Month: April 2020
Top 5 Tuesday – Series I Want to Start
Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.
This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.
Series I Want to Start
To be honest, I’m not very fond of series. I’m a bit dismissive about it. Why? First and foremost, I’m impatient. Second, I hate too much or too little backstories. Third, I, well, forget several details from the previous books. This is why I have only read very few series like A Song of Ice & Fire and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
I hope to start with a new one this year and hopefully finish the entire series, too, and here are my choices:
1. The Sea of Fertility by Yukio Mishima
2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
3. Time Quintet by Madeleine L’engle
4. War of the Roses by Conn Iggulden
5. Earth’s Children by Jean M. Auel
Have you read any of these series? What did you think of them? Do you think these are great choices? What’s on your list? Feel free to leave a link or share in the comments sections. I’d be glad to read them.
Happy Tuesday and keep safe, Homo sapiens!
Quote of the Week
One of the most amazing things that can happen is finding someone who sees everything you are and won’t let you be anything less. They see the potential of you. They see endless possibilities. And through their eyes, you start to see yourself the same way as someone who matters. As someone who can make a difference in the world. If you’re lucky enough to find this person, never let them go.
~Susan Colasanti
Demian by Hermann Hesse
Demian is my second Hermanne Hesse piece and he was certainly able to capture my attention with a captivating start and lost me somewhere halfway through the story. The ending? Either entranced or disappointed I guess.
This is the complex coming-of-age story of Emil Sinclair and his journey in search of his true self. It started with a lie in order to impress his friends which however turned so bad thus the threats and bullying began. He started to believe he doesn’t belong to the society until he met Demian and his life was changed forever.
Demian really started strong but slowly lost me midway through. It’s not a bad book, there were interesting concepts actually but the ending just didn’t seem to answer the questions asked all throughout the story.
Maybe I just don’t get it. Or perhaps Hesse’s works are just not my cup of tea.
Quotable Quotes:
“If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn’t part of ourselves doesn’t disturb us.”
“Those who are too lazy and comfortable to think for themselves and be their own judges obey the laws. Others sense their own laws within them.”
“I wanted only to live in accord with the promptings which came from my true self. Why was that so very difficult?”
Rating: 2/5 stars
A Six-Word Story
I can’t fall all over again.
Someday
Someday
you’ll just
be a memory
of something I didn’t
want.
WWW Wednesday 22-April-2020
Hello there! It’s April! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
Currently Reading
Recently Finished
Up Next
Have you read any of these books? Or is there anything you want to recommend? What have you been reading this past week? I’d be delighted if you share your WWWs, too. Leave a link or share your lists on the comments section so I can check them all out!
Happy reading and keep safe, homo sapiens!
Top 5 Tuesday – Popular Books I Haven’t Read Yet
Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.
This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.
Today’s topic is:
Popular Books I Haven’t Read Yet
Now this would be a really long list but I’m choosing the first five that comes to mind while writing this.
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- If on a Winter’s Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
Have you read any of these books? What did you think about them? Which ones do you recommend? Feel free to share a link of your Top 5 Tuesdays or let me know in the comments section.
Happy Tuesday and keep safe, homo sapiens!
Top Ten Tuesday – Titles That Would Make Good Band Names
Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday!
Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s given topic is Titles That Would Make Good Band Names.
1. Thousand Cranes (Yasunari Kawabata)
2. After Dark (Haruki Murakami)
3. Republic of Shade (Thomas J. Campanella)
4. Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk)
5. Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel)
6. Stoner (John Williams)
7. Paper Towns (John Green)
8. Half Broke Horses (Jeannette Walls)
9. River of Shadows (Valerio Valesi)
10. The House of Mirth (Edith Wharton)
Do you agree with my list? Do we have the same titles? Feel free to share your TTTs or simply share your list in the comments section. I’d be delightful to see your lists!
Happy Tuesday and keep safe, Homo sapiens!
Quote of the Week
Not everything is supposed to become something beautiful and long-lasting. Sometimes people come into your life to show you what is right and what is wrong, to show you who you can be, to teach you to love yourself, to make you feel better for a little while, or to just be someone to walk with at night and spill your life to. Not everyone is going to stay forever, and we still have to keep on going and thank them for what they’ve given us.
~Emery Allen
Half of the Yellow Sun by Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi
I have to admit, I have very little knowledge of Nigeria and of the Republic of Biafra and its states so reading a book like Half of a Yellow Sun was very educational and informative for me. I know very little about Africa actually with the exception of Egypt perhaps, so this really was a wonderful pick.
