Posted on June 25, 2017 by Abbie Lu

Eric Arthur Blair better known by his pen name George Orwell, born this day in 1903
was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is marked by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism.

Orwell wrote literary criticism, poetry, fiction, and polemical journalism. He is best known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

Animal Farm

A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned—a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that records the evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible

Rated 4.5 on amazon.com

Down and Out in Paris and London

Orwell’s first work — a sensitive and insightful description of the life of the working poor in Paris and the homeless in London. It is still very relevant today, and while aimed at the casual reader, it is of interest to the scholar and activist.

Rated 4.3 on amazon.com

In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a match against the powers that be.

Rated 4.4 on amazon.com

Share your thoughts
Have you read Orwell, has he influenced you in any way?

One Book To Rule Them All 3

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Abbie Lu

Continued from Part Two

In a poll I posted to help us all get to know each other I asked the question:
If you could only ever read one book forever, what book would you choose?

Now many of you did say you’d rather not live, and though I’m sure many others felt torn between that option and having to chose, they did choose. I have compiled the following montage.

There can only be one, one book to rule them all!

Part THREE of Three:

The King James Bible

The Bride Collector

by Ted Dekker

The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

I have to hoorah this one as it is an all time favorite of mine 😀

I haven’t finished writing it yet…. 😉

The Cardturners

by Louis Sachar

The complete works of Theodore Storm
Sorry this is all I could find.

Ulysses

by James Joyce

Poems of Heinrich Heine

Shadow of the Wind

by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This is a fantastic book, a little short though…

The Metamorphasis

by Frank Kafka

Headhunter

by Timothy Findley

Oryx and Crake

by Margaret Atwood

The Siege

by Helen Dunmore

I only like books WHILE I’m reading them.
Interesting response.

Marching Powder:
A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine, and South America’s Strangest Jail

by Thomas McFadden

DNA of the Gods

by Chris H. Hardy Ph.D.

Sometime a good book is just getting away from it all.

Beauty

by Robin

This is another all time favorite of mine and I was impressed to see it was picked 3 times 😀

Fahrenheit 451

by Ray Bradbury

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

by T. E. Lawrence

A wise a choice 😉

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Unwanteds

by Lisa McMann

I’ve heards this is a great series, one day maybe I’ll get a chance to read it.

Bird by Bird:
Some Instructions on Writing and Life

by Anne Lamott

Well that concludes our look into the most cherished books of the
Cafe Book Bean community. It has been a lot of fun to see so many great books represented, and to learn new ones as well. We are a like-minded,
yet diverse group of book lovers, and I so enjoyed this fun project.

So… What would you choose?

One Book To Rule Them All: 2

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Abbie Lu

Continued from Part One

In a poll I posted to help us all get to know each other I asked the question:
If you could only ever read one book forever, what book would you choose?

Now many of you did say you’d rather not live, and though I’m sure many others felt torn between that option and having to chose, they did choose. I have compiled the following montage.

There can only be one, one book to rule them all!

Part TWO of Three:

Great Expectation

by Charles Dickens

Yes I did start with this one do to the Irony
Good choice though, good choice 🙂

North and South

by Elizabeth Gasket

Another great classics choice!

Lilith’s Brood

by Octavia E. Butler

I know series seem a little bit like a cheat, but I will allow them of course, plus this one is in one volume so it’s definitely not a cheat.

Randomly surprise me!
Okay here goes…

Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund:
Adventures of the Wiener Dog Extraordinaire
by Ryan Beauchesne

I clicked highly rated, then sorted by best reviewed and this was the top book, hopefully that’s random enough hehe. Hey, I’m actually a little intrigued.

Plato: Complete Works

by Plato

Well this would definitely occupy the mind!

The Catcher in the Rye

by J.D. Salinger

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

I’d cheat & write new ones!
A noble choice 🙂

Gone With the Wind

by Margaret Mitchell

A sweeping epic saga, such a perfect choice!

The Power is within you

by Louise Hay

Staying motivated, I like it.

Harry Potter Series

by J.K. Rowling

Sorta cheating I know… but it’s Potter so we can’t really argue with that choice 🙂

Adventurers Wanted, Book One: Slathbog’s Gold

by M.L. Forman

Never heard of it, but I like the title! Looks good.

1984

by Orwell

An eye opening choice 😉

Trollope Political novels omnibus or

Love in the Time of Cholera

by Gabriel GarcÍA MÁRquez

I love this book! A great summer time read too.

Lion Country

by Frederick Buechner

Another one I haven’t heard of, I love all these new discoveries 🙂

Infinite Jest

by David Foster Wallace

I bet a few of you guessed this one would show up aye 😉

Shantaram: A Novel

by Gregory David Roberts

This book looks enchanting I’ve added it to my tbr list

The Lux Series

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Anything by Taylor Caldwell
So I just looked it up and chose the highest rated one, and here we have it:

Dear and Glorious Physician

by Taylor Caldwell

The Modern Bible
There are so many stories wrapped around a single story

The Bible was chosen over 10 times but this one specified modern sand told us why, so I included it again. And I chose the New International Version.

Wicked:
The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

by Gregory Maguire

Fun choice! I’ve never read it but I’d like to.

The Lake of Dead Languages

by Carol Goodman

Haven’t read it, but what and intriguing title 🙂

Pilgrim’s Progress

by John Bunyan

This book has been on my tbr list for SO long, I really need to get around to it! Another great choice.

So many more amazing reads chosen, and so many interesting one as well, I love discovery what books inspire people!

What do YOU think of these choices?
Find out more on Saturday in the conclusion Pt. 3

So, what would you choose..?

Sunday Funnies!

Image

One Book To Rule Them All

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Abbie Lu

In a poll I posted to help us all get to know each other I asked the question:
If you could only ever read one book forever, what book would you choose?

Now many of you did say you’d rather not live, and though I’m sure many others felt torn between that option and having to chose, they did choose. Thanks to my fellow blogger friend Aurora who reminded me to share these wonderful choices with all of you, I have compiled the following montage.

There can only be one, one book to rule them all!

Part One of Three:

The number one answer given un-specifically to edition 8 times (12 total)

The Bible

This version is the most read and highly reviewed.

The longest compilation of short storiesNow that was very hard to find out… So instead I just picked 10 famous short story authors and then found the one with the longest compilation, and the winner was…

Earnest Hemingway: The Complete Short Stories

Anything by Philip Roth

Well that leaves it pretty open, so here is one of Philip Roths most well read and a best reviewed books.

Nemisis

A Larousse Dictionary

Smart choice 🙂 but didn’t specify which, as it turns out Spanish is the most popular one. Great way to learn a new language, or get smarter at your own.

Swan Song

by Robert R. Mc Cammon

This book is one of five that got 2 or more votes, looks like I may need to read it 🙂

The Game of Life and How to Play it

by Florence Scovel Shinn

Another smart choice.

Absalom Absalom

by William Faulkner

I’ve been wanting to read this book

The General – William Booth

I had to guess at this one a little but I found this book:

The Authoritative Life of General William Booth

Ship of Brides

by JoJo Moyes

The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe

by C.S. Lewis

I would go for the complete Chronicles of Narnia set (I think that counts)

The Biggest fattest book I can get my hands on:
The World Record for longest novel is
“À la recherche du temps perdu” 3036 pages, but that’s in french, but it was not published in one volume so it wouldn’t technically count for this person choice. However this book was chosen in the poll say yay for Proust!