Tag Archives: Contemporary

To All the Boy’s I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Title: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Contemporary, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: To me!

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Synopsis

Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her.

They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved – five in all. When she writes, she can pour out her heart and soul and say all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secrets letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Thoughts

I absolutely loved the Netflix movie of this. It left me with such a happy, little feel good moment after I finished it. So I figured that the book (and as I soon found out the trilogy) would be an interesting read. And, since I finished it in one sitting, and then bought every other Jenny Han book that I could find, it was certainly an enjoyable read.

This was an easy, simple, happy read that made me incredibly happy. It was just a nice journey through a sixteen year old’s mind as she tries to navigate the trials of falling in love, becoming an adult and just generally dealing with other people. Because, as it becomes incredibly obvious throughout To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, people can seriously suck! Although, there are also moments that really remind you how awesome they can be as well. Especially Lara Jean’s relationship with her family. She obviously dearly loves her father – she constantly calls him Daddy (I actually found the constant referral, even in front of others of ‘Daddy’ to be quite annoying). She has a great relationship with her sisters. She misses Margot dearly when she’s gone and spends a lot of time with Kitty.

For as much as the relationships in this cute little romance are realistic, it’s the sisterhood bond that I loved the most. There is so much love in every moment. But there is also a lot of vindictiveness and pettiness. I have a sister. We love each other till the ends of the earth. But we would also do and say horrible things to each other. After all, we are stuck with each for the rest of our lives… and when you are with someone day in and day out, you get to a point that you kind of want to kill each other… and in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before it’s that exact revenge-driven, love you emotion that only a sister can understand that starts the entire saga.

 <- Always and Forever, Lara Jean ReviewP.S. I Still Love You Review ->
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The Zeppelin Conductors’ Society Annual Gentlemen’s Ball by Genevieve Valentine

Book Review, , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of SteampunkTitle: The Zeppelin Conductors’ Society Annual Gentlemen’s Ball
Author: Genevieve Valentine
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Steampunk
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: God, when we realized what was happening to us!

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Synopsis

The conductors of the Zeppelins are slightly malformed and grotesque, but that doesn’t stop them from having their own lives and realities.

Thoughts

Never judge a book by it’s cover. And never make assumptions on a person based on how they look. That’s the message that overwhelmingly resonates with me after reading this short story.

Alright, the tale is set in a steampunk world. With conductors and zeppelins and all sorts of incredible world building. But it is written from “the other” and that gives an extra bit of oomph and zing to the idea that no matter how terrible someone may look, you should never judge them for that and always find a way to move past how someone looks.

Acceptance. That is the one word that stands out in this story and the one word that helps to sum it up.

 <- Tom Edison and his Amazing Telegraphic Harpoon Review Clockwork Fairies Review ->
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The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Book Review, ,

Overview

The Kite RunnerTitle: The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, History
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: And that was close as Hassan and I ever came to discussing what had happened in the alley.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Afghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that hsi new world cannot grant him: redemption.

Thoughts

This story is one of those that hits you right in the gut. And will probably stay with you forever. I know this because I can remember reading it about ten years ago. And although I could remember the amazing intensity of the story, and the vague storyline, I couldn’t remember enough to find this book again. Fast forward the ten years, I bought a Khaled Hosseini boxset on a whim. Picked up one of the books, and lo and behold, it’s the book I’ve spent ages searching for!

I sat up all night to finish The Kite Runner. It’s a little slow to start with. But once you hit the eighth chapter, it becomes incredibly difficult to put down. And then, once you’ve finished it, there are so many feelings that linger that it is almost impossible to sleep. Or really, think about anything else for a while. This is a true tragedy, with a nice little silver lining that helps to keep you from the precipice as you read it.

There are few people in this world who are inherently good. Fewer who are put into a bad situation and are able to maintain this sense of dignity and internal strength. Yet, Hassan ticks all of these boxes. And the fact that this story features his downfall and much of his tragic life makes it incredibly painful to read of someone who just feels “good”. I also love that this goodness is reported by his childhood friend and another young man who doesn’t quit fit this bill. He is more relatable to a degree. Amir is selfish, insecure and struggling to find out who he is in the shadow of another. The combination of the two boys is both amazing and horrifying. And it makes this story well worth reading and finding a new reality and intensity to dive into.

 <- And the Mountains Echoed Review A Thousand Splendid Suns Review ->
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