Read in December

This book had two novels by Agatha Christie: Sad Cypress and Poirot's Early Cases

Death Note - Vol. 1 - 3

I’ve only read the first three volumes of this series and so far I’m really enjoying it!

At first this might come across as a simple story, that’s just there to entertain us but I think it’s more than that. Light (the main character) is intriguing, complex, incredibly smart and has a very particular sense of justice; his idea of creating his own utopia is something that I had never seen on another story.  Even L – just as smart and intriguing as Light – is a really captivating character, especially given his quirks and how he analyses facts.

Of course this series raises some moral questions – what’s right or wrong, the implications of having the power to decide who gets to live or not, among others – but I believe that’s what makes the story a lot more rich and captivating.

It’s incredibly addictive – as soon as I finished one, I would start the next one right away! I strongly recommend this series.

5 out of 5 stars

The Time Machine

This was the second time I tried to read this book and, fortunately, this time around I managed to finished it – actually I read it rather quickly. I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi books but I thought I ought to read this one since it’s considered a classic within this genre.

I liked the first 20 pages of the book because the story seemed more dynamic at this point; there was more interaction between the characters and I liked how we were introduced to the concept of time travelling. However, I can’t say the same about the rest of the book; I didn’t enjoy the writing style – too descriptive -, it became a bit boring and difficult, at times, to keep a certain level of interest on the book.

Reading this book ended up feeling more like a duty; I didn’t enjoy it that much but I kept reading because it had been sitting on my bookshelf for years and I just wanted to read it so I could finally take it out of my to be read pile.

3 out of 5 stars

El Tiempo Mientras Tanto

I had never read anything from this author - actually, I had never heard of Carmen Amoraga - but when I was at the bookstore I decided to pick this up; it seemed like a light read.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book because I didn't expect t get so caught up on its story! The writing style is really simple, we are always dealing with the same small group of characters and it didn't dwell over details that didn't mater to the story.
What I also liked was the fact that it was focused on a character that actually didn't interact (at least directly) with the others throughout the story - she was on a vegetative state and at the verge of dying; what was really interesting about her story (Maria José) was how she had made such a great impact on other people's lives, even though she didn't seem like the type of person who would have such an ability.

4 out of 5 stars

Quote of the Week #7

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

 

 C.S. Lewis

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I just finished reading this book and have to tell you, I feel the urge to pick up again and reread it! Yes, this book is that good!

I loved the fact that we were reading the letters written by Charlie and that we got to understand how he saw the world, his perspective and how he dealt with issues that at the age of fifteen mean the world to us. Charlie is definitely a special character; he's naive and true to himself  and even though he was exposed to a lot of things - sex, drugs, alcohol, among others - he always remained genuine and didn't become a completely different person. I also liked his relationship with Bill, his English teacher, and how important books and reading were to him during his journey on this book.

I really enjoyed the fact that it was about real people and that it was the kind of story that dealt with a lot of the issues that we have to deal with throughout our teen years (mostly); it made the story a lot more realistic.

This book was everything I was expecting it to be and more! It captivated me, it fascinated me, it made me laugh, it made me think ... overall, it was intense! A must read! 

5 out of 5 stars

Perfect Chemistry

“Two different worlds. One true love”

After reading this and seeing the cover of this book I kind of knew what I was getting myself into. I knew this was going to be the typical love story between two teenagers that belonged to different and never should have fallen in love with each but, surprise surprise (or not) …. they did!

I’ll admit, the book was entertaining and I couldn’t put it down; I flew through the pages and I actually delayed all the work I had to do just to finish the book. Yes, it’s incredibly cheesy and it’s filled with all the clichés that we’ve all grown to love but sometimes we just need to read something like that. There were times I said to myself “Oh God, I can’t believe you used that cheesy line!” but I just couldn’t put the book down!!

It’s not brilliantly written and the characters aren’t that special but this is like when you’re on a diet but you’re really craving for chocolate or candy – you know  you shouldn’t  and that there are better options but you just can’t help yourself and you pick it up any way because you know you’re going to enjoy it!!

4 out of 5 stars