Tag: book review

Sally Reads…‘Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea’ by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark

On By 18cinemalane2 Comments

When I signed up for Midnite Drive-In’s Hit The Road Blogathon, one of the basic rules was to choose “a movie, TV show or book” that had something to do with travel. Since I figured I’d be one of the few participants selecting a book for the event, I found an opportunity to write a book review! On 18 Cinema Lane, I occasionally talk about books in an effort to bring a sense of variety to my blog’s content. My last book review was published last September, when I wrote about Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain. This is ironic, as that book revolved around Jessica traveling to Florida. For the Hit The Road Blogathon, I selected another mystery story; Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark! Years ago, I saw this book’s film adaptation, 2013’s The Mystery Cruise. Though I was not a fan of the film, I still wanted to read its source material, as I had heard of the book before seeing the movie. Is this a case where the book is better than the film? Keep reading my review to solve this mystery!

Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea book cover found on Goodreads

If you’re going to write a story that involves travel, the journey or destination needs to sound appealing. Whether the travels of characters are exciting or the characters arrive somewhere intriguing, the reader may stay invested in what is happening in the story. In Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea, the protagonist, Alvirah, won an all-expenses paid cruise through a charity auction. She, along with her husband, Willy, and their friends embark on an oceanic adventure where there is never a dull moment. Mary and Carol worked well together to create a setting that felt realistic. Descriptive imagery and attention to detail worked in the favor of the story’s world-building. One example is when rooms on the ship, Royal Mermaid, are described. While observing Alvirah and Willy’s room, one of their friends, Nora, states “The closet is practically a room unto itself”. This statement alone provides context for the size of the space. It also addresses the luxurious nature of not just the room itself, but the ship as a whole.

Cruise ship near an island image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/holiday-background-on-a-cruise_1182003.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Mystery stories, sometimes, include a group of characters. If these characters are working together to solve a mystery, it’s important for them to maintain a sense of camaraderie. This way, genuineness can be felt as the characters come together to reach a common goal. Throughout Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea, solving mysteries was a team effort among Alvirah, Willy, and their friends, the Reillys. It helped how these characters possessed their own set of skills and life experiences, allowing them to bring something unique to the table. It also helps how they knew each other before the events of the story. Because of how well-written the dialogue was, readers can pick up on how Willy, Alvirah, and the Reillys got along. Toward the beginning of the book, Alvirah is encouraging her friends, Regan and Jack, to join her and Willy on the cruise. Bringing up the couple’s already known vacation plans, Alvirah says, “I just heard from Jack’s own lips that he’s on vacation for two weeks”. She addresses this in an effort to give them a once-in-a-lifetime experience, keeping the best interests of her friends in mind. Because she recognizes Alvirah’s good intentions, Regan replies to Jack, “we’ve never been on a cruise together. I think it would be fun”.

News reporter being filmed image created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/journalist-reporter-profession-isometric-banner_2875517.htm’>Designed by Macrovector</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/banner”>Banner vector created by Macrovector – Freepik.com</a>, Image found at freepik.com.

Two of the villains in Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea are Bull’s-Eye and Highbridge. These criminals are on the run to avoid being sentenced for their crimes. There were times while reading this book where I had difficulty telling these characters apart. That’s because their personalities were not distinct enough. Another flaw of Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea was how some mysteries were solved before the reader could figure it out for themselves. During the titular Santa Cruise, two Santa suits go missing, becoming one of the story’s overarching mysteries. But shortly after this mystery is introduced, the “whodunit” is already revealed. This felt reminiscent of an episode of Columbo, where the audience is forced to observe the protagonist solving the mystery themselves instead of interacting with the story by figuring out the mystery alongside the characters.

Adorable Santa image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/christmas-background-with-funny-santa_1324597.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea is, in my opinion, a fine book that is interesting and entertaining enough. Carol and Mary use attention to detail and descriptive imagery in their favor to build a literary world that feels realistic. They also utilize dialogue to create strong camaraderie between the protagonists and their friends. However, I wish the story’s villains were given more distinct personalities, as it could have allowed them to stand out more. Having more interactive mysteries for the readers would have helped as well. There were parts of the story that were, sometimes, repetitive. Examples include referencing the number fifteen and the same events being brought up over and over again. Despite these flaws, the book does have a steady to faster pace, which makes Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea a quicker read.

