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Kayla's Only Heart

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Tag Archives: thriller

Top 10 Books I Read in 2018

01 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

2018, A.J. Finn, angst, Anne of Green Gables, authentic, best of, books, career, Christian fiction, Circe, classic, connection, dreams, faith, family, Fiercehearted, Greek mythology, growth, healing, high school, Holly Gerth, How to Walk Away, imagination, innocence, isolation, Jenny Han, Katherine Center, kindness, L.M. Montgomery, literature, Madeline Miller, Maggie O'Farrell, mental health, mystery, obstacles, opportunities, perspective, progress, R.J. Palacio, Rachel Hauck, relationships, resiliency, strength, The Woman in the Window, The Writing Desk, This Must Be the Place, thriller, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, wonder, YA

Happy New Year! As we begin a fresh calendar year, I want to share my top reads from 2018. That way we can start our reading lists with good titles and a reminder of the plethora of wonderful reads awaiting us.

 

  1. How to Walk Away by Katherine Center: This book follows a woman my age as she finishes her MBA program. As she anticipates starting her new job and accepting her fiancé’s proposal, her dreams literally go up in flames in a plane crash. Margaret must learn to heal physically, emotionally and mentally as she learns a new way of life and builds new dreams. Talk about a reminder of human resiliency. This book demonstrates hope and holds a wonderful sweetness.
  2. Wonder by R.J. Palacio: This read also reminds readers of human strength. It proves the power of kindness, especially in small actions. Little boy August constantly deals with obstacles in life, some seen by others and some not. He faces ridicule and misunderstanding by his peers, but he maintains strength in character. I highly recommend to readers of all ages as we all need to show more kindness.
  3. This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell: A complicated family tale, this story delves into the depths of familial relationships. Daniel Sullivan encounters tragedy and triumph as he navigates his life and looks back on his mistakes and accomplishments. Through it all, we see the core of a family and how it holds together, sometimes in unexpected ways.
  4. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: This YA gem hits the mark! It makes such a sweet, fun story, and it even introduces a character with a Korean background. Not to mention, it involves a teenage girl with admirable qualities (I find it especially refreshing to see a realistic and innocent perspective on sex). The book takes you to the thrills of high school while also exploring the angst and growth experienced during that sometimes tumultuous time. *The movie did a great job capturing all this on screen too. I’d consider Peter for a Valentine nominee this year.
  5. The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck: This has introduced me to Hauck, and I wholeheartedly look forward to reading more of her books (I have a couple in my birthday book stack). The story goes back and forth in time between two young women embarking on writing careers and struggling to find mutual understanding with their mothers. Each one faces obstacles and yearns to stay true to her values and to develop her faith. The issues are relatable, and the women likeable.
  6. Circe by Madeline Miller: Circe serves as my pleasant surprise for the year. Getting my first deeper look into Greek mythology, I find myself more interested after reading this book. The themes of isolation, abandonment, love, connection and more play out in unique ways. I have enjoyed getting pulled into such a different story and learning some of the characters’ background.
  7. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn: Finn’s debut also goes outside my typical realm as it fits into the mystery/thriller category. However, to my appreciation, this book doesn’t involve gory violence or other sick scenarios. In an homage to Hitchcock style movies, it explores the real pitfalls of isolation and mental health. It sends a positive message of the importance of connection. Now I want to watch some of the movies that inspired Finn.
  8. Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center: A release coming later this year, Center’s next book continues her sweet stories with positive outlooks. It explores building new relationships and forgiving people who have caused significant harm. Again, it reminds us of the power of human connection and a strength and hope to move forward.
  9. Fiercehearted by Holley Gerth: Gerth feels like a kindred spirit in her devotional style book with short chapters. Each anecdote carries such an authentic tone, and she has a unique perspective always open to learning. Seemingly ordinary details in life become opportunities to grow. She reminds me that God speaks to us at all times, willing to guide us at every step.
  10. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery: I can now say I’ve read this classic, and I love it. Anne has such a contagious positive outlook on life. Orphaned and learning from her adoptive mom Marilla how to lead a more civilized life, Anne’s imagination both gets her into trouble and keeps her head up. She takes her lessons in stride and makes so much progress.

 

Cheers to another great year of reading!

3 Movies, 3 Books and 2 Songs: Halloween without the Scares

26 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in Uncategorized

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Tags

blink-182, books, Dracula, Edward Scissorhands, entertainment, fall, Frankenstein, Halloween, I Miss You, Isaac Marion, Michael Jackson, movies, pop culture, reading, Stranger Things, The Rules of Magic, thriller, Twilight, Warm Bodies, weekend

Even though Halloween ranks last on my list of favorite holidays, it does fall during my favorite season. I do find it fun to participate in the seasonal festivities. In honor of that, I’ve created a list of suitable Halloween themed entertainment that fits the theme without including a scare factor. Consider these movies, books and songs for the upcoming weekend and holiday.

