I knew ever since reading the first book that this series would only get better in time. To be honest, I expected it to become really good after the 3I knew ever since reading the first book that this series would only get better in time. To be honest, I expected it to become really good after the 3rd or 4th book but this one really is the turn. The first one is only a small tease of what this series is and can be.
Being a big Stephen King fan, I find his mind exceedingly sharp, and his thoughts utterly cohesive, building and building and then breaking everything apart. He's extremely talented and it shows in his work.
While in the first book we see Roland, the hero, wandering about in a desert, looking for the Dark Man and ultimately for the Dark Tower, in this we see Roland hungry, thirsty and battered, doing his best to survive. After accomplishing his first task, at the cost of someone's life, the book ends quite abruptly with not much of a cliffhanger.
In this book, Roland travels in time to bring together the people, the cards he drew represent, together. The Prisoner, The Lady of the Shadows and The Pusher. Each and every personality of those three people is unique, and some of those are sadists or even schizophrenic, or drug addicts. Only Stephen King would be able to create such a strange fellowship.
Time travel has always been a favorite subject of mine, and though Stephen doesn't really delve in the details of what a time travel entails, it's really enjoyable seeing him jump from time to time to find those he's looking for.
What I really loved about it, was the constant anxiety it caused me. It gave me panic attacks. It was fast-paced and unlike the first book, the plot was really thick and complex and made me fall in love with this series and cannot actually wait to get my hands on the next book....more
As only Jenks would say: "Sweet mother of Tink." That book is the epitome of superawesomesaucy. The last book had left me somewhat disappointed but thAs only Jenks would say: "Sweet mother of Tink." That book is the epitome of superawesomesaucy. The last book had left me somewhat disappointed but this one totally revived all the trill and excitement most of the other books had managed to instill in me.
This was unlike any other book. The entire vibe it gave off. The rich plot. Ugh, absolutely amazing. In case you didn't know, in this one they go on a road trip, Jenks, Ivy, Rachel and and and and Trent. Man, I love Trent, he's incredible and after this book he became my favorite.
There's no need to say that during the road trip lots of things go awry but that doesn't stop them from reaching their destination, going to hell and back, losing some fingers and more, more and more.
So let me think what else was new. Hmm, witches, lots of witches, demons, some new and some old, Vegas, burning down a place, an unexpected kiss. Should I spoil it further for you? No kidding though, if you think that these are spoilers, go ahead and cuss at me but you know nothing.
This series even after so many books, never stops surprising me in a very good way. Endless action, combined with lots of snarky comments from sassy, amazing characters. And also the fact that Harrison has taken character development to a whole new level. The change in every character, even secondary ones, it is palpable.
Tink's red thong, that was awesome. I can only just keep expecting to be surprised and keep loving this series until it's very end. It just 4 more books. *sigh*...more
“As the joke goes, you don’t have to be faster than the wolf chasing you, just faster than everyone else running away.”
Undoubtedly the best book i
“As the joke goes, you don’t have to be faster than the wolf chasing you, just faster than everyone else running away.”
Undoubtedly the best book in the series, and by far the most action-packed one too. Mrs. Harrison has set the bar too high for me and unless the next book is just as good I will be a tad bit disappointed. This did the trick for me. If I didn't love the series before now I definitely do. The more this series progresses and I get to see and know more of the characters, the more I bond with the characters and feel for them.
The key word in this novel is the world 'Weres' because that's who's after Rachel and her friends. Nick is back and he is worse than ever and we see an aspect of him that we had never seen before. Jenks is back, and I must admit, I missed him dearly.
Someone took something from the Weres, or rather, someone didn't deliver something to them, something powerful, something that could easily ignite a war between the kinds.
This book is so action-packed. The kind of action that has a point. I don't mean running around doing nothing. It's the sort of action that makes your blood run high and that's exhilarating.
There were plot twists, things you didn't see coming. Things involving certain characters, that will blow your mind. Maybe one of those things is something that many of you wanted to happen for quite some time now. Or things you wished that never happened because from now on shit will be going down.
This book has cemented another storyline and I love how this series just keeps getting more and more complicated without buffling you but it takes one problem at a time and solves it slowly. I love how Mrs. Harrison has built this world, she's an incredible world-builder and a much nicer character-developer. ...more
“Shattering hearts … it’s fitting.” “They’re not shattering hearts, they’re kaleidoscope hearts,” I correct him.” “What’s the different? You make the
“Shattering hearts … it’s fitting.” “They’re not shattering hearts, they’re kaleidoscope hearts,” I correct him.” “What’s the different? You make them with broken pieces.” … “The difference is that it’s already broken, but I use the pieces to rebuilt it. The difference is that the heart has a second chance, and maybe it’ll get broken again, but it’s already shattered, so maybe the fall won’t be as bad.”
A great, great read about a woman who's lost her fiance to that sepulchral called death. While she's fully realized and is aware of what's happened she still cannot completely let go. So, she has to do something drastic in order to get a move on. She decides to sell the house, move in to her brother's apartment, sell the gallery she & her fiance had opened together. It all seems too much but all of her friends and relatives are there for her at a most difficult period. She's 25 year olds, doesn't she get another chance at love? At life?
