Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (1840)

Content

Paige (428 KP) rated The Alchemist in Books

Aug 19, 2017

The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho | 1993 | Fiction & Poetry

7.2

(35 Ratings)

Book Rating

easy to follow (0 more)

self- important (0 more)

A book for a particular audience

If someone tells me they love this book, I pretty immediately assume that they don't read for pleasure. This book was really made for people who think reading is like medicine, and it strives to be the best-tasting medicine. It is short, vaguely inspirational, uses simple language, and tailored to make you feel wiser after reading it.

In this way, the book is a success.

For readers who are more well-read, all this comes across as a not unpleasant, but not groundbreaking attempt at making capital L literature. It kind of drones, and seems a bit twee and trite.

If you think of books as vitamins (good for you, but a pain to procure and consume) then this book is the most delicious version of that.

Kudos

Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Dare to Be Kind: How Extraordinary Compassion Can Transform Our World in Books

Jun 18, 2018

Dare to Be Kind by Lizzie Velasquez is an inspirational story. Lizzie has a rare skin condition that has subjected her to bullying and being mistreated. this book is about treating others with compassion and how it can transform your heart into a better person which can lead to a better world for us.

Velasquez encourages bravery, hope, kindness, personal resilience, faith in a higher power, and a healthy self-image when confronting one's bullies. She also highlights the need to serve as a good example for one's family, understand a bully's desire to cover their own pain with more pain, finding love and support, and addresses the cruelty of human nature when it encounters situations that it doesn't understand or have empathy toward.

I received this book from Hachette Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kudos

Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Alchemist in Books

Jul 3, 2018

The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho | 1993 | Fiction & Poetry

7.2

(35 Ratings)

Book Rating

Overrated

I had high hopes for this book based on general hype and reviews, and sadly it didn’t quite live up to it.

It isn’t a bad book, not at all, it’s just very short and simple. It’s trying to be something very profound and inspirational, but for me it wasn’t. It has a nice message around following your dreams, but it comes across as a little cheesy and unbelievable. There was an odd quote in here that I actually really liked, but nothing much else to make me feel inspired. The characters too didn’t seem particularly well developed or interesting. The one bonus is that it is very short, so you can get through it fairly quickly without it starting to drag.

It’s an alright read, but not one I’d ever recommend as a “must read”.

Kudos

Alicia S (193 KP) rated The Campout: Recipes to Enjoy by the Fire in Books

Sep 28, 2018

Highly recommended for both new and longtime campers!

This book was so much fun! So much more than just a cookbook, it had everything from healthy, delicious looking recipes to tips on virtually every aspect of camping! As an avid longtime (& sometimes full-time) camper myself it was great to see so many little helpful tidbits for those just heading out into the woods as well as some awesome ideas for our next trip out.

So much more informative than any camping cookbook I've seen - Humourous and inspirational stories and tidbits like 12 different ways to make a s'more and a huge list of delicious sounding pancake toppers. Helpful tips about foraging, pets, wildlife, fun illustrations, even car games & fun for the kids!

Fabulous book and beautiful cover - Highly recommended for both new and longtime campers!