The Invisible Man Book Review 🕵️‍♂️

The title of this book sort of describes the story all in its own. It’s about a man that turns himself invisible, and what seems like a good thing at first really becomes a problem for him. Especially since the invisible man’s outbursts of rage and aggressiveness don’t help him remain low key. 

I actually liked this book more than I thought. I was intrigued by the personality of the invisible man, he was mean and heartless, and I found myself rooting against him. At first everyone thinks he is badly disfigured or wounded in some way, and it seems annoying how the shopkeeper and others are trying to pester him to know what happened. But soon the invisible man shows his true colors (get it?) as he is mean and ruthless. Not only does he steal, an advantage of being invisible, but he also fights and even kills someone.

It’s clear the invisible man is a bad person. But soon he runs into an old friend on his run from the police. He seems to want help, to want to change back into being visible again. There was some hope now, that since the invisible man wanted to change back maybe it would mean he would stop stealing and his life of crime.

However, his friend notifies police of the invisible mans presence, and so the man hunt begins! It was so vivid and page turning, the descriptions of fighting and being chased by the invisible man. And all along I’m rooting against him! Which isn’t something I’d thought I’d do! 

It was an interesting premise of his invisibility being more of a burden for him and how it caused the worst aspects of himself to shine through. I definitely recommend this read to anyone! 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks for reading!

-Bubie

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=the+invisible+man&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiul4nOoPbjAhULiVQKHVSdCD8Q_AUIFSgB&biw=414&bih=666#imgrc=34ufrLVJiex9gM

Blog Updates

Here is Maple! One of the things that is hogging all my time! But I don’t mind at all, I mean look at that face! I wanted to give an update on my blog and sort of what/where I plan for it to be going.

I cut back on posts because of school, work and a new pup. But I honestly missed posting makeup looks and some of the other topics I covered! That being said, I do plan to post varying topics again including makeup looks, dog updates, book reviews, sneaker posts, life stuff and occasionally movie or TV shows. I was thinking of doing clothing posts too, and might test the waters with that.

That being said, stay tuned! And thanks for looking at the random photos of my pups! They are in training mode as the Dachshund races for Oktoberfest are about a month away!

Thanks so much for reading!

-Bubie

The Time Machine Book Review

A classic science fiction tale, the Time Machine is centered around the Time Traveler, who builds a time machine and travels into the future.

I really respect this novel for being one of the firsts of its time. But unfortunately I couldn’t really get into it. The majority of the story is the Time Traveler after he has returned, recounting his tale to his dinner guests. He talks about the two different human like communities living in the future. The morlocks were super creepy! And the simplicity of the people were so odd and sort of a sad outlook to the future. 

I found it odd he had such an odd attachment to Weena. She acted child like but my interpretation was that she was not a child. This relationship was odd to me. She often kissed him and vice versa. He also subjected her to lots of dangers which I didn’t understand, if she was to be seen as a child? He also said he wanted to take her back with him, which seemed odd too. Surely she wouldn’t do well in the past where the world was harsher? For a science guy it didn’t seem very scientifically smart! 

Would I read again? No. But I am glad that I did, because it is one of those pieces of writing that really sets the tone and shapes the genre forever after. 
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks for reading!

-Bubie

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=the+time+machine&tbm=isch&hl=en-us&chips=q:the+time+machine,g_1:book:a1ZBccuUMns%3D&client=safari&prmd=vibn&hl=en-US&ved=2ahUKEwjq8eHNzOTjAhWEkZ4KHZr3BcAQ4lZ6BAgBEBk&biw=414&bih=622#imgrc=RANZU5ZQe97x3M

Bordertown Book Review

Bordertown is unlike any book I’ve ever read, in that it’s a collection of stories of different characters all in Bordertown, written by different authors. It’s a collection of short stories, comic, and poetry. Bordertown is on the border of the real world and where the faries live. Magic is unpredictable, and human, faerie, mixed breed, monsters-where all convene with hopes of a different life and change. 

I thought it was so cool how the stories connected. You could tell they were all in the same place. Even though magic is unpredictable, there are certain landmarks and people that come up in multiple stories. There were a few stories I wasn’t a fan of, but I loved how it was different authors. It really made it feel like different people were telling their story versus one author writing multiple points of view. 