Moving in with her brother means two things: She won't have much of her own space & she will have to get used to seeing the man who broke her heart on multiples occasions, Oliver, her brother's best friend or maybe yet one of his best friends. Though that last part she hadn't considered until she opens the door and comes face to face with him. She's so surprised that he still manages to affect her, to get under her skin. She instantly feels guilty for feeling that way, still, for him after all these years. She wasn't the one who walked away, he was, he was the one who left and now he's here, she's her thinking that she still cannot control herself around him.
This is a great, exemplary book about first loves. About never really being able to get over your first love, it's truly magic reading about something like this. First loves have always been a favorite of mine among the spectrum of love. This book manages to capture all of its essense. How it gets to you ever after years & years. How you're never really able to move on & if you do something is going to lead you back to them. I think it's kind of fateful, not wanting to sound stupid but I really think it is. This is much more complicated story than 'first love', there is an actual plot & there are issues & problems & we have to let our heroes take their time in order to get their mind & peace together.
Claire Contreras, with her beautiful words, her stunning prose, her incredbile characters & fantastic plot, made this story worthwhile. I'm happy I read this.
I'm really recommending this without thinking twice about it. Just grab it & read the hell out of it & I hope you cry for enjoy it as much as I did....more
“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”
Finally, I see what all the fuss is about.
“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”
Finally, I see what all the fuss is about. Brandon Sanderson is a masterful author, capable of bringing into being every emotion, scene or type of character, in the best possible and realistic way, with the most difficult of genres, that of high-epic fantasy.
Excellent prose, amazing quotes, and memorable characters that keep humanity and its values intact. I would refer to Mr. Sanderson as the contemporary J. R. R. Tolkien, because he has all the realism Tolkien had but at the same time, he built a world, so original and so magical, with fantasy overflowing from every single sentence, just like Tolkien.
First and foremost, I'd like to point out that despite the length of the book, it's not at all tiring, and no matter when you decide to pick it up, you'll read it pleasantly. Even when you put it down and decide to pick it up again after a full week or two, every word said by Mr. Sanderson will be as fresh in your mind as it was two weeks ago, and that takes talent to achieve.
This book is mainly about history being repeated. Events that happened long ago are now brewing anew again. There are so many characters in this book, and they're all connected somehow, through history, old and new. Some come together, some not but they all have one thing in common. Their lives have changed dramatically over the past few years, either because of choices they made, or because someone decided on their behalf.
We have Roshar. A kingdom, I'll call it, because there are many people living there, of different nationality. Some are unknown to many and some are famous for their prowess to rule. In this case, it's the Alethi, the people who rule, Dalinar and his sons, Adolin and Renarin, are Highprinces, Dalinar is the uncle of the Alethi king, Elhokar, and brother of the former, assassinated king, Gavilar. Alethkar is at war with the people who allegedly killed Gavilar, the Pashendi.
Meanwhile, the sister of Elhokar, Jasnah, is far away from the war, doing a research that is later revealed to us, and I was certainly surprised by the discovery she's made. She takes in a young ward, Shallan, but what Jasnah doesn't know is that Shallan has plans of her own.
Actively a bridgeman, practically a slave, Kaladin risks his life every day to assist in a war he's not interested in dying for. Far away from his home, devastated by recent events and a future brighter than he expects, he discovers he's not at all what he thought he was. Through slavery and darkness, a leader is born.
I'm so overwhelmed by this book, I didn't expect to like it half as much as I did. Five stars are not enough to give this book to. What I described, poorly to you above, is nothing compared to what this book is truly about. There's a lot of magic, through shards, magic, that I, personally, had never heard or read about before reading this book. It perplexed me at first, and I'm most certain it will baffle you too, but it'll whet your appetite and leave you wanting more and more of this.
The twists are many, the battles plenty, and the character delepment is in abundance. If you attempt to read this and end up hating it then I personally vow to let you stab me in the eye. xD...more
«I laugh, and the tenderness that enters his eyes at the sound of my laughter makes me realize that this is what I want. Selflessness. It should be
«I laugh, and the tenderness that enters his eyes at the sound of my laughter makes me realize that this is what I want. Selflessness. It should be the basis of every relationship. If a person truly cares about you, they’ll get more pleasure from the way they make you feel, rather than the way you make them feel.»
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In this book, art meets confessions.
Kudos to this amazing artist, Danny O' Connor who did all the paintings for this book (http://docart.bigcartel.com). And kudos to Mrs. Hoover for always writing the best-est of books.
This book. This novel right here is possibly one of the best books I've ever read. If not then it surely is the best book for 2015. And how do I know this? Possibly from the endless river of tears that's running down my face as I'm writing this review because I'm too hang up on the emotions and thoughts this book instilled in my heart, in my soul.
Auburn lost her first love at the age of 15. You'll say to me: "How can you be able to know what loves feels like when you're just 15 and you can't possibly tell the difference between love and excitement?" And I will turn and look you in the eyes and say "You know it because every time you look at that person you feel the earth moving beneath your feet. Feel your heart shake a little at the touch of your hands. Feel your mouth go dry when they smile at you.". That's what more or less Auburn felt about Adam the boy who loved her so much. It was beautiful, they were beautiful.
Now she's almost 21 years old and she's new to a town and she feels like her life is horrible. No she doesn't feel it, she knows it deep in her heart that she's miserable through and through. What happens when she is desperately looking for some extra money and happens to see a piece of paper out of a Dallas art studio reading clearly that the person who wrote it wants someone to work for him.
