Reading Is All There Is

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...

A university in India.  Boy and girl meet.  F all in love.  Want to get married.  Need both parents' approval.  The real battle begins. That basically sums up the storyline in Chetan Bhagat's 2 States . But let me give you a more in-depth summary anyway. 2 States starts off telling the love story of Krish and Ananya. Two very different people. Krish is a clever boy who dreams of becoming a writer, but he must get a degree and a job before he can live out his dream. He also happens to be Punjabi. Ananya is the most beautiful girl in school and is constantly approached by guys. Some even propose to her. She's Tamil. The fact that the couple are from two different states, religions and casts does not keep them away from each other and they fall madly in love. Real trouble arises when the two decide they want to get married. They must get their parents' approval, although it is no easy task. So basically, 2 States is about forbi...

Always and Forever, Lara Jean  is the concluding novel of the trilogy  To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Lara Jean is now a senior in high school and things are going well for her. She is dating Peter Kavinsky who is the perfect boyfriend. Her dad has proposed to Ms. Rothschild and LJ could not be more thrilled. Everything seems to go as Lara Jean has planned until things take a serious turn and she is forced to make serious life decisions that are going to affect her and the people around her. Jenny Han has a true talent for creating the perfect setting. Her writing makes you feel like you are in the book experiencing and feeling everything the characters of the book are feeling. For instance, she has built up this cosy, loving and harmonic setting around the Covey home. It is Lara Jean's safe haven. It is where she grew up, has had her best memories and also where her mother lived and died. The house is actually where most of the book takes place and therefore it pl...

I can't believe it took me two months to finish this novel. The explanation must simply be that work has taken over most of my time, but honestly, I think I was just dreading the thought of actually finishing Lord of Shadows  because I love the stories and all the characters in it. I've always been madly in love with the Shadowhunter-universe and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving it. But last night it did end (just a for while, you know, until the next book comes out). I cried so hard. I can honestly say that my heart HURT. I wept and cried because of how tragically the book ended. I was so shocked that I had to leave the livingroom to cry peacefully within the four walls of my bedroom. Cassandra Clare is insanely intelligent and her writing is brilliant. She never ceases to amaze me. In fact, she keeps amazing me. So here it is, my thoughts on this wonderful book:  The story begins right where we left off in the series' first installment, Lady Midnight. E...