Alessia's second attempt at challenges (50 books)

[Alessia]

Ok, so seeing as last year Life decided to intrude and put itself between me and my goal, let's see what I can do this time...

I know I can do it, I know I am sometimes capable of reading one book in 1-2 days (or nights, more like), so even taking into account a couple of huge classics I absolutely want to read, this goal is not so far fetched.

First book read: 3 out of 5 stars

I quite enjoyed this book for the most part. It was well written and the different voices of the characters were quite distinguishable and believable. I also wasn't expecting the twist halfway through it, so I was pleasantly surprised. The ending was inconsistent and boring, though and it kind of ruined the whole thing for me, so three stars seemed fair. I'm looking forward to the film, since the author said she's going to change the end in the script.

[Kara]

Good luck with your goal, Alessia!

[Alessia]

Thanks Kara! I'm also planning on participating to the group's discussions more :)

[Alessia]

I've finished

(19/01/2014) 4/5 stars

and (finally!!!!!) (24/01/2014) 5/5 ... or even more if Goodreads let me. This goes straightly to my "favorites" shelf and it's one of those books that'll always stay with me, along with most of its characters.

On with White Teeth now

[Alison]

i just finished Les Mis too. i gave it 3 stars for having some unneccesary chapters (the sewer history) and for being a little long. other than that it was great!

[Alessia]

Yes! you're right, some of the chapters felt like and enormous amount of minute details, without any connections to the story. It was a heavy read and it took me a year to finish (I had to mix it with other books). Nonetheless, they were rich in beautiful passages and philosophical musings about different ideas, so I ended up liking them all the same. I think Hugo was trying to make a point about the corruption of present day Paris (his present day at least) in the chapter "The intestine of the Leviathan".

For example here" The sewer is the conscience of the city. Everything there converges and confronts everything else. In that livid spot there are shades, but there are no longer any secrets. Each thing bears its true form, or at least, its definitive form...
The sincerity of foulness pleases us, and rests the soul. When one has passed one's time in enduring upon earth the spectacle of the great airs which reasons of state, the oath, political sagacity, human justice, professional probity, the austerities of situation, incorruptible robes all assume, it solaces one to enter a sewer and to behold the mire which befits it.
So the sewers were probably some kind of metaphor. (of course I might be completely mistaken ;) )
The only part I really didn't like was the description of the battle of Waterloo, it felt like reading a report of a Risk! match, too many details for me.

[Alessia]

So... I've finished two other books: which I'd wanted to read for ages and absolutely loved (I gave it 5 stars). And even if it was written more than 10 years ago, it still felt so up-to-date with the issues everyone, me included, is discussing right now and dealing with concepts like identity, roots, race, nature vs nurture in such a profound yet humorous way.

The other book was . I liked this little book way more than I expected, even if one could feel the author trying really hard to be clever (like one of the character in the book itself), the way he made the reader reflect on death and loss wasn't commonplace or predictable at all. I found it strangely comforting.