Sunday, May 31, 2015

Book Review: Riding

You can find it here: Riding

When I first bought this book I thought it would be a nice quaint story about a family and how working for the IOC shapes their lives over time. This book is that but it is also so much more. It deals with their triumphs and pitfalls, how simple life can throw them a curveball and ultimately how they pick themselves up again.

I was able to identify with the mother, Elizabeth more than I've been able to identify with a character in years. How her life and sense of identity changes: first after her marriage then again after having a child. Following her story, as well as her husband Mario and their son Andre as their lives are shaped, expanded and enriched over the years due to their exposure to the Olympic Games, is a satisfying experience. 


Andre finds passion and acceptance in cycling and overcomes his physical setbacks. Mario is a very responsible man who travels and works very hard to keep his family living comfortably. But through all that he strives to stay close to his wife and son.

As this was a pleasantly surprising and uplifting story I will recommend this book to many of my friends.

Book Review: Tesla

You can find it here: Tesla-Dystopian-Science-Fiction

 While this book is aimed at an audience a little younger than myself, I enjoyed reading it, and found it to be well written. As other youth novels this is a entertaining book and packs in loads of action and plot twists which I enjoy. This book is set in a Post-Apocalyptic World which is getting hotter, and Water is becoming scarcer. Within the story we find Sebastian, a young teenager on a quest for discovery of who he is and what his role will be in the world. After his home is destroyed he is chased by relentless cyborgs and then sheltered by Steam academy. Here he must figure out who his friends are and who is his enemy. Friends such as Melanie, Isaac and the reluctant Gavin help Sebastian as he discovers that there is much more behind the seemingly good will of the Academy then he realizes. The writing is geared towards teenagers so adults won't get too much from this book but I will definitely recommend this book to my younger cousins as a good summer read. The ending is a cliffhanger that will leave you asking how the story continues and if Sebastian will ever get the answers he is looking for.