52 Books in 52 Weeks (2011) discussion

Book reviews for week 42-52!

Week 42


4/5, surprisingly!

I read this because a friend lent it to me and I felt obligated to, even though i don't usually read these type of books, and ended up really enjoying it! It was a fun, easy read with really likable characters and good humor :)

Week 42



النبي by Khalil Gibran

3.5/5


كتاب جميل جداً. اسلوبه في طرح خبراته وتجاربه في الحياة رائع. من الكتب التي لا يكفي أن تقرأها مرة واحدة فقط!

أشد المقطوعات التي أثارت إعجابي في الأبناء, العمل, الثياب, الصداقة والجمال.

"إان صديقك هو كفاية حاجاتك"

Bossypants by Tina Fey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Two words: Hilarious and interesting.
I think that I am one of the very few people who absolutely LOVED Tina Fey just by watching 30 Rock. She was my idol and this book of hers only confirmed it. It had highs and lows, but mostly highs, definitely. It was funny, personal, interesting, and a must-read for those who love 30 Rock since Tina dedicated a whole thick chapter to it. Oh, hey, guess what? 30 Rock was meant to be a hit show targeted to the "mainstream", and not only be appealing to a small crowd who "gets" it. But it's all alright now! Tina Fey loves her weird, quirky audience!

Will Minday Kaling's book top this one (as another female comedian)? We'll have to see.





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Napoleon in a Nutshell
Neil Wenborn

3/5

I read this as a follow up to the previous book on the French revolution.

Such an intriguing character.. Both his military and his civil legacy are fascinating..

I often wonder how European states were built and how they developed their democratic systems that can be quite complex at times. This book (along with the one on the French revolution) gave me a glimpse into how all that came to be. I feel now that I have an idea of the major events, I can go deeper into the two topics. But that won't happen till we finish this challenge!

Book: The Complete Persepolis
Author:Marjane Satrapi
Rating: 5/5


Persepolis is engaging from the first sentence. Such an incredible story about a time and a place that I don't know much about. I was left with a strong impression of how Iran (Persia), was once great, rich and cultured, and due to greed and conflicting ideals, it had fallen to a 3rd world state. The graphics were simple and expressive even though the writing in the comics were sometimes too small. I admire Ms. Satrapi and her family for their wisdom and courage.

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
3.5

I liked this although it got repetitive after awhile. I like Ruby and I can relate to her problems in high school, I think everyone goes through a situation like that at some point!

WEEK 43:



Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


If you've never heard of The Office, or... worse: don't even like it, DO NOT BOTHER reading this book.
Otherwise, go ahead. Mindy Kaling is so hilarious and honest. And reading her book after Tina Fey's Bossypants makes sense since she does refer to her a couple of times. They're from two different generations but since they are both comedy writers, you can clearly see how they intersect. Tina Fey is more my type and her book is much more detailed, but Mindy is fun and mean; and that makes them both great.

Also, this made me LOL:



I'm enjoying fun autobiographies lately. Maybe a bit too much. If you have any recommendations, drop them in the comment box!



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WEEK 44:



كخه يا بابا by عبدالله المغلوث

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


أقدر أختصر هالكتاب في نقطتين:

1- السعوديين سيئين.

2- السعوديين اللي في أمريكا أسوأ.



معظمها حكايات مبتذلة ومكررة وما أقدر أتصور كيف ممكن تغير أي شخص يقرأها أو تخليه يستوعب شيء جديد. الشخص اللي يتفق معه، ما رح يكون يسوي هالأشياء من الأصل، والشخص اللي ما يتفق معه، ما أتوقع وصل مرحلة من الوعي إنه يمسك كتاب ويقرأ. وفي ظني أن الكاتب نظرته للغربيين جداً مقدسة لهم وفي غير محلها. الأمثلة المذكورة في "حسن أخلاق الغربيين ونظرتهم الجميلة للحياة" ما أعتبرها شيء ممكن نتقدي به، هذا أعتبره سلوك طبيعي. تعمييم السلوك السيء على السعوديين، وتعمييم السلوك الجيد على الغربيين، يعتبر من العنصرية (وهي من الأشياء اللي نقدها الكاتب). نسى أن الغربيين هم من شكلّوا العدمية والتراجيديا والسادية، ونسى إنهم في بيئة جداً مختلفة ما تخلق نفس الشخصيات ولا نفس المسؤوليات.



