Too Ten Tuesday – Authors I’ve Read the Most Books By

Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday! It has been a long time since I last did this and so I’m really excited to get to do it again!

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 Authors I’ve Read the Most Books By.

Haruki Murakami – 17 books

Apparently, Haruki Murakami is my favorite author, ever. I’ve nearly read most of his books and I’ve enjoyed and loved them all. I hope there’s more to come from this brilliant author.

Agatha Christie & Jessica Zafra –  12 books each

And Then There Were None started my reading journey of Agatha Christie’s works. I was then hooked with the Miss Marple series afterwards.

Jessica Zafra is a Filipino fiction writer known for her sharp and witty writing style. I still hope to read her other books when I get back to the Philippines.

Nicholas Sparks – 9 books

Paulo Coelho & Dan Brown – 6 books each

George R.R. Martin & Mitch Albom – 5 books each

Gillian Flynn, JRR Tolkien, Rainbow Rowell, Jodi Picoult, Stephenie Meyer –  4 books each

Jose Saramago, Stephanie Perkins, Chang-Rae Lee, Khaled Hosseini, Sam Harris, John Green, Neil Gaiman, William Boyd – 3 books each

There you go guys! Do we have the same list? Share your answers in the comments section or feel free to drop a link so I can check them all out.

Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens!

 

 

 

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple

If you want to read about India, or more specifically Delhi, I happily recommend City of Djinns.

The book tells about about the author’s one year stay, as well as what he has learned, while in New Delhi in the 1980s. He talked about how kind people in Delhi were, different cities, his funny landlady, Mrs. Puri, Hinglish, Anglo-Indians, the partition, the scorching heat he experienced there, horoscopes, architecture, a Hindu wedding and so much about India’s culture and history.

This is my first attempt to William Dalrymple’s works and I must say, I am impressed. He’s a brilliant observer and he can very much entertain readers with his writing. I very much admire the work he’s done with this book. Wonderful.

This book can be a travel guide when I visit India someday. One of my finest reads this year.

Quotable Quotes:

“Partition was a total catastrophe for Delhi,’ she said. ‘Those who were left behind are in misery. Those who were uprooted are in misery. The Peace of Delhi is gone. Now it is all gone.”

“Whoever has built a new city in Delhi has always lost it: the Pandava brethren, Prithviraj Chauhan, Feroz Shah Tughluk, Shah Jehan … They all built new cities and they all lost them. We were no exception.”

“For all its faults we love this city.’ Then, after a pause, she added: ‘After all, we built it.”

“And it would be nice if the roof was a bit stronger. Then the peacocks wouldn’t keep falling through. I don’t mind during the day, but I hate waking up at night to find a peacock in bed with me.”

“When a dust storm blows it means the djinns are going to celebrate a marriage …”

Rating: 5/5 stars

 

 

 

 

 

Mid-Year Freak Out Tag

Hi there, Homo sapiens! I hope you are all doing well and safe wherever you are.

Welcome to the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag! This is the first time I’ll be doing this and I’m really excited to do it. Thanks to Carl, I was introduced to this. Well, this tag basically helps you reflect how good or how terrible you are on your reading at this time of the year. 😅 2020 has been a mess but I somehow found more time for reading and so let’s get started, shall we?

Best Books I’ve Read So Far in 2020

Best Sequel I’ve Read so Far in 2020New Releases but You Haven’t Read Yet but Want To

Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of the Year

Biggest Disappointment

Biggest Surprise

Favorite Authors (Debut or New to You)

Ocean Vuong

Madeline Miller

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Ayobami Adebayo

Alex Michaelides

Newest Fictional Crush

Unfortunately, there’s none so far this year… hope to have one in the books I’m about to read for the rest of the year.

Newest Favorite Character

Kainene from Half of the Yellow Sun.

Books That Made You Cry

Books That Made You Happy

Most Beautiful Books You’ve Bought So Far This Year (Or Received)

Books You Need to Read Before the End of the Year

Favorite Book Community Members

I don’t really get to interact a lot with many bloggers or book community members and I am only a part of WordPress and Goodreads. There are some very notable bloggers/members I’m glad to have met though. Carl, of course is one of them. Do visit his blog here specially if you love books/reading and you can thank me later.😊 I’ve also met Chuck here on WordPress and he’s got plenty to offer you if you like poetry. He shares poetry written by other bloggers but he writes his own as well. Check out his blog here.

Now I guess I’m done here… Feel free to do yours, too! And tag me! I’d be really glad to read your posts! Happy day, Homo sapiens!

Short Story – The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

The Cask of Amontillado is a gothic short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. He was one of my favorite authors growing up. I just love the way he writes.

The story is direct to the point. Montressor, the narrator was insulted by Fortunato and so he vows for revenge. It seems normal at first but as the story progresses, it gets darker.

