So-So is the perfect rating, because I honestly don't know what to think about this book. I was really invested in the story and I felt every betrayal with Mileva. I then had to rationalize and not forget that it is a work of fiction, not a biography (strictly speaking). I would have loved more details, more facts. And sometimes the historical setting was a bit off, based on prejudices and preconceived ideas.

Ornan and her inhabitants face an inimaginable disease. At first, no one to believe it, except the doctor Rieux, who knows it's the Plague.
There is a lot of themes addressed, including courage and humanity.
The writing is heavy, and some parts are just reflections and do not advance the story. But reading it was something I really wanted to do. I preferred "The Stranger".

At first, I had trouble getting into the story because of its hardness. It seemed so real, I was suffering with the characters.
But then it's so beautiful.
It makes us feel like we can do whatever we want, and succeed.

This books tells the story of two sisters, Nell and Eva, who were forced to embark on an initiatory journey into a world in pieces.
I was puzzled by a few passages, but I came to understand their usefulness.
I really enjoyed it.

There's not much to say avout this novel. It was fine, but I really disliked some parts of it. The author can't make us feel the emotions, and I found that the writing is far from exceptional.
Not really worth it.

Eddy Bellegueule is a child born to below-the-poverty line parents in rural northern France in 1992.
He is too effeminate, a trait seen as a disease by his family. In consequence, he is verbally and physically abused.
It was a difficult read, because of the violence in some passages.

What did I just read? ??

The novel itself is as absurd as the firebombing of Dresden, or WWII in it's all, or war "tout court".
The writing is exceptional.

It's a book that can be read very quickly (in one sitting for me).
I really enjoyed it. The story is really good but also very frustrating. The writing is fluid, it takes the reader away without giving him a break.

I finished reading this book a month ago, and I still can't get over it (will I ever be able to?).
I'd heard about it, but reading it still shook me up.
If you have never read it, find yourself a copy.

"Meditate that this came about :
I commend these words to you." - Primo Levi

Maryam, an Iranian little girl, lives the first hours of the Iranian revolution in her mother's belly. Six years later, her parents make her give her toys to other children. Then the exile in France begin.

I reaaally liked this award-winning autobiographical novel. It puts different styles together, from the poem to the fairy tale.
The story is also extremely touching.

(P.S. I don't think it has been translated into english yet.)

Poppy and Ember couldn't lead more different lives. One is a troubled teenager, the other a really bad witch. They both feel out of place, and for a very good reason: they were switched at birth.
I liked the writing and the idea, and I want to read the rest of the story. But I would have liked the author to develop her story and her characters more.

Prague, 1942, operation "Anthropoid". Two czech parachutist attempt to kill SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, the butcher of Prague.
It was an interesting reading. The author tells the story of these two men while explaining the difficulties he met in the process of writing. The two stories blend harmoniously together, and it is really well writen.
The only downside: that kind of writing is less emotional than a direct narrative.

Roxanne and her daughter are surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, in Belgium. Ebola 3 is deciming Europe and fanaticism explodes. They decide to leave the city for the country.
I've read a lot of dystopic novels, and this was a rather poor one. I can give it that it was realistic, but the author kept making literary references that felt out of place. It was just annoying. There was some good things, but the writing spoiled it for me.

A book written by Blaise Cendrars, native of Switzerland. It's an autobiography of his years in the french army during the WWI. It was quite interesting but I didn't like the writing that much.
The author tells the story of the soldiers of his company, what happened to them during and after the war. It gives a good look of the everyday life during the conflict.

Oh God this one. It made me laugh so hard!
It's cynical, sarcastical, dark humor at its finest. ?
It's about a family that owns a suicide shop, where you can find everything you need to commit a successful suicide. And when you leave the shop, they great you with a funest "we hope we don't see you again".
Worth the read!! Jump in and have a good laugh!

Renaudot Prize of 2017, the book is about the exil of Josef Mengele, aka "The death's angel". He was a SS officer in WW2, "doctor" at Auschwitz. Like many other Nazis, he escaped the justice and fled to Argentina.
The book show well his sick mind. It was also interesting to know how these criminals were able to escape justice and live in opulence for the rest of their life.

It was my first book by the author, and hopefully I will read more!
The book is widely autobiographical. There is some romanced stuff, but in general the author stick to the reality of her life.
It is really well written, with short sentences that go straight to the point. We can feel the emotions and the fear of this little girl.

How not to LOVE those? You can dream all day long after reading fairy tales. And the princess is not always the one to be saved. In fact, a lot of them has to go ahead and win back her prince that has been enchanted.
You go girl!

I read those when I was 14 years old. I really liked them. This year there was a big fuss around Tobie Lolness and I decided to read it again.
At 14, I didn't realised all the meanings. There are references about the WW2, as well as being a criticism of our society, and the slow destroying processus of the earth.
It's also really well written, and the story is heartbreaking/warming.

