Bookaholics - Book Reviewer

Animal Farm  by George Orwell About George Orwell: Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. His work is characterized by lucid prose, biting social criticism, total opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism. Summary: This is a story about a group of animals who live on Manor Farm, a farm in the British countryside that is under the operation of Mr. Jones, a poor drunkard. Old Major, a well-respected pig, calls all of the animals to a meeting to share his vision of a farm free of humans, where the animals reap what they sow. This vision inspires all of the animals and they await the day for a rebellion. After Old Major passes away, the rebellion begins when Mr. Jones forgets to feed the animals. The animals, led by the pigs, chase away all of the humans from the farm, renaming it Animal Farm. Two pigs ...

  The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe About Author: Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge University (Magdalene College, 1954–1963). He is best known for his works of fiction, especially The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. Summary: This is a story about Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy, siblings who live in England during World War II. They discover a wardrobe and by entering it, they are transported to a magical world called Narnia. Narnia is ruled by the White Witch, an evil sorceress who keeps the world in eternal winter. However, a prophecy tells those four humans will take down the Witc...

  1984 by Grorge Owell About Author: Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), known by his  pen name  George Orwell, was an English essayist, journalist and critic. As a writer, Orwell produced  literary criticism  and poetry, fiction and  polemical  journalism; and is best known for the  allegorical  novella  Animal Farm  (1945) and the  dystopian  novel  Nineteen Eighty-Four  (1949). Summary: It was a bright and cold April day, Winston Smith, a 39-year-old man, entered the houses of victory. The smell of dining flooded the place. He barely climbed the seven floors that led him to his house. On each landing, there was a very large colour poster with the huge face of a man with a big moustache and hard features at the bottom was written Big Brother watches over you, this poster was also in every street. Winston looked at the city from the window . London was cold and sad. It was par...

  Fahrenheit 451  by Ray Bradbury About Author: Ray Douglas Bradbury  (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and realistic fiction. Summary: This is a story about a man named Guy Montag who is a fireman. He's not a fireman by today's standards though. Instead of putting out fires, he starts them by burning books, which are outlawed by the government. After talking to his neighbour, Clarisse, Guy begins to question his work. He looks around and sees a wife who doesn't love him and an entire society caught up in technology and war. People kill each other every day and no one seems to care. After learning that Clarisse died, Guy further begins to question whether or not he is doing the right thing by burning books. So much so, that he steals a book before burning a lady and pile of ...

  The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald About Author : Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald   (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and short story writer. He was best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the  Jazz Age—a term which he popularized. Summary: This is a story about a man named Nick who is living in America in the 1920s. He moves to New York to become a bond trader and finds that he lives next to a large mansion occupied by a mysterious man named Gatsby. Gatsby has wild parties every night with lots of women and alcohol and when Nick is invited, he learns that Gatsby had also been in the army. However, no one really knows how Gatsby got rich. Nick reunites with his cousin, Daisy, a flirtatious young woman who is married to Tom, a rich businessman. However, Tom is having an affair with a mechanic's wife, Myrtle. Nick meets Daisy's friend, Jordan, a young profe...

  About Author:   Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction.[2] She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley.  Summary: Frankenstein begins when a young man named captain Walton takes a ship into the Arctic Ocean he's hoping to make important scientific discoveries. His  ship gets stranded for a few days when a sheet of ice forms all around it, to his amazement he and his crew see a gigantic man about eight feet tall driving a dog sled across the ice until it disappears in the distance.  A little later they see a normal-sized man on another dogsled chasing the first one, this man is almost dead from exhaustion and exposure so they take him aboard. The man is Victor Frankenste...

The Catcher in the Rye  by J.D. Salinger   About Author: Jerome David Salinger  ( January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an American writer best known for his 1951 novel  The Catcher in the Rye . Before its publication, Salinger published several short stories in  Story  magazine and served in World War II. In 1948, his critically acclaimed story "A Perfect Day for Bannerfish" appeared in The New Yorker, which published much of his later work. Summary: This is a story about a boy named Holden Caulfield. He just got kicked out of another all-boy's school called Pencey. He comes from a wealthy family with a lawyer father, nagging mother, a brother who is a Hollywood writer, a brother who died, and an intelligent sister. Holden really doesn't like phonies, which is basically all types of people that annoy him. So, he leaves Pencey hating most, if not all, of the people there. He can't go home because he doesn't want to tell his parents...

  Charlotte's Web By E.B. White About Author: Elwyn Brooks White  (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985)   was an American writer. He was the author of several highly popular books for children, including  Stuart Little  (1945),  Charlotte's Web  (1952), and  The Trumpet of the Swan  (1970). In a 2012 survey of  School Library Journal  readers,  Charlotte's Web  came in first in their poll of the top one hundred children's novels.  In addition, he was a writer and contributing editor to  The New Yorker  magazine, and also a co-author of the English language  style guide   The Elements of Style . Summary: This is a story about a pig named Wilbur, who was born on the Arable farm. Mr. Arable wants to kill Wilbur when he was born because Wilbur is a runt, but Fern, Mr. Arable’s daughter saved him. Fern raised Wilbur until he was sold to Mr. Zuckerman, a farmer who lives nearby. Fern starting visiti...

  Gone with the Wind About Author: Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell  (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel, published during her lifetime, the  American Civil War -era novel  Gone with the Wind , for which she won the  National Book Award  for Most Distinguished Novel of 1936 . Summary: Margaret Mitchell's famous novel gone with the wind has given birth to the legendary unforgettable couple of Scarlett O’ Hara and Rhett Butler, the bittersweet story of this unlikely couple will warm your hearts and show that light is always visible at the end of the tunnel.   Scarlett was a rich beautiful woman with many suitors but her heart only belonged   to Ashley Wilkes, the young and educated son of a distinguished southern family. Ashley also loved Scarlet back but Scarlett was a fierce demanding woman, she always got what she wanted and a...

  The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life About Author: Robin Sharma is a Canadian writer, best known for his The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari book series. Sharma worked as a litigation lawyer until age 25, when he self-published MegaLiving (1994), a book on stress management  and spirituality. He initially also self-published The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, which was then picked up for wider distribution by Harper Collies. Sharma has published 12 other books, and founded the training company Sharma Leadership International Summary:   A strong morning Routine is something to help us to perform at our best and reach New levels of productivity, we know that those who rise early are more likely to achieve success in life as opposed to those who sleeping, but not everyone knows how to create successful morning routine that can transform their lives.   Today we will take a look at book “THE 5 AM CLUB...

  Mind-set: Changing The Way You think To Fulfil Your Potential About Author: Carol Susan Dweck (born October 17, 1946) is an American psychologist. She is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Dweck is known for her work on mind-set. She was on the faculty at Columbia University, Harvard University, and the University of Illinois before joining the Stanford University faculty in 2004. She is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Summary: Mind-set was written by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck her decades of research on achievement and success led her to discover what great parents teachers CEOs and athletes already know that our mind-set is the basis of accomplishment. Here we will discuss six lessons we can learn from this book: Lesson #1 The two mind-sets: People with the fixed mind-set belief intelligence can't be changed this leads to a desire to look smart so they avoid challenges, they don't w...