The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

What do you do when you find yourself in a reader's block (A term coined by me akin to writer's block)? Of late, I was finding reading at a stretch difficult. I was picking a book and abandoned it after turning a few pages and I couldn't read more than a few pages at a stretch. Even though I have a good pile of interesting titles on my shelf, I was wary of picking them up. In such situation, I thought it would be best to pick up a book that I knew would keep me glued. Nicholas Sparks is one author whose books does that to me. Simple language, easy reads and heart touching stories - this combination doesn't go wrong for me. I picked up 'The Rescue' by Nicholas Sparks to get myself in reading mood and the book lived up to my expectation.

The book has all elements of  typical Sparks book - love, relationship, romance, friendship, country life, unexpected dramatic twists. Be prepared to keep a few tissue papers handy. If you have read his books, then you know what I mean.

Here is the blurb from the book, that gives an idea about the storyline, but, let me tell you there is more.

"When confronted by raging fires or deadly accidents, volunteer fireman Taylor McAden feels compelled to take terrifying risks to save lives. But there is one leap of faith Taylor can’t bring himself to make: he can’t fall in love. For all his adult years, Taylor has sought out women who need to be rescued, women he leaves as soon as their crisis is over and the relationship starts to become truly intimate. When a raging storm hits his small Southern town, single mother Denise Holton’s car skids off the road. The young mom is with her four-year-old son Kyle, a boy with severe learning disabilities and for whom she has sacrificed everything. Taylor McAden finds her unconscious and bleeding, but does not find Kyle. When Denise wakes, the chilling truth becomes clear to both of them: Kyle is gone. During the search for Kyle, the connection between Taylor and Denise takes root. Taylor doesn’t know that this rescue will be different from all the others, demanding far more than raw physical courage. It will lead him to the possibility of his own rescue from a life lived without love and will require him to open doors to his past that were slammed shut by pain. This rescue will dare him to live life to the fullest by daring to love."

After reading a little more about the novel on the web, I was surprised to know that the character of Kyle is inspired by Sparks' second son - Ryan. Kyle in the novel has what’s called Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), which is something akin to “dyslexia of sound.” He didn’t talk because language is jumbled for some reason, though no one knows the reason. The sacrifices her mother, Denise makes for him and the way she strives to make him speak makes you wonder about motherly love. It was more surprising to know that the author and his wife has been through that phase and Denise is a character inspired by her wife in many ways. I would encourage you to read this for know about the inspiration behind this novel.

The novel is not so much about Denise or Kyle but about Taylor McAden. Although, his first entry in the novel is not a hero's but slowly the focus shifts from Denise's life to Taylor. Taylor has his own demons to face and only after a tragic and dramatic incident in his life, he gathers the courage to do so and eventually rescues himself from a life devoid of love and companionship. Apart from some description of fire rescues, which I found uninteresting to go through in detail, this book was an breezy read.

Nicholas Sparks know how to tug the chords of your heart and this book does exactly that. Recommended if you are a Sparks' fan. Read it even if you have not read any of his works.

Linking to R of A-Z challenge.You can see my A-Z Reading Challenge list here.

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Lucky Library Picks # 9

The last couple of books I have read have not kept me glued to it. I mean, they were not bad read, but they were not absolutely riveting. That is why when I went to the library this time, I had in mind which author's titles I want to pick. And finely, I zeroed on these two books for Lucky Library Picks.

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer and The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

I have always enjoyed the books by these authors and at times when I need something to read that will have my undivided attention, I know I can fall back on their books. You can see reviews of books by Nicholas Sparks and Jeffrey Archer by following the link.

Do you have something to share? I will love to hear.

Saved

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Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

When you pick Nicholas Sparks books you know what to expect of it ~ a poignant love story. That is what I was exactly looking for when I picked up the book. I wanted an easy read, which the author's book definately are- not in the wrong way of course. This is the fifth book I have read of the author this year and I am simply not tired of reading his books. Safe Haven is different from all the other books I have read of the author. Of course, there is romance but Sparks has added a new twist in this story. It can be rightly called a romance thriller. Full of twist and turns and a suspense factor, I really found it unputdownable.

I am quoting the blurb from the book for the synopsis.

"When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven."

If you love Spark's book you cannot simply miss this one and if you do not like his writing, I think you should try this. This book kept me on tenterhooks as the story unravelled slowly and turned more dramatic than I thought it would be. I really enjoyed reading it.

