*In order of what was read first
*Images are taken from the link attached to the title of each book
1. The Kite Runner (391 pgs.)
By: Khaled Hossenini
2. If I Stay (320 pgs.)
By: Gayle Forman
3. Where She Went (302 pgs)
By: Gayle Forman
4. The Captive Maiden (302 pgs.)
By: Melanie Dickerson
5. Through Inigo’s Eyes (288 pgs.)
By: Tara Taylor & Lorna Schultz Nicholson
6. The Winter Garden (394 pgs.)
By: Kristin Hannah
7. Einstein’s Dreams (45 of 144 pgs.)
By: Alan Lightman
Total pages read: 2042 pages (42 pgs./day)
And here we are in the last days of school! These last couple of weeks have breezed by with eventful days of exams, assignments, homework, and other time consuming stuff. Nevertheless, I was able to read some books. Truth be told, some of them were nothing but candy books, but I needed to do something where I didn’t need to think!! Here’s the report of the 6 books I was able to complete for the May/June reading:
Despite having read The Kite Runner last year, I read it again this month as part of our in class novel study. The Kite Runner is a breathtaking but emotionally exhausting story of jealousy, betrayal, guilt, and redemption. The innocent friendship of Amir and Hassan soon became defected as Amir became jealous of Hassan because of the attention and care Baba (father) expressed for him. On the winter of Amir’s tenth year, the knot of friendship was undone as he helplessly witnessed Hassan experience a traumatizing occurrence that altered their friendship forever. Overcome by guilt, Amir lies to his father and Hassan leaves, the two never to meet again. Even as Amir enters his adulthood, he avoids the past and continues to conceal the guilt of his wrongdoings. However when opportunity arose, Amir is motivated to seek correction for his wrong doings, causing him to make extreme decisions that ultimately lead to the redemption from his guilt. It’s painful to see the similarities of human characteristics portrayed in Amir, as we all have the tendency to act in the same way which Amir expressed. This book is beautiful because we are able to connect to the human condition that is perfectly outlined in the story of The Kite Runner.
After enduring a car crash that took the life of her parents and brother, Mia, the protagonist, is given the option to stay or join her family. She witnesses her body being carried into the I.C.U. and the buzz of activities that takes place to keep her alive. She quietly watches her friends and family come and talk to her, some so obviously and desperately asking her to stay, while others solemnly requested her to choose. It all comes down to Mia, as she is the only one capable of deciding her fate. However, during the stay in the hospital, Mia truly experiences the importance of love and what would become of her life if she stays. The author, Gayle Forman, beautifully uses the technique of pathos argumentation as she not only convinces the protagonist but also highlights the importance of love and family in our life. After reading this book, I was compelled to read the second book in the series, Where She Went. In this sequel, the author uses alternating perspectives of Mia and her previous boyfriend. Having endured the accident, Mia has moved on to become an accomplished violinist attending Juilliard School of Performing Arts. All things considered, Mia has being doing significantly well in coping with her lose; however, one thing remains unsolved from the past. She cut of everyone from her past, especially her boyfriend, Adam. In this novel, the two reunite and build upon the deep affection they had for one another.
The following is a link to the movie trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMp896hfp74
The The Captive Maiden was an enchanting emulation from the famous fairy tale, Cinderella. Melanie Dickerson incorporated a sense of realism while still maintaining the story line of the fairy tale. It was a fun read and I loved the beautiful use of imagery and diction that the author used to bring flavor to a well known story.
Indigo’s no average girl as she see’s sudden burst of visions that reveal the absolute truth of what is going to happen. Only her mom and best friend knows of her surreal talent but as she grows closer with a mysterious classmate that has a extremely complicated history, her secret is on the verge of being exposed. Although I liked the exciting events of the book, I didn’t quite enjoy the overall story line.
Soon after finishing The Nightingale, I’ve been waiting to get hold on another book by Kristin Hannah; The Winter Garden was an excellent follow up. I actually have no words to fully describe the magically experience of reading this book as it incorporated so many heart moving incidents, incredible themes, and grief that moves through the pages and impacts the readers. Two sisters and a mother who live in solidity, torn apart by strained relationships and the inability to understand one another. Each one lives in their own grief, unable to express emotions and seek help or acceptance from others. After the death of their father, who kept the family intact, every small links with one another crumbled, stirring up hate and misunderstandings of each others pain. Among all this, the mother, Anya, has gone through so much hardships, yet her past is a complete blank to her two daughters. It is Anya’s story that reunites a broken family as the daughters finally come to know the heart wrenching past of their mother and fully accept and love her for who she is. This also builds a bridge between the mother and the daughters as Anya’s suppressed grief is relieved and her past is no longer a secret. I absolutely loved reading this book and I hope to read more of Kristin Hannah’s book.
This post is already too long, so I’m going to leave Einstein’s Dreams update for when I finish it. 🙂
My next reading ladder is going to be a summer reading post. I’ll will be focusing on the following books to complete my ELA reading requirements.