The Hit The Road Blogathon banner created by Quiggy from The Midnite Drive-In

Overall score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Have fun sailing!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: Santa Cruise: A Holiday Mystery at Sea is a mystery story that occasionally features violence and characters receiving injuries. There’s also brief references to grief.

Sally Reads… ‘Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire’ by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

On By 18cinemalane3 Comments

*This book review was written before Hurricane Helene*

On this day in 1984, Murder, She Wrote made its television debut. What started as a simple story of a woman solving mysteries in her own backyard grew into a legacy standing strong in the test of time. I mentioned in my Cabot Cove-thon announcement post how Murder, She Wrote is a multifaceted program. One contributor is the Murder, She Wrote book series! Two of these books, Murder, She Wrote: The Highland Fling Murders and Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels, have been reviewed on 18 Cinema Lane. This time, I’ll be writing about Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire! The reason why I selected this book for Cabot Cove-thon, let alone a review, is how the story takes place in Florida. On the first day of my blogathon, I published an editorial about why Universal Orlando Resort should host a fan event called Murder, She Wrote Weekend. Knowing ahead of time I would be discussing the show’s connection to Universal Studios Florida, I thought Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire was an appropriate selection!

Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire book cover found on Goodreads

Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire is not only the third Murder, She Wrote book reviewed on 18 Cinema Lane, it’s also the third book where Jessica travels outside of Cabot Cove. In these stories, the destinations are exciting and inviting. What made South Florida such an appealing location in Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire was the combination of descriptive imagery, facts, and tidbits of information sprinkled throughout the story. While taking a road trip to Key West, Jessica searches for the perfect present for Seth’s friend; a key lime pie. During her search, Jessica (as well as readers) learn about the different ingredients used to make this beloved dessert. Other cultural elements are woven into Jessica’s travels, such as a “ceremony” where residents and visitors of Key West applaud the setting sun. These elements help introduce readers to South Florida, as well as educate them about this destination!

Colorful travel suitcase image created by Pikisuperstar at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/beautiful-illustration-of-travel_2686674.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/watercolor”>Watercolor vector created by Pikisuperstar – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

The Murder, She Wrote book series creates original stories instead of rehashing already existing episodes. However, the spirit of the show exists in the books because of the inclusion of characters and locations from Murder, She Wrote. In Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire, the characters felt like they either came directly from the show or should have been on the show. This was achieved because of how the dialogue was written and how characters were described. Sam Lewis is a resident of Foreverglades, Florida. He not only volunteers with the local police department, Sam also drives a pink Cadillac and, at one point, even wears purple sneakers. While he is a quirky individual, he is endearing as he tries to make his neighborhood a better place. Sam was so well integrated into the story, he felt like he belonged in Jessica’s world! Sam also represents a consistent strength of the Murder, She Wrote books; the creation of unique, distinct characters.

Even though Jessica takes a road trip in Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire, fans of the show would know she wasn’t the one driving. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.

Murder mystery stories typically contain a sense of urgency. Because the murder takes place within the story, there is an urgent race against time to stop the perpetrator from hurting anyone else. For the majority of Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire, however, urgency was lacking. The emphasis on the laid-back, easy-going atmosphere of Florida and the victim being murdered prior to the story are the reasons for this creative flaw. Dialogue is an important component of any story. But Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire was dialogue-heavy, with very few non-verbal clues provided. If readers aren’t actively paying attention to what they’re reading, they may miss key information. It also doesn’t help how some of Jessica’s conclusions seemed a bit far-fetched.