ممكن أتحمل الكاتب لو أنه زميل لي أو مجرد شخص يحكي هذي السواليف بدل ما يكتبها ويرتبها ويزخرفها بالاقتباسات. حسسني إنه ماسك ورقة وقلم ويكتب:

بيت شعر يأيد كلامي؟ check‪.‬

مقارنة بين السعودي وبين الأمريكي/الكوري في نفس الموقف؟ check‪.‬

استخدام "نحن" بدل "أنا" أو "زملائي" أو "الناس اللي أعرفهم"؟ check‪.‬

ما فيه حل واضح للموضوع أو نظرة مميزة تجاهه؟ check‪.‬



قد تكون نظرتي قاسية شوي، ولكن ما كنت أتوقع الشيء الكثير. كنت أعرف إنها رح تكون سلسلة من المقالات اللي ممكن تنشر في مدوّنة أو غيرها. ومع ذلك، أعتقده مضيعة للوقت للشخص اللي كان في باله يطلع بشيء من الكتاب. تغيير الأشخاص ما يبدأ من نقدهم لأنه من أسهل الأشياء على الشخص إنه ينفي حقيقة أي شيء ينقال له من قبل شخص آخر ما يشوف أي شيء فيه إيجابي.



In general, I hate tacky books that provide a very narrow view of a complex and widespread problem, as if fixing that problem would be easy, and as if it would fix everything wrong in the world.





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WEEK 43

شغب
فيصل العامر

4/5

شريت الكتاب من معرض الكتاب لأن مالك نجر حدثني ان بعض حلقات مسامير مبنية عليه. شريته من باب الفضول ولمقارنة النص الأصلي مع الأعمال التي تبنته. قريت منه شيء بسيط إلي أن اشبعت فضولي وتركته جانباً.

بديت أقرأه فعليا الاسبوع الماضي، واستمتعت به حقيقةً. جزء من ذلك لأن الكاتب من جيلي، وبعض نصوصه هي ذكرايات لأحداث أو ظواهر عاصرتها وحتى نسيت بعضها. أعجبتني روحه المتسائلة في بعض الأحيان، والشك الكامن خلف بعض ملاحظاته عن عادات المجتمع وعلاقته وفهمه للدين.



WEEK 44:

More Napalm & Silly Putty: CD
George Carlin

4/5

Hilarious. Some parts appeared on some of his standup, yet I could not stop myself from screaming laughter. The array of themes that Carlin shines at appears clearly here: his philosophy, his observations, his take on contemporary language and euphemisms, and very silly jokes.

٣/٥

القصة تبدوا ممتعة ومثيرة للاهتمام لكنها طويله ومسهبه بشكل ممل .... اسهاب في الوصف و الحوارات

Week 43



ألزهايمر by غازي القصيبي

4/5


رواية ممتعة جداٌ, تتحدث عن مريض أصيب بمرض ألزهايمر

" إذا ذهب العقل ذهبت معه الكرامة "

WEEK 45:



This is a Book by Demetri Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


One piece of advice: do not read this in public. You'll look ridiculous.
It's so laugh-out-loud funny. I saw Demetri Martin a couple of years ago on YouTube and found him really funny/witty, and forgot about him till now.

READ IT!
If you have a weird sense of humor.
That is most entertained by elements of surprise.