This is my first experience with Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi and I understand now what people are raving about. I must say the writing was excellent. She was able to make me feel like I’ve just lived through the experience. She was able to show how manipulative a propaganda can get and how people change as the war continues. I will surely read more of her works.
The story is about the war in Nigeria in 1960s when Biafra was trying to establish itself as a separate state/republic from Nigeria. Written in alternating points of view from several characters, the book provides a good insight of Nigerian life. My favorite characters were Kainene and Ugwu. I am still wondering where Kainene is and what happened to her.
The book title was based from the Biafran flag where red symbolizes blood of the massacred in the North, black for mourning, green for prosperity and the half of a yellow sun symbolizes a glorious future which was sadly never seen.
I enjoyed reading this book as I was exposed to something I knew very little about and I am excited to read more pieces from this author and see how they compare.
Quotable Quotes:
“There are some things that are so unforgivable that they make other things easily forgivable.”
“You can’t write a script in your mind and then force yourself to follow it. You have to let yourself be.”
“Why do I love him?…I don’t think love has a reason…I think love comes first and then the reasons follow.”
“Grief was the celebration of love, those who could feel real grief were lucky to have loved.”
“You must never behave as if your life belongs to a man. Do you hear me?” Aunty Ifeka said. “Your life belongs to you and you alone.”
Rating: 4/5 stars
A Six-Word Story
She’s got nothing left to give.
Prediction Book Tag
It’s been ten days since the area where my office is located has been locked down so I’m working from home. It’s been ten days of excessive eating, too. I really hope things get better and back to normal. I’m not used to staying at home like this but I’m coping up, I guess. 😅 How are you, Homo sapiens? I hope you are all safe.
Anyways, there’s some good news for me in the blogosphere. I was recently tagged by Cassie @ Books With Cassie to do the Prediction Book Tag. Isn’t that sweet? Thanks, Cassie! 😊 Do visit her wonderful blog if you haven’t yet.
The original creator of this tag is Book Princess Reviews and the rules are as follows:
- Tag the person who tagged you.
- Tag the creator.
- Find an answer to match each prompt.
- Have Fun!
Prediction for my next read:
At the moment, I am in the mood to start with Out by Natsuo Kirino which has actually been on my TBR for a couple of years.
Prediction for my next 5-star read:
Prediction for my next 1-star read:
I haven’t given any book a 1-star rating as far as I can remember and I hope to never have to.
Prediction for my next love interest/cool character:
I’m planning to read Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series so I think and I hope Percy Jackson will be my next cool character.
Prediction for my next book buy:
I really want to read this book on paperback that’s why I’m not buying the Kindle version. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen it in bookstores here before the lockdown so I will have to wait for now.
Now I don’t know how many I should be tagging so I’m tagging all of you who gets to read this. Create a post or simply answer in the comments section. I’d be delighted!
Happy Tuesday and keep safe, Homo sapiens!
It’s Not
It’s
not my
job to rebuild
bonds I myself didn’t
break.
Top 5 Tuesday – Books That Made Me Laugh
Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.
This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.
Books That Made Me Laugh
1. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson
This is my first experience of Jonas Jonasson’s works and I smiled and laughed most of the way through this book. If absurd adventures with some dark humor is okay with you, then you’ll enjoy this.
2. A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
This book really touched my heart and also also made me laugh a lot of times throughout. One of my best reads so far this year.
3. The Princess and the Penis by R.J. Silver
This was a cute and silly read that made me giggle and smile like an idiot for a good half an hour! A story with a naughty twist of your childhood fairy tale.
4. Cain by Jose Saramago
Cain is a laugh out loud funny little read but at the same time makes us chew on several profound moral questions about the nature of God and events in the Old Testament.
5. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Carry On is a cute and funny read with a really cool plot. Even though I’m not a big fan of fantasy and chosen one stories, I was amazed by this one! It’s super gay and I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. The cute, silly banters were a lot of fun, Rainbow Rowell really struck me with her sarcastic wit.
Have you read any of these books? Which books gave you a good laugh? Please feel free to share a link of your Top 5 Tuesdays or share which books made you laugh in the comments section.
Keep safe, Homo sapiens!
Quote of the Week
Experience is the teacher of all things.
~Julius Caesar
The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall
The Russian Concubine started out quite interestingly for me then somehow got a bit slow for my taste in the middle then started to pick up the pace again in the last third of the book.
The plot was quite interesting. A mother and daughter who escaped from the Russian bolsheviks and ended up in an international settlement in China. Nice to have gained insights about China during the days of Chiang Kai Shek, Sun Yat-sen and Mao Tse-tung.