 

Movies

  • Edward Scissorhands: Despite the seemingly eerie, Frankenstein-like concept of Johnny Depp’s character having large scissors for hands, this story explores the scary consequences of fearing differences or unknown. Kind hearted Edward enters a new community and navigates interactions with neighbors as they respond differently to the newcomer. Winona Ryder’s character’s family welcomes them into their home and provides some romantic intrigue.
  • Warm Bodies: This movie also tackles the treatment of those considered different. It has the added bonus of being a zombie story following the love saga of Romeo and Juliet. The main walking dead character goes by R, and he meets Juliet and attempts to get her to safety. As Juliet figures out that R somehow has some humanity left, she works to uncover the rest of R’s name and details. I love this movie. It has a great story, awesome soundtrack and a beating heart.

Bonus: The third book installment by Isaac Marion releases in a few weeks.

  • Twilight: What falls under the Halloween category better than vampires? This year also marks the 10 year anniversary of the release of the movie. Again, this movie follows a forbidden love story and focuses more on the romance and friendships than horror. This vampire clan doesn’t even feed on humans.

 

Books

  • Dracula by Bram Stoker: I’m currently reading this for the first time. This classic text begins the vampire legacy and introduces Count Dracula. Though it may venture more into the scary realm, I look forward to learning more about the vampire lore. Something tells me it differs a bit from what we see in the Twilight Saga. Also, the diary entries end on November 6, the same day Stranger Things begins in 1983.
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: This classic story celebrates its 200 year publication anniversary. Where Dracula shares the first background of vampires, Frankenstein serves as part of science fiction’s development as Victor Frankenstein conducts his famous experiment. Perhaps the inspiration for Edward Scissorhands, this book depicts a scarier outcome from an experiment resulting in a creature.
  • The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman: My best friend and I have chosen this prequel to Practical Magic as our fall themed buddy read. This story maintains the light hearted and romantic vibe from Practical Magic as it follows three young siblings coming of age. Growing up feeling different but having the truth avoided by their parents, they finally learn their heritage. Part of that involves a curse that hurts anyone who loves them, and the teens must decide how to navigate their identity and their choices.

Music

 

“Thriller” by Michael Jackson

This song captures 80s pop culture as much as it does Michael Jackson’s rise as the King of Pop. Fun rather than scary, the hit has pep and even includes its own zombie inspired dance. It also makes a perfect background song for the Stranger Things 2 trailer, a modern cultural phenomenon showcasing the 80s that released Halloween weekend last year.

 

“I Miss You” by blink-182

This song has the lyrics and the video to capture the more emo side of Halloween. The music video takes place what could represent Dracula’s castle and its eerie outskirts, including a graveyard. The song mentions nightmares and references Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. It even uses a simile comparing a spider eating insects caught in its web to relational angst as they sing, “like the webs from all the spiders/ catching things and eating their insides/ like my indecision to call you…” Oh, how I miss the teenage years when I first heard this song.

 

Book Review: Two Girls Down

15 Saturday Sep 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Uncategorized

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Tags

book review, bookish, books, Louisa Luna, mystery, thriller, two girls down

I recently read Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna, a mystery book out of the norm of my usual reads. While the story kept me engaged with a desire to know what happened to the kidnapped girls, it did not leave any lasting impression. The characters did not have a lot of depth; they also did not grow or learn much. By the end of the story, the events got more perverse. It seemed like it went for more of a shock value than any nuance in human behavior. I enjoyed the mystery to an extent, but I noticed better books exist in this realm. This one will not stay on my bookshelf.

See Me Sparks a Last Place Spot

10 Saturday Dec 2016

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Uncategorized

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book, book review, books, career, characters, comfort, family, life, love, mystery, Nicholas Sparks, read, reading, romance, See Me, suspense, thriller, writing

I recently finished reading Nicholas Sparks’ second newest novel See Me. Though I consider myself a big Sparks fan, I did not enjoy this story nearly as much as his other books. Seeing him write a story with a greater thriller aspect showed a range in his talents, but the story didn’t get as deep as usual.

The characters were in their mid twenties like me, and I wouldn’t have guessed that. Colin attending college classes gives him a younger aspect, but Maria didn’t seem to hold many similarities to me or any of my friends my age. Unlike most of us, she got right into a good career track and in law, a tough field. To top off the two dimensional characters, the suspense had hit and miss elements. The mystery itself for the stalker had its strength and would have fit into the thriller genre as far as I can tell since I don’t read many books in that genre. However, it took multiple paragraphs to get to an assailant sneaking up to Maria. Even I knew the forthcoming action and didn’t feel added suspense waiting those extra descriptive paragraphs just for the actual event.

I still enjoyed the book and still love Sparks. This book just might rank last in all the ones I’ve read. I suppose one has to land there. It shows Sparks can flex his writing muscles in genres outside love stories, and it demonstrated the power of a close knit family (Maria’s) and how people and look out for and comfort each other.

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