52 Books in 52 Weeks (2011) discussion

Book reviews for Week 6.

Title: Priceless
By: Robert K Wittman w/ John Shiffman
2/5 stars

Story of FBI agent who makes career of retrieving stolen works of art and, sometimes arresting the thieves or dealers. I love art and enjoy crime stories. There have been several books written about stolen art that were very engaging. While I find the author likable and he's had a fascinating career, the book lacks drama and suspense. Each chapter tells story of one case, and the writer will tell you that the situation was risky and dangerous but never conveys those feelings to the reader.

This book is good for times when you need a book you can pick up and put down often, because there are only a few characters to follow and each chapter is independent of others. Very easy read. Recommended for people who follow art and wonder whatever happened to those Rembrandts stolen in 1990 from the Gardner Museum in Boston.

Title: Pretty Little Liars
By: Sara Shepard
***/5

review: "perfect girls' thriller novel & very well done"

my review

1984
by George Orwell

4/5

my review
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Every time Patricia Cornwell releases a new Kay Scarpetta novel I hope for a return to the style and quality of the early books. This one was another disappointment.



View all my reviews

Title: A Child Called 'It'
Author: Dave Pelzer
4\5

If you're looking for a light-happy reading, then this is definitely NOT your choice. Other than that, it is a must.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

5\5

Funny & hilarious book ,
I enjoyed reading every single page in it =)

5/5 stars

I loved this book. I'm a total sucker for animals and animal stories, but I don't read a lot of them beacause I usually end up sobbing by the end :) Of course, I cried and cried at the end of this one but I loved it anyway.

Vicki Myron made Dewey have such a personality and I fell in love with him just like everyone that visited the library in Spencer did. I loved reading about his interactions with people and the silly things he did. I'm definitely going to read the companion book :)

Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World byKathy Freston

4/5 Stars

This book was a gentle push into a direction I was already moving towards. It's a very polite argument for being a vegan that offers support, expert advice, and no judgment. The shopping guide and list of cookbooks were very helpful.

عنوان الكتاب:
قبيلة تدعى سارة
المؤلفة
سارة مطر

التقييم 5/5

كتاب يحوي مجموعة قصص عاشتها المؤلفة و قصص اخرى عاشها اصدقاوها
اسلوبها رائع لدرجة انك لا تريد ان تترك الكتاب
احببت الاجواء اللندنية و الاوروبية التي عاشتها في حياتها، علاقتها بالرجال الذين قابلتهم في حياتها، صديقاتها و كيف تحب ان تغدقهم بالمشاعر الفياضة
تمنيت لو كانت تحدثت اكتر عن علاقتها بوالدها.. او حتى ان تضع بعض الحلول لعلاقة شبه بائسة بوالدها
وجدت فيها كثير من صفاتي ، اندفاعي..جنوني و حماقاتي
حتى امنيتي ان اكون ممثلة او شخصية مشهورة..لم تغب عن امنياتها
بالاضافة الى ان حياتها التي عاشتها و لا تزال تعيشها..هي واحدة من اكبر احلامي التي لم تتحقق بعد..لكن انا واثقة انها ستتحقق يوما ما

رائعة انتي يا سارة مطر
اتمنى ان أرى لك كتباً اخرى

.
.

Title: جريمة في قطار الشرق
Author: Agatha Christie
3\5

نهاية غير متوقعة و حبكة جيدة جداً
لكن رتم الرواية كان بطيء نوعاً ما

Book: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Author: Kim Edwards
Rating: 3/5

It was annoyingly descriptive [beautiful writing indeed, but i was annoyed] through the first chapters, but it started to pick up after that and went on well. How a single decision to keep a secret could alter your life forever.

Memories of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel García Márquez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars




This was a poetic beautiful short novel, and I really enjoyed it.
I was upset that some people did not see the sensual part of the book, and called it "sexist", "disturbing", and thought that it "promotes pedophilia". If you can't handle good literature that challenges your average everyday thoughts, don't bother reading this! In my opinion, it was not that at all. It allows you to enter the brain of an eccentric 90-year-old man, and see things the way he does. If you read the back cover, and was intrigued, then I definitely recommend reading it.



View my review

The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century
George Friedman
3/5

Might be daring to forecast the next 100 years. But he did it anyway, mostly in terms of geopolitics. To be honest, it got a little boring for me in the last 75 pages or so; that's when I started skimming and skipping.

