moiratheexplorer's reviews
75 reviews

A nice easy read, it took me about 3 days to finish, through I probably could've done it in one! It's a real favorite of mine and it's been a while since I had read it. I love the way Fitzgerald describes some things through Nick's voice. It's such a strange view sometimes and some of the passages I could read over and over and over again. One thing I really dislike about the book is Daisy. I never disliked Daisy's character until I saw the movie.
I mean the movie was amazing, Luhrmann is an AMAZING director (um, hello, Moulin Rouge) and Carey Mulligan looked exactly like I imagined Daisy would. But she was just so much more eh in the movie. I guess I always pictured her a little less helpless and whiny when I read the book. Now that I've read it again I don't know if she was always helpless and I never noticed it or if I'm just really noticing it now that I have Mulligan's character in my head. And therein is a literary life lesson, kids! Always take notes on books! Yes, even the ones you read for fun! Because you can read things different every time.

After all of that, I just have to mention it! That amazing final line!

http://mpersonally.blogspot.com/2015/08/literary-update.html

I just finished the book this morning and let me tell you, I don't remember the last time I read a book this fast. At around 300 pages, the novel isn't particularly long nor short. Once you get about half way through, the pages absolutely fly by! The story is told from the perspective of three different women whose lives just barely touch. Seeing the best and worst of human nature, everything begins with Rachel, the girl on the train. The book is an intense psychological thriller, that'll have you absolutely hooked until the very, very end.

The film for The Girl on the Train is slated to come out this October, and I cannot wait to see it in theaters! The cast looks amazing, especially Scott. As any book lover, I worry about book to movie adaptions, but this one looks pretty good so far!

Both my reading of this book as well as the review were a long time coming. If you were one of the people to attend BookCon 2014, you definitely saw the We Were Liars both. It was pretty intense, and left everyone hanging on the cliff, waiting for the book to come out. Everything comes from the perspective of Cadence. Through her, we follow the story of the summers of a distinguished family on a private island near Martha's Vineyard. I read this book on a recent flight to Chicago. I read about half of the book on the way there, and finished it 2/3 of the way back. The beginning is a little slow and confusing. There are a lot of characters and the map in the beginning of the book is much needed. Once you figure out who belongs to who and where, it's much smoother to read. Even though the beginning grinds a little bit, once the plot starts moving, it just doesn't stop.
The end of the book is stunningly written. All I can say for the end without giving it away is that you'll finish the book smiling.

So I'll be honest, this post has been a long time coming. I finished this book about a week ago, and this is the first time I had time to actually sit and write about it. And I'm glad I waited so I could give an accurate write up because I just cannot say enough about this book! The ladies of Flynn Heath Holt Leadership did a fantastic job of explaining what holds women back in their own minds. We as women have this mindset and these rules in our own heads what we so strictly follow. While not every woman is the same, but a lot are.
Even though it's meant for those in the business field, It can really be applied to anything. The book really helped me in terms of looking at my future political career and even just in my position with groups on campus. It asks questions and explains things in such a simple way, but without tearing you down or making your previous actions seem negative. It's such a fantastic read, I would 100% recommend it to ANYONE, and I already have recommended it to so many other amazing ladies!

Mindy Kaling takes the reader on a trip through her psyche. It's great because it feels very personal and conversational, much like the way I write. You learn so much about her personal life and how she views everything. I loved the chapters discussing her body and how designers hate her size. Speaking as a fellow size 8, it's an awkward size to shop for. We're not skinny and gorgeous, we're not heavy and gorgeous, we're just hanging out in the middle, uncommitted to an extreme, living life with an elliptical and a pint of Ben &Jerry's.
Through Kaling's writing, I feel like I know enough to be her best friend. Honestly, she seems like she would be an awesome friend. Hit me up Mindy, I'm always up for an online shopping marathon!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, but I think that any almost-twenty-something or just-after-twenty-something woman would love it.

Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See was another stunning piece of literature Absolutely worth the Pulitzer! The story follows two main characters, Marie-Laure and Werner, as they traverse their worlds during World War II. Their stories parallel through the book. Though it does take place during World War II, it's completely different than I expected it to be. It isn't a sad story. Yes, there are sad parts, but in the end it's a story of adventure. Doerr's writing will take you all over in your herat and mind. I was a little bit exhausted after I finished this book, but it wasn't exhaustion from a difficult read, it was exhilarating! I held my breath in suspense, I whispered the words in my mind when it was quiet, I felt like I was actually there, seeing and feeling the same things that Marie-Laure and Werner were seeing and feeling. Doerr's writing put me in the moment like very few novels had recently. It really reminded me of my true love for reading.

Very good! It was a lighter read, not as heavy as what I have been reading, and it was exactly what I needed. Ripped through the book in less than a week, story was engaging, characters felt legitimate and real, and the plot twists were dramatic, but believable.
My major reason for not going full five stars was that the end felt so fast. The story had a great pace, and it felt like the action scene in the end was so rushed. I wanted a little more description on the climactic clash, just the last but was a little rushed.