Sweet Little Thing by Renee Carlino

My Review: 2/5

There are hard times, don't get me wrong, but I haven't forgotten what I learned so brutally a few years back he and I met. I learned that you can't predict your future, there's no crystal ball or formula for happiness. You can't control the weather just like you can't control the way others behave, but what you can control is how much love you give. Surrendering to this crazy thing called life is hard, but we don't have to be the soulless sheets of paper tarrying along in the wind. We can find our people, love, respect them, and then hang on for dear life because it's not where you go on this journey but who you're with that matters the most. 

Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe

My Review: 4/5

In another life, a different dream, She could have loved him. But that chance had passed, blown away like a feather in the wind. She knew she would never go back. 

    Would she really go abroad? Probably, Or perhaps she would simply fade away here, as she had before, disappear into the comforting anonymity of the city. 

    Turning the corner, she walked toward the subway. The crowds on the sidewalk opened up to let her in, then closed around her like a womb.

    She was gone. 

When I decided to read this book, I had no idea it would turn out to be this interesting. I had read her 'Mistress of the Game' and I told myself, 'Sister, I am never reading your book again!'. Now, its Christmas time, end of the year and I had to complete my goodreads challenge, and I didn't have any other book with me. I thought 'Oh well, everyone gets a second chance, isn't it?'.

Synopsis:

The striking story about love, betrayal, power and vengeance of the King of Wall Street, Lenny Brookstein and his beautiful wife, Grace Brookstein, who is actually young enough to be his daughter. Well, as someone said, when you fall in love, you just fall in love in any circumstance. So this couple is madly in love with each other. However, things don't go on as a fairy tale. Lenny is an ambitious man. He loves being in power and in control of money. On the other hand, Grace is very vulnerable and innocent. She trusts Lenny blindly but Lenny trusts no one but his business partner John Merrivale, together with who he started an investment company, Quorum. 

It was during the financial crisis time, Lenny Brookstein suddenly disappears in the coast with his boat and on the other side, about 70 billion dollar is missing from the Quorum account. Things get worse when all the fingers are pointed to Grace. That is when she becomes the 'lady character' we always know from Sidney Sheldon's book. Grace believing that someone has framed her and Lenny, and stole the money, she is determined to find that culprit. 

To the author:
So, Frau. Bagshawe, I must say, I really liked this book. It had Sidney Sheldon written all over it. The plot is great, characters are lovable and multiple twists and turn that you kind of find your mind racing here and there. And I was loving it. I am definitely going to read your other books. 

By the way, why do you have to put Sidney Sheldon's name on your cover? It actually doesn't make sense to me. I get it that you are inspired by him and want to write like him but you can put his name down somewhere in acknowledgement. I am sure you are getting lots of publicity with this but to us, when his name is there, we are judging your book. In some cases, it's actually not good and this is exactly what happened with your first book I read. I think it's the time you make your own identity and you are good enough for that. 

Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino

My Review: 3/5

"You know when someone just seems so put-together and kind, even their speaking voice has a nice sound to it and you want to hate them or find a flaw but you can't, so you have to like them, as painful as it is?"

This is exactly how I felt about this book. It's definitely sweet but extremely sweet that you kind of want to hate it. Let me start with Mia Kelly, our main character. She is beautiful (ok every main character is beautiful, as far as I know nobody has started his/her book saying oh, she was one of the worse looking girls and then she met this Prince). Anyway, after Mia's father dies, her life is changed completely. She moves to New York and takes over his cafe but she is still trying to figure out her life. That is where she meets 'everyone's dream guy' (probably mine too if he didn't have Tatoos), Will Ryan. If there was one thing I have to consider sweet in this book, then it would be this guy. Man, seriously, where can I find these kinds of guys? (and I have said the same line before). 

"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together...then you'll hear the sound of your soul."

Once they meet each other, Will is madly in love with Mia but Mia is very confused because she wants good career in her man but Will is a struggling artist. Now the thing that got into my nerve: At some point they both are in love with each other. They realise how common they are. They play music together, sing together and in fact, they both live in the same apartment as housemates but still they don't confess their love but date other people, hurt each other and become jealous at the same time. God! that hurt me too. I remember myself screaming- 'for God's sake, you belong together', but who would listen to me? So, until 50% of the book, nothing was happening. Will was forever there waiting for Mia to come to him. As much as I was loving him, I was hating her. 

Well wait, I haven't finished yet. Finally, they confess each other's love (My God! that was a long wait, even I was annoyed). Then Mia does something that breaks his heart. Hence, Will completely disappears from her life. 

“He looked so pathetic standing there, rejected. He corrected himself a couple of times when his body made involuntary movements to reach out and touch me. He was fighting the urge just to simply take my hand or kiss my cheek. I didn’t know why I was being so harsh… The charade and the constant touching created so much confusion. I couldn’t tell anymore what we were to each other.”

Now, Mia realises her mistake and tries to win him back. At the end, there is this beautiful song written by Mia. This kind of summaries the whole story. 

Been looking for a way to get home,

it seems there's no directions left for me.

I'll follow the trail on my own,

and hope that something sets me free.

The darkness falls fast without warning,

just left with my soul to captain me.

But there is someone waiting for me in the morning,

pulling me into the light so I can see.

He knows my face in the darkness,

he knows my hopes, my reverie. 

But he's waiting for me to find him,

so that I can set him free.

So I let go and let him in.

Everything dissipates into feeling,

we allow our souls to meet.

We're the static in the chaos,

the one thing..... the something so sweet.