It was definitely a very grungy and 80’s feeling story, even though this book was written in 2011, it felt dated to me, even what people were wearing and how they talked, so I thought that was a bit odd. At times it almost tried too hard, with the nicknames of people, Sparks or Spider, so it felt it was trying too hard to be punk or cool and was a bit stale. 

But all in all it was a really cool book to read. My favorite was a story of a guy who looses his memory, and runs into a woman he thinks is a witch and thinks she curses him. When in reality she is an artist and is just messing with him. He finds out the type of person he is by the way people interact with him, and he decides to stay as he is, this new person so he can start fresh. 

I’d love for this to turn into a tv show. I think it’d be really cool to have each episode a different story. 
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks for reading!

-Bubie

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=bordertown+book&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=nisv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjC-bKZo9PjAhXvFjQIHVRyBQUQ_AUIFigC&biw=414&bih=622#imgrc=4vNbbL1bnmeboM

Nine Stories Review

Nine stories is a collection of short stories from J.D. Salinger. Filled with meaning, symbolism, darkness and human nature; each story showcases a different point of view and different voice. 

I’m not the biggest fan of Salinger, Catcher in the Rye was not a story I enjoyed. And after reading this collection I’m still on the fence. I appreciate and love Salinger’s writing style, but the stories don’t ever leaving me wanting more. I find I am bored throughout until the ending ties it together or has that key bit of information that changes the whole premise of the story I just read, to make it interesting. But it’s hard to wait for the end and throughout I end up wishing it would end.

The stories are dark in nature. Speaking to war and the adjustment of coming home afterwards, innocence, human nature spanning from greed to materialism, to loving someone that’s not there; to even the folly of emotions. The stories are filled with symbolism, but not artistic or beautiful like I might associate with Hawthorne, for example. At times I find the symbolism messy and too obvious. Like one story, where a coach tells his team a story bit by bit, and the story gets darker and sadder as the coach’s relationship comes to an end. I found nothing interesting or new about this. And the team cries when the story is over, and I find it not realistic. It seems over emotional for an end of a relationship. Compare that to another story about a kid talking about how being emotional about death is illogical and basically a waste of time. How one story conveys such emotion and another ridicules it, seems to not fit into the same Salinger world. At the same time I applaud and appreciate the juxtaposition.

It appears I have a love hate relationship with his works. Not something I’m interested in reading again and not something I’m interested in seeing in say, a movie version either. But what do you guys think?

⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks for reading,

Bubie

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=nine+stories+jd+salinger&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=nisv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiL0-3M56_jAhVMuZ4KHSXeAMYQ_AUIFigC&biw=414&bih=622#imgrc=d2Q5CCCU_BmT4M

The Lost World Book Review

Malone is a journalist looking for adventure, something that will prove he’s daring and accomplished to a girl he likes. He finds himself investigating Professor Challenger, who is accused of falsifying photos and evidence to prove the existence of dinosaurs living in South America. A fellow professor, Summerlee, asks challenger to prove his claims. And soon the theee of them, along with Lord Roxton, Are on their way to South America in search of the specimens.

I really enjoyed this book! I love a good adventure story! Reminded me a lot of Jules Verne’s works I was really in love with all the characters. They all felt so real and their interactions with each other, the two professors quarreling, Malone being the non scientific one but athletically able bodied, it was so so much fun to go along the adventure with them. All the creatures they come across come to life, and it feels so real and believable. 

There wasn’t anything I disliked about the story. Other than the time it was written certain ethnic groups are not described in a politically correct way, was the only bother I had. The writing is beautiful and everything progresses at a wonderful pace. If you like adventure stories like Jules Berne’s works, I suggest giving this a read!

Doyle’s love of science shows his respect and admiration for these Jurassic creatures. It’s an adventure story that as a reader you immediately are drawn into. Their propose is entirely just discovery and one professor proving to another one he is right, which is a fun and admirable reason for such a trek. Sometimes adventure stories can be bogged down by revenge, or a hunt, that it looses the real beauty of discovery. 

