WordPress Theme for Book Reviewer (blog/vlogs)

The Booked Path

Custom WordPress theme for book reviewer. The domain is thebookedpath.com. The site is to house book reviews written by the site owner as well as video hosted on youtube.

Blogging

Custom Fields (using PODS plugin)
Fields per review include:
- Book Title (Post Title)
- Feature image (large thumbnail of book from Amazon)
- Author (PODS field)
- Quote from book (PODS field)
- Quote by (PODS field)
- Genre: Categories (sub category of Genre)
- Page Count (PODS field)
- Star Rating with custom icons instead of stars (Unsure of how to add this)
- Triggers (Using TAGS but need to filter on excluding tags rather than including tags i.e. filter out tag X)
- Book synopsis (Long text field using PODS field)
- Review (Main Post text)
- Amazon Affiliate Link (PODS field [website])

A site that we'd like it similar to in overall functionality is: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com


An example of a complete review would be as follows:

Circe by Madeline Miller
“Beneath the smooth, familiar face of thing is another that waits to tear the world in two.”
- Circe (p.16)

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Mythology/Retellings
Pgs.: 393
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Triggers:
- Animal Cruelty
- Bullying
- Self Injury/Suicide
- Sex/Sexual Misconduct/Taboo
- Violence
Synopsis:
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.




Review:
First of all, let’s just talk about Miller’s way of beautifully describing things.
“…the stone floors smoothed by centuries of divine feet.” (p.3)
“Her hair was a warm brown, each strand so lustrous it seemed lit from within.” (p.4)
Although I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it either. Circe has a way of drawing you in until the end. It was nice to see characters of myth, such as Daedalus brought to life and given depth beyond the original myth.
Despite the beautiful descriptions, I was more than disappointed at the glossing over the loss of Circe’s virginity. I wasn’t looking for an in-depth analysis of it either. However, I would have liked to read of her emotions at the time. Up to that point in the story, Circe had felt ignored, unwanted, and rejected. Having never been seen as the object of someone’s desire, the moment she had made love for the first time may have had her feeling the exact opposite. We will never know since all we are given as the reader was a sort of “Oh, well that just happened” response.
Due to this novel being a product of Greek mythology, there are situations/beliefs that are very different from our own times and may be off-putting.
This book is one I would happily see on a suggested reading list for college. It has earned its place as a modern-day classic. Overall, a worthy read and one I would recommend for anyone who likes mythology or strong female characters.

Amazon Link:
https://amzn.to/3yv5CtT