Magnifying fingerprints image created by Balintseby at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/glass”>Glass vector created by Balintseby – Freepik.com</a>. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/fingerprint-investigation_789253.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

When I reviewed Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels back in 2022, I claimed that book was my least favorite among the Murder, She Wrote books I read. Two years later, it looks like I found a new least favorite. Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire is not a bad book. But most of the story lacking a sense of urgency decreased the mystery’s intrigue and caused the book to, sometimes, feel meandering. A dialogue-heavy story may frustrate some readers, forcing them to actively pay attention or they’ll miss important information. However, there are strengths found in this book. New characters and even familiar faces were well integrated into the story. The South Florida setting was a delight to read about due to the incorporated creative elements. Similar to the show, the Murder, She Wrote book series boasts creative ideas and interesting topics, which always gives Jessica and company something to do. As far as I know, this book series is still in publication. That allows the stories of Cabot Cove to continue, even after the show itself concluded.

Cabot Cove-thon banner created by me, Sally Silverscreen. Original picture found on IMDB.

Overall score: 3.1 out of 5 stars

Have fun in Cabot Cove!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: Murder, She Wrote: Dying to Retire is a murder mystery story, so the subject of murder will be brought up from time to time. Swearing does occur on a few occasions and there are mentions of violence. Other topics include chronic illness, grief, and the fair treatment of older people/the elderly.

A Very Belated Buzzwordathon Fail

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Last month, in my post about what my readers could look forward to in 2024, I stated how I was taking a break from the Buzzwordathon readathon. But I also promised the reviews for October, November, and December’s books from 2023. As a blogger of my word, I am finally publishing the last three reviews of the previous year’s Buzzwordathon! Since I did read these books, but didn’t finish them within their respective months, I will consider these readathon challenges a “fail”. With this article published after Buzzwordathon 2023, these reviews will be shorter.

Happy reading place image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

October

The Witcher: The Last Wish book cover found on Goodreads

Title: The Witcher: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

Theme: Magic words

The Witcher: The Last Wish is a collection of short stories that serve as an introduction to Geralt and the world around him. Even though I learned quite a bit while reading this book, it felt like I spent most of the book getting to know everyone but Geralt. In fact, there was one portion of an overarching short story where Geralt exposition dumped his entire life story. But there were parts of the book I did like, such as the magic system and the pacing of the action scenes. I also thought the politics within the story’s world were intriguing.

Overall score: 3.8 out of 5 stars

November

One Good Deed book cover found on Goodreads

Title: One Good Deed by David Baldacci

Theme: “Good”

One of David Baldacci’s strengths is creating literary worlds that are memorable enough to stick with the reader. This is achieved through strong descriptive imagery and world building. These writing techniques were applied to One Good Deed, creating a landscape that I could picture as I read the book. I also liked the banter between the characters, as it was quippy and clever. The protagonist, Archer, did amateur detective work in the story, but it wasn’t as consistent as I expected. Because One Good Deed is a slow-burn, character-driven story, patience is required from the reader.

Overall score: 3.7 out of 5 stars

December

A Song for Jeffrey book cover found on Goodreads

Title: A Song for Jeffrey by Constance M. Foland

Theme: Sound words

A Song for Jeffrey is a story that relies more on a premise than a plot. That, along with serious topics being incorporated, but not explored, in the story prevent the book from containing as much depth as other middle grade titles. However, there are good lessons found throughout the text, from how to be a good friend to trying to find the positives in life. Jeffrey is the best character from this book, as his personality is down-to-earth and friendly. While Dodie, the protagonist, means well and works through her flaws, she is kind of insensitive for most of the book. For about half the book, Dodie has a selfish, entitled attitude.

Overall score: 3 out of 5 stars

Have fun reading!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: The Witcher: The Last Wish, One Good Deed, and A Song for Jeffrey contain subject matter that may not be suitable for some readers. Reader discretion is encouraged.

Another Day, Another Buzzwordathon Fail

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Last year, when I participated in the Buzzwordathon readathon for the first time, I experienced several fails. One of those fails took place when I read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, as I didn’t finish reading that book within the month of September. Once again, I didn’t finish September’s book for Buzzwordathon within that month. But I’m still going to review the book I chose, like when I reviewed The Grapes of Wrath. Since September’s theme was ‘game related words’, I read The Selection by Kiera Cass, as the contest in the story shares the name of the book’s title!

