The beauty of discomfort by Amanda Lang

 

Discomfort is something I occasionally face when I am thrown at a new environment. I think many people relate to that. This is why when I saw the title of this book, I thought it would be educational for me and a great method to further develop myself.

This book is a selection of non-fictional short stories that discuss people dealing with drastic change in their lives. Changes could be illness, chasing after dreams, or moving countries. They had to dive into discomfort to achieve their dreams. The different stories cover people from different backgrounds and demographics. This book gave me the chance to dive into other people’s discomfort and see how they cope with it. 

I learned that discomfort is not always a choice. Sometimes life forces us to be in uncomfortable situations and we either choose to stay in bed or run against the wind.

The message of this book is to make a life out of discomfort. To not let it get the best of you. Because there is a lesson learned with every new situation you put yourself in.

The examples set in this book are all Canadian which I found very relatable.

If discomfort is a topic that you need to explore, check this book out. Not all chapters will appeal to everyone (I shipped a chapter). But the take away from the book is tremendous. Also, it is okay to skip chapters because they are not interconnected.

Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey

When I saw this book in the midst of the other books, I knew I had to buy it.

It is about Queen Elizabeth which I barely knew anything about. The book contained colored illustrations so that was a plus. And finally the cover had the Queen on it and I just had to conform to her orders.

So I don’t have to go further about my excitement towards this book when I first saw it.

Now upon reading the book, I felt bad for Elizabeth’s struggles. She had to grow up in a place far away from her mom. Her mother was executed when Elizabeth was very young. And as the title suggests, it was a struggle to the throne. Elizabeth went through a lot. It was probably because of the era she was born in. Everything was just too complicated back then.

I had fun reading the first part of the book (knowing about Elizabeth’s upbringings and such). However, later on, I became disinterested because the book turned into a political scene. It focused on politics which doesn’t cross off any of preferred genres. For some reason, I prefer reading history over politics. I know both genres collide from time to time. But you know preferences. What can I do!

So I recommend this book if you are into both British history and politics. Also, if you have a little background about the Elizabethan era.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Imagine being frozen for centuries. You are alive but frozen. You are on a spaceship travelling to another planet.

Amy chooses to go with her parents to a new planet that is similar to earth.

We see in the first 2 books in the series the story is unfolding on the spaceship. 

In Shades of Earth, the spaceship finally lands. FINALLY!!!!!

I don’t want to get into the story because SPOILERS!!!

So instead I want to discuss Amy’s decision.

Would you do that? Would you freeze yourself? For any reason?

It got me really thinking.

Imagine freezing yourself and waking up knowing that the people you grew up with, loved or hated are all dead. That Earth is no longer your home. That if you were to go back to Earth, nothing would be the same. And you wouldn’t have a place on it. Just that thought breaks everything apart.

I did find the book a bit slow, especially the beginning. However, the ending was good and unexpected at all.

Finally, I am glad to have finished this amazing series. The only Sci-Fi series I ever read in my life. And it’s the only trilogy that I own completely so that is saying something. I still remember when I first saw the cover of Across the Universe. Man, it brings back memories.

It’s time to say goodbye to yet another series. Looking forward to Beth Revis’s newest projects. 

Book Review: Memoirs of a Geisha

Title: Memoirs of a Geisha

Author: Arthur Golden

Pages: 497

Publisher: Vintage

Memoirs of a Geisha takes you on a train ride to a pre-world war 2 Japan. Its takes you on a journey that is rare to one’s eyes. It takes you through the scope of being a geisha who was sold at the age of 9.

This book captures the essences of Japanese beauty via describing beautiful kimonos, wonderful silk-wrapped gifts and distinguishable individuals.

Okinawa was even described so vividly in this novel that I myself felt my soul was transferred for a little while.

This novel nourished my interest in the Japanese culture.

Now it is time to watch the movie. 

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

I loved Amy and Roger's Epic Detour which was Morgan Matson's debut novel. So when I heard about Second Chance Summer, I added right away on goodreads.com. Now that I've read it, it is safe to say that Amy and Roger Epic Detour is still my favorite book by Morgan Matson.

