52 Books in 52 Weeks (2011) discussion

Book reviews for week 12.

سراج
لـ رضوى عاشور
3/5

اعجبني سرد الحكاية ، كأنني بعد كل فصل أجد أحد القطع المفقودة لفك اللغز أو إتمام الرواية

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
3/5
Blink took me very long time to read for a book of its size! Its content is good, but its written in an academic way that induces boredom at a certain stage, and it gives the feeling that its repeating it self once and again.
But its also a well researched book, that supports theory with research and stories. It reminds us that its not only big things and deep thinking that matters,Small things are important too..

An over-rated book!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

The Lincoln Lawyer
By Michael Connelly
2/5
Eh, lots of cliche characters - nothing surprising in plot. Ordinary dialogue.

3/5

my review

Title: The Literary Pocket Companion
Author: Emma Jones
Rating: 4.00/5.00

Filled with a collection of interesting facts about famous books and authors, this book was really fun to read. All of the topic lists were limited to one page or less, so it was perfect for a quick dose of literary information.

This book is ideal to keep in your bag for those times when one finds themselves waiting and with a few minutes to spare.

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

The Apothecary's Daughter
4/5

This book was leagues better than Klassen's first book. One thing that I did not like was how Lilly dealt with the relationships with the men in her life. She just kept bouncing, emotionally, between three different men. I just kept screaming, "make up your mind!" Lilly was a strong woman but I felt she was very weak in this area. I really liked the characters and related with her struggles about her mother. Overall, very good.

Dead Until Dark
(Sookie Stackhouse 1) - Charlaine Harris
4.5/5

I would definitely give this 4.5 stars! I really really liked it! I have watched the first 2 seasons of True Blood and love it, so I figured I'd like the books. I didn't expect the first book to have pretty much everything that happened in the first season, but I'm kind of glad because I already knew a lot of the spoilers and they won't drag on in the books. I really like Charlaine Harris's writing, I laughed out loud so many times, which is rare for me in books. Also, this book is seriously sexy like the tv show is which is kinda fun! Definitely looking forward to the rest of the series :) I would highly recommend it!

To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
2/5

Okay I wanted to like this book. I really did. It dealt with the issues of racism, freedom, equality, human rights in the southern life. It didn't seem like an adolescent book to me at all. I found it a bit boring.. maybe i missed the wisdom within it.

Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women

5/5

This book has been very thoroughly researched. I wonder if Louisa herself knew all the information Harriet Reisen managed to fit into this book. Not only do you get a biography about Louisa Mae Alcott but there a several mini biographies about her family and friends. I really learned a lot.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

3/5.

I finished redaing The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.

Having already seen the movie I could totally relate to the characters and imagine the actors/actresses that played each character.

It was a very moving book about first love, family dramas and forgiveness.

I give it a 5 out of 5. Just loved it.

Title: Tuesdays With Morrie
Author: Mitch Albom
1\5
Meh.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Melanie wrote: "I finished redaing The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.

Having already seen the movie I could totally relate to the characters and imagine the actors/actresses that pla..."

I love that book! And I thought they did a good job with the movie too :)

4\5

كتاب جميل, و بسيط بأسلوب شفاف, استمتعت بقرائته.. الشخصيات كانت ثورية ومتعصبة لأفكارها.

a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80..." style="float: left; padding-right: 20px">The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It was pretty interesting I liked it truly it was fun to read.
And yeah it made me wanna read eclips again to.
And Fred was kinda funny.



View all my reviews

Kristina wrote:
Having already seen the movie I could totally relate to the characters and imagine the actors/actr..."

I agree, it was probably one of his best books into movies yet. All the others have been changed in some way.

Shayma, I really enjoyed that book too. I'd love to read more into the other characters like Diego and Fred.

The kite runner
By Khaled Hosseini
3/5

It took me a long time to finish reading this book because I don't usually enjoy these kind of books. But after I finished it I find it kind of fascinating although predictable. When I reached the end of the half, it was shocking and surprisingly a page-turner! I hated how Amir betrayed his bestfriend and simply turned his back on him! And didn't even apologized or stood there by him.. I liked how they keep saying "zendagi megzara" which means Life goes on. And I absolutely LOVES these 2 quotes:
"For you a thousand times over"
"Children aren't coloring books! You can't paint them with your favorite colors"

Overall, it was a good book!

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Cat's Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut
rating: 5/5

"See the cat? See the cradle?"

Oh my goodness! this is one of the best novels I've read in a long time. a light read with deep meanings and a lot of hidden messages!

Is it my favorite novel of all time? I don't know I heard Slaughterhouse-Five is even better!
I can't wait

recommended!

