Recenzie: Magazinul de sinucideri de Jean Teule

Recenzie

Intreaga actiune a cartii Magazinul de sinucideri, scrisa de Jean Teule, se invarte in jurul acestui excentric locas si al familiei Tuvache, cea care il detine. Familia Tuvache, formata din cei mai diferiti oameni care pot exista - un anorexic ce are permanent dureri de cap, o grasana ce se subapreciaza si un copil optimist, plus niste parinti pentru care moartea nu inseamna nimic deosebit - il conduce si, zilnic, clienti care mai de care mai special, vin sa cumpere otravuri, lame si spanzuratori, ca sa scape de viata lor trista. Pana cand magazinul incepe sa fie compromis, datorita membrului intrus - Alan - care incearca sa aduca optimismul si fericirea in casa familiei Tuvache. Sfarsitul este unul extrem de surprinzator!

Nota mea: 4/5

Parerea mea

Nu a fost o carte impresionanta, insa umorul negru care a insotit permanent fiecare capitol a facut-o captivanta si amuzanta. Am ras in hohote de cateva ori, pentru ca aceasta combinatie letala dintre membrii familiei Tuvache este deosebit de speciala - speciala, intr-un mod rau bun.

Singurul personaj care nu s-a schimbat radical a fost Alan, care a ramas vesel si zambitor pe tot parcursul povestii. In rest, fata grasuta - Marilyn - a inceput sa nu se mai considere urata. Vincent, fiul cel mare, a devenit dintr-un anorexic intr-un clatitar, cum l-a numit tatal sau. Pana si parintii si-au schimbat comportamentul si perspectiva asupra vietii. Si totul datorita mezinului, datorita lui Alan. Ah, si ce distractie a fost intre peretii Magazinului de sinucideri!

A fost o lectura destul de rapida, ce mi-a luat numai o zi. Mi-a placut sa ma desprind de lume complet si sa intru in mintile personajele, sa vad cum gandesc ele. Fiecare avea ceva special, iar felul in care s-au petrecut lucrurile, mai spre sfarsit, au fost suprinzatoare. Nu am sa dau in vileag incheierea, insa pot spune doar ca trebuie sa cititi si voi aceasta carte!

• Recenzia face parte din campania “Citeşte şi căştigă cărţi pe viaţă din colecţia Strada Ficţiunii”, iniţiată de Editura ALLFA, parte a Grupului Editorial ALL.

Recenzie: Ingerul mecanic de Cassandra Clare

Recenzia contine spoilere

Recenzie

Dupa ce primeste un mesaj scurt de la fratele ei, Tessa se duce la Londra. Acolo este rapita si torturata si afla ca nu e o fiinta umana umana. Poate sa-si schimbe infatisarea cu una a altei persoane - vii sau moarte - si sa-i auda gandurile, asa ca Magistrul, adica unul dintre cei mai puternici din Lumea de Jos, si-o doreste. Insa Will, printul fermecator si chipes, apare la usa si o salveaza pe Tessa, apoi o conduce in siguranta. Acolo, Tessa afla ca Will este un vanator de umbre si ca ceilalti ca el - Jem, Charlotte, Henry - sunt dispusi sa o ajute sa-si gaseasca fratele, pe Nate, cu conditia de a-i lasa sa se foloseasca de puterea misterioasa a Tessei. Insa ceea ce urmeaza sa descopere este un secret bine ascuns ce ii va distruge relatia cu fratele ei.

Nota: 3/5

Parerea mea

In primul rand, povestea in sine este foarte interesanta si originala, in opinia mea. Secretele se ascund la tot pasul si este placut sa citesti, descoperindu-le pe parcurs. Autoarea le-a ascuns bine, iar atunci cand au iesit la iveala, am fost surprinsa. De mai multe ori. Cartea are multa actiune - are si momente un pic plictisitoare, dar asta nu conteaza - si m-a tinut in priza pe tot parcursul ei. Auzisem ca este foarte, foarte buna.

Asa a si fost.

