Top 5 Books That Will Make You Cry

When it comes to books that make you cry, I am considered the queen. In fact, my bookclub friends are actually afraid when I give them recommendations because they know that most of my recommendations are guaranteed to make them cry. It’s gotten so bad that Mel has actually made it a rule that I’m only allowed to recommend one book to her a month.

I really don’t know what it is with me. I just really love books that make me ugly cry and that make my heart ache. I’m weird like that. Sue me.

So I think I am very qualified to give you my top 5 books that have made me cry in case you’re weird like me and love a little bit of emotion in your books.

1. The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

If by now you haven’t figured out that The Nightingale is a major cry fest, I literally do not know what you are doing with your life. This book will make you bawl your eyes out. It will make your heart hurt. It will make everything in you hurt. But it is also one of the most informative, heartwarming and beautiful novels I have ever read in my life. So really I do recommend that you read it. Just not in public.

 

2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I know some people have mixed feelings about this book but I personally loved it. I related so much to Eleanor who was so out of place and Park who was just trying to get by. I loved the both of them and the ending just broke my heart right in two. I remember I had a serious book hangover after this one and I just felt ready to die with how the ending made me feel.

 

3. Everything I Never Told You  by Marieke Nijkamp

This Is Where It Ends is essentially a novel about a school shooting. I have actually read a number of novels on school shootings before and I have to say that this was probably the most heartbreaking. The author just does such a good job that you feel every death reverberate through you and create cracks in your heart. It was honestly such a painful but necessary read especially in this day and age where school shootings have unfortunately become quite common.

 

4. Life On The Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

I actually read this book while standing in the bookstore. It was a very short read and so that’s why I could read it so quick but it was so powerful. So this book is told through notes that are exchanged by a mom and her daughter. So everyday, they will keep each other updated on grocery lists, little daily things and even apologies by posting a note on the refrigerator door. This is mainly because they are so incredibly busy that they have no time to talk. What makes the book sad, and this is not a spoiler, is the fact that the mom gets cancer. I think you already know how this plays out and let me just say that it broke my heart in two and I was standing in that bookstore just trying not to cry but failing miserably.

 

5. Wonder by R.J. Palacio

If you’ve ever been bullied, or have had struggles with your self-esteem, or basically if you are human, you will find that it is almost impossible not to cry while reading this book. Auggie’s struggle with his self-esteem and the merciless bullying from his peers will just make you want  to hug him and never ever let go. I have honestly never read a book that I relate to as much as this one.

So there you have it. My top 5 books that have made me cry. Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with liking books and movies that make you feel horrible things. If anything it makes you a better person for being able to access these feelings that you might otherwise suppress. You’re not crazy for liking upsetting books.

P.S. I have decided to start a posting schedule of Mondays and Fridays. I think it’s quite a good number to start with. If I’m able to stick with this, I might up it to 3 times a week but for now, I’m going with twice a week and I’ll see how it goes. Do give me your feedback on the days that I have chosen so that I can improve on it if I have to. I’m still not sure if the days are spread too far apart. Also don’t hate me too much if I have to miss a post sometimes. I am still working full-time (by the way I love my job!).

 

 

Top 10 Books I’d Want On A Deserted Island

Hi guys, so today is Tuesday and we all know what happens on Tuesdays. Every book blogger ever does a Top 10 Tuesday post.

I have never been part of this. I have never participated in any of the weekly memes actually. I don’t really know why but I just have never done it. So today I thought it would be cool if I tried one of The Broke & Bookish’s Top Ten Tuesday prompts. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the topic they had for today and so I decided to poke around in their archives and I found this old topic that I knew I wanted to do.

So today I’m going to be giving you guys a list of 10 books that I’d want with me if I was stranded on a deserted island.

1. The Secret Island by Enid Blyton

This book was the book for me. I was a very imaginative child (though let’s face it, I still live with my head in a different place most of the time) and I daydreamed a lot. One of the main themes that ran in the stories that I came up with was the idea of running away and using nature to  survive and live. So when I discovered The Secret Island, which is essentially a book where 4 kids run away and live on an island and build a house, a mini farm and pantry and everything, I fell in love with it instantly.

This book would be an essential one if I was ever stuck on an island because the kids are extremely resourceful. If I were stranded, I would need to survive and survive is what these kids did. I could probably try (and fail) to copy some of the things they did and hopefully attempt to live comfortably.

2. On The Island by Tracy Garvis-Graves

This book was similar to The Secret Island in that it tells the story of two young adults who get stranded on an island and they have to make do with what little they have to survive. I loved this book. In fact it’s one of my absolute favourites because I love islands and I love island romances. Anyway, this book was a slightly more accurate portrayal of how to survive if you’ve been stranded on an island and I bet I could pick up some tips. Of course if I was alone I would probably be doomed because I’m useless at survival (I wasn’t a very good girl guide) but I could try.

3. The Martian by Andy Weir

You guys know that The Martian was one of my top reads of my whole life pretty much and so I think it would be nice to be able to reread this one while I myself am stuck not on Mars but on a deserted island where I will probably slowly die because I’m too busy reading to do anything about surviving.

4. A Court Of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Besides The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast was one of my absolute favourite Disney movies and I love retellings of this story. A Court Of Thorns and Roses was one of the best retellings I’ve read in a very long time. I absolutely loved it and I would love to be immersed in that world again (2 more months till the next book guys omg!!)

Also I’m going to be meeting Sarah at her book signing this week and I couldn’t be more excited!

5. An Ember In The Ashes by Saaba Tahir

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I loved the romance and the action and the world and EVERYTHING! All I can say is that if I’m going to be stranded, I hope it’s in August so I can have the second book as well to accompany me in my slow death.

