Book Review- Norwegian Wood: Murakami

Hi there! It’s been years since I started this blog and completely forgot about it. Thankyou so much if you still follow me! Made a new Instagram @doodlingverpagess for bookish posts and doodles to thought of reviving this blog too.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Rating: 3.8/5
Weird rating I know, but I have mixed feelings about this book so here it goes.

Norwegian wood is a book about a young boy, Tori, who lost his best and only friend, Kizuki to suicide and about Naoko, Kizuki’s girlfriend since they were kids.
It has a simple storyline, with love, separation and new beginnings but still it’s unlike anything I have read before.
The book started out good, went in to become very emotional and a great read, but I wasn’t very satisfied with the ending.
When I read the synopsis first, I wasn’t up for reading it as it just looked to me like a teenage romance novel which I am not at all into. But after hearing so much about it, I decided to pick it up and didn’t regret it at all. It is more than just about love and it’s hurdles.
The topic it has extensively covered is mental health. How people suffer from it and how difficult can it be sometimes to get over it. It has shown all aspects of it and how despite all that you are not worth any less to the people who truly love you.
This book makes you feel a lot of things and mainly sadness which I love as it isn’t forced or exaggerated.
The reason it isn’t a 5 star read for me is because, I didn’t feel very satisfied with what how the story ended, I felt it was abrupt compared to the book’s usual pace all over and some bits were unnecessary in my point of view which was really a turn off for me after almost falling in love with this book.

If you have read it, feel free to discuss it with me.

The Book Blogger Tag


I was tagged by SaviBookAdventures to do The Book Blogger Tag. Thankyou so much for tagging me. BTW, you people should definitely check out their blog. It has one the best reviewing styles I have seen so far!

Here you go,

1.What are your book pet peeves?

  • Love Triangles- Do I need to say more? Seroiusly, get over it.
  • Cliches- They are TOO predictable and can play a spoilsport in a good strory. The most common cliche is ‘most-trusted-guy-is-the-villian’. It’s used  a lot in crime and mystery novels and is predictable sometimes.
  • Dumb characters- This is the thing I hate in books as well as movies. I just cannot handle it. They make me cringe SO much!

2. Describe your perfect reading spot.

I like to read curled up in bed. I can literally sit there all day without moving just reading. Once my mom didn’t even realise I was home because I was so engrossed and hadn’t gone out of my room!

LITERALLY ME-

3.Tell us three book confessions.

  • I hated The Fault in our Stars. Don’t bash me with hate or anything I just think it did not deserve all the hype it got.
  • I have not yet read Harry Potter. Okay, now you can throw anything at me. I deserve it. I watched all the movies just last year in TWO DAYS, before an important exam. I loved the movies WAY TOO MUCH and that’s why am crazy about it! I don’t think I will read the books anytime soon as I already know the story and already have a huge TBR and also I don’t want to ruin my HP experience as I am afraid the books might bore me after seeing the movies.

  • I suck at completing series. That’s why I prefer Standalones. I am TOO lazy even for this and my MASTER PROCARSTINATING nature does not help either.

4. When was the last time you cried during a book?

LOL, The last time I cried was the last time I read a book and that was 2 weeks ago because I am in a slump since then 😦 Anyways, the last book I read was The Kite Runner and I LOVED it. The characters’ honesty, dedication, helplessness, pain made me cry. It was heartbreaking to read what the character was going through because it was so realistic and could actually have happened with someone.

5.How many books are on your bedside table?

THREE. FREAKING THREE! I just keep switching them when I feel like. I have- All the bright places, Digital Fortress and Where Rainbows End (Love, Rosie). I am mainly re-reading Where Rainbows End and I think it’s kinda curing my slump.

6.What is favourite snack to eat while reading?

I don’t eat while I read as being a foodie it distracts me from the book and also I am afraid I might stain my book.