We never really got to learn Montressor’s purpose/reason for carrying out the revenge on Fortunato but maybe that’s not really the point in the story. Well, I dunno.

What I know is that Fortunato was buried behind a wall and  Edgar Allan Poe knows revenge at its worst and moreover, a mystery is yet to be solved.

Quotable Quotes:

“A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.”

“It must be understood, that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will.”

“The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge.”

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

 

The Cake Tree in the Ruins by Akiyuki Nosaka

The Cake Tree in the Ruins is an incredible collection of short stories all set on August 15,1945, the day Japan surrendered to the Allies in World War II.

Some of the themes tackled are war and its effects, survival, loss, love and kindness in the most difficult situations. Several of the stories highlight on how useless wars are and its effects on common/ordinary people who are the actual victims.

Most of the stories are extremely sad and heartbreaking and The Whale Who Fell In Love With the Submarine is my favorite, a beautifully tragic story.

This is my first venture on Akiyuki Nosaka’s works and he definitely has my heart. This collection is haunting and superb and one that will stay with me for a very long time.

Quotable Quotes:

“He was waiting for his mother who was sure to come back from the sky — the mother who had soared up into the sky like a kite blown by the wind.”

“Too many undernourished people and animals appear in these stories, I know, but it was wartime, after all.”

“On 15th August in the cloudless blue sky evening sky a single giant balloon left Japan and rode the jet stream headed for America. It carried no bomb… and unable to land is probably still floating around somewhere filled with the breath of school children.”

Rating: 5/5 stars

 

 

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Bridge to Terabithia is a touching and heartbreaking story with themes that include imagination, friendship, family and grief. Jesse is shy and quiet but has amazing artistic skills and Leslie is the new girl in town who beat the boys in running. Soon, they became best friends and built their secret imaginary kingdom of Terabithia.

It’s a beautiful story of friendship between these two lonely children until one day, tragedy happens. And the story tells of how to cope and come into terms with what happened. This will really touch you on so many levels. It is an engaging and memorable book with relatable characters. Children who think and talk realistically and in a very honest way.

I love books that break my heart and this was one of them. I hate it but I love it.

Quotable Quotes:

“Sometimes it seemed to him that his life was delicate as a dandelion. One little puff from any direction, and it was blown to bits.”

“You think it’s so great to die and make everyone cry and carry on. Well it ain’t.”

“He may not have been born with guts, but he didn’t have to die without them.”

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

WWW Wednesday 17-Jun-2020

Hello there, Homo sapiens! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What did you recently finish reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished

I recently finished these three wonderful reads and all of them received 4-⭐️ ratings from me.

Currently Reading

I decided not to read other books at the moment so I can focus and hopefully finish A Dance of Dragons soon. To be quite honest, there’s not that much action happening so far in the book that’s why I always end up reading something else but I haven’t reached half of it yet so hopefully it gets better.

Next Reads

I hope to start with these two books after I finish A Dance with Dragons. I think these are going to be great reads!

Have you read any of these books? 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!

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alicia Berenson was a famous artist and married to a well-known photographer, Gabriel. She shot her husband and never spoke a word ever again. She was later confined in a psychiatric facility where Theo, an ambitious psychotherapist and obsessed with Alicia and her story, tried his best to get in.

This is a clever story. It grabbed my attention from the start as I was intrigued with what’s going on. I started formulating theories in my mind while reading and some came real close. But that twist, I seriously did not see coming at all.

As I write this now, I’ve realized the writing was good but I can’t really say it was amazing. The characters were not that appealing and even the plot was a little bit unlikely. However, it all worked together beautifully.

Alex Michaelides did a good job on this debut and he now belongs to my radar of authors to watch for.

Quotable Quotes:

“You know, one of the hardest things to admit is that we weren’t loved when we needed it most. It’s a terrible feeling, the pain of not being loved.”

“…we often mistake love for fireworks – for drama and dysfunction. But real love is very quiet, very still. It’s boring, if seen from the perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm – and constant.”

“Remember, love that doesn’t include honesty doesn’t deserve to be called love.”

Rating: 4/5 stars

WWW Wednesday 10-Jun-2020

Hello there, Homo sapiens! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What did you recently finish reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished

I gave 4-star ratings for all four books.

Currently Reading

I haven’t really read much from A Dance with Dragons so I will try to put a little more time for it this week because it’s still a long way to go! Just started with Little Women yesterday, it’s been on my TBR for years. I’m enjoying The Book of Night Women so far so I really hope this ends good.

Upcoming Reads

I was supposed to start with Near to the Wild Heart but opted for Little Women instead so I hope to pick this up next. Also, I was browsing my Kindle for what else to read next and found The Member of the Wedding and Augustus. I almost totally forgot about these two books already so both will be priorities for my upcoming reads.

Have you read any of these books? 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!

Circe by Madeline Miller

If you are into mythology, well even if you aren’t actually, you should read this book.

