penguinna's reviews
319 reviews

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The good news is: I didn't predict the plot twist this time! Which is actually surprising… 

I quite enjoyed the first part of the series, and it pulled me out of my reading slump. Even though I figured out the plot twist at the start, I still liked the story. So, I decided to read the sequel right away.

In this book, Millie finds herself a new housemaid job some years after the events of the first part. This time, in a penthouse in Manhattan. And, as expected, things are not as they seem.

Why is it surprising that I didn't guess the ending? Because the story follows the same pattern as in The Housemaid. Firstly, there's a prologue told by another character (of course), then Millie's story, followed by the numbered guide/confession that reveals everything, and finally, the climax, with a sweet, movie-like ending prologue. Exactly as before! 

There were a few plot holes, and at times, I felt the book was ridiculous and unrealistic. But! I could not put it down! Just like the first part, The Housemaid’s Secret is absolutely addictive. It is a popcorn thriller that offers an entertaining ride without requiring too much thought.

So, it is like watching TV after a long day. A good book for what it is, but not something I'd want to read again. Just like The Housemaid, this book is a nice remedy for a reading slump, so give this series a go if you're feeling like you're not enjoying reading anymore. You will devour this book in one sitting!

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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I have been in a reading slump for months and couldn't enjoy reading as much as I was used to. Every book I picked up seemed to worsen the slump. I wondered if I had burned out, fearing I might never enjoy reading again. Then, I realized my last hope might be a fast-paced thriller with cliffhangers in every chapter. Guess what? It worked!

When I read the blurb, I understood this book was EXACTLY what I needed. Ex-convict Millie is desperate to find any job, and she accidentally lands a housemaid position at the gorgeous mansion of the incredibly rich Winchester family. What could be better? However, Millie's life becomes a nightmare thanks to the jealous Nina Winchester, who makes Millie's existence unbearable. And to top it all off, Millie's attic room can only be locked from the outside…

Good things first. This book is ABSOLUTELY unputdownable! It has always kept me on the edge of my seat. The chapters are very short and full of action, so I was completely glued to the pages. I could not stop reading; I just could not wait to know what happens next!

But… Perhaps I have read too many thrillers, as I guessed the plot twist in the very beginning. Not in all the details, of course, but I got the main point. And it was pretty disappointing to not be surprised when I was supposed to be.

Anyway, I still enjoyed this book a lot, and, most importantly, I have recovered from my slump! I devoured “The Housemaid” in a few days, and had it not been for work and studies, it could have taken me a day to read it from cover to cover.

I fully recommend “The Housemaid” to anyone in a reading slump, especially if you're new to thrillers. And you bet I'll be picking up the sequel! It feels fantastic to be excited about reading again!

❤️ More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books

White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My God, a moment of bliss. Why, isn't that enough for a whole lifetime?

This book feels like summer. Like a fleeting summer romance that has no future but leaves a lasting mark on one's life. 

A shy, lonely dreamer meets a girl crying by the river one summer night. He helps her, and Nastenka opens up to him, but with one condition: he mustn't fall in love with her. Despite this, the dreamer can't help but feel a connection blossoming between them.

Over four consecutive nights, these strangers bare their hearts and souls to each other. As they wander through the streets of St. Petersburg, they discover the meaning of friendship, love, and loneliness.

White Nights is such a beautiful story that made me feel sorrow and joy at the same time! If you're new to Dostoevsky, this book is a great place to start. It's got all his classic themes and fully demonstrates his exceptionally beautiful writing style. This short story will stay with you long after you've turned the final page, leaving you with a bittersweet feeling.

More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books

Babel by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-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

4.25

Let me tell you everything without a prelude: if you expect an aesthetic dark academia book to unwind with after a long day, do not take Babel in your hands. Just leave it where you found it. Because this is nothing like an easy read. This book will shatter you. You will hate it. And you will love it, too.

Usually I am a pretty fast reader. But it took me 52 days to read this book. Almost two months for 560 pages that are typically read by me within a week. I had to force myself to pick up Babel. I couldn't stand it, and yet, I couldn't wait to know what would happen next.

1830s. Robin Swift, discovered on his deathbed in Canton by a mysterious stranger, is brought to London. Now he knows that when he grows up, he will become an excellent translator at Babel, the famous translation faculty in Oxford. Because only like this, he can create magical silver plates that the British Empire needs so desperately. This life seems like a fairy tale after the tough years he had in China. Everything is just perfect until his paradise becomes his prison.

