Holmes - aNobii

Books (631)

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- The Perks of Being a Wallflower (840)
- By Stephen Chbosky
- Finished on May 17, 2013
  
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I can understand why some people compare this book with The Catcher in the Rye. Similar theme, similar setting, similar style, but 50 years apart. And the struggles of growing up are ever the same.
This novel doesn't really tell a story in the conventional sense. No crises, no surprises, jus ... (continue)

I can understand why some people compare this book with The Catcher in the Rye. Similar theme, similar setting, similar style, but 50 years apart. And the struggles of growing up are ever the same.
This novel doesn't really tell a story in the conventional sense. No crises, no surprises, just an intimate self-account of a "freak", written in the form of diary entries. In most people's eyes Charlie is a weirdo, but he's really just an ordinary teenager trying to fit in without losing himself. Who isn't like that?

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— May 17, 2013 | Add your feedback
- Extremely loud and incredibly close (1589)
- By Jonathan Safran Foer
- Finished on May 2, 2013
  
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Extremely loud and incredibly close

This book just doesn't reach me. I like how the child's search for the lock turns into a healing process, and how his grandfather comes back to his family again, but I really don't appreciate the storytelling style. I find it extremely hard to get through the unsent letters written by the grandfathe ... (continue)

This book just doesn't reach me. I like how the child's search for the lock turns into a healing process, and how his grandfather comes back to his family again, but I really don't appreciate the storytelling style. I find it extremely hard to get through the unsent letters written by the grandfather, as they're so long and unbroken and repetitive and tiresome to read, and ultimately not a big deal to the story other than showing that he's a really disturbed and unresolved individual. I end up skipping most of those boring monologues.

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— May 3, 2013 | Add your feedback
- Sunstorm (27)
- By Stephen Baxter, Arthur Charles Clarke
- Finished on Apr 3, 2013
  
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Sunstorm

Unlike most trilogies, this second installment is much better than the first, Time's Eye. While the first book lacks focus, the second book orients us clearly towards an impending catastrophic sunstorm. We know what to expect, but the authors expertly build up our anticipation. We can ... (continue)

Unlike most trilogies, this second installment is much better than the first, Time's Eye. While the first book lacks focus, the second book orients us clearly towards an impending catastrophic sunstorm. We know what to expect, but the authors expertly build up our anticipation. We can keenly feel the daring optimism of the ones responsible for saving the Earth, but at the same time the helplessness is palpable. Tension continues to escalate throughout the book, until the storm finally breaks out, and we see the inevitable destruction. But despite the horrible losses, the surviving humanity grows in hope evermore.
Sunstorm is a good novel by itself, but as a sequel we expect it to explain some unanswered questions from Time's Eye. Unfortunately it does not. We still don't know why the Firstborn create Mir by juxtaposing different time periods together. In other words, Time's Eye still seems to be completely unnecessary.

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— Apr 3, 2013 | Add your feedback
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1335)
- By L. Frank Baum
- Finished on Mar 21, 2013
  
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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

We all have in ourselves a little bit of the Scarecrow, a little bit of the Tin Woodman, and a little bit of the Lion within us. We want to be smarter, we want to have a tender heart, and we want more courage; but in fact we already have all of these. Just believe in ourselves and we will live out ... (continue)

We all have in ourselves a little bit of the Scarecrow, a little bit of the Tin Woodman, and a little bit of the Lion within us. We want to be smarter, we want to have a tender heart, and we want more courage; but in fact we already have all of these. Just believe in ourselves and we will live out these qualities. But - where is my Dorothy, who is the key to bringing out my own confidence?

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— Mar 21, 2013 | Add your feedback
- The Madman (1)
- His Parables and Poems (Dodo Press)
- By Kahlil Gibran
- Finished on Mar 14, 2013
  
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The Madman

Quite a few interesting parables, especially those that are satirical, for example "War", "The Wise King" and "The Other Language".

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— Mar 14, 2013 | Add your feedback

- As China Goes, So Goes the World (3)
- How Chinese Consumers are Transforming Everything
- By Karl Gerth
- Finished on Apr 13, 2013
  
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As China Goes, So Goes the World

Not as good as I expected as there's nothing I don't already know (it's hard not to learn about the real China if you live in Hong Kong), but a pretty good primer for foreigners trying to learn about modern China.