What are the odds, though, that the man owning the art studio is named Owen Mason Gentry and how can it be that they both have the same middle name? Auburn's full name is Auburn Mason Reed. It must be fate. Right? Right.
Owen is very talented, he is 21 and a successful artist. He opens his studio only once a month while the rest of the days he keeps painting and painting as long as he doesn't run out of inspirations and each month he needs someone in order to keep the tabs on the paints that are being sold. It just happens that the last person he employed became his girlfriend and it just so happens that she broke up with him and left him with no accountant. So, he's a tad bit desperate. When he sees her at his door, disbelief is the first emotion that courses to him right after saying, «Are you here to save me?».
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Owen has a very special way of painting, of getting inspiration and it's actually very unique. He has a box in which people put confessions in anonymously and then he turns those confessions into paintings. Owen is so fascinated by the interest Auburn shows in his paintings and how she admires and understand and feels his art. I think that's when he fell a tad bit for her. If not, he sure as hell wanted to get to know her.
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I do not want to divulge deeper into the plot for fear of ruining it for those of you who haven't read the book. There's a twist around the middle of the book which I personally didn't see coming. And it made everything that much more complicated. Adam left her a little present before passing away.
What's mind-blowing about this book is that it's full of confessions. Confessions from strangers. Confessions from our characters. Truth cannot only ever be liberating it can also be devastating. You have to be sure, make sure that what you're going to confess, it's your confession to make, your truth to give away.
«Some secrets should never turn into confessions.»
Auburn and Owen have a lot more in common than they think they do. They're both hurt deeply by life. They've both been through some rough patches and they are still trying to put themselves back together and are still trying to get ahold of their own lives and try to make something out of what's life already thrown their way. Maybe try to make it better?
Auburn is sweet, she's shy, she also thinks she's weak but most strong people tend to see themselves as weak and helpless. Owen is the epitome of greatness. He's gold. And I think Auburn realized it the first time she laid eyes on him.
What can I say about this book other than it's worth your time and you won't be disappointed by either the characters, the plot or the theme. Mrs. Hoover always writes book that feel fresh and definitely not something overused or boring. She knows how to write and she knows how to express feelings and emotions in the best possible way. Her books always make me shed tears and for that I'm grateful.
I connected with the characters on so many levels. They are so human, so normal.. They're not made of steel, they hurt and they fall down but they're strong and they keep going and they fell in love in the most beautiful way possible; through the need, the primal need of human beings, to find the one thing in life that makes them happy...
“No one deserves you like I do.” … “No one sees you like I do.” … “No one understand you the way I do.” … “No one makes your heart beat like I do.” … He presses his palm against my heart. “And no one else deserves to be inside you if they can’t get there here first.”
What this book did to me with its confessions, well, it's hard to put into words and I'm trying hard here, right now, to tell you all the reasons you should read this book and I'm just going to say to you that you have to read this for the simple reason that it has a lot to give, a lot to offer. Including lots of food for thought. And a whole lotta more feelings that are going to eat away at you for quite some time....more
“How odd to be made of flesh, balanced on bone, and filled with a soul you’ve never met.”
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There's something superawesomesaucy about this boo
“How odd to be made of flesh, balanced on bone, and filled with a soul you’ve never met.”
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There's something superawesomesaucy about this book. There is so much suspense and so much mystery throughout the entire book. I just read it in one sitting and when I finished it I just kept turning the pages but to no avail.. There were no more pages and I was so thirsty for more. More Charlie. More Silas. More of their douchey old douchey selves. More of this suspensful story.
Something about the way it finishes it left me with so many questions that had been building up from the very beginning of the book. It starts abruptly. It's something completely new and I'm still not sure if it's paranormal or all of this can somehow be explained without the interference of the supernatural.. I don't know how to categorize this book. It is contemporary, sure, but still not sure if it's fantasy or paranormal.. There were doses of thriller and an amount of drooling romance and desire that I just wish the protagonists would let themselves indulge into.
An obstinate girl. A nice guy. Well, or it seems so since we can't really tell (if you read this you'll understand why I'm saying this). I love how both Silas and Charlie doubt themselves and how they don't think before insulting themselves and judge who they are/were.
“I’m Tetris Silas. All my pieces and parts are going to fit into all of your pieces and parts.”
Trust me on this one and read it because it already is one of the best books of 2015 and I just wish it were longer because I'm already suffering of the disease known as waiting-for-the-next-damn-book....more
«I reach out for his hand, my own trembling. His fingers look so long and slender, and gentle. They feel smooth, and warm. I take hold of a few of
«I reach out for his hand, my own trembling. His fingers look so long and slender, and gentle. They feel smooth, and warm. I take hold of a few of them, like they’re a lifeline. A raft in the sea. A rope in a deep hole. “You smell good,” I say. “And you’re fun to pick on. And I like your mom. You’re smart. Kind of dumb, but also kind of smart. I had fun. With the war. And the kiss. And the date. And you called me beautiful and it was nice. So even if we never battle again, even if you hate me forever for saying I like you, thank you. Thank you a lot -»
If there's one thing I loved the most about this book, and trust me I loved lots of things about it, then it's the fact that Isis is one of the truest and kindest heroines I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. This entire book took me by surprise. It was so good, i enjoyed it thoroughly.
Despite the bleak theme it targeted, which is that of abuse, I think the fact that the main character, Isis, is so funny and can make light of whatever situation she finds herself in. Her humor and self-sarcasm took the dark edge off the book and made me enjoy it that much more.
