December 31, 2012


Good morning, day, afternoon, or evening (I really cannot predict what’s the time where you’re living), and I would just like to send out my thanks and appreciation to all of you who have been coming to this website and reading what I have to say.

If it wasn't for you, I probably would have stopped this a long time ago. Once again, thank you for helping to make me what I am today, have a Happy New Year and enjoy your holidays, whatever they may be!



“The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” by Rachel Joyce – A Spiritual Awakening

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (Book cover)
Harold Fry is a man who lives life as a routine; every day, he goes through the exact same procedures, having become somewhat of a robot, at least physically. What’s worse, his wife simply cannot stand him, hating the way he does literally everything, from talking to tying his shoe laces.

On a day which was supposed to be exactly like every other one, Harold receives a very surprising letter from a woman he has last encountered over twenty years ago. That woman is lying close to death, and the letter is her final goodbye. Inexplicably unfazed by this turn of events, Harold hastily writes a reply and goes to deposit it into his mailbox.

However, as novels like this usually have it, Harold makes an encounter on his short journey to the mailbox, one which convinces him that he has to deliver this letter in person, and so he sets out on a pilgrimage across the countryside, a trip during which he makes many strange encounters which remind him of the meaning of being alive.

December 30, 2012

“Threat Vector” by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney – Warfare Evolution

Threat Vector by Tom Clancy (Book cover)
When most of us think of warfare, we probably imagine ourselves dozens, hundreds, or perhaps even thousands of soldiers going head to head with each other, whether it’s with clubs and swords or tanks and machineguns.

Over the past few decades though, warfare has changed tremendously to the point where technology and intelligence dictate who the winner will be without question. As it happens, relatively little is written about this kind of warfare, the one fought behind closed doors at headquarters, and that’s exactly what we get with Tom Clancy's and Mark Greaney's Threat Vector, a novel with Jack Ryan as the main protagonist.

December 29, 2012

“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” by Seth Grahame-Smith – The Hidden Menace

Most of us know Abraham Lincoln as the president who abolished slavery and then got shot by a then-famous actor while attending a play at the opera. The more you look into his life, the more it seems that he was above ordinary men, and the secret journal discovered by Seth Grahame-Smith only confirms that suspicion. 

In that journal, Lincoln discusses a part of his life no one knew about, the one where he learned his mother was slain by a vampire. With the help of his height, his unparalleled strength and his mighty axes, Lincoln sets out on a bloody and gruesome adventure to rid the world of the vampire menace, and most importantly, to avenge his mother’s death.

December 28, 2012

“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green – A New Beginning at the End

I think it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that the concept of death is one which has captivated the minds of humans unlike any other subject out there. It comes for everyone at one point or another, yet not a single person truly knows beyond all doubt what happens when one dies. 

There are many attempts to provide an explanation for what happens beyond the realms of death, but they are all conjectures; until someone finds a way to come back from the beyond and tell us what’s up on the other side, we’re relegated to mere hypotheses. 

December 27, 2012

“Bring Up the Bodies” by Hilary Mantel – The Royal Trial

Bring Up the Bodies by Hillary Mantel is the anticipated sequel to Wolf Hall, and if you haven’t read it yet I suggest you do. You can check it out in my Wolf Hall review. In any case, for those who have read it, this time around Henry has become disillusioned with the woman whose hand he so desperately fought for years earlier, mostly because she bore him no son.

Things get even worse when Anne Boleyn becomes the center of gossip as Katherine, who was exiled from the court, passes away. Thomas Cromwell stands ready to bring the Anne down as soon as Henry commands it, and so begins one of the most convoluted trials, that of the Queen herself. 

December 26, 2012

“Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel – Bloodlines and Bloodshed

In case you aren't familiar with how England worked during the 16th century (and the Middle Ages, for that matter), the king and queen would basically rule over a bunch of lower classes, and as long as there is a clear successor to the throne, things work more or less normally. 

However, in Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel we are being shown the life of Henry VIII, who is fresh out of luck as he cannot seem to give Britain what it wants: a male heir. A lack of a heir would mean that all sorts of crazy people would be able to make a claim for the throne, inevitably plunging the country into a civil war.

December 25, 2012

“Wormhole” by Richard Phillips – The End of an Era, or the End of a Race?

Wormhole is the final part of the Rho Agenda trilogy written by Richard Phillips, and if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading the first two books yet, then I highly recommend you do so before reading this review, unless of course you like to spoil books for yourself.

You can read about the first book in The Second Ship review, and about the second one in my Immune review.

December 24, 2012

“Immune” by Richard Phillips – The Miracle Cure

If you haven’t read the first book of The Rho Agenda trilogy trilogy, then I strongly suggest that you do, because I’m probably going to spoil something about its ending... however, I guess such things are inevitable when writing about a trilogy. In any case, here is my review of the The Second Ship. Now on with the review.

The second book in the trilogy takes off pretty much where the first one ended: the NSA director failed to contain the Rho Project, which has led to it being infiltrated into the government. What’s worse, the alien Nano-serum (notorious for causing death) is being administered to the people under the pretense of it being a magical cure for all of their problems.

December 23, 2012

“The Second Ship” by Richard Phillips – Welcome to Earth

The Second Ship by Richard Phillips (Book cover)
Regardless of whether or not you believe in UFOs and extraterrestrial beings, you have to admit that pondering the question is quite interesting, especially considering the promptly covered and classified possible encounters we have had with them or their technology.

In the Rho Agenda Trilogy written by Richard Phillips, the story begins in the book titled The Second Ship, where for sixty years a UFO which crashed mysteriously has been kept secret behind the walls of an underground laboratory.

December 22, 2012

“The Yellow Birds” by Kevin Powers – The Golden Nightmare

By itself, the Middle East is home to some of the most breathtaking pieces of scenery ever, ranging from cold and snowy mountains all the way to vast terrains and dunes made golden by the sun’s rays shining off grains of sand. 

Unfortunately, as is made amply obvious in The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers, the Middle East is home to things much deadlier than its scenery, with the whole war thing going on. In the novel we follow the journey of two recruits which have been deployed as part of the force tasked with taking over the city of Al Tafar, Iraq.

December 21, 2012

“A Higher Call” by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander – A True Story of Compassion Between Enemies

First off, I’d like to say that even though A Higher Call by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander is mostly a novel, the events depicted within it were based on real stories, at least as far as the overall path traveled by the two main characters goes. 

I’m sure you are already familiar with World War II from history text books, television shows, movies and whatnot, so I’m kind of going to skip over explaining the importance of this world event; even if you aren't an expert, you probably have an idea as to how things were for and between the Allied and the Axis, which is enough to understand this novel. 

December 20, 2012

“Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Chaos Explored

From his previously-published book The Black Swan, it is no secret that Nassim Nicholas Taleb doesn’t believe this world to be an orderly and predictable place; the events which truly dictate humanity’s fate are almost always the ones nobody sees coming. In Antifragile, Nassim digs deeper into the concept of chaos and how its existence is necessary.

What does the title refer to exactly? Well, it seems that in this book Nassim coins the term "antifragile" in reference to that which flourishes under stress and disorder. For instance, when human bones are broken they grow back stronger and revolutions become more powerful as people try to suppress them. 

