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liz_ross's reviews
44 reviews
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide by J.R. Ward
dark
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really liked this book and have so much to say about it. I am still thinking if I shouldn't write a review exclusively for Father Mine and make this one more general, because the short story absolutely deserves that.
Anyway, I absolutely love this book and I'm really glad I got it. So many details and stories about thr Brothers. So many laughs and smiles and heartwarming moments (and heartbreaking as well).
Father Mine owns my heart and is the absolute best part of this book. But oh man, those interviews... they are the very thing I didn't know I needed, but absolutely did. Then I think it was very thoughtful and kind from Ward to add her own writing and publishing experience along with some advice - I am sure it will help a lot of aspiring writers. Those deleted scenes are delightful and the last one owns a piece of my heart as well. The Slices of Life are another thing I didn't know I needed, but absolutely did - especially the ones about Phury. Oh boy, how Thor's current state broke my heart 💔
And the funny ones cracked me up. Just like the interview the Brothers did to Ward and that was absolutely delicious. I expected more from In Memorium, but it was sweet and the ending was really heartbreaking.
Full review coming soon!
Anyway, I absolutely love this book and I'm really glad I got it. So many details and stories about thr Brothers. So many laughs and smiles and heartwarming moments (and heartbreaking as well).
Father Mine owns my heart and is the absolute best part of this book. But oh man, those interviews... they are the very thing I didn't know I needed, but absolutely did. Then I think it was very thoughtful and kind from Ward to add her own writing and publishing experience along with some advice - I am sure it will help a lot of aspiring writers. Those deleted scenes are delightful and the last one owns a piece of my heart as well. The Slices of Life are another thing I didn't know I needed, but absolutely did - especially the ones about Phury. Oh boy, how Thor's current state broke my heart 💔
And the funny ones cracked me up. Just like the interview the Brothers did to Ward and that was absolutely delicious. I expected more from In Memorium, but it was sweet and the ending was really heartbreaking.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Drug abuse
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
"Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness."
If there's a story that in the beginning you have all the reason to think it is gonna be morbid, it's this one. Set in Germany during WWII. Told by Death. If there's a thing I though this story was going to be, it was morbid.
But it isn't. It isn't morbid at all. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, emotional, amazing. Death is one of the most extraordinary narrators I've ever seen, the perspective his narration gives to the story captivating me since the very beginning.
I was never the kind of person who cries while reading. Sure, some books manage to make my eyes water and my heart break. But I rarely cry, in the sense of having big, salty tears running down my cheeks. And yet, this book made me cry. Even now, thinking about the book, I feel my eyes watering, all those emotions I felt while reading coming back. Yes, the story hit me that bad.
Part of the beauty of this book is due to Liesel and Rudy themselves. They are children living in a world controled by fear, a world no one (especially a child) deserves to live in. They live in constant danger, every day possibly being the last, everything because of the actions of one man. But they are still children. They are capable of finding beauty around them, capable of living while adults only want to try to survive. They smile, they play soccer and go in adventures. They are happy, happy as only children can really be, and that hapiness lightens up the mood of the book, prevents it from getting morbid.
For me, however, what makes this book so especial is not that. It's the way Zusak plays with our hopes, with our emotions. I knew what was going to happen since the very moment Liesel made that stupid promise. I knew it without any doubts. And Zusak wrote it so clearly that I have no doubts his intention was for us to know. He could have hidden the truth, he could have made us keep reading without knowing and cruelly surprise us in the end. It would have been so easy. But that was not what he wanted. He wanted us to know. Because just that way, he could do what he did. Play with our hopes and emotions. Because I knew the truth, I knew how things would end, but they weren't ending. Things were going on, they were still there, alive and happy; so, so happy. And the hope things don't end badly, the hope that I was wrong, started to grow and grow. And when it became almost a certainty, when I finally started to really believe that I was wrong, what I feared the most became a reality. And my heart broke and tears started to fall. He broke my heart, but more than that, he destroyed my hopes. Hopes I chose to create, even if I knew the truth.
That, for me is what makes this book so especial. For a simple reason. Those hopes shattering, those tears falling, weren't just mine. Because stop for a moment and think. Think about how the people living during those times felt. Fearing something they could do nothing to stop. Fearing the day their nightmares would become real. But they were surviving, against all the odds they were still alive. And they started to believe the nightmares may never become real, they started to believe there's a chance things will end and they will be alive to celebrate that fact. And when destiny proves them wrong, their hopes were cruelly destroyed. Zusak was capable to give us a glimpse of what that feels like, what those people felt. And that is what not only makes this book so extraordinary, but also proves Zusak's talent.
A talent that this books can confirm over and over again. His writing style is simply beautiful. He makes places and people sound so alive, so real. He allows us to feel emotions so strongly. He allows us to live this story as if were part of it, as if we were there during the whole time. And the pace of the story is also perfect, making it impossible for you to feel bored while reading it.
But there's more. There's so much more to say about this book. I still didn't tell you about how it is also a story of courage. Not Liesel's or Rudy's courage. The courage of those adults trying to survive, but that are still willing to put their lives at risk to try to offer an innocent a chance to survive. I still didn't tell you about how it is also a story of love. Not the love that comes with a friendship like the one between Liesel and Rudy. The love between a father and a daughter, that is so beautifully described here. I still didn't tell you about how it is a story of details. Details that make you love this story more and more as you keep reading, details that allow all these characters to keep developing and growing, making them realistic, making your connection with them stronger than you wanted it to be. Details that make you cry even harder when everything falls apart, when the hapiness gives place to the grief and sadness. And I can't tell you about them all. Not only because that would destroy the story for you if you haven't read it yet, but also because I would never be able to make them justice, to make them sound as beautiful as they really are.
