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tubareads's reviews
128 reviews
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
5.0
I think as I started off this book, I didn't think I'd be able to finish it off because it starts off real slow, I didn't feel a certain connection as I normally do but that was probably because this genre is new to me. As I read further, it just started to feel more real, as if it was penetrating a hole into my heart. It's so beautifully written, so sad but so captivating. The in depth understanding that comes from this book about Japanese culture is brilliant. It does justice to what really goes on inside a suicidal person's head. Nao's transition as a character is remarkable. She becomes a different person by the end of the book, the seriousness and the realness of her life, how she understands that life is so much more than what she has to go through every day. You see how Haruki 1's tone changes from being pissed and angry at the world to just soft and gentle towards his mom through the letters.
Its a real story, the way its been told does justice to its realness, you read it and you understand just how much there is to a person and how they battle through those days every single day. I feel that I would always have so much respect for the author and how amazingly she has written this book.
Its a real story, the way its been told does justice to its realness, you read it and you understand just how much there is to a person and how they battle through those days every single day. I feel that I would always have so much respect for the author and how amazingly she has written this book.
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
3.0
I won't sugarcoat this for you. It took me about 3 to 4 months to get done with this book and I don't blame it entirely on the book because I have been REALLY busy with work and assignments. The book, however, did not make it any easier because it was just.....slow? It had my attention when I was half way through but the beginning was brutal, it triggered my anxiety and it was painful to read. James is honest about his emotions in the book, it is raw and real and there are no filters. It is disgusting and sickening at times but it is a story of an addict who was recovering and I wouldn't appreciate it enough if it wasn't honest and disgusting.
I think the best parts of the book for me were the chapters where James starts to be positive and makes an effort and although partially it was because of Lilly, I think it made me want to read it till the end. Lilly was an incredible character, she kind of reminds me of me in a sense but SHE IS SO MUCH MORE. I wish there was more of Lilly, I want more of Lilly's perspective and I think she deserves to be known more than just a girl who fell in love with James and died eventually.
All in all, I liked the book. It hurt my heart when James talks about what happened to Leonard or Miles or Lilly and it doesn't seem fair because he ends the book on a good note where everyone is off to different things in life and then you go on to read that most of them died. It was heartbreaking to read it but it was necessary heartbreak. Addition is ugly, it is loud and it screams and its real and I think this book helps us understand what that's like.
I think the best parts of the book for me were the chapters where James starts to be positive and makes an effort and although partially it was because of Lilly, I think it made me want to read it till the end. Lilly was an incredible character, she kind of reminds me of me in a sense but SHE IS SO MUCH MORE. I wish there was more of Lilly, I want more of Lilly's perspective and I think she deserves to be known more than just a girl who fell in love with James and died eventually.
All in all, I liked the book. It hurt my heart when James talks about what happened to Leonard or Miles or Lilly and it doesn't seem fair because he ends the book on a good note where everyone is off to different things in life and then you go on to read that most of them died. It was heartbreaking to read it but it was necessary heartbreak. Addition is ugly, it is loud and it screams and its real and I think this book helps us understand what that's like.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
3.0
Imagine......not....knowing.....that this was a THRILLER. For someone who doesn't ever read thrillers, this was a great surprise. I was absolutely shooketh.
I expected it to be sad which it was but more than that, it was something that made me rethink everything I had been reading in the book. I LOVE how Cady referred to them as 'liars' and I think it makes sense considering what they had done over the summer. It talks about racism and how racism is not always direct and it may happen in other forms that we never see coming. The way Cady talks about Gat and his features was beautiful.
Its a good book that tackles friendship, love and family and how sometimes we are blinded by materialistic things so much that we overlook those who mean the most to us.
I expected it to be sad which it was but more than that, it was something that made me rethink everything I had been reading in the book. I LOVE how Cady referred to them as 'liars' and I think it makes sense considering what they had done over the summer. It talks about racism and how racism is not always direct and it may happen in other forms that we never see coming. The way Cady talks about Gat and his features was beautiful.
Its a good book that tackles friendship, love and family and how sometimes we are blinded by materialistic things so much that we overlook those who mean the most to us.
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
5.0
“Is it better to speak or die?”
To speak, Elio. Like you did, it is better to speak. I can't explain enough as to how much I love this book for the way its written, for the way it describes feelings and scenarios and loss. I am in love with Elio and Oliver and the vulnerability they shared together despite the age difference. Elio reminds me of me when I was younger, when I wore my heart on my sleeves. This is not your average gay love story where two men come out to each other and feel comfortable in their skin after. This is so much more because the writer describes how Elio was constantly questioning his feelings, constantly beating himself up for even having the thoughts that he was having. More than loving Oliver, Elio saw himself in Oliver. The way every place is described, the use of Greek mythology and the metaphors. I am constantly in awe of how beautifully this book is written.