December 19, 2012

“The Black Swan” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Is the Truth Really Simple?

Ever since humans have gained the ability to form and express thoughts we have tirelessly searched for answers to questions such as "why are we here?" and "why does the world work the way it does?" Different people turned to different places for answers; some turned to religion, others to science, while many others simply came to the conclusion they will never get an answer. 

While I’m not going to claim I've found the answers to those questions, it is very possible that Nassim Nicholas Taleb at least partially answered the question as to why the world works the way it does, in his bestseller The Black Swan.

December 18, 2012

"The Jakarta Pandemic" by Steven Konkoly – The Apocalypse in Your Backyard

Most of us would like to believe that all these thoughts and discussions about the end of the world are only speculations from curious minds... however, at the back of our heads we know everything ends at some point, and I believe it’s that fear which makes stories about survival in a post-apocalyptic setting so attractive to us.

In The Jakarta Pandemic, Steven Konkoly capitalizes on that fear, following Iraq War Veteran Alex Fletcher, as he first desperately attempts to keep his family safe from the flu pandemic, and then works with the entire neighbourhood to fight off a threat far greater than a deadly virus, which says a lot about the kind of evil they are facing.

December 17, 2012

“The Edge of Never” by J.A. Redmerski – How to Find Oneself

Practically every person who is living on this Earth, in first-world countries at least, has a daily routine, a world which has been carefully built; a family, friends, a career, relationships, favourite hangouts, food preferences… etc... etc... 

However, the truth is that there are many dissatisfied with knowing where their life is going next, at least from time to time, and wish for nothing but the ability to disappear and reappear elsewhere with a completely clean and blank slate.

December 16, 2012

“The Cowboy and the Cossack” by Clair Huffaker – The Wild East

Describing The Cowboy and the Cossack as a western doesn't really do it justice… as a matter of fact, there may not really be an official genre for this type of novel. And that, in my opinion, makes it at least worth checking out. 

Written by Clair Huffaker, The Cowboy and the Cossack takes place in the Far East as fifteen cowboys with a giant herd prepare to cross thousands of miles of Siberian wilderness. To help them out, a group of Cossacks, elite Russian warriors, are sent to escort them.

December 15, 2012

“The Pillars of Earth” by Ken Follett – Building a House for God

Most of us see the Middle Ages as being an era filled with glorious knights, honorable kings, well-meaning peasants, beautiful princesses, swords, books, fancy cups, and so on and so forth. 

However, what many of us forget to imagine, when thinking of the Middle Ages, is the horror. Indeed, these were extremely violent times when teachings of faith were taken very literally, a time when justice was about as arbitrary as it could ever be. 

December 14, 2012

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen – Money, Marriage and Class

It seems that authors always become more appreciated after their time has passed, and unfortunately Jane Austen is no exception to this rule; her novels, Sense and Sensibility as well as Pride and Prejudice are some of the most well-known and revered works of writing today, being complex and thought-provoking on a number of different levels.

I guess it’s not too far of a stretch to say that Pride and Prejudice is the better known of the two novels, perhaps because it deals with somewhat darker themes, being centered around Elizabeth Bennet, or more precisely, on what she perceives.

December 13, 2012

“Winter of the World” by Ken Follett – Wars Aplenty

The first book in the Century Trilogy, Fall of Giants, introduced us to the five families, the setting, the characters themselves, the morals of that time. The second book by Ken Follett in this trilogy, Winter of the World, picks up where the first one left off, as each family is headed for some kind of war-related turmoil. 

I really won’t go into detail as to which family faces what (let’s admit it, it would take a me a long time and you probably wouldn't even read it anyways), but in one way or another, each one of them finds itself entangled in some kind of significant conflict, whether it’s against actual people or ideas.

December 12, 2012

“Fall of Giants” by Ken Follett – The Turn of the Century Revisited

When we think of times past, how people must have lived, interacted and worked, let’s admit it, most of us have a very limited and romanticized notion about that. We know bits and pieces from what we read in books and saw in movies, and from those pieces we try and put together the big picture as best we can. 

Not to say Ken Follett has lived at the beginning of the twentieth century, but he seems to be a man who has done his research and knows more than most about that time period… after all, he wrote an entire trilogy following the story of five families in that world, with the first book of it being Fall of Giants.

December 11, 2012

“Veronika Decides to Die” by Paulo Coelho – What is Happiness?

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho (Book cover)
Paulo Coelho, even though he has started to publish books relatively late in his life, has become quite known for being willing to explore heavier and more controversial themes, and in Veronika Decides to Die he does so inspiring himself from his own life.

The story starts off by presenting Veronika, a woman by all measures should be happy: she is young, beautiful, popular, has a lot of friends, a loving family, boyfriends, and a job that she actually kind of likes.

December 10, 2012

“The Fifth Mountain” by Paulo Coelho – The Trials of Faith

The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho (Book cover)
Paulo Coelho is one of today’s most unique and ambitious writers, tackling on the most complex and convoluted subjects he can find. I've already reviewed his masterpiece, The Alchemist, in which a man was taken on a tremendous journey of soul-searching and self-discovery.

It seems these themes are quite close to Paulo's heart, as they can once again be seen in another one of his modern classics, The Fifth Mountain.

December 9, 2012

“Eleven Minutes” by Paulo Coelho – Redemption of the Heart

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho (Book cover)
Eleven Minutes is considered by most people as being Paulo Coelho’s most controversial piece of writing, mainly because it is centered on a rather unusual type of protagonist, a young prostitute.

While many people may have unsavory opinions of them, it is important to understand that many of them haven’t gotten into their lifestyle by their own choice… many are forced into it either by circumstances, or worse, people.

December 8, 2012

"The Black Box" by Michael Connelly – Harry Bosch’s Blast from the Past

The Black Box by Michael Connelly (Book cover)
Twenty years ago, back in 1992, Harry Bosch was assigned to investigate the murder of a young photographer murdered during the L.A. riots. Bosch never managed to solve the crime as it was handed off to the Riot Crimes Task Force, where it remained unsolved forever.

However, twenty years later Bosch gets his hands on a ballistics report which leads him to believe the young photographer’s death wasn't just collateral damage to the riot.

December 7, 2012

“The Affair” by Lee Child

It seems that every story is sparked by a seemingly routine and banal event, and in The Affair by Lee Child, that something is the murder of a woman on a train track. Elite military cop Jack Reacher is called in for the investigation, and quite quickly he manages to put together the pieces of the puzzle, and they all point to a soldier on a nearby military base.

Unfortunately for Jack, said soldier has some of the country’s most powerful people on his side. Reacher decides to join forces with Elizabeth Deveraux, a local sheriff, and together they unravel a vast conspiracy.

December 5, 2012

“Merry Christmas, Alex Cross” by James Patterson – Crime Doesn’t Rest, even on Holidays

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson (Book cover)
Detective Alex Cross has survived through countless seemingly-deadly affairs using nothing but his seemingly super-human McGuyver-like intelligence; regardless of what situation he is in, he always thinks of something.

It seems that such a man has earned the right to spend Christmas without having to escape certain death, but it seems crime thinks otherwise.

