A wonderful book...
A symposium, I have come to learn, is actually a gathering of guests with the intent on dining and drinking together. This book takes place during that symposium where a few members of higher society gather together and each take turns giving speeches on the subject of love. I am reading the Oxford World's Classics edition of this book and like the introduction to this book proposes I suggest that you sit and read this book in its entirety in one sitting. It's not very long. It's about 70 pages. But in reading it in one sitting you are really able to grasp the speeches and their differences and similarities. You know that story that you have probably heard in a movie or have heard somebody recant to you where humans actually started off as one single sex and how we were split down the middle and now are forever seeking our other half to become whole again? Well that story actually originated from this book. And what makes the story so profound and impactful is that it is told with utter sincerity from the comedian of the group. It is a very beautiful story. The other speeches that we get in this book are extremely insightful and indeed make you look at and even question things regarding love and it's different aspects. You are able to see through these five speeches the immense power that love has over us all and the miraculous wonders that it can achieve. I like what Socrates says toward the end of the symposium, "It's (why) today, and everyday, I do all I can to praise Love's power and courage." This book is an absolute classic of Western literature and I highly recommend it to everyone!
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Terrifyingly real...
This book takes you on a journey through the centuries to explore perpetrators of the most heinous crimes of all time. Eye-catching and terribly stunning as these notorious men and women are brought to life in vivid color through woodcarvings, mosaics, paintings and portrait photos. This book starts off every section with a photo of the subject including dates and a small biography. But this book covers so much more as well. In it you will also find short introductions to things like the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the falls of empires & different conflicts, the Nuremberg trials, the American mafia and much, much more. This is one of those books that you would not necessarily read through completely in one sitting but instead use it as a reference guide. The book is also equipped with a detailed table of contents in the front and an index in the back to make it easier for you to casually look subjects up as you please. If you are a lover of history or simply tend to read more on the dark side, like myself, I would definitely recommend adding this book to your library. Okay first off this is an erotica book which is going to have a lot of sex. However as much as there was sex in this novel there wasn't a lot of what I thought was very important to the core story which is getting to know Sloane and her mental illness. There's not a lot of explanation to her mental illness and I had a little trouble pinpointing it at first. For those who are familiar with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) her actions will come as no surprise. Although I think that it would have been good for the author to, as I said, go more in-depth on her mental illness and explain it a bit better so that people who are not familiar with it would understand why she does the things that she does. This was something very key that I felt the book lacked.
However the rest of the book is written well and it is an enjoyable read. The characters are well-written and relatable in most cases. The romance and sex scenes were also very well written. Very steamy! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading a good steamy erotica novel. Just before Kyler's 16th birthday, she is sexually assulted by members of the high school football team. Now she must deal with the grueling after effects of having been raped by classmates. But as a young boy named Ian comes into the picture, perhaps Kyler will learn that not all men are bad.
The very first thing that you encounter with this book is the Trigger Warning and telephone numbers for Crisis Care centers related to different issues and topics that are touched on in this book. This is absolutely fantastic and I honestly think that more books that touch on subjects that are so provocative and triggering should do this. Bravo to the author! The story itself is very well written and the characters are well-developed and relatable. They really seem real to the reader. Any rape survivor would say, "this book really hit home." There were many tears while reading this book, some good and some bad. I remember having to put this book down for a while and come back to it. This book is an emotional roller coaster for sure even for those who may not have suffered like Kyler suffered. The shame, the guilt, the self-doubt... it is all very real. This is a wonderful book with a great message that I would be happy to recommend to those who heed the trigger warning. This book follows Senla as she grows up and develops in a village where children are taught only 2 main things... know your place and fear The Wolf! But Senla is not going to let silly superstition hold her back from being herself is she? Will she be able to right her wrongs before The Wolf catches up with her?
This was a well written story. Great character development. However I thought the world building could use some work as I had trouble seeing things around the characters clearly. I did have another issue and that is that the twists, while good, were out of nowhere it seemed. Like BAM there it is and after it hits you, you're left feeling the "WTF just happened?" after effects. While this is a good thing in most books (to be surprised) in this book it did not feel that way. It felt rushed almost. It's hard to describe. This book also reminded me a lot of the film The Village 2004. It has a lot of the same premises as the film does. I was wondering throughout reading the book if it would end the same way the film did. But overall, I enjoyed the coming of age, dark fantasy with even a little sprinkle of romance to top it off. It was a very decent read. I'd recommend this book to those who like dark fantasy and YA. Move over Charles Manson!
There's a new cult leader in town! This book follows the story of a sadistic cult leader going by the name of Sister Katherine as it is unraveled piece by piece to the reader through the eyes of Kyle, an amature documentary film maker, who has been hired to make a film on Sister Katherine and her cult. This book has a REALLY good beginning! It starts off super creepy. Like it was giving me "funny" dreams, creepy. It was really freaking me out! 😱 And the only other book I recall ever giving me dreams before this was the infamous Stephen King's IT. The story REALLY had me going and I was engrossed in it. But then I don't know what happened. The last section of the book was not creepy or scary almost at all. Gory yes, but not scary as it had been. In fact it took on a rather militant tone with the introduction of one of the final characters in the cast. Let's just say the ending could have been a lot better. However, besides the ending (which didn't suck but I feel fell short of the mark) this was a great read. The author did EXTREMELY well in character and world building and you really got a feel for not only the character's thoughts and emotions but also the layouts of the world(s) they moved around in. You were able to see clearly through their eyes which is a sign of great story telling. I would definitely recommend this book to seasoned paranormal horror readers who enjoy checking the dark corners of their houses twice as they walk past. 😉 |
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