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WEEK 46:



ملامح by زينب حفني

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



من خلال قرائتي لآراء الناس في هذه الرواية استنتجت إن أكثرهم ما أعجبتهم لأنها كانت "قذرة" و"سوداوية"، أنا كرهتها لسبب مختلف تماماً، كرهتها لأن حسيت الكاتبة تبغى شهرتها في إنها تتكلم عن أشياء تصدم المواطن السعودي التقليدي.
من وجهة نظري، ما كان فيه شيء يصدم وما أمانع وجود هالعوامل في أي رواية، ولكن وجودها في هالرواية كان جداً سيء وماله أي هدف.
أولاً، الشخصيات كلها كانت غبية - ممكن هذا المقصود - ولا تعاطفت معها ولا تفاعلت في أي نقطة من الرواية.
ثانياً، الكاتبة استهلكت الأسئلة البلاغية، لدرجة إن فيه فصل من الفصول يمكن فيه حول 15 سؤال كذا! وش دخلني بالتساؤلات حقت الشخصية؟ إذا كتابتك كانت سيئة لدرجة إنك ما تقدرين توصلين أحاسيس الشخصيات من خلالها لا تقومين تصفصفين علينا أسئلة عبيطة. "تُرى هل أشرب شاهي أم قهوة؟ تُرى هل سيؤثر ذلك على مجرى حياتي ويخليني أبيع جسدي لمدراء عشان يعطوني فلوس؟ تُرى..." خلاص أف. طيري. طفشتينا.
وبعدين مب واقعي أبداً إنه وحده تحقق كل أحلامها في الحياة من خلال بيع جسدها. الله لو إنها وشو.


البداية كانت جيدة ولكن أخذت الرواية مسار آخر ركيك ومبتذل، مشابه جداً للمسلسلات الخليجية الرديئة اللي يكثر فيها التراجيدي.

نفسي عفت عن الروايات السعودية للأبد، شكله.







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Week 44


The Help by Kathryn Stockett

5/5

Brilliant. One of the best I read this year. I loved the fact that the writer used the southern accent instead of a proper English. I cried and cheered and I just couldn't stop reading. A must read.

week 42
The White Tiger
by Aravind Adiga
4-5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17...


week 43
محاولة ثالثة
محمد الرطيان
5-5

http://www.goodreads.com/user_challen...

لاأعلم عن أي شيء أتحدث؟
عن تهكم عجزت أن أجد له شبيه ؟ أم عن سخرية لاذعة تجعلك تبتسم دائما؟
أم عن تبطين أجاد فنه باحترافية ؟ أم عن اختيار موفق لكل قضية طرحها مستخدما أياً من الأساليب التي سبقت.

كتاب ستستمتع بكل ماسُطر فيه ، سيحزنك واقع الحال ويُبهرك خيال الكلمات.
بودك لو بإمكانك إقتباس كل جملةٍ خُطت ففيها تجد الكثير من حكمة وحقيقة مهما بلغت مرارتها..

من أجمل اقتباسات الكتاب التي أُعجبت بها جدا
"الإسلام دين عظيم وقبل أن يكون وعدا لآخرة رائعة فيها الفوز بالجنة والنجاة من النار..هو مخطط ودستور لحياة رائعة ودنيا من العدل والرحمة والصدق والنزاهة والشرف ، وعندما ترى مجتمعا (مسلما) فيه كل هذا الخلل في العلاقات والاخلاق،والخروج عن القانون .. تصل إلى نتيجتين لاثالثة لهما :
إما أن هذا المجتمع لديه الكثير من الفهم الخاطئ لدينه ..
أو أنه "شبه مسلم" من الخارج ، وفي العمق هو أقرب إلى كائن مشوه لايدري إلى أين ينتمي


week 44
رجب طيب اردوغان : قصة زعيم
حسين باسلي ، عمر أوزباي
3-5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...

WEEK 47:



Zen to Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System by Leo Babauta

My rating: 2 of 5 stars




I would only recommend this to a person who has NEVER read a blog post or a book on how to be productive. Otherwise, you pretty much know all the stuff here. It emphasizes the simplification of your productivity system.



Since I have loads of tasks to do that have deadlines (from school), I have no problem being organized. I use the iPhone app iStudiez Pro for scheduling all school work/exams/courses/lectures...etc. That's it. No calendars, no notepads, nothing. But whenever the weekend comes and I need to do personal errands/tasks, things get messy. I am currently working on a project and I need to organize my time and be efficient and effective, which is why I read this book in the first place. A friend of mine recommended I use asana.com, and I am currently using it. It's great and easy to use. Let's hope I stick to it!