And here is my final summary, I don't want to like this book but I liked it just because everyone liked it and that is because I don't want to be the odd one out. Yes sister, if everyone jumped off a clip, I would too. 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

My Review: 4/5

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015

MORNING

It's 8 o'clock in the morning. I am running to the train station. There are two trains I can catch, at 8:07 am or at 8:10 am. If I leave my home exactly at 8, I can catch 8:07 train but if I am 2 minutes late, I can get 8:10 one. Anyway, that 3 minutes doesn't really matter that much. I will reach 3 minutes late at work but today, I can't wait to catch 8:07 train because I can't wait to get to the train station and sit in there, and start my new book. Yes, I am starting my new book today called 'The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins'. Its a murder mystery. I saw there are mixed reviews about it on goodreads but sometimes I don't like to listen to those reviews. I just want to read even though they say it's bad. Shouldn't we see ourselves why they say its bad? and the only way to see it is, by reading it. Anyway, I have a good feeling about it. Its not always I read mystery books. I open the book and read it. The train is quite packed. Germans like working early. It's really really packed. There is no seat for me. I am standing but I am reading. Few pages into the book, its time to get off. 

EVENING

Its nearly 8 pm. I sat on the train and opened the book. Hmm... this is about a girl Rachel who is drunk all the time. She lost her husband to someone 2 years ago but still hasn't gotten over it. Recently, she lost her job too. In order to avoid telling her flatmate about the job, she pretends to go to work. Everyday she takes the same train into London. From the train she sees her old house which is shared by her ex-husband and his new wife now. She also sees their new neighbours who she doesn't know but have now become familiar figures since she sees them almost everyday from the train. She names them Jason and Jesse. 

      I am now home and can't wait to finish my dinner and go back to the book. At around 10 pm, I start reading again. So the neighbours of her ex-husband are Scott and Megan (although she named them Jason and Jesse). One day, from the train, Rachel discovers Megan kissing someone who is not Scott. Soon after that, Megan disappears completely. Her disappearance becomes a big talk of the town. Rachel, thinking that it might be something to do with a guy she was kissing, goes to Scott to tell him what she saw. 
    I am completely engrossed in the book. Next time, I check the clock, its 2 o'clock in the morning. I should sleep now. 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2015

MORNING

This is my 4th day in this book. The story is getting interesting. I am back to the book. I confess it's bit boring in the beginning but after 50% its getting interesting again. They have found the body of Megan now but who could have murdered her? and why? and why I do I feel like every character in this book is messed up and has sort of psychological problem? but something is making me read it though. There is something interesting which I can't describe, probably an urge to know who exactly is the culprit and why? Anyway, I have got shopping and laundry to do now. I will catch up with this book later. 

EVENING

What???? It was him? Oh my beautiful God! I couldn't have imagined it in any way. Its been 4 hours that I am reading this book continuously. For some reason I could't keep it down. 

Now, its finished, time to read its reviews on goodreads!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2015

MORNING

Why is everyone talking bad about this book? It was ok for me. May be I don't understand the real taste of the mystery since I don't read them that much but it was not that bad. Atleast this book has taught me that people's lives are not as same as they show you. Long time ago my friend and I had a big argument over someone's post on Facebook. I told him why he can't be like that 'someone'? His argument was 'Not everything is same as people show you on Facebook'. I felt exaclty like that after reading this book. Everyday I take trains and although it was somewhere behind my brain, I never properly imagined everyone sitting there has some stories. This is the book that shows you the prospective of lives from other's view. Oh well, I got to be honest. I kind of enjoyed it so, I will give it 4 stars. Scheiße! Tomorrow is Monday :( 

Nowhere but Here by Renee Carlino

My Review: 5/5

''To exist in each other's souls so strongly that you are bound without a physical tie is the greatest mark of love...''

Beautiful story about love, choice, family and life. More precisely, an extremely heat touching love story of an ordinary girl with a man every girl dreams of. 

Kate Corbin is going through hell. Her mother figure died recently, her boyfriend is an asshole and she is not being productive in her work place. Then her kind boss gives her an opportunity of a life time that changes her life completely. As a journalist, she gets to interview a born computer genius R.J. Lawson, who disappeared about a decade ago and then again reappeared in completely different form, as a wine maker. Then the moment comes when he comes into her life and she into his, they meet just as it was always meant to be.

''Remember playing hide-and-seek as a kid? You would run full speed away from the one who was ''it''. Every time you played, you thought you'd found the best hiding place. You would sit, shaking with anticipation because even though the object of the game was opposite, all you really wanted was to be found. You wanted to be found by the one who was ''it''. For months, I had been hiding. I had run so far and hidden so well, I thought no one would find me, but then he did.''

But......

 ''It's hard to know how green the grass is if you have never been on the other side of the fence. There is no light without darkness- there's no joy without pain-but we promised each other, through it all, that we would always choose to be here, living in the moment, right by each other's sides. And I believe that's truly what love it.''

Their love story goes through strange ups and down. The unique moments that make both of them appreciate each other the way they deserve. 

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Really, I am so happy to have this book found. It has a great plot, great story, great writing and great characters that will remain forever in the heart. Now, I am going through a problem most book readers go through- 'The book hangover- Unable to start a new book because you are still too immersed in the last book to move on'

Here is the lesson of the book:

This is what I would really say, "Leave your life. Leave everyone you love, every care, every stress, every commitment. Live alone. Understand what it feels like to know that if you go into cardiac arrest, choke on a piece of hot dog, or get electrocuted, no one will find you. You'll rot. No one will mourn you. Imagine this feeling haunting your thoughts for the rest of your life. You'll wither and vanish, and some stranger will take care of your things and your burial, and you may not even get a placard. Imagine that, live it, and let yourself believe that you should be alone, and then go back to the people who love you."