Title: The Bone Clocks
Author:David Mitchell
Genre: Science Fiction
Locations: UK, Australia, New York

I decided to read The Bone Clocks after attending a reading of Slade House by the author himself at the 92nd St Y Lectures & Readings in NYC. (By the way, the 92nd St Y readings are amazing and you should definitely take the time to attend one.) David's presence, eloquence and imagination were captivating and I knew immediately that I needed to read one of his books.

As David stepped out on to the stage I was skeptical of his genius due to the his choice in shoes and his somewhat awkward gate. But once he opened his mouth and began to answer questions, I was mesmerized. Each answer was a story in and of itself and took you on a journey no matter how short or long it was. His reading of Slade House was just as remarkable and I was itching to get out of my seat to buy one of his books.

I left the reading with The Bone Clocks in hand and an overwhelming excitement to get to know David Mitchell's twisted yet sophisticated imagination. As soon as I started to read however, I was overcome with the knowledge that I may not be smart enough to actually grasp everything that will come to fruition. David's vocabulary and story telling were so high level that I thought I had undertaken something I was not ready for. But I pushed on and realized that it wasn't my intelligence that was put to the test it was my reading habits. I have been so used to reading books quickly, feeling that not all words are important to the overall meaning of a sentence. However, with The Bone Clocks, each word and each punctuation was of great importance to not only the meaning of the sentence but to the meaning of the whole novel.

The Bone Clocks tells the story of 5 lives woven together by a world of both benevolent and evil immortals and the woman who unknowingly finds herself at the center of each life. The novel introduces as multitude of characters and personalities that are hard to remember but need to be recalled as you keep turning the pages. At first I found the many stories and characters frustrating but when I came to the end I realized how rich this story was because of its many levels.

This is a challenging yet rewarding novel and its good for any reader who needs to be reminded that he or she should never skip a word or sentence just for the sake of finishing a book quicker.

Title: The Nightingale
Author: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Locations: Paris, Carriveau

WWII happened 6 decades ago and yet it is still fresh in the memories of the men and women who suffered through those black years. WWII is not however, a memory for the generations born following this horrid event. This book will force its readers to come to a realization of the many horrible and heart breaking events that occurred for the years Germany occupied a large part of Europe.

While this book is historical fiction, it is based upon the real events that occurred to millions of innocent individuals during WWII. But the most beautiful part is that this novel depicts the lives of the strong women who were left at home to fight their own kind if war.

The Nightingale focuses on the lives of a pair of sisters named Vianne and Isabelle Rossignol. (Rossignol meaning Nightingale in French). Isabelle is the fighter who cannot stand to be on the sidelines while Vianne wants to just follow the rules in the hopes that her passiveness will keep her children safe. Their differences lead them down two very different paths, yet both paths end with them as heroes.

Each sister is forced to face a number of emotions, struggles and pains and the reader will feel as though each emotion is their own. You will feel the loss, heartbreak and love that each character undergoes as the novel progresses. However, not only do the emotions feel real but the experiences do as well. While reading this book I spent hours researching towns, concentration camps, and maps of France so I could makes sense of all the experiences I imagined I was going through.

Kristin Hannah has written a masterpiece that will leave you feeling exhausted (in a good way). It was written beautifully and with such attention to detail. Each human action such as a hand to the stomach or an eye glance at the enemy, provides the novel with such a beautiful richness that makes the book heavier than its physical weight.

This book is not for the faint of heart and one must be prepared to cry. However, it is a masterpiece that will remind us of all of the important things we must be thankful for every single day.

Title: All the Light We Cannot See
Author: Anthony Doerr
Genre: Historical Fiction
Destinations: France, Germany

I finished this book while on a plan it was definitely the worst place you could ever finish this book. I cried straight for the last 50 pages. So as a PSA to all future readers of this book, DO NOT read it on a plane.

All the Light We Cannot See is not a plot driven novel. It is character driven and what entices you to keep reading are the back and forward time jumps. The two main characters lead separate lives that are entwined in a way that seems simple but is deeper than anything they could imagine.

The best part of this book is the way Anthony Doerr writes. The main female character is blind and as you are reading from her point of view you begin to feel that you are blind yourself. You feel the darkness and the fear, but you also feel your other senses being heightened and the beauty the cames with having your other 5 senses make amends.

When Doerr writes from the male's point of view you feel as though you are a confused adolescent boy caught on the brink of either complying with or rebelling against your superiors. This internal battle rattles him for the entire novel. In the end when he finally makes the decision about who he wants to be, it will have been the best decision he ever could have made.

This novel takes place during WWII and vividly paints the fear that came to all the citizens of France as well as those of Germany. This was an incredibly tumultuous time and I loved that I was able to experience it from the stand point of a young blind girl and young genius boy.

Definitely take the time to read this beautiful piece!

I just came across the worst news EVER!

I live in Forest Hills, NY and I just found out that my beloved Barnes & Noble will be closing! I want to cry, and die, and cry again.

The worst part is, is that it is being taken over by Target. There are enough Targets in this world there is no reason to add more. But unfortunately it is not only Target's fault. It is also Barnes & Noble's fault. So I have decided to write an angry letter to both parties.

Dear Barnes & Noble,

Why, oh why did you not resign your lease on the space in Forest Hills? There is always a line, there are always loads of people and you are so loved. There was no reason for you not to just resign and keep the love going. I wish I could boycott you and say I will never go into a B&N again but that would be a lie, I will probably be stepping foot into one tomorrow.

But I would like to express my extreme disappointed in your refusal to remain in the heart of Queens.

Furiously,
Katarina

------------------------------------

Dear Target,

YOU SUCK! There are so many Targets in Queens and oh-so-few Barnes & Nobles. Following the closure of this one there will no longer be any B&N's in the largest borough of NYC (shame, shame, shame).

We do not need more of you.

Bye,
Katarina

Do you wonder what our world will come to now that social media and companies like Google and Apple have taken over THE WORLD... *cough* I mean our lives? Well, The Circle will make you stop wondering because Dave Eggers has created that world for you. While it may be a slightly exaggerated depiction of what could happen, it is still an accurate depiction of how willing our society is to try anything that has been branded by a big company name. Many elements in this book will ring a bell to experiences in your real life. You will want to see how it ends. You will want to see how Eggers predicts we, as a society, will handle the technology empire.


Do you not like reading because you find books really predictable? Well The Tourist is just like every other spy novel/movie except that it is not predictable. When you finish the book you will be forced to think, "How could I have been so stupid?" All of the clues are lined up throughout the book but are hidden by suspenseful writing that will keep you hooked. And it's a trilogy so maybe it will get you going to read some more!


If you don't like to read you probably havn't read enough classics in your lifetime (shame on you). But The Great Gastby is one you definitely should read and will be able to get through without feeling like you want to kill your English teacher. It has a guy who is really rich, throws a lot of parties and is trying to get the girl. But most importantly, it is short and gets to the point.