December 25, 2017

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson Review

Astrophysics for People in a HurryAstrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's really no surprise that this book was one of my favorites from my reading challenge this year. Corey and I were lucky enough to get tickets to see "An Astrophysicist Reads the Newspaper" when he stopped by Jacksonville! This is just the tip of the iceberg for me- I've been obsessed with NDT since we binge-watched Cosmos a few winters ago. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of his books and delving into the world of astrophysics.

Trust me when I say this book is meant for pretty much everyone with a basic understanding of earth and space science. I love the fact that such an intelligent man can put something so simply that it just makes perfect sense. I urge you to look into any of his works, especially if you have even the slightest interest in astronomy.

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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Review

Outlander (Outlander, #1)Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I honestly don’t have the words to tell you how incredibly wonderful this book is, so I recommend you read it as soon as humanly possible!! This might possibly be the most entertaining, interesting, and overall best novel I’ve read in 2017.

I’m holding off on starting Dragonfly in Amber for the sake of completing my reading challenge this year. I have 2 more books to go, and I definitely won’t get that massive book finished in time. Thank goodness she made these books enormous!

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Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit Review

Tuck EverlastingTuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I feel like this could have been an amazing read, but the ending was rushed and did not leave me feeling satisfied. I love the plot (it’s pretty predictable, but this book is intended for young readers), the characters are dynamic, and the writing is wonderful! I was mostly interested in this book because I have a few copies of it sitting in my classroom library for my fourth graders. I would definitely recommend this as a book to read in class because it can spark deep discussion and makes the students think critically.

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Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake Review

Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1)Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Audiobook

This was my first time listening to an audiobook in its entirety, and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised! I’ve always been an avid reader and overachiever, so my yearly goal is usually 50+ books. However, being a busy adult/ teacher/ big ball of stress doesn’t leave me much time to actually sit down and enjoy a massive book.

Thus, audiobooks!

Like I said, I’ve never been a big audiobook fan mostly because (yes, I will admit it) I was one of those people who thought listening to books shouldn’t count towards my yearly reading goal I set for myself. Honestly, I’m really bummed that I didn’t jump on this bandwagon earlier!! Between the two libraries I frequent, I have pretty much every audiobook I could ever want right on my phone. Seriously, I know I sound like an infomercial, but this is insane to me! Why did I wait so long?! Ugh!!!

Anyway, I’m really glad I chose this book at random. I only gave it three stars because the first half or three quarters of the book is dull. Not much happens, action-wise, and the characters are kind of blah. BUT things start to get interesting rather quickly. Yes, it’s YA, so it’s a little cheesy (I would definitely say this isn’t for children, but it’s on the less mature side of YA- if that makes any sense?). I’m looking forward to reading the next in the series and I’m hoping it has an awesome conclusion!

PS- I will most certainly be listening to more audiobooks from this point forward. I’m just marking them for my own weird reasons 👍

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The Martian by Andy Weir Review

The MartianThe Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

It’s strange- I never expect to enjoy science fiction, but these type of books always leave me feeling satisfied. For the most part, the predicaments that plague the protagonist seem realistic and are interspersed perfectly (in my opinion, of course). The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the ending. It seemed a little rushed, and some of the events seemed pretty far-fetched unlike the rest of the novel. I like the shift between different character’s points of view, but I was a bit frustrated with the sheer amount of dramatic-irony. I wanted to slap someone, which was probably the whole point of the various POVs.

Anyway, I liked it, but the ending was not exactly what I had hoped for. Either way, I would recommend this to anyone who is into astronomy, space, travel, or the inner workings of NASA. Give it a try!

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