December 4, 2012

“Mad River” By John Sandford – The Loss of Innocence

While these thoughts may be considered as demented and perverted, the truth is that there is some kind of freedom to be had in being past the point of return, on the run, and being able to do literally anything, knowing that it doesn’t matter how much worse things get because the end will be the same.

This line of thinking is perhaps what drove Bonnie and Clyde on their rampage (amongst other things), and it seems to be driving three murderous teenagers from rural Minnesota in Mad River by John Sandford.

December 3, 2012

“God’s Grammar” by Mick Mooney – Is Love the Answer?

First of all, before talking about this book there are a few things I’d like to put out there: I do not believe in the existence of a God, at least not as described in religious texts. I don’t categorically deny it, because after all, the inexistence of God cannot be proven, yet the way I see it, the burden of proof lies in the hands of those who claim he is real, and so far not a single undisputable fact has been presented which points to his existence. 

That being said, regardless of whether or not God is real, his alleged teachings deserve some attention, with the main one being that love is what needs to be shared with one another above all. Mick Mooney explores precisely this theme in his latest novel, God’s Grammar.

December 2, 2012

"Agenda 21" by Glenn Beck and Harriet Parke – The Rise of a Very New World Order

What today is known as America, in Agenda 21 by Glenn Beck, is known as The Republic. There are no rulers in The Republic, no congressmen, supreme courts, and most importantly, no freedom; there are only citizens and the seemingly omnipotent authorities.

Citizens are only used for two tasks: creating energy and reproduction. The guards follow their every move, and needless to say, most lives simply do not have a goal. The Republic was created as a result of the universally-imposed Agenda 21 by the UN, and this is the world Emmeline was born into.

December 1, 2012

“The Round House” by Louise Erdrich – Coming of Age Like You’ve Never Seen It

On a calm Sunday just like any other, a woman by the name of Geraldine Coutts, who lives on a reservation in North Dakota, receives a call which asks her to head over to The Round House, a place where the local people pray. As Geraldine arrives though, she is brutally assaulted and left for dead. Fortunately, she survives the ordeal, but is reluctant to reveal what happened or who did it, being in a complete state of shock.

Her husband, a tribal judge, puts all of his efforts and energy into finding the ones responsible and bringing them to justice… however, all odds are stacked against him. In the middle of this turmoil is the couple’s thirteen year-old, Joe. Being unable to help his mother and at the same time frustrated by the lack of justice, he sets out with the help of his three friends, Zack, Cappy and Angus, on an quest to bring the truth to light. The Round House by Louise Erdrich isn’t a National Book Award Winner for nothing (or at least I believe it deserves it).

November 30, 2012

“The Last Man” by Vince Flynn – You Only Get Betrayed by Your Own

I don’t know about you, but I have always had a sweet spot for political/military mysteries and thrillers, mostly because there is always some kind of deep and complex conspiracy at work covered up by a large and convoluted web of deceit. 

There is just something exciting about imagining the people at the very top fighting each other with intelligence rather than their fists. In any case, that expectation is what drove me to check out The Last Man by Vince Flynn. 

November 28, 2012

“The Joy of Hate” by Greg Gutfeld – How to Fight Stupidity for Dummies

Like many of us (I assume), Greg Gutfeld hates stupidity and how it has made our daily lives into a joke, at least the second we take the time to step away and look at ourselves from a distance. Greg believes that all of it stems from our so-called open-mindedness and unconditional tolerance.

It’s as if people can be as stupid as they want as long as they do it in a socially-approved way… you can easily live as a racist bigot, as long as you are politically-correct about it.

November 26, 2012

“The Forgotten” by David Baldacci – Trouble in Paradise

It seems that David Baldacci has a certain liking for writing stories about super special agents from governmental agencies, as was seen in one of his most prominent works, The Innocent.

In The Forgotten, Baldacci revisits a similar concept, following the work of John Puller, a special agent in the U.S. Army. Right before his aunt died living out her days in the ironically-named town of Paradise, Florida, she sent a letter to Puller in which she suggested that beneath this tranquil resort inhabited by retirees and wealthy old white men lies a great danger.

November 25, 2012

“The Casual Vacancy” by J.K. Rowling – Pagford’s War

Most of you know J.K. Rowling as the author of the Harry Potter books which have become immensely popular over the last decade, with each one of them having a movie based on it. I’ll be the first to admit that contrary to pretty much everyone, I never really liked the Harry Potter series. 

My exposition to it was limited to the first fifty pages of the first book and to the first movie. I can’t really explain it, but it just never stuck with me. In any case, regardless of whether you liked Harry Potter or not, you’ll probably be interested in J.K. Rowling’s first attempt at an adult novel (no, not that kind of adult novel), The Casual Vacancy.

November 24, 2012

“Following Atticus” by Tom Ryan – A Snowy Adventure Melted by Love

Tom Ryan was a newspaperman like many others before him, and nothing really set him apart from anyone else. However, on a sad day one his very close friends passed away from cancer, an even which ended up spinning Tom inside out, making him re-evaluate his own life and his decisions. 

As a manner of paying tribute to his deceased friend, Tom decided to do the most daring thing he will probably attempt in his lifetime: climbing the forty-eight four-thousand foot peaks found in New Hampshire… twice in a single winter. Apart from paying tribute to his friend, Ryan’s exploits would also be an effort to raise money for charity.

November 22, 2012

“The Life of Pi” by Yann Martel – The Odd Couple Redefined

I’m sure that many of you have heard of this book right about now; ever since it was published in 2001 it has become more and more popular, which may very well be God’s way of laughing at the five publishing houses that decided to reject it.

In any case, a feature film has just been released about it(or has it already been released a long time ago? I can’t possibly predict when you are going to be reading this), and needless to say, more and more people are wondering what it’s all about… it actually reminds me of all the Matrix buzz back when it came out; everyone knew about it, but most didn't have a clue what the plot was.

November 20, 2012

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky

While our kids may not be able to believe it, all of us were teenagers once, and we all went (or are going or will go through, for our younger readers) through a coming of age period. While in the moment it may have seemed quite overwhelming, and in some cases not a lot of fun, in hindsight it’s a whole different story… many adults talk about it as one of the best periods in their lives.

As such, it’s no wonder that countless books have been written around the concept of "coming of age". However, at some point it seems as if the books on the subject became quite repetitive; nevertheless, a few stood out, at least in my opinion, and one of them is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, which by the way had a feature movie released about it recently.

November 19, 2012

“The Light Between Oceans” by M.L . Stedman – Lost and Found Children

Tom Sherbourne spent four years of his life fighting on the Western Front, and at long last he returns to his homeland of Australia where he becomes a lighthouse keeper on a piece of land, along with his young and beautiful wife Isabel. 

Unfortunately, during their time together Isabelle has suffered through two miscarriages and one stillbirth… however, it seems that God smiled on her when a dead man with a living baby washed up on shore.

November 18, 2012

“No Mark Upon Her” by Deborah Crombie – A Web of Murders

Murder mysteries are a classic genre in literature, and possibly one of the most popular ones as it appeals to practically everyone out there. Solving mysteries is one of man’s favorite past-times it seems, and there are few mysteries more intriguing than murder. Unfortunately, I simply do not have the time to read all the murder mysteries I would like to, but No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie is one I truly enjoyed recently.

