Aya's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 03 Apr 2025 06:45:33 -0700 60 Aya's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg My Sister, the Serial Killer 38819868
My Sister, the Serial Killer is a blackly comic novel about how blood is thicker - and more difficult to get out of the carpet - than water...]]> 226 Oyinkan Braithwaite 0385544235 Aya 0 to-read 3.65 2018 My Sister, the Serial Killer
author: Oyinkan Braithwaite
name: Aya
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Perks of Being a Wallflower]]> 22628 offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see
what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being A WALLFLOWER

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

(back cover)]]> 213 Stephen Chbosky Aya 0 currently-reading 4.24 1999 The Perks of Being a Wallflower
author: Stephen Chbosky
name: Aya
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Bell Jar 6514 294 Sylvia Plath 0571268862 Aya 0 currently-reading 4.05 1963 The Bell Jar
author: Sylvia Plath
name: Aya
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1963
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[American Gods (American Gods, #1)]]> 18161930 Alternate cover edition of American Gods

Days before his release from prison, Shadow's wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You'll be surprised by what - and who - it finds there...

This is the author's preferred text, never before published in the UK, and is about 12,000 words longer than the previous UK edition.

]]> 722 Neil Gaiman Aya 0 to-read 4.07 2001 American Gods (American Gods, #1)
author: Neil Gaiman
name: Aya
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sans Famille 3773804 95 Christine Ferreira 2011552834 Aya 4 4.26 Sans Famille
author: Christine Ferreira
name: Aya
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/03/14
shelves:
review:

]]> La classe 18758586 George Keller, profugo dell'Ungheria, vuole essere il numero uno all'Universit¨¤ e nella nuova Patria. Nessuno conosce il segreto che si cela nel suo passato: un segreto che gli frutter¨¤ la protezione di Kissinger e gli far¨¤ prendere il suo posto alla Casa Bianca. Cinque uomini con diversi talenti, diverse estrazioni, diversi sogni. Chi di loro poteva sapere quanto sarebbe cambiato il mondo negli anni turbolenti che seguirono il 1958? E chi di loro avrebbe potuto dire, alla soglia del venticinquesimo anniversario di laurea: 'la mia vita ¨¨ andata come speravo che andasse?' Al di l¨¤ dei singoli destini, rivivono in questo ampio spazio, fatti, uomini mode e costumi di un quarto di secolo particolarmente emblematico.]]> 657 Erich Segal Aya 0 currently-reading 3.57 1985 La classe
author: Erich Segal
name: Aya
average rating: 3.57
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)]]> 15881
And strike it does. For in Harry¡¯s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls¡¯ bathroom. But then the real trouble begins ¨C someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects¡­ Harry Potter himself!]]> 352 J.K. Rowling Aya 0 unfinished 4.42 1998 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Aya
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life]]> 28257707 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062457738

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, we¡¯ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let¡¯s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn¡¯t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is¡ªa dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let¡¯s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited¡ª"not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault." Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.]]> 212 Mark Manson Aya 0 unfinished 3.87 2016 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
author: Mark Manson
name: Aya
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Under the Duvet: Shoes, Reviews, Having the Blues, Builders, Babies, Families and Other Calamities]]> 165032 Sushi for Beginners and Angels comes a collection of personal essays on shopping, writing, moviemaking, motherhood and all the assorted calamities involved in being a savvy woman in the new millennium.

Her novels are read and adored by millions around the world, and with Under the Duvet, Marian Keyes tackles the world of nonfiction. These are her collected pieces: regular bulletins from the woman writing under the covers.

Marian loves shoes and her LTFs (Long-Term Friends), hates realtors and lost luggage, and she once had a Christmas office party that involved roasting two sheep on a spit, Moroccan-style. She's just like you and me ...

Featuring a wide compilation of Marian's journalism from magazines and newspapers, plus some exclusive, previously unpublished material, Under the Duvet is bursting with funny stories: observations on life, in-laws, weight loss, parties and driving lessons that will keep you utterly gripped -- either wincing with recognition or roaring with laughter.]]> 315 Marian Keyes 0060562080 Aya 0 unfinished 3.55 2001 Under the Duvet: Shoes, Reviews, Having the Blues, Builders, Babies, Families and Other Calamities
author: Marian Keyes
name: Aya
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution]]> 18490563
In Headscarves and Hymens, Eltahawy takes her argument further. Drawing on her years as a campaigner and commentator on women's issues in the Middle East, she explains that since the Arab Spring began, women in the Arab world have had two revolutions to undertake one fought with men against oppressive regimes, and another fought against an entire political and economic system that treats women in countries from Yemen and Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya as second-class citizens. Eltahawy has traveled across the Middle East and North Africa, meeting with women and listening to their stories.

Her book is a plea for outrage and action on their behalf, confronting the toxic mix of culture and religion that few seem willing or able to disentangle lest they blaspheme or offend. A manifesto motivated by hope and fury in equal measure, Headscarves and Hymens is as illuminating as it is incendiary.]]> 240 Mona Eltahawy 0865478031 Aya 0 unfinished 4.15 2015 Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution
author: Mona Eltahawy
name: Aya
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us]]> 119730 236 Robert D. Hare 1572304510 Aya 0 unfinished 4.06 1993 Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us
author: Robert D. Hare
name: Aya
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> Dans le jardin de l'ogre 23212234
Mais cette nuit, elle en a r¨ºv¨¦ et n'a pas pu se rendormir. Un r¨ºve moite, interminable, qui s'est introduit en elle comme un souffle d'air chaud. Ad¨¨le ne peut plus penser qu'¨¤ ?a. Elle se l¨¨ve, boit un caf¨¦ tr¨¨s fort dans la maison endormie. Debout dans la cuisine, elle se balance d'un pied sur l'autre. Elle fume une cigarette. Sous la douche, elle a envie de se griffer, de se d¨¦chirer le corps en deux. Elle cogne son front contre le mur. Elle veut qu'on la saisisse, qu'on lui brise le cr?ne contre la vitre. D¨¨s qu'elle ferme les yeux, elle entend les bruits, les soupirs, les hurlements, les coups. Un homme nu qui hal¨¨te, une femme qui jouit. Elle voudrait n'¨ºtre qu'un objet au milieu d'une horde, ¨ºtre d¨¦vor¨¦e, suc¨¦e, aval¨¦e tout enti¨¨re. Qu'on lui pince les seins, qu'on lui morde le ventre. Elle veut ¨ºtre une poup¨¦e dans le jardin de l'ogre."

Prix litt¨¦raire de la Mamounia 2015]]> 215 Le?la Slimani 2070146235 Aya 0 unfinished 3.61 2014 Dans le jardin de l'ogre
author: Le?la Slimani
name: Aya
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration]]> 42867903 Economist Bryan Caplan makes a bold case for unrestricted immigration in this fact-filled graphic nonfiction.

American policy-makers have long been locked in a heated battle over whether, how many, and what kind of immigrants to allow to live and work in the country. Those in favor of welcoming more immigrants often cite humanitarian reasons, while those in favor of more restrictive laws argue the need to protect native citizens.

But economist Bryan Caplan adds a new, compelling perspective to the immigration debate: He argues that opening all borders could eliminate absolute poverty worldwide and usher in a booming worldwide economy¡ªgreatly benefiting humanity.

With a clear and conversational tone, exhaustive research, and vibrant illustrations by Zach Weinersmith, Open Borders makes the case for unrestricted immigration easy to follow and hard to deny.]]> 248 Bryan Caplan 1250316960 Aya 0 unfinished 4.09 2019 Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration
author: Bryan Caplan
name: Aya
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing]]> 4750359
? The best piercings and placements for various body parts and body types
? Terminology, tools, and techniques of the trade
? Vital sterility, sanitation, and hygiene information
? Jewelry designs, shapes, and materials
? Advice for people with stretch marks, plastic surgery, and unique anatomy
? Healing, aftercare, and troubleshooting for problem-free piercing

"As a piercer, nurse, and educator, I can say without a doubt that this is the most complete book ever written for all people in our industry."
--DAVID A. VIDRA, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF HEALTH EDUCATORS, INC.

"No one is more qualified to write this book than Elayne Angel. With more than three decades of personal experience to her credit, no one knows the subject better."
--JIM WARD, FOUNDER OF GAUNTLET, THE WORLD'S FIRST BODY PIERCING STUDIO

"This is an exciting book for a field that has exploded in the last two decades.
National industry standards are needed, and Elayne provides important data."
--MYRNA L. ARMSTRONG, RN, EdD]]> 320 Elayne Angel 1580911935 Aya 0 unfinished 4.45 2009 The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing
author: Elayne Angel
name: Aya
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> The Sun Is Also a Star 28763485
Daniel: I¡¯ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents¡¯ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store¡ªfor both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?]]> 344 Nicola Yoon 0553496689 Aya 3 3.96 2016 The Sun Is Also a Star
author: Nicola Yoon
name: Aya
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2021/08/01
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves:
review:
Definitely one of the cheesiest reads I've had in a while. Teenage me might've rated it higher, 24 year old me mostly read it out of her deep need to get out of her seemingly never-ending reading slump :( desperate times call for desperate acts y'all.
]]> <![CDATA[The Piercing Bible, Revised and Expanded: The Definitive Guide to Safe Piercing]]> 56685861 Everything you need to know about ear,?face, and body piercings¡ªfrom how to find a?skilled?professional piercer?to best practices for safe healing and optimal results. ? ¡°As a piercer, nurse, and educator, I can say without a doubt that this is the most complete book ever written for all people in our industry.¡±¡ªDavid A. Vidra, founder and president of Health Educators, Inc.Piercing expert Elayne Angel has performed over 50,000 piercings since the 1980s and has pioneered many placements, including tongue piercing and the triangle, lorum, and other genital piercings. Her authoritative and groundbreaking guidebook has been the definitive resource on body piercing since its publication in 2009.Many people are unaware of the elevated risks of getting pierced at a mall kiosk, by an untrained tattoo artist, or by a novice piercer; a skilled professional is necessary for safety and optimal results, whether piercing the ear, nose, or elsewhere. This?revised and expanded edition?is the only comprehensive reference book available to help?you?navigate the entire piercing process.?It contains new illustrations, diagrams, and photos, along with fully updated information,?????The best piercings and placements for various body parts and body types???Terminology, techniques, and tools of the trade???Vital sterility, sanitation, and hygiene information???Jewelry designs, sizes, materials, and quality???Piercing aftercare and troubleshooting advice for successful healing???How to become a piercer, piercing?throughout history and?in modern culture, and the future of body piercingThe Piercing Bible, Revised and Expanded, includes essential medical and technical updates, as well as refreshed illustrations and jewelry photography, to reflect today's standards and best practices for safe, professional piercing.]]> 380 Elayne Angel 1984859331 Aya 5 books-to-reread 4.42 The Piercing Bible, Revised and Expanded: The Definitive Guide to Safe Piercing
author: Elayne Angel
name: Aya
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2021/10/01
date added: 2021/10/25
shelves: books-to-reread
review:
In this industry it's hard to find viable information, so I'm grateful for Elayne's existence, her initiative and altruism. It made the job much easier for most piercers who haven't necessarily had the priviledge of getting a proper apprenticeship. Great read, definitely recommend to piercers and piercees alike!
]]> Beneath a Scarlet Sky 37642916 An alternate cover edition for ASIN B01L1CEZ6K can be found here.

Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man¡¯s incredible courage and resilience during one of history¡¯s darkest hours.

Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He¡¯s a normal Italian teenager¡ªobsessed with music, food, and girls¡ªbut his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.

In an attempt to protect him, Pino¡¯s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier¡ªa move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler¡¯s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich¡¯s most mysterious and powerful commanders.

Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.

Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love.

]]> 525 Mark T. Sullivan Aya 0 to-read 4.56 2017 Beneath a Scarlet Sky
author: Mark T. Sullivan
name: Aya
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Richest Man in Babylon 1052
The Success Secrets of the Ancients¡ª
An Assured Road to Happiness and Prosperity

Countless readers have been helped by the famous ¡°Babylonian parables,¡± hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift, financial planning, and personal wealth. In language as simple as that found in the Bible, these fascinating and informative stories set you on a sure path to prosperity and its accompanying joys. Acclaimed as a modern-day classic, this celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of¡ªand a solution to¡ªyour personal financial problems that will guide you through a lifetime. This is the book that holds the secrets to keeping your money¡ªand making more.

The Richest Man in Babylon
Read it and recommend it to loved ones¡ª
and get on the road to riches.

MORE THAN TWO MILLION BOOKS SOLD]]> 194 George S. Clason 0451205367 Aya 0 to-read 4.25 1926 The Richest Man in Babylon
author: George S. Clason
name: Aya
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1926
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Culture Centers in Higher Education]]> 7365667 230 Lori Patton 1579222323 Aya 0 to-read 3.94 2010 Culture Centers in Higher Education
author: Lori Patton
name: Aya
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Twelve Years a Slave 18478222 363 Solomon Northup 0989794806 Aya 0 to-read 4.21 1853 Twelve Years a Slave
author: Solomon Northup
name: Aya
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1853
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Schindler¡¯s List 375013 Thomas Keneally's Booker Prize-winning novel recreates the story of Oskar Schindler, an Aryan who risked his life to protect Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland, who conrinually defied and outwitted the SS, and who was transformed by the war into an angel of mercy. It is an unforgettable tale, all the more extraordinary for being true.]]> 429 Thomas Keneally 0340606517 Aya 0 to-read 4.34 1982 Schindler¡¯s List
author: Thomas Keneally
name: Aya
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1982
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tattooist of Auschwitz (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #1)]]> 38359036 T?towierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism¡ªbut also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov's experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.]]> 272 Heather Morris 006287067X Aya 4 4.32 2018 The Tattooist of Auschwitz (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #1)
author: Heather Morris
name: Aya
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/09
date added: 2020/02/09
shelves:
review:

]]> The Light-House 20424774 The story is told as a series of diary entries, the first being New Year's Day, 1796. The setting is somewhere near Scandinavia, possibly in the Norwegian Sea.]]> 2 Edgar Allan Poe Aya 0 3.48 1849 The Light-House
author: Edgar Allan Poe
name: Aya
average rating: 3.48
book published: 1849
rating: 0
read at: 2020/02/09
date added: 2020/02/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ]]> 26329
Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our ¡°two minds¡±¡ªthe rational and the emotional¡ªand how they together shape our destiny.

Drawing on groundbreaking brain and behavioral research, Goleman shows the factors at work when people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do surprisingly well. These factors, which include self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy, add up to a different way of being smart¡ªand they aren¡¯t fixed at birth. Although shaped by childhood experiences, emotional intelligence can be nurtured and strengthened throughout our adulthood¡ªwith immediate benefits to our health, our relationships, and our work.?
?
The twenty-fifth-anniversary edition of Emotional Intelligence could not come at a better time¡ªwe spend so much of our time online, more and more jobs are becoming automated and digitized, and our children are picking up new technology faster than we ever imagined. With a new introduction from the author, the twenty-fifth-anniversary edition prepares readers, now more than ever, to reach their fullest potential and stand out from the pack with the help of EI.]]> 352 Daniel Goleman 055380491X Aya 0 to-read 4.07 1995 Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
author: Daniel Goleman
name: Aya
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/07/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> ?????? ?? ??????? ???????? 9673223 130 Gabriel Garc¨ªa M¨¢rquez Aya 0 to-read 3.01 2004 ?????? ?? ??????? ????????
author: Gabriel Garc¨ªa M¨¢rquez
name: Aya
average rating: 3.01
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Dream Within a Dream 13630903 "All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream."

A Dream Within a Dream is a poem written by Edgar Allan Poe, and a fine example of his contribution to Dark Romanticism. It was first published in the March 31, 1849, edition of the Boston-based story paper The Flag of Our Union.The poem questions the way one can distinguish between reality and fantasy, asking, "Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?"

Edgar Allan Poe (1809¨C1849) was a master of tales of the mysterious and macabre. From the eerie incantations found in 'The Raven' (1845) to the persistent fright of 'The Tell-Tale Heart' (1843), his stories and poems are unforgettable explorations of the darker side of life that still offer lessons and insight into human behavior today, making them an integral component of any modern reader's repertoire.]]> 2 Edgar Allan Poe Aya 0 4.27 1849 A Dream Within a Dream
author: Edgar Allan Poe
name: Aya
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1849
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/02/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Grave of the Fireflies 20261970
"Grave of the Fireflies (»ð´¹¤ë¤ÎĹ Hotaru no Haka) is a 1967 semi-autobiographical novel by Japanese novelist Akiyuki Nosaka. It is based on his experiences before, during, and after the firebombing of Kobe in 1945."]]> 18 Akiyuki Nosaka Aya 0 to-read 4.26 1967 Grave of the Fireflies
author: Akiyuki Nosaka
name: Aya
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1967
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab World]]> 118101
This powerful account of brutality against women in the Muslim world remains as shocking today as when it was first published, more than a quarter of a century ago.?It was the horrific female genital mutilation that she suffered aged only six, which first awakened Nawal el Saadawi's sense of the violence and injustice which permeated her society.?Her experiences working as a doctor in villages around Egypt, witnessing prostitution, honour killings and sexual abuse, inspired her to write in order to give voice to this suffering.?She goes on explore the causes of the situation through a discussion of the historical role of Arab women in religion and literature.Saadawi argues that the veil, polygamy and legal inequality are incompatible with the just and peaceful Islam which she envisages.?
]]> 395 Nawal El Saadawi 1842778757 Aya 0 to-read 4.16 1977 The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab World
author: Nawal El Saadawi
name: Aya
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1977
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> L'imposture des mots 534570 180 Yasmina Khadra 2260015948 Aya 0 to-read 3.46 L'imposture des mots
author: Yasmina Khadra
name: Aya
average rating: 3.46
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Chanson douce 32060287
? travers la description pr¨¦cise du jeune couple et celle du personnage fascinant et myst¨¦rieux de la nounou, c'est notre ¨¦poque qui se r¨¦v¨¨le, avec sa conception de l'amour et de l'¨¦ducation, des rapports de domination et d'argent, des pr¨¦jug¨¦s de classe ou de culture. Le style sec et tranchant de Le?la Slimani, o¨´ percent des ¨¦clats de po¨¦sie t¨¦n¨¦breuse, instaure d¨¨s les premi¨¨res pages un suspense envo?tant.]]> 227 Le?la Slimani Aya 4 Cette d¨¦pendance du couple semble n¨¦anmoins, au fil du temps, animer en Louise ce d¨¦sir fort, obsessionnel, aveuglant. Elle s'est vou¨¦e ¨¤ ¨ºtre toujours ¨¤ leur service, ¨¤ tout prix. En regardant les enfants grandir, une chose devient certaine, on l'abandonnera comme si de rien n'¨¦tait. Une fois rentr¨¦s ¨¤ ¨¦cole, sa mission prendra fin.
Sauf que Louise, elle, refuse d'accepter son sort. C'est la qu'il y a eu un d¨¦clic, le moment o¨´ la raison se perd dans une bu¨¦e de l'irrationnel, le moment o¨´ elle cesse de r¨¦sister, et qu'elle c¨¨de ¨¤ la tentation, au go?t de l'interdit..
Une lecture bouleversante, dark, qui pousse ¨¤ la r¨¦flexion. Le personnage de Louise reste un myst¨¨re. J'aurais aim¨¦ que Le?la s'y ¨¦tale un peu plus, post-drame..
En tout cas, je le recommande vivement, surtout que j'ai pu le finir en ¨¤ peine deux jours, ce qui est pas mal for a slow reader, hein? so you can do it too ;)]]> 3.86 2016 Chanson douce
author: Le?la Slimani
name: Aya
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/06
date added: 2019/01/08
shelves:
review:
C'est l'histoire d'une nounou, Louise, cette dame aux allures ¨¤ la fois douces et myst¨¦rieuses, rassurantes et troublantes, attachantes et repoussantes, authentiques et douteuses... je ne peux que ressentir de la peine pour elle, elle qui ne cherchait qu'¨¤ appartenir, ¨¤ s'effacer dans cette atmosph¨¨re familiale, ce foyer dont elle n'a jamais eu droit, tout en y ¨¦tant indispensable. Elle r¨¦ussit ¨¤ gagner la confiance de ses employ¨¦s et assez vite, ils deviennent compl¨¨tement d¨¦pendants d'elle, ou plut?t de ses services qui cr¨¦ent de l'ordre au sein du foyer, un ordre toutefois provenant d'une manie profonde accaparant la nounou.
Cette d¨¦pendance du couple semble n¨¦anmoins, au fil du temps, animer en Louise ce d¨¦sir fort, obsessionnel, aveuglant. Elle s'est vou¨¦e ¨¤ ¨ºtre toujours ¨¤ leur service, ¨¤ tout prix. En regardant les enfants grandir, une chose devient certaine, on l'abandonnera comme si de rien n'¨¦tait. Une fois rentr¨¦s ¨¤ ¨¦cole, sa mission prendra fin.
Sauf que Louise, elle, refuse d'accepter son sort. C'est la qu'il y a eu un d¨¦clic, le moment o¨´ la raison se perd dans une bu¨¦e de l'irrationnel, le moment o¨´ elle cesse de r¨¦sister, et qu'elle c¨¨de ¨¤ la tentation, au go?t de l'interdit..
Une lecture bouleversante, dark, qui pousse ¨¤ la r¨¦flexion. Le personnage de Louise reste un myst¨¨re. J'aurais aim¨¦ que Le?la s'y ¨¦tale un peu plus, post-drame..
En tout cas, je le recommande vivement, surtout que j'ai pu le finir en ¨¤ peine deux jours, ce qui est pas mal for a slow reader, hein? so you can do it too ;)
]]> <![CDATA[How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love the Difficult People in Your Life (Little Book. Big Idea.)]]> 6050404
Most of us know someone who, for whatever reason, always seems to cause problems, irritate others, or incite conflict. Often, these people are a part of our daily lives. The truth is that these trouble makers haven¡¯t necessarily asked to be this way.

Sometimes we need to learn new approaches to deal with people who are harder to get along with or love.

How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love Difficult People in Your Life , explains that making peace with others isn¡¯t as tough or terrible as we think it is¨Cespecially when you can use an adorable animal analogy and apply it to real-life problems.