التسويق للجميع
by رءوف شبايك

5/5

خفيف بسيط مفهوم مختصر شامل شيق
أجزم أن شبايك طبّق مبادئ التسويق على كتابه :)

أنصح به جميع المهتمين بالتسويق ومن أراد أن يعرف شيئا عن هذا العلم
في نهايته قصص عن النجاح التسويقي لبعض المحلات والشركات محفزة جدا

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

***/5

"lovely but a little boring in parts"

my review

And Now You Can Go by Vendela Vida

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Did you know that the author of this book, Vendela Vida, is the wife of the author, Dave Eggers, and that those together wrote one of my most favorite feel-good films: Away We Go?
And that's the reason I picked it up! I have yet to read books by Dave Eggers.

I liked this book. It was generally okay, but I could see it being better as a film, since it had a lot of those short, "pointless" conversations that would make a lovely quirky film. I expected it to be better; however, I didn't regret reading it.



View all my reviews

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Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins
4 /5

" Liked the first book more and it kind of puts a high stander for the squeals , but the author did not fail to deliver a good sequel regardless.

The first part of the book was really boring for me felt more like a filler ! At points it was too much drama , more like exaggerating.


As you go along the action starts and it becomes more interesting . It has some unexpected twists and it was really intense . There were lots of high points .
Could not put it down till i finished it



The author has a creative imagination .
"

صور من الحياة
ثناء أبو صالح
2/5

قصص قصيرة تظهر زوايا "منسية" في مجتمعنا

ليس سيء

أفكار صغيرة لحياة كبيرة

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59...

5/5

The Catcher in the Rye
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51...
4/5

Jung: A Very Short Introduction
Anthony Stevens
3.5/5

Such an interesting character.

The book provided a good intro to Jung's life and work. Sometimes the book presented somewhat involved psychological analysis of Jung's psyche -- these weren't my favorite parts.

It was intriguing to learn that Jung looked at alchemy as a source of inspiration for his views on psychology and his method for analysis. I guess I was disappointed to learn this. I had hoped that his method (and psychology in general) would be a more scientific one. I couldn't see any authority for alchemy, and I found myself dismissing some of ideas because of this. It wasn't till the end of the book that this point got addressed.

Jung addressed this by pointing out what he called "the fallacy of scientism", and pointing out "Science comes to a stop at the frontiers of logic, but nature does not – she thrives on ground as yet untrodden by theory". This was quite an interesting point of view. And in its light, I find myself having to revisit these ideas that I earlier dismissed. Maybe there are things that can be better approached subjectively rather than with cold objective logic. Jung stressed inner introspection as a better way of understanding the psyche than experimental science. This is probably the insight that fascinated me the most. It is one I think I'm going to be examining for a while.


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

Machiavelli's The Prince: Bold-faced Principles on Tactics, Power, and Politics

If I could rate this book 6/5, I would with no hesitation. I honestly do not know where to begin on this review.

The Prince is a political philosophy book, of which Machiavelli portrays, through a number of chapters each themed accordingly, how to get in a position of power and how to maintain it. The chapters cover a lot of topics including types of principalities, how to govern a principality of which was acquired in different circumstances, the reputation of a prince, different characteristics such as liberality and meanness in a ruler, and those employed by the prince as consultants and servants. Sometimes, it gets into specifics, some chapters like "Concerning Auxiliaries, Mixed Soldiery, And One's Own", but I believe it's still beneficial in terms of concept.

I think the most appealing aspect of the book would have to be his outrageously radical statements on how a Prince can be successful. This is mainly in terms of how a Prince acquires a principality and how he retains it. In the beginning, I thought it was downright evil but throughout the book you see that some things just have to be done and this is what people in power are doing.

The version I have had end notes at each chapter which had a business/leadership application which I thought made it more relatable and interesting. I believe that the concepts in this book can be applied everywhere in life. In the end, especially with the political unrest around us, it really helps clarify and gives a better understanding on people in power's objectives and on why they do what they do.

My review.

Love Story by Erich Segal
4/5 Stars

It was beautifully written.Simple. Moving. Funny. A lump formed in my throat after finishing reading it.

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I chose this book to finish off a YA reading streak i have going on in which i'd promised myself to read nothing but fluff for a change. I think it's a side effect from all my finals, but I guess it beats staring at stupid shows on the TV:D

Anyway, in the course of two days, i've read....4, 5 books? Some were really good (Two Way Street, that's you), one was okay (Break up Bible), one was for children, and one i didn't even bother to finish (Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. Yes, you. you had so much going for you if it wasn't for your main chara- eh, this is already in another review). This one, however, was phenomenal. I was giddy when i finished it! Yes, folks, you heard right, giddy...

