ola gubkina

It’s definitely not a light read. Trying to finish this book in a week was a bad idea and definitely made me enjoy it less, I admit. Maybe if I read a couple of chapters a month, I would appreciate it more.

‘...other people's memories gave us a place in the world.'

History repeats itself, as do memories. We all share the same dreams, fears, and hobbies. These similarities don't make us boring or our lives uneventful; instead, they bring us closer, regardless of the distance or the years that separate us.

“No, you didn't know all that; those are things that are never spoken of. For the plague-stricken their peace of mind is more important than a human life. Decent folks must be allowed to sleep easy o' nights, mustn't they?”

“Can one be saint without God?”

I didn't want to compare this book to COVID, but it could have been a good read that would have prepared and explained many things to me at that time. To be honest, this book is a great read for any occasion. The only drawback was that I did not like the English translation at all. At some point, I switched to the Russian translation, and the text was so well-written. Words had a broader meaning, while the English translation lacked some depth. Maybe there is a better translation than this one.

It's not a typical read for me; usually, I'm not interested in celebrity autobiography books. However, this one was different because I was a huge fan of iCarly when I was a child, and this show literally shaped me during that time. So yeah, I read this because of the show, and I'm not disappointed! It was challenging to read due to the topics discussed in the book, especially the chapters on eating disorders.

Will this book make me read more celebrity autobiographies? No. But I definitely enjoyed reading this one. It didn't end on a sad note; instead, it gave me hope that if there is anything in your life that you want to change, you can do it.

На жаль це дуже крінжово. Люди, яки кажуть, що це класна книга - ніколи не читали фанфікшн. А фанфікшн у формі книги це вже занадто. І це я не про відносини Юри та Володі, а про стиль оповідання. Дуже багато «він не розумів, чому він це робить» чи «ой, він ось так необережно впав і почав тримати його коліно». Крінж

Зупинилася на сторінці 136/540.

“I turned the word over and over in my head, Communist, a word that was meaningless to me, but which the teacher had immediately branded with negativity. Communist, Communist, Communist. It captivated me. Communist and son of a murderer.”

I recognized myself too much in this book, to the point that when I was done reading, I just stared at the last page, thinking about the “alienness” I used to feel as well.

Я очень давно не читала Достоевского и совсем забыла, как легко читаются его книги. Все это время казалось, что я действительно читаю чьи-то записки и что я не должна была этого читать. Множество интимных моментов; казалось бы такое каждый проживает у себя в голове и никому не рассказывает. Главный герой раздражал, волновал, умилял, тревожил. Короткий рассказ, который тебя заставляет надолго погрузиться в размышления.

After reading the first part of the book I was ready to call it the best book from the Dune series. 5/5 for the plot, characters. But right after Leto left Ghanima in the desert his story became so boring to me. I couldn't stop checking how many pages were left in the chapter about his spice trips and attempts to escape Gurney Halleck...

Although the 3rd book still managed to impress me the way the 1st book did and made me love Dune series even more. So hyped for the 4th book!!!

The best way to understand why the second book differs from the first one is to quote it:
“Empires do not suffer emptiness of purpose at the time of their creation. It is when they have become established that aims are lost and replaced by vague ritual”. The first book is an adventurous story about heroes and revolution. And the second book is about what happens to heroes after revolution.

Everything before Homecoming chapter felt like I was talking to my best friend I haven't seen for a long time. A lot of relatable experiences and feelings. Everything after Homecoming chapter was a lesson for me. Not in a boring way but in an exciting way. Big fears turned into tiny ones. It was a comfort read for me ~

These 6 days of reading this book seemed like an eternity. Btw #nohate but I literally don't understand how people enjoyed reading it.

Part 1 was really good. I got excited about the world and the main character we were following (well, at that point I didn't know it's our first and last encounter with that character). After the first part the story got worse. Occasionally there were good moments/phrases but it wasn't enough to keep me invested.

Part 4... I started listening to an audiobook so I can finish it as fast as I can and not come back to this story. There was one chapter which I really liked. And there were a lot of ideas that I liked too.

I guess it's just not my type of story. Not sure if I want to give this series a chance and try to continue reading it...

I stopped somewhere in the middle. Couldn't finish. Can't tell if it's bad timing for me to read this book or the story is not good. I had high expectations for that book... Maybe later I'll come back to it. So for now: no rating.

When I first heard about this book, I knew a lot of people were crying while reading it or simply feeling overwhelmed by Jude's fate. And this was the main reason for me to read it.

It was a long read for me. However I was enjoying it a lot. I loved the way author described emotions and main characters' experiences (both good and bad). While finding out more and more about each aspect of Jude's life story, I was surprised I haven't cried at all. I was scared, I was angry. But no tears... Not how I expected it to be. And when I prepared for the book to be mentally challenging and nothing more, I couldn't even imagine it would make me cry at the very end.

The relationship between Harold and Jude. That's what made me cry and think about the warmth you can get from a parent who truly loves you. I could barely read the last chapter because of the tears in my eyes. The way Harold was describing how “fragile” Jude was, how he saw a kid in him, how he missed everything about him... Still sobbing.

5/5

Just a note for myself. The stories I would come back to again one day: An Encounter, Eveline, A Little Cloud, A Painful Case, The Dead.

“Who's to say that gamblers don't really understand it better than anyone else? Isn't everything worthwhile a gamble? Can't good come around sometimes through some strange back doors?”

I want Hobie in my life! The best character in this book. Period!

61/288 pages

I couldn't bring myself to finish it, and it's just not my style of writing. Perhaps it would be better as a short story.

An amazing book that makes you think more about time, society and revolution.

“We are the children of time”