The Selection book cover found on Goodreads

Sometimes, the YA (young adult) genre receives a bad rap. One reason is how romantic relationships are portrayed, from the unrealistic to the unhealthy. While inconsistent, there were times in The Selection where more realistic perspectives on romantic relationships are shared. An example came from the protagonist’s father. When America asked her father if people of a different social status can marry, her father told her “you should know that love can wear away under the stress of being married”. This quote alone emphasizes how much work goes into maintaining a romantic relationship, especially a marriage. From what I can remember, I haven’t seen or heard of many YA stories that discuss the time, effort, and care that romantic relationships require. Therefore, I found this part of the story refreshing!

Princess tiara image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/ornamental-princess-crowns_1109199.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/gold”>Gold vector created by Freepik</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Toward the beginning of the novel, America learns she’ll become an “elite” if she places in The Selection’s top ten. If she wins, she and her family will become Ones, the highest level in the book’s social hierarchy. Because of the titles of The Selection’s sequels, as well as the titles of the novellas, the outcome of the contest is spoiled. This creative choice also prevents The Selection from being a suspenseful and intriguing story with an element of surprise. The majority of the story revolving around conversations between America and the prince, Maxon, also prevented the book from being intriguing. Even though conversations between characters are an important component of storytelling, there was no room in The Selection for a conflict or problem solving because of the priority placed on the aforementioned conversations.

Pink themed image created by Freepik at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/mockup”>Mockup psd created by freepik – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

When I published by TBR tag post three years ago, I talked about wanting to read The Selection. Since the series seems to be divisive on Booktube (the book community on Youtube), I wanted to check the first book out for myself, so I could form my own opinion on it. Now that I have read The Selection, I can understand why this series has received mixed results. The story had so much potential to stand out from other YA or even dystopian books. Instead, that potential was not reached, focusing on conversations between America and Maxon instead of showing the characters solving problems and seeking resolutions to conflicts. Even the young ladies participating in The Selection aren’t given much to do, preventing them from accomplishing challenges and showcasing their talents and skills. As I mentioned in this review, the titles of the sequels and novellas spoil the competition’s outcome. With that said, I’d rather read a book series where the story’s outcome is a surprise to the reader.

Overall score: 1.2 out of 5 stars

Have fun during Buzzwordathon!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: The Selection contains subject matter that some readers may find offensive, including:

— Some swearing within the dialogue

— Mention of a miscarriage

— Some violence in the story

— A drunken character

— While learning more about The Selection, America is led to believe her consent won’t be respected. This implication turns out to be false.

Buzzwordathon 2023: Review of ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ by Zora Neale Hurston

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For August’s edition of the Buzzwordathon readathon, I chose to read Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston! This is because August’s theme was ‘body parts’, meaning that a body part had to be mentioned somewhere in a book’s title. While sharing Janie’s story, Zora is able to use words artistically and lyrically. However, this approach to storytelling never feels too “flowery”. A great example is when Zora describes a hurricane roaring over Florida’s Everglade region. She refers to the hurricane itself as a “monster”. As the storm is moving closer to the Everglade region, Zora writes, “The people felt uncomfortable but safe because there were the seawalls to chain the senseless monster in his bed”. In this sentence alone, Zora creates an image the reader can visualize. She also makes the hurricane larger than life, an antagonist for the characters to encounter.

Their Eyes Were Watching God book cover found on Goodreads

I’ve said before on 18 Cinema Lane that I don’t seek out “slice of life” stories. The reason is I don’t find “slice of life” stories to be as compelling as other types of stories. In the first half of Their Eyes Were Watching God, the story was more “slice of life”. Conflicts within the story don’t arrive until Tea Cake, Janie’s third husband, is introduced in the book. Because he appears in the story’s second half, I found the second half of the book more interesting than the book’s first half. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a fine, well-written novel. I am aware there was a 2005 made-for-tv adaption starring Halle Berry. Now that I have read the movie’s source material, I would be interested in reviewing the film in the future!

Overall score: 3.6 out of 5

Have fun during Buzzwordathon!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: Their Eyes Were Watching God contains subject matter that some readers may find offensive, including:

— Language reflective of the book’s release, the 1930s. This includes the use of racial slurs.