Pana au aparut cliseele. Tonele de clisee care nu au facut decat sa ruineze cartea, sa o arunce in dizgratie pentru mine. Doamne, este exact ca Fortele Raului Absolut, ca Nascuta la miezul noptii si ca Chimie perfecta. Nu pot sa nu ma abtin sa fac comparatiile. Vine printul arogant si chipes si o salveaza, apoi apare altul mai de treaba si fata prostuta nu stie pe cine aleaga, dar tot o face, iar acela este arogantul, care, la urma, o jigneste si o face sa fuga in camera, plangand. Ce se va intampla era asa de evident, ca atunci cand citeam, imi venea sa arunc pe geam cartea. Povestea de dragoste cliseica a fost pur si simplu inutila aici. Cartea asta trebuia sa fie despre lupte si despre demoni.
A fost o replica, fix dupa ce s-a trezit Tessa, care era cam asa: "Will, zise ea. Esti chiar tu acela, Will?". Gah.

Eu una, oricum, nu sunt adepta romance-ului. Dar nu am nimic cu acest gen. Sunt multe carti care chiar mi-au placut, dar, dupa parerea mea, cartea Cassandrei Clare ar fi iesit mult mai bine daca nu ar fi fost acea atractie intre Will si Tessa. Nu era la locul ei, iar momentele in care cei doi se sarutau mi se pareau din alta lume, complet paralele cu povestea si personajele ei.

Eu mi-am spus parerea. Fiecare crede ce crede, poate unora le-a placut. Dar, oricum, sunt curioasa in legatura cu continuarea, asa ca probabil am sa citesc, la un moment dat, Printul Mecanic. Pot doar sa sper ca nu va fi la fel.

Journey of Promise by Vickie Hall Blog Tour Stop (Interview & Giveaway)

~About the author~

Vickie is a native of Utah, but growing up, lived in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Nebraska. When she’s not writing, she’s composing music, or shopping with her sister. She loves animals of all kinds and camping with her family. Her favorite pastime is watching old movies on TCM, and unashamedly has a crush on Cary Grant.

~About the books~

Journey of Promise

When converts Richard and Leah Kenyon leave Wales and heed the call to Zion, they are unprepared for the toll exacted by the journey. To face the incredible odds mounted against them they call upon the Lord’s tender mercies to see them through and strengthen their love for one another. Their story will remind you where to turn during your trials.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble


All That Was Promised

In 1847 Wales Methodist Minister Richard Kenyon converts to Mormonism. Richard’s newfound faith is put to the test when he faces the anger of his former congregation, his wife’s indecisiveness, his brother’s betrayal, and the murderous intentions of misinformed villagers.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

~Interview~

1. Hello, Vickie! Can you tell us something about you and your books?

First, let me say how much I love to write! I have done ever since I was little. It just seemed natural for me to create stories, and I've never looked back. I enjoy writing historical fiction, but have lately branched out into suspense, which I find quite challenging.

2. When did you decided that you wanted to be a writer?

I seriously began to consider this in high school. I had a wonderful English teacher who encouraged me and I will always be indebted to her for that.

3. Where do you find your inspiration for your novels? (If it’s not a secret) Have you ever found it in your real life?

I find inspiration from all sorts of things - from real historical events, from my dreams, and sometimes I just start to think, "what if this were to happen, or what would you do if ..." sort of scenarios. And yes, I have 3 books that were inspired by family members: All That Was Promised and Journey of Promise were based on the journals of my great-great grandparents, and Secrets of the Red Box was based on something that happened to my father (but I can't tell you what it is or it would ruin the secret!)

4. Do any of your fictional character resemble you?

In personality, yes. I think Leah from Journey of Promise is somewhat like me. I find that many of my own attributes, habits, faults, and memories end up in my books.

5. What book is the first one that you remember reading?

The Little Engine That Could (I think I can, I think I can ... and guess what? I did!)

6. Do you have a favorite book?

I have quite a few, but one that stands out for me is Follow The River by James Alexander Thom. I read that about twenty years ago and it really pushed me to keep writing.

7. If you were about to leave on a trip which book would you take with you?

Hmmmm, that's a tough one. I think I'd take Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah.

8. Tell us one thing you’d like to change about people from nowadays.

I'd like to see people me more courteous to one another and more respectful. We seemed to have lost that in our society today.

9. Is there a moment in your life you’d like to live again?

Nope. I try never to look back and believe that tomorrow will be even better than today!

10.Do you have a message for Romanian readers? Why would you recommend your book?

Bună! Vă rugăm să cumpere cartea mea. Mi-ar face foarte fericit!