The book has a great start. Taylor who is the main character goes to a lake house with her family as a way to say goodbye to her father. It is their last summer together before he dies. But then memories start to float back to surface. And readers are taken back years ago when that lake house was her life. Where she met her first boyfriend and lost her best friend.

The book is about finding broken parts and collecting them. It leaves you wondering if things can go back as they were. As much as this book was about correcting your past mistakes and enduring the obstacles that many goes through, it was very predictable.

I knew what was going to happen midway reading this book. There were no plot twists. This took away the fun in finding out the ending.

However,  Taylor's family stood out to me. They were strong in the midst of the new changes that they were going through. I hope everyone who reads this book, feels better. And I think this is the aim of the book is to inform its readers that they are not alone.  

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The setting of this novel is very unique, giving it an edge that is hard to find in many novels. I think Shadow and Bone will be easy to remember its details when reading the second book because I dont recall ever reading a book with a similar theme. I think that’s what stood out for me.

Of course there were parts that I wanted to skip but they were necessary to understand the details of this world. At the same time, I wished there were more history given to us and more about the ruling structure in this world. That would have been great. But I think the world will be clearer in the second book (I hope so!). That is why I am so eager to read the second book.

I didn’t feel the romance between Alina and Mal. I saw them as siblings more than anything else. That’s why I had hard time getting into them. However what happened between them towards the end of the novel-the sacrifices-might had convinced me, a little, of their love. But, still, I need more.

The cover is iconic. I mean I am pretty sure you've noticed it in the bookstores. You probably stopped, picked it and read the synopsis. Its stands out which makes it the perfect cover for this book to sell and become more marketable.

Overall, it was a great book but it would have been perfect if extra details were incorporated throughout the novel. And if the love between Alina and Mal was given more time to develop because I felt like it was rushed. I needed more time to understand and feel the romance aspect of the novel.   

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book was a little boring in the beginning. But then towards the last 200 pages the pace was very fast, leaving me in awe after each chapter. Here is the thing:I didn’t know anything about this book until I started reading it. I am not one of those people who read the synopsis beforehand. I just heard that it was a great book and so I had to read it.

It circled around Germany before and during World War II.How this war was a lot to take…not on the world but on the Germans. What I really liked about this novel is that it focused on the Germans during this devastating period of time. And especially on the book thief. The book thief is the main character of this book and we witness her growth over the years.

She suffered the sight of watching her brother dying. And this had impacted her for a very long time. Then she developed a passion for reading. But there was one problem: BOOKS WERE FORBIDDEN. Apparently Hitler didn’t like books so everyone was forced to throw all their books to a pile. That pile was later to be burned to ashes. That however did not add a single flame onto The Book Thief's passion. The Book Thief had the willingness to sacrifice her life for a book.

This book really showed me how it was like back then. The clock kept ticking in 2013 but my whole being was in the late 30s and early 40s.

I don’t recommend this book to people who don’t like history and politics. I mean I like history but this book took forever to explain or discuss anything historical.

Fun fact: of course there were a lot of German words thrown here and there. I don’t know German but I recognized the word "Leader" and "My Struggle" in the German language. I remembered them from history class in high school. Did I mention that I love history? And so that made me feel proud.

The writing style was just amazing. I mean that last sentence was a great way to end this book. I even tweeted two quotes from the book. So many great meanings and lyrical words.

The first thought that came to me after finishing this book was "I gotta check out more of Markus Zusak's novels."

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

I need the third book of the series now. (Note this review was written in May)

Ever since I read Ruby Red in 2011, it left me with this love/pain. I kept thinking about Gwen. And how I just rooted for her and completely loved this main character. I wanted her to win, to be the best. I easily felt sorry for her. And I wanted nothing but happiness for her. The author had created a very smart and witty character and she makes her sound like a teenager. Taking references from the trendy pop culture and the way Gwen invoice her thoughts makes her real.

I dont know how the author did this. But she skilfully made this book sound and feel so real to me. It was not just ink on paper. It was real. I could feel myself.

The second book came with awesome-packed stuff. The events Gwen attended. All this time travelling made me think...is it really possible to travel through time and space? How? And the author here gives you the time and space to think about it but at the same time, makes it seems like every day science.