6. The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

Do I even need to explain this book? I mean if I could only have 1 book with me on that damn island, it would be this one hands down. No competition at all.

7. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

I love Jodi Picoult and I have read every single book by her but The Storyteller has been my absolute favourite so far. It’s historical fiction and it made me cry. Two things that are sure to make a book my favourite.

8. The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel

I remember that I got an arc of this book in 2014 and I wrote in my review that I cried exactly 3 times over it. I also remember that I had a horrible book hangover after I was done with it. I would love to have that if I had to be stuck on an island. Plus, if I only have ten books, I’m bound to start re rereading if I haven’t already died and everyone knows that the best cure for a book hangover is to reread the book that caused it!

9. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

This book is basically about a school shooting and we get a lot of different perspectives as is usual with Jodi’s books and I thought it was just excellently done and I would love to read it again because FEELS.

10. House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Jodi’s my favourite author guys. I can’t help it that most of my list if made up of her books. House Rules was one of my favourite books by Jodi. Also it’s a very thick book and is bound to keep me entertained for a good amount of time.

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Okay there we go. 10 books that I would have with me on a deserted island. Though let’s face it. I’ll probably be dead before I get to the 5th book because I’m just useless at life. But I mean, if I had food and water and shelter and wifi, I actually wouldn’t mind being stuck on an island. I mean how cool would it be to have all the time in the world to read and no annoying humans there to bother you or make you participate in this thing called real life. Ugh. Real life. Gross.

Let me know in the comments what books you would have with you if you were stuck on a deserted island!

My Top 5 Books Of 2015

Hi guys! Welcome to the week after Christmas. It’s been such a hectic few days and not gonna lie, this year, I’m actually glad to see it over and done with. But, if you’re like me, you probably need some time to get over the holidays and get yourself back into real life. So I thought it would be fun if I helped you get over your festive hangover.

This year has been an amazing one especially when it comes to my reading. I beat my personal goals and read 114 books this year. So today I’m going to give you guys my top 5 books of 2015. These books are in no particular order.

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real–and deadly–consequences.

-Goodreads

I love historical fiction. I mean I love history in general but there’s just something so special about historical fiction that always makes me ugly cry about 10 times. This book was absolutely no exception. It’s about the Nazi’s which is my favourite thing to read about in terms of history and it follows two sisters who I thought were absolutely amazing. I was so inspired by their courage and just by their bravery and resilience. This book left me in absolute tears. It’s just amazing and if you need further proof as to why you should read this book then let me say this. The Nightingale won the Goodreads Choice award for historical fiction for 2015.

I did a full review of this book here.

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Hunt

“Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid.”

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions.  She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

-Goodreads

I have honestly never read a book about a learning disability. So when I picked this up, I wasn’t sure what I was getting into. I mean a lot of people like to write about things that they don’t really understand and it angers me to no end that these people fuel what I call disability myths.

This book however, was so different. It was written with such honesty and with so much raw emotion. The author didn’t know much more then I do about dyslexia. But what made this book stand out was the fact that the author experienced growing up with a learning disability. And that honestly changes everything.

Living with something and experiencing it is very different from reading every single thing out there about a learning disability. I loved how much of myself I saw in Ally. I grew up struggling so much in school and I believed that I was stupid for pretty much my entire primary and secondary school life. So reading about Ally’s struggle to learn to read and her desperate desire to catch up to her classmates just resounded so strongly with me.

I would honestly recommend this book to everyone because I think everyone needs to be aware of the struggles of some people. But specifically, I think kids that are struggling with a learning disability need to read this because it really helps you understand yourself and to see yourself in a better light.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars’ surface, completely alone, with no way to signal Earth that he’s alive — and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark’s not ready to quit. Armed with nothing but his ingenuity and his engineering skills — and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of strength – he embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive, using his botany expertise to grow food and even hatching a mad plan to contact NASA back on Earth.

As he overcomes one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next, Mark begins to let himself believe he might make it off the planet alive – but Mars has plenty of surprises in store for him yet.

-Goodreads

If you don’t know how much I love this book by now then seriously. Where have you been? This book is funny and sad and happy and literally everything.

If you’ve seen the movie and liked it, you should know that it is nothing compared to the book. The book is so much funnier and sassy and its an emotional roller coaster to be quite honest.

If you saw the movie or read the book and hated it, leave now because I probably hate you.

I did a video review here.

Room by Emma Donoghue

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it’s where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it’s not enough…not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son’s bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

-Goodreads

I discovered this book mainly because I heard that it was becoming a movie and the trailer really interested me.

From the get go, I knew this book was going to be amazing. I mean I’ve never read a book from the point of view of a five-year-old before. So it was certainly very interesting.

I loved how Emma played with being able to provide a very child-like view of extremely serious situation. It just made the story so much better I think.

I don’t really want to say too much because this was a very powerful book and I don’t think that I could do it justice. You just need to read this.

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed 

Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

– Goodreads

This book was such a surprise. I remember it was a chilled out Sunday and I wanted a book that I could start and finish in the afternoon so I picked this up. And surprisingly, I was actually able to sit down for 3 hours straight and read this book cover to cover. I have never been able to do that before.

This book deals with such an important issue. Arranged marriages. It’s not something that is talked about a lot but thousands of girls get ‘sold’ to husbands everyday and we really should be talking about it.

This book is also rich with Pakistani culture and it was truly enjoyable.

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Well there you have it. My top 5 books for 2015. I’m so excited that 2016 is about to start and I can’t wait to read more amazing books. So don’t forget to let me know what your favourite book(s) were in 2015 so we can all discover new books together. Till my next post my fellow readers!

P.S. Do you like my new blog signature and header? I designed it myself!