BOOK REVIEW ; THE NOTEBOOK

Title : The Notebook
Author : Nicholas Sparks

Phew. I went emotional halfway of the book. Although I tell myslef a lot of times, this is Nicholas Sparks, what do you expect? Emotions can become unchecked, so yeah.

The book is about a summer love, turn into lifetime husband and wife. Ah, spoiled that bit. Noah and Allie found true love in each other, and after 14 years apart, Allie finally came to her senses and married Noah. And they lived happily for 45 married years until Allie is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And they both went to stay at a nursing home, separate yet whole. They also spend a lot of time writing to each other (even when they live together at home!) and that's how they try to remember everything. Photos, too. The ending was euww a bit so yeah, read it.

Get it why I went emo? Noah was a soldier in WWII.

I know, I'm churning book reviews at a fast rate. Obvious I'm spending too much time reading.

Rating : 9/10

BOOK REVIEW ; FAHRENHEIT 451

Title : Fahrenheit 451

Author : Ray Bradbury

Phew. An eye-opener. Really. First I was skeptic when the book was listed as sci-fi. Gave it a try when Lina borrowed it to me. And I'm truly grateful as in some ways, it fuels my passion of buying books. Yeah it was a soft whisper, telling me " It is alright to buy books. In fact, go on ebay now and browse through jkricci2's store." THERE. My secret out. 

Ray Bradbury wrote this with the thought of future, and what it beholds for humans. The story evolves around Guy Montag, a fireman in the future who works to start fires. Fires to burn books, burning the sense of competition among people in a way to eliminate sadness and despair. Technology went so far to create 'futuristic' stuff, such as radios in the ears, walls that act as TVs, robots as killers, etc. Montag met Clarisse, and he starts to question life around him, and his work. I'll put in some excerpts that I think is interesting, to fuel your curiosity and imagination.

And thanks for including the fact that the Mechanical Hound was modeled after the Hound of Baskervilles! 

"If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." - a quote at the beginning of the book.

"Have you seen the two hundred-foot-long billboards in the country beyond town?Did you know that once billboards were only twenty feet long? But cars start rushing by so quickly they had to stretch the advertising out so that it would last." - Fahrenheit 451

"The word 'intellectual' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be." - Fahrenheit 451

"As you can see, I am madness maddened when it comes to books, writers, and the great granary silos where their wits are stored." - Ray Bradbury

"I ate them like salad, books were my sandwich for lunch, my tiffin and dinner and my midnight munch." - Ray Bradbury

""There I strolled, lost in love,down the corridors, and through the stacks, touching books, pulling volumes out, turning pages, thrusting volumes back, drowning in all the good stuffs that are the essence of libraries. What a place, don't you agree, to write a novel about burning books in the Future!" - Ray Bradbury

Irony, Bradbury, for writing about burning books in a book. Hats down.

Rating : 10/10. (take time to read it. digest)

BOOK REVIEW ; STONE COLD

Title : Stone Cold
Author : David Baldacci

Seems like Baldacci and Cussler is at the extreme ends of portraying the American government. This book is the third installment of the Camel Club leaded by Oliver Stone in Baldacci's books. This time Carter Gray, former CIA director works from the grave to conceal his mistakes done a long time ago. CIA had denounced Raymond Solomon and his wife(former Russian spy turned neutral) as traitors to the government, when they only wanted out from the work. Assassination of two high ranking officials in the Soviet Union authorized by Gray and Roger Simpson (US President wannabe) threatens to surface up. Not enough with this, Stone and the Camel Club has decided to help a con and her father, to regain justice.

Ending subtly hints that Camel Club is no more. I guess.

Rating : 8.5/10

BOOK REVIEW ; THE NAVIGATOR

Title : The Navigator
Author : Clive Cussler

First Cussler book in ages that Dirk Pitt isn't the main character. Cussler brings in Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Louis Merriweather into the plot. Talks about the fabled lost King Solomon's mines, bringing in Queen Sheba and Phoenicians history in too. The book tells about how The Artichoke Society guards the secret of Solomon's treasure from the hands of the Baltazar family.  This book must've been after 9/11 as I detect a sense of pressure in Cussler to bring in Middle East in this book. And maybe Dan Brown has just reached fame as Cussler again tries to bring in some ties with him and his books. He threw in some linkage to the Knights Templar too. Too obvious, Cussler. Too much for a book. Been quite dissappointed. 


Still, thanks for telling me Sandecker is now the Vice President, Pitt and Giordino is now heading NUMA. Subtle touch, but otherwise appreciated.

Rating : 7/10

BOOK REVIEW; SWIMMING.

Title : Swimming
Author : Joanna Hershon

First review. Be kind, people.

Book was about a girl struggling with the loss of her 2 elder brothers that she adored so much, and the journey of finding them back. Played with emotions and insecurities people can identify with, such as loss and no sense of belonging. Focuses on getting closure from the life she leads not knowing the true story of her brothers' disappearance.

Rating : 8/10

If you guys wonder why my book reviews are short, I subscribe to the notion that people will get mad if I tell the whole story, spoiling the suspense.

I'M BACK.

SORRY, SORRY, SORRY PEOPLE !

been taking a 'stint' from writing, but reading has still been strong as always. will update ASAP!

part of the absence was about wrestling with the idea of doing book reviews. should I?