Dear John - a waste of time!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: A book review!
I've been feeling a little guilty for not posting a book review for so many weeks, and so while I'm fully immersed in rereading The Summer Garden, I decided to devote a couple of hours to write a book review about what book other than: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks.

I started reading the first page, I read the few lines in it, and to say I moved to the next page extremely reluctantly, would be an understatement. Something of a male first person book just didn't do it to me. Fortunately, things did get better a few pages later.

John is a soldier in furlough when he meets the beautiful too idyllic Savannah. Within two weeks they fall in love and promise to write letters to each other while John is sent back to Germany.
At the beginning it was still bearable. They had a sweet love, heartwarming moments, it was really all right. And although I wasn't on the floor weeping while reading their love letters, It didn't occur to me to stop reading.
But not John nor Savannah had anticipated 9/11 and it's consequences. Their worlds are turned upside down when John reenlists to the army, extending his service because of his patriotic side. I thought that was very noble and gallant. Apparently Savannah didn't quite agree with me.
That's when things became more strange, more abrupt and I was reading with a doubting raised eyebrow.

There are few masochists out there that do enjoy an extremely tragic ending, I am a masochist myself. I personally live to cry and cry and cry over a tragic book. Somehow, these are the books that penetrate my heart and become part of me. I love tragic endings! Here, I said it.
But I am picky, and I do have some criteria.
A heart breaks when you're reading about something that is so personal and emotional. When you pray for the characters and ask God to give them the happy ending they deserve, although you know in your heart they can't have this ending. Because their problems are just too complicated to be miraculously solved.
And that's when you cry over a tragic ending.
Honestly, I got the impression while reading the ending of Dear John, that Nicholas Sparks, with all due respect I have for him, was laughing viciously while he wrote this unbelievably pointless ending.
Yes. The ending was simply pointless and cruel! How could he write something like that?
Love reaches and ending and people move on?! Are you serious? What the hell am I suppose to do with this message? I want to read about people who fight for their love! People who don't surrender to the cruelty of fate, the heartlessness of life! People larger than life. People you identify with and want to live their story!
*Breath*

Few things that could have made the book a little more delicious:

• 
  
  Passion. Is it a love story or what? Isn't John a soldier?! I was expecting a little more love, honestly. Yes they said they love each other, blah, blah, blah. I didn't get their passion and love. Sorry. NEXT!


• 
  
  Savannah's point of view. I seriously need to know what's wrong with her that made her do what she did. I ended up hating her very very much.


• 
  
  Not such a heartless twist. Yeah, Nicholas Sparks is FAMOUS with his heart wrenching twists. But it really came across as if he wanted a tragic story so desperately he pulled a very random ending.

I'm aware that I'm too judgmental, especially because this book dealt with a love story of a girl and a soldier. God knows I'm very picky when it comes to a love story of that kind (TBH. ehem)

The only thing I was left with after I closed the book for the final time is that I should have brought The Reader instead.
I rest my case.
Have a blossoming day, a good read and a beautiful time,
Khulood.

Alexander Belov/Barrington: 91 winters and summers

“Soldier! Let me cradle your head and caress your face, let me kiss your dear sweet lips and cry across the seas and whisper through the icy Russian grass how I feel for you… Luga, Ladoga, Leningrad, Lazarevo… Alexander, once you carried me and now I carry you, into my eternity, now I carry you.
Through Finland, through Sweden, to America, hand outstretched, I stand and limp forward, the galloping steed black and riderless in my wake. Your heart, your rifle, they will comfort me, they’ll be my cradle and my grave.”

***

“Tatiasha-remember Orbeli.”

***

“”Do you hear the stellar winds, carrying from the heavens a whisper, straight from antiquity… into eternity…”
“What are they whispering?”
“Tatiana… Tatiana… Ta… tiana…”
“Please stop.”
“Will you remember that? Anywhere you are, if you can look up and find Persus in the sky, find that smile, and hear the galactic wind whisper your name, you’ll know it’s me, calling for you… calling you back to Lazarevo.”
Tatiana wiped her face on Alexander’s arm and said, “You won’t have to call me back, soldier. I’m not ever leaving here.””

