Un giorno come un altro

Scheda informativa

Titolo originale: Just an Ordinary Day Autore: Shirley Jackson Editore: Adelphi Prima edizione: 1996 Pagine: 277 Prezzo: € 19,00

Trama

Miss Strangeworth non si preoccupa mai dei fatti; tutte le sue lettere riguardavano qualcosa di più opinabile, come il sospetto. Mr. Lewis non avrebbe immaginato neanche per un attimo che suo nipote potesse rubare gli spiccioli dalla cassa se non avesse ricevuto una delle lettere di Miss Strangeworth. Miss Chandler, la bibliotecaria, e i genitori di Linda Stewart sarebbero andati avanti fiduciosi con le loro vite, beatamente ignari del possibile male in agguato accanto a loro, se Miss Strangeworth non avesse mandato quelle lettere per aprire loro gli occhi. Miss Strangeworth sarebbe rimasta sinceramente sorpresa che fosse successo davvero qualcosa tra Linda Stewart e il figlio degli Harris, ma finché nel mondo esisteva il male incontrollato, era dovere di Miss Strangeworth tenere la sua cittadina all'erta. Era molto più ragionevole che Miss Chandler si chiedesse di cosa era morta veramente la prima moglie di Mr. Shelley piuttosto che correre il rischio di non saperlo. C'era tanta gente malvagia al mondo, e soltanto una Strangeworth rimasta in città

Recensione

In un solo libretto viola sono raccolti una ventina di racconti brevi che riproducono l'andamento di quelle che sembrano una ventina di vite normali. Ma non sono altro che piccoli frammenti messi insieme per andare a comporre le più profonde contraddizioni delle vite degli individui della società statunitense degli anni '50. Si tratta di racconti che vorrebbero tramandare un messaggio, ancora attuale, ma in alcuni questo messaggio non arriva mai, in quanto il racconto si termina “bruscamente”, lasciandoti dell’amaro in bocca, perché vorresti sapere di più ma quel “di più” non potrà mai arrivare.

Valutazione

★★★☆☆ 2.5/5

The Price Of Breaking Up

Alternative: 파혼의 대가 Status: Ongoing Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Josei, Romance, Tragedy Chapters: 23 (Of 03/10/2023) Rating: 8/10

Go read here!

Description

Clearly, it was a joke made by God.

“The companion of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince is the precious daughter of Marquis Lurhtella.”

How could the oracle be mistaken?

As soon as I was born, I was chosen to be the Crown Princess and have lived there, but everything changed overnight.

Power, status, and the perspective of people.

I thought only his love wouldn’t change.

However, he did not hesitate to notify me of the annulment of marriage, and that is how it ended between us.

Giving up everything was a lot easier than I thought.

But…

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Pesentria.”

“……”

“Speaking of the owner of the temple, I wonder if you remember me.”

He, who had the greatest divine power in the Empire, reached out to me.

Can I hold his hand?

My Opinion

I say this is one of the best books I have ever read; the plot is captivating and the characters are well-developed. The artful writing style is also impressive, making it hard to put down the book once you start reading it.

There is not much to say about it as it is in the early stages of making it, so to be frank, that is the only reason I deducted two points from the score.

The female lead has been deemed my favourite character at this moment. I enjoyed the fact that she had shown power, which was not in her volition but in her smarts and wit. Overall, the book has a promising start and potential for further development. It will be interesting to see how the characters evolve and how the plot unfolds in future installments.

Just finished Loveless.

Here's my rewiew:

THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME abdjksffkskdskdkkf, and it helped me. Like - a lot.

I think that I'm something like Rooney, Sunil and Georgia' s secret kid who has been given up for adoption and now they're stuck in this world.

I love it and I love it AND I JUST LOVE ITT!

.

.

.

Here are my thoughts that are too boring, but- yeah.

First of all,

When I saw the cover i was like: I hope that that's a cello, but I was NOT sure at all.

So I lived with ,,It's not a cello, deal with it". You're probably bored bout this, but when I've discovered that it actually was a cello, I was SCREAMING.

Why am I so excited bout this is because I play cello and I love it.

Second of all,

I NEED Ellis as a REAL PERSON, I NEED HER TO BE MY COUSIN, I NEED HER IN MY LIFE!

Ngl, I'm pretty close to my cousin too, but this is really what's missing in my life.

Even a friend like her would be great.

I'm also going to watch Moulin Rouge rn, cuz I've never ever watched it in my life.

