Reviews and Comments

In Tris' world people are divided into five factions according to the quality they respect above else: courage, intelligence, honesty, selfness or kindness. The factions do not often mix and there are problems amongst them regarding who should rule them all. Tris does not want to stay in the faction she was born into, but soon discovers she does not really belong to any of them. She is divergent and therefore an anomaly that should be erased.

I did not want to read this one close to the [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775] because I liked that one so much, I was afraid it would ruin this experience. It did not, they both take place in a dystopian future and the lead character is a strong female, but they are different. I enjoyed the originality of the world broken into factions and how fast the plot unravels - the pace does not let you put the book down. I am a bit afraid of reading the next instalment will not please me as much as this one has, but I must finish this trilogy. It was a pleasure to read this book.

It is hard to believe there was a time when people were so irrationally afraid of other people just because of their colour that they even built different toilets for them to use. Ironically, they did not hesitate in giving them their house keys, their babies to raise or eat the food they cooked. This book tells the story of two black maids, Aibileen and Minny, living in Mississipi in the 60s. Skeeter is a white young woman that comes back home to realise her maid is mysteriously gone but her hometown stayed the same, while she changed so much. Skeeter and the two maids do not want to change the world, but together they want to leave their mark in it and hopefully it will eventually change somebody else's world.

I really enjoyed this book, I was very surprised at how compelling it is being quite long. There is always something happening and the atmosphere of doom hangs in the air, which helps to capture our attention. The only story that felt a bit odd was Constantine's, everything else is just perfect.

Hazel meets gorgeous Augustus Waters at a support group of kids with cancer through a common friend that is about to become blind. Hazel and Augustus connect immediately and try to write a bit of magic into their lives, and live for themselves for once - even if just for some days.

I read this book in one day and I marvelled at how interesting this story was because it was so well written that it even made me laugh out loud - which is no small feat minding the topic. I simply adored the characters and their capability of understanding each other through shared pain and good humour. I could not put down this book and I pestered friends with quotes. However, as the book progressed, the passages I highlighted became less and less frequent. I am not sure what happened, but the story started dragging and I still do not understand why. Maybe it was because I predicted the plot and the witty moments almost disappeared. Maybe it was the way of the author to show that life goes on, even when you do not have anything to show for it. I was willing to give it 5 stars, but after the last third I have to reduce it by one. Awesome read though.

This story follows Scott, her brother Jem and their father Atticus during three years in Alabama (1933-1935). Scout and Jem spend their Summers with a friend, but their faith in adults' reasoning (and therefore their world) is shattered when Atticus is appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman.

I rarely feel that authors understand how to write children, [a:Diana Wynne Jones|4260|Diana Wynne Jones|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1193516584p2/4260.jpg] was one of them and I believe [a:Harper Lee|1825|Harper Lee|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1188820730p2/1825.jpg] is another. Even if it is somehow autobiographical, Scout's thoughts and dilemmas are exceptionally well written. I am forever amazed that a story around strong issues like human rights, racism and feminism is seen and discussed through the eyes of a child. It has become one of my favourite books, and even if it is a time and a place I do not fully understand, I was able to connect with the characters - Atticus possibly being the most endearing of them all. The one thing I would change is the beginning: this story has almost 200 pages of warming up, which I feel excessive. I agree the reader needs time to understand the time and place, even more so in the XXI century, but I think it is overdone and may lose some readers along the way. I hope everyone reads this book at some point because it makes you more willing to walk in someone else's shoes.

Holistic detective Dirk Gently has a new client who believes he is being followed by a monster with a contract due soon. Dirk takes the case, but ignores the contract's end since he thinks the man is hallucinating. Afterwards, feeling guilty he decides to investigate. At the airport, Janice is now working for an airline and a big man named Thor is trying to fly to Norway with his hammer...

If the plot of the first book is hard to keep up, this one is even worse. But please, do not let that keep you away from enjoying this wonderful madness: Valhalla or St. Pancras, clean white linen sheets, devious marketing people and too many gods in need of worshipping. This book is just as crazy as the other one, full of hilarious and very confusing moments - it gets better every time you read it.

There is no edition of the BBC dramatisation of this book in Goodreads, but I have to recommend that as well. The cast is the same as in the previous book and Dirk Maggs once again did a great adaptation of the text. If you found the book confusing, maybe starting with the audiobook helps.

Gwenda Reed is staying with Marple's nephew for a few days. During a play, Gwenda screams out when she hears a couple of words and later confesses to Miss Marple she fears she is losing her mind as she saw an image of a strangled woman named Helen. To make things worse, she is in England for the first time in her life but she recognises the house she bought for herself and her husband as if she had been there before. Miss Marple calms her down and wonders whether Gwenda has lived in England when she was a child, and if she witnessed a murder.

I enjoyed this story, not so much for the big revelation in the end but by enjoying Gwenda's investigation as it progresses. It is interesting to dig on the past, as some things are not meant to be remembered/discovered... Gwenda is strong and likeable, she made a great main character.

Charley is once again juggling more cases than she can handle, even for someone who has ADD. She wants to know more about Reyes Farrow biological family, while some rather persuasive men want her to find a woman under witness protection. It seems that a dealer in souls is also in town, Swopes needs her help regarding his own personal issues, and there is THE proposal. Thankfully, she manages to find time to be with her maybe-yes-maybe-not husband to be and pull some strings for sake of Ubie's love life.

In the last book we caught glimpses of a not-so-nice Charley and I was afraid she was back, but no, she totally redeemed herself in this one! I enjoyed reading this book so much, it became my favourite of the series. There is this tiny bit of the story from Reyes POV that serves as a digestive, but I would have been happier if it had appeared in chronological order. As it was, it fell short because I thought it was about the last scene... I so wanted to know what he felt then!! This book has all the goodies: emotional moments that will get your eyes slightly wet, funny moments that will make you giggle like crazy (Cookie, oh Cookie!), and of course, the required action and mystery. It is like a perfect recipe with the exact amount of each ingredient.

During the great depression, George and Lennie roam over California looking for odd jobs. They have a dream of buying some land and live there together, and that dream keeps them going. George is smart and cares for Lennie that is very strong, but witless. They find a new job and a new partner, and as their dream begin to takes off, it comes crashing down in a horrible way.

To me, the main theme of this story is loneliness and it is no coincidence that they are in a place called "Soledad". Each character is lonely and in need of companionship, and each reacts to it in a different but coherent way. Lennie and George are different, they act like brothers and people around them want to share that feeling of having someone. Unfortunately, it is the close bond between George and Lennie that drives them apart and turns their plans to dust.