I really hope they make this into a movie one day! It would be so fun to see it come to life. It even reminded me a bit of the City of Z if anyone has seen that. This is My first read of Doyle’s and I’ll definitely am ready for more!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks for reading,

Bubie

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=the+lost+world+book+doyle&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjPodfXp57jAhUOlJ4KHUBJD8AQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=the+lost+world+book+doyle&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.3..0i24.2806.3512..3687…0.0..0.219.932.0j5j1……0….1………0j0i30j33i299.wrbg0Pk9dCY&ei=tIkfXc_3G46o-gTAkr2ADA&bih=622&biw=414&client=safari&prmd=sinv&hl=en-us#imgrc=flhiY44UFNKH_M

Hunted Book Review

A beauty and the beast retelling, beauty being the nickname of Yeva. She lives in town with her father and three sisters; wanting more time in the forest and the chance to hunt. Unfortunate events lead the family to move to a small cabin in the woods, their money and ties to the city seemingly severed. Yeva is actually kind of happy to get to go back to the cabin, as her father leaves to hunt for food she hunts smaller game. When her father returns he is changed, obsessed, with a creature he has seen in the woods. He says this beast is following him, hunting him. He leaves and doesn’t return. Yeva goes out after him; and runs into the Beast, keeping her trapped in his castle. 

I was excited to read this retelling, I was totally open to it and had not read any retellings yet. I liked the story, it felt more of a story then the fairy tale or Disney version. The relationships are more believeable, I mean how does one fall for a Beast? The story was also mixed with other folklore, which made it interesting in the magic element of it all. 

I guess my only gripe with this story is that it’s a tad slow. There’s not really any point that was the climax or any part that felt like I couldn’t put it down. I also felt like Yeva was a bit stale. She wasn’t a girl I could relate too, or even find much interest in. I was a little torn on how she seemed at times this hunter that didn’t care about animals and other times she was the opposite, like she valued animal life. I guess it was only when she saw human characteristics in the beast to where she didn’t want to hurt/kill him. And the hope she carried to break his spell and that she knew he was more than a beast I enjoyed. 

All in all I thought it was a nice retelling, but not really anything new or so exciting to where I thought it was even better than say the Disney version. Each have its positives and negatives. Hunted is definitely more for older kids/teens to be able to enjoy Beauty and the Beast in a new way. I don’t think it needs a movie remake or anything. But it’s worth reading!
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks for reading!

-Bubie
Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=hunted+book&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=sinv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiojPO_g4TjAhVVBc0KHQ6PA8gQ_AUIFCgC&biw=414&bih=622#imgrc=wFfIEn0qEC1kQM

Reign of Mist Review

This is the sequel to Heart of Mist, which I reviewed as well. I really enjoyed the first book and I enjoyed the second book even more! The story ties together every character’s different struggles and secrets so perfectly. Taking off where the first book left off, a war is brewing. Bleak finds herself in the continent of Oremere, one that supposedly doesn’t exist, covered by the deadly mist. Here, she bands together with a group of rebels, wanting to take down King Arden, who is under the control of Ines, an evil and powerful preistess who has found a way to control the mist. Meanwhile, Henri is looking for aid from an old friend, Eydis. And Commander Swinton and Fiore, find themselves gaurding the Princess, as punishment for their failed mission. But they find themselves intertwined in the brewing battle, and left with a choice on which side to fight on, betray their crown or fight with Henri and Bleak.

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. One thing I loved about the last book was the character development. This book just builds onto that, each character has so many more layers now, more choices, and at some points you don’t know what they will do! At the same point, there is not one character I dislike. Usually there is one or two I find myself rolling my eyes at, but with this book I honestly like and am rooting for every character. That is so rare for me! You really get pulled into their struggles and their point of view, and see where they are coming from in their decisions. What I also like, is there is more character interactions, ones we didn’t see in the last book. Characters are traveling all across the world as sides shift and the war is brewing, and it makes the book fresh and new as we see new relationships bloom.

I’m not the biggest fan of war scenes in books. I feel like so many fantasy series have that, and it’s sort of like the most epic thing to have in a story. However, I like how this battle starts rather quickly, not left to the third book entirely. And you can really see the chain of events that led to the war, it’s not just started out of nowhere. It’s still fresh too, as it’s not just army versus army, we have magic dealers and the mist, which I’m not sure how to defeat that! Plus there is the evil priestess herself Ines to encounter.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy or books with magic elements. I really hope this becomes a TV show soon, the character development would be so great to interpret into that media. I also cannot wait for the sequel, which is set to release later this year. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks for reading!

