The English Book Club: Book #2
The English Book Club is now reading To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and very much enjoying it.
But we’re already deciding on our next title, and this post is here to help.
We have 5 Nominees, all in the YA category and all Bestsellers in their own right.
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
Mark Haddon
Cristopher is brilliantly gifted, incredibly smart and absolutely clueless when it comes to human interaction. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket, until a neighbor’s dog is killed and his system is threatened. He sets to solve the murder in Sherlock Holmes style and his adventures make a story that is both funny and poignant.
Trivia
The book is notable for using prime numbers to number the chapters, rather than the conventional successive cardinal numbers. Unusually, it was published simultaneously in separate editions for adults and children with over 2 million copies sold.
Quote
“Then he asked if I didn’t like things changing. And I said I wouldn’t mind things changing if I became an astronaut, for example, which is one of the biggest changes you can imagine, apart from becoming a girl or dying.”
Markus Zusak
Liesel, a Jewish foster girl tries to survive by stealing when she encounter something she can’t resist: books. With the help of her father she learns to read and shares stolen books with neighbors. This is a story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
Trivia
The author rewrote the book 200 times because he believed it made the writing stronger. It went on to sell eight million copies worldwide, remain on the New York Times bestseller list for almost seven years and be translated into over 30 languages.
Quote
“Usually we walk around constantly believing ourselves. “I’m okay” we say. “I’m alright”. But sometimes the truth arrives on you and you can’t get it off. That’s when you realize that sometimes it isn’t even an answer–it’s a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced.”
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
After falling in love with a book by Julian Carax and deciding to read some more written by that author, Daniel discovers that someone has been destroying all the books by Carax and his copy of the book might be the last one left. While trying to solve this mystery he finds even more puzzling secrets.
Trivia
Although the author has received a number of offers to have his books produced into movies, he has declined all of them. It is believed to have sold 15 million copies worldwide
Quote
“One of the pitfalls of childhood is that one doesn’t have to understand something to feel it. By the time the mind is able to comprehend what has happened, the wounds of the heart are already too deep.”
Jeannette Walls
A young girl is fascinated by her father, who cannot hold a job or own a house, but teaches his children physics, geology and how to embrace life fearlessly. The children learn to take care of themselves and enjoy pure childhood and only later start to understand that it was their parents’ choice that had made them homeless .
Trivia
The book is based on true facts from the author’s life which stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list for 100 weeks
Quote
“You can’t cling to the side your whole life, that one lesson every parent needs to teach a child is “If you don’t want to sink, you better figure out how to swim”
John Green
Despite being terminally ill and still alive only due to a medical miracle, Hazel tries to enjoy life the best she can, as an ordinary teenager. When charming Augustus comes into her life, it changes from ordinary to extraordinary as he helps her fulfill the dreams she didn’t even dare to pursue, including the one of falling in love and being loved.
Trivia
The author was inspired for the book while working at a children’s hospital and the book has spent 78 consecutive weeks on the New York Times best-seller list.
Quote
“You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world…but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.”
That’s the five nominations. All thanks goes to Anna Gabur, who did all the thorough research>
Here’s a more brief chart, with only the Book Title + Author + Summary.
Which one is your favourite?
P.S. If you want to join The English Book Club, please drop me a message at: gribooks@gmail.com
Sursa
2014-10-21 16:36:29