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40x40

Bob Eckstein recommended In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex in Books (curated)

 
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Nathaniel Philbrick | 2015 | History & Politics
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"Many years ago I was boarding a plane to Las Vegas, planning on doing two things I really enjoyed: gambling and reviewing All-You–Can-Eat buffets (I was young. Thankfully, I got both habits out of my system.). Also boarding was a large passenger sneezing and wheezing. Here was someone who desperately needed a bowl of chicken soup and a flight refund. While he squeezed his way down the aisle looking for his seat, everyone on the plane was thinking the same thing I was—I hope he doesn’t sit next to me. As he settled in next to me, I imagined the worst. Needless to say, by the end of the flight, we not only became friends who still keep in touch twenty years later, but he recommended a book which changed my life. During the flight, he sold me on In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. I asked my mom for this book for Christmas and as my Vegas friend promised, the book was extraordinary. So much so, it convinced me to write my own. Up until that point, I wrote comedy pieces and columns in publications but never anything long form. Speed up to today—20 years later—In the Heart of the Sea has been adapted into a movie and now that I’ve finished my current project (Footnotes from the World’s Greatest Bookstores), I plan to publish that illustrated novel inspired by my favorite book. Called The Sea Below Us, it’s a black comedy about the missing Sir John Franklin. I sent a manuscript to Nathaniel Philbrick—whom I have also met and kept in touch with over the years—and thanked him for the inspiration his book provided. He loved the manuscript."

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40x40

Sarah (7799 KP) rated The Kite Runner in Books

Jun 19, 2018  
The Kite Runner
The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini | 2003 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.5 (40 Ratings)
Book Rating
Moving and beautifully written
I can safely say that this is hands down the best book I’ve read so far this year. This book has been on my ‘to read’ list now for years, and I’ve never been moved to read it until now, mainly because I wasn’t sure it’d be my kind of story.... how wrong could I be.

This is possibly the most moving and beautifully written book I’ve read in a long time. The narration by the protagonist Amir is brilliantly done and it hooks you in from the very start. I was never bored for a second, whether reading about his childhood in Afghanistan or his later life in America and beyond. This is a heartwarming tale in parts, but for the most it is very sad and depressing and is a very good portrayal of war torn Afghanistan. I’ve never felt so moved to tears as I have when reading this book.The story itself too is not in the slightest bit predictable and to say I was surprised at the developments over the course of the book would be an understatement.

An amazing read and one that is sure to stick with me for some time.