I study at the faculty of translation myself, and I immediately fell in love with this book as soon as I opened it. The magic of words, of meanings lost in translation, resonated deeply within me. All the etymologies explained in Babel left me absolutely fascinated. This beauty is put in contradiction with the ugliness of an empire that exploits languages for its own despicable purposes.

Babel doesn't just tell you how terrible colonialism and imperialism are. No, no, it makes you feel these emotions throughout your entire being, it makes your stomach churn, it makes you want to close your eyes so you don't have to read any more of it. In other words, it makes you realize.

Babel is slow paced and informative. Sometimes even too much. But it is a must for everyone. Not “everyone, who”, just “everyone”. This book will shatter you and make you want to forget it, but you won't be able to. It will haunt you so much that all its characters will linger in your mind forever, reminding you of what humans are capable of doing to one another.

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Letter from an Unknown Woman by Stefan Zweig

emotional reflective sad fast-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

3.0

Every day, on my way to the office, I pass Stefan Zweig’s house. Every day, I walk the same streets he walked. Every day, I go to classes at the university where he studied philosophy. Every time I visit a library where he borrowed books and where his own works later landed on the shelves. Do you understand why I simply could not resist reading one of his most famous works, especially when it takes place in Vienna?

Still in a reading slump, I rediscover some books I loved years ago. Letter from an Unknown Woman is definitely one of them. How much I cried when I finished this short story in my teen years! But unfortunately, some things are reserved solely for the innocence of youth.

A writer (perhaps even Zweig himself?) finds a letter in his postbox. A woman whom he does not recognize writes to him on her deathbed and shares a story of her life. A life in which everything she did was dedicated to him.

I can understand why I loved this book when I was 15. This reckless, overwhelming love sounds like the idealized love story they show on TV. It is a sacrifice that only the best of us can make. Bla bla bla. That unknown woman literally wasted her whole life for someone who did not even know she existed. Who never recognized her when they “accidentally” met, who treated her like an empty space.

And she sacrificed herself, her childhood, her adulthood, her own life and the life of her child, her happiness, and her life for him. Why? Because she was madly in love. Or maybe just mad? The behavior of this unnamed woman made me feel creeped out and ashamed. Creeped out because she was basically stalking him. Ashamed because she had absolutely no self-respect and fell in love with an image of a man she created in her head.

What did this short story teach me? That most of the celebrated love stories are toxic and unhealthy. And one should always love themselves first.

I still enjoyed the writing style and the story itself, and will definitely read other works of Zweig. If you want a short love story for one evening, take this one. But do not make the mistake of romanticizing it.

More reviews on my bookstagram: @penguinna_books

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

In the last few months, I have been feeling a bit more tired than usual. It is hard for me to absorb new information, so I have been re-reading many books that I once loved. However, The Thorn Birds is an exception: I absolutely hated it when I first read it 5 years ago. The characters grated on my nerves, and the storyline felt absurd. But years went by, and I could not stop thinking about this book from time to time. I found myself missing it, and my desire to read it again grew day by day. So, I finally gave in.

The Thorn Birds is a three-generation family saga that begins at the dawn of the 20th century, when a shepherd named Paddy Cleary moves his wife Fiona and their seven children from New Zealand to Australia for a better life. We follow their only daughter, Meggie, on her journey from childhood to old age. Throughout her life, she carries a forbidden love in her heart – a love for a young priest named Ralph de Bricassart, who has devoted his life to God.

This novel is a beautiful story about family, destiny, faith, happiness, and sorrow. It explores the complexities of decision-making, the weight of regret, the ache of loss, and the power of love and belonging. Like any good family saga, it features wonderfully written characters with their own secrets and pains, yet they are all united by their endless love for Drogheda, their home.

This book should definitely be read more than once, and even more than twice. As we journey through life, we gather experiences that shape the way we see things. Therefore, The Thorn Birds now resonates with me much more than it did when I first read it. And as I grow older, I am sure I will understand and feel even more deeply connected to this book.

The Thorn Birds holds a special place in my heart, and I cannot recommend it enough. It is an enduring classic in which every person can recognize themselves.

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I would like to have more pages about Ralph's death and Meggie's feelings about it

Understanding SEO: A Systematic Approach to Search Engine Optimization by Franz Enzenhofer

funny informative fast-paced

4.0

Starting in December, I began a new job in SEO. It's a completely new field for me, so there's a lot to learn! My boss gave me this book to help me understand the essentials of search engine optimization.

