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The Good Stuff
* Quirky Irish humour -- reminds me so much of hanging with my Irish neighbor
* Intriguing opening chapters, grabs your attention and never lets go -- trust me I stayed up till 1am to finish the book. Read it on one day!
* Hilariously funny yet touching and sweet
* Loved the Nuns (especially Sister Ignatius) I'd become Catholic if they were real
* Tamara is such a wonderful, fun, interesting and all too human. What is so fascinating is that she is really understanding how shallow her earlier life was and she tries very hard to change, but doesn't always do it the right way -- you know typical teenager ; )
* There is a Castle and well I just like things with Castles
* Intriguing mystery that slowly unfolds and keeps you guessing
* Simply just a good story to enjoy while tucked under a nice soft blanket or lying on the beach or at the cottage
The Not so Good Stuff
* I had to stay up till 1am to finish the damn book
* Was a little confusing at times -- than again I have been home with a sick toddler for 3 days so I wouldn't necessarily take my word for this
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"And than I felt sorry for God because I understood how it must be frustrating for him. He offers people a helping hand, but it often gets pushed away. People always want to help themselves first."
"After the Norman psycho, various lords and ladies lived in the castle. They built stables and outhouses around the place. Controversially one lord even converted to Catholicism after marrying a Catholic, and built a chapel there as a treat for the family. Me and Mom got a swimming pool as our treat, but to each his own."
"I used to think that it was better to have too much than too little, but now I think if the too much was never supposed to be yours, you should just take what you need and give the rest back. That way, you never have to give back the things you love."
What I Learned
* Some interesting Irish history
* Nuns are a lot cooler than I have previously thought
Who should/shouldn't read
* This is pretty good for everyone. I would say probably 12 and up due to some sexuality
* Lovers of Irish fiction, obviously will enjoy
* Obviously I am passing this on for Joan to read (She's the Irish neighbor and usually my books go to her daughter, but this one is for both of them) maybe she will make me some of her yummy Irish tea hint hint!
4.5 Dewey's
I received this from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review
* Quirky Irish humour -- reminds me so much of hanging with my Irish neighbor
* Intriguing opening chapters, grabs your attention and never lets go -- trust me I stayed up till 1am to finish the book. Read it on one day!
* Hilariously funny yet touching and sweet
* Loved the Nuns (especially Sister Ignatius) I'd become Catholic if they were real
* Tamara is such a wonderful, fun, interesting and all too human. What is so fascinating is that she is really understanding how shallow her earlier life was and she tries very hard to change, but doesn't always do it the right way -- you know typical teenager ; )
* There is a Castle and well I just like things with Castles
* Intriguing mystery that slowly unfolds and keeps you guessing
* Simply just a good story to enjoy while tucked under a nice soft blanket or lying on the beach or at the cottage
The Not so Good Stuff
* I had to stay up till 1am to finish the damn book
* Was a little confusing at times -- than again I have been home with a sick toddler for 3 days so I wouldn't necessarily take my word for this
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"And than I felt sorry for God because I understood how it must be frustrating for him. He offers people a helping hand, but it often gets pushed away. People always want to help themselves first."
"After the Norman psycho, various lords and ladies lived in the castle. They built stables and outhouses around the place. Controversially one lord even converted to Catholicism after marrying a Catholic, and built a chapel there as a treat for the family. Me and Mom got a swimming pool as our treat, but to each his own."
"I used to think that it was better to have too much than too little, but now I think if the too much was never supposed to be yours, you should just take what you need and give the rest back. That way, you never have to give back the things you love."
What I Learned
* Some interesting Irish history
* Nuns are a lot cooler than I have previously thought
Who should/shouldn't read
* This is pretty good for everyone. I would say probably 12 and up due to some sexuality
* Lovers of Irish fiction, obviously will enjoy
* Obviously I am passing this on for Joan to read (She's the Irish neighbor and usually my books go to her daughter, but this one is for both of them) maybe she will make me some of her yummy Irish tea hint hint!
4.5 Dewey's
I received this from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review
I found this book a bit boring, the last few chapters were good but that was the best of it. Quite dull before that and I struggled getting through it.
