'Tis a book recommendation/discourage thread

Taken behind the perspective of a dog who learned his intelligence from television, born with a flat tongue, Enzo the Golden Retriever watches as his master and eventual family grows, reduces, and events happen that send detrimental effects to all party members. Enzo, with the soul of a human 'blessed' by the body of a dog, must keep silent and pained with the knowledge of what's to come while trying to remain hopeful and cling onto the memories of happiness shared by the new family. As his master goes out to race, Enzo tells us human readers how a dog can be 'more' human than a human can be at times.

The novel is both depressing and happy at the same time. Much like family life, it has ups, down, twists and turns. Language is modern and, yes, the dog mentally curses. Might have to wrap around the concept of a dog learning from television and be lenient on it.

Oh, be careful: you might love Enzo by the end; and, there is an ideology you might need to take and accept as it is.

I recommend this book because it can be cute and funny in its way. Often you hear family life from the humans in books, not so much an animal, so it's nice to get a taste of what they're getting, what 'pain' they suffer from having knowledge but not being able to talk. It's a bit moralistic and allows you to immerse in other perspectives.

Governments have collapsed from economical and hardships; but, in the case of the Republic of Greater East Asia - Japan and other Asian countries - they have resolved their economical hardships and have thus prospered under laws and dictatorship. Setting in Japan in a different timeline - as it is now a socialist state - the passed Program sets 50 classes of junior high students to a cruel game of death and mistrust.

Following Shuya Nanahara, his class is kidnapped under the guise of a study trip and must participate in the Program: kill everyone till one stands under strict rules. Provided weapons and provisions, each must set out and disband previously established trust in order to stay alive under a cruel government.

If you guys need to relate this to anything, relate to Hunger Games - though made earlier. It's even more depressing and ultra-violent. While the narration does not stay with Shuya, the change of perspective allows for one to see the ultra-gory death of each person. If you really cannot take blood and bits of brain, do stay away.

Originally a foreign book translated into English, it may be hard to find in your local library and may have translation mistakes.

Definitely recommend it! Why? It's violent and awesome! In the book, you also see how trust really screws with people's heads and the attempts of some to struggle against an all-powerful government that was built on 'success'. Definitely read it!

A group of people in Iraq (I think) kidnap a woman named Evelyn Bishop, a former archeologist, which somehow centers around a mysterious book hidden long ago, a symbol of a snake eating its own tail, symbolizing eternity.

Mia Bishop, the daughter of Evelyn, with the help of the police, must try to gain information and locate the book before torture and death falls upon Evelyn. The greatest mystery the book holds has only brought destruction and ruin in the path of those wielding it, thousands and thousands of chaos, crossing time and place. Why do the group of people want it at the cost of a life? Why?

Perspective changes very often and is confusing if not stated the name immediately. The novel also changes location and time period throughout the telling. We get both the protagonist and antagonist views. Eventually all needed information will be given. There is no romance between first impression/first look and already-established loves. You must be able to think and connect ideas to fully understand the book. There's not that many killings.

I recommend this book because it takes a classic question and turns it into a high-action fiction. It's also a contemplative book in that you must look at the themes given and must think about it based on your morals. Also, historical fiction is cool... when done right.

A mysterious murder has befallen Swindon, Wiltshire: the killing of Wellington, a dog, with a garden fork. Neighbor of the dog's owner, Christopher Boone, a highly autistic boy of 15, embarks on the case to find out the murderer while also discovering and noting parts of his life and secrets held within.

Told in first-person, the novel centers around Christopher's autism and the workings of his head, especially math, which he is good at. The book seems to stray from the original objective of finding the murderer in telling the back story and feelings of the protagonist, but it all ties together in the end. There are interesting concepts introduced to the reader. Morals are tested here, as well as the ability to understand those that are disordered.

I recommend this book because it is also a moral/contemplative book. Rather being a character study than the actual case, it's very interesting to get into the mind of an autistic child who happens to have smarts in mathematics than talking. It's one of those narrators that I can try to relate to than I can already relate to with a normal girl/guy.