Domi's Book Palace

Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2017 Category: Russian Classic This book took me a little while to get into, but once I got through the first few chapters, I was hooked! This is a long, philosophically dense book, but do not let that deter you. It is anything, but boring, and it will make you think. The main conflict in the novel is Faith vs Doubt. The characters are so dynamic that I believed they were real people. Definitely take your time reading this one. I read it in two months, and there is so much to it that I want to read it again. I think I will read a different translation every time. I actually regret that I can't read it in Russian. I would love to experience this novel in it's original glory .

Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2017 Category: Classic with a Number in the Title The Sign of Four is Arthur Conan Doyle's second novel. While I enjoyed A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four is more complex and the writing style is greatly improved. There are some definite racist remarks in this book, but I realize that this was a typical view of the time period, especially in England, so historically accurate. I have read some Sherlock Holmes years ago, but I don't remember reading this one. I love the monologues, and the character development is good too. I noticed that in A Study in Scarlet, Watson claims that he has a shoulder injury, but in The Sign of Four, he states that his leg is where he is injured. I'm wondering if perhaps Watson may be a bit of an unreliable narrator?

MMD Reading Challenge 2017- For Fun Category: Book recommended by someone with great taste Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2017 Category: 20th Century Classic I had such mixed feelings about this book. It is a Christian allegory, that has some great themes, and it does make you think, but I wasn't a fan of the writing style. Much-Afraid is called by the Shepherd to make a journey to His Kingdom of Love, where he will give her a new name. It was a really strange mix of biblical language and more modern language. She kept switching between Thee and Thou and You, etc. Also, it was really repetitive. The descriptions were wordy, but repetitive. I felt like I was having De'ja vu. I also felt like I was being spoon-fed a majority of the time. It actually has some very similar themes to Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, which I will be re-reading for my challenges this year, but Till We Have Faces is far superior in my opinion. There was one part in this book that drove m

Challenge: MMD Reading Challenge 2017- For Fun Category: Book Chosen for the Cover I really don't read a lot of  urban fantasy, but this cover just grabbed me, and that is what this category is all about! I really enjoyed this. It was very well-written, and hard to put down. The language is pretty graphic at times as is the violence, which mostly happens in the second part of the book. It was set in an alternative Johannesburg "ghetto" in South Africa, though, so it wasn't really unnecessary, just too descriptive for me at times. The ending was sad, but still hopeful. Zoo City is the name of the ghetto where "Zoos", people who have committed a serious crime and have an Animal counterpart linked to them as a result. It has more to do with guilt of the individual than a specific crime. The magic system was very unique, at times creepy, but always engaging. I would really like to see a sequel to this book.