Meropi
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA – novel by GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ
Love is a powerful emotion that can cause people to act in abnormal ways. This is the inference I have reached on the basis of the novel “Love in the time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
In their youth, Florentino Arizo and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. The novel’s theme suggest that love sickness is a literal illness, a plague comparable to cholera. Florentino, our main character, suffers from this “disease” as one would suffer from cholera, enduring both physical and emotional pains as he longs for his childhood sweetheart forever who left him for a wealthy, well born doctor. But how long would you wait for the love of your life? The turn up of the story is earth-shattering. Florentine says: “Fermina, I have waited for this opportunity 51 years, 9months and 4 days”.
How strong and powerful is love after all?
Carmelina
LOOKING FOR ALASKA- novel by John Green
I recently read this book “Looking for Alaska” by John Green which really marked and moved me. The book is now one of my favorite novels as its storyline is realistic and relatable, while also featuring some unusual events. The book takes a deep dive into some very serious issues, it discusses family issues and trauma, death but also what comes after it. The narrator of this story is Miles, a teenage boy who just moved to this boarding school where he meets his new friends: The Colonel, Alaska and Takumi. He falls in love with Alaska who has several unsolved issues in her life and who he believes has no interest in him. She does nothing but bring him trouble, however after their first kiss, the story takes a sudden turn of events Miles struggles to get past. I certainly recommend this book, as it tells a staggering, strange and overwhelming story of this boy, Miles, whose world collapses when he meets Alaska.
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Sara
REBECCA- novel by Daphne Du Maurier
Du Maurier Rebecca is one of the underrated classics of the 20th century. The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where a young woman marrying is swept off her feet by a handsome wealthy widower Maxime de Winter and his sudden proposal. it is when they arrive at his massive estate Manderley that she discovers that he, his staff and manor are haunted by the memory of his late wife, a beautiful and mysterious woman named Rebecca. the novel is incredibly well written, creepily fascinating and impossible to put down once you’ve started. Rebecca is a masterpiece.
Achille
DA VINCI CODE- novel by Dan Brown
The book I suggest is The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, reason being the plot is extremely engaging and the book itself is exceptionally interesting. The story starts when a murder occurs in The Louvre Museum, In Paris and mystifying intimations in some of Leonardo Da Vinci's most famous paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery which could mainstay the very foundations of Christianity. Although the story is vastly complicated I guarantee you there is no lack of clarity and you will end up enjoying it no matter what. Once you read it I assure you, you will have your creativity amplified and alleviate all your negative thoughts on the genres of literature, mystery and crime function. Despite the movie being intriguing and fascinating I advise you to read the book prior to the movie as the novel provides you with extra detail and nail biting discoveries.
Theodore
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, a novel by Jules Verne
This book is one of the best books i have read so far. Already when I had read the first sentence I was in the book. This book is so mysterious that you will never be bored, there is always something happening. Nemo´s real name and national origin are never revealed, so this makes the book far more fascinating. To find his real name and origin, you need to be looking for hints or suspicious objects, etc...Why should you read this book?...because if you are a detective, interested in mechanics like submarines or if you love the sea and if you're curious to know what is swimming under you while your splashing around at the beach...This book is perfect for you!
Faidra
THE FORESHADOWING-novel by Marcus Sedgwick
The story of this novel revolves around the struggles of a young girl having the ability to foresee things and especially people’s moments death at a time of war. Her name is Alexandra and she is 17 years old. The story is inspired by the Greek myth of Cassandra. No one believes or listens to Alexandra’s prophesies, not even her family, because they are scared to face their daughter’s supernatural powers. Alexandra cannot bare foreseeing people’s deaths especially when it comes to the death of her favorite brother, Tom. With the hope of changing her brother’s written future, Alexandra will throw herself into a crazy and dangerous adventure. The real question is will she or will she not succeed in saving her brother’s life?
Melina
HEART BERRIES-novel by Terese Marie Mailhot
If you are looking for an inspirational, powerful, touching and unique book then this is the one .
Heart Berries is a poetic memoir of Terese Marie Mailhot’s coming of age on the Seabird Island Indian reservation on the Pacific Northwest. Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma. The book is a memorial for the authors mother, a social worker and activist . It’s also a reconciliation to her father an abusive but brilliant artist who was murdered under very mysterious circumstances.
New York Times describes it as a new model for the memoir and Esquire claims it to be distinctive, angry and messy yet wise. «The story takes on the kind of urgency that makes you turn pages faster and faster »
Heart Berries , an international best seller you don’t want to miss.
