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.

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