The Novel Hermit

daydreaming about books

Letters

SINCERELY, CEE | A letter from yours truly to Agnes and the Hitman

Comment : 1

sincerelycee-agnes

Dear Agnes,

What is going on with your life? It’s an absolute circus (and I’m sure you’d agree with me on this one).

Your life is totally unappealing to me. I would’ve taken the first bus out of your life (if y’know there was one). Instead, I had my hand hovering over the “fast forward” button because when I was one-fourth into the book, I found myself annoyed with everything — the characters, the plot, the characters, the plot. (Can you see a pattern?) I wanted to speed through your life, and maybe that wasn’t a good idea since your life was already like a treadmill, getting increasingly faster as it went on.

I don’t understand how you put up with everything that happened to you and to everyone around you. You’re dealing with people who are trying to kill you because they want your dog; ex-mobsters and a hitman trying to take care of you; your temper which makes you a little frying pan-crazy; a really shitty ex-fiancee who has an alternate reason why he’s with you; batshit crazy Brenda (your best friend’s mother) who sabotages everything in your life so she can get back Two Rivers (her former house) even though she agreed to sell it to you; a wedding that you’re helping to plan (which is on the verge of collapsing); flamingos that are running amuck; and a whole lot of other problems that continue to pile up.

Everything that could go wrong did. I just couldn’t keep up with it all. I was so stressed for you. It baffled me and it was fucking absurd. Did I believe everything that happened to you? Not really. I get that you’re the main character of a romantic comedy, but goddamnit, everything is a ~messsss.

Imagine this: a chicken with its head chopped over, running aimlessly and trying to figure out where it is. That’s me. I would’ve enjoyed you and your life if I hadn’t been totally lost, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

But hey, I did like all the food talk. It made me quite famish.

Sincerely,

cee

Holy Mother Cover

JUDG(ING) A BOOK BY ITS COVER | The case of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Comments : 15

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Inspired by Pure Imagination Blog and Stacked.

Let’s be honest, nobody follows the age-old cliché that tells us not to judge a book by its covers. If you say you do, I am side-eying you. Book covers are the first thing that attracts any of us readers to a book. Before you pick up a book, the cover can essentially make or break a book. If I don’t like a cover design, I won’t pick it up. Lucky for us, publishing companies publish different cover designs, especially when a paperback book comes out. Sometimes we like it, sometimes we don’t. Let’s discuss these cover changes, shall we?

Today, we look at the cover of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi!

I am a bit creeped out by both covers (in sort of a bad and a good way). Hands and eye. Keep that in mind. ;D

Covers of girls in dresses make me yawn, and Shatter Me is one of them. I do like covers with girls in dresses, but only if the dress is gorgeous. Unfortunately, the white dress on this cover is not because of the weird puffs at her hips. Is the dress designed to have puffs? Or is she holding the front of her dress up???  I am mildly creeped out that you can’t see her hands. WHERE ARE HER HANDS?? I keep entertaining the thought that the puffs are pom poms (but obviously, cheerleaders aren’t a thing in this book).

I do like the background. It looks like a million broken pieces of a mirror shooting at her. It’s kind of awesome. I also like that the title is shattered (pun totally intended). It’s almost like a strike across the words (similar to the tagline at the top).

Now, the paperback cover of Shatter Me intrigues me. Eyes are generally creepy and awesome if it’s created beautifully. And guess what, the eye on this cover is insanely gorgeous. (I’m secretly glad that the eye isn’t staring straight at me because hello, nightmares!) I love the way that the eyelashes are shaped into tree branches. It’s quite eerie and pretty. And that waterfall coming from her eye, ahhhh. Beautttiiffuuulllll. I love it when you can see a reflection in the eyes. Here, you can see a bird here. (I don’t quite know the significance of it since I never finished the book, but it should be important, right?) I just really appreciate the detail that the designer put into the eye.

Which cover design do you prefer? Is there anything you would change in it?

Waiting on Wednesday

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY | Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Comments : 5

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Waiting On is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Marissa Meyer - CressCress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
February 4, 2014
Feiwel & Friends
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  The Book Depository

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Why I’m waiting?

I AM DESPERATE FOR THIS BOOK BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW IF MY BABIES ARE OKAY.

After Kelly told me something not happy happening to Scarlet and Wolf, I’m sooo on edge. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT’S UP. Like nooooooow. Also, we get to meet Cress! I already love her from the snippets we saw of her in Scarlet. I can’t wait to see the interactions between her and the rest of the crew. I hope I love her as much as I love Scarlet.

What books are you waiting for?

Typography

YOU’RE JUST MY TYPE | Debut {1}

Comments : 20

I love fonts. You can say I’m obsessed with collecting them all. It’s no secret to those who know me. You’re Just My Type is a new feature where I showcase the fonts I absolutely adore and use. And hopefully, you will love the fonts I pick. 

Designed by Vernon Adams of New Typography.

Amatic is my obsession. I have a tight leash around it because I love it and I don’t want my love to go away!

I don’t if you have noticed, but I use it on every banner and card I’ve made since I found the font back in November. (Friends can vouch for this.) Something about this font does it for me. I can’t pinpoint the reason why and I can’t even describe it. All I am able to say is I love it just because. That’s it. Do I need any more reason than that? Nope. I love what I love.

Designed by Claude.

I want a crown made of flowers because of Fleurs de Liane! I shall wear it and declare myself Queen of the Flower Fonts! Flower petals will fall from the heavens and I will laugh in delight!

Isn’t it gorgeous? I didn’t discover this font until this post, but what a find! Look at it! It’s so pretty! I love the way the flowers wrap around to shape the words. When I look at this font, I wish I had flower petals so I can toss them around. (I secretly wish I was a flower girl.) It makes me happy because floweeerrrsss.