9.5/10

White Nights by Fiodor Dostoyevski

"White Nights" Book Rewiew

White Nights is a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky that was published in 1848. Set in St. Petersburg, It is the story of a young man fighting his inner restlessness. A light and tender narrative, it delves into the torment and guilt of unrequited love.

62 pages

9/10

Why I love It:

-Interesting characters you can put yourself in

-Quite a modern idea for the time

-Decent ending

-Wonderful atmosphere

Favourite character:

The Dreamer

QUOTES:

"A strange anguish had tormented me since early morning. I suddenly had the impression that I had been left all alone, that everyone was shrinking away from me, avoiding me"

“It was a wonderful night, such a night as is only possible when we are young, dear reader.”

"But how could you live and have no story to tell?"

"I am a dreamer. I know so little of real life that I just can't help re-living such moments as these in my dreams, for such moments are something I have very rarely experienced. I am going to dream about you the whole night, the whole week, the whole year. I feel I know you so well that I couldn't have known you better if we'd been friends for twenty years. You won't fail me, will you? Only two minutes, and you've made me happy forever. Yes, happy. Who knows, perhaps you've reconciled me with myself, resolved all my doubts."

Playlist:

☆

230421 | 📓At library 🖤

I arrived at the university very early, so I decided to go to its library. Honestly, I would rather go to the national library than go to this library, but anyway I was be still able to read the last pages of my book and rewiew the notes I made yesterday.

Yesterday was a good day, not have to say more, haha.

My Thoughts on House of the Dragon 1x03

Spoiler ahead. Book Spoiler.

Rhaenyra: As i predicted in the last rewiew she is even more isolated now. Of course part of this is her own doing but i understand her fear of being replaced after alicent had aegon and her father got the son he always wanted. It doesn’t help that the entire realm thinks he would prefer aegon simply because he is a boy. That boar killing scene was sure a good way to let her frustration out. And walking through the camp coverd in blood, she definitly has self esteem (she will need it).

Daemon: Oh my. He continues to amaze me more every week. I hoped for a huge battle simply because i wanted a bit of action but i did not expect a one man show out of spite. The music, the close ups, the fight simply amazing. The openig scene with caraxes fantastic. There seems to be a real connection between him and his dragon. He is the one character that made me start watching the show because of the book and he does not dissapoint.

Viserys: He got better this episode. Him actually talking to rhaenyra and explaining to her why she must marry is very reasonable. He will not live forever (his hand rotting away is a clear sign of it). My problem with him is the thing he has with prophecies. He believes absolutly that what he dreames will become true and values dreams over the very real power of dragons. So far i remember only Daenys and Daenerys had dreams that became true. Not sure where this will lead. Turning a blind eye to the war on the stepstones for three years because he thinks it’s not his buisness is hard to stomach. What did he do in the least three years other then getting three children on his teenage wife? Bonus points for rhaenyra calling him out on it.

Alicent: She seems to realize thst she can influence viserys good for her bad for everyone else (in the future). Otherwise she sits just around and touches her belly. Or lets her father lecture her again. Also is that hairnet supposed to make her look older? I doesn’t.

Otto: Why is he still here should he not be exiled by now? Does he never get tired of sheming? Marry your daughter to her two year old brother, i can’t hear it anymore. His only misson seems to be bring aegon on the throne.

Laenor Valeryon: He seems pretty smart and likes dragonriding. Rhaenyra should have no problem with him. He also seems to value daemon.

Christon Chole: A decent fellow so far but i can’t see anything romantic between him and rhaenyra. So i wonder what will make him turn on her.

I must confess i did not like this episode except of the beginning and the ending. The trip to the kings wood seemed endless to me. Pretty sure GRR insisted on it after they screwed up robert baratheons hunting scene. After all he said this was the one thing he would change if he could.

In the inside the episode they said this was the end of childhood for rhaenyra, alicent and daemon (not sure what makes them think daemon is a child). So i guess we can expect a change in the next episode from all three.

Some predictions on episode four since everyone does it,

I don’t understand why some people think that daemon would have something with alicent. I mean why would he and why should she. Just because aemond resembles daemon a bit. Just no.

It seems we will be robbed of one of the most badass entrances ever since there is no tourney in sight and that scene obviously will happen in the throneroom. I feel robbed already.

Something will happen between daemon and rhaenyra what i m not sure. I can see him smuggeling her in a brothel on her wish. She knows nothing about sex at this point and has no one to ask either. So why not ask her beloved uncle?

