Vino Rouge

The Last Letter from your Lover was an amazing book that challenged my whole perception on being a human being. I felt pain, sadness, love, anger and longing for each character throughout the book. In my opinion, each character brought different types of perspective. Whether that be with Jennifer, Laurence, Anthony or other supporting characters, I think they added depth to the plot. You live vicariously through the eyes of two souls that are placed in difficult situations. Jojo Moyes vehemently opens the emotions of love, depression, adornment, and perseverance, through which creates a hidden perspective of life through the eyes of women. I felt a bit dismissive of certain facts, for example, women not being able to divorce in the mid 19th century without the persecution of losing not just their physical property but also their character. This shocked me because for the reasons why Jennifer had an affair, I found it quite repulsive, yet, learning more about her position, I found it harder to shun her but feel more sympathetic towards her. I found Jennifer Sterling, the main character of the novel, quite egocentric at first, but that changed to her being more humble from being worn down by personal events. This made me empathize more with the character as the story continued. I also like the comparison with Ellie Haworth, who is a journalist, and Jennifer Sterling because they are in one instance, in the exact same situation. Ellie really takes that to heart and moves past her own love affair to explore what might be the man of her dreams. At first the book was a bit boring for me, but after reading a couple of chapters and learning some information about the characters it was easier to follow. I think the book really flowed nicely together with its plot and interconnecting conflicts between character and self. It had me wanting more, reading each page in critical thought. I learned some new words and I think her diction was clear and concise. Some negative things I have about the book were as follows → some interactions were difficult to follow, some scenes felt like they could have been introduced better; for example, setting up the scene where we are beginning to understand what happened to Jennifer and the following interactions after her accident. It had me lost when all of a sudden I was reading about something in the present rather than the past. Aside from this, it didn't hurt my overall experience of the book. In total, I would rate this book an 8 out of 10 and recommend this book to others that would love to read a gripping love story.

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi is about a boy puppet who is tested on his morality and patience throughout different trials in the book. Whether Pinocchio realizes it or not, there are right choices and there are wrong choices, all of which have a subsequent consequence. He struggles continuously with selfish action and conscious rebuke. I enjoyed the book very much. I felt a very strong connection between Pinocchio and myself. I could relate to some of the scenes in the book, some not physical, but in the greater aspect of things. I could really sympathize with each situation that Pinocchio had put himself in. His trials were simplistic, each garnering a lesson in between. One scene that really stood out to me was when Pinocchio, stern but still persuaded, skipped school to travel with one of his schoolmates to the Land of Boobies. This chapter gave a sardonic and tumultuous feeling that one could read it repeatedly. I think that each chapter was written pretty well, with good description and imagery. I had a lot of emotions when Pinocchio thought he lost both his father and fairy based on the decisions that he made. I sympathized with him because I believe he truly thought that he would never see them again. The author did this very well. There wasn’t anything that I found particularly bad about the book. I did find some situations within the story were annoying, but overall, it helped me understand the lessons better in hindsight. In summary, I would recommend this book to readers that like classic books. This book isn’t like its fairytale counterpart. It isn’t hard to read or to comprehend, and there are a lot of good words to learn. I would give this book a good 8 out of 10 because of the writing style and plot of the story, which was very engaging.

The Murder on the Links written by Agatha Christie is a tale worth telling. A tale as long as a back road, with all of its twists and sharp turns. Captain Hastings returns in the second installment of the Hercule Poirot series. This time, Poirot receives a letter from Mr. Renauld urging him to come to France at once; for which Mr. Renauld believes his life is in danger because of a secret that he holds. Hastings accompanies Poirot on this adventure to France, but upon arrival, the pair receive news of a murder. It is most unfortunate that the pair now has to understand the situation from a very obscure viewpoint. There are a lot of facts for the French authorities, that Poirot is not the only detective that will work the case. A young, vibrant, cocky Parisian detective, Giraud, is on the case and believes he will solve the case with ease. Everyone has their own suspicion, but Hercule Poirot believes that he is the only one that will solve the case in true justice. With trips to Paris and London, Poirot will search for his answers. On the contrary, Hastings treads thin lines of his heart and mind. He suspects someone entirely different , but will this difference destroy him? Christie produces great characters that can work for or against each other. She produces some enigmatic characters, who give the reader false assumptions and assertions. Poirot describes one of the enigmatic characters as “the girl with anxious eyes” (Christie pg.133). Why would he point this out to not only Hastings, but also the reader. It concludes that whoever this girl is, she has something to hide or feels nervous about some type of discovery. I never really took into note this quote, as I believe it was foreshadowing how the case could be solved. Another enigmatic character I found interesting was Cinderella. Hastings has the pleasure of meeting Cinderella on the train ride to their destination. He describes her as a pretty, friendly, and voluble woman, who is far from the old stereotype that women have been molded into. Hastings doesn’t like the “modern neurotic girl, who jazzes from morning to night, smokes like a chimney, and uses language which would make a Billingsgate fishwoman blush” (Christie pg. 2). Even though she seemed friendly and outgoing, there was that mysterious feeling of who she was because she introduced herself as a fairy tale princess. I have been thoroughly caught off guard reading “The Murder on the Links.” I had many different ideas of how the story would finish and who the murderer was, but the ending was a complete surprise. I found the plot to be very adroit with many red herrings, and the ending unspeakably passionate with lies, confessions, and discoveries. Christie doesn’t give away the murder so easily. I think that is why I really admire the character of Hercule Poirot. Right till the end, I had suspected one person in particular, but then there is a rather curious confession. This confession was astonishing, but I don’t want to give away the ending. I applaud Christie for her writing and imagination in this book. It brings a lot of shock, surprise and admiration. I would recommend this book to anyone who is just starting to read crime or mystery novels. The language in the book isn’t difficult to understand and is easy to read through. I would rate this book a 9 out of 10, especially because of the character and plot development. I hope that anyone can read and enjoy this book as I have.