Finished Reading: "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell!!

Read from July 26 to 27, 2013 

 

What made me want to read this novel is the name "Park" in the book's title. I knew right away that it was a Korean name since I'm a huge fan of the Korean culture (although one might as well not be that and figure it out).

As I predicted, Park is a half-Korean good-looking guy, who seems to do just well in his high school life, and has passion for comics and music. The others name that figures in the title "Eleanor" belongs to a big, red-headed and beautiful girl. She returns from an "exile" to her home in Omaha, and meets Park at the school bus. Over time, they fall slowly and beautifully in love with each other, and develop such a sweet relationship.

However they went through a lot of trouble because of Eleanor's abusive stepfather (add to that that the story is set in the 80's which means that there exist no cellphones nor internet to keep in touch), but then "love will always find a way" and that's what made me literally "devour" this novel.

I even love the ending! It might be mysterious, but it's full of hope...

Finished Reading: "Please Look After Mother" by Kyung-Sook Shin!!

 

Read from May 10 to June 13, 2013

 

"Please Look After Mother". Just reading its mere title would make you eager to read the book, also you can tell that it would be an amazing read. In fact, many things about this novel contribute in making it a great one: the writing style, the fact that each section of the book in narrated by a different person, and the content/story.

The novel is telling the story of a family that lost their Mother. Each member of this family keeps remembering this or that about their Mother and regret not being a good son/daughter/husband to her, not that they treated her ill, but everyone just forgot about Mother as soon as they stopped being kids.

This book actually made me feel guilty towards my own Mother, because Mothers really need to be highly thought of, and kindly treated. Everyone are sometimes annoyed because of their Mother's nagging, but we actually forget that Mother is a human being, who have her own dreams, her own fears, her own disppointements, her own weakness, and we keep thinking of her as Mother, that has to sacrifice everything for the sake of her children.

All in all, this book should be read by everyone!!

Finished Reading: "Charlotte's Web" by E. B. White!!

Read from April 06 to 10, 2013

 

Who wouldn't love a children's book?! This kind of books is quite instructing and simple, and one can't fail to get something out of it. That's the exact case with "Charlotte's Web".

The story is about a normal pig that was turned into some radiant and important pig thanks to his helpful friends Charlotte, the spider, and Fern, a normal human girl, in order to keep him alive. He didn’t want to be killed in Christmas, and he got what he wanted all right. Every time Charlotte wrote something on her web praising him, he tried to be what was written and did well at it most of the time. This book has to be read by everyone, and I assure you that no one would regret giving it a try.

Moreover, White’s style is quite fascinating, and it makes one fall in love even more with this great novel.

I gave it five out of five stars, for it absolutely deserves it.

 

HAPPY READING DEAR READES!!

Finished Reading: "Matilda" by Roald Dahl!!

Read from March 31 to April 07, 2013

I spent an awesome time reading this book!! I liked Matilda's character so very much!! She's a quiet intelligent girl, but then she can't overlook any injustice against herself, she would do whatever it takes to calm down her anger. I particularly liked the first chapter in which the author described her habits of reading, it was so motivating!!
Roald Dahl's writing style is so simple and amazing!! The emphasis in this novel was on the innocent caprices of the children versus the adults’ impatience, and it all came up with a quite interesting novel. I would recommend this book to everyone!!

 

HAPPY READING DEAR READERS!!

Finished Reading:" The Old Man And The Sea" by Ernest Hemingway!!

 

Read from March 28 to 31, 2013 

 

"The Power of Perseverance", this is another name I would give to this book!! Hemingway couldn't come up with a weaker or a more desperate person to describe well what it means, for the one who's not losing hope in this novel is an unlucky old man facing off the hazardous sea. The language is a little bit difficult, since the vocabulary is about ships, sea creatures and such, but then I got what is essential to know.

The story beging with the old man, Santiago, being unlcky. He couldn't get a fish for a long time, and his assistant's parents made their son leave him to work for a lucky boat despite the boy's objection. The lad loved Santiago so dearly. Then the old man had to go to the sea without the boy's assistance to get some fish, and here begins the painful adventre. He went though a lot to get it, but he couldn't enjoy his success, for the sharks kept spoiling his fish as well as his body. He wouldn't let go of it, all the same, and defended it with all his power.

There were heaps of things to learn from this novel, that's why I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

 

HAPPY READING DEAR READERS!!

"Finished Reading" Aleph by Paulo Coelho!!

