Molly's Music: Entry 2

It's been a while since I've written a music-related post here on my blog, so I thought that it would be an opportune time to share some of the songs that I've been listening to lately. Enjoy my list, and feel free to share some of your own current favorites in the comment section, I'd love to give them a listen!

Stateless - Bloodstream:
This slow, melodic song by the alternative rock band Stateless was introduced to me via Kawehi's cover on YouTube. It's a great song to listen to right before you fall asleep; it kind of puts you in a trance.


CHVRCHES - Playing Dead:
I've been a fan of CHVRCHES' music for a while, and liked this song from the first time I heard it play on my Pandora station. It's not one of the band's more well-known songs, but it should be!


Sofi de la Torre - Give Up At 2:
I just discovered this song a few days ago, again via my Pandora station. It's a slower song, very reminiscent of contemporary R&B singer Banks. If you're looking to add a unique-sounding musician to your musical repertoire, it's worth a listen.


Flesh Without Blood - Grimes:
I discovered the musician Grimes through her song Realiti, and although this newest song of hers doesn't quite add up (in my opinion) it's still pretty catchy.

Book Review: Dead To You

I know, yet another book review. What can I say, I've been quite the bookworm lately. My most recent read has been Lisa McMann's young adult thriller Dead To You. Overall I felt that this book had a mix of both good and bad elements, and I wanted to share my thoughts with anyone thinking about giving this book a read.
To give a quick overview of the plot of Dead To You, it begins with sixteen year old Ethan arriving at a train station. Having been abducted and missing since the age of seven, he is meeting his family for the first time in nine years. At first things go relatively well with his new family, and everyone is begining to adjust to his reappearance in their lives. But when something comes to light, something that Ethan can't deny because of his poor memory of his past, the truth of the events surrounding Ethan's identity are exposed for what they really are.
Overall this book was enjoyable to read and kept me interested from start to finish. Having read another one of McMann's books before, Cryer's Cross, I have found that she is really adept at writing page turners. The chapters were short and always ended with me wanting to know more, so I would just keep reading and reading. I also liked the characters in this book; they were all dynamic and interesting in their own ways. I didn't find myself singling out any one character as the "bad guy" or the "good guy," not even Ethan's vexed younger brother Blake who treats him terribly. I simply saw him as a teenager trying to deal with a big adjustment in his family.
There are a few cons with Dead You You as well. Namely I want to point out that it took a long time for the plot twist to become apparent to the reader. This book is still a good read before its storyline takes an unexpected turn, but I wish that this twist had come a bit sooner in the book. Because of this, I don't really see this book as much of a thriller, but more of an account of Blake's personal story. The other somewhat negative aspect of Dead To You [minor spoiler: is that it has a cliffhanger ending. If you typically don't like loose ends left in the final pages of a book, do not read Dead To You. It leaves a lot left to the imagination of the reader as to what happens next.]
So ultimately I walked away from Dead To You pleased with what I read. This book definitely occupied much of my time over the past several days, and it's a fast read that will suck you in and spit you out only until you finish reading. However, there were enough negative elements that would keep me from recommending this book to everyone. If you enjoy young adult books that have elements of psychological thriller, suspense, and even a bit of romance, then this book is probably for you. Otherwise, I'd advise you to pass on this read.
Author: Lisa McMann
Genre: Psychological thriller/YA

Pages: 243

Year Published: 2012

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Book Review: The Girl On The Train

The Girl on the Train is a book that I've been meaning to read for a while now, as I have seen it listed on several book lists floating around on the internet. Basically, it seemed that a lot of hype was surrounding this book and I wanted to see if it lived up to what people were saying about it. Overall, I can say that this was a very thrilling book to read, and it managed to hold my interest and keep me on the edge of my seat through the entirety of the plot.
First, I'll give a brief summary of The Girl on the Train. The book begins by introducing you to the character of Rachel, a divorced and jobless woman with a drinking problem. She spends much of her time riding the commuter train between her home and London, and every day she looks out the window at the same couple who are always outside on their deck. She paints them as the "perfect couple" in her head, and even nicknames then Jason and Jess. But one day Rachel sees something shocking happening on the deck, and suddenly finds herself caught up in a massive mystery that reveals the truth behind this flawless duo and everyone involved in their life.
I will admit that when I first picked this book up to read it, I was fairly skeptical as to how good it was going to be. However, it turns out that The Girl on the Train has a lot going for it. First of all, Hawkins does a fantastic job creating a plot that very quickly engrossed me. It only took a few pages of reading before I found myself very interested in what was happening. To put it simply, this book is a real page-turner, and I found myself thinking about what might happen later on in the book when I wasn't reading it. The Girl on the Train is also written very well; I like how the commentary switches between characters (Rachel, Megan, and Anna), and the author is very deft at descriptive writing. She gets in the heads of her characters, and creates a cinematic setting where the plot unfolds.
Overall I thought that The Girl on the Train was a very entertaining and thrilling work of fiction. However, there were some things that fell short for me. The first is that every single character in this book I just wanted to slap, to be blunt. Every main character is equally unlikable, and I found myself shaking my head at their ridiculous antics throughout the book. The other negative note that I want to mention is that the last quarter of The Girl on the Train lost me a bit. The majority of the book, especially towards the begining, was masterful at pulling me into the plot and I found myself constantly wanting to know what happens next. However, towards the end when the storyline starts to become clear to the reader, it almost became too over the top and simply was too unbelievable to connect with. I felt that this book quickly deescalated from being a really good thriller to an exaggerated, overblown and almost comical novel.
Ultimately, I found myself torn on what to rate this book. I came so close to giving it 3 out of 5 stars, but in the end I opted to give it 4 simply because it's just so addictive. It's a speedy book to read; despite its over 300 pages in length, I guarantee you'll blow through it in a few days. I would highly recommend this book if you typically enjoy thrillers, and even if you don't I think it's at least worth a read.
Author: Paula Hawkins
Genre: Mystery/thriller