How to Hug a Porcupine provides tips for calming the quills of parents, children, siblings, strangers, and other prickly people you may encounter. Among other tips, How to Hug a Porcupine includes:
*Three easy ways to end an argument
*How to spot the porcupine in others
*How to spot the porcupine in ourselves

With a foreword by noted psychotherapist Dr. Debbie Ellis, widow of Dr. Albert Ellis, ? How to Hug a Porcupine is a truly special book.]]> 160 June Eding 1578262933 Aya 0 to-read 3.06 2009 How to Hug a Porcupine: Easy Ways to Love the Difficult People in Your Life (Little Book. Big Idea.)
author: June Eding
name: Aya
average rating: 3.06
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Book Love 39296114 ?
Book Love is a gift book of comics tailor-made for tea-sipping, spine-sniffing, book-hoarding bibliophiles. Debbie Tung¡¯s comics are humorous and instantly recognizable¡ªmaking readers laugh while precisely conveying the thoughts and habits of book nerds. Book Love is the ideal gift to let a book lover know they¡¯re understood and appreciated. ?]]> 140 Debbie Tung 1449494285 Aya 0 to-read 4.28 2019 Book Love
author: Debbie Tung
name: Aya
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Two Can Keep a Secret 38225791
The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone's declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.]]> 329 Karen M. McManus 1524714720 Aya 0 to-read 3.92 2019 Two Can Keep a Secret
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Aya
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Rick and Morty #1 25249798 25 Zac Gorman Aya 4 4.17 2015 Rick and Morty #1
author: Zac Gorman
name: Aya
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/06
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves:
review:
It's not as elaborate and comedic as the show, but it does the trick. Will definitely continue reading the next issues!
]]> What the Day Owes the Night 9834027
His father is an overly proud man who refuses help from his wealthy brother, Mahi. But life in the city is difficult and he grudgingly agrees to let Younes live with Mahi to give him a chance at life.

Mahi, a pharmacist, is married to a Christian woman, Germaine, and they have no children. Both long for a child of their own.

Younes is the answer to their prayers and they welcome him into their home with open arms. Germaine renames him Jonas and so life begins in the affluent European town of Rio Salado.

Despite the overwhelming love of Germaine and Mahi and a unique friendship between him and three other boys in Rio Salado, Younes never really fits in.

But life is good and the four friends form an enduring bond that nothing will shake |- not even the Algerian war.

But when Emilie arrives in the town an epic love story is set in motion that will challenge the boys' friendship.

Suddenly Younes is forced to confront the burden of choosing between two worlds - Algerian or European; loyal or selfish; surrendering to fate or taking control of his destiny.

Set against the Algerian war of independence, this story is more than just a love story. It examines with powerful compassion and empathy the rifts between lovers, family and friends who love one country but in so many different ways.

Beautifully written, this is a heartbreakingly sad story of love, loss and humanity. - Meneesha Govender]]> 392 Yasmina Khadra Aya 5 I learned, if anything, that Beauty resides in reality. And often times, reality is ugly, and ugly is human. And humans in turn are interesting, for they seem to follow no specific pattern, fit in no particular frame. Yet there appears to be a preset order in their randomness, which is rather reassuring if you ask me.
With that being said, Beauty doesn't necessarily have to be pleasurable. It just has to feel real and -unlike its opposite which I consider to be nothingness- promising. And these two conditions are strongly sensed throughout the book. So that, in my opinion, is what makes it beautiful.
Again and as always, Yasmine Khadra does an amazing job delivering a timeless tale that'd affect anyone with a functioning soul. ]]> 4.05 2008 What the Day Owes the Night
author: Yasmina Khadra
name: Aya
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2017/07/05
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites, my-all-time-favourites, must-read-with-tissues
review:
I loved that book as much as I hated it... It's one of the most frustrating reads that made me suffer along with the characters - whom I hated too by the way-. I hate how real the events feel, how raw yet unguided the emotions are, and how helpless this tale made me feel. Yet, for the exact same reasons, deep down inside, in some dark masochistic corner of my soul, I enjoyed the pain it inflicted on me.
I learned, if anything, that Beauty resides in reality. And often times, reality is ugly, and ugly is human. And humans in turn are interesting, for they seem to follow no specific pattern, fit in no particular frame. Yet there appears to be a preset order in their randomness, which is rather reassuring if you ask me.
With that being said, Beauty doesn't necessarily have to be pleasurable. It just has to feel real and -unlike its opposite which I consider to be nothingness- promising. And these two conditions are strongly sensed throughout the book. So that, in my opinion, is what makes it beautiful.
Again and as always, Yasmine Khadra does an amazing job delivering a timeless tale that'd affect anyone with a functioning soul.
]]> The Great Gatsby 4671 The only edition of the beloved classic that is authorized by Fitzgerald¡¯s family and from his lifelong publisher.

This edition is the enduring original text, updated with the author¡¯s own revisions, a foreword by his granddaughter, and with a new introduction by National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward.

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald¡¯s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. First published by Scribner in 1925, this quintessential novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.]]> 180 F. Scott Fitzgerald 0743273567 Aya 0 3.93 1925 The Great Gatsby
author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
name: Aya
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1925
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished, might-give-a-second-chance
review:

]]> Pride and Prejudice 1885 Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780679783268]]> 279 Jane Austen 1441341706 Aya 0 4.28 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Aya
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1813
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished, might-give-a-second-chance
review:

]]> Les Identit¨¦s meurtri¨¨res 212934 N¨¦ au confluent de plusieurs traditions, le romancier du Rocher de Tanios (prix Goncourt 1993) puise dans son exp¨¦rience personnelle, aussi bien que dans l¡¯histoire, l¡¯actualit¨¦ ou la philosophie, pour interroger cette notion cruciale d¡¯identit¨¦. Il montre comment, loin d¡¯¨ºtre donn¨¦e une fois pour toutes, l¡¯identit¨¦ est une construction qui peut varier. Il en d¨¦nonce les illusions, les pi¨¨ges, les instrumentations. Il nous invite ¨¤ un humanisme ouvert qui refuse ¨¤ la fois l¡¯uniformisation plan¨¦taire et le repli sur la ?tribu?.]]> 189 Amin Maalouf 2253150053 Aya 0 4.04 1998 Les Identit¨¦s meurtri¨¨res
author: Amin Maalouf
name: Aya
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished, might-give-a-second-chance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century]]> 17835351
If you want to learn about one of history¡¯s most fascinating minds and uncover some of his secrets of imagination¡ªsecrets that enabled him to invent machines light years ahead of his time and literally bring light to the world¡ªthen you want to read this book.

Imagination amplifies and colors every other element of genius, and unlocks our potential for understanding and ability.

It¡¯s no coincidence that geniuses not only dare to dream of the impossible for their work, but do the same for their lives.]]> 47 Sean Patrick 1938895177 Aya 5 favorites It's a good reminder of the power of imagination and creativity
As Einstein put it: ¡°imagination is more important than knowledge, because knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.¡±
Totally recommend it! It's only a few pages long so it's totally worth the shot for how much you get away from it]]> 3.88 2013 Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century
author: Sean Patrick
name: Aya
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/04
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:
Quite inspiring!
It's a good reminder of the power of imagination and creativity
As Einstein put it: ¡°imagination is more important than knowledge, because knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.¡±
Totally recommend it! It's only a few pages long so it's totally worth the shot for how much you get away from it
]]> The Better Woman 7978211 400 Ber Carroll 0230710190 Aya 5 3.69 2009 The Better Woman
author: Ber Carroll
name: Aya
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2015/10/15
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: my-all-time-favourites, favorites
review:

]]> Well, Now, My Pretty 921818 But this superb, minutely-planned robbery was to go horribly wrong. For too many other people - some of them members of Maisky's own gang - had plans to get rich quick on those two and half million dollars!]]> 272 James Hadley Chase 0552992747 Aya 5 3.77 1967 Well, Now, My Pretty
author: James Hadley Chase
name: Aya
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1967
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: my-all-time-favourites, favorites
review:
BEST BEST BEST WHODUNIT WRITER!
]]> The Forty Rules of Love 6642715 Sweet Blasphemy, a novel written by a man named Aziz Zahara. Ella is mesmerized by his tale of Shams's search for Rumi and the dervish's role in transforming the successful but unhappy cleric into a committed mystic, passionate poet, and advocate of love. She is also taken with Shams's lessons, or rules, that offer insight into an ancient philosophy based on the unity of all people and religions, and the presence of love in each and every one of us. As she reads on, she realizes that Rumi's story mir?rors her own and that Zahara¡ªlike Shams¡ªhas come to set her free.

In this lyrical, exuberant follow-up to her 2007 novel, The Bastard of Istanbul, acclaimed Turkish author Elif Shafak unfolds two tantalizing parallel narratives¡ªone contemporary and the other set in the thirteenth century, when Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams of Tabriz¡ªthat together incarnate the poet's timeless message of love.]]> 354 Elif Shafak Aya 5 MOVING!!!!! 4.16 2009 The Forty Rules of Love
author: Elif Shafak
name: Aya
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2016/02/26
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: my-all-time-favourites, must-read-with-tissues, favorites
review:
MOVING!!!!!
]]> The Architect's Apprentice 22571629 From the acclaimed author of The Bastard of Istanbul, a colorful, magical tale set during the height of the Ottoman Empire

In her latest novel, Elif Shafak spins an epic tale spanning nearly a century in the life of the Ottoman Empire. In 1540, twelve-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan¡¯s menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan¡¯s beautiful daughter, Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire¡¯s chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota¡¯s help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history. Yet even as they build Sinan¡¯s triumphant masterpieces¡ªthe incredible Suleymaniye and Selimiye mosques¡ªdangerous undercurrents begin to emerge, with jealousy erupting among Sinan¡¯s four apprentices.

