Enduring Love by Ian Mcewan

Basic plot

A romantic picnic turns into a great tragedy within the blink of an eye and that was just the beginning. Little did Joe know that a chance encounter with a random event could trigger something deeper, darker and beyond his understanding. When things start spinning out of control, nobody believes him because he barely believes it himself.

Rating: 3.5

My full review here.

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

Basic plot

Mr Ali did not like being retired. It was boring. So he set up a marriage bureau. What better way to find the perfect match for people than to consult Ali's Marriage Bureau for Rich People. Especially since everyone has so many specific requirements. Yes, consulting Mr Ali was a sure way of finding the perfect spouse, even when you're not looking for one.

Rating: 4/5

My full review here. 

This book was lent to me by Mynie.

The Mission Song by John Le Carre

 

 

Basic plot 

Bruno Salvador is a zebra. Born from an errant white missionary and a black tribe chieftain's daughter, his very existence is miraculous. Working in London as a world-class interpreter with a flair for the numerous African languages and married to a high-born, successful journalist, he has almost shed his stripes. An unexpected call for an assignment for the British government soon finds him re-considering his life and loyalties. Thrown into the world of espionage, mystery, adultery and clandestine operations, he soon finds out whether zebras have the stripes to save Africa.

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

My full review here.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

 

 

Basic plot

A story of a boy born in America but spent his childhood in extreme poverty in bleak, desolate Ireland with his poor mother, always drunk father and ever growing and depleting little siblings. During a time when a slice of bread was considered a luxury, baby brothers drank water with sugar and the whole lane traipses through your kitchen to dump their excrement in the one common toilet. Frank McCourt's daily life is merely a battle to survive, the dreaded consumption, thrashings from relatives who are angry when his family asks for scraps of food and a father with the Irish curse of drinking what little money he manages to earn. 

Rating: 4.5/5

My full review here.

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

Basic Plot

This book was based on the true life story of the author's grandmother Lily Casey Smith. Lily was spunky, resourceful child who grew up to be a resilient and amazing woman. Despite having odds stacked against her, she managed to persevere and adapt to every imaginable situation. Breaking in wild horses, learning to drive an automobile and even a plane, also teaching kids in distant one-pony towns across the deserts. 

Rating 4.5/5

My full review here.

Thank you to Lydia for lending me this book.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Basic plot

Christopher John Francis Boone is brilliant at maths and physics but he just can't figure out people. Even animals are easier to understand. When he finds the next door neighbour's dog, Wellington, murdered with a pitchfork, he decides to emulate his favourite logical detective Sherlock Holmes and find the killer. What starts as a test of boundaries for this special 15 year old autistic teen turns into a truth seeking journey in a world he does not really understand.

Rating: 4/5

My full review here.

This book actually belongs to Lydia  who has been kind enough to lend me this book as part of her book swap project.  Siti has also posted a book swap list on her blog. I am delighted that there are book lovers out there who, like me, want to share our passion for reading with others.

A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hossaini

 

Basic plot

The story is set in Afghanistan and tells a tale of two girls, with lives so different and yet destined to be intertwined. Mariam is a "harami", an illegitimate daughter of a well-off cinema owner in Herat. By birth she is an outcast, though her optimistic nature fails to entrap her in the lowly stature that society had decreed for her. A tragic event sends her to Kabul, where life only gets harder. Laila is a carefree girl of cultured parentage who spends most days with her best friend Tariq. Soon, their playground turns into a war-zone and Laila loses everything only to find strength in someone who has carried more than her fair share of burdens.

Rating: 4/5

My full review here.

This book actually belongs to Siti who has been kind enough to lend me this book as part of her book swap project. Lydia  has also posted a book swap list on her blog. I am delighted that there are book lovers out there who, like me, want to share our passion for reading with others.

First Impression || The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

Blurb:

Chrisptopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the colour yellow.

Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, fifteen-year-old Christopher is autistic and everyday interactions have little meaning for him. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbour's dog, Wellington is killed and his carefully constructed universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favourite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is deeply funny, poignant, and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally.

It was 7 minutes after midnight. -1st line

The Cover:

The cover is very simple, orange in colour and has the shape of an upside down dog in the centre. A curious cover for a curious book. Clever!

The Story:

This book actually belongs to Lydia  who has been kind enough to lend me this book as part of her book swap project. This book won a Whitbread Award. As usual she picked it out for me, so far I am enjoying it. Perhaps not a book I would have picked out on my own, am thankful that swapping books have made me more open to different genres.

Advanced rating: 4/5

First impression was initially thought of by CJ on his blog Coffee N Crackers.

Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones

 

Basic plot

Matilda is a 13 year old girl who lives in a remote island ravaged by war. Her only constants are an overbearing mother and an eccentric self-appointed teacher, Mr Watts, who introduces her to Pip. By reading aloud from Charles Dicken's classic novel Great Expectations, this strange white man, sparks a change in the community of which he is an outcast. As her life becomes more uncertain and perilous, Matilda takes comfort in a world so different from her own but draws strength and parallels from this great literary masterpiece. Souls are awakened, imaginations ignited but horror also looms in the future.

 

Rating: 4/5

My review here.

This book actually belongs to Lydia  who has been kind enough to lend me this book as part of her book swap project. Siti has also posted a book swap list on her blog. I am delighted that there are book lovers out there who, like me, want to share our passion for reading with others.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Basic plot 

Amir is a privileged Pashtun boy always living in the shadows of his impressive father. By his side is his loyal friend Hassan, a poor Hazara boy. Life in 1970s Afghanistan was good, filled with endless summers of climbing trees and winters of kite flying. His childhood was idyllic until the unspeakable happened one grey winter's day in 1975. Ripped by Russian occupation and torn by the Taliban oppression, Amir and his father fled to America to build a new life. Haunted and riddled with guilt, a long-distance phone call from his past catches up with him.

My full review here.

This book actually belongs to Siti who has been kind enough to lend me this book as part of her book swap project. Lydia has also posted a book swap list on her blog. I am delighted that there are book lovers out there who, like me, want to share our passion for reading with others. (My book list is at the Book Club).

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

 

Basic plot

In his quest to fulfill his Personal Legend, young Santiago left the seminary to become a shepherd who would subsequently leave his flock in search of treasure at the Pyramids. His journey takes him from Spain’s scenic rural countryside to the harsh deserts of Egypt. Along the way he meets a gypsy, a king, a crystal merchant, an Englishman and finally the Alchemist himself. A great man who possesses The Philosopher’s Stone and The Elixir of Life. At the end of his journey to fulfill his Personal Legend is a rare insight into the Soul of the World.

 

Rating: 3.5/5

My full review here.

This book actually belongs to Siti who has been kind enough to lend me this book as part of her book swap project. Lydia has also posted a book swap list on her blog. I am delighted that there are book lovers out there who, like me, want to share our passion for reading with others. (My book list is at the Book Club).