Lydia, the daughter is fiery and eventually fell in love with a Chinese communist boy who has been trying to protect her whenever he can.
The title was a bit misleading though. The main character, is no concubine. There was a mention of a concubine after some 200 pages in the book but I don’t know why or how the author decided on it, go figure.
Anyhow, I ended up really liking this story more when there was only a third left in the story. I was already thinking about putting it on-hold but I’m glad that I went on. Moreover, I’m happy that the end is a beginning of another story, I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.
Quotable Quotes:
“The sight of you brings joy to my heart and makes my blood thunder in my veins. I know not how long I will be allowed to stand here. So there are words I must say. That you are the moon and the stars to me, and the air I breathe. To love you is to live. So if I die…. I will still live in you.”
Rating: 4/5 stars
A Six-Word Story
We can always start again. Always.
WWW Wednesday 08-April-2020
Hello there! It’s April! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
Currently Reading
I’m halfway through Permanent Record and I find it fascinating so far. Also, I’ve started with Wayward Son. I haven’t read a Rainbow Rowell for quite some time now and it’s really nice to be reading about Simon, Baz and Agatha again.
Recently Finished
I’ve finally finished City of Djinns and it was a really informative and interesting read. A mix of history, myth, religion, travel, etc. I don’t know what to say about On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. I managed to read this in the office and would’ve finished it in a day if it weren’t for some urgent work. It was brutal. It was devastating. It was beautiful. It felt so real. One of my best reads so far this year.
Up Next
I’m thinking of reading Kokoro first among these three but a friend recommended The Alice Network and two others suggested the The Secret Keeper.
Have you read any of these books? Or is there anything you want to recommend? What have you been reading this past week? I’d be delighted if you share your WWWs, too. Leave a link or share your lists on the comments section so I can check them all out!
Happy reading and keep safe, homo sapiens!
Healing
Healing
myself at
my own pace,
nobody gets to say
otherwise.
Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Bought/Borrowed Because…
Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday!
Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s given topic is Books I Bought/Borrowed Because…
Let’s get started!
I bought the next three books because they were highly recommended:
- Recommended by my boss – Demian by Hermann Hesse. I’m still not quite sure whether I really liked it or not but it was okay as a whole.
- Recommended by a stranger – City of Djinns by William Dalrymple. I was in the bus reading on my way home one night when the lady beside me started a conversation. She said she also likes to read and her favorite so far was the City of Djinns and she thinks I will enjoy it, too. So I’m currently reading it know and yeah, so far so good.
I bought the next three books because of the cover:
I bought this book because of the best sidekick ever:
Yes, the one and only Fermin Romero de Torres in The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Fermin is my favorite character in The Shadow of the Wind and it is said that he will be taking center stage in this book. I’ll be reading this maybe next month.
Lastly, I bought these two books because they were on sale:
Have you read any of these books? What were your reasons for buying them? Share a link of your TTTs so I can check them out, too, or simply share your lists on the comments section. I’d be delighted to read them all!
Happy Tuesday, homo sapiens!
Top 5 Tuesday – Sanity Savers – Things I’m Enjoying While in Isolation
Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.
This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.
It’s April and Shannah has prepared some positive and motivating topics for us this month, perfect for the current situation the world is in at the moment. Thanks, Shannah. Now let’s get started. 🙂
Top 5 Sanity Savers – Things I’m Enjoying While in Isolation
The thing is, it’s work and business as usual for me even after the lockdown and partial curfew were announced. There were no changes in my work schedule.
However, if I were to be in that situation, here are my sanity saver ideas:
1. Read
This would be a good chance to catch up on my reading. I would really love to spend my time reading for long hours and finish more books than usual.
2. Cook
I would love to try cooking some new dishes and food I miss eating in my favorite restaurants.
3. Binge-watch
I don’t really watch that much series or movies but it would be an option as I’ve heard many great stuff to watch these days.
4. Learn the guitar
I’ve tried learning how to play the guitar early last year but I wasn’t able to continue with it because of work and life. So a time in isolation is a great chance to get back to it as I’ve already forgotten the few things I’ve learned last year.
5. Think and reflect
It’s the best time to think and reflect about my life. In a way, I’d have more time to think about things and wouldn’t have to rush on making decisions and at the same time reflect on my actions and think about what changes are necessary or what steps I should take next.
Are you in isolation at the moment? What activities do you do? I’d be delighted to read your sanity savers so feel free to drop a link of your posts or share them in the comments section.
Keep safe, homo sapiens!