7. Three books you would recommend to everyone.

  • Angels and Demons by Dan Brown because you deserve the best. ❤️
  • The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini beacuse it’s a perfect book with a not-so-perfect main character and is very different from all the other books I have read so far!
  • Ultraxenopia by M.A. Phipps because THRILL!

8. Show us a picture of your favourite bookshelf or case.

Here is my favourite part of my bookshelf.💖


9.Write how much books mean to you in just three words.

Important for (my) existance.

10.What’s your biggest reading secret?

I am a picky reader and have not read A LOT of books.

I hope you enjoyed it!

I further tag-

  1. Shealea Iral- @thatbookshelfbitch
  2. PreeHouse- @preehouse
  3. Ruqkish- @ruqkishreads    

 

Book tour- THE GUIDE by Justin Chandler

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History is written by those who change it.

The book looks so interesting and I CANNOT wait to read it!! Read the summary and you will know what I am talking about. Scroll down to the bottom for Author and buying links!

SUMMARY

“Know yourself.” Nicholas Forsythe never knew how important those words were at his first year atGlenoak High School until he met Garron. After he is given a mentor by his parents to help guide him through his rebellious phase, Nicholas is initially skeptical of Garron’ s methods. Who is he? How does he know so much about Nicholas without meeting him? As Nicholas works to find the answers to these and other questions about the guiding process, he soon uncovers a deep secret about Garron and the guides: they are from the future, working for the mysterious Determinant Industries inan attempt to fix the perils of the past. All is well with the program, but when a brooding figure from Garron’ s time threatens to unravel the very events of history, it’ s up to Nick and Garron to not only save their lives, but also the entire fate of the future. Through strained friendships, inner battles with identity and free will, and watching the entire world around him morph and change to the whims ofan evil dictator, Nick discovers the true meaning of choice and the sacrifice involved in order to truly “know yourself.”


EXCERPT

Prologue:Sunset. The bridging between the follies of day and the unexpected ventures of night.A man, tall and lean in stature, stepped through the thresholds of a plate glass door, shutting down the ominous purple light peeking behind him. He looked at his suit. Finely crafted, tailored to his unique size and stature. Black shoes, shined for the occasion, leading to pressed navy pants and a black belt. Covering his torso was a light blue shirt, casual blue tie, all held together with a snug coat. He continued walking forward through the white room. A young woman, holding a clipboard, met him immediately. “Welcome! I see that you arrived here safely.” “Indeed, and my belongings?” “As request, the car you decided onis parked right outside of the building. Lincoln Continental, right?” “Brown paint?” “As noted.” The man smirked, “You know me too well.” The woman smiled, “Simply the instructions you provided us, sir.” The man looked through the adjacent window towards the sunset. “Today is the 22nd, correct?” “Yes, they should be expecting you soon. You contacted them, right?”“Both of them, haven’ t talked to the young one yet, but I figured it would be best todosoinperson.”“And the school?”“Already taken care of. Did they leave what I requested?”The woman pulled out a small black box and handed itto the man. “And you also requested this.”She reached into her pocket and pulled out a leather-bound notebook. “Still relying on this old trick?”He smiled. “The more some things change, the more others stay the same.”He looked at his watch. “A little behind schedule, but if I know them as well as I do, they won’ t mind.”The man took his belongings and walked towards the exit. Ashe reached for the handle, the woman began saying,  “Now, you remember the protocol, right? You’ re not allowed to-““I know, I know,”he cut her off.”Trust me, I wouldn’ t dream of it. No use in adding any unnecessary ‘ additions’ .”“In that case, good luck then. With this one, you’ re gonna need it.”