— References to heavier topics, such as death and abuse

— Swearing on some occasions

— Mrs. Turner’s beliefs, which are filled with prejudice

— The inclusion of a hurricane

Buzzwordathon 2023: Review of ‘On Thin Ice’ by Alina Adams

On By 18cinemalane4 Comments

July’s theme of the Buzzwordathon readathon is ‘weather related words’. Since some areas of the world experience weather related occurrences such as icy rain and icy roads, I chose to read the second book in the Figure Skating Mysteries series, On Thin Ice! Several years ago, I read the first book in this series, Murder on Ice. In fact, I brought it up in my 2019 edition of my Movie Blogger’s Christmas Wish List. In that book, the main mystery was a murder mystery. While there is a murder mystery in On Thin Ice, there was not one, but two missing persons cases that were given primary focus. This creative decision allowed Alina to tell a different type of story, instead of copying and pasting a similar story from the first book. There are nice connections between the first and second books, such as mentioning characters that were introduced in the predecessor. That connectivity helps the Figure Skating Mysteries series maintain a sense of continuity.

Book cover of On Thin Ice found on Goodreads

While the aforementioned connectivity assists the series in achieving a sense of consistency, the sense of urgency in On Thin Ice is not consistent. As I mentioned, there are two missing persons cases in this story. However, one of these cases occurred prior to the events of the book. Meanwhile, the text provides a logical explanation why another missing persons case isn’t more pressing to the characters. On Thin Ice doesn’t lack urgency. But when it is featured in the book, its presence is far and few between. This major flaw makes the sequel weaker than Murder on Ice. However, I think On Thin Ice is a fine, well-written continuation. The Figure Skating Mysteries series is still one of the most unique cozy mystery collections I’ve come across. Plus, I plan on reading the rest of the books in the series. I’m glad I decided to participate in this year Buzzwordathon, as it gave me an excuse to come back to the Figure Skating Mysteries series!

Overall score: 3.8 out of 5

Have fun during Buzzwordathon!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: As I mentioned in my review, there is a murder mystery in On Thin Ice. There are other aspects of the book that might not make On Thin Ice readers’ “cup of tea”, which is:

  • The discussion of abusive relationships, including the topics of physical and sexual abuse
  • Foul language, featuring a few slurs
  • Some psychological terms used out of context

Buzzwordathon 2023: Review of ‘The Raven and Other Poems’ by Edgar Allan Poe

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June’s theme for Buzzwordathon is ‘other’. That means the word itself, not words like ‘brother’ or ‘mother’, has to appear somewhere in the title. Since I happened to own a copy of The Raven and Other Poems, I had the perfect book for Buzzwordathon! Having read Edgar’s work in the past, I knew what to expect from this collection of poems. But the one poem that caught me by surprise is ‘The Coliseum’! From how I interpreted it, the narrator is describing an abandoned facility. Through a series of voices, the narrator is reminded how the history, stories, and people associated with the titular coliseum should be remembered, otherwise they will be lost forever. Using carefully selected prose, Edgar accomplishes the delivery of this idea. Lines such as “Of lofty contemplation left to Time” and “Here, where a hero fell, a column falls!” illustrate how the coliseum’s best years are behind it. The fifth and final stanza is devoted to the voices of the coliseum’s past, with one statement from the voices being “Not all our power is gone – not all our fame”. This stanza allows the reader to contemplate the importance any location holds.

The Raven and Other Poems book cover found on Goodreads

As the title suggests, ‘The Raven’ is one of the poems featured in this book. If I had to be honest, though, I found this poem a bit overrated. The story itself was simplistic and surface-level, revolving around the narrator questioning the identity and whereabouts of the titular Raven. The poem was also very repetitive, with the words “nevermore” and “nothing more” used consistently. While reading ‘The Raven’, I was reminded of the film adaptation from 1963. Though that movie had its flaws, I found myself appreciating it more. The 1963 adaptation included a plot in the script, which gave the story some depth. This creative decision also prevented the narrative from becoming repetitive.