It starts with a K9 research team discovering a woman’s body in a river, at which point the case is dumped in the lap of Scotland Yard superintendent Duncan Kinkaid. As it turns out, the victim wasn't your average citizen; she was Rebecca Meredith, an Olympic contender on the verge of making a comeback, and needless to say, she had her share of admirers and enemies. The plot thickens even more when it is discovered that Rebecca also happens to be leading a double-life as a detective for the metropolitan police.

November 17, 2012

“America Again” by Stephen Colbert

Most of you know Stephen Colbert either from watching him as a correspondent on The Daily Show, or from watching him in his own show, The Colbert Report. For those who don’t know who Colbert is, I’ll try and give you a brief idea: he tackles issues ranging from global relations to cooking, and in the process he majestically explains why everyone except for him has the wrong take on the issue. One could say he is one of the true patriots this great country has.

And so, it seems that Colbert has put his skills to use once again in his book titled American Again. In it, he proceeds to describe everything that is wrong with this country, including how we are indebted up to our necks to the Chinese, how all the products we have aren't even made here anymore, and most importantly, why some hotels don’t have phone buttons to contact the spa directly.

November 16, 2012

“The Outpost” by Jake Tapper – Words Can Kill

Some of you may remember the events of October 3rd, 2009, when Outpost Keating was attacked by over four hundred Taliban insurgents, with there only being fifty-three U.S. troops available to defend. 

While it is true that the Americans won the battle in the end, they sustained the largest number of casualties in a single battle since the start of their insurgence into the Middle East. The camp itself was located at the bottom of mountains, fourteen miles from the border with Pakistan, in the middle of desert… in other words, it was a death sentence.

November 15, 2012

“Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin – The Master of Men

There have been countless biographies in regards to Abraham Lincoln over many years, with countless authors having tried to dissect his life as best they could. It would seem that at this point, we pretty much have all the information about Abraham that we could ever need, and there is simply no room left for any more biographies.

Well, at least it seemed so until Doris Kearns Goodwin went ahead and proved everybody wrong when she published her book titled Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

November 14, 2012

“The Panther” by Nelson DeMille – The Elusive Bomber

I've already written a review on a novel which followed the life of John Corey, The Lion’s Game. That book was published over ten years ago. Fast forward to today, and John Corey is still kicking, along with his wife Kate Mayfield, who is an FBI agent while John is part of an anti-terrorist task force. 

In John Corey’s latest adventure, he and his wife are sent to Yemen in hopes of tracking a high-ranking Al Qaeda operative, known as The Panther, held responsible for the bombing on the USS Cole. Needless to say, he needs to be brought down at any cost, and that cost turns out to be a deadly game of chess and cat-and-mouse.

November 13, 2012

“The Lion’s Game” by Nelson DeMille – The King of Terror

Ever since 9/11 occurred it seems that every third word pronounced by people was "terrorism". Indeed, the unspeakable tragedy has opened the eyes of many Americans, showing them the true evil which lurks in some men’s hearts. 

Naturally, it goes without saying that many writers were inspired into writing something in relation to those events, and so we shouldn't be surprised at the amount of books related to terrorism which came out during that time. One of my favorite novels from that time is The Lion’s Game by Nelson DeMille, and before getting into why, I’d best give you a brief idea of what the story is about.

November 12, 2012

“The Dark Side of Genius: The Life of Alfred Hitchcock” by Donald Spoto – The Birth of a Cinematic Einstein

I’m sure you have heard of the name Alfred Hitchcock before; he incontestably the greatest horror director in cinema’s short history, single-handedly crafting the genre with classics such as
, and countless others. Many call him the grandfather of horror cinema, and I’m sure you can understand why if you are remotely familiar with his movies. If you are familiar with the man himself however, you’ll know that he was a very peculiar man who liked to remain more or less secluded from everyone else. When he received his Oscar, his only words were "Thank You". Doesn't get much more enigmatic than this as far as geniuses go.

November 11, 2012

“The Beautiful Mystery” by Louise Penny – The Evil that Monks Do

It seems sort of surprising that the province of Quebec, Canada doesn't pop up in literature often… perhaps such is the case because it was overshadowed by Canada’s image. Make no mistake, while Quebec is indeed a great place to live, it has a very violent history, not to mention that it contains the biggest Hell’s Angels Chapter and serves as the "base of operations" for the Italian mafia in Canada due to the massively important port located in Montreal. 

In any case, what I’m getting at is that Quebec is no stranger to crime and murder, and it seems Louise Penny makes it her job to showcase that in her novel titled The Beautiful Mystery: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel.

November 10, 2012

“Rosencrants and Guildenstem Are Dead” by Tom Stoppard

We all know the classic play of Hamlet by Shakespeare; some of us have had it engrained in our skulls during our school years. Regardless, the point is that the story has been around for a long time, and if you look around, you’ll see that many authors have taken the liberty of adding their own twists to it. Tom Stoppard is one of these authors, and in my opinion, his twist is one of the more clever ones.

In Rosencrants and Guildenstem Are Dead, Tom Stoppard recounts the story of Hamlet with only one minor difference: it is done from the perspective of two minor characters, Rosencrants and Guildenstem. While it may not sound like a very innovative twist, just bear with me for a paragraph or two. 

November 9, 2012

“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline – A Virtual Quest for the Ultimate Prize

Ernest Cline is a young author whose debut novel, Ready Player One, has earned a tremendous following of people who simply cannot wait for him to bang out his next masterpiece. In this article, I’d like to discuss why I believe Ernest Cline to be an author you should keep an eye on, and of course, what makes Ready Player One such a compelling read.

To give you a bit of context, Ready Player One happens in the year 2044 where most people distract themselves from their daily troubles by plugging their minds a-la-Matrix into the OASIS, a virtual utopia where anyone can be whatever they want, on any planet they want.

November 8, 2012

“Lost at Sea: The Jon Ronson Mysteries” by Jon Ronson

Jon Ronson has always been known for his willingness to write about the facts which are stranger than fiction. As it happens, the world has more than enough weirdness to go around, and Jon has made it his goal to explore that weirdness, and bring it to the rest of us, no matter how it may be, in a way which allows us to relate to it, and that’s precisely what he did in Lost at Sea, his latest novel right after his widely-acclaimed The Psychopath Test.

November 6, 2012

“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury – An Eerily Possible Scenario

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Book cover)
The concept of the dystopian future was once extremely popular amongst science-fiction writers, and very few have capitalized on it as well as Ray Bradbury in his novel Fahrenheit 451¸at least in my opinion.

Before getting into what I think about it though, I just want to give a quick recap of what it’s about for those unfamiliar with or have forgotten it. In Fahrenheit 451, we follow the life of Guy Montag, a fireman… in the sense that he burns illegal possessions in the name of the government, such as books, and the houses they are stored in.

Being oblivious to what he is doing (destroying culture), Guy returns to his wife every night to live out his bleak and bland life.