My book will teach readers something about my heritage, about faith, and about anyone can overcome hardships and challenges!

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In my mailbox!

Nu am mai facut de multa vreme o postare cu noile mele carti, deoarece lenea pur si simplu ma convingea sa raman pe scaun si sa continui sa vizionez serialul Anatomia lui Grey. Care, apropo, aproape l-am terminat, ceea ce este destul de rau, pentru ca o sa trebuiasca sa astept cine stie cat pentru fiecare episod! :(
Deci o sa va arat cartile pe care am pus eu mana de trei saptamani incoace.

Am mai precizat, acum ceva timp, ca am dat de o biblioteca superba prin apropiere. Ei bine, cum sa nu mearga din nou Sabrina?
Si nu cred ca o sa ma credeti, dar am luat 9 carti. Nu m-am putut abtine! Sherlock Holmes (Un studiu stacojiu) lipseste de aici, pentru ca i l-am dat bunicii sa-l citeasca si Ingerul Mecanic il citesc eu acum. In rest, tot ce vedeti in imagine nu sunt cartile mele, sunt doar imprumutate. 
Am postat deja recenzia cartii verzi din colt, numita "Ziua in care mi-am ucis tatal" (click aici). Oricum, nu cred ca o sa citesc toate cartile pe care le-am luat. Dar tot nu m-am putut abtine.:))

De la doua autoare am primit swag-uri. Semnele din stanga sunt de la cartea "The Caged Graves" si postcard-urile din dreapta sunt de la cartea "The Vanishing of Katherina Linden" (care a aparut si la noi in Romania sub numele de "Misterioasa disparitie a Katherinei Linden"). Dragute, oricum.^.^

Cum acum citesc Ingerul Mecanic, care e imprumutata, am vrut sa am si eu cartea, asa ca am primit-o la un schimb de carti Simona. Foarte frumoasa varianta in engleza.
"Cartea viitorului" tot de la ea este, cumparata. Simona vinde o multime de carti frumoase si ieftine, asa ca eu va sugerez sa intrati pe pagina ei si sa aruncati o privire (click aici).

De la Alexandra am primit doua carti cu imprumut.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares mi-o doream de foarte multa vreme, iar cand am vazut poza cu cartea, am zis "VREAU!", pentru ca o cititoare din state, cu care am absolut mereu aceeasi opinie in legatura cu cartile citite, a spus ca i-a placut foarte mult, asa ca am citit-o.:)) Recenzia o gasiti aici.
Obsesii letale am imprumutat-o pentru ca suna asaaa bine si mereu mi-au placut crimele. Nici macar nu stiam ca a aparut aceasta carte la Leda, ba chiar de 4 ani!

Astea-s toate cartile de care am facut eu rost in ultimele 3 saptamani, daca nu chiar mai mult.
Voi ce ati mai primit in ultimul timp?

Recenzie: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares de Rachel Cohn si David Levithan

 Recenzie

Povestea incepe din perspectiva lui Dash - un baiat oarecare, pasionat de carti, ce se plimba printre rafturile unei librarii. Nu cauta o carte anume, insa ceva ii atrage atentia; un caiet rosu. Curios, il deschide, si asa ia nastere povestea superba a lui Dash si a lui Lily.

Pe tot parcursul cartii, Dash si Lily isi trimit provocari prin intermediul caietului rosu, ce se plimba prin New York. Cei doi nu s-au intalnit niciodata, insa asta nu pare sa-i impiedice sa devina prieteni. Povestea se petrece in timpul sarbatorilor de iarna, iar cu cat avanseaza mai mult, cu atat totul devine mai complicat. Dupa ceva vreme, ajungand sa cunosti cele doua personaje, incepi sa te intrebi daca relatia lor chiar are vreo sansa; Dash si Lily sunt doua personaje extrem de diferite. Dash uraste Craciunul si nu este incantat in privinta lui, in timp ce Lily se dedica cu adevarat acestuia, infiintand chiar si un club de cantat colinde. Dash este un baiat mai activ, in timp ce Lily este timida si nu prea are prieteni. Insa, desi nu este un roman cu foarte multa actiune, categoric te prinde, pentru ca pe tot parcursul lui esti curios daca povestea dintre cei doi va avea un final fericit.