Pages: 323

Year Published: 2015

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Book Review: Buried

I've been really getting into reading a lot more lately, and so after finishing MacCready's book Buried I felt compelled to write a review for it.
Buried introduces you to the character of Claudine, a teenager living in Maine and suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder from living with her untidy alcoholic mother. After her mother goes missing, Claudine begins to wonder where she could have gone. Her OCD begins to spiral out of control, and she must face the harsh reality of the truth that she has always tried so hard to conceal.
Overall, I found Buried to be a very solid read. By this, I mean that it kept me engaged and interested in the characters and the storyline of the book. I will admit that it took me several chapters to really get into this book, but was pleasantly surprised with how much I was invested in it by the end.
One thing that I really liked about this book is that it's main focus is on the character of Claudine. She is the only person that you really get to know, and this makes it easier to see her bizarre obsessions involving her OCD as normal. You're not an outsider looking at her; this book gets into the mind of Claudine. I also loved the setting of this book, and feel that the author did a really good job of evoking it in my imagination. Everything, from the New England beaches and desolate coastline of Maine to the hurricane that comes ripping through Claudine's hometown just perfectly suit the feel of this book.
In terms of what I didn't like, there are a few elements that didn't work for me personally. One is that, as I mentioned before, the plot took some time to build when I first started reading the book. I had to read several chapters before I began to get invested in what was happening to the characters in Buried. The other negative that this book has is that even after I began to get into the plot, I still didn't feel completely lost in the story unfolding. It held my attention, but didn't have the magic that some other books do of really sucking me into another world unfolding in my mind. Was I interested in the story and the characters? Yes. But this doesn't mean that I lost myself to the author's written world.
Overall, I found Buried to be a great Young Adult read that delves into the mindset of what it's like living with a mental illness like OCD. It also serves as a snapshot into the life of teenagers that share a home with a loved one who is an alcoholic. It's not an A+ book in my opinion, but it is certainly worthy of your time if you typically enjoy books of a similar genre.
Author: Robin Merrow MacCready
Genre: Psychological thriller/mental illness/YA

Pages: 198

Year Published: 2006

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Book Review: A Thousand Miles To Freedom

I just recently finished reading Eunsun Kim's autobiography A Thousand Miles To Freedom. I was first introduced to this book through this National Geographic article and was compelled to read the entire book myself. Overall, I found it to be an incredibly eye-opening read that introduced me to a topic that I didn't know a lot about.
A Thousand Miles To Freedom tells the story of how author Eunsun Kim, at the young age of 11, escaped the country of North Korea with her older sister and mother. More than simply an escape, Kim's harrowing journey takes her across China and Mongolia, through many hardships and perils, and takes many years to complete.
Now getting into my review, I want to start with what I didn't like as much about this book. The two main points that I want to make is first that parts of the book I personally didn't find overly interesting to read. The story detailing Kim's escape from North Korea was quite riveting, but the occasional flash forwards detailing her recent pursuits and current life in South Korea I thought were slightly dull. The second negative about A Thousand Miles To Freedom is that some parts of it are written with little substance. By this, I simply mean that sometimes certain sentences are short, and simple descriptive words are used. I actually feel bad critiquing this part of the book because I understand that the author is not a native English speaker, and so the English writing is not going to be on a level of brilliance.
Now onto the positives, because overall A Thousand Miles To Freedom was a really good book that I actually feel bad critiquing! The biggest thing going for this book is that it tells a stunning story of a young girl's journey, a story that few have told or written about before. It provides a window into the lives of people living in North Korea, and what the people who choose to escape this country go through. In addition to the story, I also enjoyed the voice of the author. She is relatable and doesn't at all evoke a tone of superiority through her writing. You may expect someone who has endured so much hardship and survived, and gone on to write a book to be a bit cocky, but on the contrary Kim comes of as being very humble and gracious in the pages of her book.
All in all, A Thousand Miles To Freedom was a good read and told of a world completely unknown to me. Although it may not be the best book I have read, I would certainly recommend it if you enjoy nonfictional stories about people and their lives. It will certainly give you a new outlook on life, and hopefully it will help inspire all of us to make this world a better and more peaceful place.
Author: Eunsun Kim
Genre: Autobiography/memoir

Pages: 228

Year Published: 2015

My Rating: ★★★☆☆