The man walked out of the building and entered his loaned car. He looked into the rear-view mirror, adjusted his tie, and pulled out of the driveway. Sunset. The bridge between what can and what will happen.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Justin Chandler is an aspiring educator, currently finishing his last year at Appalachian State University as a Middle Grades Education major. Residing in Connelly Springs, NC, Justin has written short stories for years and has recently contributed articles for websites such as The Odyssey. His twin brother, Dustin, is attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a Screenwriting major. In his free time, Justin enjoys hiking, reading, and practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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AUTHOR LINKS:
Blog Tour Oraganized by:

Review- ULTRAXENOPIA

This is the book that got me out of my huge reading slump and put me in book hangover!

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Don’t stand out, Blend in, Remain invisible. Those are the rules I lived by—the rules I thought would keep me alive.

I was wrong.

AUTHOR– M.A. Phipps

GENRE– Dystopian, Thriller    RATING- 5 STARS

SOURCE– Recieved it from the author in exchange of an honest review.

BLURB

Wynter Reeves is a law-abiding citizen of the State, a willing conformist whose daily life is haunted by terrorism and oppression. With the constant threat of death hanging over her like a shadow, she forces herself to live by a strict set of rules, all in the hope of ensuring she is never noticed. However, on her twenty-first birthday, as she prepares to take the placement exam that will determine her future within society, she begins to show symptoms of a rare and debilitating illness—ultimately attracting the attention of the State. Taken into the custody of the feared research facility known as the DSD, her worst nightmare becomes reality.

Ripped away from the life she knew, Wynter is forced to become the test subject of the mysterious Dr. Richter. Through him, she learns the true and terrifying nature of her condition: a disease called Ultraxenopia.


VIEWS- Spoiler Free

I absolutely LOVED the book. It was all of my favourite things- Dystopian, Thriller, YA, Sci-fi (Kinda). I was in a reading slump before this and had switched like 2-3 books. This book gripped me from the FIRST PAGE itself. There was a feeling of suspense right from there. The suspense in this book is so strong it’s actually thrilling. And I love thrillers. I finished it yesterday and am constantly thinking about it. I CANNOT wait for the sequal to come out! As I mentioned before, this got me out of my reading slump and guess what?! I am in a book hangover now. I loved the chemistry between the characters and how perfectly their pasts are written. Their pasts explain their condition at present. This book leaves you with a cliffhanger, it’s not that strong but I am perfectly fine with that because it would have robbed off my sleep. All in all DEFINITELY recommended and surely a must read for the dystopian and thriller lovers!


BOOK LINKS BELOW-

BUY IT ON AMAZON (Click it)   OR HERE

BOOK TRAILER (It’s awesome!)

GOODREADS

MERCHANDISE

CONTACT THE AUTHOR-

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

P.S.- Do you like these kind of reviews? I NEED feedback. Please be honest.

About Me 🐥

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Hi! I think I should introduce myself first.
I am Shivani from India! I just passed out of my school and am currently trying to get into an engineering college. (Free advice: Don’t pursue engineering if you are not able to study at least 10 hrs day)

I was initially one of those kids who did not read anything but comics. But once I was forced to pick up a book for a school project, then there was no turning back. That book was Oliver Twist. I absolutely loved it and am exploring different genres ever since.
My favourite genre is Thriller. I absolutely love the chills. It is weird but I am not AT ALL afraid of ghost stories or movies but guess what, whenever I read a thriller I do not have the courage to walk from my switch to my bed (It’s like 4 steps) I always need to turn on my flashlight. My fav author is Dan Brown!! ❤
Another thing I love is a good sad story. It’s like I love a book when I cry over it. (I cry in 90% of the books I read)

Some random facts-
I am a sucker for pizza 😻🍕 (My mouth’s already watering)
I am painfully shy and extremely introverted.
I observe people a lot. I can tell if someone is lying almost every time but choose not to point it out.
I am Slytherin according to pottermore but I know I am a Hufflepuff.
I listen to music like 10 hrs a day.
That’s all for now I guess? If you’ve read this far, you are awesome 💕 Here’s a pizza for you 🍕 (Or maybe not)
If you want to know anything else just comment below. If not, tell me a random fact about you! 🐥