Sovereign. Deadly. Perfect.

 

Night Film

-Marisha Plessl

First off, my apologies on the hiatus; I’ve been a busy gal. Secondly, I’ve decided to make up for that with a review of a book that I found completely mesmerizing and absolutely fantastic. If it was a movie, you’d be on the edge of your seat the entire time.

The story begins with the suicide of a young woman, Ashley. Nothing out of the ordinary about it, except for the fact that she’s dead. We then learn that she’s the daughter of brilliant film director, Stanislas Cordova, and no one has seen or heard from him in years. No one suspects anything suspicious. Almost. In comes Scott McGrath, disgraced investigative journalist, who believes that Ashley’s suicide is anything but a cut and dried case. He’s decided to make it his life’s mission to uncover the mystery regarding Ashley’s death. Oh, and the reason he’s a disgraced writer is because he tried to go after Cordova, and Cordova won. A revenge tale? Perhaps.

I loved this book. I couldn’t get enough of it. The writing is brilliant and it keeps you on your toes at all times. Nothing is ever as it seems, and secrets are always being uncovered, but you never know if those secrets are truth or lies. I found myself being completely absorbed in this story. There were times, when the story was so intense and perilous that I found myself pulled into the emotions. I’d be reading on the bus on the way to work, and when I had to put the book down to walk into work, I was nervous and suspicious of everything around me, and felt like I was in danger. I’d have to literally (actually literally, and not the colloquial way) shake my head and remind myself that it wasn’t me experiencing that. I was pulled in the entire time.

This book was dark, twisted, beautifully written, well informed and completely enthralling. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes murder mysteries, detective stories and cult films. A great read.

-T

Cheaters Never Prosper

The Silent Wife

-A.S.A. Harrison

This is a book that came out recently, and I picked it up because the cover intrigued me. That’s right: I judge books by their covers. How else are you supposed to decide?

The story is about Jodi and Todd, a married couple that are on the rocks. Todd is a committed cheater, and Jodi is in a constant state of denial. Neither of them know that they are on a path to murder; she the killer and he the victim.

This was a very intriguing book. Each chapter goes back and forth between his and her perspectives, which I found quite refreshing. I’ve come to realize that I like to read from the male point of view just as much as the female. I used to only read books that were about the girl, but now I really enjoy both. Both characters are well written with a very clear and distinct voice; they are almost complete contrasts of the other. Todd is a workaholic who desperately wants children. He runs his own company that he built from nothing, and wants more than anything to have a son to pass it all on to. He’s good to his wife, except when he’s cheating on her, which is frequently. He provides for her and encourages her to go after her dreams. Jodi is a therapist and stay at home wife. She loves to cook and take care of her husband and their dog, Freud. She doesn’t ever want to have children, and she’s determined to avoid her parent’s mistakes. She knows he cheats on her, and she gets her revenge in little, unnoticeable ways. However, something happens, or rather someone happens, to destroy the perfectly woven fabric of their lives.

I did like this book, however I think that it could have been much more than it was. There is a lot of discussion of the main character’s childhoods, and the events that occurred to shape who they are, but once the event is discovered, it’s only briefly touched on. A lot of build up, and then it’s just over. I was left wanting more for both Todd and Jodi. A lot of time is spent discussing the psychology of behaviour, when there is a lot of behaviour that I would have enjoyed actually reading about.

Nonetheless, a good story, with good characters. I would recommend this to someone who enjoys psychology, is intrigued by relationships, and doesn’t mind knowing what the end game is.

-T

Something Nice for a Rainy Day

Falling Together

-Marisa De Los Santos

This was a real pleasant surprise of a book. Being that I work in a book store, we often have free, unedited copies sent to us from the publisher to read and review before they are released. This was one of them. (Although, I think this one was sitting on the shelf for quite some time before I picked it up; it was actually released back in 2011.)

This is the story of Pen, Cat, and Will, best friends in college until their friendship abruptly ended, and they went their separate ways. Six years later, single mother Pen receives a pleading email from Cat, asking her to meet her at their upcoming college reunion. Naturally, Pen goes. What happens there sends Pen and her friends on a journey that will change everything.

This story is wonderfully written, and I could barely put it down. It talks about friendship, love, loss and dealing with people moving on and moving away. I honestly don’t think I have any more to say about this one. It was a really nice book, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Their stories are joyful and at the same time a little heart-breaking.  Good story, good characters.

I would recommend this to anyone that needs a nice, lovely read; a “palette cleanser” between heavier books.

-T

The new J.K? I’m not so sure.

The Bone Season

-Samantha Shannon

This book came out a few weeks ago, and I read it because critics were saying the author was “the new J.K Rowling.” I thought that was ridiculous because no one will ever replace J.K in my heart and mind, but I thought I’d give it a shot anyways.

The story takes place in the year 2059 in London, but it’s not the London that any of us know, but a brand new world completely different from any we’d recognize. It is a world that is parallel to that of the spirit world. Some people are able to communicate, control, be possessed by and/or exist on the same plain as spirits, ghost and poltergeists. This is where our heroine, nineteen year old Paige Mahoney, comes in. She is able to project her own spirit into other’s minds, and discover their secrets. She is a commodity in the criminal underworld, and she is in the criminal underworld because clairvoyants like her are seen as abnormalities to the rest of the world. Her gift, if discovered, could land her in jail, or worse. Unfortunately for Paige, that’s exactly what happens.