Daemon being dragged in the throneroom and threatend by viserys will be hard to watch. Wonder if we hear the give the girl to me for wife who else would take her now? Can’t see it with that version of daemon yet.

What video would you recommend to put a person to sleep?

…longform rewiew types.

Doesn‘t actually have to be rewiew videos, the longform of it has to be, because then there‘s no ads dropping in with 1000 decibels cuz it went to the next vid. Also rewiews tend to have no ads in between them either (except sponsors, but those usually have the same audio as the rest of the vid so it‘s fine). Preferably not overly edited, so book rewiews tend to work better. Gameplay videos too, depending on the game (and player).

Also unironically the Kappa Kaiju "Yandere Dev is never gonna gonna finish the game" video. No clue why that one seems to work but it does, at least for me.

«Ցասման ողկույզները». 85 տարեկան գիրքը՝ 85 տարեկան գրադարանային շենքում

«Երկար վեպ է, ամենաերկարը, որ Ստայնբեքը երբևէ գրել է, սակայն միևնույնն է, վեպն այնպես է ընթերցվում, ասես մի ակնթարթ լինի, հենց նոր տպագրամեքենայի բերանից հանած ու հանրության առջև պարզած մի վերջնագիր...»։ ( New York Times Book Rewiew)

1940 թվականի մայիսի 6-ին ամերիկացի նշանավոր գրող Ջոն Ստայնբեքը Փուլիցերյան մրցանակ ստացավ «Ցասման ողկույզները» վեպի համար։ Ստայնբեքի գլուխգործոցը՝ ամերիկյան խոշորագույն վեպերից մեկը, լույս էր տեսել դրանից մի տարի առաջ՝ 1939-ին։ 85 տարեկան գիրքը՝ 85 տարեկան գրադարանային շենքում։

«Ցասման ողկույզները» արևմտյան քաղաքակրթության վրա մեծ ազդեցություն թողած գրքերի շարքում է, ամերիկյան գրական կանոնի (American literary canon) անբաժան մասը։ Լույս տեսնելուց ի վեր գիրքը չի իջել ընթերցասերների գրասեղաններից։ Սրանից տասը տարի առաջ վեպը վաճառվել էր 14 միլիոն օրինակով։

«Ստայնբեքի ժամանակներից ի վեր Ամերիկան շատ երկար ճանապարհ է անցել, սակայն այսօր ևս նրան անհրաժեշտ է մի կատաղի և անկեղծ ձայն։ Նա քողազերծեց Ամերիկյան երազանքը՝ քարը քարին չթողնելով, միաժամանակ հաստատելով, որ մարդիկ միշտ ավելի ուժեղ են, քան նրանց պատուհասած դժբախտությունները։ Ստայնբեքը ոչ թե ցանկանում էր, որ կորցնենք մեր հույսը, այլ որ զայրույթով լցվենք բոլոր նրանց հանդեպ, ովքեր խլում են այն մեզնից»։ (The Guardian)

Վեպը հայերեն թարգմանվել է 2017-ին (թարգմանիչ՝ Արամ Արսենյան): Նշենք, որ 1962 թվականի գրականության Նոբելյան մրցանակակիր Ստայնբեքը 1963-ին Ջոն Քենեդիի ցուցումով այցելել է Խորհրդային Հայաստան։ Այցը տեսագրել է գրող Ռաֆայել Արամյանը։ Ստայնբեքի դիմանկարն անձամբ Մարտիրոս Սարյանն է նկարել։

Rewiew #30: The Bride Test

The Bride Test, by Helen Hoang

From my TBR? No but it's kind of from my mental TBR soooo...?

Second novel in the contemporary romance series The Kiss Quotient.

Unusually for me, I read this second volume without having read the first. I like to go in chronological order, but I was like "screw it, I want to read a modern mail-order-bride now" so I did.

The story is about a poor and uneducated Vietnamese woman who suddenly gets the opportunity to spend a summer in the US trying to convince a second-generation autistic Vietnamese man who doesn't want to get married to marry her. Basically, his mom spots her cleaning toilets and thinks she is perfect. I'm not kidding, that's the first chapter.

Now, if you want to read about The Yearning, this book is for you. So much physical yearning on the part of the hero, it was insane. He is SO sexually frustrated at the beginning. But their relationship didn't develop much further than physicality, in my opinion. It felt like they were put together by the circumstances and were like "meh, the sex is super hot and living in the US is cool so I guess we'll get married". The firs time he sees her, the Hero literally describes her as having a stripper body.

