Author: elishasbookreview

I am just a 30 something trying to figure out how to survive in this crazy world. I want to share my love of reading with everyone! I want to introduce people to some underrated or unknown authors. I also blog about other media I consume such as TV, Movies, Podcasts, and Video Games.
Posted in Bite-Sized Reviews, Book Reviews, Manga, Marvel Comics, Novels, Personal Blogs

Better Late Than Never: the books I read in 2023 so far

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I know it’s been awhile since I posted a review or even an update. I have been struggling with writing the blog posts. I would get the spark and type out a couple of paragraphs and as I’m rereading it to check for mistakes I would have negative thoughts about what I just wrote. It’s frustrating and discouraging.

Well I’ve been keeping a notebook full of the books I’ve read, how I rated the books, some brief thoughts, and finally how long it took me to finish the book. Now I would like to share my five star reads of the year so far.

  • The Flintstones: The Deluxe Edition by Mark Russell – this graphic novel gives us a new take on the classic cartoon. I heard about this from one of the YouTubers I watch, and I’m glad I checked this collection out.
  • Black Panther vs. Deadpool by Multiple Authors – I loved the art style of this comic, each panel looked like it came off a storyboard. Black Panther and Deadpool are polar opposites of each other when it comes to their sense of what’s right and wrong. I actually found their philosophy discussions entertaining, but I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
  • Cat Massage Therapy Vol. 2 by Haru Hisakawa – I don’t care that there’s barely any plot in these books, it’s a story about cats who run a massage parlor in Japan and the friends and clients they meet. Even as I’m typing this I have the next volume on my nightstand ready to be devoured.
  • Strange Vol. 1: I Belong to Death by Jed McKay – This is a follow-up to the Death of Doctor Strange story where Doctor Strange’s wife Clea takes over as the Sorcerer Supreme for Earth even though she is already the Sorcerer Supreme for the dark dimension. I loved how relatable Clea is, she is dedicated to her deceased husband’s wishes as well as how protective she is over the areas she’s meant to protect. Can’t wait to read volume 2 which is also on my nightstand.

Well, that’s my list of 5 star reads so far for 2023. I hope to be posting more reviews and updates as the year goes on. Hope you have a great day!

Posted in Bite-Sized Reviews, Book Reviews, Discussions, Personal Blogs, Rapid Reviews

2022 in Review

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I don’t know if anyone else had a rough year, but for me and my household, it was a rough year. We had to kick out a roommate who had been causing a lot of headache and trouble. I was out of work, and we struggled up until I finally got hired back to a company I’ve worked for previously,

Now enough of real world stuff, let’s get into some book stats!

Overall of 2022, I read 82 books! That broke my record of any count of most read books per year! All the way back in 2018 I read 72 books. So I’m looking forward to destroying this goal in the coming year!

Now, let’s talk about top books/series I read this year. I kind of hit a hard dry spell in the last few months when it came to posting a reviewing books. However, I plan on coming to 2023 in full force! At least, that’s the goal anyway. So now for the favorites list!

  • Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldtree- This was a cute and fun adventure that didn’t involve fighting dragons, or chasing after a mad wizard. The most difficult thing they do is start a café in a town that didn’t know what coffee was.
  • Doctor Who: Scratchman by Tom Baker and James Goss- I would recommend this Doctor Who spinoff for both Classic and New Doctor Who fans. When the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Harry land on a strange farm, and things aren’t quite right, it’s up to The Doctor and his companions to get down to the truth.
  • The Last One by Alexandra Oliva- I found this on a recommendation list for survival stories. This one sounded unique so I decided to check it out, and even though it might not be as gruesome as The Troop by Nick Cutter, but I still think about The Last One from time to time. This a fantastic take on survival horror that doesn’t depend on gruesome details to keep you on the edge of your seat. All you need is a girl lost in the woods with broken glasses, and there’s your intro to The Last One.
  • Sakamoto Days Vol 1-4 by Yuto Suzuki- Now, I will admit this isn’t a new trope we’ve seen in manga. Way of the Househusband is the first to come to mind that uses this trope. However, what makes Sakamoto Days different is how Mr. Sakamoto got fat after retiring from the assassin world. However, even though we weighs an extra 100 pounds or so, he still knows how to kick butt like nobody’s business! This series is full of heart and humor, so this comes as a high recommendation for manga fans.
  • Rooster Fighter Vol 1-2 by Shu Sakuratani- I found this manga series from browsing Amazon, and it has quickly become one of my favorites manga series this year. It’s about a lone rooster who’s fighting kaiju not only to save the humans in harm’s way, but to seek out the kaiju that killed his sister. He makes friends along the way, and whether he admits or not he appreciates his friends dearly. Volume 3 is coming out next month and I’m hoping to read it as soon as it comes out! This series is funny and action packed.