Isis used to be the girl everyone made fun of. She was a target for ill comments about her weight. She used to be the girl on the sidelines, the girl who had lots of excess weight on and who got fat-shamed all the time. I'm sure many of you had girls like that at your school. Many of you might have been that girl or boy who everyone made fun of. Well, Isis got used in the worst possible way, she fell in love and the guy not only broke her heart but took advantage of her in the process and humiliated her.
Her mom was beaten by her ex-boyfriend, so she and Iris have moved away and started a new life. Isis has lost all of her excess weight but she still doesn't trust anyone, especially boys. She still has self-confidence issues, she thinks she's ugly. She says that she's never going to love again. Isis is one of those people who try to make fun of everything, out of every situation, just so they can hide behind those jokes and jests. She doesn't want to face reality and she continually avoids dealing with her emotions.
First day into the new school and she makes a friend but also an enemy. The friend is Kayla, and the enemy is Kayla's crush, named Jack. Jack is, shall I say the female version of Isis? Yes, he's colder, and distanced and has no friends at all but they're the same in the way that they both want to always be in control, of their life, of their emotions, and that's what ignites a war between them. She tries to hurt him and he retaliates. Uncovering secrets. Shaming one another. Spreading rumors about each other. Snarky comments and endlessly sassy retorts and funny comments. It's fun to witness that and I'll admit I laughed a lot while reading this.
I felt for the characters, the main ones and the supporting ones. I connected with them and I got to experience their problems and empathize with them. The author did a very good job of conveying the characters' feelings and I'm still overwhelmed by the way it ended and it was all kinds of sad and heart-breaking and it makes me that much more eager to grab the next book and read it in one sitting till my eyes turn red from sleep deprivation.
There's a lot of backstory and there are twists which honestly didn't see coming and this is really deep story and very unique, too. The characters have depth and this book was such a nice surprise and it was also sad but also thought-provocative and it's not one of those young-adult books that you read and then you just say "this was good but it didn't instill anything, no feelings, whatsoever in me". It's the type of book you'll carry with you after you put the book down, in your sleep, in the shower the next morning, during lunch.. To say the least, I loved it.
Recommending it to anyone who's looking for an amazing young-adult book with lots of meaning and underlying messages....more
This book surprised me so much. I just picked it up with no expectations at all and ended up loving it.
It's about a grey zone between black and white.This book surprised me so much. I just picked it up with no expectations at all and ended up loving it.
It's about a grey zone between black and white. What's wrong to you may be the only option for me. What's good for you may be bad for me. What's hurting you, it may be hurting me just as much.
This novel is one of devastation and tragedy and love, an intense love. It's about not being able to cope with your issues, not being able to overcome your anger, your fear, your nightmares.
There's only one way to overcome all this and it's not drugs, neither booze, it's not being hateful and hating, it's not blaming it on someone else, it's not just saying "I'm okay" when you really are not, it's not pretending you're fine, it's not faking, it's not putting up walls, it's not driving people away, it's not assuaging your guilt, it's not trying to make it okay, it's not hurting everyone you love, it's not denial and it certainly isn't trying to help others when you really can't help yourself.
The way is simple as that: Just breathe. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them....more
We all come into existence as a single cell, smaller than a speck of dust. Much smaller. Divide. Multiply. Add and subtract. Matter changes hands,
We all come into existence as a single cell, smaller than a speck of dust. Much smaller. Divide. Multiply. Add and subtract. Matter changes hands, atoms flow in and out, molecules pivot, proteins stitch together, mitochondria send out their oxidative dictates; we begin as a microscopic electrical swarm. The lungs the brain the heart. Forty weeks later, six trillion cells get crushed in the vise of our mother’s birth canal and we howl. Then the world starts in on us.
This is majestic. This is grand. A compelling World War II story about a young French girl named Marie-Laure who's lost her sight and a genius German boy named Werner who's been recruited by the army of his country because he has a knack for fixing everything he's given. There are so many other characters, so many other stories woven into this intelligent novel like for instance Werner's little sister, Jutta, there's also the 'Sea of Flames' which is a diamond rumored to bring luck to everyone possessing it but death and misfortunes to everyone surrounding that person (that plays a huge role in the book so watch out for the details), there is also Volkheimer, Marie-Laure's father, Madame Manec, Etienne, Frau Elena. So many characters, so many stories and different personalities but it all leads down to one thing. Survival.
When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave. When my father left, people said I was brave. But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?
This novel is centered around the innocence of the children. We see the war through their eyes. We see what's important for them during this awful, horrid thing called war. We see the fear through their eyes. Through a blind girl we feel what the world is like for someone who's lost her sight, we can feel the difficulties of going through the war with nothing but her insticts, her voice, her innocence. We see how some German recruits might have felt during that war, how they might have felt repulsion towards their own country, how they felt that what was happening was in vain.
I have been feeling very clearheaded lately and what I want to write about today is the sea. It contains so many colors. Silver at dawn, green at noon, dark blue in the evening. Sometimes it looks almost red. Or it will turn the color of old coins. Right now the shadows of clouds are dragging across it, and patches of sunlight are touching down everywhere. White strings of gulls drag over it like beads. It is my favorite thing, I think, that I have ever seen. Sometimes I catch myself staring at it and forget my duties. It seems big enough to contain everything anyone could ever feel.