Read from March 07 to 23, 2013 

 

It was ok as the two stars I gave it indicate!! As I was going through its first chapters I thought it was going to become one of my favorite books. But when the author's trip began -for the the book is about a trip that the author wanted to have- my esteem of the book kept decreasing, until it became total boredom. I couldn't get what the author wanted to tell us via this book, for me the events were incoherent and without any meaningful purpose.

What made me want to read this book in the first place is the its inpiring synopsis. I wanted to know what would be Coelho's opinion about making changes when the change is needed in one's life, about improving and taking risks, but I couldn't get it even after reaching the second half of the novel. Well I wouldn't say he didn't talk about these things, but the way he used to bring them up didn't impress me.

Finished Reading: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins!!

Read from March 01 to 04, 2013

I so love it!! It was awesome, and I simply couldn't let go of it until I was stopped by "END OF BOOK ONE".

I love Katniss with her cleverness. At first I thought it was mere good luck that kept making things work for her, but then I realized that the key to her success was her being herself. And I felt bad for Peeta, but I have a feeling that things will get better in the next two books. Well I hope so!!

The Hunger Games are about trying to stay alive in circumstances that totally forbid it. So you can guess it takes real hardwork to win them. And that's what makes the story so exciting.

So yeah!! I finally managed to read the first book of The Hunger Games, after all the credits it was given by nearly everyone!! Obviously, I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Finished reading: Remember me? by Sophie Kinsella!!

Read from February 26 to March 01, 2013 

 

It was ok!! The things I didn't like about the book are probably more numerous that those I actually liked!!

Lexi wakes up one day in a hospital, and finds out that she has lost all the memories about the last three years. She finds herself in 2007, married to a good looking man, she's the Director of the department she was working at three years ago, and she's more beautiful and skinny. Well, all that seems perfect at first, but as she gets to know the new people around her as well as the old ones, she realizes that her life wasn't as great as she thought. So she decides to fix what was broken.

That's all. I gave it two stars because I was so bored that I had to skim through the book.

7 facts you may not know about: Harper Lee!!

 Here is my first post of the "7 facts you may not know about.." meme which I created this very morning. I got this idea because I'm not only interested in the books I read, but I would like to know more about their authors, the story behind them and such.

So, since I don't prefer reading the whole biography of a certain person, or a whole book or article about a certain period, I thought I can just increase my knowledge by picking seven random facts about someone or something (the author, the period in which the book was published, especially for classics, the story behind the book...).

 

I hope you will enjoy it, and that it will provide you something new to learn.

 

 

I just finished reading "To kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, which I loved so dearly, and I thought it would be awesome to begin this meme with its author Harper Lee: 

 

 

1- She was born in April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama, a tiny town about halfway between Montgomery and Mobile, where her next-door neighbor and best friend was the pre-pubescent Truman Capote.

 

2-She was a tomboy.

 

3- Her novel "To Kill a Mockingbird," was published in 1961 and won a Pulitzer Prize.

 

4- The movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) won four awards, including Best Actor for Gregory Peck’s portrayal of Atticus Finch.

 

5-The character of Atticus is said to have been based on her father (Amasa Coleman Lee).

6-She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday November 6, 2007 for her services to literature by President George W. Bush at the White House in Washington D.C.

7- She continues to live a quiet, private life in New York City and Monroeville. Active in her church and community, and she usually avoids anything to do with her still popular novel.

Finshed Reading: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee!!

Read from February 17 to 24, 2013 

 

How can I do otherwise than falling in love with this AWESOME novel!! It was Harper Lee’s only book, but it was splendidly written. It is my first time enjoying an “American” novel, and I’m so glad about it.

 

The book tells the story of a Lawyer, Atticus Finch, and his two Children, Jeremy Atticus (Jem), and Jeanne Louise (Scout) who is actually talking in the book, and gives us random facts about this family and their neighborhood steeped with moral lessons about racism. Atticus took a case in which a black man, Tom Robinson, was falsely charged with the crime of taking advantage of a white girl, Mayella Ewell. The whole county of Maycomb was against Atticus being by the black man’s side, for they already knew it was all in vain.

 

I like Atticus’ character as well as his children's. His and Jem’s calmness and dealing with the troubles in a cool way, and Scout’s abruptness and giving way to her fists first thing once in a trouble. 

 

I gave it 5 out of 5 stars, and, God, it deserves every blessed star it got.

Finished Reading: Snow by Tracy Lynn

Read from January 29 to February 15, 2013 

 

What I liked about this book is the writing style of the author! The story couldn't in anyway impress me nor gain my esteem. I think that Tracy tried to put her own thoughts about the story of "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs" and make something different that would actually be interesting and original, but she ended up mixing things up, although she made a success at times I daresay.

