Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Ehhh...Emma? Perhaps...

Meddling already...
Emma, by Jane Austen, is an overall good book but as you read through it, you kind of feel like you're in high school again, because the book is based on a lot of speculation (in other words, he-say, she-say between the characters). In the book, the main character, Emma, is not looking for someone to be with, but shows more interest in playing matchmaker. Emma is very headstrong and takes care of her sick father. Throughout the book, she has these intellectual talks with her father's friend, Mr, Knightley, who does not approve of her meddling in people's lives. She has a lot to learn about life. Only looking to how much money and what level of society one was born into, she matches people up by her own standards, not allowing them to follow their own judgment.
The beginning of the book starts off pretty slow, with a lot of background information. It picks up in the middle and by the end, I was yelling "Come on already!"
It is just about a girl who likes meddling into people's lives, giving, in my opinion, bad advice about love due to the privileged life she lives. Despite my opinion of her advice, it works for the other characters. Emma is smart but comes off as a know-it-all, always able to solve everyone's problems. It is just like every other Jane Austin book, an ironic ending where the drive of the book is wealth and class.
The book is European English and carries a high-class lifestyle theme among most of the characters.
The book keeps you guessing to a certain point and you will end up making your own assumptions of who you believe will end up with who, as the matchmaking takes place.
It is a good book for readers who are into drama-filled books. If you just like to get things over with and do not like events to be carried and stretched out, unnecessarily for 353 pages, then Emma is not the book for you. It is in typical "Jane Austen style," so if you love this author then you should read Emma. This is not a modern-day kind of book, it is 19th century literature, but if you can appreciate the book for the purpose of entertaining through its romantic theme, then Emma is worth a read.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Dreamland Gets 5 Stars and My Heart ♥

I really loved the book, Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. It's about a girl named Caitlin, who gets physically abused by her boyfriend, Rogerson. Rogerson is from a rich family but gets abused by his dad. He sells drugs to rich kids out of rebellion. Caitlin meets Rogerson at a party one day and they hit it off. Everything is going great after she starts dating this bad boy, until one day she was late meeting him somewhere. He was mad and she jokingly said, "Don't be a baby, I'm sorry." This triggered him to turn around and slap her. Then, after that shocking incident, Rogerson takes her for ice cream to make up for the pain he has inflicted on her. She tells herself he will never do it again and she starts wearing clothes to cover up the bruises. Finally, at a barbecue, he comes to pick her up and she gets in the car. They have some argument and then he punches her in the face and she falls out of the car.  A neighbor sees from out his window, calls the cops, and the drama continues from there. 

My favorite part was Caitlin's reunion with her big sister. In the beginning of the story, she talks about how her sister just ran away without telling anyone. Their parents wanted her to go to Yale but that was not what she wanted and she runs away with some guy. One day they are watching a Jerry Springer-like show and they see the sister on it! Totally worth a laugh or two. 

I love this book because the character was so real. I was able to feel the emotions that she felt and I loved how there were no boring moments anywhere in the story. Everything flowed together so nicely. The book has every quality: humor, heartbreak, anger, happiness, and hope. It was also very unexpected when her boyfriend hit her and it made me angry. It made me cry at the end because it was so beautifully written. Sarah Dessen does a marvelous job capturing the raw emotions of this girl. It was very touching and after I finished reading, I felt like it left a footprint on my heart.  ♥

Hello Book Lovers!

Welcome to my one woman book club. My name is Arriana and I love to read! I hope you do too. It is a wonderful relaxation and beneficiary to your mind, body, and soul. 
I can still remember going to the library as a kid. I always tagged along with my mom when she went there to do her research papers. I would take out three books at a time while she studied. I loved the smell of the texts, the quiet atmosphere that being surrounded by lots of books bring, and the ability to get lost in the pages. It is almost therapeutic. 
Reading is fundamental and what better way to appreciate and love it than by reading a GOOD BOOK. If you're not a believer in the benefits of reading and the advantage of a good book, I have listed a short article below which will hopefully help to change your mind. 


"Five Benefits of Reading a Good Book!" by Alok Vats
http://www.inewsindia.com/2011/01/12/five-benefits-of-reading-a-good-book/


Many people do not know where to find a good book and that is one of the reasons I decided to create this blog. I remember reading a saga by Stephanie Meyer as a teenager and it was very addictive. It was like a really bad but really good soap opera that I could not stop tuning in for. Then, when I finished reading all four books, I thought, "now what?" I did not know where to find the next great book. Nowadays, I just take my chances on books I find at the library, I hear about from other people, or Barnes and Noble. Luckily my book lovers will not have to do that because I will guide you in picking up the right book with my book reviews. Stay along for the journey to good reads! Also, if you know a good book that others would enjoy reading, feel free to share it in the comments of my blog.