Now onto my favorite part, Gideon. I love him. He is the best male character. Again, I cannot stop thinking about him since book 1. And in book 2, the author just gives me all I need. His so many sides and angles. He is simply a human being (in terms of making mistakes). And every time Gwen fights with him, I just go to Switzerland. And that last scene kills me every time I think about it.

I love this book. Beautiful. And I really wished all of Kerstin Gier's books got translated because I would like to read everything she had written so far.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

As we all know, I loved Shatter Me. In fact it was one of my favorite reads in 2011. This made my expectations for Unravel Me go up the rooftop.

 The number one thing I loved the most in Unravel Me was how every character stood out, turning them all into main characters. I felt like they were all essential to the storyline and I don’t usually feel that way. Like, in novels where they are love triangle, I get to only think and care about the 3 involved. However in this book I cared about each one of them, liked them and memorized their names. I have the worst memory but I still could recall Castle, Kenji , the Twins, etc.

The one thing I didn’t like is that I didn’t feel anything towards James this time around. I am leaning more towards Warner, even though I shouldn’t be. James was just boring in this installment. Really. So I had no choice but to look forward to Warner's part every time I turned a page. From book 1, I have been leaning towards Warner but Juliette was disagreeing with me. And she is finally listening to me in this book. I had to yell on top of my lungs for her to hear me. I mean Warner is a bad guys, but lets not forget that no one was born with pure evilness in their bloods. Warner just needs a chance. And I really like how the author made the relationship among the 3 so complicated even more. I was just going " no oh nooo. That cant be happening. I didn’t see that. What why?"

You talk to yourself a lot, reading this book.    

I also felt like the writing style had changed too. Not sure if that is a bad or good thing. Just thought I should mention it.

Finally, I want to say that I'm super excited for book 3.  

5 Centimeters per Second by Makoto Shinkai, Yukiko Seike (Illustrations), Melissa Tanaka (Translator)

When was the last time I reviewed a manga? That’s right. NEVER.

Not because I don’t read them, but because I never thought of reviewing them. But this manga had to be reviewed on my blog because it was that good.

To start off, this manga was based on a movie. I mean what are the odds of reading a book that is based on a movie. So this got me really excited before even starting the manga.

The thing that really captured my interest is how realistic the story is. It doesn’t try to cover up the ugliness of events that many of us, humans, have to go through. It was so raw and it slaps you with the truth and that is…

Technology had made things easier for us…easier than intended.

You want to break up with someone, text your love.

You want to confront someone, call your friend

You want to quit your job, email your boss

We don’t do things face to face anymore. And in my own opinion the manga discusses that perfectly.

The illustrations in this manga are beautiful. There are many characters that we see growing up and the good illustrations made it easy to follow.

I must say though that it had an open ending. I wanted to flip another page but I just simply couldn’t because there was nothing to flip. I guess we have to come up with our ending. And I see it as a happy ending, regardless.

I totally recommend this book.  

ياسر أحمد by عكس الاتجاه

Click on picture to go to Goodreads

To start off, I just want to say that I will be adding this book to my FAVORITE BOOKS list. This was my first time reading an Arabic novel since 2006. When I was visiting Egypt last summer, I decided to buy this novel. No regrets.

Reasons why I liked this novel:

1) Fast paced (not what you're thinking): I don't think this book was plot driven. The author focused on analyzing each of his character. Analyzing situations and problems in Egypt. Therefore it was fast paced because each chapter tackled a problem and somehow was linked to the next chapter and eventually to the entire novel. It was just perfect, I don't know how to describe it.

2) The romance in this novel is the type I love: the main character falls in love with Farida. At first, I loved Farida, then I hated her, then I loved her and finally I decided to hate her. This roller coaster is something I never experienced from before.  How could I love and hate this character so many times. For the main character, I loved how he looked at Farida. How he liked her for her eagerness to know everything about life and...France. How he respected her and gave her so many chances to fix her broken self so they could be together. It was just beautifully written. I read this book a month ago and it still impacts me how our eagerness towards specific things could turn us blind towards life necessities such as love.

