Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Obviously by the looks of this place, I have not been doing a lot of reading-for-pleasure as of late. It took me all semester to read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (I would probably get through one to two pages a night before I fell asleep with the book on my face). I realize that most of the world has already read Ender's Game, but this was my first time. My feelings regarding Ender's Game: Meh. It was okay, but keep in mind that this review is coming from someone who is not over the moon about science fiction. In fact most science fiction bores me (which explains why it was so easy to fall asleep reading the book). I do apologize to those of you who are die-hard Ender's Game fans, but the whole time I kept asking myself when the plot was going to begin. So not my favorite.

My reading has picked up significantly since Christmas break, so allow me to talk about a book that I actually do wish to share: Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

This book came as a bit of a surprise to me because as I mentioned previously, I'm not much of one for sci-fi. However, I am a huge fan of classic fairy tales with a twist, which is why I picked up Cinder in the first place. This book is the first in the Lunar Chronicles trilogy, so don't expect the plot to be resolved by the end. It's not going to happen.

The basic premise of the novel is that Cinder is a cyborg living in the city of New Beijing in futuristic Asia. The world is being plagued by well, by the plague, which is taking its devastating toll (as plagues often do). It's the basic Cinderella story with the added effects of cyborgs, plague, an evil queen who lives on the moon, royal conspiracies, and what have you.

Although there were a few bits of plot cohesion to question, I enjoyed reading it. I think Meyer's new spin on this classic story was refreshing, and I'm excited to read the sequels.

Happy reading!
KB

Rating: 3/5

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

“We are slaves, all of us . . . Some are slaves to fear. Others are slaves to reason--or base desire. It is our lot to be slaves . . . and the question must be to what shall we owe our indenture? Will it be to truth or to falsehood, hope or despair, light or darkness? I choose to serve the light, even though that bondage often lies in darkness.”

If you must know, I am in the midst of an insane semester (hence my long absence). However, I am currently taking an intensive class on adolescent literature so I will have many books to throw your way in the coming weeks.

The first book I bring you is of the horror genre. The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey is not something I would have picked of my own accord (because I am namby-pamby when it comes to horror), but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Plot:
Due to an unfortunate accident, a young boy by the name of Will Henry is left orphaned and then adopted by an eccentric doctor whose life's work is dedicated to the study of monsters (aka monstrumology). One dark and stormy night (exaggeration on my part), a grave robber comes to the home of the doctor bearing a curious load on his cart. What the grave robber delivers is the corpse of a young woman entangled in the embrace of the corpse of a dreadful monster. The doctor is able to identify the monster as Anthropophagi, a frightful creature that feasts upon human flesh. Thus the adventure begins as the doctor and Will Henry set about to eradicate their city of a pack of these man-eating monsters.

I do not suggest this book for the squeamish. Although the horror aspects can be quite thrilling, there is a bit of gore (as can be expected with monsters who eat humans like candy), which is not an aspect every reader loves. But like I said, I was pleasantly (gruesomely?) surprised by this novel and was greatly entertained. Although, the author's word choice can get tiring because he overuses certain words such as "macabre." We get it, the whole ordeal is quite macabre.

A fun read if you're looking to try some horror on for size.

-KB

Rating: 3/5

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I feel inadequate to be writing about Rebecca because it is one of Lora's favorites and she has been pestering me to read it for years. I have a feeling that she gave it to me as a Christmas present so I would feel a little more guilty if I didn't read it. Now that I have finally read it, I feel embarrassed that I hadn't read it all those years ago, because to be frank, Rebecca is a work of art. My brother (who just received a Master's in English by the way) compared it in greatness to Jane Eyre and even ventured to say that he liked it better than Jane Eyre. Though that may be blasphemy to some, having read Rebecca I understand what he means completely. I cannot say that I liked Rebecca more than Jane Eyre, but I would have to say that I would put them on the same level without question. 

Though the title of the novel may be deceiving, Rebecca is not the name of the protagonist. The protagonist is nameless (a wonderful stylistic choice in my opinion) and the novel is about how Rebecca, the late wife of the protagonist's husband, continually haunts their life. Rebecca haunts the couple not as an actual ghostly presence, but through her overwhelming presence in their home Manderley. 