Light in this novel is an objective, abstract form of seeing the good in things, seeing the importance of being grateful for what you have. Every person has a different perception of color, we do not in fact all see the same shade of blue, or yellow, some of us may see them more vividly and strongly and some of us may see them a little more pale than others, a little more faded. Some of us may not even see colors or light at all, some of us are forced to not see them, but we imagine, we remember how they felt, what they did to us, and we feel grateful for just this.
This novel is so touching, it touches a deep part of the soul of the person and I believe it'll touch you too in ways you cannot even imagine. It's a book about loss, desperation, protection, love, and everything you can possible come up with, with doses of believing in the impossible.
“A great sorrow, and one that I am only beginning to understand: we don’t get to choose our own hearts. We can’t make ourselves want what’s good fo
“A great sorrow, and one that I am only beginning to understand: we don’t get to choose our own hearts. We can’t make ourselves want what’s good for us or what’s good for other people. We don’t get to choose the people we are.”
Donna Tartt publishes a book once every decade, or that's the pattern she's followed since her first book (published in 1992) and then her second (published in 2002) and now this (published in 2013). She's said she doesn't enjoy the process of creating a book in a faster manner and if she is not enjoying it then the reader won't either.
If the outcome is always like this (and I say this, not having read her previews works) then I'll patiently wait a decade, a hundred years, if that's what I have to do in order to read a book of hers.
I took my time with this book. I read it slowly, I didn't want to rush into it. Instead I focused on the writing, which is mouth-watering and at times I just couldn't help myself and read more than I initially intended to. I did not want this book to finish. This entire novel, it's a swirl of emotions. Emotions, feelings I can't even name. It was witty, it was deep, it was strange, it was bleak, it made me cry, it made me think about my life hard and take notes at what I have accomplished so far in. I was savoring the prose, I'd read each sentence twice just to make sure that it was embedded in a place somewhere in my mind.
Beware, don't pick this expecting to find plot twists and action. Pick this up expecting to read a book with important life lessons. It's the realest of books. Mrs. Tartt composes characters and situations come alive from real life. Realistic prose and realistic people under realistic circumstances, it's what this book is.
Shall I introduce you to the plot? Theodore Decker is a normal 13-year-old boy whose father has abondoned him and his mother, so, it's just the two of them together now. Add some tragedies. And a work of art. Browse slowly throughout Theo's life until his late teens and then fast forward to his adulthood. Mix in plenty of mistakes and rush decisions. A bleak and macabre atmosphere. Life lessons. Voila.
I don't want to let you onto many details. I want you guys to pick this book up with no clue whatsoever and read it and then let your feelings sink in and your mind soak in the meaning underneath this incredible piece of literature. Let the characters come alive in your mind and let the writing take you to dark places where life isn't as happy as we think it is, at least not for everyone.
It's such a powerful book. I will admit I was hesitant about reading this because I hadn't heard so many great things about it and reviews were mixed but I think people got into this prejudiced against the dark nature of the book, as it is indeed dark and it ventures into really twisted paths. Let me give you an advice. Free your mind of any kind of prohibition. Go into this book with a clear head off any kind of prejudice against what you think you know and understand. Don't read this unless you are going to do it so in the book's native language, meaning English. I've read numerous books in both English and my native language and I've noticed that things get lost in translation, countless details and of course an author loses their personal touch. This book is all about the writing, if you read a translated version of it then I fear it'll only give you a headache and a bad case of diarrhea.
That's it. I don't know. I may return tomorrow, or in two months or in seven years to add something about what this book instilled in me because I'll make sure to carrie it along with me for a long time. ...more
Louie as a kid was a troublemaker. He was vivacious and naughty and always managed to get some mischief Louis Silvie "Louie" Zamperini
1917-2014
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Louie as a kid was a troublemaker. He was vivacious and naughty and always managed to get some mischief done. He either caused trouble or trouble followed him around wherever he went.
His older brother, Pete, in order to counteract Louie's stealing activities, got him involved with the school's sport-team. Pete made Louie run and thus running became Louie's passion. He would never stop running until many years later.
In his late teens he began running harder and harder, pushing himself to his breaking limits. He broke many records, including some on a national level. So, he decided to try out for the Olympic Games of 1936. He made into the US team but only managed to finish eighth. He didn't let himself get dragged down but instead he started getting ready for the next Olympic Games.
World War II put a stop to all of his plans for winning the Olympics. He enlisted in the United States Air Forces and earned a commission as a second lieutenant. He became a bombardier. Louie was as safe as one can be during war time until one day he was not.
'The Green Hornet' was the name of the B-24 bomber that on the 27th of May, 1943, crashed into the ocean 850 miles South of Oahu, killing eight of eleven men aboard.
For 47 days they were adrift in the ocean, during those days the three survivors became two. At last, they reached land but they were immediately apprehended by the Japanese Navy and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp.
Louie was held in captivity until the end of the war. He was beaten on a daily basis, he became emaciated and survived such hardship that no one could ever imagine. During this time he met his worst nightmare, named Mutsihiro Watanabe, or else 'the Bird' as they all called him. Watanabe was a cold, vicious man who found pleasure upon inflicting pain on the prisoners. Especially Louie who he had taken a very special interest into. He tried to break, tried to bring Louie to his knees, but Louie was unbroken. He would only fall down to come up again. His obstinacy had once again proved to be his best trait.