Overall, this is a book you must read. I know there are plenty of books about the WWII and many of you may be thinking this book is just one more of them. But it isn't. There's no book about the WWII that can mix together and so perfectly ugliness and beauty, that can make you smile and laugh just to later make you cry so hard for something you knew since the beginning that was going to happen. There's just no book capable to do what this one does - to bring so much beauty to a story that clearly shows you the unfairness and cruelty of those times.
"I'm always finding humans at their best and their worst. I see their ugly and their beauty and I wonder how the same can be both."
If there's a story that in the beginning you have all the reason to think it is gonna be morbid, it's this one. Set in Germany during WWII. Told by Death. If there's a thing I though this story was going to be, it was morbid.
But it isn't. It isn't morbid at all. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, emotional, amazing. Death is one of the most extraordinary narrators I've ever seen, the perspective his narration gives to the story captivating me since the very beginning.
I was never the kind of person who cries while reading. Sure, some books manage to make my eyes water and my heart break. But I rarely cry, in the sense of having big, salty tears running down my cheeks. And yet, this book made me cry. Even now, thinking about the book, I feel my eyes watering, all those emotions I felt while reading coming back. Yes, the story hit me that bad.
Part of the beauty of this book is due to Liesel and Rudy themselves. They are children living in a world controled by fear, a world no one (especially a child) deserves to live in. They live in constant danger, every day possibly being the last, everything because of the actions of one man. But they are still children. They are capable of finding beauty around them, capable of living while adults only want to try to survive. They smile, they play soccer and go in adventures. They are happy, happy as only children can really be, and that hapiness lightens up the mood of the book, prevents it from getting morbid.
For me, however, what makes this book so especial is not that. It's the way Zusak plays with our hopes, with our emotions. I knew what was going to happen since the very moment Liesel made that stupid promise. I knew it without any doubts. And Zusak wrote it so clearly that I have no doubts his intention was for us to know. He could have hidden the truth, he could have made us keep reading without knowing and cruelly surprise us in the end. It would have been so easy. But that was not what he wanted. He wanted us to know. Because just that way, he could do what he did. Play with our hopes and emotions. Because I knew the truth, I knew how things would end, but they weren't ending. Things were going on, they were still there, alive and happy; so, so happy. And the hope things don't end badly, the hope that I was wrong, started to grow and grow. And when it became almost a certainty, when I finally started to really believe that I was wrong, what I feared the most became a reality. And my heart broke and tears started to fall. He broke my heart, but more than that, he destroyed my hopes. Hopes I chose to create, even if I knew the truth.
That, for me is what makes this book so especial. For a simple reason. Those hopes shattering, those tears falling, weren't just mine. Because stop for a moment and think. Think about how the people living during those times felt. Fearing something they could do nothing to stop. Fearing the day their nightmares would become real. But they were surviving, against all the odds they were still alive. And they started to believe the nightmares may never become real, they started to believe there's a chance things will end and they will be alive to celebrate that fact. And when destiny proves them wrong, their hopes were cruelly destroyed. Zusak was capable to give us a glimpse of what that feels like, what those people felt. And that is what not only makes this book so extraordinary, but also proves Zusak's talent.
A talent that this books can confirm over and over again. His writing style is simply beautiful. He makes places and people sound so alive, so real. He allows us to feel emotions so strongly. He allows us to live this story as if were part of it, as if we were there during the whole time. And the pace of the story is also perfect, making it impossible for you to feel bored while reading it.
But there's more. There's so much more to say about this book. I still didn't tell you about how it is also a story of courage. Not Liesel's or Rudy's courage. The courage of those adults trying to survive, but that are still willing to put their lives at risk to try to offer an innocent a chance to survive. I still didn't tell you about how it is also a story of love. Not the love that comes with a friendship like the one between Liesel and Rudy. The love between a father and a daughter, that is so beautifully described here. I still didn't tell you about how it is a story of details. Details that make you love this story more and more as you keep reading, details that allow all these characters to keep developing and growing, making them realistic, making your connection with them stronger than you wanted it to be. Details that make you cry even harder when everything falls apart, when the hapiness gives place to the grief and sadness. And I can't tell you about them all. Not only because that would destroy the story for you if you haven't read it yet, but also because I would never be able to make them justice, to make them sound as beautiful as they really are.
Overall, this is a book you must read. I know there are plenty of books about the WWII and many of you may be thinking this book is just one more of them. But it isn't. There's no book about the WWII that can mix together and so perfectly ugliness and beauty, that can make you smile and laugh just to later make you cry so hard for something you knew since the beginning that was going to happen. There's just no book capable to do what this one does - to bring so much beauty to a story that clearly shows you the unfairness and cruelty of those times.
"I'm always finding humans at their best and their worst. I see their ugly and their beauty and I wonder how the same can be both."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Antisemitism
Moderate: Child death and Grief
The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness by António R. Damásio
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
A really interesting book, well-explained and with strong arguments. António Damásio wrote an extraordinary books about consciousness and his arguments are so strong and clear that I found myself agreeing with him and his theory to what really is consciousness.
Damásio takes it off the pedestal we so often put it on, splits it in several different parts and gives strong arguments to validate the division. And does that all with such passion for the subject that you can't help wanting to know more, to read more, to find out what else he has to say.
The best part, though, is that even if having a knowledge base about anatomy and biology helps, it isn't a must to understand the book. Damásio explains the simple just as the complex, always with the same passion and attention that makes this book so extraordinary, easy to read and interesting.
A must read read for anyone interested in the mystery of the consciousness, offering a different perspective about it that is actually pretty reasonable and believable. I wouldn't be surprised if in some years, we would get the confirmation that Damásio's theory is correct.
Full review coming soon!
Damásio takes it off the pedestal we so often put it on, splits it in several different parts and gives strong arguments to validate the division. And does that all with such passion for the subject that you can't help wanting to know more, to read more, to find out what else he has to say.
The best part, though, is that even if having a knowledge base about anatomy and biology helps, it isn't a must to understand the book. Damásio explains the simple just as the complex, always with the same passion and attention that makes this book so extraordinary, easy to read and interesting.
