Jiaying
My first high fantasy book and I am glad Brandon Sanderson chose to write in easily understandable language, and introducing characters in a way that does not overwhelm unlike many other books of the genre. Despite its length, there was little fatigue in reading it. Well-paced, action-packed and with a rather interesting premise of Allomancy and Feruchemy. Enjoyed it very much.
Ever since I was a kid, I had always wanted to read this book. There was something very enchanting (pun intended) about the colourful book cover which showed the Chrestomanci in his glorious suit and top hat, bearing an enigmatic smile. But strangely I have always just looked at it from afar. And at the grand old age of 26 I finally picked up this book I have always wanted to read since I was 10, and wishing I had read it much sooner. For 15 odd years I have looked for a magic-fantasy series that could make me as excited as I did reading Harry Potter. I don't know about the rest of this series, but this opener has got me very hopeful. I devoured this book. What an original world with interesting characters and so much mystery. I wish I had read a little slower (speed-reading fiction is a bad habit acquired from university) and just allowed my imagination to soak in the descriptions more. I can't wait to read the next one.
4.5 stars.
As I start to read classics that often get quoted or even immortalised as a synonym, I realised how warped such references can get. “Machiavellian” is another word for evil or scheming. As I read this, it shows how context matters. The state of political affairs in Italy was such that a ruler either held on to power or get killed by either enemies or the dissatisfied people. The book lays out Machiavelli's suggestions on how to retain authority over subjects and not be conquered by foreign kingdoms. It is hard not to feel sorry for this guy's bad rep - he did use many fair and fleshed-out historical examples to justify why he thought what a ruler ought to do. To be fair, he did give a disclaimer in the opening of the book that the strategies and savoir he has laid out here are applicable only to monarchies.
Tim Parks' translation for Penguin is easy to read. It is not word by word but captures the spirit in contemporary language. Some might find the language a little too contemporary, but I enjoyed the simplicity of it. This is not one of those works where individual words' translation have great bearing on the interpretation. The Penguin classic hardcover version is a perfect size to hold and the font choice and formatting were extremely comfortable to read. Highly recommend this version.
Like all autobiographies, you are essentially reading a person's very subjective thoughts. A very absorbing read not because of the writing but simply because of the wealth of experiences Mr Anandan has amassed in his lifetime, be it his personal life as well as the nature of the cases he has taken on. I began reading from the centre of the book, which are the criminal cases which I presumed would be the most juicy. I was wrong when I got to the other section because his life was really interesting! It is fine whichever section you begin with. You also get an insight into the backstories behind many of the trials for capital crimes.
I love it. I want to own it and read it whenever the world feels too overwhelming. A picture book retelling of a poem written by an Irish monk about his solitary life with his white cat, it is both a story about the simple joy of contentment, and a joyful experience to read. The words - and what a lovely font too - bring out that harmoniously co-existing parallel drawn between the monk's hunt for meaning in his study and the cat's hunt for food. The illustrations too are fabulous - drawn in a graphic novel sequence with masterful framing and angle. Just a perfect picture book.
Different people might relate to the different aspects of the book. Most find more profound Death's explanation of why there is death. However, what I found most moving is the rather nuanced depiction of the children in their actions and their understanding of profound topics. Appreciated that the author did not make them wonder kids who understood everything, nor underestimated children's capacity for it.
Read this because it was referenced to in “Being Mortal”. A mere 50-page read, but in no way simple and incredibly profound.
This book challenges you with these few essential questions:
What is life?
What is death?
Is death a point, a beginning or the end?
What is a good ending? Is death necessarily a sad ending?
The writing reads like you inhabit Ivan Ilyich's body. It does not use beautifully flowing sentences, but simple ones conveying the urgency and misery a dying person is experiencing.
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My Rating System:
5⭐️: Excellent book AND influenced a change in my views
4.5⭐️: Excellent read
4⭐️: Great read, will recommend ⬅️⬅️⬅️
3.5⭐️: Enjoyable read but missing something that will make it great
3⭐️: An okay read that I didn't regret spending time on it
2⭐️: Didn't enjoy
1⭐️: Didn't enjoy and had serious issues. Will suggest to avoid.
My first thought upon finishing the book: “So that was it?”
Perhaps I have been accustomed to children's books either having lots of plot or having lots of secret wisdom about life or love. But that really is the symptom of adults reading children's books to find adult reflections on love and loss.
Firstly, that cover truly depicts the deception of the book. The girl who had a pig. From the first page you would have thought this book would be about the friendship between Fern and Wilbur the pig. But eventually it was the spider who saved Wilbur multiple times but recognised only, in Charlotte's words, was “to a small degree”. You might not have noticed the spider on the cover if you didn't read the book. And Templeton the rat who ran much errands for them isn't even on the cover. “I notice that it's always me you come to when in trouble. But I've never heard of anyone's heart breaking on my account. Oh no. Who cares anything about old Templeton?”
Upon some reflection, I think the beauty of this book boils down to these:
1) A simple, innocent and giving friendship between imperfect characters.