November 1, 2012

“Killing Lincoln” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard – Life is Better than Fiction

Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard (Book cover)
Bill O’Reilly has always been known as a bit of a smart sensationalist who can make even big and important issues understandable to the layman.

He runs his own show, and despite having some personal biases and preferences, he does his best to depict and describe things the way in which he truly sees them.

Many people, me included, find it commendable that he turned his efforts to writing books, as he does a pretty good job at it, as can be seen in what is arguably his and Martin Dugards's most famous work, Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever.

October 31, 2012

“77 Days in September” by Ray Gorham – No Technology for the Wicked

It is no secret that the longer humanity goes on, the more we become reliant on electronic technology to survive and keep on going. As I see it, there are two main fears associated with technology: the fear of it gaining sentience and turning against us, and the fear of losing it completely. 

While it does seem outlandish at this point in the real world, I’m sure you've wondered more than once what would happen to the world if all electronic devices were to be disabled. 

Would we all revert to living in small tribes? 

Would we band together and try to rebuild? 

Would we go to war with each other over the little resources we have left for being unable to grow food and obtain water by ourselves? 

Would people care about money? 

Will there be anyone left to make alcohol? 

Well, it seems that these thoughts crossed the mind of Ray Gorham, and so he wrote about what he imagined would happen in his novel titled 77 Days in September.

October 27, 2012

October 25, 2012

“The Partner” by John Grisham – Robbery From the Beyond

The Partner by John Grisham (Book cover)
I've reviewed a few of Grisham's works before, like his classic The Firm and one of his best-selling novels, The Racketeer. I’ll be honest in saying that I may have given the author a bit more praise than he deserves; many people see him as being to books what Hollywood is to movies.

What do I mean by that? Well, while his books are always full of action and have a relatively intriguing story, many of them lack originality and deeper meaning. However, that is not to say that it’s a bad thing… after all, we all need this kind of entertainment from time to time.

October 20, 2012

“The Firm” by John Grisham – Something for Nothing

The Firm by John Grisham (book cover)
I’ve already reviewed a few of John Grisham’s most widely-acclaimed works (A Time to Kill, The Litigators and The Racketeer), but I have yet to really touch on some of his earlier successes, and The Firm is without a doubt one of them.

As a matter of fact, this is the book that put Grisham on the map for many avid readers seeking a breath of fresh air amongst a sea of recycled, cookie-cutter stories.

October 17, 2012

“John Dies at the End” by Jason Pargin (David Wong) – Heaven or Hell?

John Dies at the End by David Wong (Book cover)
It has been a while since an author has really tried to break down what we consider to be conventional and venture into unknown territory where the craziest things can happen.

Well, actually, you can scratch that as Cracked.com editor Jason Pargin (David Wong) wrote a genuinely twisted story with John Dies at the End.

The whole plot of the book is centred around a substance called soy sauce, and of course, video store clerk David Wong and his friend try it.

October 13, 2012

“Daemon” by Daniel Suarez

In modern times, as you can surely see, technology is developing faster than it ever was before. Only a few decades ago computers were the size of elephants and took up giant rooms to store a few megabytes of data. Today, we have computers the size of our hands capable of storing dozens, if not hundreds of gigabytes of information without a problem.

However, what’s scarier is the progress done in robotics and nanotechnology; not only are computers becoming tremendously more powerful and capable than humans, but they are also slowly taught to process information and understand things on the fly. It might not sound like much, but if you ask me we’re not too far away from a Terminator reenactment.

October 11, 2012

“Crpytonomicon” by Neal Stephenson – The Code to Salvation

Crpytonomicon by Neal Stephenson (book cover)
1942: The United States are knee-deep, like many other countries, in the Second World War. A captain of the U.S. Navy, Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse, is seen as a real mathematical genius and prodigy, one who knows no equal.

He is assigned to detachment 2702… a detachment so secretive that only a few people even know of its existence. With the help of detachment 2702’s commander and Marine Raider Bobby Shaftoe, Waterhouse is set on a mission, with the objective being to prevent the Nazis from finding out that the Allies have cracked their Enigma code.

October 10, 2012

“A Time to Kill” by John Grisham - The Death of Innocence

A Time to Kill by John Grisham (Book cover)
The South of the United States of America hasn't always been known as being inhabited with people open to cultural diversity (and that's a big understatement).

Even today, in some places, especially smaller, rural towns, racial tensions are still alive and boiling... and John Grisham guessed it would be the perfect setting for a tense courtroom drama centered around a little girl and what her father did for revenge.

October 6, 2012

"Tell the Wolves I’m Home" by Carol Rifka Brunt – A Tale of Lost Souls

The year is 1987 and June Elbus lives a life closed off from practically everyone else. The only person around whom she can feel and be herself is her uncle, a renowned painter by the name of Finn Weiss. 

Apart from being her grandfather, he was also her confidant and her best friend; he was the bright light in June’s life. Unfortunately, Finn falls victim to some kind of mysterious illness one day and departs from this world, leaving June all by herself (metaphorically of course).

September 28, 2012

“Mr. Monk in Trouble” by Lee Goldberg – The Lost Treasure in Gold County

If you've seen the television show, then you are definitely familiar with Adrian Monk, a brilliant detective who would be the perfect man… if he did not suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder, something which either hampers or helps him in every case he is in. 

You could perhaps qualify Monk as someone who is knocking at the door of the World’s Greatest Detectives Club, and not without reason; he has the smarts, detective skills and personality to one day be held to the same standards as all-time greats such as Colombo, Poirot, Holmes, and a few others.

September 25, 2012

From Zero to Hero in 3:43 – “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” by Ben Fountain

While there are many who either agree or disagree with the war led in Iraq, there is one thing which cannot be doubted, and it’s that for the soldiers down there doing the fighting, life is far from being all fun and games. The mental stress and grueling physical challenges they go through simply cannot be understood by those who haven’t gone through them.

In Ben Fountain’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, we are taken into a fictional skirmish during the war called "The battle of Al-Ansakar Canal". Billy Lynn is a 19-year old native Texan on his first army tour, and as a result of winning that skirmish which lasted a grand total of three minutes and forty-three seconds, he earned a Silver Star. Seeing as how Fox News managed to capture the ordeal, the soldiers participating in it became stars and celebrities, sent on a nationwide victory tour in hopes of increasing the public’s support for the war.

September 21, 2012

Step Into David Sedaris’ Mysterious Mind Once Again in "Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim"

I've already reviewed a couple of Sedaris' works (Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day), and if you’ve read those then chances are you know what kind of person Sedaris is already. 

However, for those who are just making their arrival, I’ll just point out that David Sedaris is without a doubt one of the most original and intellectually-advanced minds living on Earth today. His stories are always unique and set in a somewhat surrealist world which on one hand looks like ours, but on the other hand is completely different from it.

September 19, 2012

"Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

David Sedaris may be one of the most interesting (and perhaps influential for some) thinkers of this century. Thankfully, he decided to put his ideas on paper, and as a result we were treated to some of the most unique, thrilling, thought-provoking and funny novels of all time, such as Naked for example, one of his most famous works.

Deciding to provide a tad of insight into his own life, David Sedaris wrote Me Talk Pretty One Day, a collection of 27 essays, many of which originally appeared in newspapers such as The New Yorker.