A must read read for anyone interested in the mystery of the consciousness, offering a different perspective about it that is actually pretty reasonable and believable. I wouldn't be surprised if in some years, we would get the confirmation that Damásio's theory is correct.
Full review coming soon!
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
adventurous
funny
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
"I'd rather die on an adventure than live standing still."
There are thousands of Fantasy books out there. Thousands of stories, thousands of worlds, thousands of ideas. There are so many that it came to a point I didn't think there was a chance something new could still be created. I didn't think there was a chance a new, original, unique idea could still show up. There was just too much already out there.
Schwab proved me wrong. Allow me to introduce A Darker Shade of Magic, a brilliant book, with an addicting writing style and a gorgeous world. Or worlds if we want to be precise. Three different worlds, that used to be four, connected by one city - London. Well, Londons, because each one, just like its world, is different. And I absolutely loved that concept. Having different worlds, which can be seen as dimensions, isn't new, of course. But Schwab did it so well.
Each London is so extraordinarly unique, so different from the others and you always know where you are, because the differences are that evident. We have the Red London, which is obviously the best and such a cool concept on its own that a story set exclusively in this world would have been already AMAZING. Then we have the White London, in which I would rather not live, but that is just as interesting, unique and extraordinary as the Red one - and if we are honest, a story set on this one alone would have been even more amazing than one exclusively set on the Red London. Grey London is plain and boring, pretty much a copy from our world London of some centuries ago. And still Schwab makes it so interesting, I wouldn't mind reading a book written by her set there. Then there's Black London - or there was. It is different, mysterious, almost a taboo. And obviously the most interesting of them all, a mirror of what could happen to any of the others if they aren't careful enough and I loved that. Loved how Schwab wrote about it and presented it so clearly even if Kell (our main character) never set a foot in that London. And loved it for its existance, because there was a warning, an example of what could happen, a danger unspoken but always present in the lives of everyone and that made everything so much more interesting.
After this obviously needed lesson of Geography (no need to thank me!), there must be a question you really want to see answered. I started by saying that Schwab proved me wrong by presenting a whole new idea and yet I was the one who admited that different worlds/dimensions isn't new. So, what the hell was I talking about, right?!
I was talking about the one thing about this world (these worlds?) that I haven't mentioned yet. The reason these four Londons are so different. Magic. And no, I didn't go crazy, I am perfectly aware that magic isn't new in Fantasy books either. But Schwab's version of magic is. Schwab presented magic as something alive, complex, dynamic. Completly different from anything I have ever read before. A magic that can be used by someone or use (and consume) that someone. A magic that can be as beautiful and interesting as it can be dangerous.
And because it's magic that make each London what it is, the world ends up being just as unique as the concept. A Red London, where magic is thriving. A White London, where magic is just as cruel as its rulers and seems to hide from those who desperately look for it. A Grey London, where magic is gone and was forgotten. A Black London, that used to exist, until it was consumed by magic, leaving nothing behind but a warning to the others Londons. It's a wonderful, complex, intriguing world I would give anything to visit.
Unfortunately, there's no way for me to visit it in person. But I had the chance to visit it while I read the book. Amd as I did so, an addiciting plot started being developed. A plot with betrayals, enemies, dangers, secrets and an unlikely partnership that may turn into something more. It's the "typical" plot of a Fantasy book. And yet calling it typical feels like an insult to this book, which is anything but typical. Thanks to the extraordinary and unique world where this plot takes place, we get to read about something that feels very unique as well. We don't know what to expect, because we were thrown into a world we still don't fully understand, that we are still exploring. The book is addicting, because we are reading it not only for the plot, but also for its refreshing world we want to know more about.
Not to mention that even the most boring, predictable of the plots (which isn't even the case) can sound interesting if it is lived by characters that are interesting enough. And this book's certainly are more than interesting. Most of them at least.
Kell is flawed, but caring and brave. A smuggler that plays a dangerous game but that doesn't shy away from responsabilties and will do everything to correct his mistakes. A realistic character I fell in love with and that is undoubtely a great main character.
I didn't fall for him as hard as I felt for Rhy, though. So, allow me to talk about Rhy, my new book boyfriend. A playboy prince with almost no magic in a world filled with it. A sweet, funny person that I only needed to see twice to declare my love for him. He is perfection, although nothing about him is perfect. I really hope I get to know more about him in the next books!
Athos and Astrid are quite interesting. Their roles on the story are quite obvious, but I don't think Schwab tried to hide it anyway. The story was already good enough without that needing to be hidden. Although I don't think there's a chance of that happening, I would really like to know more about them.
Just as I would like to know more about Holland, because I still don't know how I feel about him. I don't like him, not really, but I can't hate him either and he stirs feelings of pity and hatred and something that is quite close to love, puttijg me in this weird limbo, unable to express how I really feel. Getting to know more about him would really help me giving a name to my feelings about this complex character.
There's just one character I didn't like - Lila. Actually I couldn't stand her, to the point I would put the book down just so I wouldn't have to read more about her. Damn it, I am so glad I'm not Kell. Otherwise, I would have killed her to shut her up, which probably wouldn't have been my best idea. Lila was so freaking annoying, so freaking selfish and stubborn and prideful. AND ANNOYING. I couldn't care less if she wanted to be a pirate, a princess or a freaking lizard. JUST SHUT UP ALREADY. I must say she did get better near the ending, but I still had to put up with a character I hated for most of the book, because as she was the love interest she had to keep showing up.
Overall, this story is amazing and a phenomenal start for a series I definitely want to finish. The concept of magic as something alive is different, unique and something that caught my attention since the very beginning. The multiple worlds connected by one same city was also an idea I really enjoyed and that I hadn't read about yet. What made it even more interest was how unique and special each London was, which is also true for the characters of each London (even Lila, although I still don't like her). It's a really good book, with a complex and interesting world made unique by Schwab's concept of magic, filled with realistic characters you end up wanting to know much more about (unless it's Lila), and brought to life by Schwab's stunning writing style.