Nota mea: 4,5/5

Parerea mea

Cu ocazia acestei recenzii, am sa-i mai multumesc o data Alexandrei, pentru ca a acceptat sa-mi imprumute aceasta carte din clipa in care am rugat-o (la cat de insistenta eram, nu cred ca avea de ales).

Am avut ceva de furca cu aceasta carte. Toata lumea din jurul meu petrecea Pastele, juca carti sau dadea muzica la maxim, insa eu pur si simplu nu am putut sa las cartea asta din mana. Oricat imi spuneam "Gata, asta este ultimul capitol", o luam de la capat, pentru povestea celor doi adolescenti pur si simplu m-a captivat total si m-a tinut acolo, ca pe ace, lasandu-ma sa visez ceva vreme la tot felul de sfarsituri. Pe la mijlocul cartii, incepeam sa ma indoiesc ca totul se va termina bine, pentru ca relatia dintre cei doi incepea sa se destrame. Apoi revenea la nivelul normal pana cand, inca o data, cei doi nu se mai intalneau. Complicata treaba.

In unele momente, am fost foarte amuzata, pentru ca umorul nu a lipsit din aceasta carte. Fiecare capitol avea o gluma de bun-gust care ma facea sa zambesc si sa vreau sa ma mut cu totul in lumea frumoasa de dincolo de paginile cartii.

Cei doi autori au facut o treaba grozava impreuna si, desi Dash & Lily's Book of Dares nu este cartea mea preferata, mi-a placut foarte mult. Chiar daca se petrece in perioada sarbatorilor de iarna, o poti citi in orice perioada a anului, pentru ca oricum te vei simti absorbit de poveste si vei simti ca este din nou iarna. Categoric o recomand cititorilor care nu sunt neaparat pasionati de romance, dar care cauta o carte frumoasa, interesanta si amuzanta ce ii vor binedispune.

Deja vu!

Hei!

Am trecut pe aici sa va spun Paste Fericit. Poate voi mai intra zilele astea pe blog, dar nu garantez ca voi posta, deoarece maine plec la munte si probabil nu am sa am timp. 

Dar ieri m-am intalnit cu un prieten foarte, foarte vechi - il cunosc de cand ma stiu - si nu l-am mai vazut de doi ani, iar intalnirea a fost gen "OMG, cat ai crescut!" (eu) si el "Tot la fel de naspa ai ramas?", apoi am inceput sa ne batem, dar doar asaaa, amical si simteam ca mi-am recapatat cel mai bun prieten. Dar ultima data cand l-am vazut, era mai scund ca mine, iar acum e cu un cap mai inalt, iar eu sunt printre cele mai inalte din clasa, asa ca asta inseamna ceva. Oricum, personalitatea lui e exact aceeasi. 

Deja vu.

Si uite cum stau aici, plictisindu-va pe voi cu prostiile mele.:)) Oricum, ideea acestui post era sa va urez sarbatori fericite. Si, daca tot am deschis subiectul, am o intrebare pentru voi:

Tu ce persoana pe care nu ai mai vazut-o de foarte mult timp ai vrea sa intalnesti?

Cam atat. Lectura placuta!

January Black Blog Tour Stop (Interview & Giveaway)

~About the author~

Wendy S. Russo got her start writing in the sixth grade. That story involved a talisman with crystals that had to be found and assembled before bad things happened, and dialog that read like classroom roll call. Since then, she’s majored in journalism (for one semester), published poetry, taken a course on short novels, and watched most everything ever filmed by Quentin Tarantino. A Wyoming native transplanted in Baton Rouge, Wendy works for Louisiana State University as an IT analyst. She’s a wife, a mom, a Tiger, a Who Dat, and she falls asleep on her couch at 8:30 on weeknights.

~About the book~

Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma.
More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple.
What was January Black?
It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He’s been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost…or call the king’s bluff.

~Praise~

Refreshingly intelligent and loads of fun!
I lost a few hours as I read this book. It’s a Young Adult novel that is refreshingly and astonishingly intelligent, and the love story is perfectly played out.
Christine Ashworth, Amazon Review

The mystery was intriguing – I loved how Wendy Russo weaved in all her secrets throughout the book, how she incorporated just enough to keep you reading, while never actually divulging much of anything. I was guessing for most of it and that’s pretty hard to make me do.
Julie, Clean Teen Reads

Wendy Russo has created a masterpiece.
Ivan Amberlake, Author

~Interview~

1. Hello, Wendy! Can you tell us something about you and your book "January Black"?

Hello! Well, I'm a thirty-something American, married with a young son. I work for a university managing web content. I'm an author, which is how I came to be on Fantasy Books. I write science fiction and fantasy. 