***

Alexander,
The brave soldier, the tender lover, the father, the friend, the best among men.
The king and the Hero.
You’re father and mother’s only child.
Tania’s husband.
Anthony, Pasha, Harry and Jane’s only father.

We loved you through America, back in Barrington with Teddy and Belinda.
We loved you through Russia, through Red Army and Winter War. Through Yuri Stepanov whom you gave up your America for.
We loved you through your wandering days.

And we loved you on June 22, 1941. When you made your way to Ulitsa Saltykov-Schedrin, all tired after only one hour of sleep. And on that day, you heard her delicate sweet voice carried by the wind; carried only for you. “We’ll Meet Again In Lvov, My Love And I.” She sang and you became paralyzed by her. And on that day you crossed the street for Tatiana Metanova, and we loved you for that.

“Love is to be loved, in return.” You said, as she couldn’t take her eyes off Peterhof, as Dasha and Dimitri were there. You said so once, when everything was still ahead of you. When war, famine, passion, love, Lazarevo, separation, Orbeli, they all were ahead of you.

We loved you through World War II, through the blockade and starvation, through raveling passion and impossible choices, through Dasha and Dimitri and your Tania.
We loved you even more through Lazarevo, through the magical days on the banks of the mighty Kama and on the foot of the magnificent Urals. The Kama and the Urals saw it all, smelled it all, and so did we.

We loved you for scarifying your own life just to give her hope, and loved you for leaving her with the one right word: Orbeli.
We loved you through Slonko and the NKVD, through interrogations and through the too small cell.
We loved you through separation. Through penal battalion and Ouspensky. Through Pasha and his death, through Russia, Poland, Germany and finally, America.

And we continued to love you through your America life, with your beloved wife and your sweet boy.

And every year we will remember our most loved hero, our brave brash knight, who once, many years ago crossed the street for a young girl on a bench, in a white dress adorned with the most beautiful blood-red roses and smiling green leaves, and made us believe in eternal love and destiny.


Happy May 29th.
Khulood.

Well, I guess it's an addiction after all.

Hello there! It has been few weeks since my last post. I've missed you!

So I know, in my "currently reading" it says that I'm so fully immersed in Wuthering Heights, living the lives of Cathy and Heathcliff, struggling with their difficulties and biting my lower lip over their unbelievable passion...
But yeah. It's not so precise after all.
My addiction has managed to pull me out of the book and make me tiptoe to my bookshelf in the middle of the night, to make sure no one was looking and to take hold of my Bronze Horseman copy and turn the first page. For what harm could it make?! I will only read two-three pages of the book, just a glimpse, so naively I thought a week and half ago to myself.
For an instant in eternity I forgot about my sick obsession over the books of Paullina Simons. And an instant was what it took for me to be locked once again in the pages of my favorite book. It is so wonderful, that I have managed to find a book that will keep me interested, even throughout my fourth reread. It's so wonderful and yet dangerous! The comfort I find in this book will always make me unable to find myself in the pages of another.
Sometimes, women are obsessively drawn to a dangerous man, and despite knowing they should move on, they keep coming back to him. The Bronze Horseman is this man for me!
Yeah, The Bronze Horseman isn't dangerous, but... I hope you got my point.

Maybe I don't get the whole point of a "books blog", shouldn't I be doing posts about various books? Not just one book? Shouldn't I be always on the search for new books, new authors?
But here I am, STUCK in this bubble that is The Bronze Horseman trilogy and Paullina Simons.
Oh yeah, in case you are interested, I've finished the first book in the trilogy and have moved to the second one. Tatiana And Alexander. I seriously could eat this book whole. What is in this book that is so engrossing? I keep asking myself, although I know the answer for that question. I know it for a fact. It is the Alexander before Tatiana, I have never in my life been so interested in a character like I am in Alexander.
And this forever young Alexander is turning 91 this weekend. on May 29th.


I guess that's it for now,
Have a great day, keep on reading.
Khulood

Another last page was turned... A Song In The Daylight

"Nothing is what it seems..."

O God. What a book.