A memorable story of artistic freedom, creativity, and the clash between science and fundamentalism, Shafak¡¯s intricate novel brims with vibrant characters, intriguing adventure, and the lavish backdrop of the Ottoman court, where love and loyalty are no match for raw power.]]> 424 Elif Shafak 052542797X Aya 5 4.00 2013 The Architect's Apprentice
author: Elif Shafak
name: Aya
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2016/04/21
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: my-all-time-favourites, must-read-with-tissues, favorites
review:
I highly recommend this book to all of you beauty lovers and justice seekers out there, for it not only offers new insights into many misunderstood notions of life, but it also, at some point, gives you a feeling of personal fulfillment and satistaction. I took utter pleasure in reading it.
]]> The Tears of My Soul 735303 The Tears of My Soul is her poignant, shocking, and utterly compelling story. Kim Hyun Hee grew up in a country obsessed by the loss of South Korea, an Orwellian world where right and wrong, good and evil, slavery and freedom meant nothing but what the North Korean Communist Party said they did. At sixteen, she was singled out by the Party for her intelligence and beauty and given special training in languages. At nineteen she was honored to be chosen for the North Korean Army's secret and elite espionage school. There she was trained to kill with everything from her hands and feet to grenades and assault rifles, enduring years of grueling physical and psychological conditioning designed to make her an effective and utterly obedient tool of the Party's spy masters. And in 1987, at age twenty-five, she was sent on the mission that would, she was told, reunify her divided country forever. Kim and her control agent, a man she considered her spiritual father, were captured only hours after the explosion. They were provided with suicide capsules, but hers failed and, for the first time in her life, Kim was outside the control of her masters. After more than a year of soul-wrenching questioning and deprogramming by the South Korean police, Kim realized the full enormity of her crimes, made a full confession, and waited for execution. But in a remarkable decision that sparked national outrage, the South Korean president gave her a full pardon, declaring that she was as much a victim of North Korea as the passengers. Kim Hyun Hee has devoted the rest of her life to atoning for the 115 lives lost on flight 858.]]> 183 Kim Hyun Hee 0688128335 Aya 5 favorites Throughout this reading I tried to put myself in Hyun's shoes and imagine how my decisions would have differed. Needless to say, I was persuaded I would have made the "right" decision and not be blinded by the Party's indoctrination given the circumstances. Only later did I realise I couldn't be more wrong. We are no different than Hyun. She was indeed as much a victim as anyone she killed on that plane.]]> 4.25 1993 The Tears of My Soul
author: Kim Hyun Hee
name: Aya
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2016/09/03
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:
This is, once again, a wonderful read about someone who has been granted a new life. Someone whom, in the eyes of an outsider, would be perceived as a heartless monster, a robot machine programmed to kill. But, thinking about it now, how can we blame someone who was taught their whole life what to do? Someone who's been trained to praise "The Great Lord" and execute his orders no matter how absurd or morbid they might seem?
Throughout this reading I tried to put myself in Hyun's shoes and imagine how my decisions would have differed. Needless to say, I was persuaded I would have made the "right" decision and not be blinded by the Party's indoctrination given the circumstances. Only later did I realise I couldn't be more wrong. We are no different than Hyun. She was indeed as much a victim as anyone she killed on that plane.
]]> <![CDATA[Les dieux voyagent toujours incognito]]> 13610154 475 Laurent Gounelle 2266219154 Aya 5 ...
Je ne me suis jamais attard¨¦e autant sur un livre (3 mois for fuck's sake!)
reasons why:
- l'¨¦cole (duh!)
- c'est le genre de lecture qui t'encourage ¨¤ prendre TOUT ton temps pour la finir, how? des fois je m'arr¨ºte en plein milieu d'un chapitre - chose qui me m¨¨ne bien souvent ¨¤ perdre le fil et ¨¤ reprendre le chap?tre de nouveau - sauf que cela n'a jamais ¨¦t¨¦ le cas avec ce livre l¨¤. Vous vous en rendez compte? ¨¤ quel point la vie devient plus facile quand on cesse de stresser sur une affaire de reprise de chap?tre tellement contrariante qu'elle te fait d¨¦tester la litt¨¦rature et tout ce qui s'ensuit....
En plus de ?a, c'est un livre extr¨ºmement passionnant avec un plot des plus intriguants. Il me tenait compagnie pendant les longues heures de cours/s¨¦minaires/conf¨¦rences ennuyantes (bad student alert) , c'est d'ailleurs l'une des raisons qui ont fait que ce processus de cl?ture de lecture tra?ne autant.
....Enfin bref....
Je vous le recommande, tous, sans discrimination. Je l'ai en format e-book si ?a vous int¨¦resse.
Bonne ann¨¦e et bonne lecture!]]> 3.96 2010 Les dieux voyagent toujours incognito
author: Laurent Gounelle
name: Aya
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2018/01/04
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites, my-all-time-favourites
review:
*HUGE SIGH*
...
Je ne me suis jamais attard¨¦e autant sur un livre (3 mois for fuck's sake!)
reasons why:
- l'¨¦cole (duh!)
- c'est le genre de lecture qui t'encourage ¨¤ prendre TOUT ton temps pour la finir, how? des fois je m'arr¨ºte en plein milieu d'un chapitre - chose qui me m¨¨ne bien souvent ¨¤ perdre le fil et ¨¤ reprendre le chap?tre de nouveau - sauf que cela n'a jamais ¨¦t¨¦ le cas avec ce livre l¨¤. Vous vous en rendez compte? ¨¤ quel point la vie devient plus facile quand on cesse de stresser sur une affaire de reprise de chap?tre tellement contrariante qu'elle te fait d¨¦tester la litt¨¦rature et tout ce qui s'ensuit....
En plus de ?a, c'est un livre extr¨ºmement passionnant avec un plot des plus intriguants. Il me tenait compagnie pendant les longues heures de cours/s¨¦minaires/conf¨¦rences ennuyantes (bad student alert) , c'est d'ailleurs l'une des raisons qui ont fait que ce processus de cl?ture de lecture tra?ne autant.
....Enfin bref....
Je vous le recommande, tous, sans discrimination. Je l'ai en format e-book si ?a vous int¨¦resse.
Bonne ann¨¦e et bonne lecture!
]]> The Minds of Billy Milligan 16096185
Out of control of his actions, Billy Milligan was a man tormented by twenty-four distinct personalities battling for supremacy over his body¡ªa battle that culminated when he awoke in jail, arrested for the kidnap and rape of three women. In a landmark trial, Billy was acquitted of his crimes by reason of insanity caused by multiple personality¡ªthe first such court decision in history¡ªbringing to public light the most remarkable and harrowing case of multiple personality ever recorded.

Twenty-four people live inside Billy Milligan. Philip, a petty criminal; Kevin, who dealt drugs and masterminded a drugstore robbery; April, whose only ambition was to kill Billy's stepfather; Adalana, the shy, lonely, affection-starved lesbian who ¡°used¡± Billy's body in the rapes that led to his arrest; David, the eight-year-old ¡°keeper of pain¡±; and all of the others, including men, women, several children, both boys and girls, and the Teacher, the only one who can put them all together. You will meet each in this often shocking true story. And you will be drawn deeply into the mind of this tortured young man and his splintered, terrifying world.]]> 428 Daniel Keyes 0140172661 Aya 5 He was the host of 24 different personalities: men, women and children. It all started when he was a kid. Not bearing his stepfather's sexual abuse on a regular basis, Billy's mind developed another personality to suffer his pain . And so on, whenever Billy found himself in a situation where he would need to escape, his mind developes a personality according to Billy's needs. He ended up with 24 different 'people' inside of him. Each one with a purpose. Not all desirable.
He started to act weird around his friends and family, doing things and denying having done them afterwards. People would call him a liar, he wasn't even conscious of his new state. He became weaker, sank into depression and decided to kill himself. That's when one of his personalities showed up and 'put him to sleep', he was becoming a danger to all of them, threatening to kill them. The personalities took over for almost 2 years. During which the undesirables commited crimes, the most serious one being rape. He got arrested, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and for the first time in history, he was discharged and sent to Hospital for treatement.
This book unveils one of the many mysteries of our brains. How little control we have over our body and mind, and sheds light on an important point: how our acts could contradict our intentions. So, do we really remain the same person under all circumstances? ]]> 4.26 1981 The Minds of Billy Milligan
author: Daniel Keyes
name: Aya
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1981
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/06
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites, my-all-time-favourites
review:
This book is what introduced me to what's commonly known as MDP-Multiple Personality Disorder (now called Dissociative Identity Disorder). It was written in 1981, a time where only a few doctors and therapists believed in MDP, where it was unlikely for Billy to recover.
He was the host of 24 different personalities: men, women and children. It all started when he was a kid. Not bearing his stepfather's sexual abuse on a regular basis, Billy's mind developed another personality to suffer his pain . And so on, whenever Billy found himself in a situation where he would need to escape, his mind developes a personality according to Billy's needs. He ended up with 24 different 'people' inside of him. Each one with a purpose. Not all desirable.
He started to act weird around his friends and family, doing things and denying having done them afterwards. People would call him a liar, he wasn't even conscious of his new state. He became weaker, sank into depression and decided to kill himself. That's when one of his personalities showed up and 'put him to sleep', he was becoming a danger to all of them, threatening to kill them. The personalities took over for almost 2 years. During which the undesirables commited crimes, the most serious one being rape. He got arrested, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and for the first time in history, he was discharged and sent to Hospital for treatement.
This book unveils one of the many mysteries of our brains. How little control we have over our body and mind, and sheds light on an important point: how our acts could contradict our intentions. So, do we really remain the same person under all circumstances?
]]> L'Attentat 2145971
But this night of turmoil and death takes a horrifyingly personal turn. His wife's body is found among the dead, with massive injuries, the police coldly announce, typical of those found on the bodies of fundamentalist suicide bombers. As evidence mounts that his wife, Sihem, was responsible for the catastrophic bombing, Dr. Jaafari is torn between cherished memories of their years together and the inescapable realization that the beautiful, intelligent, thoroughly modern woman he loved had a life far removed from the comfortable, assimilated existence they shared.

From the graphic, beautifully rendered description of the bombing that opens the novel to the searing conclusion, The Attack portrays the reality of terrorism and its incalculable spiritual costs. Intense and humane, devoid of political bias, hatred, and polemics, it probes deep inside the Muslim world and gives readers a profound understanding of what seems impossible to understand.]]> 246 Yasmina Khadra 2266162691 Aya 5 3.91 2005 L'Attentat
author: Yasmina Khadra
name: Aya
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: my-all-time-favourites, favorites
review:

]]> Every Time We Say Goodbye 13148060 When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour, the tide of change rippled across America, separating the patriots from the enemies¡ªbut what of those torn between two sides?

Two people. Two cultures. One love. One war.

Virtuoso violinist, Madeleine Kern, has lost her passion for music since the death of her mother. But one passion remains true; her love for Lane Moritomo. Lane comes from a respected Japanese family and his mother is keen to retain this heritage with a suitable marriage. But breaking tradition, Lane proposes to Maddie and the newlyweds begin married life floating on a wave of bliss.

That is until news breaks that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbour.

Suddenly their two nations are at war. As prejudice spreads fervently across America, Maddie and Lane must cling on to their love for each other whilst the world threatens to tear them apart.

An epic love story, perfect for fans of Julia Gregson and Jo Jo Moyes.]]> 420 Kristina McMorris 1847562426 Aya 5 I remember picking that book up from the shelf expecting a love-story, no different than any other. Was it a love story? Yyyyes and no. Did the plot match my expectations? No, no, no, no, no. Mystery, confusion, love, war... This book has it all! I was astounded by Kristina's proficiency and delicacy, surpassing many of the bestselling authors. Twisting the plot here and there, she managed to hook me and hold me to the last page.]]> 3.89 2012 Every Time We Say Goodbye
author: Kristina McMorris
name: Aya
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2016/08/17
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: my-all-time-favourites, must-read-with-tissues, favorites
review:
One never fails to recognize the defining traits of a good book; one that slowly grabs you by the soul, snatches you up and tears you to shreds.
I remember picking that book up from the shelf expecting a love-story, no different than any other. Was it a love story? Yyyyes and no. Did the plot match my expectations? No, no, no, no, no. Mystery, confusion, love, war... This book has it all! I was astounded by Kristina's proficiency and delicacy, surpassing many of the bestselling authors. Twisting the plot here and there, she managed to hook me and hold me to the last page.
]]> <![CDATA[Le racisme expliqu¨¦ ¨¤ ma fille]]> 387147

? Plus de dix ans apr¨¨s le dialogue avec M¨¦ri¨¨me, qui avait elle-m¨ºme dix ans, j¡¯ai voulu rendre compte de mes ¨¦changes avec les enfants du monde entier que je ne cesse de rencontrer. Car nous constatons ensemble que non seulement le racisme n¡¯a pas recul¨¦ mais qu¡¯il s¡¯est banalis¨¦ et dans certains cas aggrav¨¦. Nous essayons de comprendre ses nouvelles manifestations : la mont¨¦e de l¡¯antis¨¦mitisme et de l¡¯islamophobie, les discriminations dont les immigr¨¦s sont victimes, et l¡¯entr¨¦e en sc¨¨ne de l¡¯¡°identit¨¦ nationale¡± ?¡­]]> 208 Tahar Ben Jelloun 2020680238 Aya 4 3.73 1998 Le racisme expliqu¨¦ ¨¤ ma fille
author: Tahar Ben Jelloun
name: Aya
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> Les Hirondelles de Kaboul 2209971 190 Yasmina Khadra 2266134752 Aya 5 favorites 3.78 2002 Les Hirondelles de Kaboul
author: Yasmina Khadra
name: Aya
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at: 2016/08/19
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> A Thousand Splendid Suns 128029
With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a portrait of a wounded country and a story of family and friendship, of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond, and an indestructible love.]]> 372 Khaled Hosseini 1594489505 Aya 5 favorites 4.44 2007 A Thousand Splendid Suns
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Aya
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> Le Dernier Jour d'un condamn¨¦ 1638232
Il n'y avait en tete des premieres editions de cet ouvrage, publie
d'abord sans nom d'auteur, que les quelques lignes qu'on va lire :

"Il y a deux manieres de se rendre compte de l'existence de ce
livre. Ou il y a eu, en effet, une liasse de papiers jaunes et inegaux
sur lesquels on a trouve, enregistrees une a une, les dernieres
pensees d'un miserable ; ou il s'est rencontre un homme,
]]> 97 Victor Hugo 2290334758 Aya 5 favorites 3.76 1829 Le Dernier Jour d'un condamn¨¦
author: Victor Hugo
name: Aya
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1829
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)]]> 960
A devastating new weapon of destruction.
When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati...the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth. The Illuminati has now surfaced to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy -- the Catholic Church.

Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces they have hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.
Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year-old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair...a clandestine location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.

An explosive international thriller, Angels & Demons careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war.]]> 736 Dan Brown 1416524797 Aya 5 favorites 3.95 2000 Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)
author: Dan Brown
name: Aya
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2016/09/11
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> ??????????? 32069078 323 ???? ???? ????? Aya 4 books-to-reread, favorites I need some time to process this]]> 3.62 2015 ???????????
author: ???? ???? ?????
name: Aya
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/12/20
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: books-to-reread, favorites
review:
4.5
I need some time to process this
]]> The Shack 1812457
In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!]]> 248 William Paul Young 0964729237 Aya 5 favorites A journey through grief, angst, despair, that led to a path of Love and Forgiveness
I never fully grasped the concepts of Redemption and Freedom until now
The beautiful mess that is a fractal
...
I'll leave you with some of my favourite quotes:

¡°You demand your independance, but then complain that I actually love you enough to give it to you."

"Once abolish the God and the government becomes the God."

¡°Even should we find another Eden, we would not be fit to enjoy it perfectly nor stay in it forever.¡±

¡°Remember that choosing to stay on the ground is a choice to facilitate a relationship; to honor it. Mackenzie, you do this yourself. You don¡¯t play a game or color a picture with a child to show your superiority. Rather, you choose to limit yourself so as to facilitate and honor that relationship. You will even lose a competition to accomplish love. It is not about winning and losing, but about love and respect.¡±]]> 3.73 2007 The Shack
author: William Paul Young
name: Aya
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2018/05/28
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:
Such a delightful read!
A journey through grief, angst, despair, that led to a path of Love and Forgiveness
I never fully grasped the concepts of Redemption and Freedom until now
The beautiful mess that is a fractal
...
I'll leave you with some of my favourite quotes:

¡°You demand your independance, but then complain that I actually love you enough to give it to you."

"Once abolish the God and the government becomes the God."

¡°Even should we find another Eden, we would not be fit to enjoy it perfectly nor stay in it forever.¡±

¡°Remember that choosing to stay on the ground is a choice to facilitate a relationship; to honor it. Mackenzie, you do this yourself. You don¡¯t play a game or color a picture with a child to show your superiority. Rather, you choose to limit yourself so as to facilitate and honor that relationship. You will even lose a competition to accomplish love. It is not about winning and losing, but about love and respect.¡±
]]> Tony and Susan 2177370
Austin Wright's novel is a disturbing and dazzling work: it describes a special reading experience, combines the suggestiveness of a thriller and the depth of a psychological novel. He talks about fear and regret, revenge and maturation, marriage and failure.]]> 374 Austin Wright 0446601055 Aya 5 favorites A book within a book
It's the story of a woman named Susan, who receives a manuscript from her ex husband Edward asking for her feedback.
As she makes her way through the book and the story slowly begins to unfold, she's struck by the many analogies Edward had carefully implanted, which made her reflect on her own life and, rather unexpectedly, relate to the main character on a deep level.
I definitely recommend this book! I'm off to watch the movie now (Nocturnal Animals, which btw is the name of the book inside the book) I have such high expectations, hope I won't be let down *fingers crossed* ]]> 3.23 1993 Tony and Susan
author: Austin Wright
name: Aya
average rating: 3.23
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2018/05/20
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:
What a crazy ride!
A book within a book
It's the story of a woman named Susan, who receives a manuscript from her ex husband Edward asking for her feedback.
As she makes her way through the book and the story slowly begins to unfold, she's struck by the many analogies Edward had carefully implanted, which made her reflect on her own life and, rather unexpectedly, relate to the main character on a deep level.
I definitely recommend this book! I'm off to watch the movie now (Nocturnal Animals, which btw is the name of the book inside the book) I have such high expectations, hope I won't be let down *fingers crossed*
]]> <![CDATA[Sexe et mensonges: La vie sexuelle au Maroc]]> 33180755 La vie sexuelle au Maroc.

Sexe et mensonges, c¡¯est la parole, forte et sinc¨¨re, d¡¯une jeunesse marocaine b?illonn¨¦e dans un monde arabe o¨´ le sexe se consomme pourtant comme une marchandise.

Les femmes que Le?la Slimani a rencontr¨¦es lui ont confi¨¦ sans fard ni tabou leur vie sexuelle, entre soumission et transgression. Car, au Maroc, la loi punit et proscrit toute forme de relations sexuelles hors mariage, tout comme l¡¯homosexualit¨¦ et la prostitution.

Dans cette soci¨¦t¨¦ fond¨¦e sur l¡¯hypocrisie, la jeune fille et la femme n¡¯ont qu¡¯une alternative : vierge ou ¨¦pouse.

Sexe et mensonges est une confrontation essentielle avec les d¨¦mons intimes du Maroc et un appel vibrant ¨¤ la libert¨¦ universelle d¡¯¨ºtre, d¡¯aimer et de d¨¦sirer.]]> 192 Le?la Slimani 2352045681 Aya 5 favorites 3.92 2017 Sexe et mensonges: La vie sexuelle au Maroc
author: Le?la Slimani
name: Aya
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2018/12/07
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: favorites
review:
This is the book that every moroccan should read.
]]> Fannie et La Louve 43478543 128 Armand Toupet 2800612347 Aya 0 5.00 Fannie et La Louve
author: Armand Toupet
name: Aya
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2006/01/01
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> La revanche de Momo 43478613 48 2210980542 Aya 0 0.0 La revanche de Momo
author: St¨¦phanie Benson et Marion Saby (Autrices), Magali Bardos (Illustratrice)
name: Aya
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2006/01/01
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> Get a Clue 2420573 318 Jill Shalvis 0758211384 Aya 5 3.64 2005 Get a Clue
author: Jill Shalvis
name: Aya
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mini Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #6)]]> 7415016 Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true: a shopping friend for life! But it's trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.
Minnie creates havoc everywhere she goes, from Harrods to her own christening. Her favorite word is "Mine!" and she's even trying to get into eBay! On top of everything else, Becky and Luke are still living with her parents (the deal on house #4 has fallen through), when suddenly there's a huge financial crisis.
With people having to "cut back," Becky decides to throw a surprise party for Luke to cheer everyone up. But when costs start to spiral out of control, she must decide whether to accept help from an unexpected source--and therefore run the risk of hurting the person she loves.
Will Becky be able to pull off the celebration of the year? Will she and Luke ever find a home of their own? Will Minnie ever learn to behave? And . . . most important . . . will Becky's secret wishes ever come true?]]> 418 Sophie Kinsella 0385342047 Aya 0 unfinished 3.74 2010 Mini Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #6)
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Aya
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Year In The Merde (Paul West)]]> 965681
In his first novel, Stephen Clarke gives a laugh-out-loud account of the pleasures and perils of being a Brit in France. Less quaint than A Year in Provence, less chocolatey than Chocolat, A Year in the Merde will tell you how to get served by the grumpiest Parisian waiter; how to make perfect vinaigrette every time; how to make amour - not war; and how not to buy a house in the French countryside.]]> 383 Stephen Clarke 0552772968 Aya 0 unfinished 3.46 2004 A Year In The Merde (Paul West)
author: Stephen Clarke
name: Aya
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eating Fire and Drinking Water]]> 1081084
Clara Perez is a reporter on a small South seas island. An orphan raised by nuns, she is a young woman with origins shrouded in mystery. Full of idealistic ambition, she grows tired of the trivial assignments she's given at the daily paper, yearning to write articles of substance. So when the tiny street of Calle de Leon bursts into flames after a student demonstration--and a soldier kills an unarmed man--Clara seizes the chance to cover the explosive story.

Yet after Clara rushes to the burning street to investigate the tragedy, she discovers another, more personal one involving some remarkable truths about her unknown past--ghosts, she realizes, which have been silently pursuing her all her life. And as family secrets begin to unfold, Clara's missing history slowly spreads itself out on the tumultuous backdrop of a country wracked by revolution. . . .

An evocative and multilayered tale, at once political and personal, Eating Fire and Drinking Water is an extraordinary work, a powerful and pulsing novel of politics and commitment, loyalty and love, and the poignant search for truth.]]> 350 Arlene J. Chai 0449911438 Aya 0 unfinished 4.05 1996 Eating Fire and Drinking Water
author: Arlene J. Chai
name: Aya
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life]]> 31202835
Told in her hilarious, bold voice that¡¯s inspired over nine million fans, and using stories from her own life to illustrate her message, Lilly proves that there are no shortcuts to success.

WARNING: This book does not include hopeful thoughts, lucky charms, and cute quotes. That¡¯s because success, happiness, and everything else you want in life needs to be fought for¡ªnot wished for. In Lilly¡¯s world, there are no escalators, only stairs. Get ready to climb.]]> 315 Lilly Singh 0425286460 Aya 0 unfinished 3.91 2017 How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life
author: Lilly Singh
name: Aya
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> L'image de la cit¨¦ 6135396 232 Kevin Lynch 2100037161 Aya 0 unfinished 3.73 1960 L'image de la cit¨¦
author: Kevin Lynch
name: Aya
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> The Diary of a Young Girl 48855
In 1942, with the Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, the Franks and another family lived cloistered in the ¡°Secret Annexe¡± of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and surprisingly humorous, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
--back cover]]> 283 Anne Frank Aya 0 unfinished 4.19 1947 The Diary of a Young Girl
author: Anne Frank
name: Aya
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1947
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> L'Affaire Rapha?l 399490 Les policiers arrivent, h¨¦las, trop tard ; le cur¨¦ de la paroisse a d¨¦j¨¤ c¨¦d¨¦ ce tableau ¨¤ un collectionneur. Le gouvernement italien devra le racheter ¨¤ un prix exorbitant lors d'une vente aux ench¨¨res.
Pourtant, malgr¨¦ les expertises, un doute demeure sur l'authenticit¨¦ de cette ?uvre et les soup?ons d'escroquerie risquent fort d'¨ºtre confirm¨¦s au-del¨¤ de toute esp¨¦rance.
Voici une enqu¨ºte men¨¦e de main de ma?tre. Iain Pears r¨¦ussit ¨¤ allier ¨¦rudition, humour et suspense. Il entra?ne le n¨¦ophyte dans les coulisses de l'histoire de l'art, o¨´ le sp¨¦cialiste c?toie le faussaire.]]> 299 Various 2264032774 Aya 0 unfinished 3.16 1990 L'Affaire Rapha?l
author: Various
name: Aya
average rating: 3.16
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump, #1)]]> 186190 248 Winston Groom 0743453255 Aya 2 unfinished 4.06 1986 Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump, #1)
author: Winston Groom
name: Aya
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1986
rating: 2
read at: 2018/12/31
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:
I couldn't finish the book. The chapters are too long, filled with uninteresting and straight up boring passages. It could be because I watched the movie first, it's not the first time I prefer the movie adaptation over the book, although whenever it happens I find myself having started with the movie first, so maybe that's why? I don't know. (same thing happened to me with The Notebook)
]]> <![CDATA[Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West]]> 11797365 A New York Times bestseller, the shocking story of one of the few people born in a North Korean political prison to have escaped and survived.

