May 31, 2014

“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr – The Morality of Survival

The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Book cover)
I’ll begin by saying straight away that yes, there are already countless World War II novels out there, and for all intents and purposes, at the moment, readers everywhere would benefit if authors branched out into other topics in favor of that one.

Nevertheless, once in a while comes a novel which unjustly ends up being classified as something it is not, leading to many simply missing out on it.

May 30, 2014

“Night” by Elie Wiesel – Unraveling the Holocaust

Night by Elie Wiesel (Book Cover)
Even though by some standards seventy years is a fair amount of time, in terms of human history it is but a split second. It feels distant, but we must never forget that the Holocaust is something that happened very recently, and it’s something which can certainly happen again; after all, it’s not as if every single person came to suddenly accept peace and love as their primary values once the Nuremberg trials happened.

I believe it is necessary to remember what happened, study it and understand why it happened, so that one day we may prevent such a heinous and indescribable tragedy. A good place to start doing that would be, in my opinion, the acclaimed Night by Elie Wiesel.

May 29, 2014

“Just Kids” by Patti Smith – A Punk’s Life

Just Kids by Patti Smith (Book cover)
I’ll be the first one to admit that I am not the biggest fan of punk rock there is. While I may occasionally partake in listening to “God Save the Queen”, for the most part it’s simply not a musical genre with which I am in tune.

Nevertheless, I do understand, respect and agree with the main message it seems to send, that of acquiring autonomy, self-realization, and internalized values/morals of your own.

May 27, 2014

“Dancing Fish and Ammonites” by Penelope Lively – A Life of Literature

Penelope Lively is certainly one of the most highly-regarded authors out there, churning out one novel after the next for over fifty years, she has made a name for herself and offered us, the readers, countless hours of informative and insightful entertainment.

However, she has very rarely opened up about her own life and what led her to take the path she has trudged on for decades… very rarely, until she published Dancing Fish and Ammonites, her own memoir.

May 26, 2014

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee Williams – Greed, Lust, Loneliness, Death

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (Book cover)
The desire to communicate, to understand someone else, to accept them and to receive the same in return is perhaps one of the most basic human drives and desires there are, which is why it should not be surprising that most spend their lives in search of that… for in the end, if the search proves fruitless, loneliness is what lies ahead.

Going along these lines is the great American classic, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a play written by none other than Tennessee Williams.

May 24, 2014

“A Scanner Darkly” by Philip K. Dick – Loss of the Self

A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick (Book cover)
The question as to what makes us who we are is one that has puzzled the brightest minds in human history for countless generations, and will certainly continue to do so for the longest foreseeable future.

The only way to find a conclusive answer to the subject is to explore it from every perspective possible, and in his classic science-fiction novel A Scanner Darkly, Philip K. Dick does just that, amongst other things of course.

May 23, 2014

“Notes from the Internet Apocalypse” by Wayne Gladstone – In Search of WiFi

Notes from the Internet Apocalypse by Wayne Gladstone (Book cover)
There is no denying that the internet has come to occupy a rather important place for us humans, being relied on every day for everything from important corporate transactions to menial entertainment seeking.

In Notes from the Internet Apocalypse, Wayne Gladstone explores the idea as to what would happen in a world where the internet suddenly stopped working.

May 21, 2014

“Eleanor & Park” by Rainbow Rowell – The Power of First Love

Eleanor and Park are two young sixteen year-old teenagers in the process of discovering life during the school year of 1986. Neither of them really fits in with the crowd, and they both have one big thing in common: they are desperately in love with each other, and they both know that chances are it won’t last, despite what the moment makes them feel.

However, being young, courageous and desperate, they both give in to the temptation and dive head-first into what feels like a love doomed from the very start.

May 19, 2014

“The Neighbor” by Lisa Gardner – The Deadly Burdens of Lust

he Neighbor by Lisa Gardner (Book cover)
In The Neighbor Lisa Gardner brings to us another Detective D.D. Warren novel in the series, and just like the previous ones, it follows the talented inspector as she looks into a rather peculiar case: the disappearance of a young and beautiful teacher in the middle of the night.

Though the police are quick to pin it all on the husband, Warren knows that there is much more going on than meets the eye, and soon her suspicions are proven right; a whole lineup of potential suspects comes out of the woodworks, and those include the couple’s neighbor, the woman’s father, the police forensics guy, and a thirteen year-old computer-savvy teenager.

May 18, 2014

“Life in Motion" by Misty Copeland – The Hardships of Ballet

Life in Motion by Misty Copeland (book cover)
The dream of escaping poverty and living a life of fame and wealth, going from rags to riches, is something virtually everyone who lives an economically-disadvantaged life yearns for.