I really don't believe some hated it. I do understand hardly caring for the main character, but hating the book? What for? It was so... Shocking? Outrageous? Heartbreaking? Heart wrenching? Yeah!
Please allow me to unload what is weighing on my shoulder concerning the self-absorbed Larissa Stark. A woman that isn't a wife, not a friend, nor a mother. A woman who thinks only for herself and does only what's good for her. (I do have my doubts about whether it was good for her what she did) Remarkable, a mother who is ready to give up on her family, her loving husband, her adorable kids, her friends, in order to collect few of her belongings, to hop on her lover's Ducati with him driving it, to press herself to his back and to runaway with him to find adventures and excitement.

In the first half of the book I was actually rooting for Larissa, thinking, "what the heck, she's following her heart. Her husband is so mundane, her kids are too annoying, her friends are self-concerned... She deserves to be happy."
I hate myself for thinking this way, and luckily the second half of the book came to prove me wrong, came to slap me for thinking Larissa was right. She was so wrong!

I don't think fate brought Larissa and Kai (her lover) together, they met as people meet, obviously Larissa doesn't sit all day at her house, she does go out, she meets people. Yes, she found Kai to be quite attractive, it's not unremarkable to meet someone who is good looking.
It was her lack of judgment that led her to commit adultery and eventually have an affair with Kai...
It wasn't an impossible bond they had with each other, it wasn't some magical power, or irresistible passion they had from the very beginning, at least it wasn't like that with Larissa. I honestly don't think you meet someone and immediately you want to go to bed with him, it's a process, a process Larissa never cared to cut or stop for the sake of her family and life. And that's what she did wrong, she would've stopped everything had she said, "Kai, I have a husband and three kids. It's not right."
But no! She had to have lunches with him, she had to sit with him in her car, she had to go to his apartment with him.
I might be talking nonsense, I'm still a child with no experience whatsoever, but I do believe fate had nothing to do with what happened to Larissa, it was the consequences of her acts and, yeah, sins.

In the end, they all got what they deserved. Larissa got what she deserved. What she did to her family, what she did to her husband came around like a boomerang and punched her right in her pretty face.
Her husband got over his wife's betrayal. Her kids... I'm pretty sure they are still waiting for her to come back... But they will eventually stop waiting.

I still need to do some thinking over this book. Hmm...
Have a great day.
Love,
Khulood <3

Death

It's funny how death takes over. One moment you feel like it's light years ahead of you, you have eternity ahead for you, a whole life.
But in one moment in life someone close dies, you feel the angel of death so close, a wall separating between you and him, and your lower lip begins to tremble.
My aunt (Uncle's wife) passed away this morning, at 1:30 AM. We were hardly close, but it was the death I felt mostly connected to, for I saw her daily, we lived in the same building. And now she's gone.
She has survived breast cancer, leukemia, and many arguments with her youngest son but the myeloma crushed her completely. She's been dying for the last ten days, and today God collected her soul to rest in heavens.

For the first time in my life, I saw someone dead, I honestly thought I was going to freak out, but she was so serene and calm, as if any moment she was going to open her eyes and smile at us. Her sister told us she had had a dream a couple of nights ago, my grandmother, grandfather and several other people no longer between the living were having a party, they were preparing the meat an it was as if it's a holiday.
She said maybe they were preparing her a feast when she joins them.

My mother once told me of a dream her relative had when my Grandmother (Mother's mom) was dying. He saw my Mother's father sitting on a chair, and a woman was laying her head on his legs. He asked my grandfather who was the woman and the answer was "My wife." the man asked whether it was my grandfather's first wife who died many years ago.
"No, she's Zubaida," grandfather answered.
"What are you talking about? Zubaida is in bed." The man asked in wonder.
Grandfather laughed, "She's been with me a whole year now."
My grandmother was diagnosed with lungs cancer a year before the dream.
She passed away six moths later.

May God rest their souls in peace.

A new series

Hey guys, I hope you're doing just great!

Do you like it when you have no spare time whatsoever? I recently found out I don't, I hate always having to think of so many things, never finding an hour to read... It's frustrating!
This week I wasn't able to read as much as I would have liked to, but I guess it's just a period that will eventually end. No?

