Fiction

The Alchemist
The Alchemist, written in two weeks by Paulo Coelho because in his words the story “was already written in his soul”. This is basically how I felt when I first read it.
By Julia Alfred2 years ago in BookClub
Through Wardrobes
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - and actually the entire Narnia series - is one of the first full books I remember my parents reading to me, then reading and even re-reading the entire set to myself at a young age, and already thinking I must re-read again when I'd forgotten too much.
By Ellen Stedfeld2 years ago in BookClub
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Introduction The books we read as teenagers for class were never our favorite books. They were just different. Full of complex themes and ideas that adults made us read for…reasons. They were a means to an end, things that you needed to study and memorize for tests and exams, rather than things to be simply enjoyed. For what seemed like the longest time, enjoyment meant escaping from these books as fast as possible.
By Louis T2 years ago in BookClub
Ten Writers I Can No Longer Read
One of the things I have learned after many years of reading and writing is that you are allowed to dismiss what you once loved; you are allowed to give up on writers who no longer speak to you and have set up a barrier in your mind to enjoyment of their work. I do not mean that I care that deeply about their political, racial, psychological or emotional issues (the list of acceptable writers would be incredibly short if I dismissed the ones who did not reach such high standards). I am simply concerned with what is on the page and how it makes me react, as Vladimir Nabokov once stated, “between the shoulder blades” (where you really do feel the work).
By Kendall Defoe 2 years ago in BookClub
Summer '23 Reads
This was a whirlwind summer. Not that I did anything fun or exciting, but just a lot happened. Well, I guess one or two exciting things happened (more on that down below). I wasn’t planning on doing one big summer recap, but I forgot to do one for June, and then I didn’t finish any novels in July, and alas.
By Victoria Brown2 years ago in BookClub
The Huntress and the Enchanted Tome
I’d just killed a man, and I wore his remnants all over my huntress tunic. Shredded, as though his claws hadn’t been trying to kill me, too. Blood-soaked, both mine and his, as though we were tearing away our layers so that we could get to the soul, vulnerable and exposed, and slice it apart.
By em2 years ago in BookClub
Murder In The Family By Cara Hunter
So, I have a confession to make. I had not read a book in close to 10 years because I didn’t ever feel the need too. As soon as I left school, I put reading behind me and never looked back, until recently. I had some extra money, a suggestion for a book that was right down my alley from my boyfriend and went for it. I lost myself in this book, something I am not used to doing but very much enjoyed. This book had such a unique concept to it that I had no chance in resisting as soon as I opened the front cover and turned that first page, I was hooked.
By YesItsMocha2 years ago in BookClub
A Brief Thought: Brave New World
Reading Brave New World felt like waking up. It’s one of those stories that, despite being fiction, reflects reality on a scary accurate level.
By Jaye Ruggiero-Cash2 years ago in BookClub
Gift
No other book has had so much effect on me like The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. And I’ve read many, like most of Russians do. In the beginning of 80s I was lucky to borrow a copy of Khudozhestvennaya Literatura magazine dated 1973 where a full complete uncut version of the book had been published, a surprising oversight by government. There I was, in my early 20s, born and raised in Soviet Union, gone through all the pre coordinated by government stages of a proper soviet child. Patriotism, obedience, and loyalty to the state where the Communist Party had absolute power over everything, were inflicted at each stage, from kindergarten to university.
By Natalia Grin2 years ago in BookClub
Books that changed Me: It
So back in my toddler days I was over my dad’s house for the weekend and this movie came on tv about this evil clown who was torturing a group of little kids with his mind games and wicked ways. My dad explained the movie to me because he had obviously seen it before and liked it and now so did I. The name of that movie was called It and it is one of many chilling, yet amazing stories from sci-fi and horror master Stephen King. It is also an important book in my life that had a lasting impact that changed me.
By Joe Patterson2 years ago in BookClub
Love and Spice
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR A 58 YEAR OLD BOOK THAT HAS BEEN ADAPTED INTO TWO MOVIES AND ONE TV SERIES.
By Atomic Historian2 years ago in BookClub
The Horror of Frankenstein
Frankenstein and Dracula As a child I was not allowed to watch horror movies so monsters of any kind for me were associated with Halloween. I discovered it myself in my teens when my fascination with horror movies began. My mother’s first horror movie was the classic “Dracula” also released in 1931 with Bela Lugosi portraying the vampire. My parents as immigrants arrived in New York City in 1951 and during the 1950s they released “Dracula” once again in the movie theaters. Well mom was so interested that one evening dad took her to see the movie. She said she was never so frightened in all her life and was holding on tight to dad on the way home. Dad of course, had a great laugh about it all. I first met Frankenstein in the classic horror movie from Universal Pictures that was released in 1931 with Boris Karloff portraying the Monster. So when I asked mom if she would watch “Frankenstein” with me she did, but held onto a glass of wine.
By Rasma Raisters2 years ago in BookClub