Kate Dramis - The Odds of You

Sage Collins knows a thing or two about odds. A year ago, she was a data analyst until she burned it all down to pursue her dream of becoming an author. One whirlwind bestseller and a struggling second book later, and Sage isn’t sure she’ll ever write a novel again.
But then an accidental encounter with an irritating passenger on the flight to Comic Con leaves Sage in an untested position. That passenger is Theo Sharpe: a breakout actor on the cusp of fame. And, unfortunately, the paparazzi have mistaken her for his girlfriend.
Armed with signature British charm and a smile that could tame oceans, Theo wears fame like a well-fit coat…though Sage can see there’s something deeper held in his eyes. But his fans are too involved in the drama, the pressure to deliver the next bestseller is on, and Sage and Theo both must agree there’s nothing between them. They don't have to acknowledge that saying it doesn't make it true.
When Sage decides to flee to Scotland to clear her head and write her novel, she expects to find fresh air and the stillness to think. What she doesn’t expect is Theo Sharpe to come back into her life…and how he may be her greatest miscalculation of all.

Comment: It was the cover of this book that made me pay attention to the blurb. Although it is a recent release (for my usual average, six months is recent) I've added it to my list for July because it would fit a topic in a challenge I'm doing.

Sage Collins and her best friend are traveling to New York for Comic Con, for Sage published a dystopia that became very successful. On the plane she starts talking/flirting with one guy who she learns is the rising actor Theo Sharpe. It just happens that their interaction is caught on camera and rumors about them flood their social media. Theo apologizes for his more obsessive fans and they start exchanging messages which leads to them acting on their attraction. However, misunderstandings separate them until they meet each other again in the isle of Skye, of all places. It seems they can patch things up, but will their personal careers and expectations be too much for such a new relationship?

It seems this is the author's first attempt at contemporary romance. In her notes at the end of the book she says she is mostly known for her romantasy novels, which I haven't read, and that this book was inspired by a book she loves, a romance novel. Knowing this does make it easier to think of the elements I didn't enjoy much, because the writing style wasn't too bad for me.

Sage is a new author, her first book was a success and now she is dealing with all the demands of how people expect her to be as great with her second novel. She is also dealing with a lot of personal issues related to how her parents see her new career, because before being a writer full time she worked in accounting and for her parents this is what makes sense. Throughout the book, we get to see how much this worries her and affects her focus, causing her to simply feel writer's block. I think this was all very realistic, even though I'm not a writer myself.

Theo is also an interesting character, although we only see things from Sage's POV (on third person, at least there's that) and his worries and emotions were also quite valid, his father is his manager and he had an older brother who was also a starting actor but he died. Theo also feels he needs to be an actor not stuck to only one type of role, although his good looks seem to point him pretty much for the "leading hero" expectations. I liked his personality and perception of life.

The romance wasn't always smooth because they have their issues and at a world where famous people are so easily exposed to everyone, including those who only criticize, I've felt this was an interesting element to develop and to think about. I also kind of liked their interactions with secondary characters and how they seemed to gain another layer just for that, which means there were times I felt the author did a great job in adding nuance and emotions to analyze in between the lines.

It all points to this being an apparently great book, but my grade wasn't as high as it seems to be implied. To be honest, I cannot pinpoint exactly why but I'd summarize it to two main things: the inner conflicts, mainly Sage's, dragged the plot, and I was a little tired of her POV while she dealt with others. I do respect how realistic her attitude was i most situations, but it was also a little boring to go through them in a romance novel. I can't explain what I'd have preferred instead, but the way the text is presented didn't make me feel eager to read more. Perhaps it is a case of the isolated elements working out wonderfully, but as a whole, not really.

It might also be that I wasn't in the right mood for this book now but sage sometimes was a little tiring to follow. There were moments I could not really see what Theo saw in her, which feels unfair because her worries and thoughts were certainly easy to sympathize with and I probably would feel similar things if it was me facing those issues. I also would have liked more romantic scenes and less inferring over messages exchanged and self doubt inner monologues, no matter how valid.

This said, the book was OK, had great ideas, but the things I thought would be developed more weren't in a way that felt engaging all the time. Perhaps one day, if the author publishes more contemporary romance, I might try it to compare.

Grade: 6/10

Kate Quinn - The Astral Library

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.
The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

Comment: I've picked this book because it is one of the choices my buddy friend and I had for this month. I was quite excited to read it but it turned out to be a disappointment.

In this story we meet Alix, a very down on her luck woman who is having a lot of trouble making ends' meet and when things really reach rock bottom, she decides to go to the public library, which is a place where she finds a lot of comfort but this time something weird happens. She stumbles through a door and that is how she finds herself at a strange room, being welcomed by a librarian she had never met before. This librarian explains to her she is now at the astral library and she can choose to visit any fictional work she wants, as long as it is part of the public domain, and she can stay for a year, renewing it if she desires. Alix is amazed and she feels this is the opportunity for the adventure her struggling life through the foster system never provided. The problem is that someone is eager to change the rules about how the astral library works...