This is the first book I’ve read written by Madeline Miller and it’s surprisingly good. I loved her writing style as well as the character developments. The story was also packed with myths, gods and goddesses and it was fun to come across familiar names.

I haven’t heard much about Circe herself actually apart from her being a witch and turning men to pigs. Madeline Miller did a great job giving life to Circe’s character. She also was able to write the story like as if Circe was telling the story herself. I liked the way she grew and developed throughout the book and the ending was indeed meaningful.

Highly engaging, enjoyable and wonderful read.

Quotable Quotes:

“Beneath the smooth, familiar face of things is another that waits to tear the world in two.”

“I had no right to claim him, I knew it. But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.”

“Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.”

“I would say, some people are like constellations that only touch the earth for a season.”

“You cannot know how frightened gods are of pain. There is nothing more foreign to them, and so nothing they ache more deeply to see.”

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

I was not suppose to read this book because I don’t like cats. But it’s a book written by Hiro Arikawa, a Japanese author whose works I haven’t ventured on yet so I thought it’s unfair not to give it a try after seeing lots of good reviews about it and just because I don’t like cats. Plus, it was translated by Philip Gabriel so I know the translation would be a good one.

So… Nana was a stray cat and was soon taken in by a kind-hearted guy named Satoru after he found it injured by a car. They lived together for years until one day, Satoru can no longer take care of Nana so they found themselves traveling together to find a new home for her. They visited several of Satoru’s friends and slowly Satoru’s story unfolds. The more they travel, the more their love for each other grew.

Well, there’s not much of a plot here and the writing was slow for my taste but simple and engaging which I like. I love Satoru and Nana and cared enough what will happen to them so it was okay that the story went a bit slow for me.

This is a beautiful story of friendship, companionship, love and kindness. The part towards the end of the book was quite lovely. Tissues required while reading.

Quotable Quotes:

“My story will be over soon. But it’s not something to be sad about. Remembering those who went ahead. Remembering those who will follow after. And someday, we will meet all those people again, out beyond the horizon.”

“If you have to consider what’s going to happen after you die, life becomes doubly troublesome.”

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

WWW Wednesday 27-May-2020

Hello there, Homo sapiens! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What did you recently finish reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

~Recently Finished~

~Currently Reading~

~Up Next~

Have you read any of these books? 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!

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

This is Helen Keller’s autobiography written while she was attending Radcliffe College. Despite being blind and deaf, she was very lucky to get proper education and use what she learned to help others in the same situation as hers. This is also a tribute to her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who was very devoted to her and made such a big difference in her life.

Since she wrote this book while still attending college, I would like to read more about her later life and somehow know more about her as a person. I’m afraid I didn’t really get that from this book. I would also probably read something about her through another’s viewpoint, say Anne Sullivan’s for example, who contributed greatly to what she has become.

I’m giving this book 3-stars for its inspiring and interesting story though the second part of the book was a bit redundant. I’m giving 5-stars to Helen Keller for her passion, her commitment and eagerness to learn and for her achievements.

Quotable Quotes:

“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”

“I wonder what becomes of lost opportunities? Perhaps our guardian angel gathers them up as we drop them, and will give them back to us in the beautiful sometime when we have grown wiser, and learned how to use them rightly.”

“Trying to write is very much like trying to put a Chinese puzzle together. We have a pattern in mind which we wish to work out in words; but the words will not fit the spaces, or, if they do, they will not match the design.”

WWW Wednesday 20-May-2020

Hello there, Homo sapiens! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What did you recently finish reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished

Currently Reading

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 – Top Opening Lines

Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.

This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.

Top 5 Opening Lines

“Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can’t be sure.”

 “It was a pleasure to burn.”

 “All this happened, more or less.”

 “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”

“History has failed us, but no matter.”

 

 

 

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh where his areas of expertise were computer science and virtual reality. He worked for Disney as an Imagineer. He died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 47.

Overall, the book is inspiring though not mind-blowing. The wisdom within this book makes it an important book to read. It is indeed a good lecture for him to leave to his children and to inspire many others.

While I enjoyed Randy Pausch’s positive attitude during the most difficult time of his life, I also felt that the book was a lot more about him proving how great he and his life had been. I don’t want to speak ill of the dead and I will probably burn in hell to say this but he appeared to be cocky, arrogant and so full of himself. Death is always a tragedy but his was a fairytale having been able to bid goodbye to everyone he loves and leaving a mark in the world. I personally think he should have hired a writer to assist him in writing this book, maybe it would touch more hearts and won’t sound or appear the way it did.

Nevertheless, you’d still have to admire Randy.

Quotable Quotes:

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.”

“Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.”

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”

“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.”

“Find the best in everybody. Just keep waiting no matter how long it takes. No one is all evil. Everybody has a good side, just keep waiting, it will come out.”

