Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Hi there, Homo sapiens! September has arrived! Hello, September! August was somehow a busy and moody month for me but before we finally say goodbye to it, let me share the books I’ve read in August…
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Hello there, Homo sapiens! Welcome to another Spell the Month in Books! ! The idea is to spell the month in books using the first letter in the first word of a title and it was originally created by Jana @ Reviews From the Stacks.
Let’s see what I managed to find to spell August in books…
So July… There’d been a lot going on for me in July but luckily, I still managed to read 13 books.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Here are my top five books (or series) with magical systems that will surely captivate any reader and make you wish you’re living in a magical realm!
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Last Summer on State Street is a powerful little gem about family, racism, friendship and more. Lovely debut. 4 stars.
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies is a collection of stories, all poignant. It’s the kind of collection I like. It feels that every story is complete on its own and leaves you satisfied reading. 4 stars.
I’m almost finished with Elena Knows and just started with The Measure.
Next on my list is another book from Mario Escobar, Auschwitz Lullaby and my first from David Ellis, Look Closer.
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro – Set in Hailsham which is some sort of a boarding house where students are supported and trained mainly in arts and are exposed very mildly to the outside world and are protected by the “guardians.”
Wonder by R.J. Palacio – This is Auggie’s story starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep and wants nothing but to be treated as an ordinary boy despite his extraordinary face.
Looking for Alaska by John Greene – Pudge heads off to Culver Creek Boarding School where he meets Alaska who steals his heart and launches him to the Great Perhaps.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher – High School is not always easy and here Hannah committed suicide leaving her schoolmates a trail of thirteen reasons why.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – High school is pretty much spending time with friends. And it’s during this time that we spend with our friends that we start to build connections/relationships that matter and hope to last.
Hello there, Homo sapiens! Welcome to another Spell the Month in Books! ! The idea is to spell the month in books using the first letter in the first word of a title and it was originally created by Jana @ Reviews From the Stacks.
The books I’m using to spell the month this time are from my Read shelf.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (August 2)
Ithaca by Claire North (September 6)
The Attic Child by Lola Jaye (September 6)
The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman (September 20)
Welcome to July, Homo sapiens! The first half of the year has come and gone… just like that!
I’ve managed to read 12 books in June and here they are…
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
I’ve rated all three books 4 stars!
Almost finished with The Jews and just started with The Teacher of Warsaw.
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
As of today, I’ve rated seven books as 5-star reads. So it’s not really Top 5 Tuesday today. 🙂 It’s Top 7 Tuesday! 🙂 These seven books are wonderful, fascinating and very interesting in different ways. Highly recommended!
Additionally, these three books below are also worth mentioning. I’ve rated these books 4.5 stars and are also highly recommended.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
The Merchant of Venice is undoubtedly anti-Semitic, with anti-Jewish stereotypes, persecuting a Jewish villain. The plot is predictable but how we get to the result/end is worth the read. 3 stars.
My Brilliant Life is about Areum, a 16-year-old boy with a body of an 80-year-old man. He looks like an 80-year-old and has illnesses of people of that age. Knowing that he will die soon due to his sickness, accelerated-aging disorder, he decided to write about his parents love story. Achingly good ending. 4 stars.
When the World was Ours is the story of three life-long friends. They were happy together and living peacefully and then the war came. It turned out to be a happy story for one of them but tragic for the other two. It’s not heavy on facts about the WW2 but good enough to give you an idea of what happened during that part of history. Well-written, engaging and an important story. 4 stars.
I haven’t finished The Jews yet, I think I still have a hundred or so pages more to go but I am learning a lot from it. I am also currently reading Rules of Civility and as with Amor Towles other books, I am also liking this one.
I plan to read Hamlet, another Shakespeare, this coming week and I am excited to read my first Mario Escobar book, The Teacher of Warsaw. I have his other works but haven’t really tried reading them but The Teacher of Warsaw sounds very interesting to me so we’ll see!
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
It’s always a treat to cozy up with a good book on rainy days. Rainy day reading is one of the best feelings ever! Don’t you think so, too? Here are five of my top rainy day reads…
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Our Last Days in Barcelona – I did not know that there were other books before this since this is my first Chanel Cleeton read… and definitely not the last. It tells the story of the Perez family and this book’s focus is Isabel and her mother, Alicia. I loved the writing, I loved the characters and the story. I will surely read the other books about the other Perez sisters. Historical fiction has always been my favorite genre and this is one example why. 4.5 stars.
