Booking Through Thursday: Recent Serious

What’s the most serious book you’ve read recently?(I figure it’s easier than asking your most serious boook ever, because, well, it’s recent!)

This week's question seems to be much harder than I have first thought.

I looked through the list of my recent read and found a few (Click onto the links for my reviews):

The Heights by Brian James (a contemporary imagining of Wuthering Heights. I thought it is a rather serious book since it also covered issues like social injustice and bits on racism)

Looking for Alaska by John Green (a coming-of-age and a thought-provoking story to me)


Song of Renewal by Emily Sue Harvey (a book about hope and renewal, and this book touches my heart!)

What about you? What serious books you have read recently?

The Heights by Brian James

ISBN-13: 9780312368531
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: May 2009
246 pgs

I bought this book for two reasons: I love the cover art, and that the book blurb says this is a contemporary imagining of Wuthering Heights. Though I have not read Wuthering Heights (it is stacked somewhere in my to-be-read pile) but I know the story revolves around two star-crossed lovers and their doomed love and revenge. Initially I wasn't sure if I should read Wuthering Heights first, but then I thought I should read this book anyway (as to having a fresh perspective of this story) and moreover I hate to spoil the pleasure by comparing the two books while reading, something which I know I shouldn't but couldn't help it anyway. Since I have not read Wuthering Heights, I am not sure if the setting of The Heights would closely follows the former but I have to say it is an emotional charge book through and through.

Mr Earnshaw found five-year-old Henry on a cold rainy day in San Francisco. That day marked the beginning of Henry's life, but the best thing is it marked the day he met Catherine. Catherine is like a ray of sunshine to him; and for the first time Henry found happiness through her and Mr Earnshaw. However, Hindley, the eldest son in the family does not welcome him and think Henry has taken away all the attention and is a threat to him. It does not help that Henry is a Mexican and thus this is another reason Hindley despise him so.

Henry and Catherine have liked each other from the beginning and they feel nothing will bring them apart from each other. Unfortunately, things change after Mr Earnshaw died and Hindley gains control of the family. Hindley sees this as a payback time to Henry and he make sure to sever Henry's relationship with Catherine, and as if that is not enough, he enrols Henry in a public school where he has to endure the swearings and beatings from the school bullies. These have made Henry to become an angrier and a more bitter person.

It is at this point that Catherine began to get closer to Edgar. Edgar goes to the same school as Catherine and she knows he likes her. Though Catherine treats him as a friend, she couldn't help liking him as the days go by and the fact that he is always there for her whenever she needs him since she could hardly see or talk with Henry given the circumstances.

Henry, on the other hand, sees Catherine a changed person and to make things worse, a tragic accident happened and this has further widened the gap of their relationship. With all the things happening around him, it is no surprise that Henry's rage came to a point of eruption.

I knew this story would not end with a happily-ever-after, and in fact is a dark and a sad tale about doomed love, revenge and tragedy. But there is something more besides those, issues like the social injustice of class and also bits on racism (my heart ached for Henry when he is being bullied and abused by the other students in the public school).

I guess things might be different if Henry and Catherine have communicated more with each other and not thinking of the worse or assuming things that are not true. Honestly, I was a little stumped towards the ending because I thought there are certain things that would help me understand things better if told concisely but that is just me. I think the dark and brooding atmosphere is nicely done and it definitely adds intrigue and intensity to the story.

Now I really look forward to reading Wuthering Heights after reading The Heights. Have you read any of these books? What do you think of it(them)?

Other reviews:
Brontë Blog
Presenting Lenore
(Let me know if I missed yours.)

Wordless Wednesday

Paderborn, Germany

Cover Attraction - August 5

This is a weekly event hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page every Wednesday.

Marcia says:

I love beautiful, and interesting, cover art so every Wednesday I post my 'Cover Attraction' for the week along with a synopsis of the book. Everyone is welcome to stop by and, if they'd like, post a link to their favorite weekly book cover.

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My find this week is The Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson. Loved the postbox!