That’s my favorite reads of 2022 in no particular order, of course out of all the books I read last year I struggled with picking just five books/series. Let’s hope 2023 is filled with more to read other than just graphic novels.

Hope you had a safe and fun celebration, here’s to 2023!

Posted in Personal Blogs

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! I understand that the holidays can be a difficult time for some people, but no matter what you do today, I hope you have fun doing it.

Posted in Book Reviews

Happy Halloween!

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I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween this year! Looking forward to more spooky reads in the coming year!

Posted in Book Reviews, Novels

REVIEW: Till We Become Monsters by Amanda Headlee

Posted on by elishasbookreview

*No Major Spoilers*

Monsters exist and Korin Perrin knew this as truth because his grandmother told him so. Korin, raised in the shadow of his older brother Davis, is an imaginative child who believes his brother is a monster. After the death of their grandmother, seven-year-old Korin, blaming Davis for her demise, tries to kill him. Sixteen years following the attempt on Davis’ life, racked with guilt, Korin comes to terms with the fact that Davis may not be the one who is the monster after all.

Past wrongs needing to be righted, Korin agrees to a hunting trip with his brother and father. But they, along with two friends, never make it to their destination. An accident along the way separates the hunters in the dark forests of Minnesota during the threat of an oncoming blizzard. As the stranded hunters search for each other and safety, an ancient evil wakes.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I am a big fan of cryptids and other mythological creatures. Since I live in Oklahoma which may not be the epicenter of Bigfoot sightings, this state does have more than a few known Bigfoot hunting grounds. However, there is no Bigfoot in this story, Till We Become Monsters is focused on the Wendigo.

For those unfamiliar with the Indigenous Peoples’ Mythologies, a Wendigo is a creature that is created from the dire straits people in the northern areas can find themselves in if they get caught in a snowstorm unprepared. They say once someone gets a taste of human blood, the never-ending hunger grows and morphs the person into a monster.

Back to the book, we meet Korin who we watch grow up feeling emotionally neglected by his parents. His big brother Davis has both of his parents’ attention and love throughout childhood and into adulthood. Seeing the events from mostly Korin’s perspective makes you feel bad for him.

“We never know how far we have fallen until we become monsters.”

Amanda Headlee; Till We Become Monsters

After about halfway into the book, we see Korin’s childhood from both parents’ and Davis’ perspectives. It doesn’t negate how his parents neglected Korin and that they spoiled Davis to the point where the whole family dynamic is toxic and borderline abusive. It just provides context for the reader that the parents fumbled the parental football to the detriment of the family.

Even though no one in the family is worth rooting for, you can’t help rooting for all of them to survive the aftermath of the car accident. I think this shows that the author took the time to give each character a slight redeeming quality. I think if everything was left in Korin’s perspective, we’d want all the family to fail.

Overall, this was a good book. I got swept up in the action, and the building of Korin’s character. I think the mythological aspect of this novel was pulled off really well. I also think if you are interested in cryptids, survival horror, and just all around spookiness, then I would say give this novel a try.