September 18, 2012

Drama, Ridicule and Surrealism in “Naked” by David Sedaris

Why do we read books exactly? While some people only use books in order to research facts, there are still many who see them as a form of entertainment… they read books because they allow their readers to escape from the real world, at least for a few hours. 

And so, we do not complain when books present far-fetched stories; we are content to completely suspend our disbelief in favor of hearing something interesting, which in most cases wouldn’t happen in this world.

September 14, 2012

"The Poet" by Michael Connelly

The Poet by Michael Connelly (Book cover)
We've already touched upon some of Michael Connelly’s fantastic novels (The Drop and The Last Coyote), and we've already met detective Harry Bosch, Michael’s ever-lasting protagonist.

Despite all the troubles which have taken hold of Bosch’s life throughout time, he is back for yet another murderous adventure in The Poet.

September 13, 2012

"The Five People you Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom

We have all wondered at some point as to what happens beyond the realms of death… what happens to us once the body ceases to live. There are countless different theories, yet no indisputable facts which can give you an answer beyond all doubt.

In his book titled The Five People you Meet in Heaven Mitch Albom depicts a very interesting concept of the afterlife through the life of an old and grizzled war veteran, Eddie.

September 12, 2012

"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

You may not exactly be familiar with Aldous Huxley, but he was not only a man to be revered for his ideas, but also the descendant of Thomas Huxley, the man who helped Darwin put his famous theory together.

In any case, Aldous, who lived from 1894 to 1963, took great pleasure in criticizing his society, and in 1932 he published Brave New World, marking a certain change in Aldous’ orientation.

September 8, 2012

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey

We've all seen these kinds of people, whether in real life or on television; the kind of people who are smart, powerful, secure… basically capable of making things happen in this world… effective people. While of course it is true that each and every one of us follows his or her own path in this life, there are certain things from which we could all benefit.

I know this may sound a bit confusing, but consider for a minute Stephen R. Covey’s book titled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The books is basically a collection of stories, insights and anecdotes which serve to point out the seven habits which those highly effective people have developed. 

September 7, 2012

"Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman

Before looking into the title itself, a little word about the author, Daniel Kahneman. Besides being a writer he also did some extensive work in the field of psychology, even earning a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his theory which challenged the rational model of judgment and decision-making. 

He is one of the world’s greatest thinkers, constantly trying to think of innovations that would make humankind progress, and Thinking, Fast and Slow is basically the culmination of years upon years of diligent research. In Thinking, Fast and Slow Kahneman discusses the two main systems of thought we follow. The first one is that of fast reactions, intuitions and emotions, while the second one is slower, clearer and more logical.

September 5, 2012

"The Dog Stars" by Peter Heller

Peter Heller has always been known for his ability to create strangely unique, bizarre and attractive universes where opposites seem to meet and blend seamlessly together.

Take for example The Dog Stars, where we follow the story of Hig who makes his way through a post-apocalyptic world… a post-apocalyptic world unlike most of us are capable of imagining.

September 4, 2012

"Cat’s Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut

I've already reviewed a couple of his books, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions, but in case you have forgotten about who Kurt Vonnegut was, it suffices to say that he is considered to be one of the world’s greatest literature titans. His works go beyond mundane stories as he seeks to explore concepts, philosophies and ideas through his unique and imaginative scenarios. If you haven’t checked out any of his works, I suggest you do so as fast as possible because you are really missing out on something incredible.

In any case, Cat’s Cradle, written in 1963, is considered by many to Kurt’s most ambitious novel as he went way beyond thinking outside the box. He invented new terms (which sadly, aren’t really used today) such as "granfalloon" and "wampeter". However, the impressive part is that he created an entirely new structured religion he dubbed Boskonism, which he then actually submitted as part of his papers for a Master’s Degree in anthropology.

September 1, 2012

"The Invisible Ones" by Stef Penney

In The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney, Rose Janko has lived his life as a gypsy, travelling around with his family without having any precise goals to attain. Seven years ago, Rose Janko went missing without a trace, and private investigator Ray Lovell was hired on the case. Unfortunately, today the investigator, is stuck to a hospital bed, being struck by paralysis with delirium dangerously looming over him. 

The interesting part of his life, however, is the one which led up to the accident that put him in a hospital bed. What exactly led the gypsies to choose Ray as an investigator? Well, it had pretty much nothing to do with his investigative skills and more with the fact that Ray is actually half-Romany himself.

August 30, 2012

"No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden" by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer

Have you heard of Osama Bin Laden? Of course you have. Did you know that somewhat recently he was allegedly killed and had his body burned at sea before a camera lens could even be pointed at it? Of course you did. However, how much do you know exactly about that operation shrouded in secrecy which allegedly led to the demise of one of America’s greatest enemies?

Well, just like you, I had a truckload of questions about the operation, but nobody to answer them… and then Mark Owen, with the help of Kevin Maurer wrote his book No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden.

August 29, 2012

"Breakfast of Champions" by Kurt Vonnegut

When Kilgore Trout had finally bit the dust, his tombstone was marked with a phrase which achieved somewhat of a legendary status: "We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane". This brings up a number of questions, such as "what is humane in this context?", what does "healthy" imply, and what exactly happens when our ideas cease to be humane? How does it come to that point?

 While these are the kinds of questions you usually won’t get a concrete answer to, Kurt Vonnegut decided to explore the concept of falling into madness in his novel, Breakfast of Champions.

August 25, 2012

"The Presidents Club" by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy

Even though many of us don’t pay too much attention to politics, the fact of the matter is that they have played a ginormous role in forming our world today. Practically every important decision taken, whether we are talking about the assassination of Julius Caesar or America’s decision to invade the Middle East, has been mostly rooted in politics. 

How exactly do politics affect our daily lives? Well, to put it bluntly, politicians are the people who try and pass new laws, put in place healthcare plans, financial plans… they are even the ones who start wars, and I’m sure you can figure out how such a decision can impact a person’s life.

August 23, 2012

“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho – The Wisdom of the Heart


Updated on November 2, 2023

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Book cover)


Short Summary


Paulo Coelho may have used simple language and straightforward plot structures in his novels, but as is best exemplified through The Alchemist, what lay beneath his work was anything but simple and straightforward. In this all-time classic, we follow the story of the young Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd who, following a dream he had, wanders off to the Egyptian pyramids in search of great treasure.

August 21, 2012

"Man’s Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl

Suffering is something which most of us work day and night to avoid… but in the end, are we as successful as we would like to think? Is the work to prevent suffering not a kind of suffering in itself? 

Well, according to Viktor E. Frankl, a psychiatrist who was held in four different concentration camps during the Second World War, including Auschwitz, there is no way for human beings to avoid suffering. However, it is within our power to choose to cope with it, find some kind of meaning in it, learn from it, and move onwards with more purpose than before. 

August 20, 2012

"The Drop" by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch yet again finds his way into a Michael Connelly masterpiece in The Drop. This time around, Harry is faring a little better as he has been accepted back in the LAPD and given three years before he retires, which only lights his hunger for more cases to solve (because what he went through in The Last Coyote was just so much damn fun for him).