And for this post's topic: Outlander!!!
It's funny how you can accidentally be introduced to a book that will later on capture you and have you thinking about it every waking moment of your day. That's what happened to me, though I wasn't introduced to Outlander by an accident, that I must admit, for I've been waiting for this book ever since I turned the last page of The Summer Garden (The third book in The Bronze Horseman trilogy). So much I thought and wondered whether I will find a book or a series that is as engrossing and heart-wrenching as TBH. I guess I finally found it.
It was beautifully engraved in the pages of one of the longest (Not one of, but the longest) books I've read.
I'm still stuck in the first book (No time to read this week :( ) but I bought the second and the fourth book yesterday (Remember I bought the first and the third about two weeks ago?)

I owe finding about this book to TBH threads on Goodreads, I guess it's very common to be a bit depressed after finishing TBH trilogy, simply because you just know, that it might take a long time before you put your hands on a book that is close to making you feel what TBH so beautifully succeeded in. So one of the topics on the threads was books similar to TBH, there I found out about Outlander and Jamie Fraser who so miraculously manages to keep Shura away from my mind while reading this book, a thing other books have failed so miserably in.

So I fell in love with Outlander, and I can't wait to read the rest of the-very long-series!
Have a beautiful day, and a great read.
Love,
Khulood

The Girl In Times Square - Paullina Simons, better than ever?

Meet Lily Quin, your average 24 year old college girl struggling with her work and school. She is trying to make a living in the city of New York. All of her life, Lily was quite the observer, watching everything around her; the most exciting things seem to happen to the people in her life. Everyone but Lily. Until her friend and roommate; Amy disappears. And Lily's life is turned upside down. That's when she meets Spencer O'Mally, an NYPD detective assigned to look for Amy.
I like Lily, in fact, I like her a lot! She reminds me of me in some way, she's very artistic and loves to read. Her all time dream is to sleep and draw and read in her spare time.
I'm not going to start glorifying and appraising Paullina Simons's writing, you all know how much I love her writing and her immersing style in which she ornaments her wonderful books. I adore Paullina.
This book was a lot different than The Bronze Horseman trilogy. Obviously it takes place in a whole different world, in a whole different time, and though it does take us back to WWII, having Claudia-Lily's grandmother survived-barely-the inhumanity of the Nazis and lost her lover during the war. But! It cannot be compared with TBH because it's a different book, and I'm not going to compare.
I enjoyed the book, quite a lot honestly. However, the explanation of Amy's disappearance, along with the truth about her (Which I'm not going to spoil, clearly) was beyond anything I expected, maybe it's good-the surprise factor, but sometimes it might take of the authenticity of the book. Which I think it did in this case.

This book deals with so many topics, it's amazing to think about it. It deals with love, finding your own soul mate and dealing with its consequences. About family relations. Alcoholism, Illness(!!!!). Luck and certainly with: Fate; the common factor I sensed in all Paullina's books I got to read.
Lily is faced with two pieces of luck, one good (Hell! one amazing!) and the other is bad beyond anything you'd imagine, and so the story begins.
As to the male character is Lily's life; Spencer. I liked Spencer a lot! (But I like Shura best! God! I said no comparison!!!) He's cool and measured, yes he's way too old but it doesn't come across as a bad thing, he's a grown up man, dealing with his own problems and fears, but he's the sweetest with Lily, I liked that.
I despised Lily's family, her mother, God she's unbelievable! Her father who is too passive. Her sisters who are so greedy and annoying.
But I do like her brother, which may seem a bit weird for those who read the book. I liked him because of his humanity, he was a heartbroken and he dealt with it his own way.


Bottom line, it's a very good book. I recommend it highly and strongly! :)
TGITS wasn't as engrossing and heart-wrenching as TBH, but it was as good nonetheless.
Have fun reading,
See you next time.
Love,
Khulood.

New books!

