Book: The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) by Graeme Simsion

★★★/★★★★★

“I asked you here tonight because when you realise you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

The Rosie Project had been sitting on my TBR for years now and I'm just glad I was finally able to get around it. It's one of those book I read at night, on my bed, before sleeping, which made me smile and sometimes giggle. The first hundred pages were a slow read for me, but enough to entertain and get me glued to the story.

Don Tillman, an Associate Professor of genetics, is looking for a suitable life partner and thinks that the best way to find one is to create a questionnaire. He's socially challenged, awkward around people and lets logic rule his life rather than emotions. Certain that he'll be able to find the perfect wife using the questionnaire, he starts handing them out, posting them on sites and attending speed-dating. He also turns to his friend Gene, a Psychology Professor, for help since he's experienced when it comes to human relationships. Then one day, Don meets Rosie, a strong-minded and cheeky girl who is his exact opposite. Rosie smokes, is always late, drinks like a man and is totally unsuitable for him but something about her makes Don wants to spend time with her.

“I haven’t changed my mind. That’s the point! I want to spend my life with you even though it’s totally irrational. And you have short earlobes. Socially and genetically there’s no reason for me to be attracted to you. The only logical conclusion is that I must be in love with you.” 

This book is actually charming and I don't hate Don but sometimes he annoyed me. I mean, yes, he's socially awkward and all but his actions are sometimes too frustrating! But despite that, I like that he recognizes his talents and uses them. He's smart, logical and though he's a creature of habit, he's willing to change and he tries after meeting Rosie.

“Humans often fail to see what is close to them and obvious to others.”


I liked a lot of things about this book but I think I wasn't smitten by it. It was a fun read, the characters are endearing but the plot is somewhat predictable. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book. There were times I felt like the story was dragged but nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book. I also read that it has a sequel but I think I'm putting that one aside for now.

Book: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

★★★★★/★★★★★

“We always think there's enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like 'if'.”

I've had the audiobook version of this book  for over a year now but just managed to listen and get around it last week. And if I had known that this book is a gem, I would've read it the same day I got it! Because A Man Called Ove is the kind of book you will love no matter how grumpy and inflexible Ove was! It'll make you contemplate life, time and the people around you. The kind of book that will make you smile and think and laugh and cry. Absolutely a thought-provoking and must read!

I actually didn't expect to love Ove this much since, I think, this is the only book I've ever read with a protagonist older than 50 years old. I was expecting it to be light, a few giggles here and there, but there were times when I found my cheeks wet with tears, my heart aching. Honestly, it's a sad book but with its great humor and compelling characters, Backman was able to make us laugh despite the heaviness of the story. 

“She just smiled, said that she loved books more than anything, and started telling him excitedly what each of the ones in her lap was about. And Ove realised that he wanted to hear her talking about the things she loved for the rest of his life.”

One thing I love most about Ove is his love for his wife, Sonja. Ever since Sonja died, Ove believed that there's no reason to continue his life anymore. Being grumpy and all, Ove is the kind of guy who thinks he's always the wisest man in the room and he refuses to adapt to the modern world of technological advancement. But despite his cranky attitude, Sonja loved him. Sonja was his sun, his colors, and without the one person who truly understood him, Ove sees no point in living anymore. So he's determined to follow her, he's even prepared everything from cleaning the house to his letter with instructions, but everytime he tries, something comes up that postpones it. It all starts when a family moves in next door and accidentally flattens his mailbox. Ever since that family moved in Ove finds himself tangled with their business and one after the other, problems and issues happen. And of course, everyone needs Ove's help to solve those problems.

Throughout the book we see Ove's life before and after Sonja. Through flashbacks we see parts of his past starting with his kind father who taught him how to be honest, decent and fair. We also come to see Ove's kindness in several occasions and those times really warmed my heart! But it's also sad how some people only took his kindness for granted. And then he fell in love with Sonja.

This book is really heartwarming and sad and lovely and heartbreaking! I love Ove and though he's rude to his neighbors, or to anyone for that matter, he can't help but lend a hand everytime they need one. He shows them kindness despite acting all cranky. And Parvaneh is such a funny and lovely character! She's the only one beside Sonja who can order Ove around and I liked it everytime Ove finds her irritating! Lol. And all the characters in this book will surely warm your heart and each one of them is special to Ove in a away.

This wonderful story of Ove really moved me. It's funny, deep and will surely warm your heart. I enjoyed every second of it and I guess there's really power in the ability of people to touch each other's lives.

“Death is a strange thing. People live their whole lives as if it does not exist, and yet it's often one of the great motivations for the living. Some of us, in time, become so conscious of it that we live harder, more obstinately, with more fury. Some need its constant presence to even be aware of its antithesis. Others become so preoccupied with it that they go into the waiting room long before it has announced its arrival. We fear it, yet most of us fear more than anything that it may take someone other than ourselves. For the greatest fear of death is always that it will pass us by. And leave us there alone.”

Book: Matilda by Roald Dahl

★★★★/★★★★★

“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village.”

I've missed a lot of good books when I was younger and now I'm trying to catch up on everything! One is Matilda and I really enjoyed this one. What a brilliant and mischievous girl Matilda is!

 Blurb:

Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Mrs. ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never any doubt that Matilda will carry the day. Even so, this wonderful story is far from predictable. Roald Dahl, while keeping the plot moving imaginatively, also has an unerring ear for emotional truth. The reader cares about Matilda because in addition to all her other gifts, she has real feelings. 

What a fun read this book was and I loved Matilda! She's clever and despite having nasty parents, she grew up to be a wonderful child. She loves to read, she's smart and she doesn't tolerate injustices! At age five she's read a lot of books and she's got a beautiful heart. Though she can be vengeful at times. Haha.

Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable...”

Matilda's story is somewhat sad, having self-centered parents who don't encourage reading because why would you if you have the telly? Thankfully she's intelligent and patient and she has her books to keep her company. And of course she has Ms. Honey, her kind and sweet teacher. While I loved Matilda and Ms. Honey, I hated Matilda's parents and Ms. Trunchbull!! Grr. They are the spiteful grown-ups most children fear, the kind of adult who crushes children's dreams. They are evil but I liked that Matilda has ways of getting even with them. That said, it was a fun and great book! :)