“Every time I go back to Rome, I go back to that one spot. It is still alive for me, still resounds with something totally present, as though a heart stolen from a tale by Poe still throbbed under the ancient slate pavement to remind me that, here, I had finally encountered the life that was right for me but had failed to have.”
The idea of ghost spots hits home because it is so familiar to me. The fact that Elio always visited that one spot in Rome, where they kissed and somehow it came alive again, I think the concept of that is beautiful. This love story is beyond love, the way its written is not just for two men who fell in love, its for everyone to read, to understand and feel how real and how deeply some people can affect you.
To speak, Elio. Like you did, it is better to speak. I can't explain enough as to how much I love this book for the way its written, for the way it describes feelings and scenarios and loss. I am in love with Elio and Oliver and the vulnerability they shared together despite the age difference. Elio reminds me of me when I was younger, when I wore my heart on my sleeves. This is not your average gay love story where two men come out to each other and feel comfortable in their skin after. This is so much more because the writer describes how Elio was constantly questioning his feelings, constantly beating himself up for even having the thoughts that he was having. More than loving Oliver, Elio saw himself in Oliver. The way every place is described, the use of Greek mythology and the metaphors. I am constantly in awe of how beautifully this book is written.
“Every time I go back to Rome, I go back to that one spot. It is still alive for me, still resounds with something totally present, as though a heart stolen from a tale by Poe still throbbed under the ancient slate pavement to remind me that, here, I had finally encountered the life that was right for me but had failed to have.”
The idea of ghost spots hits home because it is so familiar to me. The fact that Elio always visited that one spot in Rome, where they kissed and somehow it came alive again, I think the concept of that is beautiful. This love story is beyond love, the way its written is not just for two men who fell in love, its for everyone to read, to understand and feel how real and how deeply some people can affect you.
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
4.0
The reason this book gets 4 stars instead of 5 is mainly because of how slowly the story is developed and I personally don’t think it picked up pace until I had read 70% of the book. After that point, it was hard to put it down. It did take me quite some time to bring myself to read it and keep reading it initially. I noticed that a lot of people complained about the second daughter being an unnecessary character in the book but frankly speaking, I think it was needed. Yes, maybe giving her more character or involvement would have been good, considering how much detail the book goes into in relation to Layla’s past and childhood memories of all three siblings. The second daughter ‘Huda’ was needed in order to express the difficulties they faced as parents with the third child. For them to raise two girls with ease and same rule books, it was harder when Amar didn’t meet those expectations at all, making them question how something that had worked on both Hadia and Huda didn’t do much for Amar. Huda is also the middle child, which in a lot of families are normally ignored (lol, speaking from experience here) but you can sense that even then, Huda has a sense of independence. She know what she wants to do with her life, her career opportunities and such. She represents an ideal child who despite never being the centre of attention like Hadia and Amar, still ends up doing brilliantly and never complains. Again, something I can personally relate to.
The writer has done justice to the muslim family culture, she has very nicely put into words the experiences many of us go through and never reflect back on. For me, the book was more a question than a tragedy in a sense that it left me wondering where they went wrong, whether they did or not, maybe it was just one of those things where you could end up having a problematic child. The line between Amar being who he was and who he wanted to be for Amira was a very thin line to begin with. How could have anyone known that a love like Amar’s could actually help him turn his life around but then again, maybe it would have. Because all he ever wanted was to be ‘good enough’ for Rafiq and Amira. It’s heart-breaking to see things from Rafiq’s perspective, to have the kind of hurt he carried in life, to see years lost in regret. The reality is that this happens quite often in desi families where children and parents drift apart due to issues that could have been handled in a better manner. The book beautifully grasps the regret many of us carry in our hearts, it makes you question the smallest of gestures you make towards others and the impact it can have on someone, in the short and the long run.
The writer has done justice to the muslim family culture, she has very nicely put into words the experiences many of us go through and never reflect back on. For me, the book was more a question than a tragedy in a sense that it left me wondering where they went wrong, whether they did or not, maybe it was just one of those things where you could end up having a problematic child. The line between Amar being who he was and who he wanted to be for Amira was a very thin line to begin with. How could have anyone known that a love like Amar’s could actually help him turn his life around but then again, maybe it would have. Because all he ever wanted was to be ‘good enough’ for Rafiq and Amira. It’s heart-breaking to see things from Rafiq’s perspective, to have the kind of hurt he carried in life, to see years lost in regret. The reality is that this happens quite often in desi families where children and parents drift apart due to issues that could have been handled in a better manner. The book beautifully grasps the regret many of us carry in our hearts, it makes you question the smallest of gestures you make towards others and the impact it can have on someone, in the short and the long run.