Jessica is the daughter of a Duke and a Duchess. After the death of her mother right after her being born, the duke couldn't help but despise her, and believe that she was the major cause of his beloved wife's death. Then Jessica grew up surrounded by the care of the servants, which made her no ladylike.

The father decides one day to marry and get himself an heir, but the stepmother is evil and she got Jessica into so many troubles. The latter ends up running away, because of the danger that surrounds her, and meets with the Lonely Ones, who will take care of her, and here begins her adventure.

As I said before, it wasn't that bad, and I gave it three out of five stars!!

Finshed Reading: Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen!!

Read from January 13 to 23, 2013 

 

Well, in this book I wasn't totally interested in the story itself, but I kept wondering how in the world Sarah Gruen has been inspired and got the necessary information for such an amazing book!! And the answer came at the very end, in the author's note.

So let's get back to the story, it is about that old man's life at the age of twenty three (another thing I couldn't fathom is how can she figure out that "old" "man"'s feelings and thoughts about this or that? Well I think that a writer has a right to imagine things, and I believe I'm being silly, but I assure you that these thoughts kept popping in my head during the whole read).

After the death of the young Jacob Jankowski's parents in an accident, he manages to get a job at the "Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show On Earth" circus as an animals' Doc. He falls in love with his boss' wife Marlena -althgouh he clearly knew that it was wrong of him to do so- and the real thing begins when she lets him know that it was mutual. I won't go any further because I don't want to spoil anything.

I think that Sara Gruen made a great effort to show the important role of the elephant Rosie, but I believe she couldn't get much of it by gathering two elephant's real stories, for I was more concerned about them separated -as she narrated them in the author's note- than the two gathered to make a story for Rosie.

I really like a whole world of things about this novel, and I would give it five out of five stars if it wasn't for those unreadable parts that made me skip large paragraphs and even pages (well, I have my own reasons to say that they were unreadable), but yes, I would like to read more of this brilliant author's books, because she can come up with new things for me to read!!

Finished Reading: Animal Farm by George Orwell!!

Read from January 11 to 13, 2013 

 

It was a clever yet simple read!! I actually had a presentiment that I would become one of George Orwell’s fans once I read one of his novels, and that is because of the credits his books were given. I’ve planned to read “1984” first but when I saw “Animal Farm” standing on the shelf undisturbed (besides it seemed an easy read) I just jumped on it and started the read right away, without further procrastination.

It lived up to my expectations, and I’m real grateful that I was given the chance to read it and savor its many “tastes”. It went from sharpness, to sadness, to happiness … And thank God I was able to get the hidden meanings that lay behind the simplicity of the book’s style.

The story begins when one day old Major, the prize Middle White boar, gathered all the animals of the Manor Farm, and opened their eyes to the hideous cruelness with which they were treated, and the sad nature of the life they were leading by serving those humans and getting next to nothing in return. So what his experiences have taught him is that the only way they could put an end to it all and make their lives bearable is by setting themselves free, and commanding their “Animal Farm” by themselves, the only condition was to never behave like a human being: all animals must be equal and work together. So after his death the animals lead the Rebellion and won their “Animal Farm” back, and lived their laborious happy life together under the seven commandments they made for themselves inspired by old Major’s speech. But then came conflicts and arguments between them, and some of the “witty” animals that were seeking power and wealth changed the commandments little by little to fit their selfish ends, and the ignorant and indifferent animals spent their lives working for the sake of those pigs.

I think that the ending is what it should be, for no happy ending is to be sought if there are greedy intentions to lead one astray!!

Finished Reading: Coraline By Neil Gaiman

Read on January 01, 2013 

 

This is my first time reading this kind of books, I mean that one with ghosts in it and poeple that look through buttons instead of their eyes and do all sort of weird and disgusting things, and I like it. It is not that I am fond of those creatures, for I don't know what morality lies in bring them up in this book, though I like the message that the author tried to send: one should be satisfied with what one own, and without difficulties life wouldn't be as interesting and as funny. I know that we have heard these things before, but I see no harm in being reminded of them from time to time. I think I dicovered heaps of new things the past year thanks to God, and I believe there will be a whole world of them to find out this year (God Willing)!

Top Ten Books I Resolve to Read in 2013

Hello again with the "Top Ten Tuesday" which is "an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finished Reading: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott. Fitzgerald!!

