Recommendation
Utopia Is Unachievable
In Lois Lowry's The Giver, the pursuit of perfection leads to the revelation that by creating a seemingly utopian world by eliminating suffering, more is lost than gained. The narrative traces the experiences of a twelve year-old protagonist who seeks to overcome the control imposed upon him by his totalitarian government and bring back the vibrancy and uniqueness that once existed. By trying to pursue such Utopian ideals, their society is stripped of diversity and individuality. Similarly, Lowry depicts a world that is heavily monitored and regulated. All the citizens are easily manipulated and conform to the numerous rules that they are presented with. Whilst majority of the community is oblivious to the sinister side of their seemingly utopian world, the protagonist has access to memories of the past and is faced with immense pain and the deep knowledge of their dystopian world.
By Aashini Rastogi2 years ago in BookClub
Cover Reveal & Sneak Peak
Chapter One Trek It, Girl Anabel The light of the sun was fading - and quickly. With the cascading pine trees reaching toward the heavens at heights that terrified Anabel, the idea of darkness quickly descending kind of tugged at her with a gnawing degree of concern. She wasn’t used to this - not in the least. Anabel had been raised in the Midwest among the plains and in a place, she had to get away from as soon as life would allow it. It so happened, that came with the crisp envelope that held her acceptance letter to the University of Oregon. It was the moment Ana had been waiting for since girlhood, and much to her parents’ dismay there was nothing that would hold her back. Ana instinctively tightened her fingers on the steering wheel glancing at the car gauges and immediately groaned upon noting the external temperature outside was a brisk -3 degrees.
By Sai Marie Johnson2 years ago in BookClub
#Norsevember
Do you read Norse books? Then I'm happy to introduce Norsevember, a reading event in which we talk about, recommend, read and review Norse inspired books! Started by Alex of Spells and Spaceships in 2020, it was born after he thought to dedicate a month to read and review Norse books, and others on Twitter expressed their enthusiasm to do the same.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
Book Review: Winter's Wishfall by Ceri Houlbrook
You're never too old to believe . . . After losing her job, boyfriend and flat just a few weeks before Christmas, Ellie Lancaster makes some resolutions: 1. Exact revenge on ex. 2. Be unboring. 3. Find a job. With #1 complete, Ellie manages to tick off #2 and #3 simultaneously by accepting a mysterious archiving job on a tiny Scottish Island that doesn't seem to exist on any map. In the new year, her equally new bosses - celebrity baker Clementine Jones and her straight-laced twin brother Cole - introduce Ellie to the archives: a vast network of underground caverns, filled with scrolls dating back centuries, each addressed to the same person, in a multitude of languages: Dear Father Christmas . . . Despite the strangeness of it all, Ellie quickly falls in love with her new life - but things are never simple, and just as she and Cole seem to be overcoming their mutual distrust, Ellie makes a fourth resolution - one that threatens everything she's come to hold dear. As the big day itself draws near, she has one chance to put things right and bring about her own Christmas miracle . . .
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
Book Review: Pax and the Missing Head by David Barker
In a country beset by civil war, New London defends itself behind a giant wall. Inside the city, children are forced to work from an early age, except for the lucky few who train to be leaders in the re-purposed Palace of Westminster. 12-year-old orphaned Pax is brilliant at recycling old tech. He enjoys working on the verti-farms and just wants a bit of peace and quiet. But when that is taken away from him, his only hope is to pass a near-impossible exam and join the other students in Scholastic Parliament. There he’ll make new friends and new enemies. He’ll get tested like never before. And he’ll discover that not everything is quite what it seems under the mayor’s harsh leadership.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
Embracing the Power Within
Once upon a time, in a small village nestled deep down the mountains, there live a young girl named “Zoey”, Zoey was known for her quiet and introspective nature. While the other children of the village played and laughed together, Egwuene preferred the company of her own thoughts and imagination.
By Gift Emmanuel 2 years ago in BookClub
Book Review and Author Interview: No Funeral for Nazia by Taha Kehar
Nazia Sami is a celebrated author, but perhaps her greatest plot twist is yet to be produced. In her final days, she wields a pen one last time as she fills her diary with instructions for her sister, Naureen, and writes six letters to be delivered after her death. There is to be no funeral for Nazia. Instead, only six invitees are asked to attend a party, one of whom is a mystery guest. Over the course of an extraordinary evening, secrets are revealed, pasts reconsidered, and lives are forever changed. Perfect for fans of MOHSIN HAMID and KAMILA SHAMSIE, No Funeral for Nazia is a striking and inventive exploration of what death can mean for both the deceased and those left behind.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in BookClub
"Mastering Short Story Magic"
Salutations, and welcome to this enlightening expedition into the intricacies of crafting short stories. If you've ever found yourself entangled in the enigma of weaving a truly satisfying short narrative or felt overwhelmed by the mosaic of diverse and sometimes contradictory advice, rest assured that your sentiments are shared by many. In this profound exploration, we shall peel back the layers of prevalent misconceptions that may have acted as restraints on your creative aspirations, and we shall journey deeper into the core facets of successful short story composition.
By Alisa İnnokate2 years ago in BookClub
Orlam
Introduction This year for my birthday Fiona bought me the new PJ Harvey album "I Inside The Old Year Dying" and then found that there was a linked book "Orlam" so I got that as well. I love everything that Polly Jean does, even though I don't have everything she has done.
By Mike Singleton 💜 Mikeydred 2 years ago in BookClub