Rating: 3/5 stars

 

A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

A Dog’s Purpose is one dog’s story trying to find and understand his life’s purpose through four different lives. He was first born as a stray dog and was later named when caught and kept in a dog pound. In his second life he was a golden retriever named Bailey. This is my favorite part of the book, aside from being a golden retriever which is my favorite dog breed, this is where he met Ethan. Come his third life, he became a she, a female German Shepherd named Ellie and was part of of the Search and K-9 unit. He was back to being a male dog in his fourth life and this time a Labrador.

Told from a dog’s perspective, every thought that enters the dog’s mind were realistic. The way the author has written the dog’s thoughts made me feel like I am actually in a dog’s mind. It felt like the dog was really the one telling the story.

A Dog’s Purpose is a roller coaster of emotions — I laughed, I cried, it was happy and sad, it made me nervous and scared, it made me hopeful. I just so love this book from beginning to end.

W. Bruce Cameron did a brilliant job in this book. Whether you’re a dog/animal lover or not, I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed. I can’t give enough praises to this work. Read it. It’s a paw-fect book!

Quotable Quotes:

“The job of a good dog was ultimately to be with them, remaining by their sides no matter what course their lives might take. All I could do now was offer him comfort, the assurance that as he left this life he was not alone but rather was tended by the dog who loved him more than anything in the whole world.”

“Because failure isn’t an option if success is just a matter of more effort.”

“Humans were capable of so many amazing things, but too often they just sat making words, not doing anything.”

Rating: 5/5 stars

 

WWW Wednesday 06-May-2020

Hello there, Homo sapiens! It’s the month of May! How are all of you doing? I hope you’re all safe wherever you are. I’ve been kind of busy the past couple of weeks, I moved to a new apartment and have to arrange stuff here and there plus work, of course. Well, thank God everything’s almost in place now. So…

Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. 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!

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

I’ve been seeing this book almost everywhere both online and offline and so I’ve finally decided to purchase an ebook and see why people are so raving about it.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is Lale’s true story during the second world war. It tells us how he became the tattooist in Auschwitz and the trials and sufferings he and the others experienced there.

I liked the story, I do, but I didn’t quite like the writing. I’m a big fan of world war reads but this just came a bit flat for me. I also wasn’t able to connect with the characters and there was no character development. I also didn’t feel that much emotion while reading this unlike the other books I’ve read about the war. I did felt some but I would have loved it more if I were able to feel a connection with the characters or between Lale and Gita. I kinda felt like the bond between them was missing, an opportunity missed for a beautiful love story. Or is it just me? Don’t get me wrong, this would have really been a great story but I really felt the writing didn’t do it justice.

Any holocaust-related story is a gripping tale but I wasn’t blown away with this one. Still I’m glad I’ve read it.

Quotable Quotes:

“I know he is not perfect, but I also know he will always put me first.”

“To save one is to save the world.”

“Remember the small things and the big things will work themselves out.”

Rating: 3/5 stars

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!

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

 

 

 

 

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:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

Out by Natsuo Kirino is interesting so far while I’m not very much enjoying A Scarred Legacy, maybe it’s too early to give up on it so I’ll continue reading a few more chapters then decide.

Recently Finished

I recently finished Permanent Record which was a very eye-opening and educational read. Wayward Son was a good read though it wasn’t what I was expecting. It didn’t give any closure to Carry On. But I think it was meant to be like this to make readers look forward to the third book. I’m giving both reads 4 stars.

Up Next

These three books are on top of my TBR this week. So let’s see if I’ll get to them as planned.

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.

1. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

1. Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

1. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

1. 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!

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

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

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!

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

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:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. 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!

 

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 a friend – A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. This is a great book. One of my all-time favorites.

1. 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.
2. 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 the next book because it’s been showing both in my WordPress feeds and in Goodreads quite a lot:

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:

Both Stoner and Mornings in Jenin were 5-star reads for me so I’m very delighted that I bought them.

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!

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

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:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. 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 Ten Tuesday – Ten Signs You’re a Book Lover

Hello there! It’s 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:

Ten Signs You’re a Book-Lover

Here it goes!

1. Books are always great gifts.

2. Saving money to buy new books.

3. It’s hard not to read several books at one time.

4. You wish some fictional characters were real.

5. You tend to become emotionally invested in characters.

6. Nothing makes better company than coffee when reading.

7. You love the smell of books.

8. You spend sleepless nights sobbing, laughing or simply enjoying a different world.

9. You can spend hours in a bookshop, library or book fair because they’re your personal heaven.

10. You  own more books than your space can hold.

These are just ten of the many signs you’re a book-lover. Do we have the same list? Feel free to drop a link of your TTTs or share your list in the comments section. I’d be delighted to read them.

Happy Tuesday, homo sapiens!

Top 5 Tuesday – Authors from A-Z (U, V, W, X, Y, Z)

Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.

This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.