There are thousands of Fantasy books out there. Thousands of stories, thousands of worlds, thousands of ideas. There are so many that it came to a point I didn't think there was a chance something new could still be created. I didn't think there was a chance a new, original, unique idea could still show up. There was just too much already out there.
Schwab proved me wrong. Allow me to introduce A Darker Shade of Magic, a brilliant book, with an addicting writing style and a gorgeous world. Or worlds if we want to be precise. Three different worlds, that used to be four, connected by one city - London. Well, Londons, because each one, just like its world, is different. And I absolutely loved that concept. Having different worlds, which can be seen as dimensions, isn't new, of course. But Schwab did it so well.
Each London is so extraordinarly unique, so different from the others and you always know where you are, because the differences are that evident. We have the Red London, which is obviously the best and such a cool concept on its own that a story set exclusively in this world would have been already AMAZING. Then we have the White London, in which I would rather not live, but that is just as interesting, unique and extraordinary as the Red one - and if we are honest, a story set on this one alone would have been even more amazing than one exclusively set on the Red London. Grey London is plain and boring, pretty much a copy from our world London of some centuries ago. And still Schwab makes it so interesting, I wouldn't mind reading a book written by her set there. Then there's Black London - or there was. It is different, mysterious, almost a taboo. And obviously the most interesting of them all, a mirror of what could happen to any of the others if they aren't careful enough and I loved that. Loved how Schwab wrote about it and presented it so clearly even if Kell (our main character) never set a foot in that London. And loved it for its existance, because there was a warning, an example of what could happen, a danger unspoken but always present in the lives of everyone and that made everything so much more interesting.
After this obviously needed lesson of Geography (no need to thank me!), there must be a question you really want to see answered. I started by saying that Schwab proved me wrong by presenting a whole new idea and yet I was the one who admited that different worlds/dimensions isn't new. So, what the hell was I talking about, right?!
I was talking about the one thing about this world (these worlds?) that I haven't mentioned yet. The reason these four Londons are so different. Magic. And no, I didn't go crazy, I am perfectly aware that magic isn't new in Fantasy books either. But Schwab's version of magic is. Schwab presented magic as something alive, complex, dynamic. Completly different from anything I have ever read before. A magic that can be used by someone or use (and consume) that someone. A magic that can be as beautiful and interesting as it can be dangerous.
And because it's magic that make each London what it is, the world ends up being just as unique as the concept. A Red London, where magic is thriving. A White London, where magic is just as cruel as its rulers and seems to hide from those who desperately look for it. A Grey London, where magic is gone and was forgotten. A Black London, that used to exist, until it was consumed by magic, leaving nothing behind but a warning to the others Londons. It's a wonderful, complex, intriguing world I would give anything to visit.
Unfortunately, there's no way for me to visit it in person. But I had the chance to visit it while I read the book. Amd as I did so, an addiciting plot started being developed. A plot with betrayals, enemies, dangers, secrets and an unlikely partnership that may turn into something more. It's the "typical" plot of a Fantasy book. And yet calling it typical feels like an insult to this book, which is anything but typical. Thanks to the extraordinary and unique world where this plot takes place, we get to read about something that feels very unique as well. We don't know what to expect, because we were thrown into a world we still don't fully understand, that we are still exploring. The book is addicting, because we are reading it not only for the plot, but also for its refreshing world we want to know more about.
Not to mention that even the most boring, predictable of the plots (which isn't even the case) can sound interesting if it is lived by characters that are interesting enough. And this book's certainly are more than interesting. Most of them at least.
Kell is flawed, but caring and brave. A smuggler that plays a dangerous game but that doesn't shy away from responsabilties and will do everything to correct his mistakes. A realistic character I fell in love with and that is undoubtely a great main character.
I didn't fall for him as hard as I felt for Rhy, though. So, allow me to talk about Rhy, my new book boyfriend. A playboy prince with almost no magic in a world filled with it. A sweet, funny person that I only needed to see twice to declare my love for him. He is perfection, although nothing about him is perfect. I really hope I get to know more about him in the next books!
Athos and Astrid are quite interesting. Their roles on the story are quite obvious, but I don't think Schwab tried to hide it anyway. The story was already good enough without that needing to be hidden. Although I don't think there's a chance of that happening, I would really like to know more about them.
Just as I would like to know more about Holland, because I still don't know how I feel about him. I don't like him, not really, but I can't hate him either and he stirs feelings of pity and hatred and something that is quite close to love, puttijg me in this weird limbo, unable to express how I really feel. Getting to know more about him would really help me giving a name to my feelings about this complex character.
There's just one character I didn't like - Lila. Actually I couldn't stand her, to the point I would put the book down just so I wouldn't have to read more about her. Damn it, I am so glad I'm not Kell. Otherwise, I would have killed her to shut her up, which probably wouldn't have been my best idea. Lila was so freaking annoying, so freaking selfish and stubborn and prideful. AND ANNOYING. I couldn't care less if she wanted to be a pirate, a princess or a freaking lizard. JUST SHUT UP ALREADY. I must say she did get better near the ending, but I still had to put up with a character I hated for most of the book, because as she was the love interest she had to keep showing up.
Overall, this story is amazing and a phenomenal start for a series I definitely want to finish. The concept of magic as something alive is different, unique and something that caught my attention since the very beginning. The multiple worlds connected by one same city was also an idea I really enjoyed and that I hadn't read about yet. What made it even more interest was how unique and special each London was, which is also true for the characters of each London (even Lila, although I still don't like her). It's a really good book, with a complex and interesting world made unique by Schwab's concept of magic, filled with realistic characters you end up wanting to know much more about (unless it's Lila), and brought to life by Schwab's stunning writing style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault
Munich by Robert Harris
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I almost died of boredom and I am still trying to understand how. A war is about to happen, an attempt to depose Hitler is being planned, the characters are all diplomats and politicians, which should imply at least a bit of political intrigue. And yet, I ended up wondering if I shouldn't paint my wall and watch the paint dry instead - it would have been far more interesting.