Best advice this book has:

Keep things simple.



If you're comfortable with a notebook and a pencil, use that only. Don't be attracted to constantly trying out new systems, since that will waste your time.



Set 1 goal a year, or 2-3 max, and don't set goals that you do not really want to achieve. That will only distract you from your real goals.




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Week 45




The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

4/5

It was really funny. Enjoyed it very much. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

WEEK 48:


Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Eh. Could have been better.
Somehow, MOST short stories almost never impress me. The concept is interesting: humanizing animals. Made me smile, but it's not laugh-out-loud funny.

Or maybe I just don't really like Sedaris.



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Week 47



واختفى كل شيء by Agatha Christie

4/5


أول رواية أقرأها لأغاثا كريستي, رواية رائعة مليئة بالغموض والتشويق. أبهرتني نهايتها فلم تكن متوقعة أبداً

Week 46



Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

5/5

Now this is one of the BEST books I have ever read. You can just start quoting from the first sentence.

Old texts are often hard to read but thanks to the explanatory notes at the end of this book it helped a lot.

The writing is just so witty and the words are beautiful you wonder why we don't use them any more. As for the characters, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy will always be one of my favorite fictional couples.

WEEK 49:

Herbs & Spices: The Cook's Reference by Jill Norman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars






THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER.

Okay.

THE BEST REFERENCE BOOK EVER!



Maybe it's because I have a major tomorrow, or maybe it's because I am actually interested in herbs and spices, but... I just read this book from cover to cover and helped my mom identify a couple of spices we have at home and a few awesome uses for them (Black cardamom? Yeah? Awesome Indian food awaits!)



This book is very, VERY, well researched, and quite accurate. You cannot go wrong by buying this, since it's also EXTREMELY BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED. The photography, the indexing... *sigh*. It's just beautiful in every imaginable way.



Now, what's in it?



Herbs.

And.

Spices.



Everything. About. Herbs. AND. Spices.

How to store, how to grow, what parts to use... etc.

And pictures.

Pictures everywhere.

Pictures of everything.





Sheesh just buy it already.







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Week 48



Bossypants by Tina Fey

4/5

I have no idea why I picked this audio book since I don't see SNL regularly and I haven't watched a single episode of 30 Rock! But it's Tina Fey, she's funny and I loved the title. I absolutely enjoyed it, it was funny and personal. I loved the part where she talked about her job at SNL. I think I'm going to start watching 30 Rock soon.

Week 43


3/5 stars, good but kind of slow in some parts. The ending was exciting and I liked the story

Week 44

3.5/5 addicting as always, and sad because its the last book in the Private series :( Can't wait to see what she writes next though

Week 45

4/5 Much better than I was expecting. It was a quick read but really entertaining and original

Week 46

4/5, rated for a kid's book, not the same 4/5 I would give a YA or adult book. Really good, I know I would have LOVED this when i was younger and read it over and over

Week 47

My best friend and I are rereading the entire SVH series, starting from the very beginning because we haven't read a lot of the earlier ones. Definitely outdated but still just as fun and a guilty pleasure

Week 42


Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am so glad I decided to pick up this book. I wanted something light after Lullaby, but at the same time interesting, and I really really love adapted fairytales, so I decided to give it a go. The fairytale adaptation was adept, wonderfully detailed, and true to the original story. The only gripe I have about the whole story is the lass's sudden shallow interest in the prince, but she's a likable enough character to have that overlooked.

All in all, good choice. I'm off to read the other titles the author has an offer, maybe it'll be as good!






Week 43:


Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Another fairytale retelling. Retelling, and not adaptation, because after reading a second book by Jessica Day George, I've realized that that's what she does. She takes the fairytales we grew up on, and spins them into a longer, lovelier, more detailed story than the original.

