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pontalba's 2015 Reading List


pontalba

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Aw!  Such a letdown! 

 

Did you ever get into BBC History magazine?  Didn't I recommend that?  I think so.  They had a piece on Ian Fleming that month.  They often have pieces on Rome and ancient history.

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Aw!  Such a letdown! 

 

Did you ever get into BBC History magazine?  Didn't I recommend that?  I think so.  They had a piece on Ian Fleming that month.  They often have pieces on Rome and ancient history.

 

Oh, yes. :)  I subscribed for a while.  You are right, they have some fascinating and informative articles.  I finally let the sub go because I just didn't get to it as I'd have liked.

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The Door by Magda Szabos  5/5

How do we decide the rating of a novel? Naturally every reader is different and brings varied experience to their reading. Sometimes it may be writing style, or use of language. It could have such a compelling storyline that we are unable to put the book down until we know What Happened, and sometimes the story just hits us where we live.

This author somehow nails us to the story, we have to understand the motivations of the characters, how they will meld, finally in the end. We can see the ending, and know, or at least strongly suspect and dread what the outcome will be. But we have to know. It has to be read to make it real. This is how powerful Szabo's writing is.

Partially the book simply outlines the relationships of a neighborhood, and in particular two of the inhabitants. Two very different women. Their hopes, fears and their total denial of reality. But what reality? Whose? Can we ever know another person before our time together is over? Will we even understand when the relationship is gone? What does our choice of what we cling to say about us as humans?

This is a fascinating study of human nature, of cause and effect.

Highly recommended.

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I really like the sound of The Door, I'm a big fan of character driven books, thanks Kate.

 

 

The Door sounds interesting. Have added it to the wishlist. :smile:

 

 

The Door sounds interesting :).

 

 

Thanks, all. :D  It was unexpectedly wonderful.  Even though heart wrenching at times.  And, I must warn you, The ending is quite rough, emotionally. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

It turns out that The Door was the last book finished in 2015, so I'll be starting my new book list/blog for 2016 (how weird to be typing that new number!) today.

 

Later I'll also be updating my books bought list at the beginning of this thread.....I stopped about midway.  It just got too much for me to manage.  I'll slowly update and post here when it's completed.

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!!  :D

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