"Last Letter from your Lover..."
by Annalise Bonnelame on 18/11/2013
Every girl craves a good love story. ‘The Last Letter from Your Lover’ by JoJo Moyes is an incredible find that would provide any romance crazy book lover with the necessities of a good story. It has drama, mystery and the portrayal of a persistent and unrequited love.
Well written and incessantly intriguing, the story pulls readers into the elegantly portrayed worlds of different characters and the deep, intricate way in which their lives somehow intertwine as Jojo
Weaving the US Civil War, Jack the Ripper and a good healthy dose of murder mystery - Miss Boughey suggests you try this...
Annalise is reading a few more by John Green!
Not the easiest of reads but better than the film - as suggested by Mrs Lambert.
Fancy a non fiction read then Mrs Norman-Jones suggests Andre Agassi's autobiography.
Aravinth's suggested read.
Tash's suggested read.
Miss Boughey's suggested book.
Arianny's suggested read.
Mrs Wilkinson suggests this as a good read!
Yep - even Miss Boughey is reading John Green now!
As suggested by Guyanne...
WE SUGGEST YOU TRY...
Find out what our columnists are currently reading below and see if you get inspired...
Moyes develops them, unleashing surprises at every turn.
The story follows the young, sophisticated Jennifer Sterling who finds herself becoming a victim of the social pressures placed on women in 1960s London. Waking up in a hospital, fully unaware of whom she is or the life that she used to lead, Jennifer begins to realise unsettling truths about the person that she used to be. Whilst being exposed to a world she has no memory of, cracks in the façade that has been set up by her wealthy husband and friends begin to show, as well as a curious trail of letters, all signed by the same person – “B”. As she endeavours to figure out who the evasive figure is, she slowly stumbles upon truth after truth, leading her to understand herself and how her old life ties into her new one.
The story abruptly fast-forwards to the year 2003, where a determined journalist, Ellie, finds herself in less than comfortable circumstances regarding her love life. Also, striving to get ahead in her career, she stumbles across the old love letters by the elusive “B,” in the newspaper archives of her building, and fascinated by them, sets out to uncover the happy ending she hopes the lovers had, in order to compensate for her crumbling relationship or give her hope for its survival.
This book is an absolute joy to read! Any audience is immediately submerged into the lives of these characters, the author doing an amazing job of exposing their true essence through this beautifully written novel. Readers will become fully emotionally invested in the search for “B”! ‘The Last Letter from Your Lover’ is a definite must read for Romance lovers and book lovers alike!
"The Fault in our Stars"
‘The Fault in Our Stars’ follows the lives of two young cancer patients, who not only have to deal with a life-threatening disease, but also the turbulent nature of being a teenager. The two main characters, Hazel and Augustus, will share with you their journey to find hope in the midst of their darkness that is: being a cancer patient. The characters are incredibly mature for their age and lack in the customary teenage prerequisite of ‘finding themselves’, which is probably because both of them have faced death before. However, the two bring out a new realisation and perception of the world in one another, as they tackle the unchartered waters of ‘first love’ together.
Truth be told, it is a love story that is damned from the start, but somehow, John Green has selected the right words and used them in a way that keeps the reader from focusing on the actual melancholy and gravity of the plot. He has made both his characters easily likeable and wise beyond their years in the art of wit, humour and sarcasm. You will find yourself constantly laughing at the hilarious constructions that will entangle you and leave you gasping for air on your bedroom floor. This is a book that will pull at your heartstrings and possibly steal a tear or two from you, but nevertheless, an incredible read that should not be passed up. Let Hazel and Augustus into your lives and they will let you into theirs!
Hunger Games Trilogy...
by Annalise Bonnelame on 23/02/2014
We’ve all found ourselves caught up in the chaotic entrapment of a book series before. The dreaded thought of being caught up in the mainstream wave of enthusiasts, all trailing behind the almighty authors that momentarily shaped our lives, would make any self-loathing series lover cringe. As shameful as it may sound, don’t worry, you were not alone.
We stayed up for hours with you waiting for that acceptance letter to Hogwarts, and we anxiously awaited every Twilight Saga novel. As a true groupie for every bestselling book series, I lived every moment of ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy with my number one, feminist, bow and arrow-wielding protagonist, Katniss Everdeen.
Suzanne Collins, the genius behind this distinctly socially aware novel, brought issues that we deal with in everyday life to the forefront, entwining it with undertones of one of my personal favourite Greek myths, ‘The minotaur’. The myth spoke of Athens’ best and brightest person being sent over to Crete, on a ship with black sails, to be sacrificed in the labyrinth of the monstrous, blood-thirsty Minotaur for the mistakes of a careless king.The story portrays the way in which the love of family pushes a 16-year-old girl to volunteer herself for a battle to the death in the Capitol city of Panem for her younger sister Primrose, and her journey forward on this turbulent path with her male tribute, Peeta Mellark.
The plot plays with the idea of truth versus illusion, as the pair find themselves in the midst of the incredibly superficial society of The Capitol, one that has a great effect on whether they survive the games or not. It focuses on the superficiality of life in general, and how, as humans, we have to construct a certain illusion to keep from reaping the rotten fruits this life has to offer for the individuals unwilling to conform. Suzanne Collins leaves her readers on edge, constantly questioning themselves. Is Katniss in love with Peeta or Gale? Can they trust their allies? Will winning the Games really bring the solitude that is implied?
The three books are a continuous portrayal of the conundrums the two young, martyr-like characters face while under the strong influence of President Snow. The suspense engendered by the danger that awaits the two heroes keeps all Suzanne’s readers sweaty-palmed and itching for her next complication to jump out from behind a corner of the maze, huffing and charging at them, driven by a blood-thirsty instinct.
by Annalise Bonnelame on 12/01/2014
"We are not born for ourselves but for the world."