of your life.”
“I guess I was better at loving then, too, and also better at being loved – the two go together.”
“You forget your victories, but remember the losses.”
– Ann Brashares

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. 🙂

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Book Review: As Old As Time – A Twisted Tale

“As Old as Time,” by Liz Braswell is an insightful and twisted take on the classic Beauty and the Beast fairytale.

Hello readers!! This is my very first book review so I hope you enjoy reading it. 🙂

Book: As Old as Time – A Twisted Tale
Author: Liz Braswell
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 484
Source: Amazon

Eternal Mind Review:

★★★★

Belle has yearned for adventure all her life and when she finally gets the opportunity she is a prisoner in a cursed castle, among lively objects, and an angry Beast. The beautiful enchantress who cursed the prince, his castle, and the inhabitants of the castle was no one other than Belle’s mother. Both Belle and the Beast look into the mysterious events that took place in the kingdom over 10 years ago. Was Belle’s mother a ruthless enchantress who abused her power to see others suffer or were the Beast’s parents the ones who abused their power over the kingdom? Belle and the Beast work together to uncover their family secrets to break the curse.

This story isn’t just about the enchanted castle, instead, it is about the people that reside in the kingdom and the villages nearby. Similarly, this story isn’t just about Belle and the prince who was cursed into becoming a beast, instead, it’s also about the enchantress who cursed the beast and her reasons for doing so. The classic beauty and the beast tale was a fairytale that avoided sensitive subjects or even describing the true feelings of the characters. I enjoyed reading, “As Old as Time,” because it made me reflect on my beliefs as a person and my behavior towards people with beliefs that are different from my own.

If you liked the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast, or if fantasy is one of your favorite genres then this book is perfect for you. You get a deeper look into the thoughts of the characters and a richer, more descriptive plot. Plus the twist makes this story more interesting and gives you a lot to think about regarding the world we live in.

On the downside, this book was too long. I already know and love the classic Beauty and the Beast tale so when this book went on and on about how that story unfolds it was slightly boring because I already knew about it. For someone who doesn’t know the classic fairytale it might have been a nice read but I found it slightly repetitive. This story is supposed to be a twisted tale, therefore I was expecting the majority of the attention in this book to be on the twist. I wanted to be on the edge of my seat throughout this book. Not to say this book doesn’t have a twisted tale, because it does but the majority of the focus on this twist comes in once Belle and the Beast uncover the secrets.

Book thoughts:

Curiosity can be a great virtue if one acts upon it within reason. Belle was curious about the forbidden wing in the castle which led to the destruction of the cursed rose resulting in severe consequences to the prince (Beast) and his servants. Another character’s curiosity and strong beliefs led to the destruction and misery of several people and families.

Eliminating a person, community, or race is never a solution to any problem.

Just because you’re scared of someone doesn’t mean they’re dangerous. Now don’t get me wrong, if you know someone is dangerous then they probably are and you don’t need to question your judgement if you have the evidence. But being scared of someone based on only first impressions when you don’t actually have a valid reason to be scared other than their looks may not always be accurate.

Don’t judge someone only from their appearance as there is no guarantee it will match who they are within. First impressions may not be accurate or honest impressions. If you think you know a book just by reading the first page then think again. It takes time. No one reveals all of their layers at once.

Favorite Quotes:

“Everyone should have a journey-and everyone should also have a home, too. Go out into the world for adventure, come home for love.”The village was like an egg – she had developed there, she had been imprisoned there, and she was trying to break free. But it had a pretty shell.”The scariest, most frightening person can turn out to be quite a lovely character…if you give him time.”- As Old as Time – A Twisted Tale, by Liz Braswell

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!!!

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book in the comment section below. 🙂

-Nav ✨