3) The main character's friends especially Hatam. I love Hatam. Hatam represented every young Egyptian struggles. He was so real and so cool. I just wanted to be his best friend.

4) I don't know much about downtown Cairo but now I do. It was well-pictured in this book

5) The unique writing style

This book deserves all the rewards I could think of. I truly enjoyed it.

This book is only available in Arabic. 

Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass

Release Date: October 2nd 2012

Publisher: RazorBill

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 342 pages

Source: ARC

Holly cow… this book was just amazing. Reading the end of this book made me feel so sad and happy at the same time.

I was thinking what the ajghajkdghdasd happened? Wait, is it possible? Are human beings capable of doing so. and by so i mean, the whole concept of the novel. 

The writing was so pretty and flawless. Usually I hate books that are narrated by 2 or more girls because it is hard for me to distinguish them. But  it wasnt the same for this book. The two characters narrating were so unique. I loved them so much. Both of their love interest were interesting and I didnt know which team to be on. Picking teams was going to be pointless anyways...you will know why.

This book will keep you questioning whether all of this is real or not. Which part is real and which is made up or imagined. Personally, I thought everything was real...that both characters were real

Anyways, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a fun read. Pick it up from a bookstore or a library. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Release Date: February 1^st 1999

Publisher: MTV Books and Pocket Books

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 213 pages

Source: Purchased

Ok let's try again.

I tried yesterday to write this review but stopped because I didn’t know from where to start. Actually, I didn’t know on what to focus on. It was just one of those books that impacts you in a way but it gives you hard time to put it in words and I guess that's because…

The perks of being a wallflower celebrates the small things that we all go through but not have the time to notice because it becomes a repeat in our lives that we don’t pay attention to it on purpose.

The perks of being a wallflower will make you laugh and think a lot. And it only touches things on the surface without going too deep in it. because it allows or it gives you the space to think about it the way you want. The way every reader perceives things is different from the other and the author took that into consideration. 

I had difficult time picturing Emma Watson as Sam but this is due to obvious reasons.

The book dealt with so many issues that teen face without being skeptical about it. I believed Charlie was a kid with problems. I believed and felt sorry for him.

And at first, I thought this book wasn’t for young adults up until I read that it was Amazon's #1 young adult novel. It's different from other books.   

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

Release Date: Septemeber 4^th 2012

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 352 pages

Source: ARC

Let's start this review my saying that this book wasn’t my cup of tea…whatever that means. I did not enjoy reading it for a minute. I wanted to stop reading so many times, but I kept convincing myself that it might get better. And half way through, it got a little better. Maybe a little faster. But that wasn’t enough.

The main problem was the characters. The plot was fine, especially the mysterious part of it. The writing style was fine but it didn’t grab my attention. The pacing was very slow…it made me lose interest. Miranda's voice wasn’t strong enough. I didn’t care for her. And maybe that was because I didn’t know much about her background. I like a character more when I know them better. I know their habits, hobbies, etc, and if you asked me about Miranda, I wouldn’t know anything about her except that she had a cat.

Phillips was obviously in love with Miranda. He cared a lot about her. But why. I never knew why Phillips decided to move back to his hometown…just for Miranda. I wish their story was shared to us (readers). They both knew each other well so how did they leave each other and what was between them…I don’t know. And maybe that’s what kept me reading the book. Because I really wanted to know their story.

Sadly, there were parts that were confusing and unrealistic. Therefore, it wasn’t convincing at all. I was really looking forward to this book but it had disappointed me.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Release Date: April 24^th 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 327 pages

Source: Library- audio book

This book was cute. So cute. It had a prince and possibly a fairy tale for 35 girls that were chosen based on different aspects to have one of them marry the prince.

I fell in love with Prince Maxon. He was a prince in every way. Gentle and nice and amazing. He respected all the girls and treated them equally and well. Although, it is obvious that he is interested in America Singer, he still gave her space and time to make up her heart. No one in his shoes, with such authorities, would do that. But he did because he is awesome.

For America Singer, she reminded me of Katniss. I don’t know if that is a good thing or not. America was an independent character, had her different plan. And wasn’t cheesy like the rest of the 34 girls. She was unique from all of them which well made me like her more.

