(Images are taken from the Goodreads website link attached to the title of the book)
(Included are my ratings and my personal descriptors of the book.)
August 2018:
Total Novels Read: 4
Total Pages Read: 1087 pages (35 pages/day)
1) Charlie St. Cloud ~ Ben Sherwood (320 of 320 Pages) (4/5 Stars) (Supernatural, Stunning Plot Twist, Bond Between Family and Love)
Charlie St. Cloud is a novel that was originally published as The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, and I found this book to have a slow start, but got progressively more captivating as it went on. My reason behind the slow start was because of the excess in character establishment. I did understand the purpose of the extent of the context of each character’s lives, but I did get lost in the technical terms in Tess’ plotline, and I did feel that some details were not necessary for Charlie’s character establishment. It was bearable, but I did feel it was a slow start. However, I can overlook that slow start because of the stunning plot twist that I should have expected, but nevertheless, left me gaping and breathless at how impactful this was to the plotline. This plotline does consist of a theme of romance and love, but with the inclusion of the characterization of Charlie, Sam, and Tess, especially with Charlie’s effort to maintain his connection with Sam, along with the minimal reliance upon romance to drive the plot, I can say this novel was a compelling read.
2) Tuesdays with Morrie ~ Mitch Albom (192 of 192 pages) (5/5 Stars) (Addresses Life Topics Many Are Afraid to Talk About, Creates Discussion, A Compelling Book Everyone Should Read)
Even though Tuesdays with Morrie seems like a short book, it is CHOCK FULL of wisdom that I feel everyone should acknowledge and know about. I truly enjoyed this book, not only because of its rawness and how it connected to me on an emotional level, but how it was able to talk about topics we are afraid to talk about as a society. By discussing of certain topics through the lens of death, such as talking about regret, death, emotions, money, our culture, and more, it gave me a wake-up call to what and how I think from day-to-day. The reason I believe why I connected to it, along with many others who have read it, is because it reveals a universal truth among the topics it addresses, and how it gives us a new perspective that I always welcome into my life. Tuesdays with Morrie is certainly one of my favourite books because of how unapologetic it is and how it made me feel. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone because it is a read that you will not regret.
3) Dear Mrs. Bird ~ A.J. Pearce (281 of 281 pages) (3/5 Stars) (World War II Era, A Desire to Help Those in Need, An Average Read)
This novel wasn’t the worst book I have read, but it also wasn’t the greatest book I read. Dear Mrs. Bird takes place during World War II, where we follow the main character, Emmeline Lake, who quickly signs up for a job that didn’t meet her expectations. Instead of working towards being a Lady War Correspondent at The London Evening Chronicles and using her knowledge and skills of a journalist to use, she instead is working for Women’s Friend, typing letters for the Problem Page. Here is where I lose the connection to this novel, because although there are hints of romance and we see Emmy navigate her way through the mess she made for herself in replying to letters that are sent to her, I felt there wasn’t much brought in this novel. The plotline moved, but it didn’t move as much as I expected it to be, characterization was a bit static, especially with the character of Mrs. Bird (who I assumed would have played a more central role in this novel), and the ending felt a bit coincidental and not realistic. I did enjoy Emmeline’s friendship and connection with Bunty, but this novel was a miss for me.
4) History Is All You Left Me ~ Adam Silvera (294 of 294 pages) (4/5 Stars) (The Power of Jealousy and Grief, Connections, Learning How To Live Again)
After reading They Both Die at the End, I connected to that novel more and found it more enjoyable than History Is All You Left Me; however, this novel was still a good read. Something I must say is that Adam Silvera’s style of writing has the capability of drawing out an emotional reaction from the reader. In both They Both Die At The End and History Is All You Left Me, the feelings of all characters can be felt through the pages, illustrating the power and investment Mr. Silvera puts into characterization. The topic of relationships is also addressed in this novel, and although I disliked the extent of jealousy Griffin conveyed throughout the novel, it became his way of grieving and dealing with his loss, even though it became destructive. In both Griffin and Jackson’s experiences, it also illustrates how long it takes to move on after a break up or a loss of a loved one. It follows like a shadow, reminding you of the memories you made with them and wanting more with them, but knowing it is not possible. As a result, these experiences convey a universal truth about one’s response to loss. I enjoyed the two plotlines occurring at different time periods, as it gave this novel a nuance that further motivated me to read it until the end.