North Korea is isolated and hungry, bankrupt and belligerent. It is also armed with nuclear weapons. Between 150,000 and 200,000 people are being held in its political prison camps, which have existed twice as long as Stalin's Soviet gulags and twelve times as long as the Nazi concentration camps. Very few born and raised in these camps have escaped. But Shin Donghyuk did.

In Escape from Camp 14, acclaimed journalist Blaine Harden tells the story of Shin Dong-hyuk and through the lens of Shin's life unlocks the secrets of the world's most repressive totalitarian state. Shin knew nothing of civilized existence-he saw his mother as a competitor for food, guards raised him to be a snitch, and he witnessed the execution of his own family. Through Harden's harrowing narrative of Shin's life and remarkable escape, he offers an unequaled inside account of one of the world's darkest nations and a riveting tale of endurance, courage, and survival.]]> 205 Blaine Harden 0670023329 Aya 0 unfinished 3.99 2012 Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West
author: Blaine Harden
name: Aya
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> Amsterdam 6862 Amsterdam is?"a dark tour de force, perfectly fashioned" ( The New York Times ) from the bestselling author of Atonement.

On a chilly February day, two old friends meet in the throng outside a London crematorium to pay their last respects to Molly Lane. Both Clive Linley and Vernon Halliday had been Molly's lovers in the days before they reached their current Clive is Britain's most successful modern composer, and Vernon is a newspaper editor. Gorgeous, feisty Molly had other lovers, too, notably Julian Garmony, Foreign Secretary, a notorious right-winger tipped to be the next prime minister. In the days that follow Molly's funeral, Clive and Vernon will make a pact with consequences that neither could have foreseen¡­

Don¡¯t miss Ian McEwan¡¯s new novel, Lessons .]]> 208 Ian McEwan 0385494246 Aya 0 unfinished 3.46 1998 Amsterdam
author: Ian McEwan
name: Aya
average rating: 3.46
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: unfinished
review:

]]> The Escape Room 38350823
In the lucrative world of Wall Street finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie and Sam are the ultimate high-flyers. Ruthlessly ambitious, they make billion-dollar deals and live lives of outrageous luxury. Getting rich is all that matters, and they'll do anything to get ahead.

When the four of them become trapped in an elevator escape room, things start to go horribly wrong. They have to put aside their fierce office rivalries and work together to solve the clues that will release them. But in the confines of the elevator the dark secrets of their team are laid bare. They are made to answer for profiting from a workplace where deception, intimidation and sexual harassment thrive.

Tempers fray and the escape room¡¯s clues turn more and more ominous, leaving the four of them dangling on the precipice of disaster. If they want to survive, they¡¯ll have to solve one final puzzle: which one of them is a killer?]]> 368 Megan Goldin 1760143642 Aya 0 to-read 3.90 2018 The Escape Room
author: Megan Goldin
name: Aya
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Ultimate Evil 428810
Journalist Maury Terry was suspicious of Berkowitz's confession, convinced as he gathered corroborating evidence throughout the years, that Berkowitz did not act alone. In this investigative story, first published in 1987, Terry details the chilling events, proving that Berkowitz was an affiliate of¡ªand triggerman for¡ªa Satanic cult known as the Process Church of the Final Judgment, a far-reaching organization that is connected to other ritual slayings across the country. Updated with Berkowitz's recent confirmations from his prison cell, Terry untangles the web of information and shocking extent of the Process Church's activities. Includes black-and-white photographs.]]> 538 Maury Terry 0760761191 Aya 0 to-read 3.88 1987 The Ultimate Evil
author: Maury Terry
name: Aya
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> How to Behave in a Crowd 31951323 Poetics.

Isidore has never skipped a grade or written a dissertation, but he notices things the others don't and asks questions they fear to ask. So when tragedy strikes the Mazal family, Isidore is the only one to recognize how everyone is struggling with their grief and perhaps the only one who can help them--if he doesn't run away from home first.

Isidore's unstinting empathy, combined with his simmering anger, makes for a complex character study, in which the elegiac and comedic build toward a heartbreaking conclusion. With How to Behave in a Crowd, Camille Bordas immerses readers in the interior life of a boy puzzled by adulthood and beginning to realize that the adults around him are just as lost.]]> 319 Camille Bordas 0451497546 Aya 0 to-read 3.86 2017 How to Behave in a Crowd
author: Camille Bordas
name: Aya
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Anatomy of Motive: The FBI's Legendary Mindhunter Explores the Key to Understanding and Catching Violent Criminals]]> 94339 Mindhunter, Journey into Darkness, and Obsession -- comes an unprecedented, insightful look at the root of all crime.

Every crime is a mystery story with a motive at its heart. With the brilliant insight he brought to his renowned work inside the FBI's elite serial-crime unit, John Douglas pieces together motives behind violent sociopathic behavior. He not only takes us into the darkest recesses of the minds of arsonists, hijackers, bombers, poisoners, assassins, serial killers, and mass murderers, but also the seemingly ordinary people who suddenly kill their families or go on a rampage in the workplace.

Douglas identifies the antisocial personality, showing surprising similarities and differences among various types of deadly offenders. He also tracks the progressive escalation of those criminals' sociopathic behavior. His analysis of such diverse killers as Lee Harvey Oswald, Theodore Kaczynski, and Timothy McVeigh is gripping, but more importantly, helps us learn how to anticipate potential violent behavior before it's too late.]]> 432 John E. Douglas 0671023934 Aya 0 to-read 4.18 1999 The Anatomy of Motive: The FBI's Legendary Mindhunter Explores the Key to Understanding and Catching Violent Criminals
author: John E. Douglas
name: Aya
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit]]> 126584 Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs, and the man who ushered in a new age in behavorial science and criminal profiling. Recently retired after twenty-five years of service, John Douglas can finally tell his unique and compelling story.]]> 397 John E. Douglas 0671528904 Aya 0 to-read 4.08 1995 Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit
author: John E. Douglas
name: Aya
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story]]> 15654 The Stranger Beside Me defies our expectation that we would surely know if a monster lived among us, worked alongside of us, appeared as one of us. With a slow chill that intensifies with each heart-pounding page, Rule describes her dawning awareness that Ted Bundy, her sensitive coworker on a crisis hotline, was one of the most prolific serial killers in America. He would confess to killing at least thirty-six young women from coast to coast, and was eventually executed for three of those cases. Drawing from their correspondence that endured until shortly before Bundy's death, and striking a seamless balance between her deeply personal perspective and her role as a crime reporter on the hunt for a savage serial killer -- the brilliant and charismatic Bundy, the man she thought she knew -- Rule changed the course of true-crime literature with this unforgettable chronicle.]]> 548 Ann Rule 0451203267 Aya 0 to-read 4.13 1980 The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story
author: Ann Rule
name: Aya
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer]]> 31373633 A little book with a big heart!

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She¡¯s Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here comes an exquisitely moving portrait of an elderly man¡¯s struggle to hold on to his most precious memories, and his family¡¯s efforts to care for him even as they must find a way to let go.

With all the same charm of his bestselling full-length novels, here Fredrik Backman once again reveals his unrivaled understanding of human nature and deep compassion for people in difficult circumstances. This is a tiny gem with a message you¡¯ll treasure for a lifetime.]]> 97 Fredrik Backman 1501160575 Aya 0 to-read 4.34 2015 And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Aya
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Knock ou le triomphe de la m¨¦decine]]> 386377 Knock : Attention. Ne confondons pas. Est-ce que ?a vous chatouille, ou est-ce que ?a vous grattouille ?
Le Tambour : ?a me grattouille. Mais ?a me chatouille bien un peu aussi...
Knock : est-ce que ?a ne vous grattouille pas davantage quand vous avez mang¨¦ de la t¨ºte de veau ¨¤ la vinaigrette ?
Le Tambour : je n'en mange jamais. Mais il me semble que si j'en mangeais, effectivement, ?a me grattouillerait plus.]]> 160 Jules Romains 2070360601 Aya 0 3.60 1927 Knock ou le triomphe de la m¨¦decine
author: Jules Romains
name: Aya
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1927
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves:
review:

]]> The Story of San Michele 288518
The stories cover a wide range in terms of both how serious they are and how literal. Several discussions with animals and various supernatural beings take place, and the final chapter actually takes place after Munthe has died and includes his discussions with Saint Peter at the gates of Heaven. At no point does Munthe seem to take himself particularly seriously, but some of the things he discusses are very serious, such as his descriptions of rabies research in Paris, including euthanasia of human patients, and a suicide attempt by a man convinced he had been exposed to the disease.

Several of the most prominent figures in Munthe's life are not mentioned in Story of San Michele. His wife and children do not figure in the narrative; very little of his time in England is mentioned, even though he married a British woman, his children were largely raised in England, and he himself became a British citizen during the First World War. His decades-long service as personal physician and confidante to the Queen of Sweden is mentioned only in the most oblique terms; at one point, while naming her only as "she who must be mother to a whole nation", he mentions that she regularly brings flowers for the grave of one of her dogs buried at Villa San Michele, at another point, one of his servants is out walking his dogs, and encounters the Queen, who mentions having given the dog to Munthe.

Munthe published a few other reminiscences and essays during the course of his life, and some of them were incorporated into The Story of San Michele, which vastly overshadows all his other writing both in length and popularity. Notably, his accounts of working with a French ambulance corps during the First World War are not included.

World wide, the book was immensely successful; by 1930, there had been twelve editions of the English version alone, and Munthe added a second preface. A third preface was written in 1936 for an illustrated edition]]> 358 Axel Munthe 0719566991 Aya 0 to-read 4.25 1929 The Story of San Michele
author: Axel Munthe
name: Aya
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1929
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Grownup 26025580
¡°The Grownup,¡± originally appeared as ¡°What Do You Do?¡± in George R. R. Martin¡¯s Rogues anthology.]]> 64 Gillian Flynn 0804188971 Aya 4 I need a sequel though. Too many unaswered questions (Hence the 4 stars). Please, Gillian?]]> 3.55 2014 The Grownup
author: Gillian Flynn
name: Aya
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/04
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:
Very fun quick read!
I need a sequel though. Too many unaswered questions (Hence the 4 stars). Please, Gillian?
]]> <![CDATA[Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong]]> 33146881
History is filled with brilliant ideas that gave rise to disaster, and this book explores the most fascinating¡ªand significant¡ªmissteps: from opium's heyday as the pain reliever of choice to recognition of opioids as a major cause of death in the U.S.; from the rise of trans fats as the golden ingredient for tastier, cheaper food to the heart disease epidemic that followed; and from the cries to ban DDT for the sake of the environment to an epidemic-level rise in world malaria.