Swiss author's time!
This is a book by Anne Cuneo, a Swiss journalist, screenwriter and novelist, among other things.
It's about Francis Tregian, a musician and catholic under the reign of Elisabeth, in the 16th century.
Really well written, I liked it a lot. And the best part: it's available in English!

This YA series is so good. And the heroine is just right for today. No love triangle, juste a young girl who don't let others get in her way.
Ophelia lives in the arch of Anima, a little piece of the world that survived after it's destruction. She can read the story of objects by touching them and travel across mirrors. She is promised to Thorne, a despicable young man of an other arch. But the marriage seems to be part of something bigger.

This was read in a couple of hours. I've never seen the movies, and I was really curious about them. So, I read the book. It was good but really disturbing. I liked how the author used the apes as a mimic of ourselves. Don't be lazy people!

The first two weeks of the semester were tough, but I finally managed to finish a book!
It was a really good book. In the beginning, you don't really understand what is happening (I was thinking of an orphanage), and then, it's horrible. I didn't understand why nobody was rebellious. I guess they juste accept it? How can you then?

Getting ready for the second book!
I love the absurdity and the comical of this series.
I'm happy to meet again with my favorite character! That's right: not Sanchez.

Fifth book of my #journeyaroundtheworld
It's rather hard to read. It's an oral tale written, which means there is a lot of repetitions, as it helps to remember an oral tale.
The story is about Mudhi, a young woman, and Ra-Thaga, her husband. Through them, Plaatje tells the story of his people, and the arrival of the Trekkers in South Africa.
I kind of liked it, it was just a bit slow for me.

Hello childhood!
Actually I never read this book as a child. I had a cartoon of it, but I didn't know it was a book. I didn't know either for most of English/American (or other countries) children books until I was a teen. And it makes me wonder how many other I've missed. There is a lot of French children books to discover too, if there is people in my case!

I read a lot of dystopia this past summer, and this was by far my favorite! (Note: I make a difference between books like 1984, Farhenheit 451, this one, and others like Divergent or The Hunger Games, as they aren't the same type of dystopia. There's good in both type though.)
It's so absurd most of the time, I laughed so much. And I like that there's still a little hope, not as in 1984. It's also very well written.

I had to talk about one of the greatest love story of all time. It's well written, funny and sad ... I won't say too much. Cyrano is one of the most likeable characters I've met (and I've met a lot of them). A #frenchclassic that is worth the reading!

This book is properly amazing. All the characters of the "Comedia dell Arte" are reunited in this novel. And the result is ... Hilarious, touching, brilliant! The novel is classified as a 《Roman de cape et d'épée》(literally: novel of cape and sword). And indeed, there is a lot of duels!
I'll be honest, some descriptions are too long, but once you are in the story, you can't stop reading.
#frenchclassic

I tagged the book to explain my name, but I can't leave it in the shadow!
It's a play by Pierre Corneille, and to describe it in his own words, it is 《Un étrange monstre》( a strange monster). If you like theater and want to read a french classic, go for it. It's really funny and the plot is amazing.
P.S. The title in english is " The Illusion"... It miss the comical part and the pun!

I like to read all these explanations! I join in :)
I chose my name in reference of Pierre Corneille, the french playwright. He's one of the author that made me laugh the most despite his classical style. I added "Sic" because I liked how it sounded. It's also quite bookish, uh? :)
#litsyhandle

Daniel Penac
The Unchangeable Rights of the reader

1. The right not to read
2. The right to skip
3. The right not to finish a book
4. The right to read it again
5. The right to read anything
6. The right to wish your book was real (textually transmitted disease)
7. The right to read anywhere
8. The right to dip in
9. The right to read out loud
10. The right to be quiet

Arthur Schnitzler's Dream Story is the forth book of my #journeyaroundtheworld !
To be honest, when I finished it, my first impression was "... What?". BUT, it is a dream (kind of) so it's the normal reaction, I guess.
If I am not really enthusiast about this book, it still left me all dreamy. It maybe requires a second reading?

Third book of my #journeyaroundtheworld !
It's not in the alphabetical order actually, but since I was going to Vienna, I had to make an exception. So, the second country is Austria!
It isn't my first Zweig, I read "Schachnovelle" in school, and in German. But it's always a pleasure to read this author. If you haven't yet, jump in!

Second book of my #journeyaroundtheworld . It's also the second book for Afghanistan. The story happens during the war, from the point of view of a little girl who has to flee her country. I really liked the writing.
I have done some research, and it seems that it hasn't been yet translated in English, unfortunately.

Syngué Sabour is the first book of a long #journeyaroundtheworld. I have decided with my boyfriend to read two books from every country in the world, one country per month. We started on november 2017, and it will take us... more than 16 years (197 countries) to complete this wonderful adventure!
First stop: Afghanistan 😍
A poignant book, by the way. Worth reading.
(Note: I read in French, but the title is the same in English)