It served as an intro to geopolitics so I'll give it a 3. Helped me see stuff that I wasn't seeing.

To kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
4/5

great book, I learnt much from it

Title: Smoke and Mirrors
Author: Neil Gaiman
Rating: 3/5


I've been so busy lately, I haven't had time to update my book list. I will add my review soon inshaAllah...

Stay tuned!

Decoded
By Jay-Z
4/5

I really enjoyed this, more than I thought I would. I went into it wanting to understand what some of his lyrics meant but was also treated to his thoughts on hip hop as an art form, politics and parallels to selling drugs and being in the music industry.

سقف الكفاية
محمد حسن علوان
3/5
كنت أود لو أستطيع كتابة الإقتباسات رغم كثرة ما خط قلمي تحت عبارات ساحرة في هذه الرواية..إلا أنني لا أملك الوقت الكافي لنقلها جميعاً.
"يؤجل الله أمانينا ولا ينساها"
"لكتابة نقص المناعة المكتسبة للروح،مثلما هو الإيدز نقص المناعة المكتسبة للجسد"
"المرأة هي الأقوى دائماً في معركة الحياة،ولو نشبت هذه المعركة يوماً لرفع الرجال الرايات البيضاء قبل النساء"
"ما أكثر الذين يضعون البصمات في حياتنا ويرحلون"
الرواية ممتعة جداً كأسلوب وتشبيهات،ولكن كقصة تشبه كثيراً من القصص والروايات السعودية

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
4/5

Deeply moving and romantic. I wish I hadn't seen the movie before reading the book. It touched me.

"She gives ma a look from another lifetime that makes me whole again"

فرج
4 / 5


التصنيف المفروض يكون " سيره ذاتيه " مو ادب سجون ابد !
ماقريت اللي كاتبينه نبذه عن الروايه .. قريت سيره ذاتيه ل " ندي عبدالقادر "
بس تظل القراءه لـ د.رضوي متعه ..

01: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (Oxford Bookworms Library) by Robert Louis Stevenson

"Have u ever wished to be someone else?"
2\5

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29...

wasn't bad
but a little different about the movie that I saw
...........................................................................................
02: الآخر مثلي| جوزيه ساراماغو

2\5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62...

أوّل 100 صفحة كان ماشي حالهم وبشكل جيّد جدّاً..
واستثقلت دم البقية
أما البقية الباقية من المائة!! عن جد ماقدرت أكملهم !
،
إنَّ العيشَ وحيداً بالنسبة إلى الأمزجة الكئيبة، الهشّة عموماً، وقليلة الليونة، عقابٌ شديد القسوة، لكن ذلك، ولنعترف به، على إجهاده، لا يولّد المآسي المؤثرة إلا نادراً، مآسٍ من النوع الذي تقشعرُّ له الأبدان أو ترتعد له الفرائص. ما يحدث في أغلب الأحيان، إلى درجة لم تعد تدهش كائناً من كان، هو أن الناس يقبلون بصبر أن يسبروا بعناية أقلّ زوايا عزلتهم، كما تشهد على ذلك في ماض قريب أمثلة عامة، وإن كانت كتيمة، بل والتي عَرَفت في حالتين نهاية سعيدة. "
،

" لستُ مريضاً، كل ما في الأمر أن كل شيء يتعبني ويضجرني، هذه الرتابة الملعونة، التكرار، التشابه
،\..\

I just didn't get into this one!

...............................................................................................

03: كوابيس الفتى الطائر | أحمد الشميسي
2\5

وجبة خفيفة
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80...

Remember Me?
Sophie Kinsella
3/5

As witty, light and entertaining as any chick lit usually is.