These are today's sins of science¡ªas deplorable as mistaken past ideas about advocating racial purity or using lobotomies as a cure for mental illness. These unwitting errors add up to seven lessons both cautionary and profound, narrated by renowned author and speaker Paul A. Offit. Offit uses these lessons to investigate how we can separate good science from bad, using some of today's most controversial creations¡ªe-cigarettes, GMOs, drug treatments for ADHD¡ªas case studies. For every "Aha!" moment that should have been an "Oh no," this book is an engrossing account of how science has been misused disastrously¡ªand how we can learn to use its power for good.]]> 277 Paul A. Offit 1426217994 Aya 0 to-read 4.16 2017 Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong
author: Paul A. Offit
name: Aya
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[What Makes Girls Sick and Tired]]> 41427834
The book's beginnings as a fanzine shine through in its honesty and directness, confronting the inequalities faced by young women, everyday. And it ends with a line of hope, that with solidarity, girls will hurt less, as they hold each other up with support and encouragement.]]> 48 Lucile de Peslo¨¹an 1772600962 Aya 0 to-read 3.75 2019 What Makes Girls Sick and Tired
author: Lucile de Peslo¨¹an
name: Aya
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Await the Devil's Coming 15797986 I Await the Devil's Coming is a shocking, brave and intellectually challenging diary of a 19-year-old girl living in Butte, Montana in 1902. Written in potent, raw prose that propelled the author to celebrity upon publication, the book has become almost completely forgotten.

In the early 20th century, MacLane's name was synonymous with sexuality; she is widely hailed as being one of the earliest American feminist authors, and critics at the time praised her work for its daringly open and confessional style. In its first month of publication, the book sold 100,000 copies¡ªa remarkable number for a debut author, and one that illustrates MacLane's broad appeal.

Now, with a new foreword written by critic Jessa Crispin,?I Await The Devil's Coming?stands poised to renew its reputation as one of America's earliest and most powerful accounts of feminist thought and creativity.]]> 162 Mary MacLane 1612191940 Aya 0 to-read 3.63 1902 I Await the Devil's Coming
author: Mary MacLane
name: Aya
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1902
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> La Bo?te ¨¤ merveilles 7259781 256 Ahmed Sefrioui 2020011573 Aya 2 2.80 1954 La Bo?te ¨¤ merveilles
author: Ahmed Sefrioui
name: Aya
average rating: 2.80
book published: 1954
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:
What a painfully bitter memory having had to read this pile of paper torture
]]> The Black Cat 391724
The tale centers on two matters, a black cat and the deterioration of a man. The man is one who enjoyed family life with his wife and numerous pets, but then he changed radically for the worse. The story is often compared to "The Tell-Tale Heart" because of the profound psychological elements these two works share. "The Black Cat" is a story you will never forget.

Librarian's note: this entry relates to the story "The Black Cat." Collections and other short stories by the author can be found elsewhere on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.]]> 24 Edgar Allan Poe 1594561753 Aya 0 to-read 4.07 1843 The Black Cat
author: Edgar Allan Poe
name: Aya
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1843
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Final Truth: The Autobiography of Mass Murderer/Serial Killer Donald 'Pee Wee' Gaskins]]> 919545 230 Donald Gaskins 0963242202 Aya 4 What I've come to realise up until now is, while some people's actions and social behavior might come across as acceptable and generally within norms, that doesn't necessarily mean they act according to moral values and what's considered right and wrong. Their motives and thought process before coming to a decision are what should serve as an indicator of their 'moralness' or 'unmoralness'. That's the first lesson I learned from the account of an accomplished Sociopath in her book called "Confessions of a Sociopath : A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight", which incidentally made me curious to know the perspective of a sociopath on the other end of the spectrum, which eventually led me here.
Now, while both characters (the accomplished sociopath vs the serial killer) share a fair number of defining traits of sociopathy -such as a lack of empathy, high self esteem, a desire to manipulate and no show of remorse- their motives differ, and that's what sets them so wide apart on the spectrum of sociopathy.
This line particularly struck me, for it pretty much sums up the reasoning of Donald Gaskins, and probably that of millions of other sociopaths who live unhindered by social constructs : "I have walked the same path as God. By taking lives and making others afraid of me, I become God¡¯s equal. Through killing others, I become my own Master. Through my own power I come to my own redemption. Once I seen the miracle light, I didn't never again have to fear or obey the Rules of no Man or no God. When they put me to death, I'll die remembering the Freedom and Pleasure of My Life."]]> 4.13 1992 Final Truth: The Autobiography of Mass Murderer/Serial Killer Donald 'Pee Wee' Gaskins
author: Donald Gaskins
name: Aya
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2018/12/30
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:
I've always been interested in exploring more about the human mind and how it functions, the question of morality and whether or not we could consider ourselves moral creatures.
What I've come to realise up until now is, while some people's actions and social behavior might come across as acceptable and generally within norms, that doesn't necessarily mean they act according to moral values and what's considered right and wrong. Their motives and thought process before coming to a decision are what should serve as an indicator of their 'moralness' or 'unmoralness'. That's the first lesson I learned from the account of an accomplished Sociopath in her book called "Confessions of a Sociopath : A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight", which incidentally made me curious to know the perspective of a sociopath on the other end of the spectrum, which eventually led me here.
Now, while both characters (the accomplished sociopath vs the serial killer) share a fair number of defining traits of sociopathy -such as a lack of empathy, high self esteem, a desire to manipulate and no show of remorse- their motives differ, and that's what sets them so wide apart on the spectrum of sociopathy.
This line particularly struck me, for it pretty much sums up the reasoning of Donald Gaskins, and probably that of millions of other sociopaths who live unhindered by social constructs : "I have walked the same path as God. By taking lives and making others afraid of me, I become God¡¯s equal. Through killing others, I become my own Master. Through my own power I come to my own redemption. Once I seen the miracle light, I didn't never again have to fear or obey the Rules of no Man or no God. When they put me to death, I'll die remembering the Freedom and Pleasure of My Life."
]]> <![CDATA[Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight]]> 15841837 Confessions of a Sociopath is an engrossing, highly captivating narrative of the author's life as a diagnosed sociopath.

She is a charismatic charmer, an ambitious self-promoter, and a cunning and calculating liar. She can induce you to invest in her financial schemes, vote for her causes, and even join her in bed. Like a real-life Lisbeth Salander, she has her own system of ethics, and like Dexter, she thrives on bending and occasionally breaking the rules. She is a diagnosed, high-functioning, noncriminal sociopath, and this is her world from her point of view.

Drawn from the author's own experiences; her popular blog, Sociopathworld.com; and scientific literature, Confessions of a Sociopath is part confessional memoir, part primer for the curious. Written from the point of view of a diagnosed sociopath, it unveils for the very first time these people who are hiding in plain sight. The book confirms suspicions and debunks myths about sociopathy, providing a road map for dealing with the sociopath in your life.]]> 320 M.E. Thomas 0307956644 Aya 4 In her book she talks about her life as a high functioning member of her society and how she came to be this way: from her upbringing to her social surroundings.
She talks about her quirks and how she (and other sociopaths) operate in a detailed self-depiction
The only thing that bothered the detail maniac in me is how she seems to interchange "Psychopath" and "Sociopath" and keeps swinging back and forth between both terms without really pointing out the difference.
I'd also like some clarification regarding the difference between Psychopathy and Sociopathy, I heard a psychologist once talk about both disorders: she says the main point of distinction is that psychopathy has proved to be genetic (for the most part), while sociopathy is acquired - learned. However, in this book, M.E. Thomas claims that her sociopathic trait is embedded in her genes...]]> 3.21 2013 Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight
author: M.E. Thomas
name: Aya
average rating: 3.21
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/03
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:
Very interesting read! Although it gets repetitive at times, but I guess it's intentional, the author wanted to make sure her message doesn't sink into oblivion -or so I believe-
In her book she talks about her life as a high functioning member of her society and how she came to be this way: from her upbringing to her social surroundings.
She talks about her quirks and how she (and other sociopaths) operate in a detailed self-depiction
The only thing that bothered the detail maniac in me is how she seems to interchange "Psychopath" and "Sociopath" and keeps swinging back and forth between both terms without really pointing out the difference.
I'd also like some clarification regarding the difference between Psychopathy and Sociopathy, I heard a psychologist once talk about both disorders: she says the main point of distinction is that psychopathy has proved to be genetic (for the most part), while sociopathy is acquired - learned. However, in this book, M.E. Thomas claims that her sociopathic trait is embedded in her genes...
]]> <![CDATA[Bridget Jones¡¯s Diary (Bridget Jones, #1)]]> 227443 a. lose 7 pounds
b. stop smoking
c. develop Inner Poise

"129 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds in the middle of the night? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier? Repulsive, horrifying notion), alcohol units 4 (excellent), cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow), number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)..."

"Bridget Jones' Diary" is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget's permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement ¡ª a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult - and learn to program the VCR.

Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and ¡ª like millions of readers the world round ¡ª you'll find yourself shouting, "Bridget Jones is me!"]]> 288 Helen Fielding 014028009X Aya 0 3.81 1996 Bridget Jones¡¯s Diary (Bridget Jones, #1)
author: Helen Fielding
name: Aya
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:

]]> The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 93263 Please note that this is the graphic novel adaptation of Sleepy Hollow. If you're looking for the short story, go here.

This is Bo Hampton's 1993 Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a faithful adaptation of Washington Irving's tale surrounding the ghostly inhabitants of Tarrytown, New York around the time of the American Revolution. The cast of characters is headed up by the Headless Horseman himself. This edition boasts new covers and 16 pages of new material, including numerous preliminary sketches of scenes and characters.]]> 64 Bo Hampton 1582404119 Aya 0 3.98 1993 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
author: Bo Hampton
name: Aya
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)]]> 236093 Come along, Toto, she said. We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas again.

Swept away from her home in Kansas by a tornado, Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves stranded in the fantastical Land of Oz. As instructed by the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to try and find her way to the Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz, who can help her get home. With her companions the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy experiences an adventure full of friendship, magic and danger. A much-loved children's classic, The Wizard of Oz continues to delight readers young and old with its enchanting tale of witches, flying monkeys and silver shoes.

