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Kaz4ray (17 KP) rated The Wonder in Books

Feb 5, 2018 (Updated Feb 5, 2018)

The Wonder

Emma Donoghue | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry

8.3

(6 Ratings)

Book Rating

This book tells the story of a young girl who declares she no longer needs to be nourished by food. It is said that she hasn’t eaten for 4 months. The town committee employs two nurses, one a nun and the other a ‘professional’ trained by Florence Nightingale herself to mount a round the clock vigil for 14 days to ensure that no food is consumed by the girl and that she is telling the truth. This is set in a highly religious Ireland just after the potato famine. The towns people are very superstitious and are guided and influenced by the parish priest. No spoilers, but I didn’t expect the ending which for me is the sign of a good book. I empathised with the main characters and throughout the book changed my mind several times as to whether or not she was telling the truth. The book flowed really well and I enjoyed Emma Donaghue’s style of writing very much. I read it in one sitting.

Kudos

Mitchell Knutzen (16 KP) rated Till We Have Faces in Books

Feb 21, 2018

Till We Have Faces

C. S. Lewis | 1956 | Science Fiction/Fantasy

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

No Belief In Relious Fairy Tales Necessary To Enjoy (0 more)

Best Lewis Novel By Far

More than a simple retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, this is a masterwork of storytelling by an author often hobbled by his well known and, in my opinion, laughably ridiculous religious beliefs. Yet unlike so many others that let these beliefs dissolve their efforts of mainstream fiction into so many pieces of nonsense too hamstrung by foolishness to ever assemble something coherent, let alone worth reading, Lewis often managed to rise above it, as with (for the most part) his deservedly beloved Narnia chronicles. Till We Have Faces is nothing short of brilliant, beautiful, at times achingly sad, and very profound. Those of you not fooled by the Jesus parade, but who love a damn good book written by a master of his craft, do yourself a HUGE favor and read this gem of a book. Then do the literary world a favor by passing along the good word (lol, couldn't help myself) that this may be the best book that nobody has heard of.

Kudos

Roxanne (13 KP) rated The Satanic Bible in Books

Nov 9, 2018

✪✪✪✪ 4 Stars

One look at the title and front cover of this book and one might be like 'ooooh shock horror'...but it's really not like that. This book isn't about worshipping Satan, or any deity, it is about worshipping yourself. It actually makes a really good self help book when it comes to accepting and believing in yourself. Instead of being spiritual based it focusing more on the physical being, the enjoyment of the flesh and the enjoyment of the here and now.
The only reason I dropped a star was because it contradicted itself about half way through. It was made clear that this wasn't about Satan worship but then it went on to give us pages of rituals, spells and numerous hail satans. Although I found these very interesting it lead the whole book into a different direction away from the self which I thought was the whole purpose.
I am not a religious person and I picked this one up due to curiousity, I'm glad I did.