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— Apr 15, 2013 | Add your feedback
- Periodic Tales (11)
- The Curious Lives of the Elements
- By Hugh Aldersey-Williams
- Finished on Mar 30, 2013
  
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Periodic Tales

I appreciate the author's intent of showing the historical and cultural sides of chemical elements, but he could have been less long-winded. At times I had to skim-read because of the sheer volume of tedious details.
Anyway it's worthwhile to quote a message of the author:
"We should cherish and c ... (continue)

I appreciate the author's intent of showing the historical and cultural sides of chemical elements, but he could have been less long-winded. At times I had to skim-read because of the sheer volume of tedious details.
Anyway it's worthwhile to quote a message of the author:
"We should cherish and celebrate our necessary involvement with the elements. We may not wish to start our own periodic table, but we should at least try to be happier about the unavoidable fact that we depend in one way or another upon almost all of them. The scientist and environmental activist James Lovelock once said he would be willing to store all the high-level waste from a nuclear power station in a concrete bunker on his land. But perhaps we should spread it around: we should all have a little piece of spent uranium to keep in the garden as a memento of our reliance upon it for our energy. Too much? Maybe. But what of all the other elements? The copper that invisibly brings the electricity generated by the nuclear reaction of that uranium into our homes? The rare earths in the phosphor screens of the devices brought to life by this electricity? What of the carbon and calcium that engrave all human history with their black and white? And what of the other elements that colour our world? First and last, our dependence on the elements is biological, as we are reminded when we review the sodium salt content of a TV dinner or pop a supplement pill containing selenium–the latest, by the way, in a long line of elements to be singled out as a fashionable nutrient. We eat them or avoid them, dig them up or bury them, but we rarely stop to appreciate the elements for what they are."

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— Mar 30, 2013 | Add your feedback
- The Hidden Reality (41)
- Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos
- By Brian Greene
- Finished on Mar 28, 2013
  
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The Hidden Reality

I won't pretend to understand even 10% of the book, but I get the gist: we'd better have parallel universes (multiverse), or we'd be screwed!
Seriously - what Brian Greene means is that all the mathematics point to the necessity of a multiverse, which is the only way to reconcile all the equations, ... (continue)

I won't pretend to understand even 10% of the book, but I get the gist: we'd better have parallel universes (multiverse), or we'd be screwed!
Seriously - what Brian Greene means is that all the mathematics point to the necessity of a multiverse, which is the only way to reconcile all the equations, observations, theories, etc. This book describes the various types of multiverse that are consistent with what we know so far, but as confirmation is still hopelessly beyond our capability, the true picture is still hidden to us - hence the book's title: The Hidden Reality.

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— Mar 28, 2013 | Add your feedback
- The Hobbit (3285)
- The Enchanting Prelude to The Lord of the Rings
- By J.R.R. Tolkien
- Finished on Mar 15, 2013
  
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The Hobbit

It took an effort to refrain from watching The Hobbit the movie before reading the book. But I did it; I finished reading the great fantasy classic. Instead of letting Peter Jackson dictate the scenes, I allowed my own imagination to re-create the adventure, graphics and sound effects and all ... (continue)

It took an effort to refrain from watching The Hobbit the movie before reading the book. But I did it; I finished reading the great fantasy classic. Instead of letting Peter Jackson dictate the scenes, I allowed my own imagination to re-create the adventure, graphics and sound effects and all. What a thrilling read that turned out to be!
Tolkien's true gift is the combination of his storytelling skills and literary prowess. The plot is exciting, the characters are interesting, the atmosphere is engrossing, and the climax is surprising. The songs and poems all add to the richness of the story. Reading this little book is such an enjoyable experience.
Now that I've finished the book, I'm looking forward to watching the movie on DVD. Can hardly wait now!

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— Mar 15, 2013 | Add your feedback
- What I wish I knew when I was 20 (132)
- A Crash Course on Making Your Place in the World
- By Tina Seelig
- Finished on Feb 15, 2013
  
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What I wish I knew when I was 20

I know it's meant to be an inspiring self-help book, but unfortunately it doesn't tell me anything I don't already know. Maybe it's because of the title "What I wish I knew when I was 20". My own subtitle to that would be: "I already know all that as I am almost 40".