]]> 154 L. Frank Baum 0140621679 Aya 0 4.00 1900 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)
author: L. Frank Baum
name: Aya
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1900
rating: 0
read at: 2009/01/01
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:

]]> Ugly Love 17788401
Never ask about the past.
Don¡¯t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can¡¯t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.]]> 330 Colleen Hoover Aya 3 2nd read by Colleen Hoover and probably the last
Maybe because I keep comparing it to my first read It Ends With Us
or maybe because I just, in all honesty, find the characters pretty shallow, couldn't connect with any of them
Why you might ask?
Well,
For starters,
Rachel and Mike had a pretty solid relationship, no major issues, genuine love and respect for one another and TOTAL investment in each other's lives.
Sudden death of their newborn baby breaks their bond. Rachel leaves without saying goodbye and Mike never runs after her. Are you kidding me? Are you KIDDING ME?
I couldn't swallow this, it doesn't make sense to me how two people who are so invested in each other in every way would choose not be part of each other's life anymore OVERNIGHT. I mean, a temporary breakup would make sense. But this? Unrealistic.
Now let's move on,
Mike falls in love again, with Tate, and he's in denial, he couldn't get over his past relationship although it's been 6 years. And Rachel, on the other hand, who -let me remind you- lived the same trauma, got married and had 1 or 2 kids (can't remember) and lived a happy and tranquil life with her new hubby. What?
Now, I get it, we all process our experiences and traumas differently, but it just bothered me how little she cared about Mike after everything he'd done for her. Again, couldn't swallow it. (that's what she said (sorry couldn't help it))
For these and a few other details, like the many points where I would cringe at some cheesy or uninteresting passage of Tate's thoughts on Mike's way of saying her name or whatever detail I couldn't care less about, I couldn't thoroughly enjoy this book.]]> 4.01 2014 Ugly Love
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Aya
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2018/11/17
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves:
review:
SPOILER ALERT : ONLY READ IF YOU'VE READ THE BOOK
2nd read by Colleen Hoover and probably the last
Maybe because I keep comparing it to my first read It Ends With Us
or maybe because I just, in all honesty, find the characters pretty shallow, couldn't connect with any of them
Why you might ask?
Well,
For starters,
Rachel and Mike had a pretty solid relationship, no major issues, genuine love and respect for one another and TOTAL investment in each other's lives.
Sudden death of their newborn baby breaks their bond. Rachel leaves without saying goodbye and Mike never runs after her. Are you kidding me? Are you KIDDING ME?
I couldn't swallow this, it doesn't make sense to me how two people who are so invested in each other in every way would choose not be part of each other's life anymore OVERNIGHT. I mean, a temporary breakup would make sense. But this? Unrealistic.
Now let's move on,
Mike falls in love again, with Tate, and he's in denial, he couldn't get over his past relationship although it's been 6 years. And Rachel, on the other hand, who -let me remind you- lived the same trauma, got married and had 1 or 2 kids (can't remember) and lived a happy and tranquil life with her new hubby. What?
Now, I get it, we all process our experiences and traumas differently, but it just bothered me how little she cared about Mike after everything he'd done for her. Again, couldn't swallow it. (that's what she said (sorry couldn't help it))
For these and a few other details, like the many points where I would cringe at some cheesy or uninteresting passage of Tate's thoughts on Mike's way of saying her name or whatever detail I couldn't care less about, I couldn't thoroughly enjoy this book.
]]> <![CDATA[And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer]]> 31140489
¡°I read this beautifully imagined and moving novella in one sitting, utterly wowed, wanting to share it with everyone I know.¡± ¡ªLisa Genova, bestselling author of Still Alice

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove , My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She¡¯s Sorry , Britt-Marie Was Here , and Anxious People comes an exquisitely moving portrait of an elderly man¡¯s struggle to hold on to his most precious memories, and his family¡¯s efforts to care for him even as they must find a way to let go.

With all the same charm of his bestselling full-length novels, here Fredrik Backman once again reveals his unrivaled understanding of human nature and deep compassion for people in difficult circumstances. This is a tiny gem with a message you¡¯ll treasure for a lifetime.]]> 0 Fredrik Backman 1508230714 Aya 0 to-read 4.28 2015 And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Aya
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[So You've Been Publicly Shamed]]> 23255422
'It's about the terror, isn't it?'

'The terror of what?' I said.

'The terror of being found out.'

For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made a joke on social media that came out badly, or made a mistake at work. Once their transgression is revealed, collective outrage circles with the force of a hurricane and the next thing they know they're being torn apart by an angry mob, jeered at, demonized, sometimes even fired from their job.

A great renaissance of public shaming is sweeping our land. Justice has been democratized. The silent majority are getting a voice. But what are we doing with our voice? We are mercilessly finding people's faults. We are defining the boundaries of normality by ruining the lives of those outside it. We are using shame as a form of social control.

Simultaneously powerful and hilarious in the way only Jon Ronson can be, So You've Been Publicly Shamed is a deeply honest book about modern life, full of eye-opening truths about the escalating war on human flaws - and the very scary part we all play in it.]]> 304 Jon Ronson 0698172523 Aya 0 to-read 4.02 2015 So You've Been Publicly Shamed
author: Jon Ronson
name: Aya
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Picture of Dorian Gray 5297
In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.]]> 272 Oscar Wilde Aya 0 to-read 4.13 1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Aya
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1890
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved]]> 35133923 A divinity professor and young mother with a Stage IV cancer diagnosis explores the pain and joy of living without certainty.

Thirty-five-year-old Kate Bowler was a professor at the school of divinity at Duke, and had finally had a baby with her childhood sweetheart after years of trying, when she began to feel jabbing pains in her stomach. She lost thirty pounds, chugged antacid, and visited doctors for three months before she was finally diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer.

As she navigates the aftermath of her diagnosis, Kate pulls the reader deeply into her life, which is populated with a colorful, often hilarious collection of friends, pastors, parents, and doctors, and shares her laser-sharp reflections on faith, friendship, love, and death. She wonders why suffering makes her feel like a loser and explores the burden of positivity. Trying to relish the time she still has with her son and husband, she realizes she must change her habit of skipping to the end and planning the next move. A historian of the "American prosperity gospel"--the creed of the mega-churches that promises believers a cure for tragedy, if they just want it badly enough--Bowler finds that, in the wake of her diagnosis, she craves these same "outrageous certainties." She wants to know why it's so hard to surrender control over that which you have no control. She contends with the terrifying fact that, even for her husband and child, she is not the lynchpin of existence, and that even without her, life will go on.

On the page, Kate Bowler is warm, witty, and ruthless, and, like Paul Kalanithi, one of the talented, courageous few who can articulate the grief she feels as she contemplates her own mortality.]]> 178 Kate Bowler 0399592067 Aya 0 to-read 3.77 2018 Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved
author: Kate Bowler
name: Aya
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Adventures of Aouisha 42844567 Or the value of the woman resides in her spirit as any human being? Being a woman, as any member of the ignored social class, until now, I am treated not as an actor but as a tool, not as a spirit, but as a body at the first stage.
Thus, when the man repairs the deterioration of his body-attraction by his intellectual achievements, the woman has to fade away with her wrinkles and scars tattooed on her corpse by age and sorrows, in spite of many exceptions when the woman has approved to be a human being of spirit and intellect.
Why?
For the main reason that people prefer to pay attention to an artist in her twenties rather than a Noble-Prize winner in her sixties.]]> 66 Anissa K'Hal-Laayoun 9954874968 Aya 4 Read it in one sitting, had a good laugh!]]> 4.00 The Adventures of Aouisha
author: Anissa K'Hal-Laayoun
name: Aya
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2018/11/01
date added: 2019/01/02
shelves:
review:
I like the format! A collection of funny short stories following the adventures of Aouisha, this young girl who uses her wit to rebel against society's oppression.
Read it in one sitting, had a good laugh!
]]> Daimon (Covenant, #0.5) 10860399 62 Jennifer L. Armentrout 098315726X Aya 0 to-read 4.02 2011 Daimon (Covenant, #0.5)
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Aya
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings of Authenticity, Connections and Courage]]> 23500254 Show Up and Let Yourself be Seen

Is vulnerability the same as weakness? ¡°In our culture,¡± teaches Dr. Bren¨¦ Brown, ¡°we associate vulnerability with emotions we want to avoid such as fear, shame, and uncertainty. Yet we too often lose sight of the fact that vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, belonging, creativity, authenticity, and love.¡± On The Power of Vulnerability, Dr. Brown offers an invitation and a promise - that when we dare to drop the armor that protects us from feeling vulnerable, we open ourselves to the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives. Here she dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and reveals that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage.
¡°The Power of Vulnerability is a very personal project for me,¡± Bren¨¦ explains. ¡°This is the first place that all of my work comes together. This audio course draws from all three of my books - it¡¯s the culmination of everything I¡¯ve learned over the past twelve years. I'm very excited to weave it all into a truly comprehensive form that shows what these findings and insights can mean in our lives.¡±

Guidance and Insights for Wholehearted Living

Over the past twelve years, Dr. Bren¨¦ Brown has interviewed hundreds of people as part of an ongoing study of vulnerability. ¡°The research shows that we try to ward disappointment with a shield of cynicism, disarm shame by numbing ourselves against joy, and circumvent grief by shutting off our willingness to love,¡± explains Dr. Brown. When we become aware of these patterns, she teaches, we begin to become conscious of how much we sacrifice in the name of self-defense -and how much richer our lives become when we open ourselves to vulnerability.
¡°In my research,¡± Dr. Brown says, ¡°the word I use to describe people who can live from a place of vulnerability is wholehearted.¡± Being wholehearted is a practice¡ªone that we can choose to cultivate through empathy, gratitude, and awareness of our vulnerability armor. Join this engaging and heartfelt teacher on The Power of Vulnerability as she offers profound insights on leaning into the full spectrum of emotions¡ªso we can show up, let ourselves be seen, and truly be all in.

HIGHLIGHTS

Cultivating shame resilience¡ªthe key to developing a sense of worth and belonging.
Vulnerability as the origin point for innovation, adaptability, accountability, and visionary leadership.
Our emotional armory - how we use perfectionism, numbing, and other tactics to avoid feeling vulnerable.
The myths of vulnerability - common misconceptions about weakness, trust, and self-sufficiency.
Discovering your vulnerability armor - recognizing what makes us shut down, and how we can change.
The 10 guideposts of wholehearted living - essential skills for becoming fully engaged in life.
Six hours of stories, warm humor, and transformative insights for living a life of courage, authenticity, and compassion from Dr. Bren¨¦ Brown.]]> 1 Bren¨¦ Brown Aya 0 to-read 4.61 2013 The Power of Vulnerability: Teachings of Authenticity, Connections and Courage
author: Bren¨¦ Brown
name: Aya
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life...]]> 4894
Two are mice named Sniff and Scurry. And two are "Littlepeople" ¡ª beings the size of mice who look and act a lot like people. Their names are Hem and Haw.

"Cheese" is a metaphor for what you want to have in life ¡ª whether it's a good job, a loving relationship, money, a possession, health, or spiritual peace of mind.

And the "Maze" is where you look for what you want ¡ª the organisation you work in or the family or community you live in.

In the story, the characters are faced with unexpected change. Eventually, one of them deals with it successfully, and writes what he has learned from his experience on the Maze walls.

When you come to see "The Handwriting on the Wall," you can discover for yourself how to deal with change, so that you can enjoy less stress and more success (however you define it) in your work and in your life.

Written for all ages, the story takes less than an hour to read, but its unique insights can last for a lifetime.]]> 98 Spencer Johnson 0091883768 Aya 0 to-read 3.88 1999 Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life...
author: Spencer Johnson
name: Aya
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Room of One¡¯s Own 18521 A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on the 24th of October, 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled Women and Fiction, and hence the essay, are considered nonfiction. The essay is seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy.]]> 112 Virginia Woolf Aya 0 to-read 4.21 1929 A Room of One¡¯s Own
author: Virginia Woolf
name: Aya
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1929
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2019/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>