I think it's the writing style that is at fault. It is perfect to give some quite beautiful, somewhat remarkable sentences and moments, but to make things thrilling? Absolutely not. And the thrilling was a must in a book like this. We already now the plan won't work, because Hitler did start a war. We already now that Chamberlain will convince Hitler to do not attack Czechoslovak, because the war only started a year later. The thriller was needed to allow the reader to forget all that and get invested on the story. It was needed to make the reader interested, to make them wonder "what if?".
The characters don't help either. They are well characterized, but they lack emotions. I am told they feel this or that, but there's always this distance Harris put between the reader and the characters. I can't feel those emotions, I can only know they are feeling them. And that's not the same. That doesn't let me connect with the characters.
I did like the historical details, though. And Harris did a pretty good job mixing fictional and real characters to the point I ended up wondering if there wasn't a chance Hartmann did exist.
And even if I couldn't appreciate the story, I do admire Harris for his choice. He set the story a year before the war started. He chose to write about the pre-war time instead of the war's. That's different and refreshing. We are so used to see books about the WWII, set somewhere between 1939 and 1945, that we forget there was this whole set of events in the years prior to its start that are also worthy having books talking about them.
Full review coming soon!
I think it's the writing style that is at fault. It is perfect to give some quite beautiful, somewhat remarkable sentences and moments, but to make things thrilling? Absolutely not. And the thrilling was a must in a book like this. We already now the plan won't work, because Hitler did start a war. We already now that Chamberlain will convince Hitler to do not attack Czechoslovak, because the war only started a year later. The thriller was needed to allow the reader to forget all that and get invested on the story. It was needed to make the reader interested, to make them wonder "what if?".
The characters don't help either. They are well characterized, but they lack emotions. I am told they feel this or that, but there's always this distance Harris put between the reader and the characters. I can't feel those emotions, I can only know they are feeling them. And that's not the same. That doesn't let me connect with the characters.
I did like the historical details, though. And Harris did a pretty good job mixing fictional and real characters to the point I ended up wondering if there wasn't a chance Hartmann did exist.
And even if I couldn't appreciate the story, I do admire Harris for his choice. He set the story a year before the war started. He chose to write about the pre-war time instead of the war's. That's different and refreshing. We are so used to see books about the WWII, set somewhere between 1939 and 1945, that we forget there was this whole set of events in the years prior to its start that are also worthy having books talking about them.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Antisemitism, and Racism
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It was complex, fascinating, addicting. Impossible to forget, unique. Unsettling, breathtaking, extraordinary. It was all that and more. One of the best Mystery books I've ever read, complex and intricate and impossible to guess even if you do have all the clues right there, waiting for you to put them together like pieces of a puzzle.
And the characters! Oh, the characters! This is a freaking masterpiece when it comes to characters. Complex, individual, unique, realistic. Imperfect perfection, just how all characters should be. Aiden is 8 diferent persons and yet every single one of them is unique. And so is Aiden. They are the same person and different persons at the same time and the way Turtpn managed to make that clear is extraordinary.
It was all that. But it was also disappoiting in so many ways. I was so scared of how Turton would explain the whole thing, I didn't have time to worry about the ending. Worse, I was even excited to read it, because I never thought it could be bad. Turns out, Turton pulled out a pretty reasonable explanation for everything (which proves how talented he is), but failed to deliever a satisfying ending. The complexity of the characters, the real ones (?), is something I can't help but appreciate. However, the way they got redemption? That's not right; I can't accept that. It's an easy way out, it's giving up.
It took away so much of the joy I felt. The plot was so good; so perfect; a delicious, intricate web of lies, conspiracies and murders that had everything to delight me. I guessed some of the plot twists, while others made my jaw drop. Literally. And I loved it. And hated it (but in a good way). And I was so happy and then... that. And I just can't forgive that ending, I just can't forgive Turton for how insatisfactory that ending was for such a great book. He had given me a satisfactory explanation and after that ending I was left wanting more, needing more answers, because what made a little sense ended up making no sense at all, because Turton overcomplicated something that was already complicated on its own. And then there's the second chances. I can't accept them too. I can't because no matter how much I believe in second chances, I can't accept them if they happen as Turton made them. It's wrong. It's not redemption, it's not a second chance. It's not right, especially not after everything that happened in the book.
I want to forget the ending so badly, to rate this book solely based on all the rest. It would have been so close of the 5 stars that way. But I can't. I can't let go, I can't forget the ending just because I don't like it. I wish I could, but it wouldn't be right. And it breaks my heart more than anything that happened in the book (and trust me, there was a certain part that truly broke my heart).
Full review coming soon!
And the characters! Oh, the characters! This is a freaking masterpiece when it comes to characters. Complex, individual, unique, realistic. Imperfect perfection, just how all characters should be. Aiden is 8 diferent persons and yet every single one of them is unique. And so is Aiden. They are the same person and different persons at the same time and the way Turtpn managed to make that clear is extraordinary.
It was all that. But it was also disappoiting in so many ways. I was so scared of how Turton would explain the whole thing, I didn't have time to worry about the ending. Worse, I was even excited to read it, because I never thought it could be bad. Turns out, Turton pulled out a pretty reasonable explanation for everything (which proves how talented he is), but failed to deliever a satisfying ending. The complexity of the characters, the real ones (?), is something I can't help but appreciate. However, the way they got redemption? That's not right; I can't accept that. It's an easy way out, it's giving up.