http://bit.ly/fdCDFM

لبيك:حج الفقراء
٥/١

لم يعجبني أبداً، وكاد أن ينسف الآمال العظيمة التي علقتها على كتب مالك نبي التي أسمع عنها مايجعلني أظنها ستغير طريقة تفكيري تماماً. أقول أنه كاد ينسف تلك الآمال لولا أن تذكرتُ عدة عوامل مهمة: أنه ربما كان من الخطأ أن أبدأ بهذا الكتاب لنبي وأنه كان من المفترض أن أبدأ بكتبه الفكرية الكبيرة، وأنه ربما، وأقول ربما، كان الكتاب موجهاً لجمهور آخر كغير المسلمين أو سواهم لإعطاءهم ومضة من أجواء الحج في دول شمال أفريقية العربية، والعامل الأخير والأهم كان الترجمة التي لعبت دوراً عظيماً في كرهي للكتاب فقد كانت جامدة باردة تكادُ تُقسمُ في بعض المواضع أنها ترجمة حرفية آلية. حسنة الكتاب الوحيدة كانت إمدادي ببعض المعلومات الجديدة التي لم أكن أعرفها من قبل، أونسيتها.

http://bit.ly/h1CNM4

Title: نسيان com
Author: أحلام مستغانمي
4/5
استمتعت بقراءة الكتاب، خفيف ومفيد وأسلوب الكاتبة جميل جدا.

This book was a bit similar to Tuesdays with Morrie, but less interesting, I like Randy and how successful he was, and I'm sure if he lived longer he'd be just like Morrie. What I didn't like him talking too much, sometimes I forget the point of the whole thing. All in all it wasn't bad for a light reading.

by Ray Bradbury
2/5

This book was OK, and only OK I expected something similar to 1984 by Orwell and found this book boring at times. It wasn't gripping at all!

Wolf Hall
By Hilary Mantel
5/5
Audiobook narrated by Simon Slater. Outstanding performance-Only audiobook reading I've enjoyed more was Angela's Ashes, read by author Frank McCourt - even better than reading the book! 1/3 through 651 page book-recorded. Wonderfuly told story, rich with details.

The Giver

5/5

I really enjoyed this book. Halfway through you begin to see what it happening in the society and it really made me angry. There is one part toward the end that made me cry, possibly because I have a child of my own. I honestly thought I would have nightmares, but that is the purpose of these kind of books. They make you think before letting other people control your thoughts, future, and destiny.

العصفورية
غازي بن عبد الرحمن القصيبي
4/5 ( لبعض الأشياء المزعجة )

أول كتاب أقرأه لغازي القصيبي, و ليس آخر كتاب

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Cheri, tu m ècoutes?
by Nicole de Buron

3/5

The story of one crazy French bourgeoisie family dealing with different everyday situations depending on the age of its family members: an elementary school boy who falls in love with his teacher or an 80-years old grandma who decides to marry in Las Vegas. It is very light humorous read. Good for vacation on the beach.

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


From the amount of praise heaped on this book, I expected to be amazed, astonished, and absolutely hooked. This was supposed to be the life-changing book for this year. A wonderously written masterpiece. The precursor to all the Chuck Palahniuk books I'd be devouring once I put this one down.



I don't know if you haven't gleaned it from my three star rating already, but this book did not live up to my expectations. And, in all honesty, I hadn't expected it to. I commenced reading expecting it would be a Catcher in the Rye situation, where everyone loved the book while I hated it.



I'm glad to mention that I did not hate this book. I actually liked it quite a bit. I loved the appropriate ending, the point of view the writer chose was adequate, and the characters were colorful. Also, I've always been intrigued about the reason people join 'religious' cults, and as to why and how they became so brainwashed as to follow the voices of their megalomaniac leaders into suicide like sheep to slaughter, so that was an additional bonus.



It just didn't turn my world upside down. I'm even scrambling to finish this review before the details of the book before they escape me. It didn't leave any lasting impression.



Also, one of the quotes on the back of the cover mentioned how this was a dark comedy, but I didn't even crack a smile once.



So. Would I recommend this book? Sure, if only for the sake of marking it off your reading list. It's interesting, and the plot is original. But was it worth four stars, in my opinion? I'm afraid not.



View all my reviews

by

Rating: 5/5

This book is one of the very interesting books I read about losing body fat. It's a manual that maps out the road to those who want to lose "body fat" and not body weight, cause there's a huge difference between these two.

It stresses the importance of weight training to build up body lean mass in order to burn fat. It provides essential concepts to those who want to have a healthy body and mind. It talks about the importance of setting goals, exercising, nutrition, and how to overcome plateaus. I love this book, it has profound information that one read does not do it justice to grasp and apply what it has to offer.

I highly recommending reading this book for those who want to lose body fat.