March is a themed month and this month’s theme is Authors from A-Z. Last week. we had authors with names starting with the letters P, Q, R, S & T. Today we’ll be having authors whose names start with U, V, W, X, Y & Z. Again, I opted for family names.

U – John Updike

John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet and short-story writer. He is one of the three other writers who have won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction more than once. Apart from his novels and short-story collections, many of his works were published in The New Yorker.

V – Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was an American writer. He’s best known for his satirical novel Slaughterhouse-Five. It is in fact the only work of his that I’ve read so far. It is the story of Billy Pilgrim who was born in 1922 like Vonnegut himself who survived the bombing of Dresden.

W – John Williams

John Edward Williams author, editor and professor. He is the author of Stoner, a tragic fictional tale of a university professor — one of my top all-time favorite novels. His novel Augustus won a US national book award.

X – Xue Xinran

Xue Xinran is a British-Chinese journalist and author. She is also a known advocate for women’s issues. Her book The Good Women of China is on my TBR so I hope to get to it soon.

Y – Hanya Yanagihara

Hanya Yanagihara is a novelist, editor and travel writer. She is the author of A Little Life, winner of the 2015 Kirkus prize for fiction. She also was a National Book Award and Man Booker Prize finalist in 2015.

Z – Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak is an Australian writer of German origin and is best known for his books The Book Thief and The Messenger. Bridge of Clay is on my TBR and I hope it to be as his other works.

Have you heard of these authors before? (I doubt you haven’t!) Have you read any of their works? Any recommendations? I look forward to reading your Top 5 Tuesdays so drop a link on the comments section so I can check them all out.

Happy Tuesday and keep safe, homo sapiens!

All photos downloaded from Google. Credit to the owners.

Short Stories – The Last Leaf, The Necklace & The Gift of the Magi

These three short stories were recommendations from my new boss during a car ride for lunch. We’ve been working together for only two months and it didn’t occur to me even once that he likes reading. He also recommended Demian but that’s for another post.

The Last Leaf by O. Henry is an absolutely beautiful story. There’s love, friendship, death, sacrifice and the significance of hope. Sue and Johnsy are young aspiring artists but Johnsy fell prey to pneumonia. Johnsy already lost hope to live while Sue was desperate in finding ways to keep her hopes up and survive. Mr. Behrman is an old painter but pretty much failed all his life. But he never lost hope. And then one day, he was able to paint his masterpiece.

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant is a story that teaches a lesson about greed, contentment and being grateful for what is given to us. It’s about an ungrateful lady, Mathilde, who desired wealth, fame and to be envied by people. Her mindset never changed until the end of the story, still chasing the same things when she was younger and even after the incident that happened so I think the ending serves her right.

The Gift of the Magi, again by O. Henry, is another well-written story about true love and gift giving. Della wanted to buy a wonderful gift for her husband but she didn’t have enough money to do so. She decided to do the unthinkable. It was adorable and sad but all in all lovely. The wonderful message is worth some reflection.

Have you read these short stories? Which one is your favorite? Or any recommendations for another short story? Feel free to share on the comments section.

Happy reading and keep safe, homo sapiens!

WWW Wednesday 25-Mar-2020

Hello there! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

I finally got back to reading City of Djinns so I hope to finish it in a few days. I’ve also started reading The Cake Tree in the Ruins, a collection of short stories based on the experiences of the author, Akiyuki Nosaka, during the World War II.

Recently Finished:

These two are 4-star reads for me. The Silent Patient was a page-turner with unexpected twists and Greek tragedy. Bridge to Terabithia on the other hand is the kind that will make you realize that books can hurt.

Up Next:

I hope to start with any of these 5 titles next. Fingers-crossed I’ll have more time for reading this week.

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 – Authors from A-Z (P, Q, R, S, T)

Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.

This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.

March is a themed month and this month’s theme is Authors from A-Z. Last week. we had authors with names starting with the letters K, L, M, N, & O. Today we’ll be having authors whose names start with P, Q, R, S & T. Again, I opted for family names.

P – Jodi Picoult

Jodi Lynn Picoult is an American writer. I first came to know about her because of the fuss with her book The Storyteller. It seemed everyone was reading and talking about it at that time and so I gave it a shot. And damn. It was so good! I loved it and so I became a big fan. She writes stories with complex characters and plots and will make you ponder what if you were faced with the same dilemma.

Q – Julia Quinn

I haven’t read any book from any author whose first and last names start with the letter Q. However, I sometimes see from other blogs I follow books written by Julia Quinn. I’ve checked her books on Goodreads and they surprisingly have high ratings. According to Wikipedia, Julia Quinn is the pseudonym used by Julie Pottinger, an American historical romance author.

R – Rainbow Rowell

Rainbow Rowell is an American author of young adult and adult contemporary novels. Among her works, I first read Eleanor and Park, her first young adult novel. I loved the book so I ended up reading her other books, too. 