It took away so much of the joy I felt. The plot was so good; so perfect; a delicious, intricate web of lies, conspiracies and murders that had everything to delight me. I guessed some of the plot twists, while others made my jaw drop. Literally. And I loved it. And hated it (but in a good way). And I was so happy and then... that. And I just can't forgive that ending, I just can't forgive Turton for how insatisfactory that ending was for such a great book. He had given me a satisfactory explanation and after that ending I was left wanting more, needing more answers, because what made a little sense ended up making no sense at all, because Turton overcomplicated something that was already complicated on its own. And then there's the second chances. I can't accept them too. I can't because no matter how much I believe in second chances, I can't accept them if they happen as Turton made them. It's wrong. It's not redemption, it's not a second chance. It's not right, especially not after everything that happened in the book.
I want to forget the ending so badly, to rate this book solely based on all the rest. It would have been so close of the 5 stars that way. But I can't. I can't let go, I can't forget the ending just because I don't like it. I wish I could, but it wouldn't be right. And it breaks my heart more than anything that happened in the book (and trust me, there was a certain part that truly broke my heart).
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use and Fire/Fire injury
O Crime do Padre Amaro by Eça de Queirós
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I get why Eça de Queiros create Amaro as he was, I do. But damn it, enjoying 503 pages about a character I loathe more than any character I've met before is just not possible. Not for me at least. And there's no redemption for Amaro. The hypocrisy, the lies, the manipulation, the gaslighting. I understand why, but I can't appreciate it. And the partinalistic behaviour Amaro had with Amélia freaked me out.
The we have João Eduardo (or whatever is his name) who I am still not sure if he is meant to be a victim or just another idiot. Which is a problem because he is clearly a walking red flag just like Amaro and I highly doubt that was the point.
Oh and let's not forget Amélia. Or maybe we should forget her, because there's nothing about her worth remembering. She is just bland.
The only enjoyable character was Ferrão and he was there for less than a third of the book, so it can't really count.
But I did enjoy the description of the society, which Eça had already proven to me that he could do brilliantly when I read Os Maias. And I can't say I like the ending, but I do understand why it ended like that and I can appreciate what was done.
Full review coming soon!
The we have João Eduardo (or whatever is his name) who I am still not sure if he is meant to be a victim or just another idiot. Which is a problem because he is clearly a walking red flag just like Amaro and I highly doubt that was the point.
Oh and let's not forget Amélia. Or maybe we should forget her, because there's nothing about her worth remembering. She is just bland.
The only enjoyable character was Ferrão and he was there for less than a third of the book, so it can't really count.
But I did enjoy the description of the society, which Eça had already proven to me that he could do brilliantly when I read Os Maias. And I can't say I like the ending, but I do understand why it ended like that and I can appreciate what was done.
Full review coming soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Child death
Filipa de Lencastre: A Rainha Que Mudou Portugal by Isabel Stilwell
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I am definitely not mourning the death of a character that had obviously to die at the end. Obviously I am not stupid enough to get emotionally destroyed by the death of the one character that even if you know nothing about Philippa's life, you knew that was going to die at the end.
Oh gosh, who am I kidding? Yes, I am mourning her death. Yes, I am emotionally destroyed. Yes, I am in ghr very beginning of the first reading slump of the year, because there's absolutely no way I will want to read anything after the beautiful ending of this book. AND I AM FINE WITH THAT. WHAT I AM NOT FINE WITH IS PHILIPPA'S DEATH.
The book is beautiful. A romance, there's no doubts about that much - I don't think I have ever seen so many arraged marriages that work out so well together in the same book. But I don't think I would have wanted it in any other way. I knew I was coming for a romanticized version of History and I don't leave disappointed. That's what I got and it was beautiful and I will be forever in love with this Stilwell's version of D. João I, Philippa of Lancaster, John of Gaunt and all the other characters.
I felt in love with the characters, just as I felt in love with the writing style and the story. Real characters mixed with fictional ones, in a story that could very much be the reality (with a little too much love, but what's life without love?!). The devotion of Philippa, the sweet gestures of D. João, the pride and greed of a John of Gaunt so deeply in love with Katherine, the bounds and relationships between friends and sisters and brothers that are to die for.
All I wish was more time. Why had time to go by so fast? Why not give a few more glimpses of these extraordinary characters in each year? Longer chaprers, more chapters. I don't care. I would have read a book twice the size of this one if I could get that. The writing style is definitely good enough for that.
And a bit more emotion, which would have definitely been possible with more time, to show how the deaths affected everyone, specially Phillipa, who loved so deeply and yet couldn't show it. I am not asking for tears, that's not who Phillipa was, but the description of pure motherly fear for Afonso that allowed her to forget protocole, the pain she felt when Blanche died, all the three Blanches. More of that, more time to see her dealing with that. That's all I wish I could have had.
And more of João and Philippa, because they were so ridiculously sweet and a part of me knows the real João and Philippa couldn't have been really like this, but I just don't care. Stilwell makes it all sound credible, makes me believe it and so I will believe it, because it makes me happy, thank you.
More things I can't forget when I write this review? The predictions, in the stars, which fits so well the book about the mother of the generation that guiding themselves by the stars built an Empire, and from the gypsy - I know deep down they were unlikely to have happened, but one can always dream and it would have been so good. Also my undying love for this absolutely gorgeous ending that couldn't have been better - but I think I had already mentioned that along with my stupidity for allowing myself to love so much the one woman I knew that couldn't be alive at the end of this book, hadn't I? Oh well, now I mentioned it again, which is fine, because, trust me, this ending? GORGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL.
Full review coming soon (yes, this is not my review, just a long description of my love for this book that feels my heart with joy)!
Oh gosh, who am I kidding? Yes, I am mourning her death. Yes, I am emotionally destroyed. Yes, I am in ghr very beginning of the first reading slump of the year, because there's absolutely no way I will want to read anything after the beautiful ending of this book. AND I AM FINE WITH THAT. WHAT I AM NOT FINE WITH IS PHILIPPA'S DEATH.
The book is beautiful. A romance, there's no doubts about that much - I don't think I have ever seen so many arraged marriages that work out so well together in the same book. But I don't think I would have wanted it in any other way. I knew I was coming for a romanticized version of History and I don't leave disappointed. That's what I got and it was beautiful and I will be forever in love with this Stilwell's version of D. João I, Philippa of Lancaster, John of Gaunt and all the other characters.