I am not sure what else to say about it except that I think everyone should read it as soon as possible. I love the prose style, I love the characterization, I love the plot, I love the setting. I love the mystery, the ghostliness, the intrigue. I love it all. I wouldn't even suggest checking out a 

copy of Rebecca from the library, just go out and buy it. Save yourself the trip. 

Trust me. 

-Kelly

Rating: 5/5 Stars

P.S. Alfred Hitchcock also made a film based

on Rebecca (coincidentally entitled Rebecca) 

starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine 

and I plan to watch it soon. 

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

I started Shadow and Bone and after about a chapter I was bored out of my mind. I swiftly chucked it under my bed and started into the next book. It was only after it kept popping up on my recommended books on Amazon that I decided to give it another go.  Thank goodness I did. After roughing it through chapter one, the book got significantly better.

Unlike most medieval fantasies that have a heavy European influence, this book has a dark Russian vibe that is ever so refreshing. The book tells the story of Alina, a plain jane orphan whose only family is her best friend Mal (love story?). When she ends up using unknown magical powers to save Mal, she is whisked away to the royal court. There she will be trained as a Grisha, the magical elite led by the Darkling (love triangle?). Now she must learn to control her wild magic in order to destroy the Shadow Fold, an area of darkness filled with flesh eating monsters that is slowly consuming her country. 

Instead of the second book slump most series enter into, Siege and Storm just built on the awesomeness that was the first (love square?!). I’m really excited for the third book to come out and I would definitely recommend reading this trilogy.

Lora

Candide by Voltaire

“Optimism," said Cacambo, "What is that?" "Alas!" replied Candide, "It is the obstinacy of maintaining that everything is best when it is worst.” 

I took an enlightenment class in college and I wish I could say I was enlightened. Um..no. Befuddled best describes my feelings. Oddly enough, I loved the readings and since we never touched on Voltaire while in the class, I decided to grab copy of Candide. 

Candide is a classic satyr based in the late 1700’s that includes both a biting sarcastic undertone as well as a mocking attitude towards religions, governments, philosophers, and theologians. Also it's super random and bizarre, but in the best way possible? 

Like most satyrs you need to have a healthy understanding of the history surrounded the story in order to get 90 percent of the jokes. This means the end notes describing the historical events within the tale are pretty essential.

A synopsis of the tale is this: poor naive Candide tries his best to stay optimistic even through the absurd amount of tragedies he encounters on his journey for true love. It sounds ridiculous because it is, but do not be deceived, this hilarious little read has a lot of depth.

Here’s a taste:

“I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our more stupid melancholy propensities, for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away, to loathe one’s very being and yet to hold it fast, to fondle the snake that devours us until it has eaten our hearts away?” 

Rating: 4/5

-Lora

World War Z by Max Brooks

My cousin’s been trying to get me to read this book for about a month now and I knew I couldn’t face him again unless I had at least made an attempt. Well, I ended up finishing the book and it completely fascinated me.

The story is about a man who wants to document the “zombie war” by interviewing people from all over the world who were affected by it. The book is broken down into different stages of the war and each stage is comprised of chapters dedicated to individual interviews. 

I have to give the author props for this nifty idea.

Unlike most zombie fiction, this book would not be considered a gore-fest. Each interview was very matter-of-fact and the narrations are based on past events so you go into each story knowing they survived.  Unless they died, turned into zombies, and acquired the skill to talk again. PLOT TWIST!!

Ignore previous sentence.

Downside to all the little stories: there wasn’t a definite plot to keep you from losing interest. Plus the overall outcome was revealed in the first chapter so you were kind of just reading a unique history book.

Final thoughts!

This book is incredibly interesting. The political and social break-down of how each country would react to this “plague” was intriguing and it made me realize I'm rather ignorant about, well, the rest of the world. Plus the narrations were so real I find myself thinking about them as if they actually happened. Which makes me wonder what I would do in these situations and that led to all sorts of panicking. I was never meant to survive anything. I would probably just drink a bottle of Nyquil and hire someone to shoot me once the pseudoephedrine kicked in.

Anyways, this is a much needed addition to the zombie genre and I look forward to his upcoming novels. 

Rating:   

-Lora

P.S Someone of the characters language can be best described as colorful - there were a couple stories that I just skipped over - so keep that in mind before you pick up a copy. 