August 1995 the war is offially over and Louie returns home where his family welcomes him back. Louie is not okay. He is haunted, by memories so horrid he wishes he'd forget. Louie would later say that:
“If I knew I had to go through those experiences again," he finally said, "I'd kill myself.”
In 1946 he met the girl he'd later marry. They fell madly in love. They got married in just a few months. She soon found out that the man she had married was deeply troubled, haunted by memories who brought him nightmares every night.
I won't say more. Not because I cannot go on for hours but because I don't want to tell you everything. I want you to buy this book and read this yourself because it's really worth your time, even if you don't have plenty of it. This book is the kind that changes your perspective towards several ideas that you have in your head. It sheds light upon a dark time, on a lesser known side of the war.
This novel is a story of passion, courage, bravery. As its title points out very rightly so, it's a story of resilience, not only because Louie survived the slavery but because he also managed to survive the aftermath of war that had left a mark on his soul which he managed to get rid of and live happily until his 97th year. ...more
I'm a tornado of feelings. I'm angry and I'm sad and there are thousands of emotions swirling inside me. This broke me down into tiny little particlesI'm a tornado of feelings. I'm angry and I'm sad and there are thousands of emotions swirling inside me. This broke me down into tiny little particles and someone will have to glue me back together.
When I picked this book up I had no clue what I was getting myself into. What happens when a woman and a quadriplegic man fall in love slowly and all at once??? Well, if you want to find out then pick this book up, read it and then sob until your tears have dried out.
Louisa Clark is a 27-year-old woman who has a peculiar sense of dressing and no dreams whatsoever. She works at a nearby cafe and lives with her younger by a year sister, her son, her parents and her granddad. One day she's forced to start looking for a new job and that's when she becomes the career of Will Traynor who's a 35-year-old man who got involved in an accident 2 years ago and injured his spinal cord leaving him disabled.
Lou is quickly thrown by how spiteful and rude this man is and how he has lost the will to live at all. She tries to help him but he refuses any kind of help leaving things between them awkward and silent. She then finds ways to get to know him and she succeeds and then she suddenly discovers that he is not so bad and that she actually likes him.
This is a story about inspiration. Lou met a man who changed her life, changed her as a person, she finally started dreaming when she finally realized what the world had to offer and what she was missing out all those years. Thanks to Will she became a person who aspired to do something and not settle down for the small life but live big instead, like Will used to before the accident that snatched away all of his dreams.
Sometimes we don't get second chances and we certainly don't get second chances at living so we should live life at its fullest and if for whatever reason we make a mistake or have regrets for choices we made and we do get a second chance at making it better, righter then just grab the chance that's given to you by the hair and never let go until you're one hundred percent certain that what you're doing is right, that it is indeed what you want and need and most importantly, love.
Will not only his ability to move, he also lost a big part of himself, he lost his dreams and he turned into someone that he himself couldn't recognize but Lou loved him for that, she fell in love with the man who became the reason she wanted to do things, to open her horizons but she couldn't become the reason that Will would want to live a life like his.
“I placed my face so close to his that his features became indistict, and I began to lose myself in them. I stroked his hair, his skin, his brow, with my fingertips, tears sliding unchecked down my cheeks, my nose against his, and all the time he watched me silently, studying me intently as if he were storing each molecule of me away. He was already retreating withdrawing to somewhere I couldn't reach him. I kissed him, trying to bring him back. I kissed him and let my lips rest against his so that our breath mingled and the tears from my eyes became salt on his skin, and I told myself that, somewhere, tiny particles of him would become tiny particles of me, ingested, swallowed, alive perpetual. I wanted to press every bit of me against him. I wanted to will something into him. I wanted to give him every bit of life I felt and force him to life. I held him, Will Traynor ex-City whiz kid, ex-stunt diver, sportsman, traveller, lover. I held him close and said nothing, all the while telling him silently that he was loved. Oh, but he was loved.”
It's such a heart-wretching story. It personally made me see some things differently, from a different point of view. My eyes are finally open....more
“Oh, aye, Sassenach. I am your master . . . and you're mine. Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own.”
Well, having read this only ju
“Oh, aye, Sassenach. I am your master . . . and you're mine. Seems I canna possess your soul without losing my own.”
Well, having read this only just yesterday and not being able to keep myself from mentioning some details about the book, I'll just say that there may be some spoilers in my review. Not big spoilers, never big spoilers. Just tiny ones about making you familiarized with the book's plot. Read this on your own volition.
When Claire Randall & her husband go to a second honeymoon at the Highlands in order to reconnect as a couple after WWII she never expected to be thrown inadvertently back in time, in the year of 1743 when the English & the Scots were at not so peaceful grounds. She suddenly becomes a Sassenach, an Outlander, and has to face clans & lairds & other things she's only ever read about in history. And now she's back again to being Claire Beauchamp.
When she travels back in time, she immediately falls into the hands of a captain of the dragoons, Jonathan Randall, an ancestor of her husband. Many call him Black Jack for his soul is dark. He jumps on her but she is saved by clansmen. Due to her being a nurse during WWII she helps save a young Scot man that is severely hurt and is taken back to Castle Leoch. The place where those who belong at the clan of Colum Mackenzie reside.