I was very excited to read this book, whose premise sounded very promising since it's about books, the existence of a magical library and the possible adventures the heroine would face throughout the plot. I also kind of liked the idea that she didn't have an easy life and wanted her to be able to enjoy a fun adventure.

The first chapters, where we get to see how difficult the heroine's life is, were interesting and while depressing, were very realistic. I assumed we were being told this so that it would feel even more obvious how the change would impact the heroine's life once she started her adventure. When she discovers the astral library, the possibilities were great: all readers probably already dreamed of being part of the world in their favorite books and if added to it, the idea that one might jump into worlds or to spend time there, even if not as the protagonist, it all seemed a great utopia. 

I should say that this is the first book I try by the author and I knew it isn't her usual style/genre. I know she has published historical fiction (another of her books has also been in my TBR pile for long) and I already expected that this one would not be what gave her recognition. Still, I feel very disappointed because as soon as Alix starts interacting with the astral library's librarian and starts off the quest to help save it from someone who intends to cause problems, all went south for me.

Alix started to sound more and more annoying, even if she had the right ideas and the heart for the task. The magic of the library allowed people to travel into fictional worlds, to live there if they wished and to renew that yearly. Great ideas, but then the characters kept jumping between "worlds" and it started to seem as if their importance was only in regards to how it helped the main characters do accomplish what they wanted. I'm specifically thinking about the fact the characters who chose to live in fiction were all people who suffered/were hurt/were chased, etc, and they were, let's use the word, worthy, of this adventure. This is a good tactic but we don't spend enough time in each world for it to seem that it mattered which one.

Thus, it felt that the point was more to name worlds, to use titles and author and not as much if it would matter for Alix and the others. Clearly, this happens because the Kate Quinn had a plan, which it was to use this book a way to highlight how much libraries are necessary, how much our current way of living isn't interested in places which don't originate profit. I don't mind the fact the author had and agenda with this book - many readers in several platforms mostly disliked this as the reason for negative reviews - but it does bother me that including these things took over the plot or the proper execution of it.

The more I read, the more annoying the story became and I was actually bored and considering not finishing. I've kept going the book isn't big, honestly. 

There is also a very slight romantic element with a friend of Alix, but this felt avoidable and I think the author only used this element because the guy, Beau, liked fashion and was a convenient way for Alix to have special outfits for two of her "travels".

The end was practically a declaration of war on current practices which make more and more demands for places like libraries to be financed in such ways that they origin some kind of profit. This would, obviously, mean the end of free access to all, independently of their financial situation. The debate will remain and I do applaud the author for her views and message, but... the wonderful premise of this book and the reason why many likely wanted to read it....lost.... at least in my opinion. I wanted more fictional story and less amount of things that ended up not mattering.

Grade: 4/10

John Williams - Stoner

William Stoner enters the University of Missouri at nineteen to study agriculture. A seminar on English literature changes his life, and he never returns to work on his father's farm. Stoner becomes a teacher. He marries the wrong woman. His life is quiet, and after his death his colleagues remember him rarely.
Yet with truthfulness, compassion and intense power, this novel uncovers a story of universal value. Stoner tells of the conflicts, defeats and victories of the human race that pass unrecorded by history, and reclaims the significance of an individual life. A reading experience like no other, itself a paean to the power of literature, it is a novel to be savoured.

Comment: This is another book I was able to borrow from my best friend. It seems this book is considered a classic but hasn't had a lot of attention until a french translator decided to, well, translate it, and from her work onward, others did the same. This book was, again, being recommended by readers and is still seen as a hidden gem among many other classics....

William Stoner is an English teacher at a university in Missouri in the early 20th century. He is given the chance to study the equivalent of agronomy so that he can keep on helping his parents, who have a farm. It is with much difficulty they make this possible for him, and that is also why he feels both guilty and excited when he discovers the beauty of English and switches his major, enabling him to become an English teacher. The rest of his life is a series of demands and challenges, small mercies and huge disappointments, but Stoner remains faithful to his character and to his love of English and of the written word...

This is definitely a quiet book. It's not a book someone should read for action or for fast paced plot twists. It is, like Stoner himself felt, a way for us to enjoy the beauty of language, the beauty of how small things, apparently unimportant things, end up touching us and causing a reaction we would dismiss at first.

William Stoner is a wonderful character, someone who remains true to himself and his thoughts, only sinning, in my POV, by being too complacent in his personal life, but that, too, is part of who he is. I'd say he is an introvert, someone who is happy with his little things and preferences and even when life gives him reason to be sad or angry, he reacts with dignity and calm, proving that if there is one difference in how humans evolved is that in the past people would not have easy access to devices in which to vent, and they probably were more introspect.