ISBN-13: 978031253812
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: June 2009

Synopsis:
First in a spectacular new series about two brother lawyers who lease offices on London’s Baker Street--and begin receiving mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes

In Los Angeles, a geological surveyor maps out a proposed subway route--and then goes missing. His eight-year-old daughter, in her desperation, turns to the one person she thinks might help--she writes a letter to Sherlock Holmes.

That letter creates an uproar at 221b Baker Street, which now houses the law offices of attorney and man about town Reggie Heath and his hapless brother, Nigel. Instead of filing the letter like he’s supposed to, Nigel decides to investigate. Soon he’s flying off to Los Angeles, inconsiderately leaving a very dead body on the floor in his office. Big brother Reggie follows Nigel to California, as does Reggie’s sometime lover, Laura---a quick-witted stage actress who’s captured the hearts of both brothers.

When Nigel is arrested, Reggie must use all his wits to solve a case that Sherlock Holmes would have savored and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fans will adore.

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To find out more or participate, go to The Printed Page every Wednesday.

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

Here's my teaser for today:

She wasn't just another girl...more like a star plucked from the sky and trapped between tiny bones..a star capturing the heat that I could hold on to for warmth. My very own star that I knew would guide me forever as long as I held on tight and never let go.

(Pg 5, The Heights by Brian James)

Looking for Alaska by John Green

ISBN: 9780007209255
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2005
272 pgs



Looking for Alaksa is my first book by John Green and I have to say I am in awe of his work after reading this. It is no wonder this book has won the Michael L. Printz Award; I loved the messages and its meanings behind this wonderful story and most importantly, this book made me think.

Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter is just an ordinary teenager living in Florida, but what makes him stand out is, he has the ability of saying out the last words of famous people, thanks to his passion for it and not to mention his good memory. He left home to attend a boarding school in Alabama, but then he also has a motive and that is to seek what a dying poet Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps". To avoid spoilers, I will skip explaining the "Great Perhaps".

Anyway, Miles settled quickly in his new school, thanks to a few friends he befriended: Chip, his roommate (who called himself the Colonel), a Japanese boy named Takumi and a beautiful, mysterious girl who called herself Alaska Young. Knowing them has transformed the geeky Miles into a new person (he is commonly known as Pudge to them), and Miles welcome the change. One reason Miles could connect to them because they too, are outcasts but in fact they are bright and intelligent people just like the other Weekday Warriors, a term they used in referring to those rich kids who think they have it all.

Miles felt his life has never been better, until a tragic event shattered his once happy life and led him into thinking about his outlook of life and a new meaning of "Great Perhaps".

What can I say about Looking for Alaska? Honestly, I have so many things I want to say about this book, but yet every time when I try to explain more, my mind drew a blank. It is so hard to say anything without spoiling the story, but I have to say this book made me laugh, cry and help me think things which I have not thought of initially. And I need to mention I was most intrigued with Alaska's obsession of The General in his Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, which is a favourite book of hers as this is one of the most important factors surrounding this story, but of course I will not indulge too much of it and you have to read it to fully understand the meaning behind this poignant coming-of-age story. Another thing that intrigued me to this story is that it is split into two sections: the countdown of the days before and after the tragic event, so at times I felt like I was reading a mystery as I want to know what had happened and what is going to happen next.

And oh, another thing I liked about this book is the characterization and how John Green has captured the characters' feelings into the story and made you feel connected to them. And of course, I want to mention again that I loved the realistic and the philosophy thrown into this story and I hope anyone who read this book will enjoy and appreciate the meaning behind it.

Other reviews:
Bart's Bookshelf

Becky’s Book Reviews
Book Addiction
Book Gazing
Books.Lists.Life
Books & Other Thoughts
Care's Online Bookclub
Em's Bookshelf
Eva at Curledup.com
Flight Into Fantasy
In Spring it is the Dawn
Out of the Blue
Not Enough Bookshelves
Nothing of Importance
Sassymonkey Reads
Stella Matutina
Stuff as Dreams are Made On
The Bluestocking Society
The Hidden Side of a Leaf
Things Mean A Lot
Tiny Little Reading Room
Valentina's Room
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
(Let me know if I missed yours.)

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page.

I have only received one book last week:

1) Moontide by Stella Cameron (which I won at Book Binge)

So what books came into your house last week?