Like many others of Sparks Novel, this is also going to be made into a movie and is going to be released in June 2012. I will be definately watching it. Vist http://www.nicholassparks.com/  to know more about the author and his works.

I am linking it to Nicholas Sparks reading Challenge hosted by The Book Vixen along with the other books Sparks book I have read so far namely The NoteBook, The Choice, The Last Song and Dear John.

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Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

"An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life."

I like Sparks' books. They are easy reads, quite romantic, often sad yet redeeming and so very full of emotions. 'Dear John' is another such story that will touch your hearts and will glisten your eyes with tears. While it seems like another 'boy meet girl' love story, it is not. Unlike most of Sparks' books I have read, where surprises are not left till the end this was an exception. The ending was kind of a jolt, nothing of the sort I had hoped it to be, but that is I believe makes the book all the more moving. Pick it up if you like the author's work.

The characters and the plot of the story seemed real and one could actually relate to the incidents that happened in their lives. I almost had an instant liking for John Tyree right from the beginning of the novel and could empathize him when things went hay ware in his life. Savannah seemed to be the perfect match for him. I love the way she wrote letters to him while he was away at army camps and how she expressed her feelings through them. But things did not happen as they had thought and one incident let to a chain of incidents that changed the course of their life. The story also portrayed the difficult relationship John had with his father and how eventually he understood him, credit to Savannah. Sparks deals with these emotions very subtly and that is the beauty of his writing style. I wish I could write more about the plot and the story line, but that will be a spoiler for any aspiring readers.

The story gives a message that can be summarised in this quote (not from the book) ~ "Sacrificing your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love."

This book has been made into a movie and it was released in 2010. Hopefully I get a copy of the DVD soon.

To know more about the author visit http://www.nicholassparks.com/

Linking it to Nicholas Sparks reading challenge hosted by The Book Vixen

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#11 Teaser Tuesday ~ The Palace of Illusions & Dear John

I have 2 teasers to share today. One is from The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and other one from Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. I have almost finished the first one and have started off with the later.

Here are the teasers:

From "The Palace of Illusions".

"Some people," she continued," thought he was going to die, but I had no such fears. Anyone who wanted revenge as badly as your royal father did wouldn't let go of body and breath so easily."

Page: 3

From "Dear John"

"I need that purse! Its got all my money in there!"

Page: 25

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists!

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks is a 'beautiful' novel. Yes, that is the word that comes to my mind to describe the story. As I flipped through the last pages of the novel my eyes glittered with tears, of sorrow and of joy and after reading the book amidst the tears, I had a satisfied smile on my face, the kind one has after reading a good book. The book will take you through a journey of all these different emotions. Sparks has this innate ability to get to the heart of relationships and bring out the complexities therein. This novel touches an aspect of parent- children relationship, girl friend - boy friend relationship, brother-sister relationship and friendship in general. The novel has also been made into a movie. In fact, it was written to be made into a movie. The Last Song is perhaps one of the best of Sparks' books and a must read for all who enjoys his writings.

The story starts with Veronica Miller (Ronnie). She is a rebellious child who has taken the company of wrong kind of friends. It is because she has never been able to come out of her parent's divorce and have bitter feelings about it. Her life has never been the same. After her parents divorced and her father moved to North Carolina, Ronnie distanced herself from her father and gave up music. Music was the thing that she had grown up learning from her father but, now it was another source of stirring up bad memories.

Three years later, on her father's request, Ronnie and her brother, Jonah are sent to North Carolina to spend the summer with their father. Resentful and rebellious, Ronnie rejects her father’s attempts to reach out to her and threatens to return to New York before the summer’s end. It is during this summer that Ronnie meets Will and Blaze and Marcus. After a disgusting episode with Marcus and Blaze, things starts changing in her life for the good. She finds herself falling for Will, opening herself up to the greatest happiness – and pain – that she has ever known. Her strained relationship with her father starts healing slowly and gradually the bond is restored, but not without taking the readers through an upheaval of emotions.

The story might seem predictable but still it will move you to tears. All the characters seems real and are well defined. As Ronnie's life changes, the readers can feel the way she matures from a rebellious teenager to a young woman of substance. I loved the character of Jonah too. He is intelligent, adorable and a witty child and the way he cares for his father and sister is simply moving. Steve, too as a father does his best to spend meaningful time with his children. His unconditional love for his children, patience with Ronnie and his belief in her and finally his love for music is remarkable.

The story gives an important lesson to its readers too. Forgiveness is the key to happiness. Life is too short to hold grudges against others. So, forgive and forget and move forward in life.