Image of crow at sunset created by Rayudu NVS at freeimages.com. Photo by <a href=”/photographer/rayudu238-57835″>rayudu NVS</a> from <a href=”https://freeimages.com/”>FreeImages</a&gt;. Image found at freeimages.com.

I typically don’t seek out poetry. The genre’s open-endedness and limited amount of closure are two reasons why. Other than ‘The Coliseum’, I didn’t connect with the other poems in this book. This is because I found the majority of poems ok or fine. As I read The Raven and Other Poems, I noticed Edgar wrote about one of three topics; death, dreams, and Paradise/Heaven. That caused the poems to lack variety. The uniqueness of ‘The Coliseum’ is why I liked that poem, with the poem itself focusing on history. The abandoned coliseum set the stage for an eerie location, yet doesn’t rely on the typical spookiness expected in Edgar’s work. I’d be curious to see ‘The Coliseum’ adapted as a movie or mini-series.

Overall score: 3 out of 5

Have fun during Buzzwordathon!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: As I mentioned in this review, some of Edgar’s poems include the subject of death. Reader discretion is encouraged.

My First Buzzwordathon Fail of 2023

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When I first participated in the Buzzwordathon readathon last year, I experienced my first Buzzwordathon fail in May. At the time, I didn’t finish The Light Between Oceans within May because the book put me in a “reading slump”. For this year’s readathon, I encountered another fail. This time, however, I prioritized my involvement in the Eurovisionathon readathon, as well as preparing for next year’s Eurovisionathon. Despite this fail, I will still publish my review of The Grapes of Wrath, the book I chose for this month’s Buzzwordathon. I will also not let this fail deter me from my reading goals.

The Grapes of Wrath book cover found on Goodreads.

One of the criticisms of The Grapes of Wrath is the infamous “turtle chapter”. As the book’s third chapter, this part of the story has caused frustration and confusion among readers, from readers viewing the chapter as boring to readers questioning why the chapter exists. For me, though, the “turtle chapter” serves an even greater purpose. It not only provides foreshadowing for the next part of the story, it also showcases the book’s descriptive imagery. Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck takes the time to describe almost every aspect of the story. In the aforementioned “turtle chapter”, John chooses words that will help readers picture the turtle in their minds. Some of these words are “high-domed shell”, “yellow-nailed feet”, and “fierce, humorous eyes”. John’s use of descriptive imagery allows scenes, characters, and environments to feel realistic. This element helped paint an almost complete picture surrounding the story.

Joshua Tree National Park in California image created by Welcomia at freepik.com. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/tree”>Tree photo created by welcomia – http://www.freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

The way I feel about The Grapes of Wrath is similar to how I feel about All the Light We Cannot See. That’s because John Steinbeck prioritizes providing explanations for characters, situations, and the world surrounding the characters over telling a story. Getting to the heart of the story, it is a drawn-out, “slice-of-life” tale. As I’ve said in the past on 18 Cinema Lane, I don’t seek out “slice-of-life” stories, as I find them too mundane for my liking. In my opinion, The Grapes of Wrath is just that: mundane. I recognize this story has its time and place, as the book captures a fictionalized account of The Great Depression/Dust Bowl. However, it’s not a book I plan on revisiting.

Overall score: 3 out of 5 stars

Have fun during Buzzwordathon!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: Because The Grapes of Wrath was written and published in the late 1930s, the language, situations, and perspectives are going to be reflective of that period in time. Reader discretion is encouraged.

Buzzwordathon 2023: Review of ‘The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World’ by Eric Weiner

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At the beginning of this year, I announced I was participating in the Eurovisionathon readathon. Created by Helen, from the Youtube channel, Helen’s Book Haven, the goal of this readathon is to read books associated with countries competing in Eurovision within a month-long time-frame. One of the books I planned to read was The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, as one of the countries featured in the text is Moldova. When the themes for 2023’s Buzzwordathon were announced, I discovered April’s theme was ‘emotions’. This means at least one emotion related word had to be in a book’s title. The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World happens to contain three emotion related words: bliss, grump, and happiest. Therefore, I was able to read this book for both readathons!

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World book cover found on Goodreads.