I felt in love with the characters, just as I felt in love with the writing style and the story. Real characters mixed with fictional ones, in a story that could very much be the reality (with a little too much love, but what's life without love?!). The devotion of Philippa, the sweet gestures of D. João, the pride and greed of a John of Gaunt so deeply in love with Katherine, the bounds and relationships between friends and sisters and brothers that are to die for.
All I wish was more time. Why had time to go by so fast? Why not give a few more glimpses of these extraordinary characters in each year? Longer chaprers, more chapters. I don't care. I would have read a book twice the size of this one if I could get that. The writing style is definitely good enough for that.
And a bit more emotion, which would have definitely been possible with more time, to show how the deaths affected everyone, specially Phillipa, who loved so deeply and yet couldn't show it. I am not asking for tears, that's not who Phillipa was, but the description of pure motherly fear for Afonso that allowed her to forget protocole, the pain she felt when Blanche died, all the three Blanches. More of that, more time to see her dealing with that. That's all I wish I could have had.
And more of João and Philippa, because they were so ridiculously sweet and a part of me knows the real João and Philippa couldn't have been really like this, but I just don't care. Stilwell makes it all sound credible, makes me believe it and so I will believe it, because it makes me happy, thank you.
More things I can't forget when I write this review? The predictions, in the stars, which fits so well the book about the mother of the generation that guiding themselves by the stars built an Empire, and from the gypsy - I know deep down they were unlikely to have happened, but one can always dream and it would have been so good. Also my undying love for this absolutely gorgeous ending that couldn't have been better - but I think I had already mentioned that along with my stupidity for allowing myself to love so much the one woman I knew that couldn't be alive at the end of this book, hadn't I? Oh well, now I mentioned it again, which is fine, because, trust me, this ending? GORGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL.
Full review coming soon (yes, this is not my review, just a long description of my love for this book that feels my heart with joy)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, and Rape
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"Loving someone means risking your heart being broken. But those moments you are together triumph over any hardship."
I saw this book for the first time on Goodreads. I felt in love with its cover right away. And I knew I wouldn't rest until I read it. It wasn't just because I was in love with the cover, though, you know? It was also that unshakable feeling that this book was going to be great.
And it was. Really, really great. I am sure that by now you already know how much I love having the chance to guess who the murderer is when there's one, but end up really upset if I ever do guess who s/he was too early. Because if I do, then I am just there, reading and yelling at the characters because they are too stupid to see what's right in front of them.
That's why I know this book is really great. Because even after I was so sure I had guessed everything there was to guess, I still wanted to keep reading. That urge to read this book till its last page hadn't vanished. And I am so glad I kept reading, because, yes, I had guessed everything right, but I hadn't guessed everything there was to guess. I had not guessed a tiny detail and we all know that in books sometimes it's the tiny details that make the difference between a good book and a great book. That wasn't exactly the case - the detail wasn't that 💫WOW💫 -, but it made everything even better.
Of course, the book isn't a bed of roses(I have never understood this expression - how can a bed of roses be a good thing?!). For starters, the world doesn't get enough development. I liked the concept and I think it could have been really great - it may not have been the most original idea for a world that I have ever seen, but it had its own interesting twist -, but it is just not developed enough. And honestly, if it was to develop the whole world and the background that led to its current political situation so little, we would have been far better with no development at all. It just raises way more questions than it answers - I mean, how was spliting the kindgom in quarters the solution to their problems?!.
Then there's Keralie. I do like her character. Just as I like all the other characters. They were well-written and had a really great development. And they have amazing personalities that make the book even more interesting. But there's this one thing about Keralie that bothered me through the whole book - HOW CAN SOMEONE WHO KEEPS TELLING ME THAT SHE FEELS BEYOND GUILTY ABOUT HER CHOICES SEEM SO GUILT-FREE ALL THE TIME?! Yes, what happened was a tragic accident and definitely not her fault. But she blames herself, or at least she keeps telling the reader that she does, and yet we never see that in her actions (or her thoughts) except when it is convenient to the plot.
And do you know what else I don't like, even if I like the characters? The romantic relationship. It is pointless. You have no doubts you'll have a love interest since the moment you read Keralie's description of Varin. But throughout the book, you can't help but wonder why is this love interest here. Not the character in himself, Varin is great, but the character as a love interest. Is it because this is a Fantasy and <i>all</i> Fantasy books need a love interest? Is it too add 💫drama💫? Because if it is, it failed miserably. WHY IS IT IN THE BOOK? All the other relationships I can understand and their amazing dynamics add something to the book. But Keralie and Varin's? I really can't understand that one.
However, these problems weren't enough to make me not enjoy the book as much as I did. And do you know why? Because Scholte is a hell of a writer. You could have guessed that already in the beginning of my review - she had to be really good to make me want to keep reading a book when I was sure there was nothing else to know that I hadn't already guessed. But right now, you can't have any doubts that she is indeed good - otherwise these three issues together would have made the book a little less enjoyable.
Scholte wrote a book with a plot that I saw for the first time - a murder mystery set in a fantasy world. It wasn't the hardest mystery to solve and it wasn't the most well-developed fantasy world I ever saw, but the two things together made it unique. Not only that but she managed to have six different perspectives in her book, all but one in the third person, and have it make sense. Which would have been hard on its own, but she also set for a complex timeline that would jump from the present to the past without warning (which I still don't understand why as the book would have been just as good with a straight timeline). And she made it work. Wonderfully, may I add, because the book really profited from it - thanks to that, to an amazign set of characters and to an amazing writing style, Scholte managed to write a really interesting, addicting book, I had no trouble reading till the end.