S – J.D. Salinger

Jerome David Salinger was an American writer most famous for his landmark book The Catcher in the Rye, another favorite of mine. It’s been said that throughout Salinger’s life, he adopted several religious practices, he was raised Jewish but also pursued Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and several others. He soon lived a secluded life for 50 years and died at the age of 91.

T – J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is an American writer and poet. He wrote the highly popular fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Yes, another of my favorites. 🙂 He was also a major scholar of the English language who specialized in Old and Middle English.

Have you heard of these authors before? (I doubt you haven’t!) Have you read any of their works? Any recommendations? I look forward to reading your Top 5 Tuesdays so drop a link on the comments section so I can check them all out.

Happy Tuesday and keep safe, homo sapiens!

All photos downloaded from Google. Credit to the owners.

The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai

To put it simply, The Setting Sun is a story about post-war Japan struggling and torn between Western modernization and deep aristocratic values.

The main character is Kazuko, a 29-year old daughter of an aristocrat who lives with her mother and brother and now have fallen on hard times. There are times when I find Kazuko difficult to understand but that’s okay, I find there are a lot like her in the world. I love every part of the book with the mother and so it was really sad when she died.

I liked the idea of Naoji’s letters that served as flashbacks before he committed suicide. It’s sad, really sad, though it did not surprise me at all. Through this letters, we discover his struggles in an aristocratic society and post-war Japan.

This is my first Osamu Dazai book. There’s not much action really and it was really sad but definitely a pleasure to read.

Quotable Quotes:

“To wait. In our lives we know joy, anger, sorrow, and a hundred other emotions, but these emotions all together occupy a bare one percent of our time. The remaining ninety-nine percent is just living in waiting. I wait in momentary expectation, feeling as though my breasts are being crushed, for the sound in the corridor of the footsteps of happiness. Empty. Oh, life is too painful, the reality that confirms the universal belief that it is best not to be born.”

“When I pretended to be precocious, people started the rumor that I was precocious. When I acted like an idler, rumor had it I was an idler. When I pretended I couldn’t write a novel, people said I couldn’t write. When I acted like a liar, they called me a liar. When I acted like a rich man, they started the rumor I was rich. When I feigned indifference, they classed me as the indifferent type. But when I inadvertently groaned because I was really in pain, they started the rumor that I was faking suffering. The world is out of joint.”

“I like roses best. But they bloom in all four seasons. I wonder if people who like roses best have to die four times over again.”

“I am afraid because I can so clearly foresee my own life rotting away of itself, like a leaf that rots without falling, while I pursue my round of existence from day to day.”

“Addiction is perhaps a sickness of the spirit.”

Rating: 4/5 stars

WWW Wednesday 18-Mar-2020

Hello there! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

I honestly haven’t gotten back to reading City of Djinns so I’m stuck to 65% at the moment. I, however, started reading The Silent Patient and Bridge to Terabithia; the former I read during my mini breaks in the office while I try to read a few pages of the latter before going to sleep.

Recently Finished:

The Travelling Cat Chronicles and Circe were great reads, 4-stars for both.

Up Next:

I still haven’t decided which of these five titles I should read next so I’m open to suggestions.

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, homo sapiens!

Top 5 Tuesday – Authors from A-Z (K, L, M, N, O)

Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.

This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.

March is a themed month and this month’s theme is Authors from A-Z. Last week. we had authors with names starting with the letters F, G, H, I & J. Today we’ll be having authors whose names start with K, L, M, N, & O. Again, I opted for family names.

K – Ken Kesey

Ken Elton Kesey is an American writer and a hero in countercultural reveolution and the hippie movement in the 1960s. He was a paid volunteer experiment subject in a veterans hospital and this experience served as background for his most popular novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

L – Harper Lee

Nelle Harper Lee is an American writer most popularly known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007 for her contribution to literature.

M – Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami is my number one favorite author. He is a Japanese novelist and a short story writer. He is well-known for his deep imaginative novels and often ambiguous. Some of his well-known books include Kafka on the Shore, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Norwegian Wood.

N – Viet Thanh Nguyen

Viet Thanh Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American novelist. His debut novel The Sympathizer won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2016. 

O – Yoko Ogawa

Yoko Ogawa is a Japanese writer and well-known for her book The Housekeeper and the Professor. She has been awarded several prizes for her literary career such as The Kaien Prize in 1988 and  The Yomiuri Prize in 2004.

Have you heard of these authors before? (I doubt you haven’t!) Have you read any of their works? Any recommendations? I look forward to reading your Top 5 Tuesdays so drop a link on the comments section so I can check them all out.

Happy Tuesday, homo sapiens!

All photos downloaded from Google. Credit to the owners.

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Two beautifully woven storylines that dealt with grief and loss with wonderful narration which I thought would have been really good novels instead of short stories. Banana Yoshimoto and these two stories remind me very much of Haruki Murakami and his ability to turn daily life into something magical.