Needless to say, I loved this book. The story of the worn out dancing slippers was a favorite of mine, and to meet the princesses and the famous gardener who saved them and get to know what their personalities were like, was a good use of my time. I think I'm going to read Princess of Glass next, that's another fairytale favorite. And I can trust the author enough to keep true to tale.





I'm just going to keep adding to this post, if that's okay. So I don't cause clutter by multiple postings.

Week 44:

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm on a fairytal retelling binge, I know. It's just that they're so much fun! Anyway, this was not, as I had expected it, a retelling of the princess on the glass hill, but a story involving one of the sisters from Princess of the Midnight Ball, Poppy. It also has elements of Cinderella in the story. This book was more of a continuation of the author's series than a new spin on a known fairytale, which disappointed me, just a wee bit. Otherwise, I absolutely loved the book and all the characters.


Just an observation, though. I noticed somewhat that Jessica Day George starts out her stories ferocious enough, but somewhere towards the end everything becomes hunky-dory and the villain is vanquished with almost no effort. And people get married in pairs. Disconcerting, that. In each title I read by the author, at the end there's always two couples that marry. *shrugs*





Week 45:


Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I loved Goose Girl. Of all the retellings I've read, it's one of my favorite. But, for some reason, I was really hesitant to read this next installation in the series. So much so, I've had the book for a few months now and I didn't even take a peek.

Turns out, I was worrying for no reason. Great, great book! I almost like it even more than Goose Girl. The storyline was compelling, fast moving, and I could barely put the book down. I loved the ending, I like how the events aren't as clean cut and rosy tinted (after three Jessica Day George books, this was much appreciated), and I liked all the characters. Did I mention Finn? Finn is awesome.





Week 46:


Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This is a book? What I read was an impossibly tedious math essay starring the world's most pretentious Square. And by pretentious I really do mean pretentious. The Square is horrid.





Week 47:


Victorian Short Stories of Troubled Marriages by Various

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I picked this up because I liked the sound of the title. The short stories are well chosen, and on a whole I liked the collection. Extra points for the Sherlock Holmes story, I hadn't read that particular narrative before.





Week 48:


The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Enough mystery and political intrigue to keep me busy. Even though I sort of figured out whodunnit very early on. Also, this is the first novel I read in regards to Tuppence and Tommy, and I must say I like the duo. Another great Agatha Christie





Week 49:


The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Perfect execution of the crime, the writer had us guessing until the final minute. All the characters were interesting enough and the plot vividly detailed. I nearly gave it 3 stars, though, one star knocked off for the extremely irritating person of Mr. Hastings, but I decided to keep it in for M.Poirot. Hastings annoyed me to no end, the pretentious, puffed up, self-absorbed man. Hmpf.

PS. This is the first book in the Hercule Poirot series. I never knew.





Week 50:


Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I cannot, on the life of me, see how this is in any way a comedy.





Week 51:

The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book arrived today in the mail, much to my everlasting joy and happiness. And, I'm so glad it did, I nearly broke down and read Anna Karenina as a part of my 52 book challenge. Which would have taken forever, thus making me lose the challenge. But, I deviate.



This fairytale retelling of one of my favorite fairytales (okay, we can establish now that most of the Hans Christian Anderson tales are my favorites)of a beautiful girl who must stay silent to knit tunics for her brothers, who have been turned into swans by an evil enchantress. Of course, there are a lot of different points in this book, starting with the fact that there are only three brothers in lieu of six, and the book loosely follows the story, but it doesn't detract from the awesomeness of the narrative. And it was awesome. Nearly action-packed from start till end, so much so I couldn't drag my eyes away from the pages for anything. Mind you, it's quite an easy read, about two hours or so.



All in all, I loved this book. I like the recent chain of fairytale adaptations I seem to have going on, it's making me happy.

week 49

Slawter by Darren Shan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


this one like all the ones before it was wonderful it was intence and exciting and a definite page tuner.
loved every part of it.



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week 49

Mabel On The Move by Anne Mazer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


this is another very old book that i had bought so i thought id get it over with and read it was cute and fun and i liked the ending.