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

I thought I could escape this book. My outsider perspective labeled it as trivial and borderline Mormon romantic rubbish. It wasn’t until trust-worthy sources told me I had to read it that I reluctantly grabbed a copy. 

My first chapter in I was having flashback to the Georgette Heyer craze of 2006. If you don’t know this author she can be summed up as the slow-witted man’s Jane Austen. Undoubtedly her heroines are caught in extravagant adventures filled with duels, kidnappings, and rich handsome men. It’s unbelievable and frankly ridiculous. So of course I read all of them. I was sadly not above the 2006 craze and I may or may not have led it...

Three more chapters went by and I realized I wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night.

The novel starts out filled with all the details that make up most female fiction. Heroine doesn’t think she’s pretty. She’s pursued by the most desirable male in all the land. He’s rather flirty. She’s not. ..yada yada yada etc. and so forth.

The turning point was watching the interaction between the two. Yes his flirting was over the top and of course she was blind to almost everything, but it was captivating none the less.  

I’m not going to make this novel out to be a modern classic. It’s not. But it is a fun read for the fleeting days of summer. 

Rating: 4/5

-Lora

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is an intriguing author. Before I read his novel, Neverwhere, I was quite hesitant of him as an author because of how dark his novels seemed. But because I had to read Neverwhere for a class, I gave it a shot--because I had no choice-- and then changed everything for me. I can now say that I am a Neil Gaiman fan. Do his books contain dark elements? Absolutely. Are they dark elements presented in a thought-provoking and wonderful manner? Without a doubt.

I have been dying to read The Graveyard Book for ages, but other things got in the way. So I bought my copy at Waterstone's on High Street Kensington in London just so I would have something great to read during my flight home. And I LOVED every minute of it. From beginning to end it is an absolute treat.

A brief synopsis: As a toddler, Bod Owens' family was murdered, but on the night of the murder he was able to escape and found his way to the cemetery near his home. The ghosts of the cemetery discover the baby and decide to raise him in the cemetery in order keep him safe from the man who would murder him.

The novel is quick, deep, exciting, and quite lovely. Now one of my new favorites.

-KB

Rating: 5/5

Tess of the D'urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

An old roommates was the first to tell me about Tess of the D'urbervilles. She said and I quote, "It is my favorite book. I know it's about rape and it's terribly sad, but I can't help it. I love it." From there I wasn't quite sure where to go. Rape? Sad? Why would anyone want to read that? But there was also that level of intrigue that made me want to read it all the more.

However, I didn't get around to it until this summer despite that conversation being years ago. The timing could not have been better though because I finished the novel a few scanty minutes before visiting Thomas Hardy's home in Dorcetshire, England. Truly providential.

And like my old roommate, I cannot help but love this book. The characters are infuriating and the circumstances are worse. And just so you know, it does not end happily. There really is no reason to like this book at all, let alone love it. And yet, here we are. I love this novel. Thomas Hardy's writing is bewitching, and Tess herself is truly remarkable. This novel makes me feel all sorts of conflicting things, and I am still working them out. To me that is the sign of a good novel: you're still mulling it over months later.

-KB

Rating: 5/5

P.S. Stonehenge comes up in the novel, so that is something to look forward to.

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

The past month has been rather busy and to my dismay, I’ve been falling behind in my to-be-read list. As much as this saddens me, I have noticed that it makes me rule out the riffraff and focus on the books I actually want people to know I’m reading.

This month my book of choice has been Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham. I originally picked this book because of my dedication to Ms. Graham A.K.A Lorelai Gilmore. Gilmore Girls is my favorite t.v. show so the expectations for this book were high. And I say with great relief the book lived up to my hype. In fact, this story leads me to believe the protagonist Franny grew up in ol Stars Hollow with the same clever allure that made Gilmore Girls so addicting.

The story goes as follows:

Franny is living in New York City circa 1995 and has given herself three years to make it as an actress. Unfortunately, the years have passed more quickly than she would’ve liked, and now Franny is 6 months away from her deadline.

With each chapter prefaced by pages from her Filofax planner, we are swept up into Franny’s hilarious journey from busing tables to auditions. And this little tale wouldn’t be as sweet without a love story lingering somewhere between the pages. What I loved about Franny and her guy is their story was both light and real and never tore you from the main focus, Franny.