Unfortunately, for many people it takes something truly special to achieve that dream, and in the case of Misty Copeland it all came to fruition.

May 16, 2014

“The Serpent of Venice” by Christopher Moore – An Elusive Murder

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore (Book cover)
The time is long ago, and the location is Venice. The merchant, Antonio, the senator, Montressor, and the naval officer, Lago, have spent their lives in search of wealth and power, and though they have become prominent figures, it seems that every one of their opportunities to climb further is shut down by a very troublesome and loathsome man: Fool Pocket, an envoy from the Queen of Britain.

It seems, however, that the three men have hatched a plan to get rid of him once and for all: invite him to a night with promises of wine and debauchery, only to poison him.

May 15, 2014

“Five Came Back” by Mark Harris – Molding Life Through Fiction

Five Came Back by Mark Harris (Book cover)
It is no secret that movies have a bearing on us as a society; they not only entertain us and serve as a widely-beloved discussion subject, but also help to instill various ideas and values into society.

The people we see on the silver screen are often paragons of perfection, ideals that go above and beyond what is possible for one person in the real world.

May 12, 2014

“I Am Half-Sick of Shadows” by Alan Bradley – Murderous Films

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (Book cover)
The Flavia de Luce mystery series hasn’t been alive for all that long (relatively speaking at least), but it has already managed to garner such an incredible following and vast amounts of acclaim, more so than virtually any other debuting book series out there.

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley is the fourth entry into the mystery series, and just like all of the other ones, it focuses on our heroine investigating a rather perplexing mystery.

May 10, 2014

“American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin – Blood Science

American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin (Book cover)
There are very few things in this world, if any at all, which can only be used for either good or evil.

The purpose given to things heavily depends on our personal desires and intentions; in other words, a technology can be used for both constructive and destructive means, and that’s a statement that couldn't be closer to the truth when it comes to nuclear energy.

May 9, 2014

“The Virgin Suicides” by Jeffrey Eugenides – The Search for Life Through Death

Coming-of-age stories, it seems to me at least, have been rather similar for the most part in these past couple of decades, in the sense that they almost always have to center on an adolescent being put out of his or her comfort zone and forced to learn about the various pleasures and perils of life.

However, in The Virgin Suicides Jeffrey Eugenides takes a completely different approach to the subject, one that surely won’t please everyone. As you can tell by the name of it, the book is centered on a family where a series of suicides occur.

May 8, 2014

“Standing in Another Man’s Grave” by Ian Rankin – The Thrill of the Hunt

Standing in Another Man’s Grave by Ian Rankin (Book cover)
Inspector Rebus is a dying breed of policeman; solitary, rough, and very lax on laws and boundaries as long as morality is maintained and the culprit brought to justice.

Though this sort of maverick approach to things has earned him quite a reputation, having reached the end of his rope Rebus finds himself with very few people to turn to for help.

May 4, 2014

“The Anatomy Lesson” by Nina Siegal – The Drive of Death

The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal (Book cover)
Rembrandt’s ever-famous painting, The Anatomy Lesson, has appeared in virtually every way imaginable, from school textbooks all the way to internet humor; it is certainly one of the most influential works of art, not only for its composition, but also for the subject matter it depicts, especially considering at the time it was painted.

In The Anatomy Lesson, Nina Siegal takes it upon herself to write a historical fiction surrounding the painting itself. And thus, we are treated to a rather unusual story happening from multiple perspectives and in two different time periods.

May 2, 2014

“The Good Spy” by Kai Bird – No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

The Good Spy by Kai Bird (book cover)
There are many ways to make a difference in this world; we all seek it to some extent, whether it is to make a big difference in the world or a small difference in our own lives. If one thing seems certain, it’s that true influence on the course of events comes from action and presence rather than the contrary.

However, there are always some exceptions to the rule, and CIA operative Robert Ames was certainly one of them, for it is possible that his absence from the books of history had as great of an impact on the situation on the Middle East as his presence would have.

May 1, 2014

“The Target” by David Baldacci – The Assassin’s Gauntlet

The Target by David Baldacci (Book cover)
Though Will Robie and Jessica Reel are assassins, they keep on existing far past what their line of work entails for two reasons: they work for the “good guys” (that is to say, the government) and are the best at what they do.

In The Target David Baldacci brings to us yet another story featuring the two protagonists; this time around, they are paired up by request of the President, sending them on a very dangerous mission with incalculable potential repercussions to put an end to a global threat. They already have their work cut out for them, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.