Read in December, 2012

O.o Yes really!! I don't know what to say about this book!! It was a hard read, Fitzgerald's writing style is something that I can't fanthom now, and I have to read it another time in some holidays or something so that I will be able to only focus on the read!! Apart from that, the story is OK, it is not the kind of stories that take my breath, but it was readable and enjoyable at times too!! It is absolutely necessary to read more of this author's works if I want to know what he wants us to understand out of all of these riddles. I gave it 3 stars out of 5 on Goodreads.

 

HAPPY READING DEAR READERS!!

Finished Reading: Candide by Voltaire!!

Read from December 09 to 13, 2012 

 

While reading this book, I discovered that Voltaire has described every real first-time one would encounter in the journey of one's life, for Candide has been living in "the best of all castles" and never knew what hardships are about. So after he was chased out of the famous castle, because he was unlucky enough to fall in love for the very first time with a woman, who was the daughter of the baron of the castle, Voltaire described the first time that Candide killed, got beaten, was rescued, visited a new country, became rich, was ill, etc... But what struck me is that he never uttered a word about his feelings while enduring what he had to endure, or enjoying what he had to enjoy. Candide was always kind of "indifferent" towards these things, the only thing he did was trying to see how far Pangloss' theory contradicted or agreed with his situation (Pangloss' theory is simply about "optimism", and how one should endure every hardship for the sake of the best that is to come, though I didn't agree with his "optimism"), and the farther he went through his journey the more he became convinced about the silliness of this theory, until he discovered at last that one should only work in this life and stop being philosophic about things if one want to live a calm life, and every time they were tempted by a metaphysical discussion they would say: "let's just cultivate our garden". So it was a short yet good book, and I liked it.. 

 

HAPPY READING DEAR READERS!!

Top Ten New To Me Authors I Read in 2012!!

Hello again with the "Top Ten Tuesday" which is "an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish". So the authors in question are:

 

 

 

1-Lucy Maud Montgomery who became one of my favourite authors, since her writing style is so adorable and her good humour is but to be cherished.

 

 

2- J. R. R. Tolkien, he also became my favourite author after reading his splendid novel " The Hobbit".

3- A. A. Milne, I love him and his "Winnie the Pooh"!!

4- Elizabeth Gaskell, I just finished her novel "North and South", and she's my favourite author also!!

5- Henry James, discovered him through "Daisy Miller", and how I'm fond of his writing style!!

6- Deanne Gist, I don't generally read books that are written by "new" authors, but Deanne's book has captivated my attention, and she deserves every respect!!

 

7- Danielle Steel, what I like about this author is the inspiring way she writes her romantic novels.

8- Daphne Du Maurier, I just discovered that she was a beauty, but her books are worth being read too!!

 

 

9- Charles Dickens, I read his "Great Expectation", and I'm going to read every novel written by this great author!! (God Willing)

10- Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, I think they both contributed in writing their famous Fairy Tales, and I love them!! 

Those were the authors that I discovered this year, and I think they are the majority of the authors I know, for I am but a beginners in the world of reading English books (I was always a book lover, but I've read Arabic and French books, now I'm an English-books lover). Hope you enjoy the post, and HAPPY READING DEAR READERS!!

Raibow Tag!!

I saw a tag on Youtube that was created by ArrictineReads (check out the video by clicking here) and I decided to do it since that sounded amazing. This tag is simply about choosing some books from one's bookshelf, the only condition is that their colours should be those of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). So, here are the books that I picked:

 

 

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown;
Le journal d'une crevette by Cecile Roumiguiere;
Three men in a boat by Jerome;
The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald;
Time management by Ibrahim el feki (Arabic book);
Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie;
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bonte.

Hope you enjoyed it, and HAPPY READING DEAR READERS!!

Finished Reading: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell!!

Read from September 30 to December 09, 2012 

 

Love it!! How can I do otherwise!! The "North and South" on papers has nothing to do with the "North and South" on screen, but they both have something in common which is their ability of making me bewitched (positively). Margaret Hale is a strong yet soft maid, whose character has gained my entire love, and Mr. Thornton is just the kind of men whose ardent love will make one melt, and whose gentlemanly behaviour will get one's respect!! The whole thing is bitter yet sweet as one would meet some tragic events -and I acknowledge that the novel is so full of them- but then one would find rays of light here and there, at intervals that softens the harshness encountered before. So I recommend this book to everyone, you may find it boring at first, though I think you will be capable of loving it as your read progresses. I gave it five stars out of five on Goodreads!!

And, as usual, HAPPY READING DEAR READERS!!