Book Review: Still Alice

“My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment.”

Author and neuroscientist Lisa Genova’s debut novel Still Alice is the psychological portrait of Alice Howland: a Harvard professor, lecturer, researcher, wife, and mother of three. One afternoon when Alice goes on a run on a route in her neighborhood, she gets lost and is unable to find her way home despite being in familiar surroundings. After medical consultation, Alice is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. As the novel progresses, as does Alice’s disease. She becomes unable to read, hold conversations, and recognize her own children. In losing her memories, Alice slowly loses herself and everything that made her herself.

Since last year when I first came across this book on Goodreads, I have been hearing nothing but praise about the novel. A few weeks ago, I finally read the New York Times bestseller and can say that Still Alice is perhaps the most eye opening novel I have read in the span of my lifetime.

(Also: extremely emotional. This book had me cryin'.)

What separates Still Alice from the usual bestsellers in the book market today is the genre and topic of the story. Still Alice is no chick lit. It’s not another dystopian, another Nicholas Sparks romance book, nor is it a murder mystery or a beach read. This novel dwells on the reality and terrifying effects Alzheimer’s disease can have. Genova, who is evidently knowledgeable on the subject of Alzheimer’s, does not hesitate in delving into the medical jargon and grislier aspects of the disease. Still Alice is eloquent, deeply moving, and terrifying.

Krystal's List of Most Anticipated Books in 2015

My Fall Favorites

September and October is just a great time to be obsessed with TV shows, books, and or movies. New TV shows have been premiering and old ones have been returning. Books that I've been waiting for what feels like forever have been released along with new books from some of my favorite authors. Movie adaptions of some great books have come out in the past couple months and so have some other great movies. Below is a list of my favorite books, movies, and TV shows from the Fall. Enjoy!!

BOOKS:

(From Goodreads) A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell  Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world. This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once

Krystal's September Wrap Up !!

Here it is. My recap of all the books I read in September. Finally my book reading slump has ended !! Now it may not seem like a lot but for someone who had a tough time getting back into the swing of things, this is a huge leap forward. I hope you like it and tell me what you think.

September Book Haul

Hello old friends, it's been quite awhile since I've last posted. School isn't as easy as it was last year and whoever invented AP classes literally deserves a slow and painful death. Because of school I haven't been able to read that many books and I've really missed reading (I'm four books behind on my Goodreads challenge!!)

So today, after much begging on my hands and knees, my mom finally drove me to the bookstore! I spent way too much money but I am so excited to start some of these new books. I probably spent close to two hours in the bookstore today trying to decide what to buy because there are so many new books out that I really want to read. I finally decided on these four (the other two are for school) and they all look really amazing and hopefully I can start reading them soon! So without further ado, I give to you, my September Book Haul!

1. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (For school)

2. Dracula by Bram Stoker (Also for school)

3. Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

4. Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

5. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

6. The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

So that is my September book haul! Has anyone read any of these books? What is on your book haul? Tell me in the comments!

--AMANDA