Designed by Jenna Sue.

Jenna Sue is everything I wish my handwriting to be. It’s pretty and cute. I am quite envious of it because my handwriting is sloppy compared to this. Sometimes, when I’m writing, I have the urge to scold my handwriting, “why can’t you look like that?” while I gesture to Jenna Sue. C’mon, look at those flawless loops.

This font is absolutely perfect for any personal projects you have or to trick your friends thinking this is your handwriting when you actually have a non-readable one. (If you do the latter, my mouth is zipped. ;D)

Designed by Josip Kelava.

Metropolis comes from the industrial movement of the 1920′s where skyscrapers where born. “Using a double line technique, I wanted to create my own Art Deco style font that represented this era. The result is a bold, bumptious typeface with a stolidly calm disposition.”1

When you look at this font, tell me you thought of The Great Gatsby too. It’s that art deco influence, ya’ll! Every time I look at it, I can’t help but sing “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)” by Fergie. (Out of all the songs, that one is stuck in my head. *shakes head*) Can you just imagine the 1920s parties? Flapper dresses, the short bobs, the music, and the dancing. I have a soft spot for the 1920s because it was all so glamorous (and a bit depressing). And Metropolis exudes that 1920s feel.

This font isn’t the best for typing up sentences, but it’s perfect for titles. You can use it to get that 1920s vintage art deco feel on posters.

Designed by Tension Type.

Haven’t you ever dreamt of owning a typewriter? I know I did! (I had one, but I’m pretty sure it broke or it got too expensive to upkeep. :( ) My Underwood is so great. You can pretend you’re in the 1940s, hunched over your typewriter, trying to complete a newspaper article while your boss is yelling across the room for you to finish and your co-workers are smoking cigars and not answering the ringing telephones. I’d want to write an epic murder story with this font while I fast-talk like people did back then. (I dare you to not read this entire thing like those fast-talkers. ;D)

Unfortunately, you don’t get the clickety clack typewriter sound with this font, but never fear! I’m sure you can imagine it (and I’m pretty sure there’s a website for the sound).

What do you think of this new feature? Do you like the commentary?

I’m pretty content on how this post is structured. However, everything can change because it isn’t set in stone. I know I should have a theme, but I hate doing theme-type things. If I put similar looking fonts together, it all begins to all look the same, and I want to give you variety! I want to do posts where I showcase a paid font and the free alternatives, but I am totally not great at finding those. :P

If you have suggestions of how I should structure them or any constructive feedback, please tell me. I am open to all ideas! Please give me feedback over on this form. :)

Reviews

REVIEW | I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Comments : 5

Ally Carter - GG1I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1)

by Ally Carter
May 1, 2006
Disney Hyperion
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it’s really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real “pavement artist”-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she’s on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

borderscribble

First sentence: “I suppose a lot of teenage girls feel invisible sometimes, like they just disappear.”

borderscribble

I have Shelly of Readiculous Reads (isn’t that name just pun-tastic?!) with me to discuss and review I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You, the first Gallagher Girls book.

Read More

Letters

SINCERELY, CEE | A letter from yours truly to One Day by David Nicholls

Comments : 10

sincerelycee-oneday

Dear One Day,

Hey, remember that time I read you and I wailed at the injustice that happened to your characters? You are a pretty big asshole, you know that? No? You don’t remember? I’m sure. (Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice?)

I shouldn’t like you and your cliché romance, but I CAN’T HELP IT. (You can say I read you for purely shallow reasons. I wanted a romance book that I can breeze through fairly quickly.)

I’m a big romantic at heart. I love a good romance that utterly wrenches my heart, and Dexter and Emma kind of have that? (Y’know if you excuse their stereotypical characteristics and stuff, which I can do sometimes when I’m not looking for any “deep” content.) They’ve been friends since the day they graduated college. They can’t help but rely on each other. I like that a lot. I really enjoy the slow-build of their relationship and their bantering. Long-term friends becoming more always do weird things to my heart. (It’s like a fish got stuck in my heart and is flopping around because there’s no water for it to swim in.)

You do not know how many times I squealed whenever Dexter would think of Emma. Every time he did something extremely asshole-ish/douche-y, I wanted to yell at him. “Don’t be stupid, Dexter. Just tell her!” He’s not my favorite leading man because he’s not the greatest person, but I guess that gives him a sort of realism, right? Despite that, my heart does a weird flop when I read about his dependence on Emma. She’s his rock. I like that he needs her. He’s a better person when she’s around, and yes, I’m pretty sure I’m quoting you, but it’s true!

At the same time, I think Emma could do better. I’m pretty sure if she and Dexter had never met, she would’ve been fine without him. (That’s an absolute fact.) And she did, for a certain time. She excelled while Dexter declined. I feel conflicted because I like them together and the whole “the love of my life was already by my side all along and I just never realized it until now,” but they are really polar opposites, which is why it works for me? They provide things to each other that the other doesn’t have.

I love that we, the readers, get to peer into a single day of their lives. I like seeing their growth (both individually and together) and not knowing what happens in their lives prior and after July 15th. It works.

But you know what didn’t work? The ending. It was such a cop-out and totally unbelievable. Sure, it wasn’t an entirely cliche ending because it wasn’t a happily ever after, but it became unnecessarily dramatic. It was very much a Nicholas Spark move by throwing this twist, and I, for one, did not care for that at all. The ending might have pulled at my heartstrings a bit, but that didn’t mean anything. If I could, I would show you the utter look of disgust on my face when I read it. Just what the fuck.

One Day, you were good. You could’ve been great though. I still think you are. I would’ve thought you were fucking awesome if there was more to the characters and if the ending wasn’t a pile of shit. I know we can’t always have a happily ever after, but goddamn it.

Sincerely,

cee