In the next book, I hope to see more of the political problems that are going on. Information about the war and allies and all of that. Really excited for book 2.  

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Release Date:  September 1^st 2009

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 391 pages

Source: Borrowed

I didn’t know if I should or should not review this book since everyone knows about it and everyone loves it. but hey, why not?

But I need to tell you that this book made me feel something. Something that was totally different than what I felt in the hunger games. I think it is probably the best second book in a trilogy. It topped all second books ever. It was action packed and a great transition to the third book which I cant wait to get my hands on.

Catching fire is one of those books that make you get attached to the characters. Makes you wanting more. You got to see Katniss in many other situations and it is so good to get into Katniss's head and see all those debates that takes place there. Good vs. bad. But what if the thin line between the two sides doesn’t exist at all? That could lead to big, fat confusion.

I was expecting to see more of Gale but that didn’t happen. I think his appearances were important but limited. And when I reviewed this book, I couldn’t make up my mind of which team I am on. And I won't tell you until I read the last book. I think that’s fair (no reason given). Anyways, feel free to tell me which team are you on?

Anyways, I totally recommend this book. Loved it more than the hunger games.  

When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

Release Date: May 1^st 2012

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 334 pages

Source: Borrowed

I loved that book and I don’t even know why. Maybe because it was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. No, I think because it was written from Rose's perspective. We all know who is rose. She is Romeo's first love.

There were some parts in this novel that didn’t feel realistic. There was rush in some parts, unexplained. But the romance in this book was cute and forced me into flipping the pages quickly.

Also the writing style was so amazing. It kept on pulling me deeper and deeper into the book. There were deep messages and I enjoyed reading between the lines.

In addition to that, I liked Rose's friends. They were shallow (for most of the time) but everyone has a problem and they werent excluded for that. Each one of them had their own character and their problems were a reflection of who they are.

In total, I really liked this book. Totally recommend it.  

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: February 28^th 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 375 pages

Source: Borrowed

 I just finished Pandemonium and I am in shock. This installment was way and I mean way better than Delirium. Pandemonium had the fun, entertaining, breath-taking aspect to it and I loved it. There were some parts that dragged and stretched forever but it had always ended up perfectly.

I don’t remember if it was in Delirium too but in Pandemonium, the book was divided into 2 parts, the now and then. What happened to Lena in the wild (then) and back to Zombieland (Now). It helped with the pacing of the book and increased the questions in my head.

Lena found a new life but at the same time, she had hard time forgetting about Alex. And I don’t want to spoil it but THE ENDING was huge. And got me teary for some stupid reason and it shocked me. So 5 stars for this overwhelming ending. I kept flipping the last page hoping to stumble upon another page but no I have to wait months upon month to get my questions answered. 

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: April 10^th 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 326 pages

Source: Borrowed

I was so disappointed by this installment. I was expecting more and more and more. But no.

If you recall, The Gathering was one of my favorite books in 2011 and so my expectations were up high. But it was boring and confusing and too much text floated right in front of my eyes. Maya wasn’t interesting like in the gathering. Daniel lost his charm in this book. Like why? What happened?

The plot was slow and pointless. I don’t know how this book helped to create a bridge between book 1 and book 3. I really hope book 3 picks up.

I kept flipping the pages to know how long its going to take me to finish the book. I was glad to finish it and I am sorry to say this because book 1 was amazing and epic. Oh well!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 3rd 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 487 pages

Source: Purchased

It was addicting, gripping and sad.

It might have seemed like a super long book, but when a book is a total page turner, time flies by and the story ends too quickly.

I might have expected more things to happen. It just felt there was so much time spent on the actual training or qualifications to the faction. But the last 100 pages were full of surprises and fun.

The relationship between Tris and Four was so beautiful. It was heart aching for real. Like I wanted them to be together forever. It was so romantic because even though their world is so messed up, they are trying to save each other by offering the help each one needed from the other. It was just beautiful. Four was different only when he was with Tris which happened gradually. And I love like that…gradually I mean.

Of course, I don’t have to say much more about this book because we are all aware that its awesome from the awards its been receiving.