Hello:)
I just got back from my book shopping!
No matter how much I try to convince myself to settle with 2 books I end up buying 4 or more, never seriously considering the fact that I can't really afford buying so much books. (Nor that I actually ran out of shelves!)
I left the house today planning to buy one art\design book and one Fiction novel, the costs of the art books were outrageous so I didn't buy any, however, my eyes landed on a book named "Outlander" which is a book I'm dying to read because many TBH lovers recommended this book to me, I bought the first and the third books in the series (Yeah, I know, why didn't I buy the second one, I'm stupid that's why) And so I began buying more and more books.

The books from bottom to up:
The Girl In Times Square - Paullina Simons. I've set a goal to myself to read as many books by PS as I possibly can, I adore her writing, and I really look forward to reading this book, hoping I'd love it as much as I loved TBH (I'd settle with half... really!)

Outlander & Voyager - Diana Gabaldon. The back covers promise me a great read, and the cover is quite striking! Very much excited to read this series.

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte. God only knows how much I've been craving to read this one, it sounds so amazing I can't wait to read it!!!

Dear John - Nicholas Sparks. I didn't buy it today actually, but I've figured I could mention it. I started reading it and I stopped because I wanted to read The Bronze Horseman once again (OK, you can shoot me!) and I'm aiming to come back to it later, frankly it's not that interesting, and NS does follow a certain pattern that I've experienced not once but twice. Hopefully I'll get more attached to the book soon.

This is what I got today, I hope I'll find these books enjoyable to read!
Have a great day!
Khulood

Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult (mmmm...)

When the back cover of a book says: "Lacy searches the past for clues and begins to realise that despite, or perhaps, because of, her every effort, she never really knew her son at all..." would it be so stupid or dumb to assume that a major part of the book will be discussing this "search"? Apparently, yeah! Because, a very tiny part *Ehm-2-3 pages-ehm* of the book dealt with this so-called "search".
Yes, I know... details... details, what difference does it make if the book didn't really match my expectaions, so what? The book was still a great read, a perfect eye-opener, just as every book by this author.

Nineteen Minutes, tells the story of Peter Houghton, who was compulsively bullied throughout his whole life, since the very first day of kindergarten 'til he decides that he had had enough, and drives to school with a backpack full of handguns instead of books and notebooks.
It took him nineteen minutes to kill ten people and to wound nineteen others, he was arrested and so a new chapter of his life began.
You couldn't but to feel sympathy with the shooter, Peter, has suffered the worse from his classmates and his own brother, being pushed into lockers, having his privacy being invaded without mercy, being beaten and humiliated and what not? I was very close to tears reading some parts of the book. This book raises this very hurtful topic into consideration, I began to think and recall some of the moments I remember from high school, luckily, I wasn't... "bullied" but I've witnessed some unfortunate incidents when some kids in my classes were bullied and teased by other. What is so sad about this is that this happened also in classes, not only in the halls, or the yard. And now I'm really aware of the dangers following this phenomenon.

Good book, very well-written enjoyed it a bit more than My Sister's Keeper by the same author.
Recommended to parents, kids in high school, and even junior high, no matter which side of the coin you're in.

I'm really excited about the new design of the blog, many thanks to: Leelou Free Blog Layouts
Have a wonderful day!
Khulood

The Bronze Horseman trilogy - My journey

In one of her interviews, Paullina Simons has revealed how she first thought of writing this book; It was night, she could not sleep. While staring through her window she all of a sudden saw the two of them - Tatiana and Alexander; she was staring up at him and he was glancing down at her - for he was extremely tall. They were very much in love, and they were starving.