When he is not having lecherous thoughts, I found the Hero to be likeable. I enjoyed his journey to self-discovery through grief and unlocking past trauma but the Heroine was paper thin. She goes on and on about how unprivileged she is back in Vietnam and she is so stupid she couldn't even complete high school etc etc. I suppose that was her arch but it didn't rock my boat at all.

Why and some spoilers and the final verdict under the cut:

The main conflict during the story's climax is that she wants him to say he loves her. But he thinks that being autistic means being incapable of love so he sternly refuses. But as I was reading that particular dialogue, I couldn't help but think: ok but what if he is aromantic. What then? What if he cares about you like if you were his family but he just doesn't feel romantic love. What then? You would throw your whole relationship away because of that? Why??

This woman literally thinks "I can see that he loves me from his actions but I want to hear him say it". Again, why?

There were also a couple of absolutely unhinged moments. At one point they attend a banquet. The heroine wanders into one of the dressing rooms for the bridal party and sees the Vera Wang wedding dress hanging there. At which point, she completely undresses, remaining in only her panties, because she wants to try it on. What decent person would ever do that?? Try on a stranger's wedding dress at their own wedding? What?? It felt like a cheap way to have the hero barge in, see her in Deshabille and get The Yearning going again.

Also, I didn't mention it before because it's not really relevant but the heroine has a child back in Vietnam. She keeps this hidden from the hero until literally the last scene and then he is like "yeah no probs". Like, I would at least have some questions.

Verdict: The plot is overall frustrating but The Yearning and Sexual Tension makes up for... some of it.

Ive seen authors dropping book series because of loss of interest. I read it years after it came out but the last book in the series totally set up for there to be another book. I read some rewiews and people thought the last book was worse than the others. But yea if the publisher cant see that there will be good profit of your next book they wont publish it. The author btw is doing good as far as I can tell, I started reading an ongoing series and was happily suprised to see it was the same author.

Yeah it really is, then people are like, "Aw, I was waiting for it to be finished before I bought the books!" Nooooo please don't do that. Buy the books as they come out and read them later. Because that's the worst bit. By the time a decision is made to end a series early, there's already been a set-up for the next book.

And I'm glad the author is doing well!! Sometimes it's a case of "it's not you, it's me," and it really is. You won't like every book or series from your favourite author, and that's okay. Some of my review team who get every book will skip one if it's a trope they don't like, and I don't take it personally. I don't read books with tropes I don't like either LOL

7 July

One day, next year, maybe, I'm going to take a vow of silence for a week and just totally disconnect. Idk, I'm feeling pretty good today, despite my lack of sleep. Maybe it is true that exercise makes you feel better. 🤔 Hate when they're right.

The Introduction by Guy Northrop was good and interesting. Him feeling different and alone in his big family is a common feeling a lot of people can relate too, especially those who go through a different path then that of their parents. For him it was being an artist to farmer whose father was a farmer ad well. I understand why art books don't print all the works in color but I wish they were. Especially since his colors are a big part of what draws you into his painted memories. His work his interesting though. Definitely worth a read and to look into his work.

Read Hostile Butterflies, and I like Carroll Cloar's artwork, but his grandfather was a questionable man who is in hell. My rewiew on Goodreads:

Side note...This has nothing to do with his work; I just found this lil tidbit, not sure funny is the right word but funny.

Within the first paragraph of the preface explaining how his grandfather came to be in Arkansas, he describes how Thomas Jefferson Cloar got "into a situation with the daughter of a J.P. in Union City, Tennessee.That is to say, he had mistaken her minimal resistance for acquiescence and, rather unpremeditatedly, he had found himself in a statutory predicament."... Sir, please, I had no words; it stopped me dead in my tracks. What a way to put it. Then goes on about how the "young lady" demanded to be married, but he refused, "claiming that there had been no apparent issue from this encounter and, moreover, she had not been very satisfactory." Like, what a way to start a little bio introduction.

Hi!