I still can’t honestly decide whether I loved this book, or just kind of liked it. It’s definitely well written, I’ll give Shannon that, but it reads like a teen novel, when it is in fact categorized as adult fiction. This may have something to do with the fact that the author is twenty one years old. So I’m somewhere between “this book reads like a teen book, and it’s a little disjointed” to “bloody hell, she’s got a best selling novel, with six books still to come, the movie rights already purchased by Andy Serkis’ production company, and she’s twenty one”. I think the thing that bothered me the most about this book is that there is very little exposition off the top to help explain this completely different world. You are basically thrown into her world and good luck sorting it out.

This isn’t a bad book, by any means; I still finished it in about three days. I was hooked on the story by about half way through, and I am looking forward to the next installment. I simply do not think that she is the next J.K. I think that was a mistake comparing the two, and besides, wouldn’t you rather be the first “you” than the next “somebody else”?

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian futures, strong females, and who is looking for the next great series.

-T

Silly Name, Amazing Story.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

-Mary Anne Shaffer & Annie Barrows

 

Yes, yes, I know; it’s a ridiculous name. However! This book is absolutely fantastic. I met a really, lovely woman while working the other day, and she told me I just had to read this book. I had such nice chat with her, so I felt excited to read her recommendation. Needless to say, she didn’t let me down.

I can’t think of a better way to describe this book, so I’m going to give you the description from the back instead:

“January 1946: Writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.”

 I don’t normally like to read anything to do with any type of war, but this book stole my heart. It’s an odd sort of book, as it’s written entirely in the form of various letters written to and from a number of different characters, but Mary Anne and Annie pull it off nicely. The characters they’ve created are so real and vivid and true, that it’s hard to believe they’re a work of fiction. I love following along as Juliet meets and gets to know so many different people. You get to hear all of their stories, and see who they really are. You almost feel like you’re spying on their lives, because you’re privy to so much information and to such personal memories.

This book makes me want to travel more than I do, makes me miss letters, and wish I had a pen pal. It also makes me miss thoughtful and creative uses of the english language. They describe everyday things with such a vivid use of vocabulary and imagination! I read this book and I want to be a better writer, a better listener and a better friend.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys squandering away an afternoon with a good book and a cup of tea. A truly lovely read.

 

-T

A Summer Romance… with a Bit of a Twist.

The Rosie Project

-Graeme Simsion

As you may know, I work at a major bookstore chain. There’s a lady that I work with who reads and recommends great books; she’s never steered me wrong. She works out on the sales floor (while I am mostly at the cash desk) and she loves to find that perfect book for everyone who comes into the store. She likes to find easy, pop culture references to describe her new book of choice. For this book, she chose to describe it as “Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory is searching for a wife, and ends up falling for a girl like Penny”. Well, I think she’s pretty bang on.

This story follows Prof. Don Tillman. He’s a geneticist, who also happens to have Asberger’s Syndrome. (If you’re like me, and am not overly familiar with Asberger’s, it very basically means that he is exceptionally smart, but does not pick up on “normal” social cues, such as irony and humour.) Don realizes that he is lonely and needs to find himself a partner, so he starts the “Wife Project”, which is a very in-depth questionnaire that he believes will help him find his perfect woman. All is well, until along comes Rosie, who needs Don’s assistance to help her locate her biological father.

I have to say that I am absolutely in love with this book. It’s been a very long time since I’ve read something that I have fallen completely head over heels in love with. It’s charming, witty, endearing and honest. I am a sucker for a good romance, and I have to admit that it was very refreshing to hear it from the man’s perspective. Don has a different way of thinking and of interpreting the world around him, but he’s still a guy and no matter how hard we ladies think we understand them, we just do not think the way they do.

I fell in love with Don from the very first page. He’s such an amazing character! I loved being there for all of his discoveries and adventures. You know you’re attached to a character when you’re reading on public transit and laughing out loud at something they do or say. A bit embarrassing, but what can you do.

Beautifully written, and a perfect little gem. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a lovely summer read, with a twist on the typical love story.

Please read this! I just know you’ll love it.

-T

A Book to Nourish Your Soul

White Oleander

-Janet Fitch

I read this book because my lovely friend, Isha, made me promise that this would be the first book I reviewed on my blog. Well, a promise is a promise.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing is absolutely beautiful. It’s poetic, descriptive and honest. It’s heartfelt and heart wrenching.

I do have to admit though, that when I first started reading this book, I really didn’t like it and thought I would have to drag myself through it. Nothing was wrong with it, I just didn’t like it. The first bit of the book is full of beautiful poetry and imaginative story, but I personally found it to be a bit much, as that sort of writing just isn’t my thing. However, after a few pages, I got into it, got hooked, and then couldn’t put it down.

The story follows Astrid Magnussen, a twelve-year-old girl, whose mother is arrested for murder, leaving her to fend for herself in the foster care system. She goes through many different homes, and many different “mothers”, all the while yearning for the unconditional love that she should be receiving from her own perfectly healthy mother. She struggles with rejection, loss of self, love, puberty, and hard lessons. You can’t help but love Astrid and wish that you could make things better for her.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was one of those books where I wanted to savour every word. Some books, you get excited and skip ahead to see what happens next. Not this one. I didn’t want to miss one syllable. It took me a long time to finish this book, but not because I didn’t read it everyday, because I did. I felt that this book, and Astrid’s story, deserved my time. I would often find myself daydreaming while reading, because it sparked so many things/conversations/memories in my head. This is one of those books that I feel is now a part of me; a part of my soul.

I wouldn’t normally have chosen this book on my own, so I’m very glad it was recommended to me. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read something deep; something real.

-T