Overall, this book has problems, which may make the book less enjoyable for many readers. And that's obviously understandable. But it also has great things - like the attempt to join two genres you rarely see together and the whole mystery, which may be easy to solve but is definitely interesting. And the great writing style also helps. It may not be a complex book I am sure many may come looking for, but it is a funny, light read that may definitely help you get out of a reading slump.
I saw this book for the first time on Goodreads. I felt in love with its cover right away. And I knew I wouldn't rest until I read it. It wasn't just because I was in love with the cover, though, you know? It was also that unshakable feeling that this book was going to be great.
And it was. Really, really great. I am sure that by now you already know how much I love having the chance to guess who the murderer is when there's one, but end up really upset if I ever do guess who s/he was too early. Because if I do, then I am just there, reading and yelling at the characters because they are too stupid to see what's right in front of them.
That's why I know this book is really great. Because even after I was so sure I had guessed everything there was to guess, I still wanted to keep reading. That urge to read this book till its last page hadn't vanished. And I am so glad I kept reading, because, yes, I had guessed everything right, but I hadn't guessed everything there was to guess. I had not guessed a tiny detail and we all know that in books sometimes it's the tiny details that make the difference between a good book and a great book. That wasn't exactly the case - the detail wasn't that 💫WOW💫 -, but it made everything even better.
Of course, the book isn't a bed of roses
Then there's Keralie. I do like her character. Just as I like all the other characters. They were well-written and had a really great development. And they have amazing personalities that make the book even more interesting. But there's this one thing about Keralie that bothered me through the whole book - HOW CAN SOMEONE WHO KEEPS TELLING ME THAT SHE FEELS BEYOND GUILTY ABOUT HER CHOICES SEEM SO GUILT-FREE ALL THE TIME?! Yes, what happened was a tragic accident and definitely not her fault. But she blames herself, or at least she keeps telling the reader that she does, and yet we never see that in her actions (or her thoughts) except when it is convenient to the plot.
And do you know what else I don't like, even if I like the characters? The romantic relationship. It is pointless. You have no doubts you'll have a love interest since the moment you read Keralie's description of Varin. But throughout the book, you can't help but wonder why is this love interest here. Not the character in himself, Varin is great, but the character as a love interest. Is it because this is a Fantasy and <i>all</i> Fantasy books need a love interest? Is it too add 💫drama💫? Because if it is, it failed miserably. WHY IS IT IN THE BOOK? All the other relationships I can understand and their amazing dynamics add something to the book. But Keralie and Varin's? I really can't understand that one.
However, these problems weren't enough to make me not enjoy the book as much as I did. And do you know why? Because Scholte is a hell of a writer. You could have guessed that already in the beginning of my review - she had to be really good to make me want to keep reading a book when I was sure there was nothing else to know that I hadn't already guessed. But right now, you can't have any doubts that she is indeed good - otherwise these three issues together would have made the book a little less enjoyable.
Scholte wrote a book with a plot that I saw for the first time - a murder mystery set in a fantasy world. It wasn't the hardest mystery to solve and it wasn't the most well-developed fantasy world I ever saw, but the two things together made it unique. Not only that but she managed to have six different perspectives in her book, all but one in the third person, and have it make sense. Which would have been hard on its own, but she also set for a complex timeline that would jump from the present to the past without warning (which I still don't understand why as the book would have been just as good with a straight timeline). And she made it work. Wonderfully, may I add, because the book really profited from it - thanks to that, to an amazign set of characters and to an amazing writing style, Scholte managed to write a really interesting, addicting book, I had no trouble reading till the end.
Overall, this book has problems, which may make the book less enjoyable for many readers. And that's obviously understandable. But it also has great things - like the attempt to join two genres you rarely see together and the whole mystery, which may be easy to solve but is definitely interesting. And the great writing style also helps. It may not be a complex book I am sure many may come looking for, but it is a funny, light read that may definitely help you get out of a reading slump.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Chronic illness
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
Jeez, I thought I would finish this! It is just so damn long and Darwin repeats himself over and over again and all I wanted was to hit my head against the wall.
But at the same time, WHAT A FREAKING GREAT BOOK! Darwin was a freaking genius and all the conclusions he got to are just unbelievable. He fid what all the other naturalist of the time refused to do - to see the world as it was, without being biased by their religious believes. Darwin was just as much a Christian as all the others, but he didn't let that blind him and he didn't try to force nature to be as his religion wanted it to be; he adapted his believes to the nature as they all should have done. And because he did so, he saw what others hadn't seen and it was amazing (although a bit too repetitive when he explained).
And the explanations, although repetitive (I hadn't told you that yet, I know), were so easy to understand! I was expecting it to be wayyy more complicated.
Also, other thing I loved is how Darwin shows in every page his love for biology. I don't think he even noticed it when he wrote the book, but it's so clear and I loved it. His fascination, his care, his attention, how he can find every single thing about nature - even the simpliest one - so incredibly beautiful and stunning. It's just wow! and I loved it.
And I would have loved it even more if he hadn't repeated himself OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
Full review coming soon!
But at the same time, WHAT A FREAKING GREAT BOOK! Darwin was a freaking genius and all the conclusions he got to are just unbelievable. He fid what all the other naturalist of the time refused to do - to see the world as it was, without being biased by their religious believes. Darwin was just as much a Christian as all the others, but he didn't let that blind him and he didn't try to force nature to be as his religion wanted it to be; he adapted his believes to the nature as they all should have done. And because he did so, he saw what others hadn't seen and it was amazing (although a bit too repetitive when he explained).
And the explanations, although repetitive (I hadn't told you that yet, I know), were so easy to understand! I was expecting it to be wayyy more complicated.
Also, other thing I loved is how Darwin shows in every page his love for biology. I don't think he even noticed it when he wrote the book, but it's so clear and I loved it. His fascination, his care, his attention, how he can find every single thing about nature - even the simpliest one - so incredibly beautiful and stunning. It's just wow! and I loved it.
And I would have loved it even more if he hadn't repeated himself OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
Full review coming soon!