North to Paradise – This is the story of a man’s journey from Ghana to Spain. Inspiring and motivating. 4 stars.
This Time Tomorrow – This is a delightful time travelling story that made me miss my dad so much. In the story, it’s Alice’s 40th birthday, she’s drunk and stumbles in the guardhouse just outside his father’s house. When she woke up, she was mysteriously 16 years old again. I loved Leonard, Alice’s father. I liked Sam, her best friend. I didn’t very much like Alice. I liked the mid-90s references. I liked the father-daughter relationship. I liked the talk about time travel. All in all, a good read. 4 stars.
I’m almost halfway through The Jews and it is very informative. I’m taking my time reading this as I want to understand it fully. It’s truly an interesting book. I have just started with My Brilliant Life and so far, it’s a compelling read.
I randomly chose both books for my next reads so let’s see what stories they have in store for us!
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe would always remind me of winter. As the youngest sibling discovers the door and the world behind the wardrobe and the curse over the land that it will always be winter but no Christmas.
Beach and sharks. Well, wouldn’t that remind you of summer? And what good book could that be other than Peter Benchley’s Jaws, right?
A Christmas Carol is another book that would surely remind everyone of the winter season.
Sweet Bean Paste is set during the cherry blossom season in Tokyo with a doroyaki shop under the tree that blossoms the most.
In The Great Gatsby, summer and fall were used in the plot to symbolize the characters’ situations.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a fun, charming and heart-filled story. Tova takes a cleaning job at a local aquarium after her husband and son died and became friends with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. Marcellus is old but very witty, a keen observant and senses Tova’s grief and so he becomes a big part of the story. I absolutely love this book. So 5 stars!
The Hacienda was kind of a combination of Rebecca and Mexican Gothic. There were interesting parts of the story like the daily life of the people in the hacienda, the exorcism, the oppression of the Mestizos, however, I didn’t find the story strong enough. I wish it was more creepy, gothic and unpredictable? Plus, it’s a slow read. It was a fine read all in all but not something I’d recommend. 2.5 stars.
I am currently reading The Jews by Howard Fast and I should say it’s so far, fascinating. Also, I am enjoying Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton and I must say I like her writing style.
Up next on my reading list: My Brilliant Life by Ae-ran Kim and This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub. Both first reads from these authors.
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Arthur Less will take you on a trip to several places like India, Berlin and Morocco as he struggles to accept that he is turning 50 while going through a very painful breakup. His adventures and misadventures will let him discover more and more about himself.
The Beach centers on the backpackers and their quest to do something different. An American travels to Southeast Asia when a fellow backpacker commits suicide and leaves him with a map to an ideal destination. I haven’t seen the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio but I’m considering.
The Vacationers is a book that reminds us that it takes more than an trip to escape our worries and problems.
Nine strangers travels to a wellness retreat for various reasons set in a boutique Australian health spa. They are faced with suspicious methods practiced by the staffs on how to “reset” their lives. Nine Perfect Strangers is dark, sometimes funny, suspenseful and mysterious.
Wayward Son is the sequel to Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On. It was a fun book about friendships and relationships and their exciting journeys with stolen vehicles. Truly an adventure as Simon and Baz’s relationship strengthened though no closure or anything decisive happened… yet.
Hello there, Homo sapiens! Welcome to another Spell the Month in Books! ! The idea is to spell the month in books using the first letter in the first word of a title and it was originally created by Jana @ Reviews From the Stacks.
This month, I’m using titles from my TBR shelf. I hope to read these books this month or the next. Let’s get started, shall we?
Hello there, Homo sapiens!
We’ve made it to June! I’ve read 11 books in May and it’s been a real mixed bag, so, let me share with you the books I’ve read.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
This week’s a freebie, a chance to come up with our own topic, so I decided to do top five of my non-fiction reads so far this year.
Growing Up Bin Laden – This is a very interesting view of Osama bin Laden having a very good life until giving it all up for his undying love for jihad. Told by his first wife, Najwa, and one of his many sons, Omar, this is a fascinating read.
