The Old Man and the Sea
Author: Ernest Hemingway
Published: September 1, 1952
132 Pages
Reviewed By: Kim
Kim’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway’s most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal, a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novella confirmed Hemingway’s power and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.
Kim’s Review:
I enjoyed this book more than I expected. I haven’t read much Hemingway, but going to his house and seeing his influence all over Key West inspired me to give him another try. The Old Man and the Sea seems to be the most organized of his works that I’ve read. I like how Hemingway managed to give us an omniscient view of the old man and kid all while keeping the record of events clear and flowing. I was surprised at how similar to Steinbeck’s shorter works this book is. This book gave me anxiety like crazy! My rarely seen practical side came out and I found myself obsessing over tiny details. I had no idea it would illicit that much emotion, but by the end, I was nearly in tears! This poor old man who struggles so hard to turn his fortunes around and fights so hard . . . and I can’t tell anymore because, spoilers! Overall, I love this book. Hemingway was a fascinating man and this book completely proves his worth as a great American author.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
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Here are some pictures from the Ernest Hemingway house and the polydactyl cats:
The story on the cats is here.
Ivan and Kim at the Hemingway house:
The Last Wish of Sasha Cade
Author: Cheyanne Young
Published: October 2, 2018
312 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: October 7-18, 2018
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
The day Raquel has been dreading for months has finally arrived. Sasha, her best friend in the whole world — the best friend in the whole world — has died of cancer. Raquel can’t imagine life without her. She’s overwhelmed and brokenhearted.
And then a letter from Sasha arrives. Has she somehow found a way to communicate from the afterlife?
In fact, Sasha has planned an elaborate scavenger hunt for Raquel, and when she follows the instructions to return to Sasha’s grave, a mysterious stranger with striking eyes is waiting for her. There’s a secret attached to this boy that only Sasha—and now Raquel—knows.
This boy, Elijah, might be just what Raquel needs to move on from her terrible loss. But can Raquel remain true to herself while also honoring her friend’s final wish?
Jessica’s Review:
The Last Wish of Sasha Cade captures everything it intends to: Friendship, love, loss, grief, and new beginnings. From the start you are pulled into Sasha and Raquel’s friendship. They are true best friends about to be separated because Sasha has cancer. You know they would have been best friends into adulthood. Not many people get to experience that.
Though we only briefly meet Sasha, we care about both her and Raquel and what will happen next. When Raquel starts receiving the communications from Sasha from beyond the grave, you want to know what the next adventure will be. Sasha herself helps Raquel through the grieving process; Sasha shares a secret that she was unable to tell Raquel while she was alive.
This is a truly touching read and one I will not forget. I surprised myself by not tearing up at all…Until I read the epilogue…. Though a complete story, I would love a second book where Raquel continues to receive letters from Sasha throughout the important events in her life. Even though death separates them, you can see that these two girls are BFF’s for life.
Thank you so much to KCP Loft for my copy I received! I really enjoyed this read.
Special thanks to the author, Cheyenne Young who sent me some swag:
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK