April 28, 2014

“The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt – An Adventure with No Destination

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (Book cover)
Theo is a young boy of thirteen years of age when his mother dies in a terrible accident. Not long after, he is left all alone as his father simply bails on him.

Thankfully, Theo did have a friend there to help him out, leading him to move with a wealthy family far above his own social class, becoming absorbed in their lives all while harboring feelings of complete alienation.

April 26, 2014

“The Museum of Extraordinary Things” by Alice Hoffman – The Peculiar Charm of the Weird

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman (Book cover)
Though there is a certain push towards individuality in many parts of the world today, the truth is that the weird are still more often than not considered abnormal in a negative way and ostracized from society through various methods.

It has been like that for as long as humanity existed, though it seems that our intellectual development in recent centuries has allowed us to embrace the weird and the peculiar, to find the charm and appeal of uniqueness they present.

April 25, 2014

“Private L.A.” by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan – Deceiving Appearances

Private L.A. by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Book cover)
Perfection is something seldom seen in this world, and when we do find it, we always believe it too good to be true. When it came to Thom and Jennifer Harlow, everyone had their doubts cast aside; two mega movie stars, the perfect couple, beloved parents with three perfect children… they had the ultimate recipe for happiness.

One day, however, the couple mysteriously disappears from their ranch, leaving behind little else but unanswered questions. As private investigator Jack Morgan sets out to crack the case, he becomes increasingly drawn into a world of deceit, learning little by little how far people can truly go to hide themselves behind a wall of lies, desperation and deception in front of the whole world.

April 24, 2014

“The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin – Salvation in Literature

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (Book cover)Ever since our ancestors learned how to record their thoughts and ideas on cave walls literature has occupied a primordial role in the development of humanity.

Though for some people literature is rather meaningless in day-to-day life, there are others who live their lives by it. A. J. Fikry is one of those people, and he is the driving force behind The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.

April 22, 2014

“Hollow World” by Michael J. Sullivan – The Emptiness of Tomorrow

Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan (Book Cover)
Ellis Rogers is a man who has always played it safe, more or less, trying to walk down the right and peaceful path, harming nobody and helping those around him.

However, it seems destiny decided to spit in the face of his when it dropped a terminal illness straight down on his back. With nothing more to lose, Rogers decides to take a leap of faith and actually test out the time machine he has been building in his garage. Much to his surprise, the thing really does work, and it takes him far into the future, where the cure for his illness may very well exist.

April 20, 2014

“The Snow Leopard” by Peter Matthiessen – The Beauty of Wilderness

The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (Book cover)
Though most authors prefer to set their books in more modern and populated worlds, there are still others who see the majesty and attractiveness of mother nature, preferring to dedicate their words to her instead. Peter Matthiessen was undoubtedly one such person, always involving the wilderness in his writings in one capacity or another.

In The Snow Leopard, we are treated to an extremely interesting combination of different elements. On one hand, it is the exploration of the Himalayan mountains and the eye-catching animals that live in it.

April 18, 2014

“Power Play” by Danielle Steel – The Irresistible Allure of Power

Power Play by Danielle Steel (Book cover)
We may not like to admit it, but the truth is that most people take some kind of drug on a day-to-day basis, to fulfill themselves, feel pleasure and escape reality. There are those for whom these drugs are quite literal, coming in the form of illicit substances, food, alcohol, tobacco, etc…etc…

However, there are also more abstract drugs, ones that refer to experiences which have a similar effect on us. One of the, if not the most coveted abstract drug is power; the ability to influence the course of one’s fate certainly has an appeal to it.

April 17, 2014

“Not Cool” by Greg Gutfeld – Society’s Awful Leaders

Not Cool by Greg Gutfeld – book cover
The concept of what is “cool” isn’t exactly a new one, with it being a very close bedfellow with competitiveness and the concept of personal ownership.

It seems that we are always trying to outdo others, and as is always the case, there are select people who become cool and set the standards for what is considered as such.

April 14, 2014

“The Aviator’s Wife” by Melanie Benjamin – A Historical Marriage

The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin (Book cover)
One can hardly find anyone who hasn’t at least heard the name of Charles Lindbergh mentioned in some kind of context. What exactly makes him so notable?

Well, in 1927 he flew all alone across the entire Atlantic Ocean, basically making history and pushing the boundaries of what we considered possible.

April 13, 2014

“NYPD Red 2” by James Patterson and Marshall Karp – A Theater of Death

NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson and Marshall Karp (Book cover)
The NYPD Red is about as elite as a police task force can get; all of its members’ physical and mental capabilities are second to none, and they wouldn’t have it any other way for their mission is to protect the most powerful, influential and wealthy citizens out there.

In NYPD Red 2, by James Patterson and Marshall Karp, we are once again plunged into the lives of Zach and Kylie, the top NYPD Red agents, as they are dragged into a most horrific case.

April 12, 2014

“Lexicon” by Max Barry – Deadly Words

Lexicon by Max Barry (Book cover)
Words are indeed powerful tools which can be used to teach, inspire, move, or destroy people. Ever since language was invented our capabilities to think and analyze this world have soared through the roof.

In Lexicon by Max Barry things are taken one step further, as language becomes not only a tool for communication and reflection, but a very literal weapon that can be used to snuff the life out of anyone.

April 11, 2014

“Duty” by Robert Gates – The Price of War

Duty by Robert Gates (Book cover)
A lot has happened during the Bush and Obama administrations, including wars in the Middle East, scandals revolving around WikiLeaks and Guantanamo Bay and the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, amongst many other things.

From The People’s perspective, a lot of decisions were made behind closed doors with the public seldom being given much information, or even an opinion for that matter.

April 10, 2014

“Misquoting Jesus” by Bart D. Ehrman – Reinterpreting the Bible

Misquoting Jesus” by Bart D. Ehrman (Book cover)
There are numerous versions of the Bible currently in circulation in our world, and if we talk about holy books in general, there is no telling how many there are and the number of variations they come in.

Apart from those who fervently hold the belief that the Bible was passed down verbatim from God to Man and everything in it is to be taken as a literal truth, most of us realize that the Bible we know today is a far cry from what it was at the outset.

April 9, 2014

A Review for Clipped Wings (Clipped Wings #1) by Helena Hunting

Clipped Wings -book cover
Posted by Donna
Release date: March 13th, 2014
Finished Date: March 19th, 2014
Publisher: Orion Books
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 391
Buy:
Amazon(UK) |  Amazon(US) |  The Book Depo










Hello to all of you fellow readers, today's article will be a bit different than usual. We mean that in the sense that it is a review of Clipped Wings be Helena Hunting, written by Donna from Book Passion for Life.

She runs the blog alongside her sister Jessica, and it is rather similar to ours. We admire their reviews to such an extent that we have decided to share some of them here from time to time. If you like what you read below, we definitely encourage you to have a look at what else they have to offer on their site.


April 6, 2014

“Norwegian Wood” by Haruki Murakami (translated by Jay Rubin) – Hopeless Love

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (Book cover)
Toru and Nakao form a rather simple and perhaps even run-of-the-mill couple; they are both college students, with Toru being quiet, serious and focused on his studies, and Nakao being the beautiful and introspective kind.

Unfortunately, their relationship is soured by the demise of their mutual friend years ago, and the pressures of College life are starting to wear down on them. When faced with such difficulties, the two lovers react differently; Nakao becomes increasingly withdrawn from the outside into her own world, which in turn forces Toru to reach out to the external world to fight his isolation.

April 5, 2014

“We Have Always Lived in the Castle” by Shirley Jackson – Family Traditions

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (Book cover))
Those of you who know about Shirley Jackson and have at least read one of her works probably won’t need any convincing to give this novel a try. Just as is the case with every single one of her works, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is, in my opinion, perfect from a technical standpoint.

It is one of those books where each and every sentence is crafted in the most meticulous manner, where every word has a meaning and needs to be pondered on for their full meaning to become apparent.

April 4, 2014

“The Doors of Perception” by Aldous Huxley – Beyond the Realm of Reality

The consumption of hallucinogenic and psychedelic substances is a subject on which people in general have been and still are very divided.

Though there are certainly many schools of thought on the subject, the main ones can be classified as follows: those who believe the substances are dangerous and should off-limits without question, those who believe that everyone needs to try them, and those who are curious about studying them, learning, and perhaps even using them as help on the path to knowledge.

April 3, 2014

“Until the End of Time” by Danielle Steel – Everlasting Love

Until the End of Time by Danielle Steel (Book cover)
The idea that love conquers all, even death, is one that has lasted throughout the centuries for its beauty and the hope it inspires in us to find eternal happiness, never having to struggle and suffer again.

Though we surely do not know if that is possible with there being a very good reason to be skeptical of such a line of thinking being applied to real life, the idea, I believe, is still a necessary one to maintain for after all, what ought to worry us is the life we are living and not what comes after it ends.