The Ride of a Lifetime – Fascinating, candid and inspiring memoir.
Fear – Much of what we read in this book were already seen or heard in the news and the public is already very aware of Mr. Trump’s bullying, lies, etc. So unsurprisingly, it’s not a charming read.
Walking with Ghosts – Well, who would’ve thought that apart from being a great actor, Gabriel Byrne is also a great writer? Beautifully written.
The Copenhagen Trilogy – The first part (Childhood) of the book came strong and I was totally hooked but the second (Youth) and third (Dependency) parts didn’t come as strong and the writing became dry and impersonal. I’ll consider a second reading after a few years.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
Growing Up Bin Laden – This is my first book from Jean Sasson. A friend of mine is a big fan of her works and highly recommended to me. It was a fascinating and insightful read about Bin Laden, his family, his beliefs, their culture, etc. 4 stars.
Walking with Ghosts – I have only watched a few of Gabriel Byrne’s films but he definitely is a great actor and after reading his memoir, indeed, he is a gifted writer. I hope he writes more. 4 stars.
I have finally started with Kaikeyi and it is an interesting read so far.
Next on my list of books to read are Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Last Thing He Told Me.
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Bookmarks
Book weight
Book light
Lap pillow
Kindle case
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
An Unlasting Home – A story that portrays multi-generational women in Kuwait, Lebanon, Iraq and India — their struggles, their history, their choices, etc. 3.5 stars.
The Housemaid – Entertaining. Intriguing. Disturbing. 4 stars.
The Overnight Guest – Told in three different timelines. First in the past where a girl survived a crime, second where a little girl and her mother are locked in a basement and third in the present, a crime novel writer trying to finish her writing when she found a little boy unconscious in the midst of a snowstorm. Not very shocking if you’ve read thrillers before but it’s a fine read. 3 stars.
Lessons in Chemistry – Adding this to one of my favorite reads so far this year. Refreshing, smart and fun. I literally laughed out loud several times. Beautiful and delightful debut from Bonnie Garmus. 4.5 stars
Growing Up Bin Laden was recommended by a good friend and it is so far, informative and interesting.
I was supposed to start with Kaikeyi a few days ago but I got into Growing Up Bin Laden first so hopefully this week. Also, I found a copy of Walking with Ghosts. I know Gabriel Byrne is a good actor and so I can’t wait to find out his story.
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Parks
Porch
In front of the fireplace
Cozy bar or lounge
Hammock
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
The Porcelain Doll – 4 stars
The Book of Mother – 3 stars
The Forest of Stolen Girls – 3.5 stars
So far, both An Unlasting Home and The Overnight Guest are very interesting reads. Hope to finish both this week.
Interesting titles for my next reads, don’t you think? I’m very curious already.
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
Coffee serves its own purpose while reading so this definitely is my top choice while reading. And I want my coffee black, no sugar (with the exception of Vietnamese egg coffee). Hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows is my preferred drink while reading before going to sleep. A cold can or bottle beer is my choice of drink when I read the works of Milan Kundera, Jose Saramago or Sam Harris and the like. Thai iced tea is another choice whenever available. And lastly, human blood. Oh no, wait! I was just kidding. Ha! I mean, bubble tea.
Hello, Homo sapiens! Hello May!
Spell the Month in Books time again! The idea is to spell the month in books using the first letter in the first word of a title and it was originally created by Jana @ Reviews From the Stacks.
This month, I’ve decided to include two book titles for each letter since May is a pretty short word. I will also choose books from my Read Shelf only.
And just like that, April is over! How was your April reading? Today, let me share with you what I’ve read in April.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
I usually don’t eat while reading because it gets messy, whether I’m using my Kindle or reading paperbacks, I know you know what I mean. Haha! Plus I really get easily distracted with food regardless of what I’m doing. So, yeah! However, I usually snack while reading when I travel. Why? No particular reason, I just do. So today, let me share with you five of my favorite snacks while reading.
I love pumpkin pie and the best I’ve tasted was from a small, cozy cafe in Tbilisi. I also enjoy salty popcorn sometimes and cookies whenever available. When I’m really hungry but I want to read, I opt for pizza, the lesser toppings, the better. And lastly, french fries!
