Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This autobiography lends a sneak peek into Winterson’s childhood and psyche. Through her lyrical prose she recollects the specific incidents in her past that befuddled her, killed her, and rebirthed her. Even though these incidents are piteous, she…
The Help by Kathryn Stockett My rating: 5 of 5 stars Set in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s, the tale is told through the perspective of 3 people- Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. Aibileen and Minny are black domestic helps to rich white women, while Skeeter is an unmarried white woman living with her mother. Skeeter…
I visited the Logos Hope Floating Book Fair with some of my colleagues over the Christmas break.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky My rating: 5 of 5 stars After reading this book, I understand why it’s almost permanently on hold at the library. This novel is written in letters told from Charlie’s point of view of his one year in high school. It’s more than just a coming-of-age…
The internet is killing me. Let me illustrate with my experience of simply buying a book. Usually normal people step into a bookstore, pick up a book, read the blurb and maybe a chapter or two to decide if they want a book. For me, it’s a crazy affair involving opening at least 3 tabs…
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami My rating: 1 of 5 stars This tome is about two mentally unstable sexually-starved individuals off their meds. Or at least it felt that way. Consider a long epic novel (originally made up of 3 installments) told through two central characters, and later a Mary Sue. Throw in the usual suspects…
As Nature Made Him The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl by John Colapinto My rating: 5 of 5 stars David was born as Bruce, raised as Brenda. Due to a botched circumcision accident at 8 months, his parents, together with a team of psychologists decided to sexually reassign him as female. The twist…
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a book about other books about love. This is a harrowing tale of the lives of three graduates in the 1980s lost to religion, madness and love. Then again all three sometimes seem synonymous. The book chronicles Madeline’s conflict with living…
Orlando by Virginia Woolf My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is my first time reading a book by Virginia Woolf. I have previously tried to read Mrs Dalloway, but found it difficult to finish. Orlando read differently, and I really enjoyed it. The book is a biography of this person named Orlando. He grew…
Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories about People Who Know How They Will Die by Ryan North My rating: 5 of 5 stars Awesome collection of stories premised on a Machine of Death, which predicts accurately the manner of death using one drop of blood. The drawback – no date no time, just the…