- Wilbur is whiny, yes. But he is also a rather ignorant, young pig. Nevertheless, he understood and treasured the friendship he had with Charlotte.
- “You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte. “That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway? We're born, we live a while, we die.”
2) Small, understated and positive observations about life that does not revolve around the self, nor have bittersweet undertones.
- “Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or hatch.”
- Love, whether for a friend or others, entails giving. Wilbur and Charlotte do not proclaim love but they showed it in how they treat each other - by acting on it.
3) Great descriptions about the seasons and surroundings. It's almost poetic how E.B. White describes the setting. There is so much richness to the description.
Book brought a tear to my eye. It's a beautiful story about a haughty china rabbit learning to love through the unconditional love of others. Although Edward was the main character, I find the other characters much more interesting even on the surface level, even though the author brings us through Edward's inner thoughts and change. The illustrations brought the book to life. This is one of those books that should definitely be read as a physical book, and where the illustration are essential to the reading experience.
Spoiler from this point:
Why I didn't give 5 stars was because while the story comes full circle, I felt that it wasn't fully fleshed out. The story could have done without it even, though children might not be appreciate that. Would have been nice to have a resolution with regards to Granny.
4.5 stars and a potential to be a 5, but we'll see. Masterfully written in the stream of consciousness style that is Ishiguro's trademark. There is such finesse in the language he uses and the intricate weaving in of his memories into the road trip at present, that you feel like you have inhabited Mr Steven's very being. It isn't an Ishiguro book if you do not feel deeply the helplessness of the character. The final 20 pages were probably the most impactful, so it really is worth it to read till the very end.
- SPOILER ALERT FROM THIS POINT -
At one point I did feel a little annoyed at Miss Kenton for her lack of forthrightness with her feelings. However, the book is about people's mental self-imprisonment, with Stevens' being the most. I liked how the book was wrapped up, helping us make sense of why the book was named as such. The ending came to a full circle with the beginning, with the talk about banter. Also, I couldn't help thinking back to Stevens' father when Stevens was reflecting about his loss of ability as he aged. And the helplessness sets in again because we know that Stevens does not have the mind to retire like the butler at the pier and inevitably his father's end will come to him too, yet we know that at this point he has more hope in his life, to enjoy the remains of the day, to do something new in his work. The book makes me feel things acutely which I cannot necessarily put into words.
The nature of social media marketing is such that formats and trends are always changing. The challenge of the author is to outline some principles of what makes a good story which stands in the ever-changing landscape of social media. The most valuable lessons of this book are gleaned from the wealth of case studies and analyses of what makes them work, or not. Thankfully the theories are few but focuses more on examples (with pictures of course, because this is the era of visual marketing), making it an easy and engaging read.
This is not just a book for the people who are facing imminent death, or for those with loved ones who are approaching the end of life. This is a book for anyone who will die, namely every person. It discusses how modern medicine has transformed people and doctors' perspectives on death as a problem to be fixed, neglecting the very subjective and tricky topic about the quality of life at the end. Treatments lend hope to patients who often cling onto them, leaving them even less prepared to have the difficult thought-through conversation of thinking what truly matters to them, and when to let go. Bought a copy of this book because I know one day my time will come, and I hope the enlightenment from this book will give me the courage to know and let it be known the life I wish to lead in my final moments. An excellent book that advocates a paradigm shift, and I believe anyone's life decisions will be changed after reading it. I hope healthcare professionals who read this will also take it upon themselves to change the way illness, treatment and death are framed, and to guide patients to knowing and achieving what they truly treasure in their treatment journey.
Everything felt too brief. While the premise of the plot is interesting and possesses lots of potential, there wasn't enough fleshing out of the storyline nor the characters. The main discovery and resolution happened in the last 10% of the book, which is really short. And at the end of it, rather than feeling like all questions have been answered, I still feel like it's all been a blur and some of that remains.
I like the little philosophies in mixed into satire in there but the ending was...unexpected in a bad way. There was no lead-up to it. One of those books which I hated the plot but loved the writing, if you get me. My rating is according to the Goodreads rating. Book started with an almost 4 but sadly it went downhill because of the plot. It's my first Discworld novel. Nonetheless I like Sir Pratchett's writing enough to want to read another.
It would have been a much more pleasant book if Eona rose a bit more above her fear. I've to say Eona's fear is relatable if we really put ourselves in her shoes and circumstance. But for such a book, I really want a heroine that I can fall behind and root for her. Eona makes it just a liiiiitle more difficult with her terror-induced confusion and mistakes. however, it is a really interesting premise for a series, like how the Mirror Dragon's name comes about. This is why I'm going to continue to the next book. Oh, and I hope it isn't just me who finds the description of Lord Ido's scent as disturbing...I think the book is worth a read though, for its freshness of plot. Whether you like it or not, evidently from the mixed reviews, is really subjective.
Loved this book as a kid. The wonderful illustrations and simple story would transport me to a diner in my imaginary world, although I live in a place where diners do not exist.