Michelle
Expected a more philosophical view on happiness in combination with money, but the story was more about the problems people had with their money.
“Most people think nothing can happen to them, until it does.”
This book takes you into the dark nightlife of Tokyo, specifically the infamous Kabukichō district in Shinjuku. Kenji is a night guide who leads foreign tourists through this red-light and entertainment district.
He accepts a job from Frank, a mysterious American tourist who wants to be shown around Kabukichō for three nights. From the start, Kenji feels uneasy about Frank, but the money convinces him to go through with it.
Murakami builds tension right away; a constant sense of dread lingers, and so much happens in such a short time that you can't help but keep reading.
This was my first book by Emily Henry, and I really enjoyed her writing style—smooth, sharp, and filled with great dialogue. But despite that, the story didn't hold my attention the whole time. The concept sounded promising: a couple who grew apart due to a long-distance relationship must pretend they're still together during a friends' getaway. However, the plot felt a bit slow at times. The dynamic between the main characters was believable, but it didn't fully draw me in. Not a bad book, but I had hoped for a bit more.
Heerlijk snel doorheen gelezen. Wat een prachtig einde van een geweldige reeks. Ik heb wel een traantje gelaten.
Prachtig boek over het begin van de carrière van Ed Sheeran. Zijn duidelijke passie voor het vak zorgden er, samen met de prachtige illustraties van Phillip Butah, voor dat ik dit boek niet weg kon leggen wanneer ik begon met lezen.
Wat een lekker boek om even door heen te bladeren en weer terug te denken aan de mooie reis die ik heb gemaakt door Japan heen. Het geeft heimwee, een gevoel van “oh ja”. Makkelijk weg te lezen doordat het kleine stukjes zijn.
Read in just one day:
This is a short, beautiful story about the power of friendship, acceptance, and the beauty of life. The book follows the doriyaki maker (small filled Japanese pancakes) Sentaro, who one day meets the elderly Tokue. She turns out to be able to make delicious “sweet bean paste”, which is used in these doriyaki. This is how a special friendship arises.
The story is simple, but at the same time profound and makes you think about enjoying the little things in life and seeing the beauty in nature.
Ik kon er maar niet doorheen komen. Mensen worden geïntroduceerd en vervolgens zo snel weer uit het verhaal geschreven dat ik bijna geen moeite wilde doen om ze ook maar te leren kennen. Jammer.
A Little Life is een intens, hartverscheurend en prachtig geschreven boek. Yanagihara speelt met tijd en perspectief—je beseft vaak pas na een paar pagina's waar en wanneer je je bevindt, wat perfect past bij de thematiek van herinnering en trauma.
Centraal staat Jude, een briljante maar gebroken man wiens verleden hem blijft achtervolgen. Je denkt soms dat het niet erger kan, maar dan bewijst Yanagihara het tegendeel. Toch zit er, tussen alle pijn en duisternis, ook liefde en hoop—in vriendschappen, in kleine gebaren, in de momenten waarop iemand Jude probeert te redden, zelfs als hij zichzelf allang heeft opgegeven.
Het laat een onuitwisbare indruk achter. Een van de meest aangrijpende boeken die ik ooit heb gelezen, waarbij ik het einde met tranen in mijn ogen heb gelezen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Baby X is set in the near future, where the medical world is far more advanced than today. Many diseases are no longer as threatening, but the biggest change is in genetic reproduction, allowing parents to select the optimal egg and sperm combination to create the “best” baby. The story is told from three perspectives: a surrogate carrying one of these genetically selected babies, a journalist, and a genetic security officer working for one of the biggest pop stars of the moment.
The core of the book revolves around the misuse of stolen DNA to conceive children, a thrilling and entertaining premise that is well executed. At the same time, I would have liked to see more depth in the identity crisis that could arise when only the “best” and “perfect” children are selected. This theme is briefly touched upon in Lily's storyline but deserved further exploration. How do these children grow up knowing they were designed to meet specific ideals? What does this do to their self-worth and autonomy?
That being said, Baby X remains a fast-paced thriller that makes you think about the future while skillfully weaving its characters together toward an exciting conclusion.
I had a hard time getting through this book. Maybe it's the writing style, but it just couldn't keep me interested.
After loving the Silo series, I was curious to see how it would continue. Actually this book went back to the beginning on how the silo world came to be. It's darker, slower, and more focused on the “why” behind everything.
I really liked Donald's storyline. Watching him slowly realize what he's a part of was intense and kind of heartbreaking. But I couldn't really get into Mission's chapters—they just didn't grab me the same way and felt like they dragged a bit. Also nice to see what the life of little Jimmy/Solo was like, before we met him in Wool and the series.
Overall, not as gripping as Wool, but still a solid and interesting read if you're into dystopias and want the full picture of the Silo world. Curious to see how this ends with the last book.