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انطوانيت
بالرغم ما في الكاتب من اخطاء املائية الا انها لم تشوه الرواية ..واستطاع الكاتب تحليل ادق المشاعر النفسية وتحليلها بشكل راائع لدرجة انك تندمج معها ولتشعر بذات الشعور لو كنت محل الشخصية ..وايضا يوضح نقلة عائلة بجوازية الى مستوى مادون الفقر وبسط رؤيته للمجتمع البرجوازي الذي لا يرحم ..جميلة جدا الرواية

Week 49



أبجدية القتلى by
Agatha Christie

4/5

رواية ممتعة جداً وكالعادة لم أشك بالقاتل أبداً !

Week 42

The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas G. Carr
Rating: 2/5

The idea is not new. The writer's approach was misleading (blurring out facts and relying on his own experiences more than doing actual work!). It lacks consistency and substance.
The book is okay.

---

لون حياتك by خالد المنيف

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


مرة كاااااان جميل او حمسني للمذاكرة او شجعني اني افرح.



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Week 43


Brain Droppings by George Carlin
Rating: 3/5

The usual. Carlin being hilarious and all. I find it hard to rate his books though. I recommend When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? over this one.

Week 44



2BR02B by Kurt Vonnegut
Rating: 3.5/5

A quick short Sci-Fi story about population control. Worth a read.

Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


this was a very beautiful book i loved it i devoured it and it had so much feeling it was just so lovely i cant explain the majority of how much i loved this book.



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Week 45



The Big Trip Up Yonder by Kurt Vonnegut
Rating: 3/5

It was okay. Not as good as Vonnegut other short stories thought.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

This book is genius. Its impact is so powerful, that after reading it in one sitting, I feel that I cannot breathe. I'm so nauseated that I cannot eat dinner. While I was reading it, I felt, yes, this is how the world is, no one ever listens. Everyone is concerned about themselves and nothing else.

This book describes its subject (kidnapped girl living with her molester) perfectly. But can you really love a book which makes you feel like there is no hope in this world? Which makes you curl up into a ball, and hold your hand against your mouth to stop the sobs?

I do not know how to rate this book.
But I do know that you should read it.

Week 50



موت في السحاب by Agatha Christie

4/5


ممتعة جداً

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

Week 51



A Weekend With Mr Darcy by Victoria Connelly

3.5/4

One of the reasons I picked up this book was because of the name Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy is absolutely one of my favorite fictional characters. It was about a Jane Austin conference and since I'm an Austin fan myself all the discussions about the books and the movie adaptations just got me hooked! It was funny and romantic.

Week 52



جريمة في قطار الشرق السريع by Agatha Christie

3.5/5

And I did it :D I read 52 books. This feels great :D

Week 52:

Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak by Marc Falkoff

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I want to cry. Of all the books I own, this one, a thin hardback of only 72 pages, is the most important, which is why I left it till the end of the challenge.



The poems between the covers may not be the best prose, but what they lack in literatal composition they make up with the strongness of their expressiveness. I loved every single piece, and with me not being a fan of poetry. It's loud, it's strong, and it's heartbreaking. My only gall with it is my need to read the poems in their original language. Translation took a lot of the magic the Arabic prose would have provided.



Read it. You have nothing to lose, certainly nothing what these men have lost already.





(ps. I didn't really like the introduction by Flagg Miller.)




And, I AM DONE! WOOHOOO! *dances*

Week 46


Life of Pi by Yann Martel.
Rating: 3.5/5

I liked the question Pi asks the two Japanese interviewers at the end, “Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals...And so it goes with God.”

This is a very interesting book. Very thought-provoking, especially at the end when you realize that this book can be interpreted in two different ways, and the interpretation is pretty much left up to the reader.

Week 47


The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Wilson Watts
Rating: 4/5

This book is indeed "A witty attack on the illusion that the self is a separate ego that confronts a universe of alien physical objects." It sort of shifts your prospectives and gives you a new look at the world.
A pretty interesting short read .

week 47
101 Helpful Hints for Ielts
by Garry Adams, Terry Peck
4-5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57...

week 48
The Witch of Portobello
by Paulo Coelho
4-5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81...

week 49
القراءة الذكية
ساجد عبدلي
2-5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29...