I won't talk about plot, because you get so wrapped up in the story you really don't focus on anything else. The characters are wonderfully three dimensional.. more than that, human. The main character was wonderfully witty (i was smiling at her retorts frequently) and substantial. as in, not whiny at all (you won't believe how many whiny protagonists exist in YA novels. really.) and i fell in love with her flawed love interest. because he was flawed. and dimpled:D

I really recommend this. I recommend it enough to have risked sending it to my picky friend (who says i have horrible taste in books. I do sometimes. this is not one of them)

So yeah. read it. and don't blame me if you end up smiling(^^_)





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أيام من حياتي
زينب الغزالي
٥/٤

هذا كتاب يذهل. يصدم، ويشد. كتابٌ يغير المفاهيم ويزلزل القناعات. وعلى الرغم من أن جميع كتب أدب السجون التي سبق لي قراءتها كانت عميقة التأثير، إلا أن الحقائق المرعبة التي فُصلّت في هذا الكتاب أظنها ستؤدي لتدعيم رأيي السيء أصلاً في عبدالناصر ونظامه. ولكني سأحاول أن أغلّب العقل على العاطفة لأقرأ قصة الطرف الآخر كمايقولون قبل أن أتخذ رأياً نهائياً، فجميع ماقرأتُ في هذه القضية خلال سنين حياتي الماضية كانت مكتوبة من الاخوان أو ممن يتعاطف معهم، ككتاب عبدالحليم خفاجي "عندما غابت الشمس" وكتاب سيد قطب "لماذا أعدموني" وغيرهما. لو كان لدى أي منكم معرفة بأي كتب أياً كان نوعها تشرح موقف ووجهة نظر عبدالناصر وجنوده في تلك الفترة، فياليت أن يفيدني بأسمائها مشكوراً.

هذا بالنسبة للمضمون، أما اللغة فهي، وياللأسف، أقل من عادية، وتتسم بالحدة والارتباك وتفتقر إلى اللمسة الأدبية. هو أقرب إلى يوميات غاضبة متناثرة صفت بدون مراجعة ولاتنقيح منه إلى كتاب سيرة ذاتية. وقد آلمني هذا كثيراً، فكتاب كهذا لو كتب بعناية أكبر أدبياً لغيّر الكثير الكثير

bit.ly/rdcqkR

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

2 / 5

The third and the final book of The Hunger Games trilogy was a huge disappointment to me. I was expecting a book that is filled with thrilling turn of events, more stronger characters and a REVENGE! I found the book is really dull, nothing made sense and what was wrong with Katniss?? It's just so stupid making her collapse every now and then, she could be involved in serious action, like going into battle with a strong head and well, or plotting to take over the Capitol, not just sitting around and be used whenever they wish. And after all of this, she is the face and the symbol of rebellion? It's just stupid. It took me a whole month to finish the book because I was in shock, I didn't expect after two books of excitement, this happens!

البروتوكولات واليودية والصهيونية

د.عبدالوهاب المسيري

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يشرح الدكتور في هذا الكتاب أسباب إنتشار البروتوكولات ويقوم بتفنيد تلك البروتوكولات مستشهداً بالمنطق والتاريخ.
هنا ينزع الهالة الغامضة عن نظرية المؤامرة المتمثلة في بروتوكولات حكماء صهيون،ويوضح الحقائق وراءها.
بداية كان أسلوبه يعتمد على التحقير نوعاً ما لطريقة كتابتها ولم أنسجم مع طرحه ولكن في منتصفه تقيرباً بدأت بإستساغة كلامه وحججه.

ضجيج الجسد
هيفاء بيطار
التقييم: 2/5


هذا الكتاب عبارة عن مجموعة من القصص القصيرة
الحقيقة هذا اول كتاب لهيفاء بيطار اجبر نفسي على قراءته، و ان اركض بين السطور بحثاً عن كلام او تعبير يشدني لاكمل من بعده قراءة كل قصة

احسست انني لم استفد الكثير من هذه القصص
اكثر قصة عجبتني هي خمرة الحزن
فيها يعاني رجل ثمانيني من جحود و عقوق ابناءه و بناته و ازواجهم
قصة اعتبرها واقعية تماما

اكثر ما يجعلني مستاءة من بعض قصص الكاتبة انها اباحية ، و تتطرق لتفاصيل ، عن نفسي انا لا احتاج ان اقرأها و لكن ما يجعلني اعود و ابحث عن روايات اخرى لها هو اسلوبها و استعاراتها و عباراتها الجميلة.

Hiii =)

Here is my book for week 12



5/5

I liked the book it was a good read, very interesting and a bit frightening at the same time.

Laylah =)