While reading these three books I was constantly thinking what am I going to write when sitting to prepare my review of these books, and honestly now, after I have finished The Summer Garden cannot word my thoughts, however, I am going to try to sum up this journey, for it was long, heartbreaking and beautiful.
Beginning with the fantastic characters; Tatiana on the one hand - so young and freckled, small and blond with the deep ocean green eyes. She is surrounded by a halo of joy and immortal youth.
And we have Alexander on the other hand - Dark and tall (vera tall!!!) with a striking look and presence, Creme Brulee eyes. Strong and manly, simply any females' fantasy guy.
They meet, on the fateful very first day of the Nazi invasion to the Soviet Union, on June 22, 1941. Despite all the obstacles and all the horrible things these two go through their love grows deeper and stronger.
From the very start, and obviously without any warnings you are brutally drawn to the plot, becoming obsessed with the characters and having absolutely nothing else to do but to root and cheer for these two lovers.
A book is measured by the impacts it's left on you, and here I am, a very simple example of an obsessed and addicted fan of this author and this trilogy in particular. I'm now left with a journal FULL of quotes from the three books, FULL of my thoughts and opinion of this trilogy. I'm going to admit - I was skeptical at the beginning, thinking The Bronze Horseman was going to be just another book I will read and eventually put on my bookshelf next to other books I've read, and how was I wrong! Even now, after finishing the third book I'm still unable to let go of Tatiana and Alexander.

It's amazing how a book can change you and what you believe in, I personally never really showed any desire or interest in learning about WWII, but this book has made me want to study and read about this war.
It's amazing how you can be convinced, simply hooked by the believe that a character you've read about in a book might be real. For how could Alexander not exist?!?! For how could my precious Tania have been only a vision? That idea is simply absurd, having Shura and Tatia simply as two characters in a book, I feel like I've known them my whole life!
The Bronze Horseman has made me want to visit Russia, a country I have never showed any interest in, I want to visit St. Petersburg, to walk through the Summer Garden, in The Field of Mars, I want to buy a crème brulée ice cream, to sit on a bench waiting on a bus, to cross and uncross my legs all dressed in a white dress with red dancing roses and green smiling leaves, to hum: "We'll meet again in Lvov, my love and I..." and I want to raise my glance to notice an officer staring at me from across the street...

Obsessed.

The Bronze Horseman has opened my eyes and convinced me of finding a true love, now after reading this book I have realised that a true love has been laying in front of my eyes my whole life, the love my parents share for one another, a love that continued to stand force against the cruelty of fate and life.
Baba, Mama, may God bless you with his never ending grace and love.

Leningrad, the white nights of this city, fifth Soviet, The Fields of Mars, St. Isaac's cathedral, The Summer Garden, Lazarevo, Luga, Morozovo Hospital, The Neva, The Kama, Lake Ladoga, The Bronze Horseman sculpture...
All these are going to accompany me day after day for the rest of my life...

And now, two names are added to the list of people I owe them my life:
Paullina Simons: For giving us, her devoted readers the opportunity to fall in love with her amazing characters, and to hope for a love as great as the one our beloved Tania and Shura has.

And to that young fella who introduced me to this book, and begged me in that crowded bookstore to read it "It's the most beautiful historical love story you'll read." He said, and how was he right!

Do yourself a favor, go pick these books from the nearest bookstore, you will not regret it.
Have a great day/night (It's night over here...)

XOXO

A teaser ;) Tatiana & Alexander

While reading Tatiana and Alexander I have already stumbled across so many parts that present such an amazing teasers for all of you who haven't got a chance to read the book! And I'm on page 121 only! So it means that I still have more than 400 pages of pleasure! Weeee...!
What I love so much about Paullinas' writing, is that she manages to write sentences that easily engrave in your brain and you'll spend a day or two craving to read them again and again, here is a part of Tatiana And Alexander that kept me mesmerized, unable to stop my tears. I couldn't consider this a spoiler, but if you're in the beginning of the 1st book, maybe you should skip reading.
Anyhow, here you go:

As Stepanov turned to go, Alexander said, "Sir..." He was so weak he almost couldn't get the words out. He didn't care how cold the wall was, he could not stand on his own anymore. He pressed his body against the icy concrete and then sank down to the floor. "Did you see her?"
He lifted his gaze to Stepanov, who nodded.
"How was she?"
"Don't ask, Alexander."
"Was she-"
"Don't ask."
"Tell me."
"Do you remember when you brought my son back to me?" Stepanov asked, trying to keep his voice from breaking. "Because of you I had comfort. I was able to see him before he died, I was able to bury him."
"All right, no more," said Alexander.
"Who was going to give that comfort to your wife?"
Alexander put his face into his hands.
Stepanov left.
Alexander sat motionlessly on the floor. He didn't need morphine, he didn't need drugs, he didn't need phenobarbital. He needed a bullet in his fucking chest.