This is a quick and easy read with lots of important ideas each of us should understand. Also, I like books for its simplicity and Yoshimoto’s writing style was so simple which made me like the book more. I’m not really sure if this is really Yoshimoto’s writing style or was it the translation but yeah, it came out simple and easy to read. I wouldn’t have to reread several pages to fully understand.

I guess what the author is really trying to tell us in both stories is to live our lives to the fullest. The loss of a loved one or anyone dear to us doesn’t always have to bring us sadness or grief because it won’t bring us back the people we’ve lost. The world is unfair so better just make the best out of it while here.

Quotable Quotes:

“People aren’t overcome by situations or outside forces. Defeat comes from within.”

“No matter what, I want to continue living with the awareness that I will die. Without that, I am not alive.”

“As I grow older, much older, I will experience many things, and I will hit rock bottom again and again. Again and again I will suffer; again and again I will get back on my feet. I will not be defeated. I won’t let my spirit be destroyed.”

“Over and over, we begin again.”

“I realized that the world did not exist for my benefit. It followed that the ratio of pleasant and unpleasant things around me would not change. It wasn’t up to me. It was clear that the best thing to do was to adopt a sort of muddled cheerfulness.”

Rating: 4/5 stars

WWW Wednesday 11-Mar-2020

Hello there! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

I made very little progress with all these three books I’m currently reading but I’m enjoying all three so far.

Recently Finished:

Yes, I didn’t finish any book this week. I really wish I have more time for reading. 🙂

Up Next:

I’m inclined to start next with either of these titles here but not sure which one to pick first. We’ll see next week.

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, homo sapiens!

Top 5 Tuesday – Authors from A-Z (F, G, H, I, J)

Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.

This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.

March is a themed month and this month’s theme is Authors from A-Z. Last week. we had authors with names starting with the letters A, B, C, D & E. Today we’ll be having authors whose names start with F, G, H, I & J. Again, I opted for family names.

F- Gillian Flynn

Gillian Schieber Flynn is an American author well-known for dark but entertaining novels murder and deceit. Gone Girl is my favorite work of hers and one of the rare movie adaptations I’ve enjoyed.

G – Arthur Golden

Arthur Sulzberger Golden is an American writer best known for his book Memoirs of a Geisha, another favorite of mine. It is said that Golden took six years to write Memoirs of a Geisha and it seems he haven’t published anything since then, well, not that I know of, but I hope to read more of his works.

H – Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan-American novelist and physician. Hosseini is one of my top favorite authors and I was blown away by his best-selling book The Kite Runner, thus, it stays on top of all my all-time favorite books.

I – Kazuo Ishiguro

Sir Kazuo Ishiguro is a Japanese-born British novelist and was the Nobel Prize winner for Literature in 2017. I love his book The Remains of the Day which won The Man Booker Prize award in 1989.

J – Shirley Jackson

Shirlie Hardie Jackson is an American novelist and short story writer, a master of gothic horror and psychological suspense. Among my favorite work of hers are The Lottery and We Have ALways Lived in the Castle.

Have you heard of these authors before? I doubt you haven’t! Have you read any of their works? Any recommendations? I look forward to reading your Top 5 Tuesdays so drop a link on the comments section so I can check them all out.

Happy Tuesday, homo sapiens!

All photos downloaded from Google. Credit to the owners.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Which is better — to have had and lost or not having it at all? This question is what’s left to me after reading Flowers of Algernon.

This is my first read from Daniel Keyes and I think it’s a really good introduction to his works. The concept of the story was quite interesting but it was definitely gut and heart wrenching. And that it ended sooner than I expected/wanted made me even sadder. Some things were quite predictable but it was still a really good read. I knew the ending was going to be that way but it turned out like I wasn’t really ready for it, for how heartbreaking it was to be.

Like many of the books I’ve read, this helped me change my view of life and people. Very often, I see how a lot of people take advantage of those who are less capable, less smart and less fortunate. It is a very sad thing to see. And this book made me more appreciative and sympathetic of people like Charlie.

This is a very sad book to read but something everyone should.

Quotable Quotes:

“I don’t know what’s worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you’ve always wanted to be, and feel alone.”

“Now I understand that one of the important reasons for going to college and getting an education is to learn that the things you’ve believed in all your life aren’t true, and that nothing is what it appears to be.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. I’m glad I had a second chance in life like you said to be smart because I learned a lot of things that I never knew were in this world, and I’m grateful I saw it even for a little bit.”

Rating: 4/5 stars 

 

WWW Wednesday 04-Mar-2020

Hello there! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.

As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

I’m still not finished with City of Djinns but hopefully I’d get it done within the week. I’ve also started with The Travelling Cat Chronicles, a first for me from Hiro Arikawa.

