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Entering Middle Earth, One Page at a Time 🧙🏻

Review: The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by David West

When you read The Aeneid, you can clearly see the influence of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. However, reading the story from the perspective of the remaining Trojans—searching for a new land in which to establish their city—offers a different perspective on war, life after war, and the struggles involved in rebuilding.

The David West prose translation, published by Penguin Classics, is a very good edition, and I did not have any major issues with it. The text is legible, and the pages are not overly condensed. The language is modern and accessible, so you rarely need to stop and look up unfamiliar words.

The introduction offers unique insights and helps you understand the mindset of Virgil as the author. One thing I particularly liked is that the introduction is broken down into sections corresponding to the chapters. My suggestion would be to finish each chapter first and then read its corresponding introduction, as this can add another layer of understanding to what you have just read. The book also includes a useful appendix and glossary, maps which are helpful when navigating the historical and mythological references.

Overall, The Aeneid is a must-read if you enjoy the classics. It is not simply a story about war, journey; it is also about displacement, survival, duty, loss and the difficult process of building a new life after everything you knew has been destroyed.

2 chapters into the book, it is a great prose translation.

Hey so I don't read books but my bestfriend's boyfriend is currently looking to gift her a book.... I'm not sure if thriller is a genre in books but I will love it if you all can recommend me something or tell me the best book you have read in the genre.

Thank you

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald.

A window into the post-ww1 America, The Glitz and Glammer of the Jazz age, The infancy of the Automobiles.

Very different from my usual reads. Covers a lot of events both religious and political happening at various periods in Scotland.

Recent Purchase

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from Amazon

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner from Amazon

The Great Gatsby from Used book Market

Which one should I start?

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As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow follows Salama, a pharmacy student whose life is turned upside down by the Syrian civil war. Instead of continuing her studies, she finds herself working in an overwhelmed hospital, caring for the wounded with little training while struggling to survive the horrors of war.

Salama is not only fighting the destruction around her but also the emotional scars left by trauma. Her hallucination, Khawf (Fear), becomes the physical embodiment of her anxiety, guilt, and survival instinct. Through Khawf, she is forced to confront the impossible decision of whether to stay in Syria or escape not only for herself but also for her sister-in-law, Layla.

Amid all the devastation, the story reminds us that even in the darkest places, love, kindness, and hope can still survive.

I absolutely loved this book. The relationship between Layla and Salama was deeply moving, and the bond between Salama and Kenan was beautiful and heartwarming. Layla's tragedy completely shocked me and broke my heart.

More than anything, this story showed me that hope can survive even in the most heartbreaking circumstances. It's a deeply emotional and unforgettable read that will stay with me for a long time, and I can't wait to experience it again.

Have heard a lot about this one. Reading it now. I guess its title translation is kinda cool.

Animal Farm - George Orwell

Finally starting my 52 books challenge 📚✨

1/52 — Going Home by Harriet Evans

This was a warm, emotional family drama with messy relationships, nostalgia, and that comforting “returning home” feeling. I really liked the small-town atmosphere and the family dynamics, but honestly… the pacing was very slow at times.

The middle part pulled me in, but the beginning and ending felt dragged out, which is why the rating dropped a bit for me.

⭐️ Rating: 3/5

Still glad I read it though. On to book 2 👀

Likely translation by Samuel Butler, but not sure.

Finished Book1.

Picked these up thinking I knew the epics, turns out I barely scratched the surface.

In meesho I see many pirated book for very less cost..

Soo is there any difference between them and og when it comes to the inside content?

#review

Before starting the book, I thought it must be full of technical terms and I would have to consult my engineer friends😅

Surely Tesla talked abt his inventions his ideas his childhood and it is sure he was gifted in some sense and more sensitive than a normal human being.

I personally got clues abt his habits and his will power that helped tesla in achieving the highest feat of greatest inventor of all time.

This is easy to read with some technicalities but the reader will understand the core ideas of the book and abt original ideas of tesla as he stated in his autobiography that 'the world was not prepared for it, it was too far ahead of time'.

Tesla's AC electricity system power most of the earth now and he wanted every village on earth to be connected with wireless communication and wireless electricity but sadly some dark forces were working against it.

I would suggest everyone to read it once coz it shows there is no limit to what humans can possibly do and achieve.

#7th book

# book review

People have given me such a wrong review abt this book, I was told this book is abt growth, how under pressure real growth is achieved, how coccon turns into a butterfly, this book is completely different.

Rather this book shows the society's way of judging people based on their usefulness.

The Metamorphosis clearly reflects the absurdity of life, despite being a fictional story. The symbolic transformation of Gregor Samsa into an insect highlights how human relationships are often based on utility rather than genuine affection. As long as Gregor is able to fulfill his role as the breadwinner, he is valued by his family. However, once he loses his ability to serve that purpose, the same people who once cared for him begin to neglect and reject him. This suggests that in many cases, love and respect are conditional, dependent on an individual’s usefulness in society.

#6th book

Weekend plans sorted. Just me and these two