All in all, this is the perfect summer read with wit and charm that’ll keep you company whilst you soak up the rays. The only downside is you'll mourn for the fact Franny is not your best friend. She is just that great. 

Rating: 4/5

-Lora

Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren DeStefano

Something wonderful about the limits to reading school has set on me for the past 4 years, is I now enter the library to full trilogies. Trilogies that I don’t have to agonize over and over and spend years waiting for every last book to come out. Now I walk in, grab the whole lot of the shelf,and BAM one week is spent in that world. No prolonged agonizing. No scouring Amazon for release dates. No siree.

 A series that I picked up last month was the Chemical Garden Trilogy.

Now this series is trippy: Rhine and her twin brother Rowan have been born into a world torn apart by the desire for perfection. Doctors have finally discovered a cure for every known malady, but this “cure” has place a limit on their children’s lifespan. Now all males will only live until 25 and females are left with 20 years. This new condition has turned the country into a state of panic, doctors race for a cure while young girls are sold into polygamous relationships in order to provide the dying country with new citizens.

Rhine and Rowan, now orphans living in poverty, rely on each other to survive, but when Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a polygamous bride she will do anything to make her way back to Rowan. In her new life as a bride, she discovers that as much as she would love to hate her husband, Linden, he proves kind and loving and shows Rhine a life of wealth and stability.

Though Rhine slowly begins to trust her husband, she knows that there is something evil about her father-in-law’s attempts to find a cure and she knows she might be dragged into his cruel experiments unless she can escape.

In the end, I just really enjoyed this series and I found the ideas behind it were rather intriguing. 

Rating: 3/5

-Lora

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I have an ongoing tradition where I reread my favorite books during stressful times. Since School has been my life for…well, a long time, I have made it a habit to sink into a great book every semester when finals begins. I realize I graduated and finals has become a distant memory, but this is one of my favorite tradition so it will live on. In honor of my first finals week away from school I decided to read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

This book easily makes the top 10 of my favorite books period. It’s the tale of a wealthy beautiful young man who upon seeing a painting of himself distresses that he will one day age and this painting will mock the youth he once held. He then wishes that he could trade his soul for the ability to transfer his age onto his painted image while he remains young forever.

After this wish is made, our innocent leading fellow begins a friendship with Lord Henry, a devilish man who believes life should be spent perusing pleasure.  Dorian follows Henry’s lead into a life of debauchery, but is amazed to find his painting has taken on the evil that has encompassed his soul while his face remains unblemished.  

This book can be read in several ways, but I believe it is a critique on Wilde’s society filled with men wearing masks of innocents while living depraved lives. When this book was published, critiques called it immoral which is hilarious because in this story Dorian accuses Henry of corrupting him with a book and Henry’s reply is “The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.”

He went on to say “Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only Beauty. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”

I could literally quote this book all day and you will be hard pressed to make it through a page without finding a witty truth about life reminiscent of Jane Austen's works, but with a darker edge.  

So make A Picture of Dorian Gray part of your summer reading, you will not regret it. 

Rating: 5/5

-Lora

Legend by Marie Lu

For the past couple of years, books featuring dystopian societies have hit it big time. And unlike the rubbish that tried to jump on board the vampire bandwagon, these books are fantastic. And if you find yourself loving The Hunger Games, Matched, and Divergent, your next fix is here.

The Legend Series

The story features two prodigies working on opposing sides of the Republic, a country we used to know as California. While June was born into an elite family and groomed to become the Republic’s next military leader, Day was born in the slums and grew up to be the country’s most wanted criminal. Their paths cross when June’s brother, Metias, is killed and Day is the prime suspect. Now June must bring her brothers killer to justice, but things aren’t always what they seem.

A modern twist on  Les Miserables' cat and mouse chase between Javert  and Jean Valjean, this tale documents the Republic’s two greatest minds as they try and figure out the mysteries their country has been holding from them.

At this point you have to read this book. I mean, I connected it to The Hunger Games, Divergent, AND last but not least, Les Miserables. 

Rating: 4/5

-Lora

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Teen fiction, like most things, is always on the lookout for the newest fad and that so happens to be books based in the 20’s with flappers as their leading ladies.