She has to face the suspicion & the doubt surrounding her by simply looking the other way while trying to be inconspicuous about where she comes from and how she came to be here. Everyone thinks she's an English spy & on top of that she has to face her own feelings and confussion of being thrown back in time. She's baffled and scared but still she handles it well. Claire is a really strong character and she adapts quickly. She's not easily scared, she's survived severed hands and torn soldiers and she sure as hell can get through this.
When she is discovered by English soldiers and is taken back into interrogation she is forced to come face to face, once again, with Captain Randall and plays her card with him. Dougal Mackenzie announces her that she is to be married. The only way of her ever slipping through Randall's fingers is if she takes Scottish citizenship by marrying a fellow Scot. She is to be married to Jamie Fraser, the lad she had saved back when she had first found herself in the hands of the clansmen and the only person she felt relaxed and easy around. Let's go back a bit.
Claire is one of those headstrong characters that once she sets her mind & eyes on something she'll do about anything in order to reach her goal. She is pigheaded, she always wants to do it her way. She's independent and she doesn't need anyone. At least, that was until she met Jamie Fraser. He is beautiful and he is young and he is gentle and he's the only one of the clansmen who's a bit more civilized and more lettered.
Jamie Fraser. Full name: James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser is an amazing, amazing characters. He's also the nephew of Colum & Dougal Mackenzie & he's a fugitive of the law. He's caring and he's protective of those he loves. He's strong & he's snarky & he is the only one who can handle Claire. He's also the only one she trusts and the only she feels she can talk to.
Once they get married, things get heated. Claire, even though she is married she cannot deny her attraction towards Jamie and Jamie is most glad that he doesn't have to hold back his feelings any more.
"When I asked my da how ye knew which was the right woman, he told me when the time came, I'd have no doubt. And I didn't. When I woke in the dark under that tree on the road to Leoch, with you sitting on my chest, cursing me for bleeding to death, I said to myself, 'Jamie Fraser, for all ye canna see what she looks like, and for all she weighs as much as a good draft horse, this is the woman'"
This book is not just romance, though romance is a big part of it and it's one of the best things about it. This book is about seeing the gap of generations, seeing how in 200 hundred years so many things have changed, not only epochal, but also people.. People have changed, their ways of mind and heart are completely different and Claire is forced to adapt or die. Mrs. Gabaldon does a very, very nice & thorough job of that. Her captiving & detailed writing is incredible. Her dialogues are amazing & she's created a plot so rich, with twists, fun & a romance that takes your breath away forever. It's also nice to see how Claire & Jamie work through their problems, how a love blossoms between them, so pure & so strong that they won't stop at anything in order to be together.
Even though there many details, many characters & a constant change of scenery the book never felt boring. Not for a second. Mrs. Gabaldon would always find something to keep your mind focused on her storytelling. She's pretty resourceful & she has lots of things to give.
The book really picked up from halfway on. The book was insane until the first half but then things got out of control. The action doubled & there were twists & what-the-fuck moments, favorites of mine. Also, it's humorous at times and that makes up for all the drama and it's very nice that both our characters are snarky and not afraid of telling one another how they really feel. Their relationship seems so genuine and so real. I can't really talk about them without getting emotional.
Mrs. Gabaldon is a master at romance just as she is a master at storytelling and keeping you on the edge. She can create hot & heavy scenes between our characters, with vivid sexual narration that makes your blood run high and the libido get out of control. She can either be gentle with their love making, or make it so hot you'll have to fan yourself.
That's about it. The ending is really, really satisfying. Actually, the last part is satisfying through & through. If you decide to pick this up, I hope you're not disappointed & instead love it as much as I did.
PS: 'Sassenach' is my new favorite word of endearment....more
It's my second Hoover novel and I couldn't be more satisfied with the book. It's painful. And it's ugly. And it's beautifuWow. Ugly Love is so beautiful.
It's my second Hoover novel and I couldn't be more satisfied with the book. It's painful. And it's ugly. And it's beautiful. It's about not being able to move on and more importantly not being able to love again knowing you'll end up hurting just as much as the first time and experiencing the ugly love once more which is more than you can take. But you have to let yourself love and the pain won't ever stop being there but you'll feel it less and less getting under your skin. But like Miles said "It's all worth it. It's the beautiful moments like these (after) that make up for the ugly love."...more
This is truly and all-powerfully beautiful. It's a tale. Not a fairytale but a tale as in a story.
It's not about happy endings. It's just that we are This is truly and all-powerfully beautiful. It's a tale. Not a fairytale but a tale as in a story.
It's not about happy endings. It's just that we are so full of "happy endings" these days that I've come to loathe the very uttering of these two words when they are side by side.
It's a beautiful book and it has something to teach us all. It's not just Connor who has to face the truth. It's all of us who keep denying certain facts in order to fake live in a fairytale but the happy bubble is going to burst and all we are going to have left is our broken truths and our broken selves.
So, like Connor, we need a monster, someone to make us face the truth, our truth, before the hurt and struggle are irreversible. It's a very deep book, with lots of truth about it. It's a must for everyone....more
I don't know if this is exactly how an Alzheimer's patient feels but if it's true and then this is just what someone goes through living with this disI don't know if this is exactly how an Alzheimer's patient feels but if it's true and then this is just what someone goes through living with this disease then I won't ever stop sobbing.
