If you know me, you know I'm never far from my e-reader. In fact, I listed it as my "greatest invention" of choice on my dating profile back in the day (along with happy hour, of course). I get about five to ten books in per week typically, so I'll be posting on a weekly basis about what I'm reading and my thoughts on each book. We'll try to keep it well-rounded. I may throw in some smut. Who knows!
For this week, we have a smattering of historical fiction, fantasy, and thrillers.
Publisher's description:
'In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.'
My Thoughts:
By far the most succinct of the publisher descriptions, so points right off the bat for that! I loved this book - it's historical fiction of the sort that feels real, based upon actual people of the time for the most part with some liberties taken in imagining their day to day lives. The plot centers around the Alice Network, a spy system located in France tasked with infiltrating the Germans during WWI. The story is told with two different perspectives - that of Charlie (in 1947), running away from her situation and chasing answers about her missing cousin, and that of Eve Gardener, whose story is told from her perspective in the Alice Network during the first war and whom Charlie encounters as an integral part of her search in present day. The story is rich in details and conveys the pain and fears of the war, while throwing in some hope and a little romance. Spies and convincing romance, sold. Five thumbs up.
2. The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy -
Publisher's description:
'What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared? Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home--and the place where Juliet grew up. Sterling is a place with mysteries of its own. A place where the experiences that weave life together--scents of flowers and food, reflections from mirrors and lakes, even the ability to dream--vanish every seven years. No one knows what caused these “Disappearances,” or what will slip away next. But Sterling always suspected that Juliet Quinn was somehow responsible--and Aila must bear the brunt of their blame while she follows the chain of literary clues her mother left behind.'
My Thoughts:
I'll be honest, it was largely that gorgeous cover drew me in. This was an easy read, but completely charming. Geared more towards the young adult crowd (scoff if you like, but I've come across some amazing books that are technically placed in this category), the story has a pretty simple mystery/solution format with some fun twists due to the 'Disappearances' making their entrances throughout and an overarching plot that reaches further than I would have guessed after reading the initial few chapters. Not quite five thumbs up, but worth a read if you're looking for something light for the summer!
Publisher's description:
'The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving? The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?'
My Thoughts:
Oh my gosh, I loved this book. You might have heard of Laini Taylor from her 'Daughter of Smoke and Bones' trilogy (also highly recommend) - this is a departure from that world, but no less fantastical. And make no mistake, this sits squarely in the fantasy realm. Laini Taylor has a style of writing that makes it so darn easy to root for every character in some way, even the "bad guys", just because they seem so . . . real. If there's one thing I can't abide in a book, it's a character that feels aloof to me in one way or another. I need to feel the feels. There's mystery, magic, and some immensely satisfying lurve in Strange the Dreamer. Six thumbs up.
'In 1837, less than a month after her eighteenth birthday, Alexandrina Victoria – sheltered, small in stature, and female – became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Many thought it was preposterous: Alexandrina had always been tightly controlled by her mother and her household, and was surely too unprepossessing to hold the throne. Yet from the moment William IV died, the young Queen startled everyone: abandoning her hated first name in favor of Victoria; insisting, for the first time in her life, on sleeping in a room apart from her mother; resolute about meeting with her ministers alone. One of those ministers, Lord Melbourne, became Victoria’s private secretary. Perhaps he might have become more than that, except everyone argued she was destined to marry her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. But Victoria had met Albert as a child and found him stiff and critical: surely the last man she would want for a husband….'
My Thoughts:
So this is a sort of tie-in with the recent PBS series about the life of young Queen Victoria - the same author worked on the show and the novel. This is historical fiction, which I am always a sucker for, told from the perspective of the young queen before and after her ascendance to the throne. Unfortunately, this book has a problem. The main character is written, for lack of a better description, as whiny and spineless. She expects praise, feels it is her due, believes herself to be smarter than those around her, and the supporting characters are written as fairly standard 'good' and 'bad' types who encourage her in this opinion of herself and appear to believe it themselves with no apparent reasoning. Frustrating. It's hard to get past a main character you don't like. However! It's always fun to read depictions of times past, and there are some lovely descriptions of historical settings and practices. I have not seen the show, but I do think Queen Victoria is definitely an interesting figure worth learning about. I'll give this one thumb up.
5. The Breakdown by B.A. Paris -
Publisher's description:
'Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside―the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped. But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby. The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt. Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…'
My Thoughts:
This book gave me the creeps in a good way, and you'll see why. I don't want to go into too much detail, as the nature of a thriller is that it is best when it is thrilling, but this one will make you think. Twists and turns. Wiggles and zigzags. Read it if you want something a little edgier! Four thumbs up.
This concludes this week's literary roundup - if you have any questions or recommendations, please let me know!
Happy reading!
- Taylor
No comments:
Post a Comment