Bubie

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=reign+of+mist&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=isvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiPl7DV7OHiAhUIslQKHRsbBusQ_AUIEygB&biw=414&bih=622&dpr=3#imgrc=8L4otHNXj8UlmM

Blog Update

Hi everyone! A lot has changed since I started blogging not that long ago. I’ve seen people sort of fade away on here, or other people’s posts becoming more scarce. It’s a bit disheartening to get less feedback then I used to on posts, and although I love writing, the point of a blog is also interaction!

I think I’ll be posting only once a week now, shifting from less makeup and beauty, to more reviews, which are easy and take less time for me to write.

Life can get so busy sometimes! And unfortunately the blog is one of the things I’ll have the minimize time on. Here’s one of the things that has taken up more of my time, our third addition to our puppy pack, Maple! can’t really blame her though, I mean look at that face!

Thanks for reading,

Bubie

Belated Mother’s Day Bark Box Review

I know it’s way past Mother’s Day…but I just received the Mother’s Day Bark Box. There was an error in my order (they sent me the wrong one) so here it is! Luckily the pups don’t know it’s belated!

The first toy was this basket of flowers. Super cute! I think I will save this one for my girl pups birthday as it is later in the month.

A pair of mom jeans! How funny! As always super cute and clever toys from bark box!

The treats for this theme were brunch worthy and the heart chew was a nice addition!

It was a bummer to receive it so late, but the items were super cute and my pups will really enjoy them! If you didn’t know, Bark Box occasionally does special themed boxes which you can gift or buy for yourself with or without a subscription! I’ll be curious to see if they do a Father’s Day Box as well! What did you think of the Mother’s Day items?

Thanks for reading!

-Bubie

Bark box Review!

Hello! It’s June already, and here is the bark box for May! I was out of town the week we usually receive the box, so wasn’t able to open it until I returned. I loved this month’s theme!

The theme is deep sea creatures, and super colorful and fun! The first toy is called Inside Trout, and has the ability to flip inside out to create a new look.

I thought this Jellyfish toy was beyond cute! I know my pup Nuzz will love the fuzzy tentacles!

The last toy we received was Octo Gus. I know the ears will be a chewing focal point! I loved the theme, but wish they switched up the colors a bit. They all look a bit similar.

The treats and chews this month remind me of goldfish crackers, which I thought was so cute for the dogs! My dogs love salmon so it was great to see it included in the treat!

What did you think of this month’s theme?

Thanks for reading!

-Bubie

Heart of Mist Review

This story follows Bleak, a drunk orphan living on a coastal city, with the ability to hear people’s thoughts. She keeps to herself, drinking mutes the thoughts of people she has no control over hearing. Until one day the royal guard from the King’s army come to take her away. She believes it has something to do with her powers, but she doesn’t know exactly what, and the king’s men don’t seem to know either. Along the way, the queen of a warrior race interceps her and takes her back to her kingdom to train. There Bleak learns more about her powers, and its relation to the mist, ever growing and creeping onto the land. Those that go into the mist do not survive, something, some force seems to kill them.

I really enjoyed this book. In the beginning I had a hard time getting interested in any of the characters, but as it went on I became attached and was rooting for all the characters. It’s not every book where I seem to even enjoy some of the secondary characters, there were quite a few of them in this book, but they all had such important parts to play into the story and their connection to each other. I thought it was really clever and the character development was spot on. 

Although the world in which the story exists, doesn’t seem new or different, the elements combined feel refreshing enough to keep me interested. There are moments throughout the story that I find myself so engrossed in their troubles, I forget about the mist! It’s like this larger trouble that is always there and ever encroaching, a problem I have no idea how they will solve, that seems to put their other problems in perspective. Going back to the characters, I feel stories like these, the characters are the most important factor. Bleak, the drunk sailor orphan, is a really refreshing take on a hero. She has her flaws, but she is by no means overly weak or cocky. She acts like a smart and resourceful girl, and that makes her feel more real. It seems every character carries secrets and that’s what makes this story so interesting.

I really hope they make this into a movie or tv show, I think it would get so many fans. I’m also currently reading the sequel! And so excited to get into it. I really recommend this book, it has so many secrets and surprises, it really keeps you interewsted in this world that has a lot of depth. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks for reading!

-Bubie

Photo Credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=heart+of+mist&client=safari&hl=en-us&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjMtvnKmKPiAhVBip4KHUQTBhwQ_AUIEygC&biw=414&bih=622#imgrc=U94unAlLNJdBnM