Finally, he finds something to satisfy his appetite when the DNA of a 29-year-old rapist matches that from a 1989 rape and murder… which would make the man eight years of age at the time… or mean that a mistake has been committed at the lab, which would compromise all of the DNA cases that are currently in court.

August 19, 2012

"The Last Coyote" by Michael Connelly

The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly (Book cover)
While many of us have been in situations where we considered our lives to be sh*t, our plights simply cannot compare to what Harry Bosch has to go through. For starters, his home got ravaged by an earthquake, after which it was condemned, basically leaving him homeless.

As if that wasn’t enough, his girlfriend decides to leave him (possibly having something to do with the fact that he is homeless), and he’s hitting the bottle like never before.

August 16, 2012

"Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed

I’ll admit it, I never cared for Oprah’s Book Club. The times I took a look at her recommendations, I was just looking at books that I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy. However, a few people around me just kept nagging me, and basically letting me know how much I was missing out on. 

Following their recommendations I gave Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail a try, seeing as how it was one of Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 selection (she has two book clubs?!). In any case, enough about Oprah’s as I’m sure you know about her a lot more than I do, so let’s have a look at the book.

August 14, 2012

"The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself" by Michael A. Singer

During the time humans have spent on this planet many questions have been answered, such as "what are stars?" and "Is Tom Cruise as crazy as he seems?". However, for all the thinking great philosophers of the past and present have done, one question remains largely unanswered: who am I? And I’m not talking specifically about me. I’m talking about the question everyone asks themselves at one point or another. 

The more you look into it, the less you understand. How can you define yourself? Are you a physical entity? A spiritual one? A combination of both? A collection of memories? Most of us choose to define ourselves with a name or occupation, but doesn’t the essence of being a human go far beyond that?

August 12, 2012

"Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell

Writing a good book is not only about making good characters, an interesting story and exploring some mysterious themes… it is also about how the events unfold and their connections to each other. 

Take for example Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (yes, it has been made into a movie with Tom Hanks), a long narrative which touches upon the lives of six main characters. Each one of these characters has their own story, but in the end, as it usually happens, the stories intertwine in one way or another to make for a grand finale where all is revealed.

August 11, 2012

"The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" by David Mitchell

1799, Dejima, Nagasaki: The Japanese Empire only has a single port that keeps it open to the rest of the world, and one day a man by the name of Jacob de Zoet arrives there. His purpose? He has exactly five years to earn a fortune in the East and then come back to Holland in order to win the hand of his beloved fiancée. 

Being only a young clerk, Jacob starts to try and scrape whatever money he can, hoping to climb the pyramid from bottom to top. However, he one day meets Orito Aibagawa, the disfigured wife of the magistrate.

August 9, 2012

"The Yiddish Policemen’s Union" by Michael Chabon

When in 1948 the fledgling state of Israel had collapsed many safe havens were created for the Jews, one of is located in the Sitka district. There, the Yiddish have gladly isolated themselves from the rest of the world (possibly having something to do with the fact that most people still want them dead), creating their own colorful and vibrant community. 

But every good thing is meant to come to an end, and soon the district is to return under the control of Alaskan authorities.

August 8, 2012

"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" by Michael Chabon

Often regarded as being the pinnacle of Michael Chabon’s work, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is an amazingly-diverse story which begins in New York, 1939, right at the beginning of the Second World War, when an escape artist with his magician friend, Joe Kavalier, arrive on the doorstep of Sammy Clay, Kavalier's cousin. 

Even though Hitler is leaving his mark of hatred on chaos on Europe, things are quite different in America as the comic book craze is taking over everyone by storm… and Sammy seems to have an idea for how to make some money on it.

August 5, 2012

"The Racketeer" by John Grisham

Perhaps one of the toughest jobs on the planet is to be a judge, especially when they have to make really tough decisions, such as: "Do I put him in prison for the rest of his life or the electric chair?".

As a matter fact, when taking into consideration that thousands of judges have passed on countless sentences, many of which ruined lives, it is sort of astonishing to learn that only four of them have died… or at least, that is the premise of John Grisham’s The Racketeer.

August 3, 2012

"How to Be a Woman" by Caitlin Moran

Even though officially women are equal to men in many parts of the world, one would have to be blind not to see all the double standards which have been put into place. In other words, life is far from being a walk in the park for many modern women, but not for the reasons you would expect. 

As it happens, they are constantly tormented by various mysteries and social conventions, including existential questions such as "Do men hate us?" and "How come bras hurt?". According to recent estimates, there are about 3,456,782,396 men on Earth, which makes for 3,456,782,396 people who don’t know what it’s like to be a woman. 

August 2, 2012

"Something Blue" by Emily Giffin

Most of us have an idea as to what our ideal life would be. In some rare occasions, we actually make that dream become a reality in one way or another… and in some cases, this dream breaks even before you’ve had the chance to live it out.
 
For example, you could get the job of your dreams, only to have the company close two weeks after… or you could be getting married to the spouse of your dreams, only to have the wedding called off at the last moment.

July 31, 2012

"Heart of the Matter" by Emily Giffin

Two of the most popular schools of thought as to how the world works are referred to as order and chaos. While I am not going to go on a philosophical rant and try to prove one case or the other, I will say that in some cases, the events which are unfolding seem chaotic only because we do not know where they originated from. 

It looks like they are happening randomly, but that is only because we are not aware of the logical chain of events which led up to that point. In the end, everyone is the protagonist in his or her own story, and we all set events in motion, and in some cases they collide; perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised at unlikely and seemingly-chaotic events occurring.

July 29, 2012

"To Heaven and Back" by Mary C. Neal M.D.

Regardless of what path we may take in life or who we turn to for guidance, most of us are still pondering from time to time on the great existential questions which surround our existence: why are we here? 

What happens after death? 

Is there really a God out there? 

Chances are that as long as we live, we will never learn the undisputable truth, but it doesn’t mean that you should just lie in bed until you die without trying to figure it out… you’ll always have the time keel over and see everything for yourself.

July 27, 2012

"Where We Belong" by Emily Giffin

For those who are not familiar with Emily Griffin, it suffices to say that she has already written numerous highly-acclaimed novels such as Something Blue and Heart of the Matter. Emily has once again used her great talents as a writer to bring a new, original and simply unforgettable story to life in her newest book titled Where We Belong

In short, it is the story of two women, the lives they live, their families, and more importantly, the unbreakable bond of loyalty that keeps them together.In greater detail, Marian Caldwell is a television producer, thirty-six years of age, living in New York. She has a great career, a relationship that leaves her satisfied, and so she ends up becoming utterly convinced that this is the life she wants.

July 24, 2012

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

Most of us tend to separate humans from animals, being quite convinced that we have evolved beyond being an animal. Well, according to the good-ole dictionary, an animal refers to any member of the kingdom Animalia, comprising multicellular organisms that have a well-defined shape and usually limited growth, can move voluntarily… and so on and so forth.

Well, apart from learning that animals actually have a kingdom, this definition also makes a case for humans still being animals, and so does The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.