This book is magestic, utterly compelling and a tremendous experience. It's a heart-stopping, heart-breaking read. I would re-read it right now, at this moment. It blew my mind, not just because of the writing or because it was for something I did not have a clue about how severe it was but because I felt everything Alice felt, I felt it getting under my skin and feeling like I was living through it. I got a good taste of what it's like to have Alzheimer's disease.
Alice is a pHD in psychology, she's a proffessor at Harvard University, has got numerous awards, written books regarding psychology, has a husband and three children. She starts forgetting things and later on she's diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The book goes from the beginning of the disease and stops after many many years. We don't only see how the deseased feels but how the ones who love her feel. We see multiple reactions and all kinds of demeanors as to how to treat her and that just adds to the amazingness of this book.
What touched me the most, and it was probably the time I sobbed most, was when she gave a speech (2 years after she was diagnosed) about Alzheimer's and it wasn't a scientific speech, it was an experience speech and it broke something in me, in my heart. I felt like the waters were let out and my eyes were fountains with no handles.
Please, read the following excerpt fromt the speech I mentioned above. Or better yet, go grab the book and read it.
“And I have no control over which yesterdays I keep and which ones get deleted. This disease will not be bargained with. I can't offer it the names of the US presidents in exchange for the names of my children. I can't give it the names of state capitals and keep the memories of my husband. ...My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment. Some tomorrow soon, I'll forget that I stood before you and gave this speech. But just because I'll forget it some tomorrow doesn't mean that I didn't live every second of it today. I will forget today, but that doesn't mean that today doesn't matter.”...more
This is a fascinating and stunning book. Or fairy tale. Call it whatever you like. For me it was more of a fairy tale because it's adventurous and it This is a fascinating and stunning book. Or fairy tale. Call it whatever you like. For me it was more of a fairy tale because it's adventurous and it travelled me to a very bizzare world which most children would find fascinating but adults would freak the hell out. I'll forever consider myself a kid at heart even though I am 19, so, this book, this masterpiece, it's a fairy tale to me.
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Coraline is a small girl, petite if you'd like, who finds herself tangled up in a very dark and mysterious story. She comes face to face with her other mother, a being who's bleak and devours children for breakfast. She says she loves Coraline, but this kind of love is how cats love to eat mice. There were other children before her, and now they're all trapped inside a mirror forever. Coraline strikes a deal with her other mother and it's her only way out.
What I loved about this fairy tale it's the fact that the heroine isn't just a child. She's a wise child, she is not ignorant. She's quick-to-like and she's an adventurous kid with lots of love for exploring. If it was anyone else, other than her, I don't really believe she would have managed to come out of this unscathed.
By the by, I'll post a quote below which grew quickly to become one of my favorite lines ever:
"But how can you walk away from something and still come back to it?" "Easy," said the cat. "Think of somebody walking around the world. You start out walking away from something and end up coming back to it." "Small world," said Coraline."...more
This was magnificent. It was a heart-stopping read. It was too realistic without being non-fiction.
A boy who changes bodies every day. A girl who's hThis was magnificent. It was a heart-stopping read. It was too realistic without being non-fiction.
A boy who changes bodies every day. A girl who's helplessly in love with someone who doesn't return her love. What can these two have in common? Everything and nothing.
It's a heartbreaking love story told from the perspective of a boy who's only ever known impermanence. Every day he wakes up in someone else's body, he gets to be that person, he gets access to their memories and to their lives and no one realizes what's happened when they wake up the next day. They only get that vague feeling that yesterday was an uneventful day.
He calls himself A. This is the only way he's going to be able to hold on to some part of himself. The only way to keep remembering that he's not inexistent, the only way to remind himself that he's a real person, a human being who cannot do anything about the way his life is.
"It's just - I know it sounds like an awful way to live, but I've seen so many things. It's so hard when you're in one body to get a sense of what life is really like. You're so grounded in you who you are. But when who you are changes every day - you get to touch the universal more. Even the most mundane details. You see how cherries taste different to different people. Blue looks different. You see all the strange rituals boys have to show affection without admitting it. You learn that if a parent reads to you at the end of the day, it's a good sign that it's a good parent, because you've seen so many other parents who don't make the time. You learn how much a day is truly worth, because they're all so different. If you ask most people what the difference was between Monday and Tuesday, they might tell you what they had for dinner each night. Not me. By seeing the world from so many angles, I get more of a sense of its dimensionality."
If you read this make sure that you are ready for the world to change forever. Be sure that you want your perspective of life to be changed. Make sure that you're not retrogressive. Read this and get ready to be changed....more
This book brings out the liar in me. Yes, I'm not even kidding. I want to lie about the entire book. If you ask me how it ended I'm not goingJust lie.
This book brings out the liar in me. Yes, I'm not even kidding. I want to lie about the entire book. If you ask me how it ended I'm not going to be honest, I'm just gonna lie to you and let you figure out its secrets on your own.
If you think this book is just about a rich girl and her family and her lover and her big, fancy private island then go ahead and think that cause I'm not going to stop you.
I, personally, was begging the book to not reveal its secrets to me. It did and I knew that it was going to be something big but I hadn't realized how big it could be. I was just guessing and guessing and trying to figure out what happened that summer fifteen that was so big that no one is talking about and when the truth was unveilled I was trying to turn the pages back and erase from my mind the truth because, at this point, I wanted the lie to be the truth and not ever know about the truth. That foolish, deluded crime that became a tragedy....more
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