Recently Finished:

I didn’t finish anything this week except for the short story The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe. This is actually a reread as I’ve read this way back in elementary school.

Up Next:

I’ve decided to take on these three next based on friends and other bloggers’ recommendation.

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, homo sapiens!

Top Ten Tuesday – Books With Single-Word Titles

Hello there! It’s 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 with Single-Word Titles.

If my memory serves me right, I think I’ve rated all these books either 4 or 5 stars. Yeah, I enjoyed, liked and loved all these 10 books for different reasons.

Have you read any of these? Which ones did you enjoy? Any single-word titles you can recommend? Drop a link of your TTTs or simply share your list in the comments section.

Happy reading, homo sapiens!

Top 5 Tuesday – Authors from A-Z Series (A,B,C,D,E)

Hello there, homo sapiens! It’s time for Top 5 Tuesday.

This tag is hosted by Shannah over at Bionic Book Worm.

March is a themed month and this month’s theme is Authors from A-Z. Today we would be having authors whose names start with A, B, C, D and E.

I opted for the authors’ last names so let’s get started.

A – Mitch Albom

Mitchell David Albom is an American author who has written a number of fiction and non-fiction books. I’ve read several works of his and my favorite, one of my all-time favorites actually, is Tuesdays with Morrie.

B – Julian Barnes

Julian Patrick Barnes is an English writer. He won the Man Booker Prize in 2011 for A Sense of an Ending which again happens to be one of my all-time favorites.

C – W. Bruce Cameron

William Bruce Cameron is an American author famous for his book A Dog’s Purpose which I’ve read and loved recently and is a new addition to my all-time faves list. I’m looking froward to reading more of his works.

D – William Dalrymple

William Hamilton-Dalrymple is an acclaimed Scottish historian and writer. I am currently reading his book City of Djinns and I must say I have been learning a lot from it.

E – Shusaku Endo

Shusaku Endo is a Japanese author noted for his works from a rare point point of view of a Japanese Roman Catholic. I’ve read his book Silence but was somewhat disappointed. I still am interested with his other works though.

Have you heard of these authors before? I doubt you haven’t! Have you read any of their works? I look forward to reading your Top 5 Tuesdays so drop a link on the comments section so I can check them all out.

Happy Tuesday, homo sapiens!

All photos downloaded from Google. Credit to the owners.

The Forgotten Highlander by Alistair Uruqhart

This is a remarkable story of survival of a young man from Scotland from the hands of the Japanese during the second world war.

Knowing that this is a true story makes it more sad reading. The brutality Alistair Uruqhart experienced as a POW is horrendous. It’s amazing how he and others survived but it’s heartbreaking that many did not.

The book was simply written thus easy to follow. The part towards the end when he came back home and trying to adjust to life again was kind of heartbreaking.

It’s a good read and will make you feel blessed for not having to experience the horrors of war.

Quotable Quotes:

“Life is worth living and no matter what it throws at you it is important to keep your eyes on the prize of the happiness that will come. Even when the Death Railway reduced us to little more than animals, humanity in the shape of our saintly medical officers triumphed over barbarism… Remember, while it always seems darkest before the dawn, perseverance pays off and the good times will return.”

“We all worked so hard that, just trying to survive, each person became more and more insular as it became more difficult. It required a superhuman effort to make it to the end of each day.”

Rating: 3/5 stars

WWW Wednesday 26-Feb-2020

Hello there! Welcome to another WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words. As usual, just answer the three W questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:

 

I’m still only halfway through the City of Djinns but I am learning a lot from this one. I hope to finish this by weekend.

 

 

 

Recently Finished:

 

Interesting and inspiring story though I couldn’t really say I liked it a lot. I’m giving this book 3 stars and Helen Keller herself 5 stars.

 

 

Up Next:

In my last WWW post, I’ve decided to read next The Master and Margarita and also The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. But I feel like I’m not in the mood for both at the moment and my eyes are on these 5 books. Help me decide which among these five titles should I read next.

And there goes my WWW this week. Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts on them?

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, homo sapiens!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I was for a long time reluctant to read this book though I’ve read a lot of good reviews about it. After finally reading it, oh, my heart! I’ve read reviews that this will break the reader’s heart. And it certainly did. I was honestly expecting that things will get better towards the end but it did not.

The story is about Conor dealing with his dying mom and was visited by a monster. Who is the monster and why does he visit Conor? You’ll have to read it for yourself.

I loved how simple and honest this book is. Patrick Ness was able to blend everything in this little piece of gem. I have never read anything from the author before but this has certainly blown me away. It definitely tugged my heartstrings. I tried not to cry. But I cried. And you will, too.

Highly recommended read if you haven’t yet.

Quotable Quotes:

“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.”

“Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.”

“Don’t think you haven’t lived long enough to have a story to tell.”

“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.”

“Stories don’t always have happy endings.”

Rating: 5/5 stars