 

But the best series to come out of this fad is Libba Bray’s The Diviners series.

The story follows Evie, a small town outcast sent to New York to live with her Uncle, a professor of occults. Evie is excited to live in the city filled with speakeasies and flappers, but when a serial killer starts terrorizing the city she must help her Uncle figure out the clues that link the murders to a religious cult. But what her uncle doesn’t know is that Evie is a Diviner with a supernatural gift that often gets her in trouble, but could be just what her uncle needs to solve this case before the next murder. The books main focus is on Evie, but alternating chapters take you into the lives of those that surround Evie, people who share her secret and whose gifts are needed to destroy a darkness that has awoken.  

This book was fantastic. The characters are dynamic and bring life to this dark intoxicating thriller. It really is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I should have expected it.  Libba Bray is the author of A Great and Terrible Beauty so of course her next series would be equally brilliant. Side note: read this series. I fell in love with it and it's the reason I'm naming my third daughter Gemma. 

You should probably go get The Diviners at the library now. Or just buy it. Yeah buy it, that’s a better idea. 

Rating: 4/5

-Lora

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Since I have yet to review anything but classic novels, I thought it high time that I read and discussed one of my favorites:

Austenland

Probably because I am one of the world's foremost Jane Austen nuts, I absolutely love, love, love, love this novel. It is hilarious and I read it at least once a year. It is just a jolly good time. Quite, quite. 

What Happens:

Jane Hayes is an average 30-ish woman who lives in New York, who has ruined just about every relationship she has ever been in. Subsequently, she is obsessed with Jane Austen novels, and even more so with the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice (you know, the one with Colin Firth and those great sideburns). Well on a random visit from her great aunt (who soon after kicks the bucket), the aunt discovers this obsession and in her will leaves Jane a vacation to Pembrook Park: an Austen-era reenactment  estate. So off Jane goes to England for one last hoorah before she kicks the Darcy obsession in the bud and settles as a confirmed spinster. 

And that's that. I certainly wish I had a wealthy great aunt to send me to Pembrook Park...I am trying to give up my Darcy fantasies as well...maybe...I could try...

Tallyho!

KB

Rating: 4/5

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

I am not sure how far down my list of Dickens novels to be read was Hard Times, but I am certain it was not my pick for third. However, this lesser-known novel was quite surprising. It was both hilarious and tragic. How can that be? Charles Dickens wrote it, that's how. Several of his characters are entirely laughable {get acquainted with Mr. Bounderby}, but it is oh-so-sad. My heart is still breaking just a little.

Synopsis:

In the industrial city of Coketown lives several characters, namely: Mr. Thomas Gradgrind; his son, Tom; his daughter, Louisa; his friend, Mr. Josiah Bounderby; Bounderby's employee, Stephen Blackpool; Bounderby's housekeeper, Mrs. Sparsit; and an unfortunate daughter of a circus man, Sissy Jupe.

It all begins when Sissy Jupe's father deserts her and the Gradgrind's take her in. Now Mr. Gradgrind is a school master who only cares about facts, which makes Sissy seem at first quite ignorant because she is after all merely the daughter of a circus man. Poor thing. After a few short years pass, Mr. Bounderby proposes marriage to the beautiful, young Louisa Gradgrind, who only accepts for her brother Tom's sake because he is apprenticed to Mr. Bounderby. Why not? Then Stephen Blackpool is suspected is robbing Mr. Bounderby just as he has left Bounderby's employment, and all is one great muddle until the very end when most things are sorted out, but no one really has a happy ending at all.

The Moral:

Once you get there in the novel, you realize that the obsession with facts within the Gradgrind family {and in Mr. Bounderby} has resulted in a lack of moral qualities and virtues, which funnily enough makes Sissy Jupe the grand heroine of the novel. So do not let intelligence blind you to goodness.

Overall:

I really enjoyed reading this novel, and laughed out loud several times. Though not my favorite Dickens novel thus far, it is certainly one I wish to own myself.

Off to the bookstore!

-KB

Rating: 4/5

The Matched Series by Ally Condie

I finally finished the Matched Series by Ally Condie. I wished I could say I loved this series, but I can't. The first novel Matched was promising. The story was basically The Giver meets The Hunger Games with just a dash of Dylan Thomas. This cocktail was complete with solid writing, interesting ideas, and an airy poetic vibe.

