World Book Day & my TBR

  International Book Day is celebrated annually on April 23 and is organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright. This had its first manifestation in 1995.

 April 23 marks the passing into eternity of two titans of universal literature: William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, as well as other writers: Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly (1889), William Wordsworth (1850), Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1616) and Rupert Brooke (1915).

 On this special occasion I thought it would be appropriate to introduce you to some of the books on my TBR.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, by Matthew Perry

"There are few shows in our lifetime that have garnered over a billion views, that have reached a global audience of 220 countries, that elicits an emotional reaction from a theme song, or that defined a period of time more for its viewers. That is simply because there is no show that is more iconic or beloved than Friends. It didn't matter that their apartment was unrealistic by New York City's standards or that they always had enough free time to hang out in a coffee shop, they were our friends, they were us. And over the last twenty-seven years, it has yet to lose its title of the greatest sitcom of all time.

Yet, the nostalgia and the truth about their relationships is a story that only Matthew Perry could tell--especially as his addiction soared faster than his career.

Heartbreaking and funny, Matthew's honesty is explosive and unrivaled. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that shares the most intimate details of the love he lost, his darkest days, and his greatest friends."

The Sanatorium, by Sarah Pearse

"Half hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.

An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge--there's something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in..."

Noi suntem români, de Radu Paraschivescu

"„Noi suntem români“ este titlul unui cântec patriotic. „Nimeni nu-i perfect“ este ultima replică din filmul Unora le place jazzul. Chiar dacă pare straniu, cele două enunţuri nu se bat cap în cap. Între ele există de fapt o legătură pe care viaţa în România de azi o strânge de la o zi la alta. Desfăşuraţi în paralel cu musicalul de mare succes „Mama Pandemia“, ultimii doi ani de viaţă românească te pun în situaţia de-a duce frecvent mâinile la cap: fie pentru atingerea frunţii fierbinţi, fie pentru smulgerea părului. Tragicomedia naţională e surprinsă aici în câteva zeci de texte din care scot capul tovarăşi de drum mai vechi sau mai noi: excepţionalismul, reflexul de obedienţă, ciubucul, discursul urii, bunul-plac şi prostul-gust. De râs şi de plâns. De citit şi de căzut pe gânduri."

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling

"Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls’ bathroom. But then the real trouble begins – someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects… Harry Potter himself!"

Invitaţie la vals, de Mihail Drumeș

"Invitaţia la vals este un roman de dragoste scris de către Mihail Drumeş. Printre scrierile autorului se numara si Elevul Dima dintr-a şaptea şi Scrisoare de dragoste.
Romanul prezintă viaţa personajului principal masculin, felul in care se dezvoltă acesta, cum gândeşte şi nu în ultimul rând…cum iubeşte. Obişnuit să îşi seducă amantele, să le aibă şi apoi să le părăsească, numai de dragul sentimentului de măreţie, trufie, pe care îl simte atunci când ele îi cerşesc împăcarea, el îşi primeşte pedeapsa prin dragostea vieţii sale, Mihaela."

The Boy from the Woods, by Harlan Coben

"Thirty years ago, Wilde was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past. Now an adult, he still doesn't know where he comes from, and another child has gone missing.

No one seems to take Naomi Pine's disappearance seriously, not even her father-with one exception. Hester Crimstein, a television criminal attorney, knows through her grandson that Naomi was relentlessly bullied at school. Hester asks Wilde-with whom she shares a tragic connection-to use his unique skills to help find Naomi.

Wilde can't ignore an outcast in trouble, but in order to find Naomi he must venture back into the community where he has never fit in, a place where the powerful are protected even when they harbor secrets that could destroy the lives of millions . . . secrets that Wilde must uncover before it's too late."