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A Grief Observed

A Grief ObservedTitle: A Grief Observed
Author: C.S. Lewis
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 76
Reason Read: Recommended
Rating:

My Thoughts

I had a really hard time with A GRIEF OBSERVED. I take things very literally and I can’t often sift through others’ unfiltered thoughts, especially when they go all over the place. This book felt very unorganized, which as it turns out is how grief manifests itself, but it was hard for me to follow and understand. Good thing it was only 76 pages.

I did feel like it was insightful in showing how someone dealt with their grief. But, I didn’t feel like I could relate to Lewis because I lost my mom not my lover. The feelings he had weren’t the same I experienced.

There was one thing I did like that Lewis said. It’s at the beginning of the last chapter:

“Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape … not every bend does. Sometimes … you are presented with exactly the same sort of country you thought you had left behind miles ago…. There are partial recurrences, but the sequence doesn’t repeat.”

I’ve felt very much like this since my mom passed away last year. It was nice to see that others have felt that way too, that I’m not unique in that way, and that everyone who is grieving goes through these same experiences, just a little differently.

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The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault In Our StarsTitle: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 1 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 355
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I was excited to read THE FAULT IN OUR STARS because I had heard such good things about it. I’m disappointed that I didn’t love it. I liked it, though. (I’m pretty sure it’s because a coworker spoiled the whole thing for me.)

I really liked Gus a lot. I loved his outlook on life and I wanted to punch cancer in the face for him. I liked Isaac too and I loved Gus’ and Isaac’s friendship. Hazel was a little more bland for me and maybe it was because it was from her point-of-view and she was focusing on Gus rather than herself. I liked her okay. She just wasn’t memorable in the way Gus.

I liked that the story was about helping Hazel and Gus through their struggle, giving them some semblance of a life while their bodies tried to fight cancer instead of about making life okay and everything all right. I thought it made the story and struggle more real.

This is my first time reading a John Green novel. Even though I didn’t love this one, I’ll still read more of his books because he’s a fantastic writer. There was so much insight and emotion in the story. I liked that he didn’t gloss over cancer. He showed the bad side, the ugly side. It was very realistic, which didn’t dishonor victims of cancer.

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The False Princess

The False PrincessTitle: The False Princess
Author: Eilis O'Neal
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 319
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

I’m glad I had a chance to read THE FALSE PRINCESS. It was a very fun story. It kept me guessing until the end because of the twists and turns the author took us on. I did guess who the antagonist was pretty early on, but I didn’t realize the whys or hows which was enough to keep me interested and on the edge of my seat.

I loved the concept of the story–a girl believing she was the princess for her entire life and then finding out she wasn’t. It made for an interesting story and adventure. I thought it was fun to watch Sinda adapt and leave her life behind, yet still cling to a few things from her past. It was exciting to see her grow into her own person.

My favorite thing about this story, other than being a fantasy with magic, was no love triangle. It was refreshing to see another type of conflict in a story for once. I ended up loving the protagonist and her love interest that much more too.

The only thing I wish is that this were a series. I want more. But, at the same time, it’s nice that everything ended nicely. There are some questions left unanswered and some things left unexplored, so a sequel could be possible, but if not, the ending was very satisfying.