By the way, I have to agree with some reviewers that said that Tatiana And Alexander stands for its own, I mean, for you to understand the story line you don't need to read The Bronze Horseman before Tatiana And Alexander, but for you to enjoy the book as much as possible, I highly recommend you do.

Back to reading!
Love, love and love,
Khulood

Could it be, could it be?!

OH! Yes! It could!!!
I have found it, and guess where? At that store I first bought The Bronze Horseman! I wonder why I didn't check there from the start...

I couldn't stop reading all the way from the mall and so I managed to get a headache despite this perfect sunny cool day.

I want to share something with you, a quote so beautifully heartbreaking from the very first ten pages of the book:

"Tatiana struggled up from the bench. Walking away, she said in Russian, "It's not the ice anymore, my seagoing philosopher. It's the pyre"

I don't know why I end up almost crying every time I read this sentence.
Anyhow, I just thought I should share this great news with you, who had suffered my bitterness throughout the past couple posts.

Have a good time reading, I know I will!
Love, love and love,

Khulood

How do you choose a book?

I called the book store from which I have ordered Tatiana And Alexander about a week ago, and guess what? They're sorry they haven't called me yet, because they found out they didn't have the book any longer.

WHAT?!

I hate Murphy law! What am I supposed to do now? Well, apparently, I still have three other options;
* To look for the book in another book store.
* To order the book from another book store, in case they didn't have it.
* To wait for this summer, when I might get a chance to visit London again, who knows? I might find it in one of London's book stores, right?



And for this posts' topic, how do you choose a book?
Throughout my-not-so-long career as a book lover I have tried many ways for choosing a book, ones I have found to be very much efficient, others less effective.

1. When I have just discovered that reading books appeals a lot to me I started looking for some book reviews in some Internet pages (I still do that, frankly) Actually I bought my 1st book after I came across a review at a web page. By looking for some book reviews, you can expose yourself to an overwhelming amount of books.

2. I used to get some books from relatives and friends, I cannot say that it's my favorite way to choose a book to read, I mean, no one is better than yourself to pick a book for you to read. It's a nice gesture, I do not complain but in my opinion a book is something that is going to leave an impact on you, something that is going to accompany you in your spare time, and I have had some bad experiences with books I got as a gift.
Books I have chosen this way:
My Sisters' Keeper - Jodi Picoult
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
Prep - Curtis Sittenfeld
The Island - Victoria Hislop

3. A way I use a lot to select a book, is to look for some new movies. When I hear about a movie that is based on a bestseller book I like to check the book first. It has became an obsession of my own, because I like to brake the myth that people usually prefer watching a movie instead of reading the book that the movie is based on.
Books I have chosen this way:
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Girl With A Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates

4. Reading tasks. When I was still a high school student (Wow, I write it as if some decades have passed since my senior year! Which was in 2009!!!) teachers have used to decide which book students must read for a reading assignment. From my experience, this way does not work, I never finished a book I was obligated to read. I guess it's derived from the fact that I hate being told what to do.
Books I have "chosen" this way:
The Turn Of The Screw - Henry James
Pride And Prejudice - Jane Austen

5. A way that has never let me down, is to go to a book store/library and simply, to pick whatever I like, it's my personal favorite way because this is how I got to read The Bronze Horseman, which is a book I will never be able to get over its' characters and plot, it's a book I will never quit re-reading at night.
Books I have chosen this way:
The Bronze Horseman - Paullina Simons
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Message In A Bottle - Nicholas Sparks
The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

Now, it's your turn, how do you choose a book?
Have a great day,
Love,
Khulood

Light at the end of the tunnel

Today I lost the last hope of finding that slippery book - the last book store in the nearby also didn't have Tatiana And Alexander.
So I did what I should have done two weeks ago; I ordered the book from the store. It might take a week or so to get to the store and then they'll call with the great news.
Now I have to be satisfied with The Da Vinci Code, that's all I got for now. It's official; I have managed to develop a severe obsession to The Bronze Horseman trilogy, every other book is dull in my opinion and I won't be able to enjoy it not until I read the other two books of the trilogy. (Tatiana And Alexander, The Summer Garden)

May time move fast so this week will pass quickly!
XOXO,
Khulood.