July 22, 2012

"The Fallen Angel" by Daniel Silva

The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva (Book cover)
In The Fallen Angel, Gabriel Allon is an Israeli Intelligence officer who isn't happy with a life full of danger, death and explosions, and so after nearly losing his life in his last operation he decided to defect and seek refuge with the Vatican.

Surprisingly, Gabriel is also a capable art restorer (a mandatory skill for Israeli Intelligence officers) and thus decides to spend his time at the Vatican by restoring one of Caravaggio’s masterpieces.

July 20, 2012

"The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

A quaint little town stands still on the Earth. Yesterday, nothing of note happened, and nothing was supposed to happen anytime soon. Today, a majestic circus, called Le Cirque des Rêves has appeared without a warning, and strangely, it is only open at night.

But little do the people of this quaint little town know, beneath the black and white stripes on the tents hides something as grandiose as it is sinister: the game… or more precisely, the duel.

July 18, 2012

"Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

It seems that ever since the Poltergeist movie came out small and creepy children have become somewhat of a necessity in most horror stories. I don’t know what makes them so scary. 

Maybe people are afraid of things they aren’t legally allowed to kick away for being annoying… maybe they remind some unfortunate souls of child support. Whatever the case may be, it is undeniable that they can be really scary little bastards, and Ransom Riggs makes use of that to his heart’s content in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

July 16, 2012

"Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography" by Andrew Morton

Regardless of whether you love or hate him, chances are that you know of Tom Cruise, who he is, what he does, and most importantly, what his views are on various existential questions, such as which religion to follow for example. 

However, most of us have never taken the time to really look at the man behind the screen, mostly because we have our own lives to worry about. Nevertheless, if you put aside the fact that Cruise took some big risks in his career which have earned him three Academy Awards as well as numerous Golden Globe nominations, then his life starts to get just a bit weird.

July 14, 2012

"The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry" by Jon Ronson

Quickly, off the top of your head, how many psychopaths have you seen in your lifetime? Three? Two? One? None? Well, the truth is that you have seen hundreds… maybe even thousands of them… heck, chances are that you’ve seen one today when you were walking down the street.

It is estimated that one in every hundred people is actually a psychopath a person who doesn’t feel empathy, is charming, manipulative, seductive, and worst of all, delusional.

July 11, 2012

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn

Already having made a name for herself with her two previous books, Sharp Objects and Dark Places, Gillian Flynn decided to venture once again into the world of literature and came out with her latest book, Gone Girl. The story starts off innocently enough as Nick and Amy Dunne are celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. 

While all the presents are being prepared and the reservations are being made for the hotels and restaurants, Nick’s wife suddenly disappears from their mansion. Not as panicked as we would expect him to be, Nick isn’t really helping the situation as he spends a lot of his time coming up with cheesy daydreams about his wife and her head. 

July 9, 2012

"Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn

It’s a cold, January night at a secluded farm. Little Libby is only seven years old, and yet she watches as her older brother, Ben, macabrely sacrifices her mother and two sisters in what become known as "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas". Libby found a way to escape her farmhouse and made her way through the snow. Although she lost a few toes and fingers, she lived.

Now, more than twenty-five years later, Libby, now a troubled and tormented woman, is living off what remains of a trust created to help her while her brother still sits in jail.Everything was going on its course until one day Libby is approached by The Kill Club, a society which is interested in notorious crimes.

July 7, 2012

"Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn

For many, tattoos are only works of art with which to decorate their bodies. For others however, the ink serves as a symbol of the kind of life they had, the events they went through in their past.

Camille Preaker, a young journalist who had a brief stint in a psychiatric hospital, has a body covered in tattoos: GIRL across her heart, HARMFUL on her wrist, WICKED above her hipbone, BABYDOLL on her leg, NASTY on her kneecap, and WHORE on her ankle. This is Camille’s story.

July 5, 2012

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

With the increased place electronics are taking in our daily lives it is quite easy to forget that only a few decades ago, books where most people’s favorite form of entertainment. After all, just like video games and movies, books allow the reader to escape reality, travel to a completely different universe… without forgetting that books are way more effective than any kind of media when it comes to feeding the mind and the soul. 

July 3, 2012

"The Amateur" by Edward Klein

Presidents have always been fascinating figures for the public to observe. It can be kind of weird to process the fact that even though at the base they are regular humans just like the rest of us, they managed to raise themselves above everyone else and become leaders of an entire nation.

As such, it should come as no surprise that millions and millions of people are actively observing and absorbing news about the president which fascinates them the most.

June 30, 2012

"Bared to You" by Sylvia Day

Love and attraction in modern society are very complicated concepts that have thousands of little nuances to them. In most places, there are various pre-programmed personal and social expectations for those who fall in love with each other, just like there is an unwritten rulebook on how they must behave and how they should react to various situations. 

Fortunately, many of us choose not to follow those imaginary social constraints, but it doesn’t necessarily make the process easier, as Sylvia Day clearly explores it in her novel titled Bared to You: A Crossfire Novel.

June 28, 2012

"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (Book cover)
It is somewhat fascinating that regardless of the fact that we are all humans, we always managed to find ways to differentiate and categorize ourselves, whether it is based on gender, race, age, political alignment or religious beliefs.

One of the least explored aspects of World War II was the treatment Asians had to endure back in America; the Japanese were shipped off liberally to special camps (not concentration camps, but not exactly your jolly summer camps either) because they were suspected to be with the enemy.

June 26, 2012

"I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" by Tucker Max

Most of us have heard and possibly even experienced the old saying that fact is stranger than fiction, or that fact can be more exciting than fiction. Well, it is very possible that few people have experienced this phenomenon as well as Tucker Max has, who today writes for his own website. He has had quite the young life as a prominent drunk and fornicator who managed to get himself into bizarre situations, each one more absurd than the last one.

Naturally, Tucker believed that letting such an experience go to waste would be a crying shame and so he decided to share his stories with the rest of the world through the medium of a book appropriately-titled I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.

June 24, 2012

"Slaughter-house Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Perhaps somewhat unconventional, Slaughterhouse-Five tells us the famous story of Billy Pilgrim, a veteran of the Second World War and a POW (Prisoner Of War), who has become unstuck in time and is reliving various events of his personal chronology in no particular order… and in some cases, he relives these events simultaneously.

The story mostly takes place inside Billy’s head, who after being traumatized by the Dresden bombing drifts through a number of historical events, with his role ranging from a mere witness to someone who is directly implicated in the actions.As is the tradition with Vonnegut books, there is a very large cast of characters, many of which recur time and time again throughout the story.

June 22, 2012

"Catch-22" - 50th Anniversary Edition by Joseph Heller (Author) and Christopher Buckley (New introduction)

Perhaps one of the most recognized cornerstones of American literature, Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller, presents a comic and downright absurd story which revolves around Yossarian, a pilot who not only has to deal with hundreds upon hundreds of men trying to kill him, but also with his own army. 

June 20, 2012

"Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell

For most of us, there are two kinds of people in this world: those who blend in with the rest and those who stand out. As it happens, in most cases those who stand out from the crowd and walk down their own path become quite successful, or at least notable people throughout their lifetime. Some people may refer to them as outliers of society, as Malcolm Gladwell did in his aptly-titled book Outliers: The Story of Success.