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Tag Archives: history
Top 5 Novels That Bring Out The Sap In Me
Admit it: We all love to tear up. Or cry. Or just outright sob hysterically.
To be honest, it doesn’t take much for my eyes to get misty — whether it’s a budding romance, a death, an accident, an illness or just a perfect ending, I will cry. So pretty much half of the books on my bookshelves bring me to tears.
But here are the top five novels that bring out the ultimate sap in me:
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book is heartbreaking. The ending had me crying fully for 30 minutes, and I had to go back to work with my eyes red and puffy. Warning: If you plan on reading this, make sure you finish it when you’re alone.
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
This has got to be one of my favourite novels in the world. Just being immersed into a Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte world makes me smile, and this novel had me tearing up by the end from happiness. It’s one of the sweetest love stories I’ve read and always leaves me yearning for a Darcy of my own.
3. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
To be fair, this is the only Nicholas Sparks novel I’ve read, but it killed me. My friend gave it to me from his mom’s collection, knowing I’d fall in love with it, and that I did. It was a terribly sad novel and was beautifully written. I won’t spoil the ending, but let me just say I couldn’t help but cry for a long time afterwards. I’m not a big fan of Miley Cyrus, but I didn’t mind the movie version of it, either.
2. Night by Elie Wiesel
This book was very difficult to go through. Each chapter brought on a new tragedy and it was hard to believe that this was a true story. But alas, it was. I cried a lot during it which gave me some awkward looks in class, where we were reading it. The Holocaust is one of my favourite subjects to read about, and this book was the best.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Hands down, this novel produced the most tears. My eyes were working out hardcore from the first chapter on. And it got progressively worse as the pages continued — from Hedwig and Dobby’s deaths to the demises of Snape, Lupin, Tonks, Colin Creevey, and Fred (SOB). Not to mention that after growing up with these characters, the deaths of those I loved made it even harder.
What are your top 5 tear-inducing novels?
Challenge: Day 30
I don’t really have a favourite coffee table book because, to be honest, we don’t really have many in my house. However, many years ago, we went to a family friend’s house and they let us take home any books we wanted, and I chose large coffee table books on birds and castles. My favourite one from that collection is a book on all the historic castles of Britain, with gorgeous photographs and lengthy history about the castles. I have a strong attachment to the history of royals and know so much about King Henry VIII and his family. The book pictured above is not the book I’m talking about, but I couldn’t remember what the book was called and this was the next best thing.
What’s your favourite coffee table book?
Challenge: Day 26
I have always been fascinated by stories from World War II’s Holocaust. I read The Diary of a Young Girl in elementary school and Night in high school, and was absolutely entranced by both novels. They are heartbreaking and really made me think hard about what all those people had to go through during such a horrific time period. No one will ever forget the Holocaust, but reading stories such as these really helps put everything into perspective and humanizes the tragedy. All stories need a face (my years studying journalism have taught me that much) and both Anne Frank and Elie Weisel take us through their lives during WWII in such a way that it is impossible to ignore their suffering.
What is your favourite non-fiction book?
I love Arthur.
Sarah’s Key: Book Review
Book Review #1
Book: Sarah’s Key
Author: Tatiana de Rosnay
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: (as taken by Chapters.Indigo.ca) Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten-year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family’s apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours. Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jaramond is asked to write an article about this black day in France’s past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to to re-trace the girl’s ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel’ d’Hiv’, to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah’s past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Days to read: 3
Rating: 4/5
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. While it wasn’t my first Holocaust novel that I’ve read, it was my first time reading it from a French perspective. Before this book, I wasn’t truly aware of the part France played in the war. From the first page, de Rosnay took me on a whirlwind emotional ride. Sarah was so innocent and believable that you couldn’t help but pity her with each page. The description of the Vel’ d’Hiv was unbearable to read, as was the process of moving the Jews to the camps. de Rosnay knows how to tug at the heartstrings. Julia Jaramond was another interesting character that was created with the utmost consideration. Even though she is much older than I am, I could still relate to her on another level. She was a wonderful addition to the book, and made “Sarah’s Key” that much more enjoyable. de Rosnay’s decision to have two storylines in one book was a good choice because it made the book interesting to read. I love those types of books. One thing that bugged me was the ending, though. I agree that it makes the reader think and come up with their own “happy ever after”; but with this book, it bugged me that I didn’t exactly know what happened with the characters. I would recommend “Sarah’s Key” to everyone, because it gave just enough historical facts with modern situations to make the story relatable and entertaining to read. But be ready to cry at certain spots (especially if you’re a wuss like me) – so keep a Kleenex box near you!