The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark
I’m not very sure what to make of this novella just yet even after reading it months ago. The plot and ending didn’t really make sense to me. Perhaps a reread would help?
A reread, indeed. Thankfully, it’s a short read.
One can tell from the beginning that there’s something wrong with Lise. I can’t say I was enjoying it. Lise was actually getting into my nerves. I spent the whole time reading it wanting to slap her hard.
To summarize the story, Lise is crazy and she will be murdered. And yes, she was. I couldn’t see any point in the characters or the story itself so it was definitely a good thing that it’s a really short read.
This was the weirdest book I’ve read as far as I can remember. Weird in a way I didn’t really like or enjoy.
Apparently, I wasn’t satisfied in my first foray of Muriel Spark’s works but I’m still inclined to familiarize myself more of her. The more perceptive readers could probably get more from this book. Any suggestions for a better one, please?
Rating: 2/5 stars
A Six-Word Story
A heart like yours is rare.
Quote of the Week
I love the fact that I can make people happy, in any form. Even if it’s just an hour of their lives, if I can make them feel lucky or make them feel good, or bring a smile to a sour face, that to me is worthwhile.
~Freddy Mercury
The Mystery Blogger Award #3
So, it’s April! We’ve just passed the first quarter of 2020. I hope everyone’s safe and doing well despite the current situation covid-19 has caused.
Anyways, let’s get into some good news.
I was tagged for the Mystery Blogger Award! This is just so sweet and so huge thanks to Carl @ The Pine-Scented Chronicles. Do visit and follow his blog (if you haven’t yet!) specially if you’re a book-lover. He shares very interesting books and reviews. He also writes about his travels so I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy his blog.
So, the Mystery Blogger Award was created by Okoto Enigma to recognize “amazing blogs that haven’t been discovered” yet. It is the original creator’s aim, through this award nomination, to “create a friendly community and build a link between bloggers in the blogosphere; as everyone gets nominated and they too can spread the fun by nominating more people for the award.” (I literally just copy-pasted this from your post, Carl, sorry!)
Let’s have a look at the rules and and get started, shall we?
The Rules
- Put the award logo/image on your blog.
- List the rules.
- Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
- Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well.
- Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
- You have to nominate 10 – 20 people.
- Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog.
- Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify).
- Share a link to your best post(s).
3 Things About Me
- I play the drums. It’s the only musical instrument I was able to learn how to play. I started to try learning the guitar last year but failed to continue due to work and life, you know, but I still intend to learn though.
- If given the chance, I would love to attend a culinary school.
- I haven’t been back to my hometown for 11 years now.
Carl’s Questions:
1. Is there a country you want to visit because of what you’ve read in novels? What country is it and why do you want to visit it?
Japan. At first, I only wanted to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two atomic bomb sites during the second world war. I love history and the most interesting parts for me are the war years. Don’t get me wrong but I have a keen interest reading the war parts of history. Over the years, I became more interested in everything about Japan, the people, the food, Japanese literature, culture, etc. So I hope to visit Japan someday.
2. Do you always finish a book you’ve started? Why or why not?
I used to always finish any book I’ve started even though it’s not as interesting as I expect it to be. But since last year, I told myself that I should learn to dump it if it doesn’t entertain me anymore, there’s still a lot of books out there that’s worth my time reading. 🙂
3. The world of literature is very broad. What particular genre or what part of literature do you want to read more (e.g. historical fiction, Asian or Japanese literature)?
Russian literature and graphic-novels.
4. Tell us more about why you write and what are your inspirations when you are writing.
I write because it’s better to just write whatever comes to mind rather than hearing it straight from my big mouth. Not that I write well, no, far from it. But I find it safer to say things by writing them down.
5. Choose a literary genre that can sum up your life or who you are. Why does this genre exemplify you?
Not sure how to answer this at the moment but I’d say it’s a combination of rom-com, drama and suspense. The few people who know me very well will understand this. 🙂
The Nominees:
I’m nominating/tagging the following people this time:
My Questions for the Nominees:
1. If you can ask the president of your country just one question, what would you ask?
2. What’s the oldest thing you own?
3. What is your least favorite thing about humanity?
4. What language would you like to learn and why?
5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My Best Post
I haven’t really thought about what my best post was so I’ll instead share the link of one of my favorites: What Did You Want to be When You Grow Up? It is one of my favorites because I get to interact with people more than usual and we started emailing and stuff and most of them are my really great online friends now.
WWW Wednesday 01-April-2020
Hello there! It’s April! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
Currently Reading:
Recently Finished:
Up Next:
HappymessHappiness 