Привет с: В этом “блоге” я буду публиковать всё, что нужно и не очень. Принесу сюда рецензии на книги, рассуждения о жизни, мотивационную ерунду... а ещё целые полки комиксов, манг, манхв, веб-комиксов и т.д. И всё-ё, что об этом думаю Так что да, будет целая мешанина информации, дальше фильтруйте на свой вкус. Ну и если вас это не отталкивает, то добро пожаловать с:

Hi c: In this "blog" I’ll be publishing everything that’s useful and not so. I'll post book reviews, reflections on life, motivational bullshit... and whole shelves full of comics, manga, manhwa, web-comics and etc. And all that I think about them. So yes, there will be a mess of information, you can filter it to your taste. Well, if that didn’t put you off, then welcome c:

Reasons why you should read A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth (they/them):

All four mcs are LGBT+, wlw and mlm, childhood best friends to lovers, mutual pining, sunshine x grumpy...

It gives off City of Bones vibes, but with modern faeries with magic and who use technology A LOT and talk about serious topics (f you rich and privileged shits) like depression, death, drugs, etc. Also, there's a fandom made for a particularly handsome and clever Fae prince.

They/them and neo pronouns are mentioned!!

This book is funny, sassy, clever, intriguing and different. Especially Nausicaä (an immortal badass with smoke powers) is extremely sassy, swears a lot and causes a lot of chaos.

The characters are far from perfect, they struggle with mental health issues and their pasts, make bad decisions but also keep going.

The book has multiple POVs but the story picks up quickly and never gets boring, all characters have purpose and their own personalities that set them apart.

The character interactions are cute and you find yourself grinning widely because of a small gesture or action.

The House in the Cerulean Sea, a rewiew

It's the easiest 5-star review I have given in a long while. I have not felt this excited about a book in so long and, whilst I do not believe in coincidence, I do believe I've read this book when I needed it most. It's a dash of action and mystery mixed in with the found-family trope and oh, did I mention romance? And everything is built on the back of a world not-so-great, which mirrors our very real world. It is a great example of finding friendship and hope and a place to belong to which ultimately become our greatest weapons in a world that works against us.

The summary of this book is on point. A social worker has to visit and inspect an "orphanage" in order to determine if it's suited or not for the children living there. Linus Baker is not your typical hero. He's a queer, middle-aged man who likes his routine, who likes his job, who's done this job for the past 17 years. He wouldn't change a thing, he doesn't question things. It has worked for him so far. Because of the brilliant way Klune works the world-building into his story, you'd think Linus Baker is a coward without a spine, a person in love with his comfort zone. And after all, aren't we all? But what he possesses more than any other person around him (until a certain point in the book) is kindness, inherent kindness. Kindness and a non-judgmental way of seeing the world. And that, ladies, gents and non-binary friends, it's a game-changer. Linus Baker cares a big deal about the world around him, about the children he tries to protect. And this kindness, together with his fearful nature, will be challenged, once he gets on the island. And how wonderful that is. This book is about kindness, it's about finding the good in this world and helping it prevail. This book feels like a warm blanket on a chilly day, the first sip of coffee in the morning, the first taste of a strawberry cake (and I love strawberry cake). It's wonderfully written, funny and honestly, a tear-jerker. The children are wonderful, their caretakers, one Mr. Arthur Parnassus and one Ms. Zoe Chapelwhite, are both incredible, funny, charming fellows. Everyone is wonderful, except for the islanders, but I don't want to spoil the review talking about them. It was a pleasure to read this book, from the witty dialogue to the world built around Linus Baker and the playful details present in the book. It is a fantasy book, but it doesn't suffocate the reader with details they don't need. The descriptions are well executed to create the atmosphere of a house where six precious children reside. At times, it gets scary. The horror elements of this book are incredible and I would love to read something from T.J. Klune that's darker than not, I think he'd do an excellent job of it. But what stands out more than anything in this book, more than its craft and witty dialogue and world-building, are the inhabitants of this world. I do not have the words to express just how wonderful they are, how well T.J Klune created them because he cared for them. This book bleeds love and tenderness and I am so happy to have stumbled upon it. Everything about this book is delicate. Linus Baker's courage, Arthur Parnassus's love for his children, Zoe Chapelwhite's protection of the island. And you might frown upon this delicacy, call it fragile, and you'd be wrong. Like most things in the world, their courage and love and care are strong and resilient. This book is not about overthrowing the big, bad guy. This book is about a whisper that can grow into a roar.

“Change often starts with the smallest of whispers. Like-minded people building it up to a roar." This book is precious and your life, your heart, will get better if you give it a chance. It's a hug from the writer, it's a hug from every reader who touched it and loved it. It was for me. (less)

I’m reading Song Of Achilles currently and bitch wtf was that? I’m only at 140th page and yet I am speechless I definitely was not expected what just happened… I’ll say things about the book when I finished it