Week 50
شروط النهضة لمالك بن نبي
3-5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61...

week 51
المحافظون والإصلاحيون في الحالة الإسلامية السعودية
نواف القديمي
4-5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...


week 52
Beyond mere Christianity
By Brandon Toropov
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26...



I did, I read 52 books in 2011. I'm proud of me :)

YAAAAAAAAY! I AM DONE! :D

Week 50:

Rework by Jason Fried

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






This is a good book; not because the content is great, but because it opens up your mind to different possibilities and gives you the chance to trust yourself and your individuality in business more than other "business books" would allow. However, I did not like the snobby tone that basically told you "our way is the only right way". Ideal for those who like would like to keep their businesses small.

There were a lot of awesome things I came across while reading it but now I remember none. Hm, I wonder what that could mean.





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Week 51:

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




If I had to recommend one popular science book for children/teens to study in schools here, it would be this. It's absolutely amazing and mind-blowing how seemingly complex matters can be made to be understood so easily, by everyone.

Now, you might think that this book is for children/young adults only. Wrong. I knew almost everything mentioned in this book but I don't think I ever really truly understood it that simply before. It will clarify what you already knew and make it easier for you to explain it to others. Either way, it's a fun read and it is aesthetically pleasing. I think I'll purchase the hardcover version of this book (the one I have is from iBooks), and keep it in my shelf for future reference - or whenever I need to explain something to someone. I will also try to get my nieces/nephews to read it once they are old enough to understand.

The chapters include:
1- What is reality? What is magic?
2- Who was the first person?
3- Why are there so many different kinds of animals?
4- What are things made of?
5- Why do we have night and day, winter and summer?
6- What is the sun?
7- What is a rainbow?
8- When and how did everything begin?
9- Are we alone?
10- What is an earthquake?
11- Why do bad things happen?
12- What is a miracle?

The God Delusion might have been a disappointment, but this book made Richard Dawkins awesome again. I am truly impressed.






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Week 52:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



As a novel meant for young adult readers, this is good. Really good, in fact. I liked the scientific aspect in this book, but I absolutely hated the romance (it was shallow and unnecessary). Luckily, it was not the primary genre of the novel. Definitely a page-turner, and the pacing was perfect, in my opinion. The book had many different elements in it: mystery, ethics, philosophy, psychology, and many others. All were discussed VERY lightly, though, and I wish the author had gone a bit deeper. There were some REALLY interesting ideas that got me thinking, I'm not sure if they are original or not, but it's the first time I come across them.

I will be eagerly waiting for the sequel.

P.S.

I'M DONE WITH MY CHALLENGE!




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Week 48:


3/5

Love this series but this wasnt my favorite

Week 49:
2/5, decided that I don't like Lauren Myracles "innocent" books, couldn't relate to this and it felt too forced, plus annoying characters

Week 50:
2.5/5

The book that made me decide to not read anymore of Lauren Myracles books, it had promise at first then got insanely stupid

Week 51:
4/5

Loved the first one, loved the second one!

Week 52 (hell yeah!)

4/5, love zombie books and I really enjoyed this one. Liked the characters and it was well written for my taste, I like the casual dialog and stuff.

week 52
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


i have to say it definatly brings out the darker side of nicholas sparkes but i enjoyd it non the less and i especially loved the twists nd turnes.
but i was glued to it nd couldent stop reading it.



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week 52
أشيائي منظور آخر لعبقرية الأشياء by عبد الرحمن محمد القرشي

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


كان لا بأس عجبني كثير منو و كثير منو عادي



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Week 48


Beyond Lies The Wub by
Philip K. Dick
Rating: 4\5

A fine short story by the amazing Philip K. Dick. No matter how much advanced and civilized we think we are, when it comes to our survival, we're nothing but hartless predators.

Week 49


The Defenders by Philip K. Dick
Rating: 3\5


Another great fiction by a great author. I had high expectations for this one, but it was rather good.