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
I enjoy Greek mythology retelling but I didn’t find Medusa very exciting. Given that the retelling is from Medusa’s perspective, it could have been far better. 3 stars.
I came across Galatea, a short story by Madeline Miller who also wrote Circe. I enjoyed reading Circe so I read it without hesitation. It’s quite different from the original story, though. Interesting read but too short that I think it would’ve been better if it was made a novella. 3 stars.
The Future Library is a heart-wrenching short story (or novella?) and I can’t believe it’s actually a real thing. You can check it out here. It talks about nature, love and loss. Very intriguing but also very sad. 4 stars.
It took me three long weeks to finish Hell of a Book. No, it isn’t a bad book. I was actually hooked when I started reading it and I also think it’s creative. But somehow, I lost interest in some parts. 3 stars.
I’m halfway through Young Mungo and I’m liking it more than Shuggie Bain but let’s see how the second half of the book goes. I’ve also just started with The Porcelain Doll and since I’m not an expert in Russian history/politics, I really appreciate how easy it is to get into it plus also very easy to understand.
Still on my next reads is The Book of Mother, I’m supposed to start with it but haven’t yet so hopefully this coming week. I’m also adding to it An Unlasting Home and The Overnight Guest.
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
The Graveyard Book is the delightful and scary story of Bod Owens who was adopted by the occupants of a graveyard after his family was murdered by a mysterious assassin.
The Book Thief is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel narrated by Death itself.
In Tuesday with Morrie, Mitch Albom’s professor, Morrie Schwartz, had been his guardian angel. However, they drifted apart as they lived their lives. Before Morrie’s death, this relationship gets rekindled.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich is a novella about the terror of death and Ivan’s fear of dying.
Looking for Alaska is a book about death and how people live their last days.
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
I’m not a big poetry reader but I love Ocean Vuong and Time is a Mother is his second poetry collection and I loved it. 4 stars.
Smaller and Smaller Circles is a fairly mediocre crime novel set in the Philippines. The characters were interesting though I think adding a little bit more of a backstory for Father Saenz would have been better. The ending was very predictable but that’s okay. 3 stars.
I guess I expected too much from The Diamond Eye because I enjoyed The Alice Network a lot. The book is still wonderfully written although repetitive at some parts. I couldn’t totally engage myself in it and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. But overall, still a good read but somewhat flat at times. 3 stars.
I’m having a hard time to focus whenever I go back to reading Hell of a Book. I’m not sure why but I feel like it’s not the right time to read it? I dunno but I’ll give it another try this weekend. Anyhow, I’ve started with Young Mungo, the second book from Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain). I’ve only read a couple of chapters but I think it’s going to be a great read.
Up next on my reading list are The Book of Mother, The Porcelain Doll and Medusa.
Happy Tuesday, Homo sapiens! Welcome to this week’s Top 5 Tuesday!
Top 5 Tuesday was originally hosted by Shanah at Bionic Bookworm and now found its home with Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
This week’s topic is not very easy for me so I had to ask my bookish friends again to help me out. 🙂 And here are the five books they’ve recommended to me…
Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words.
As usual, just answer the three W questions:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea was a charming and magical read. There were some parts that I got bored but it ended pretty well for me. 4 stars!
The Dinner Guest started with a murder but of course, a lot of twists comes with it and it definitely had me guessing until the end. I enjoyed this book but I can’t really pinpoint why I can’t rate it higher than 3.5 stars. Hmm…
When the War Came Home is a gentle, heartwarming story set after the war. I adore this book a lot and surely, I will be reading more of Lesley Parr’s works. I loved the ending, too! 4 stars!
The Younger Wife started out strong and surely hooked me but I wasn’t satisfied with the ending and I just cannot overlook how the men here are almost perfect and the women are a mess. 3 stars.
I’ve read almost a quarter of The Diamond Eye but I am not enjoying it a lot. Maybe I have to read more? I did not make much progress with Hell of a Book, I’m kinda losing interest actually.
Can’ wait to start with Ocean Vuong’s new poem collection, Time is a Mother. I also discovered Smaller and Smaller Circles out of nowhere and I’m intrigued. The Book of Mother is on my next reads as well, I’ve been seeing this all over so I hope to get to it, too.
HappymessHappiness