52 Books in 52 Weeks (2011) discussion

Book reviews for week 33.

By a Spider's Thread by Laura Lippman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






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Ok but not brilliant

The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars






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Excellent as always. One of the best authors in the genre.

A Place Called Here by Cecelia Ahern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


this was a fun and diferrent to what i normaly read book and i really enjoyd it it was fun and maysiriouse and i really enjoyd reading it.



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Eh it was just okay. I liked some of the story but it was a little too weird at other points. I think it'd make a great movie though!

2.5/5 stars

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Rating :4/5

It was so much fun reading these books. The Lion, The The Witch and The Wardrobe was my favorite! I think I read it twice.
The movies are a bit boring, I prefer the books.

The Pigeon by Patrick Süskind

My rating: 4 of 5 stars






The Pigeon goes through the psychological aspect of an old man's journey which starts when he, being used to his daily routine for 20~ years, is shocked by the presence of a pigeon outside his apartment. This tiny "event" changes his life. It is a truly deep, rich read, yet it is very simple to go through. It's actually easier to read than most contemporary, considered easy, novels. Suskind is an incredibly talented writer that can make you understand the most complex human emotions just by using a few simple words. I hate descriptive, wordy novels; yet I very much enjoyed Suskind's descriptions of normal, everyday things/emotions in this little novella; it is SO good that it actually distracts you from reading for a bit. I very much recommend it for those who like the works of Albert Camus and Kafka, and mildly interested in psychology/philosophy.





For those who aren't familiar with Suskind, you might have seen the film 'Perfume', if you haven't: don't. Read the book.



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سلمان العودة من السجن إلى التنوير
تركي الدخيل
4/5
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10...

من الكتب التي سارعت لاقتنائها من معرض الكتاب وأجلت قرائتها حتى انهي بقية الكتب.. لكني بعد أن قرأت "طفولة قلب" كنت أحتاج أن أقرأه لأجيب عن جميع تساؤلاتي ولأكشف الكثير من غموض العودة في "طفولة قلب".
قرأته وأجُيبَت تساؤولاتي السابقة،، عرض الاستاذ تركي الدخيل للتحول الفكري لسلمان العودة واستعانته بأمثلة من خطابه القديم تجعلنا جميعا نتسائل بيننا وبين أنفسنا "من نحن؟!" "كيف كنا؟" و" كيف نحن الآن"
التغيير سنة من سنن الحياة ولم ينكرها شيخنا بل أقرها "كمراجعات" وليس " كتراجعات".. ك ضرورة من ضرورات العيش في هذا الكون الذي يتغير أمامنا في كل لحظة..
في رأيه عن الإرهاب والجهاد والأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر ،تجديد الخطاب الديني ، المرأة والحرية أقوال جميلة بحق تستحق القراءة مرات ومرات..

مما اقتبسته من هذا الكتاب وأعجبني

"لابد من خطاب ديني واعٍ يقظ ومعاصر وملتزم ومنضبط في نفس الوقت، يستطيع أن يصنع هذه النهضة ويرعاها ويدفعها ويُخرج الأمة من هذا التيه وهذا الدورات الذي تدور فيه حول نفسها دون أن تستطيع الخروج من هذه المآزق"

"إن التجديد مرتبط أصلا بالفكر، والتجديد هو تجديد الفكر ولأن السلوك هو أثر عن التفكير فأعتقدد أن سلوك الإنسان في الغالب هو أثر عن تفكيره ، فالتجديد يعتمد على الفكر ،تجديد الوسائل، وتجديد اللغة ،لكن هناك تجديد المحتوى ، تجديد الطرح الذي يتناوله الإنسان"

"علينا أن لانعتقد أن كل الأفكار الصحيحة المرتبطة بالحياة أو الدين قد قيلت، بل هناك حراك فكري وتجدد بالتقاط الأفكار الصحيحة والجميلة وتوظيفها بشكل إيجابي"

Way Station
Clifford D. Simak

4/5

Way Station is a great example for why I love scifi. It's the type of story that introduces you to a new world of possibilities, and then examines them in a satisfying way, all the while narrating a captivating story.

Kid's book, but, it counts :D

The Two Abdullahs by Denys Johnson-Davies

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


My mother bought this book for my six-year-old brother, who, incidentally, is named AbdAllah, and I decided to pick it up. The stars are mainly for the awesome artwork. The story itself was exceptionally meh, and I was quite disappointed, as I'd read a previous book for Denys Johnson-Davies that I'd loved as a kid (Tales from an Arab Past).

The original story has a lot more color and flavor than the author's adaptation, and throughout the book I felt like something was lacking. Especially in the end, when the story came to an abrupt finish. I don't know. I'd really wished I'd like it a lot.



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What Makes Us Human?
By Charles Pasternak
Rating: 4/5

What makes us human?
In this book, a group of experts try to answer that question. Is it mind, language, culture and religion, our ability to cook and reason, or is it some thing else intirely. The book doesn't give a definite answer, but the essays themselves are very interesting and satisfying.
I disliked a couple of chapters due to scientific inaccuracy.
A pretty good read!