The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories

Title: The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories
Author: Tim Burton
Type: Paperback
Read: 11th May 2017
Rating: 5/5
Published: 1st December 2005 by Faber and Faber

Occupying a similarly sinister and macabre world to the American artist Edward Gorey, Tim Burton's work is similarly difficult to place. This is a beautifully produced book filled with fine line drawings – many in colour – illustrating 23 small verse stories which all centre on a surreal deformity – the eponymous Oyster Boy, Stain Boy, The Boy with Nails in his Eyes, Junk Girl, The Pin Cushion Queen... The tales are all quietly disturbing. As with Burton's cinematic work (Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas and Mars Attacks) the book seems aimed at children but the subtexts feel too disquieting. This however is where Burton's genius lies. Children are outcasts in the adult world and their own notion of what is important, grave, frightening and odd is different to ours. We each remember the child inside of us and so are each compelled to recognise the otherness within ourselves: the outcasts that Burton paints are somehow strangely well known to us. As dark and disturbing as the best fairy tales Burton shares a space with the Brothers Grimm – a place that all children know exists when the lights go out and the adults leave the room. 

Tim Burton, is not only a film director, but also a poet. This is a book of stories, although i'd say rhymes more so. It's an easy read, as there are many stories, the chapters are tiny. There are pictures with this and they match the story told.

We kind of get a glimpse into Tim's mind. Its dark. Its also a little sad. The Oyster boy story was very sad. I would happily read something like this again. Its weird to get a look into someone else's mind. Although with Tim, it shouldn't be so surprsing with the ideas held in there.

Go Get it From: Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Wordery

 

Ready Player One

Title: Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Type: Paperback
Read: 21st April - 10th May 2017
Rating: 5/5
Published: 5th April 2012 by Arrow Books

It's the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly place. We're out of oil. We've wrecked the climate. Famine, poverty, and disease are widespread. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes this depressing reality by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be, where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality: OASIS founder James Halliday, who dies with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS - and his massive fortune - will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation. For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the culture of the late twentieth century. And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle.Suddenly, he finds himself pitted against thousands of competitors in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize, a chase that soon takes on terrifying real-world dimensions - and that will leave both Wade and his world profoundly changed.

I LOVED this book. Recently i've had such a bad time with reading. I've not concentrated nor can i get into anything. But this book, blew me out of the water. Admitedly i'd never have picked this book up, ever if i'd not caught by chance last year, the filming of the movie within my home city of Birmingham. I was in town with work and there was lots of amazing things put up and barriers around to stop people from going near. Unfortunately for us, we had to walk through the set to get to an afternoon activity.

Ready Player One, is a futuristic book, although alot of it is set in the 80's. Human kind has pretty much distroyed the earth, and everyone pretty much escapes reality by living within the virtual world of the OASIS. But when the creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves an easter egg hunt. Within the game, the many planets and areas of the game, is some secret places. If the three magical keys are found, then the winner will eventually own all the fortunes and become the owner of the OASIS.

Halliday, the owner, died years ago... the hunt for the easter eggs have been tried for the last few years. When Wade accidently discovers the first key, life changes, his name is suddenly on the top of the scoreboard, everyone around the world knows the game is now on. It's real.  

We go through the game from Wades view. We see the IOI chase him, kill his family and how he tries to help his friends. It's an action packed book. The 80's references were great, as i could reconise some things. I could understand some of the references.

But even if you don't rememeber the 80's then this book is addictive just to keep up with Wade and his online friends who are both trying to save their own lives and that of everyone within the OASIS. Its fast, its really addictive. I wouldn't ever want the world to change to be anything like how it is in this book. It seems scary and unrealistic. It also felt like people had lost sight of reality. Online anyone could be anything and anyone they wanted to be, and they were.

I really can't wait to see how the film for this goes, because i'm hoping it to be so very 80's. 

Go Get it From: Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Wordery
Follow @ErnieCline 

 

Our Tiny, Useless Hearts

Title: Our Tiny, Useless Hearts
Author: Toni Jordan
Type: Paperback
Read: 5th April - 21st April 2017
Rating: 4/5
Published: 2nd February 2017 By Allen & Unwin

Henry has ended his marriage to Caroline and headed off to Noosa with Mercedes’ grade three teacher, Martha. Caroline, having shredded a wardrobe-full of Henry’s suits, has gone after them.

Craig and Lesley have dropped over briefly from next door to catch up on the fallout from Henry and Caroline’s all-night row. And Janice, Caroline’s sister, is staying for the weekend to look after the girls because Janice is the sensible one. A microbiologist with a job she loves, a fervent belief in the beauty of the scientific method and a determination to make a solo life after her divorce from Alec.

Then Craig returns through the bedroom window expecting a tryst with Caroline and finds Janice in her bed, Lesley storms in with a jealous heart and a mouthful of threats, Henry, Caroline and Martha arrive back from the airport in separate taxis—and let’s not even get started on Brayden the pizza guy. Janice can cope with all that. But when Alec knocks on the door things suddenly get complicated. 