In The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World, Eric Weiner, the book’s author, attempts to find the happiest countries in the world, based on data and research. Each chapter to devoted to this exploration, with Eric including study results, some of a country’s history, and even insight from a few of a country’s residents. Throughout the text, Eric brings up thought-provoking ideas that made me contemplate how Eric’s findings applied outside of the book. One common finding was Eric’s discovery of more ways to describe sadness than happiness. This discovery reminded me of my best and worst movies of the year lists. When I write these lists, I find it easier to talk about movies I don’t like. That’s because I feel compelled to explain why a movie is bad. But if I come across a movie I like, that movie, in my opinion, speaks for itself. This makes me put more thought into writing about good movies.

Colorful travel suitcase image created by Pikisuperstar at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/beautiful-illustration-of-travel_2686674.htm’>Designed by Freepik</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/watercolor”>Watercolor vector created by Pikisuperstar – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World contains ten chapters. Most of these chapters are longer in page length, ranging from about fifteen to twenty pages. If I were reading this book just for Buzzwordathon, the length of the chapters wouldn’t be an issue. Since I read the book for Buzzwordathon and Eurovisionathon, the chapters made the book feel longer than necessary. Despite its flaws, though, The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World is a fine and interesting book. While I don’t plan on revisiting it, the book did allow me to expand my literary horizons!

Overall score: 3.6 out of 5

Have fun during Buzzwordathon and Eurovisionathon!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World contains content that may be offensive to some readers, as Eric’s approach to each country discussed is honest and realistic. Reader discretion is encouraged.

Buzzwordathon 2023: Review of ‘Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries’ by Laurel Holliday

On By 18cinemalaneLeave a comment

March’s theme for Buzzwordathon is ‘secret’, meaning this specific word had to be somewhere in a book’s title. Because ‘secret’ was in the title of Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries, I chose this book for the third round of Buzzwordathon. Even though Laurel Holliday’s name is listed on the book’s cover, the book is a collection of diaries written by children who lived during the Holocaust/World War II. This collection provides diverse perspectives of that particular period in history. For example, in Moshe Flinker’s diary, he expresses guilt about living in safety while many Jewish people were experiencing turmoil. Meanwhile, Colin Perry treated his diary as a historical record, going into detail about everything happening around him. Along with each perspective, the way these diaries were written was also diverse. It emphasizes the point Laurel made in the book’s introduction; that there is more than one side to history.

Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries book cover found on Goodreads

A collection of twenty-three diaries is included in Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries. The children’s ages range from ten to eighteen years old, with the children residing in various locations in Europe. Because of the abundance of diaries and because most of the diaries focus on events happening in a child’s life, the reader doesn’t receive many opportunities to truly get to know a diary’s author. In the book’s introduction, Laurel says “most of the diaries are long enough to comprise full-length books”. But in some author’s cases, such as for Colin Perry, his diary was published into its own book, “available from the author in a self-published paperback edition”. This fact made me wonder why the book’s longer diaries were included in this particular collection?

Old-fashioned books image created by Macrovector at freepik.com. <a href=’https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/books-seamless-pattern_1539033.htm’>Designed by Macrovector</a>. <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background”>Background vector created by Macrovector – Freepik.com</a>. Image found at freepik.com.

Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries is a fine, interesting book that serves as a useful piece of literature when it comes to learning about World War II/the Holocaust. The collection of diverse perspectives and writing styles emphasizes how many points of view can shape history. However, this is not a book I plan on re-visiting in the future. That decision is partly due to the book’s heavier subject matter. I am glad I chose to read this book for March’s edition of Buzzwordathon. As I mentioned in this review, the children are from various locations in Europe. Some of these European countries are participating in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. As someone who will take part in the Eurovisionathon readathon, reading Children in the Holocaust and World War II: Their Secret Diaries was a good segue into that literary event, as Eurovision was created to restore peace in Europe after World War II.

Overall score: 3.6 out of 5 stars

Have fun during Buzzwordathon!

Sally Silverscreen

Disclaimer: Because this book revolves around children’s lives during the Holocaust/World War II, some readers may be sensitive to this book. Joan Wyndham’s diary brings up subjects like drugs and sex. Reader discretion is encouraged.