My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman


Chuck Klosterman is a good writer and I do believe the book was well written. However, I cannot help but feel disappointed. I was expecting so much from this book, having read the reviews and even the Wikipedia article. It's a compilation of essays linked somewhat weakly because I honestly didn't get the overall theme, if there was one.

The main problem I had with this book was the pop culture references. Okay, I do understand that that is what the book is basically all about but I seriously felt like I lost a huge chunk of understanding with the numerous and, not to mention constant, references. And the details! He goes into extreme detail on movies, actors, sports events, celebrities, and so on. He vaguely touches on a subject and then proceeds to go into explicit detail about a certain happening with a certain celebrity/movie/event/etc. I guess this book just was not for me seeing as I really do not appreciate speculation, basketball history, or pop culture for that matter.

I want to give it three stars but something tells me it just doesn't cut it. I owe this mostly to my disappointment. I will say it's a hilarious read; some of the things are just downright hysterical. He does give you a little bit of everything so it was still enjoyable.

My review.

نيوليبرالي ..تجربة حياة؟!
4/5
مقاالات متنوعة بعضها تحدث عن تأخرنا في ركب الحضارة وأسباب ذلك..وبعضها تحدث عن حقيقة الدين الاسلامي ودوره في رقينا وتحضرنا كبشر وكمسلمين ..لآ في تخلفنا وتأخرنا كما نراه اليوم..
تحدث في مقال رائع عن الحرية التي منحها الله للإنسان وكيف سلبت في أيآمنآ هذه تارة باسم الدين وتارة باسم السياسة وتارة باسم المجتمع وتقاليده البالية..

أؤمن بخث بأن قراءة أفكارة كتلك بغية تطبيقها وتأييد نقد بعض الأفكار البالية ستمهد لنا الطريق نحو رقي حاضري واصلاح اجتماعي إلى الأفضل بإذن الله

The Grand Design
Stephen W. Hawking
4/5


كتاب رائع لواحد من أعظم العقول البشرية، الفلكي وعالم الفيزياء النظرية البروفيسور ستيفن هوكينج. قام بكتابته مع الفيزيائي ليونار مالدينو.

في هذا الكتاب يعطي هوكينج لمحة سريعة عن تاريخ الكون (أو تواريخ الأكوان!). ويحاول الإجابة عى أسئلة طالما حيرت الفلاسفة والمفكرين منذ القدم:

*لماذا يوجد شيء بدلا من الـلا شيء؟
*لماذا نحن موجودون؟
*لماذا لهذا الكون مجموعة معينة من القوانين وليست قوانين أخرى؟
*كيف بدأ الكون؟ وهل نحتاج إلى إله لتفسير بدايته؟

يتطرق هوكينج في هذا الكتاب إلى شرح آخر ما توصل إليه الفيزيائيون من نظريات وأفكار حول نشأة الكون وكيفية عمله. ستتعرف على فيزياء الكم والأوتار الفائقة وعلى أكوان وأبعاد متعددة بطريقة سهلة وجميلة.

كتاب رائع رائع رائع أنصح الجميع بقراءته

The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again (Abridged)
J.R.R. Tolkien
4/5

One sixth of the way into the audio book I realized it was the abridged version.

The Hobbit is entertaining, and a real classic. As you go through it, you'll recognize many of its parts and elements are somewhat familiar. I think that's due to how much influence this book had on literature, fantasy, and videogames.

I'm planning to read the unabridged version sometime because I just love the atmosphere and the prose.

The book left me engrossed in its world, so I had to rewatch the Lord of the Rings movies.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

5 / 5

John Green was already one of my favorite authors before reading his books, I have heard so much good things about him and his books. Now, that I have read one of his books, I can say I have a solid reason for liking him. John Green successfully created this place of Culver Creek where you feel so familiar with the characters, I don't know whether it was the simplicity of his writing or of his story, either way, he was brilliant. To be honest, the book was a bit slow in the "Before" part but nevertheless, entertaining. I liked the "After" part more where they started to unravel the mystery of Alaska and made me think about my own life. The characters were endearing, especially Pudge, I loved his friendship with the Colonel. I can't say that I liked Alaska that much, there was a bit of exaggeration in his characters and she confuses me. I loved everything in this boarding school, I enjoyed the Old Man classes and I kinda have this image of the Eagle in my head. A new world, new people have sprung to life in my head and I think they will stay there as long as I lived.

Heyaaa =)




3/5