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This was a tiring year for me, but somehow I managed to read some good books (and lots of bad ones 😅)…

Reading Prompt: A book set in a different century - "Tess of d'Urbervilles: a Pure Woman Faithfully Presented" by Thomas Hardy

I would decribe it as The Anti-Manifesto of the Victorian era and double standards.

Why it's worth reading:

✓Hardy is a master of suspense
✓ Juxtaposition of "fallen" woman and pure woman
✓ The book was considered scandalized at the time of its publication
✓ Irony as a primary literary device
✓ Awesome metaphors (for ex., Tess acts like clockwork every time she is harrassed)

Why you might want to put it aside:

✓ Some of the protagonist actions look a bit annoying and illogical for the 21st century reader
✓ Ugly male characters: both Angel and Alec contributed to the tragedy at the end
✓ Descriptions of the country life might seem boring. For those who don't want to waste time on them, I would recommend 1979 movie.

8 out of 10 for the book in general. 10 out of 10 for the prot and style👍

Reading Prompt: Unreliable narrator

Just finished "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier and you know what? I'm stunned!

Five things I like about it:

1. Unreliable narrator. A relatively rare literary device that personally I met only in Nabokov's "Lolita".

2. Suspense. It builds slowly with little details and events adding up to a bigger picture until the climax hits.

3. Eerie atmosphere. I'm not a big fan of wordy countryside descriptions, but even I was moved.

4. Symbolism. Symbols are everywhere! Manderly, a cupid, a dress, rhododendrons, a boat - sometimes I needed to pause for a moment to get a grasp on all of them.

5. Ghostly narrator. The first book in my bookworm career that describes a house haunted by memory. The protagonist is actually much more of a ghost herself than a supposed "evil" spirit.

Things that might make you think twice before you decide to add this book in your TBR list:

1. Slow start. I literally fell asleep before I made it through the first chapters. But it was certainly worth it.

2. Annoying characters. The protagonist's logic made me question her sanity from time to time, but remember not to trust her.

3.Sexist comments of Maxim de Winter. This character does not evoke sympathy. At all. I hope Daphne du Maurier created this horrible figure deliberately.

8/10. A decent read that is worth creating a post about :)

New book recommendation: Propaganda (1928) by Edward Bernays. The book explores the structure of systems that control the public mind and public opinion, and examines how propaganda affects all political and social practices.

Infographics can be a great tool to improve reading skills.

Perfect weather 🌈⛈️ some rose scented candle and your books 💫

📚💙🤗

I'll definitely read more than 36 books this year, but I'm ending this challenge. Actually, I'm done with all "number challenges". Maybe they work for some people, but to me they just make pressure, turn everything into the chore and take away all the joy and beauty of reading/watching/listening and really enjoying it.
And this goes for many things - everything became just a number and I realized people read a lot of crap just to fulfill the "task" and I don't even know why I am doing this in the first place. I'd rather enjoy one book per month and embrace slow and easy approach to reading/life. That's also a good way to be more mindful, attentive and to pick books/movies more carefully, not just to consume everything that's served for me.
There is hyperproduction everywhere and we are swamped with all kinds of books, movies, series, music and every other kind of content. The problem is - there is so little quality in all that, it's more about quantity. I choose to be more aware of my choices and to embrace JOMO.
So, no more "counting" for me. 😉 Good luck with your challenges, guys. 🍀🧡

Animal Farm🐴

January : 4 books 🙂 📚

📚💚👍

Challenge achieved! 👍 Some of the books I read. 📚

18,19/25 📚✅️

17/25 📚✅️
Author: Donna Jackson Nakazawa

The goal is to read at least 15 pages a day. I want to read/finish these books 👆 and 23 other ebooks I selected from my kindle.

1/30 : notes from underground

Done! Last 3 books of the challenge. "Educated" supposed to be a memoir by a girl who grew up in the survivalist Mormon family, didn't go to school at all, then she homeschooled herself, went to the college and got a PhD. Well, I expected a true story, but the plot is full of gaps, illogicalities and inconsistencies. There are two possibilities : 1. she is a bad writer or 2. the story isn't so true. Either way, I couldn't believe it and I didn't like it.
The other two books are good. Especially "Guns, germs and steel" - huge recommendation!

Finish reading the 6th book of this month. I an really happy!

"لا يهمني سجلي، ما يهمني هو القيام بما هو صحيح و عادل"

"I don't care about my record, I care about doing what's right and just"

رواية"بو تشان"
"Bo chan" novel
الكتاب الخامس
The fifth book

"إن ترك الإنسان يسترسل في الحديث يجعله يرتكب أخطاء كثيرة و ينزلق لسانه لذكر أشياء تكشف عن دخيلة نفسه"

"let human go on talking, makes him do many mistakes and slips his tongue to mention things that reveal his inner self"

رواية(خدعة امرأة) أجاثا كريستي
Agatha Christie's woman's Trick Novel

الكتاب الرابع
The fourth booka

"الحقيقة أن القلب إذا قسى، خسر القدرة على الاتصال بالله سبحانه و تعالى و مناجاته،و التشرف بالانطراح بين يديه"

“The truth is that if the heart becomes hardened, it loses the ability to communicate with God Almighty and to talk to Him, and to have the honor of falling before Him.”

الكتاب الثالث
The third book

سأله قائلا:ألم تنظر لجسدك و لو لمرة منذ قذفتَ مراياك
قال :لم أفعل.. لأنني أشعر بوجودي ،و أتنفس ،و أحيا
أجابه :وجودك بلا معنى إن لم يره الآخرون

He asked him: Have you not looked at your body for once since you threw out your mirrors?
He said: I did not..because I feel my presence, I breathe, and I live
He replied: Your existence is meaningless if others do not see it

الكتاب الثاني
the second book

"إن القرآن حين يقرر المرء أن يقرأهُ بتجرد لا يمكن أن يخرج منه بمثل حاله التي دخل بها فيه"
“The Qur’an, when a person decides to recite it with impartiality, cannot leave it in the same state in which he entered it.”
الكتاب الأول
the first book

"ثمة عدة أماكن يمكن أن يتوه فيها المرء، لكن لا يوجد أكثر تعقيدا من مكتبة، بل إن الكتاب الواحد يُمكن أن نضيع فيه و نتوه"
“There are many places where one can get lost, but none is more complicated than a library, and even a single book can get lost in it.”

الكتب التي ألتهمت والدي
أفونسو كروش