Then the second book Crossed came out and we were forced to spend HOURS mucking about in the outerlands/caverns/really though, where the heck were they? 

Even after that torture, I decided that I started this series and by golly I was going to finish it.

Reached was better than the second {could it have gotten worse?}, but I got sick of reading about viruses and waiting for characters to develop and finally become interesting. And dear heavens can we get them a new poem to quote. I digress, I guess I was looking for moments within the book where you got to witness the characters share a moment, but instead everything was consumed by the need to scurry about to find a cure.

In conclusion: I would recommend Matched AND if you liked that book a lot, and I mean A LOT, then brave the journey through the caverns and into virus 101. I'll see you on the other side. 

Rating: 3/5

-Lora

The Fault in Our Stars

After Atlas Shrugged I decided I would turn to a lighthearted teen novel. I ended up choosing The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Big mistake. HUGE. I don’t think I’ve been put through that kind of emotional turmoil since the 6^th Harry Potter.

My story: I casually picked it up last night to get a chapter or two in before some shut-eye. I ended up falling head first into this raw love story that kept me prisoner till 3 in the morning.

Synopsis: Hazel has been living with terminal cancer kept at bay by drugs that can wear off at any moment. Then she meets Augustus, a cancer survivor determined to be a part of her life.  

Conclusion: John Green was able to accomplish things most authors fall short of, namely, a witty love story and actual emotion. I want to write more, but his story was so clean and simple it seems wrong for me to speak for it.

I have now ordered every book John Green has written, it’s about time we got acquainted.  

Rating: 4/5

-Lora

The Great Gatsby

Until today, I have spent my life being one of those poor saps who had never read The Great Gatsby. Now I can join the throngs of "cool people" who know what's what and know that The Great Gatsby is "the shiz" (to be frank).

As you might have guessed, what I loved most about this book was the language. Brilliant, beyond brilliant. If you haven't read it yet, I hope you have as much fun as I did trying to guess which characters were going to meet their tragic ends . . .I suppose that shouldn't be fun, but whatevs. It was great.

-KB

Rating: 5/5

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged foretells America's future if the atlas's of the world shrugged. Meaning, what would happen if the producers and thinkers of our world got tired of being treated like public slaves and left their responsibilities behind to live for themselves. I want to go into more detail, but this book is over 1,000 pages. Instead I'm going to tell you about my experience with this book.

Before I read Atlas Shrugged, I sat in lecture as one of my favorite professors ranted over the fact that students read Ayn Rand and praise her ungodly views. This was hard for me to swallow because after reading The Fountainhead, I had developed a great respect for Ayn Rand's work. Reading Atlas Shrugged has only intensified that respect. I can't stop thinking about her ideas, I can't help agree with them, I can't help thinking that if more people thought like this the world would be in a better situation. 

I sincerely hope this doesn't make me ungodly.

I believe he hated Rand because she casts the people who shout demands for humanity as untalented hypocrites who can't think for themselves. In opposition are the heroes. Men and women driven by confidence in their own talents to succeed while having little regard for others welfare

I see his point. I just don't share it.

These bold characters give a different voice to the same opinions I grew up hearing and out of all the things this book discusses, these are my favorites:

• Never let weak men make you feel guilty for your strength and responsible for their weakness.
• "An honest man is one who knows that he cant consume more than he has produced."
• Money doesn't corrupt you, you corrupt money.
• Live by your own opinion, not others. 
• Accept responsibility for your life.
• Think.

 I feel I should also state that I don't agree with all of Rand's views. I believe in having charity and serving those around us; not simply existing for yourself. Here's the catch. I don't believe charity is tearing down those that succeed and throwing money at people who will never learn to stand on their own.

I realize this has become a weird book review. I had a lot of thoughts ok. You're just lucky I cut myself off when I did.

One more thing. I'm not big on how Rand portrays romance. I don't like that she sometimes paints it as technical and somewhat violent. So if you want romance, read Austen.

In closing, this book is a masterpiece, and unnerving electrifying masterpiece.  If you agree with her or not, I believe everyone should read Atlas Shrugged and decide for themselves.

Rating: 5/5 

-Lou

P.S. Never watch the 2012 movie of Atlas Shrugged. NEVER.