To know more about the author, Nicholas Sparks and his works visit http://www.nicholassparks.com/

Linking it to Nicholas Sparks reading challenge hosted by The Book Vixen

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

'Without her, his life had little meaning. He was a small town husband with a small town occupation and his cares were no different from anyone else's. He'd neither been a leader nor a follower, nor had been someone who would be remembered long after he passed away. He was the most ordinary of men only with one exception. He'd has fallen in love with a woman named Gabby, his love deepening in the years they had been married. But fate had conspired to ruin all that, and now he spent long time of his days wondering whether it was humanly possible to fix things between them.'

'The Choice' by Nicholas Sparks presses its readers with the question -'How far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?' The story in the book dwells on how the choices we make, even the smallest and insignificant ones governs the course of our life. It is about love, faith and trust and the choices we can make in our life to show them.

The story is starts with Travis Parker visiting her beloved in a hospital and he has been doing so for several weeks now. He has a big choice to make in the days to come that will be the defining point of his life. He is torned between the voice of his heart and the promise he had made to his wife. What will he choose?

The story then flashes back to his past years when he had met Gabby.

Eleven years back Travis Parker was a single man content with the life he lived. He had great close friends, a faithful dog, a dream house and a decent job. He had dated a lot of women but none of those turned into a serious relationship. In fact, he had come to believe that a woman in his life will only disrupt his lifestyle for he loved adventurous sports and few women would share the same enthusiasm about such sports in their daily life.

It was when Gabby Holland moved in the house next door, things in Parker's life changed. Gabby had been indifferent to Parker's attempts to be friendly at first. She had a boyfriend for the past 3 years and was sort of content with it. In fact, she had moved to North Carolina to be nearer to him. It was when she suspected that her dog was pregnant and that she thought Parker's dog was responsible for it, she stormed into his house. Days that followed only brought them closer and finally both of them made the choice to be together for the rest of their life and that choice had governed their life, till this day.

Today, he was the one who had to make the choice. And he was in a dilemma. Sparks has intensely dwelled on Parker's feelings and thoughts and how he fights his own self to make a decision. But, for the fact that I had read Spark's The Notebook only a month back, I found the story lines to be strikingly similar and that lessened the beauty of the story for me. In both books, the story is set in the beautiful small coastline town of North Carolina. Heroes in both stories had a liking for small town life and the pleasures that it offered. In both stories the heroine had left their previous boyfriend for the hero and something bad happens to them in the end! That is a lot of similarities by any standard. I was only happy to see how the story in 'The Choice' ended and that made up a little for the disappointment I felt earlier.

It is an achingly moving love story. My only word of caution to others is - If you have read 'The NoteBook' recently keep a considerable gap of time to read 'The Choice' and vice versa.

Linking it to Nicholas Sparks reading challenge hosted by The Book Vixen

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

'The Notebook' by Nicholas Sparks is a simple yet heart rendering love story. It will make you smile and cry often. It is about the belief that true love never dies or dims, it remains with you through the thick and thins of life. I will definitely recommend reading it.

The story starts with eighty years Noah Calhoun reading out his 'Notebook' to a lady who does not remember him, in a nursing home. It is the story of his life, his love story. He does it every day, in the hope that it with stir her memory and she will remember things from the past which she seldom does these days with only a few exceptions!

As he reads out his notebook, the story flashes back to his past to October 1946. It is the time when he had recently returned from war to North Carolina. To keep himself busy and to forget the adversities of war he spends all his time restoring an old plantation house, which he has recently purchased to its old glory. Despite his best efforts, his memory often slips to a time when he had met Allie, her love, fifteen years ago. He has never been able to forget her, the summer they had spent together. He has finally learnt to content himself with the memories and thinks that he would never be able to find her. And suddenly one day she turns up!

Allie is engaged to another man, Lon Hammond-A well know man and their marriage is just three weeks away. But she realises that the memories of her long lost love has never dimmed all these years and that is what makes her go back and meet him one last time. Things that followed the meeting changes their lives.

The story does not end there, in fact it is quite the beginning of their beautiful love story. The ending is not exactly a happy or a sad one but a mixture of the too which will make you smile and cry at the same time. True love is eternal but some times memories fade away, because there is always something that is not in our hand, some circumstances in life we can't change or avoid. The love described in the story is profound. It is poignant love story that will move you deeply.

To quote from the book:

"I am nothing special; of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I have led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me,this has always been enough."

Linking it to Nicholas Sparks reading challenge hosted by The Book Vixen