A second life?

I stumbled across a sentence mentioning that reading a book is like leading a second life, I couldn't but to agree with this saying, I nodded and thought 'Completely!'! I believe that while reading, (of course if the book is well-written and captivating) you are thrown to the lives of the characters being able to live the story with them and experience whatever they might.
But the question that has immediately popped in my brain was: 'Could I ever say it's a top secret life? A kind of life I want to keep for myself?' because hey, isn't what a Second Life is all about?

For me reading is not perfect without being able to annoy my little sister with the plot (Hey, isn't that the job of a little sister?!) When I'm excited with a book, or if I'm simply reading, everyone in the house knows that. Without paying attention I would tell my Mom what book I'm reading and what it talks about, my dad would sneak to my room and check what book is laying besides my bed. Actually, sometimes I read out loud for my sister who can't manage to hold a book because she's too lazy.

Reading a book is comparable with having a second life. For me, it's a life I love to share with my family, friends and Internet fellows. It's a life full of adventures and excitement I wouldn't dare to give up.


Tatiana And Alexander; hold still, I'll be coming very soon!
See you soon,
~Khulood.

New book; The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

This book has been standing on my bookshelf for over a year, between The Kite Runner by Khalid Husseini and Prep, by Curtis Sittinfeld, I got it from a relative who highly recommended this book to me; The Da Vinci Code. I started reading it last year, and stopped. Then I tried again and yes, I stopped once again. I can't explain why this book has managed to turn me off each time I tried to start reading it. However, yesterday I wanted to give it another try, just to say 'I have at least tried!' and so I began reading it and surprisingly, found out that it wasn't the book, it was me. Definitely me, because now I can't let this book down.

I have read over than one hundred pages in less than a day, and I can't let go of it! I've sunk so deep down in the mystery surrounding this book and it's plot I can't rise my eyes from it's pages. I'm lucky I had to "teach" for two hours because if I didn't, I wouldn't have stopped reading (I give private lessons for some pupils that need some help with their homework, or ones that only need some reassurance).
Anyhow, I'm quite sure the reason for my addiction is the plot rather than the characters, unlike The Bronze Horseman, in The Da Vince Code I still didn't get so much attached to the characters, for me they are no more than some mannequins for the author so the plot could advance. Nevertheless, the story is so stunning and thrilling you can't manage to leave the book.

Have you read the book? What do you think of it?

See you soon, keep on reading!
Khulood~

Nice to meet you

My name is Khulood (Which means eternity) I'm 18 years old and I love books. I've finished high school last year and I'm taking this year off to prepare myself mentally for college. I have always loved books and reading, but this year my love has increased since I don't really have anything to do with myself beside sitting all day and reading. And so this blog was created to document my reading process, my reading list and my reviews for some books I liked.

Currently I'm reading Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, which if you don't know tells the story of two marriage couple; Frank and April Wheeler. Boy, these two are the perfect example for deluded people. The book is nothing I expected, I thought I'm going to be captivated by it, unable to put it down not until I finish all it's 463 pages. However, that's not happened, and I have already read more than 160 pages. So I won't be so surprised if I abandon the book eventually.

Anyways, here's a list of books I really really really want to read:
Tatiana And Alexander - Paullina Simons (I read The Bronze Horseman which is the first book in a trilogy of an amazing love story in the middle of the second world war. It's probably the best book I've read in my life! If you haven't heard of it\haven't read it, you must must must read it, it has everything you would wish for in a book)
The Summer Garden - Paullina Simons (The third book in The Bronze Horseman trilogy)
Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger (I've read the author's 1st Novel: The Time Traveler's Wife and fell in love with her style)
Handle With care - Judi Picoult (Sad book, I love sad books. Not to mention I loved My Sister's Keeper)

OK, so that's it. Nice to meet you. If you love books as much as I do I hope to hear from you.
Have a nice day everyone.
Bye.