My first novel, January Black, was published January 15th, and it's about a brilliant and bored young man who is tasked by his king to answer a deceptively easy question. When the only answer turns out to be wrong, finding the right answer becomes a quest through his kingdom's history. 

2. When did you decided that you wanted to be a writer?

I was young. Eleven years old, maybe? I wrote a short story and submitted it to a small competition for young writers. I didn't win.

3. Where do you find your inspiration for your novels? (If it’s not a secret) Have you ever found it in your real life?

Not secret at all. I find it in the world all around me. In the news. From watching people walk through shopping malls. From movie special effects. Ancient civilizations and by asking myself "what if?" Sometimes, when I see a trend in books, I think...I should flip that around. Make something that is traditionally bad into a good thing. I had an idea recently about an angel encountering Lucifer while the guy is installing laminate wood flooring in an apartment building he maintains for poor families. "Corrupting souls?" the prince of darkness wonders aloud, "Who's got time for that?"

4. Do any of your fictional character resemble you?

I think there's a piece of me in all of them. Hadrian has my sense of whimsy. Matty has my curiosity, my wonder, my inner imp. Iris has my caution about the world around me. 

5. What book is the first one that you remember reading? 

Put Me in the Zoo, by Robert Lopshire. A dog is walking through the zoo and he thinks the life the animals have there is great, so he asks to stay there. He's thrown out of the gates by security. Two kids see him sitting on the sidewalk, wonder why he's angry, and ask him why he should be able to stay in the zoo. He shows them a lot of magical things he can do with his spots...change colors, put them on other things, shape them into objects. The kids love his tricks and tell him that he should be in the circus, not the zoo. At the end, he's performing tricks for crowds of spectators. Happy ending. 

It's now one of my son's favorites.

6. Do you have a favorite book?

Neal Stephenson's "The Diamond Age." It's about a poor young girl in a future, dystopian Shanghai, who is raised by a book that is almost artificially intelligent and grows up to lead a rebellion as the political structures of Shanghai collapse. It has fun technology, interesting characters, and at times, I laughed out loud.

7. If you were about to leave on a trip which book would you take with you?

I don't know. My To-Be-Read list is shamefully long. I'd probably take the opportunity to catch up.

8. Tell us one thing you’d like to change about people from nowadays.

I don't know about other places in the world, but in America, we've become very reactionary. If something goes wrong, we want to know what went wrong, who's responsible, and what's being done to prevent it from happening again. And yes, we know that firefighters are still in the building, but why don't you have answers yet, Mr. Mayor?!

Yet often, when the situation is looked at from distance, it's clear to see that what we are reacting to is a symptom rather than a cause. Emotion keeps us focused on avoiding unpleasant things that we have already observed. Meanwhile, life is busy preparing the next challenge, and it will probably look nothing like a problem we've dealt with before.

I'd like people to take a breath, react to problems with more reason, less emotion. 

9. Is there a moment in your life you’d like to live again?

When my son was one year old, there was a moment when I realized he knew a lot more words than he could say. He amazes me.

10. Do you have a message for Romanian readers? Why would you recommend your book?

I have a giveaway coming up when January Black gets it's 100th review, and it will be open to international readers. The prize is a hardcover set of "The Infernal Devices", signed by Cassandra Clare. I'll be posting updates on the giveaway on my Facebook page for anyone who's interested.

January Black is a thought-provoking Young Adult tale, relevant to the modern-day, which places the responsability for education on a student's own shouders, emphases the meaning of liberty, and asks readers what they, individualy, would sacrifice to do what they felt was right.

I've never travelled outside of the United States. I'm fascinated by life in other parts of the world. It's such a thrill to know that readers in Romania now know my name. I hope you'll read January Black. I really hope you'll like it.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

 

More Information:

January Black 100th Amazon Review Giveaway

 ~Blog Tour Giveaway~

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 5/8/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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