Emma
THE PLAGUE-novel by Albert Camus
The book I chose is called ‘’La Peste/The Plague’, one of the most significant European novels. The author is, needlessly to say, the famous French writer Albert Camus. I chose this book for two reasons, first of all because of the story which is very similar to what’s going on right now, and by this I mean the coronavirus pandemic.
I find the story very inspirational because of its message : Camus wrote this book to tell us that nothing in life is a given because all of a sudden something absurd can happen (like this virus for example) and that most importantly no one can ever be immune not only to a disease but also in what life generally throws at us.
The second reason why I chose that book is a bit personal since Camus was a close friend of Angelos Katakouzenos, a Greek psychiatrist and friend of many Greek and international writers and artists. My mother has created a house museum out of his flat and she is still curating it.
Dimitris
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THE PRINCE- by Niccolo Machiavell
During the quarantine I read a great book named, ‘’The Prince’’. ‘’The prince’’ is a letter written by Niccolo Machiavelli to Lorenzo de' Medici, an Italian statesman in the 15th century. In this 71 paged letter Maquiavelli explains to de’Medici how to rule and how to be able to keep his power and not be overthrown. Machiavelli’s advice are still very useful in today’s society where “Humans are so simple of mind, and so much dominated by their immediate needs, that a deceitful man will always find plenty who are ready to be deceived.” (quote from ‘’The Prince’’)
Konstantinos
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MACBETH- by Shakespeare
The play “Macbeth” is one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, a fascinating story of greed, power and hubris set in 11th century Scotland. The play begins with three witches who meet in a thunderstorm, the reader already has a foreshadowing of the play’s plot. Later on, general Macbeth and general Banquo who had just won a battle meet the same three witches who make three very disturbing prophecies about how Macbeth will become king. Fed by the witches’ prophecies and his own hubris, Macbeth can’t help but succumb to his dark desires. Little did he know that his greed would make him commit actions that would torment him for the rest of his life. As the plot evolves, we can see how greed will be enough for Macbeth to choose power over his close friends and loved ones. Macbeth’s conscience is becoming guiltier by the day and his fears of losing power are amplified by three new prophecies by the witches about his downfall. Eventually, like every tyrant he comes to a sticky end .
All in all, I would definitely recommend reading the play “Macbeth” which conveys the message that succumbing to greed can torment one's spirit for the rest of one’s life.
Artemis
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Percy Jackson series, novel The lightning thief, By Rick Riordan
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This is the exciting story of a little, 12-year old boy living casually in New York with his mom. Well…as casual as it gets… Percy discovers that he can see supernatural creatures and that the ancient Greek gods are still around! His life takes a sudden turn and he finds himself in a camp full of half-gods, half-mortals with his best friend Grover (who by the way has goat legs and little horns on his head). His mother has been kidnapped by the underworld Greek god Hades and Zeus’s lightning bolt has been stolen. A very confused Percy is sent on a quest with Grover and a clever girl named Annabeth. Their mission? To find and return Zeus’s lightning bolt and to free Percy’s mother while trying to survive. However, this new world is full of terrifying monsters, will they make it?
Milian
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Charlie and the chocolate factory, novel by Real Dahl
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There was once a boy named Charly. He was one of the humblest children you can ever encounter but on the other hand he was poor and lived in a small house with a warm family. One cold day, as he walked past willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, he saw a bill sticking out of the snow. With this, he could have only bought a bar of willy Wonka’s chocolate. Boy he didn’t know what awaited him. He got the LAST GOLDEN TICKET. This ticket enabled him to enter the factory with the four other kids who were spoilt brats where no one has seen a person enter or exit it since it’s closing. This was a unsolved MySTERY. They didn’t know what awaited them in the factory. EVERYTHING was made in candy or chocolate. In other words, EVERYTHING was edible. This world would have only been the child’s wildest dream but it had come to reality. In fact, this world was right in front of him. The whole factory had rooms for every individual candy. One by one, the spoilt children were greedy and got eliminated. At the end, Charly won. Willy Wonka lived with them happily ever after. In my opinion, this invitation to the factory was to test the temptation and patience of the children. And we see that Charly clearly won.