I've finished this book about half a month ago but it still buggs me sometimes and not in a very good way. I've always loved Cecelina Ahern's books. "Love, Rosie" was kind of the first novel I've ever read when I was in middle school (before that I only read manga) and even 7 years later I re-read it I still loved it dearly. And there was "PS I love you" and "A place called here" which I also really liked. I was so excited to read this book. I couldn't say it was bad or it disappointed me but I couldn't say I like it either. I loved the idea of a bus full of books and a book could tell the tomorrow but I still couldn't enjoy it. I think the main problem of me is I find it hard to connect to a spoiled rich pretty teenage girl. The male characters in this book didn't charm me either. And to me, Cecelina's writing style is a bit too much in this book. I don't really know the exact words to describe my feelings about it since English is not my native language. It's too butterfly? Too cheesy? Too preachy? I don't really know. I just know it bugged me and made the reading much less enjoyable compared to my previous Cecelina books' reading experiences. The plot is not too surprising but still okay, there are mysteries and plot twists here and there to hold my interest to finish the book.
Still, this is certainly not Cecelina's best book and somehow it even made me a little scared of reading other books of her. But she's still one of my favorite author, I just need to take a break from her books for a while.
Still, this is certainly not Cecelina's best book and somehow it even made me a little scared of reading other books of her. But she's still one of my favorite author, I just need to take a break from her books for a while.
What do you do when your whole life is upended, and you’ve lost everything? Her father’s dead, her mother’s lost her faculties in grief, and her house has been repossessed. Now Tamara and her mother are living with her aunt and uncle, Rosaleen and Arthur, in the middle of nowhere, and there’s nothing to do but dwell…
Dwell on her father’s death. Dwell on her mother’s inability to cope. Dwell on her aunt’s overly-nosy nature. Dwell on who’s living in the cottage across the street, and why Rosaleen won’t just tell her already. You’re just waiting for Tamara to get sick and tired of dwelling on things, and just explode.
Which she does, eventually. But until then, there’s a cute boy to hang out with in a traveling library. A nun who enlists her help with the bees. And a mysterious diary that rewrites itself every night…
The Book of Tomorrow is a heart-wrenching book to read, especially as Tamara is trying to figure out how to help her mother, and it seems as though the fates themselves are conspiring against her. She makes mistakes, gets caught up in others’ pasts, and eventually learns that love is stronger than she could imagine, and she is strong enough to come out whole. The writing is beautiful, and you’re so caught up in Tamara’s life that you won’t notice the hours flying by.
drey’s rating: Excellent!
Dwell on her father’s death. Dwell on her mother’s inability to cope. Dwell on her aunt’s overly-nosy nature. Dwell on who’s living in the cottage across the street, and why Rosaleen won’t just tell her already. You’re just waiting for Tamara to get sick and tired of dwelling on things, and just explode.
Which she does, eventually. But until then, there’s a cute boy to hang out with in a traveling library. A nun who enlists her help with the bees. And a mysterious diary that rewrites itself every night…
The Book of Tomorrow is a heart-wrenching book to read, especially as Tamara is trying to figure out how to help her mother, and it seems as though the fates themselves are conspiring against her. She makes mistakes, gets caught up in others’ pasts, and eventually learns that love is stronger than she could imagine, and she is strong enough to come out whole. The writing is beautiful, and you’re so caught up in Tamara’s life that you won’t notice the hours flying by.
drey’s rating: Excellent!
1.5 stars - I tend to either really like Cecelia Ahern’s books or find them kind of meh, but this was absolutely not a fun time.
Er dette en teeenage-bog?! I så fald har jeg hygget mig godt med at være ung med de unge :D Meget velopbygget, magisk miljø, som man hurtigt bliver indfanget af. Kun en anelse forudsigelighed i historieopbygningen afholder mig fra at give fire stjerner.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Disappointing book by a great author. The concept could be brilliant, but, in this book, its not executed well.
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very easy read :)
I usually love Ahern and her books, but this was just way too slow for me. The characters were interesting enough, but there wasn't much happening.