This book was wacky. Like crazily so. There was so many things that were OTT. A family torn apart due to a husbands affair. It then turns out that the mum, who was on her high horse, had an affair with the numpty next door. Then the couple next door are havinga crisis, she knows he is having an affair, with whom, not a clue. So she goes crazily and stays within the neighbours house, where upon there are two children, (these are the only two sane characters), are there with their aunt.
Then said aunts ex-husband arrives. Like really, how can one family be so torn.

Like i said, there were two children within the story and these seemed the most sensible characters in the whole book. Whilst one of the girls, was silent, she was more a watcher, the older sister, was the one with the witty one liners. I adored that.

The book was funny though, as crazy as it seemed. It was funny. I like finding reasons for stories but for this one i have not got a clue. Apart from families are just mental.

Go Get it From: Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Wordery
Follow @TonileeJordana 

Wonder

Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio
Type: Paperback
Read: 19th March - 26th March 2017 {Re-Read}
Rating: 5/5
Published: 3rd January 2013 by Corgi Childrens

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

Shall we make a new rule of life… always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?

Wonder. This book is wonderful. I can’t really describe it. It’s perfect and I think everyone should read it. It’s simple. The chapters are barely three/four pages long at most. It’s written from various characters view point.

All the back of the book states is ‘My name is August. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse’. That is all we have to go on, to even understand what this story could be about. It’s not a story where the main character wants sympathy. They just want to be accepted. This story touched me in so many ways. I was born with a disability, it doesn’t effect anything other than my height. But i’ve had my whole life of people looking, staring and just making a song and dance about something I am unable to control. So yes, this really touched me in a way that meant I could really associate with the main character. But I could also understand what other people were seeing too. And yes I did cry.

I don’t have a favourite character from the book, I loved them all. Summer was just a girl who I wished I had as a friend growing up. And Jack, he was certainly a dude I’d love to have around me. I found my humor was very much like Auggies, it’s better to make jokes at your own expense to ease peoples minds than for them to make at you.

I could go on and on about this. I won’t. You should just read it. Learn that not everyone is as they seem. Appearances do not make for the person underneath.

And remember, choose kind. 

Go Get it From: Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Wordery
Follow @RJPalacio 

 

Dead of Night

Title: Dead of Night
Author: Michael Grant
Type: Paperback
Read: 17th March 2017
Rating: 3/5
Published: 23rd February 2017 by Egmont

Set in the alternative World War II scenario of his Front Lines novels, Michael Grant, author of the bestselling GONE series, has written this story exclusively for World Book Day 2017.

Rio Richlin doesn’t have superpowers. She is an ordinary young woman. A soldier in the American army, wearing a uniform, carrying a rifle, and fighting alongside thousands who are trying to make a difference, trying to change the world.

At least, that’s the plan. Right now she’s part of a squad on a training exercise in some place called Wales. They’re cold, they’re wet, and Rio’s pretty sure they’re also lost. Spending the night in a creepy old inn wasn’t part of the plan at all…
Rio's only training. But soon, the fate of the world will be in the hands of the soldier girls.

So i also read this as part of World Book Day. It was cheap as chips at £1.
I've never read anything by the author so went into this kinda blind. It was a very intreguing book. I'm not sure I even understood much of the story, and this is aimed at children.

To me this seemed very much like scrooge and christmas (its not this story) but where three people came to tell their stories - each were actually dead. And they were teaching the listener a history of war and survival. What happened to them and what the future holds if they continue.

It was interesting just slightly confusing. Can't complain tough, its a bargain!

Go Get it From: Amazon UK | Wordery
Follow @MichaelGrantBks

Blob

Title: Blob
Author: David Walliams
Type: Paperback
Read: 14th March 2017
Rating: 5/5
Published: 23rd February 2017 by Harper Collins Childrens Book

This is the story of how a boy called Bob meets a blobfish fish called Blob…
And so begins a funny and heartwarming story of a very unusual friendship – and some very strange animals. An astonishingly brilliant World Book Day Book from one of today’s favourite children’s authors.

This is a fun book - i picked it up as part of world book day, which is a UK event held every year to encourage children to read. I like David Walliams as an author so really was excited to see he was taking part in this.

The book is about a boy called Bob, who lives with his grandpa. Bob is a child whom gets picked on at school for his looks. For his birthday each year, Grandpa has just enough money to take Bob to the zoo. One year he doesn't. However Bob manages to get into the zoo and he has a fasination with the not so popular animals. He prefers the ugly fishes, the funny looking ones.

In his way Bob manages to make these animals the prime attraction at the zoo. I loved this book based on its back story of never really judge anyone by their looks. That everyone is fun and great in their own ways, they just need a moment to shine.

There was also some cracking pictures throughout. Throughly enjoyable.

Go Get It From:  Amazon UK | Book Depository | Wordery
Follow @davidwalliams