What I appreciate about this book is its simplicity. The language is engaging and straightforward, making everything easy to grasp. The author uses plenty of good examples, which I find incredibly helpful. However, it did take me some time to get through it because I often found myself Googling technical terms to fully digest the new information.

For anyone interested in SEO, I highly recommend this book as a starting point!

More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’ve read several of Christie’s books and loved them, so I was absolutely excited to read her very first novel! Unfortunately, high expectations often lead to disappointments. And this was my case :(

The story is told by Captain Hastings, who is invited to spend some time at Styles Court after being injured during the First World War. A few days after his arrival, the wealthy mistress of the court, Emily Inglethorp, is poisoned. Hastings asks his friend Poirot to shed light on her death, as everyone in the court seems to have their own motive for murdering the old lady.

Here is what I disliked in the book:

Firstly, I really wanted to know more about Poirot’s background. Unfortunately, only the well-known facts were mentioned – he was a war refugee who had previously worked for the Belgian police. The details of why Hastings knew him, why Poirot fled, and other aspects of the detective's life remained unexplored.

Secondly, Hastings is so damn annoying! He is completely ignorant and useless. He asks too many stupid questions and fails to notice obvious information.

Thirdly, the book's length seemed excessive for the plot. I sometimes found myself falling asleep because nothing was happening for several pages. At some point, I switched to the audiobook while doing some household chores, and it was definitely more fun than the actual reading of this book.

However, the plot twist, as always, was very good and left me impressed in the end. During the first half of the book, I suspected the right person, but then all the red herrings left me confused, so I did not guess the murderer. I wonder if I’ll ever manage to 😂

For those new to Christie, I wouldn't recommend starting with The Mysterious Affair at Styles. If you have already read some of her books, read this one, but do not build very high expectations like I did.

It was my third Christie book in a row, and now I feel like I need to take a break from crime fiction for a little while.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

dark mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 have something in common for me: Agatha Christie. I am a big fan of thrillers and mysteries, but last year, I read almost nothing in this genre. I miss it a lot, and therefore, I decided to take part in the #ReadChristie2024 challenge. However, I will not force myself to adhere to it in case I do not feel like it. In the end, my main goal for 2024 is to enjoy reading instead of focusing on numbers :)

Murder on the Orient Express is definitely one of Christie’s most famous books that I have always wanted to read. But… several years ago, I watched the movie, and the ending was SO SHOCKING that I could not forget it, at all!

On the same night, when the luxurious Orient Express gets stuck in the snow in the Balkans, an American tycoon is found brutally stabbed in his first-class compartment. His door is locked from the inside. Thirteen completely unrelated suspects, and no one could commit such a crime.

I really wanted to enjoy a good old murder on a train, but I was afraid it would not be as interesting knowing the murderer. The good news is: I was mistaken! The queen of mystery tangled the story so much that I started to doubt my own memory. I even thought that the movie might have changed the ending because it just could not be real.

I really cannot understand how Christie can make such crazy plot twists that are absolutely obvious and logical in the end. I could never guess the murderer in any of her books! This book is a masterpiece, and I strongly recommend reading it.


❤️ More reviews by me on instagram: @penguinna_books 

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie

mysterious relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

You know that feeling when you need a small affair before a serious relationship? That’s exactly what a prince of a foreign kingdom wanted in London, right before his marriage. And that’s also exactly what I wanted after finishing a book series and before starting a new one.

I made the right choice with Agatha Christie’s short story, but the foreign prince from this book failed. His lover disappeared along with a royal ruby that was destined for the future queen… And Hercule Poirot is the only person who can find the precious stone and avoid unnecessary drama.

To solve the case, Poirot agrees to spend his Christmas in an ancient English countryside mansion. Various traditional dishes are described so perfectly that your stomach starts begging for them, and the family Christmas atmosphere of the snow-draped manor is as charming as it is full of mysteries.

Despite the story’s small size, it has everything to make you enjoy unraveling the family’s secrets. Christie always manages to surprise me with unexpected twists!

Being in the Italian countryside for Christmas holidays, eating more than my stomach can fit, and having a bunch of relatives around, 'The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding' was just so perfect for me. I cannot call it Christie’s best creation, but this story was exactly what I needed at this specific time and place.

I wish all of you wonderful holidays and strongly recommend dedicating one of your evenings to this captivating book!