Reading Is All There Is

"The Tattooist of Auschwitz"  is the real wartime story of the Slovakian Jew, Lale Sokolov. He was a prisioner at the infamous concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. This is also a story about love and how it managed to help Lale remain hopeful despite the tragic circumstances that he and millions of other individuals had to endure during World War II. When it is discovered that Lale speaks multiple languages he lands a job as the camp's Tättowierer. This meant that he had to tattoo all the prisoners. The job gave Lale a lot of perks which he didn't hesitate to share with the other inmates.  Then Lale meets the love of his life, Gita. Another Slovakian jew and prisoner. Lale makes a promise: he will survive this camp and he will go marry Gita. The novel takes us through the three years Lale spent at the camp and how he learned to survive even when everything seemed hopeless.  I still to this day cannot believe the brutality that took place during World Wa...

It's been quite a while and I actually finished this novel last month? Yeah, but I started school again and I've just been busy focusing on schoolwork and whatnot. It sucks because I've been neglecting my books and I love reading, so I'm gonna try to get back on track again! Okay, no more excuses, here is my short review: Set in Italy,"The House By the Sea" is a family history that takes us back and forth in time. At first we are introduced to the young Floriana who is amazed by the beauty of a grand house in her village. She spends a lot of time admiring it. Although Floriana has not had it easy. She's been through a great deal of hardship. But when she encounters Dante, he seems to be the most beautiful thing she has ever set her eyes on. He is also captivated by the young girl and how lively she is. The two quickly bond and grow close. Fast forward some years and we are taken to a small town in England near the ocean. A grand hotel is owned by the har...

This novel truly deserves all the love and praise in the world! It's not often that I find myself captivated by a book from the first page, but Celeste Ng has really outdone herself on this masterpiece. The story of the Lee family is gripping, captivating and absolutely thrilling. I find it hard to put my love for this book into words because I know I would NOT do it any justice. So read it. Please.  "Everything I Never Told You" is a family portrait of the American-Chinese Lee family living in a small town in the 1970s. Marilyn and James have three children; Nathan, Lydia and Hannah. However, it is no secret that Lydia is the star of the family and her parents' favourite. Lydia is smart and kind. She does everything her parents tell her to do while she overshadows her two other siblings. Chaos breaks out when Lydia goes missing. Then she is found dead at the bottom of a lake and everything is put into question.  This story is so real and raw. And that'...

Call Me By Your Name  takes place during the summer of 1980-something (I think). We follow the young boy Elio, who is staying in a beautiful house in Italy with his parents and their houseworkers for the summer. Each time, a foreign intern comes as a guest to work alongside Elio's father who is a professor. This year, Elio meets Oliver from America. He is just 24 years old and Elio is drawn to him, the minute he sets his eyes on him. However, nothing happens between them. At first! Elio is in agony. He has so many emotions and thoughts that are just all over the place. He falls deeply in love with Oliver. The two end up sharing a special bond that is never lost over the years. I have to admit that I did watch the movie before I read the book. I fell absolutely in love with the movie and have watched it multiple times. However the writing of the novel is too great for me. Oftentimes the long and poetic sentences got me confused and I felt lost. I read the same sentences over ...

It's been a while! The fact is that I have been backpacking throughout Asia, Oceania and North America for the past 3 months. I went to Vietnam, Thailand, Bali, Singapore, the Fiji Islands and the United States of America. This was such an amazing experience and I would most definitely recommend backpacking! I did get to enjoy some great books while I was out exploring the world and I thought that I would just do a very short review on them. They're all very different from each other and I learned a great deal from every one of them. I will also tell you the story behind every book.  For One More Day  by Mitch Albom, 2006 This is a book that I've had for a while and it was the only one I brought with me from back home. I bought it while I was on holiday with my family in Sri Lanka back in 2016. My cousin from Canada told me about it and how much she liked it which convinced me to buy it. Also it only cost me like 3 dollars. How often do you come across quality boo...

The story of Anne Frank is one that has interested me a great deal since the very first time I heard about it as a 14-year-old. And now, at the age of 20, after having watched the movie and read about the diary, I have finally finished reading it on January 1st 2019.  The Diary of a Young Girl  is a real diary written from 1942 to 1944 by the jewish girl Anne Frank who grew up during the Second World War. The story takes place in Amsterdam where Anne lived with her mother, Edith, Father, Otto, and older sister, Margot. In the beginning, Anne describes her life before going into hiding. She's an honest and bright girl who loves life and thinks a lot about her own character and behaviour. She has many friends and is very active. When the family is forced into hiding, fear and anxiety follows. They move into the secret annexe located in Otto Frank's former workplace with another family, the Van Daans. Later Mr. Dussel, a dentist, moves in as well. In her diary, Anne descri...