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— Feb 17, 2013 | Add your feedback

- The Four Loves (87)
- By C.S. Lewis
- Finished on Mar 8, 2013
  
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The Four Loves

I really admire Lewis's attempt in analyzing love. Love is usually such a hopelessly elusive concept that no one can ever claim to have a thorough understanding of it. It is something that we feel is better left unanalyzed. We can't explain it, but we know it when it is there.
But Lewis is quite ... (continue)

I really admire Lewis's attempt in analyzing love. Love is usually such a hopelessly elusive concept that no one can ever claim to have a thorough understanding of it. It is something that we feel is better left unanalyzed. We can't explain it, but we know it when it is there.
But Lewis is quite clear on what love is and what love is not. Though we can never totally understand love (nor does Lewis claim that), this sentence best summarizes it: God is love. As Lewis said, we are loved into existence by God. So no matter how confused and uninformed we are about love, we are still totally capable of love, because we are manifestations of love.

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— Mar 8, 2013 | Add your feedback
- The Art of Racing in the Rain (215)
- By Garth Stein
- Finished on Jan 12, 2013
  
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The Art of Racing in the Rain

*** This comment contains spoilers! ***
An exceptionally beautiful story

"There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose."
We learn, from the eyes of Enzo the loyal dog, that life can be unfair even to a good man and master like Denny, who is gifted in car-racing but despised by his in-laws because of that. ... (continue)

"There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose."
We learn, from the eyes of Enzo the loyal dog, that life can be unfair even to a good man and master like Denny, who is gifted in car-racing but despised by his in-laws because of that. Denny tries his best to provide for his family, but because of cruel fate, his wife Eve dies of cancer and he gets into a custody lawsuit with his parents-in-law over his daughter Zoe. He is even accused of molesting a teenage girl. He is close to broke because of these circumstances.
Anyone would've broken down facing adversity like this. So does Denny. But thanks to Enzo, he regains his faith from his faithful dog, and takes the harder path in fighting the battle. It's not a clever move, but thankfully life rewards not the smart but the righteous. You just have to be patient, that after a desert of despair will come a haven of hope, that behind the choking clouds is the shining sun.
The art of racing in the rain is like the attitude towards life: keep up your faith, don't give in to your demons.

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— Jan 13, 2013 | Add your feedback
- The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition (250)
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
- By Martin Gardner, Lewis Carroll
- Finished on Feb 18, 2013
  
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The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition

Though I'm not a fan of the story, I still find this annotated version a GREAT piece of work! I'm definitely going to look for more annotated classics out there...

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— Feb 18, 2013 | Add your feedback
- In the Garden of Beasts (51)
- By Erik Larson
- Finished on Jan 1, 2013
  
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In the Garden of Beasts

The title of the book, In the Garden of Beasts, literally Tiergarten in German, superbly summarizes it. The book revolves around William E. Dodd, US ambassador to Germany, who resided in the district of Tiergarten in pre-war Nazi Germany. The district was aptly named, for surr ... (continue)

The title of the book, In the Garden of Beasts, literally Tiergarten in German, superbly summarizes it. The book revolves around William E. Dodd, US ambassador to Germany, who resided in the district of Tiergarten in pre-war Nazi Germany. The district was aptly named, for surrounding Dodd were such monsters as Hitler, Göring and Himmler, the "beasts" responsible for a world war and unspeakable atrocities.
Ambassador Dodd's detailed diaries provide an invaluable insight into what life was like in Germany (Berlin in particular) from 1933-1937. Reading the book, one can certainly feel the tense atmosphere, the tangible fear, and the helplessness of ordinary citizens during that period. At times the book reads like a novel, drawing one deep into the narrative, and the horror is the more pronounced as one realizes that every detail is in fact, TRUE.
While this book is by no means comprehensive, it can serve as a springboard for more in-depth studies of Nazi Germany and its terrors.

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— Jan 1, 2013 | Add your feedback
- Why Can't Elephants Jump? (10)
- And 101 Other Tantalising Science Questions
- Finished on Jan 4, 2013
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