WinterMoon

I finished this wonderful book today (February 23, 2025) after watching the movie One Day, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, for the first time in 2019. Since then, I have watched it every year, so I had to read the book! Reading after watching the movie can be a little distracting because you already know the story and imagine the characters as they were on screen instead of how they are described in the book. But no matter what, the book always tells the story in a better and deeper way than the movie. One Day by David Nicholls is an emotional and beautifully written novel that tells the story of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew over 20 years. The book checks in on them every year on July 15th, showing how their relationship, dreams, and lives change over time. Emma is smart, witty, and hardworking, while Dexter is charming, carefree, and privileged. They are complete opposites, but their bond is strong, making their story engaging and real. The novel is about love, timing, miss...

"No one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it." Paulo Coelho’s this piece has always been one of my favourites in every way. It’s a thought provoking novel about love, desire and self discovery. Eleven Minutes is a deeply moving story about Maria, a young woman from a small town in Brazil who dares to dream beyond the life she knows. With hopes of adventure and a brighter future, she sets out on a journey that takes her to Geneva, where she believes success awaits. But reality is crueler than she imagined, and when her dreams slip through her fingers, she finds herself drawn into the world of prostitution—not out of choice, but out of necessity. To protect herself from pain, Maria detaches from her emotions, convincing herself that love is nothing more than an illusion and that intimacy is merely a transaction. Yet, even in the darkness, she refuses to let go of her drea...

“The dead have their own world, and the living have theirs. All the dead do is wait. They wait for a soul to come from the living world to take them to the other side.” Once you're a Murakami fan, you're a fan for life, and his books truly stand as a genre of their own! It's often said that those new to Murakami should begin with Norwegian Wood since it’s more subtle compared to his other works. However, when you’re not aware of that suggestion, you just pick books as they come—like I did in 2021 when I chose Kafka on the Shore . That turned out to be a fantastic decision, and I had an incredible experience immersing myself in the story. Murakami’s imagination is wild and dark, filled with ideas that are hard to even picture. His stories can really mess with your mind and pull you in so completely that you can’t help but become a "Murakami fan"—and that’s how I feel too. It’s also worth mentioning that Murakami’s books need your full attention. You can’t read the...

"Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine." I just finished an amazing Agatha Christie book, and it’s introduced me to a whole new world of thrillers and murder mysteries. These types of books really grab your attention—you can’t put them down, and they keep you hooked from start to finish. This book is different from others because the characters and situations are so unpredictable, it’s hard to imagine them in real life. That’s what makes it even more interesting. What a genius she is! The story takes place on Soldier Island, a small, isolated island off the coast of Devon, where ten strangers are invited. They think they’re going for a free, luxurious summer vacation with great food and wine. But things take a dark turn right away. Once they arrive, they realize they’re cut off from the mainland, and their host is missing. Each one of them is accused of a serious crime, and soon one person is found dead. They quickly rea...