Fenareti
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The secret history, novel by Donna Tartt
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Meet a group of pretentious students, studying classics in an elite college class in Vermont. Under their charismatic professor’s influence, they set all morals aside and take up ancient rituals – their lives spiraling into circle of alcohol, dead languages and literature. When the time comes and they are faced with the consequences of their actions, the popular saying “snitches get stitches” comes true as they slip into corruption, betrayal, and ultimately murder. This book is a superb debut by award winning author Donna Tartt.
Oscar
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Novel by Ethel Lina White, The lady vanishes
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A young tourist by the name of Iris Henderson staying in Mandrika (a mountainous European Country) for the past few weeks, plans to leave the country this evening. The train is delayed by a day due to an avalanche. The next day, Iris takes the train with a middle-aged governess named Miss Froy that she had meet the night before. When the train resumes, Iris wakes up and finds out that Miss Froy was no longer in the train. Iris is certain that Miss Froy was with her as they had tea together. She decides to investigate with another traveller, but everyone denies the existence of Miss Froy.
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Melina Chantzis
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“A midsummer’s night dream” by William Shakespeare
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One of the most fantastic plays of William Shakespeare is the must-read classic “A midsummer’s night dream”. Taking place in the forest bordering Athens, this comedy consists of three subplots around the main plot which is the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta: the story of a group of six actors who decide to perform a play, a conflict between four Athenian lovers and a quarrel between Oberon and Tatiana, the King and Queen of the fairies. When Hermia, urged by her father to marry Demetrius, decides to leave Athens with her lover Lysander, Demetrius chases her in the hope of winning her hand while being followed by Helena. At the same time, a band of amateur actors are led in the same forest to rehearse their play "The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe”. Further into the forest, as Tatiana refuses to give a boy placed under her protection to Oberon, he swears to take revenge. As the relationships develop and feelings arise, the chaotic situation take multiple turns at the hands of a mischievous character. But, was it all a dream?
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Lara
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If you like books that would change your life forever than read The Great Gatsby ( and if you don't want to, then just read this article and then decide...) by Lara al Bahri
( don't worry I'm not going to spoil anything for you)
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The Great Gatsby is considered to be one of the romantic books of all time. And yet, the book is also filled with exciting plot twists and not to mention the numerous complex characters that make this story unbelievably real.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of the great gatsby was regarded by the new your times as “ better than he knew” and that “ he invented a generation” which in my opinion sums him all up. The book practically invented the jazz age! where wealth, freedom and the youth blossomed with the gorgeous invention of jazz
To conclude. read the book. It's amazing.
Aristide
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'Divergent' a novel by Veronica Roth.
In the world where the story takes place, people are divided in factions. Every faction is made for a certain type of person (brave, intelligent, honest, selfless, kind). Although most people fall into one of those categories, some are equally suited for several. These people are called Divergents. In the 4 volumes series we follow a young divergent through her struggles to keep her identity hidden. I won’t spoil anything but I can tell you there are some pretty incredible plot twists troughout the character’s adventures!
Gabrielle
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The fault in Our Stars, is a novel written by John Green.
The book talks about a girl called Hazel who has cancer and after being forced by her parents to go to a support group she meets and falls in love with a boy named Augustus Waters. This book is all about helping someone when they need you the most, keep fighting in life and never giving up. This story shows us the journey that Hazel and Augustus go through while fighting cancer. It shows us the ups and downs of life, and how to look at negative things in life from a different point of view.
Pablo
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The Man with the Miraculous Hands by Joseph Kessel
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It is the fictionalized biography of the Finnish doctor Felix Kersten, specialized in therapeutic massages, who treated Heinrich Himmler in exchange for many lives during the Second World War. Kersten could alleviate Himmler's severe stomach pains with his hands using massage and manipulation. In return, Kersten bargained with Himmler to order the release of innocent prisoners condemned to die. This influence on the supreme chief of the SS will be worth to him the hatred of the collaborators of Himmler. This fascinating story takes place in the middle of a Germany in madness, during the Second World War, of which Joseph Kessel reconstructs the various aspects.
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Alexios
On Books in general
Since the lockdown Amazon(One of the Big Four companies) has seen a 26 percent increase i the first 3 months of the lockdown and says it could potentially reach a 28 percent increase. In June it is said that they will spend 4billion dollars in masks( 100 million),thermometers(31 000) for daily check ups as well as increase the workers pay, etc. Due to the difficult times a worker in New York started a protest questioning the companies precautions and was therefore fired. Jeff Bezos the creator of Amazon and 12 percent shareholder of the whole company increased his fortune by 24 billion dollars since the outbreak.
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