The book starts by saying there isn't much to remember about Stoner, nor as a person, nor as a teacher. Most people in the planet could be described this way, we might not be much for the majority, in fact most of the world will never know who we are, but for a small group of people, we are someone. Yes, Stoner isn't a larger than life type of character, but he is special in his way and I really loved it how the author tried to show this through a simple but powerful language.

If there is one issue for me is that we seem to only focus on a few moments in Stoner's life, and the examples used, were certainly picked for them to play a role in how we perceive Stoner, but sometimes this felt too glaring in how it highlighted Stoner's bittersweet life. I get it, but part of me wishes he could have had some more obvious happy times. Although, I could counter argue myself by saying that is is precisely the depressing situations and emotions that make the book feel so impactful for me.

Stoner doesn't have a happy life if we see it through the lens of what is being sold to us, in our contemporary existence. But why should it, if what makes one happy isn't always what makes the other that way? Everyone is different and I did like how I could kind of see myself in Stoner, in the sense that I also like to be alone doing my things, just reading or not talking to lot of people. I also feel that my loneliness or my need to just what I have to without continuous demands and/or ambition makes me happy just the way I am. 

Stoner faces a lot challenges but he never acts impulsively, all his actions - including the ones we might not agree with - are thoughtful and happen because he feels them intensely,even if he can't understand how to verbalize or explain them. I kept rooting for him to succeed in whatever issues he had to deal with. I also cried when this book ended, which one can predict since the author states it right in the first paragraph, but... it still caught me by how emotional it made me feel.

I liked this book, I liked the writing, I liked the vibe and the protagonist. I think the story is a bit too melancholic for me to feel like re-reading, but part of me wishes I could have such a dedicated friend as Stoner is to his beliefs and love of words.

Grade: 8/10

Michael Palmer - Silent Treatment

Dr Harry Corbett is on his way to visit his estranged wife, Evie, who is scheduled for surgery the next day, for what he hopes will be a quiet evening of reconciliation. But, without warning, he arrives to find her dead in her hospital bed.The police suspect murder, and Corbett is their only suspect...Harry is unprepared for the stunning revelations that follow. Leading a double life, his beautiful wife had uncovered a deadly secret - and when the killer strikes again, Harry is once more the sole suspect.Medically sophisticated, coolly arrogant, moving undetected through a busy urban hospital, it is clear to Harry that the killer can only be a doctor.Can he stop the killer in his tracks before any more patients receive his lethal silent treatment?

Comment: This is the second book I try by this author (the other was Natural Causes, which I've read before getting this blog) and i have decided to do it because my best friend let me borrow it. I had an idea of the author's style and really only wanted entertainment.

Harry Corbett is a doctor whose patients love because he is dedicated and not mercenary in what he requires for his help. However, his presence at the hospital he works at isn't seen that greatly by everyone and he even has some co workers who dislike him. His marriage isn't doing well either but he certainly feels he has to be there for his wife Evie when she is about to undergo a surgery and he is as shocked as everyone when she has a problem and is declared dead. This happens in a very weird sequence of events and Harry starts connecting some dots, which leads him to a conspiracy against him. With the help of a patient and a woman who was in the same room when Evie was killed - for he realizes this is exactly what happened - Harry will run against the clock to catch the villain and avoid him from killing others...

I like medical thrillers or suspense or whatever label might be used for the genre Michael Palmer, Robin Cook and others are usually known for. I am not a doctor nor do I work in the field, but there is something captivating about plots about medical issues or about the medicine environment that appeal to me. The mystery and the science of everything.... I also like medical TV shows for similar reasons.

In this book the focus isn't as much on medical procedures but in how this field is the way for the villains to accomplish their deeds, which are obviously caused by money and greed. Still, I liked the way the method used to reach the victims was through an hospital but I must say that it is very surprising how some things can be achieved in a place that, supposedly has a lot of security but some acceptance of unlikely scenarios has to be taken into consideration. I know this was published in 1995 but, still...

The story is focused on dr Harry, who is one of those doctors who has a lot of virtues and doesn't seem to be manipulated by money. Hos wife dies in the sequence of a medical issue but he can't understand how, until a fellow patient tells him she saw someone entering the room when they shouldn't. Conveniently, though, Harry had been the last person seen and he is becoming the prime suspect... I did like all the twists and turns the plot took and what a blast, for it reminded me of those old action movies with more plot than fighting scenes and how exciting it was to follow things even if the story was predictable.

This book is that, in fact, but my enjoyment wasn't as much because of how clever the twists were but by how interesting it was to see the characters connecting the dots. Plus, I've kept my interest in seeing how the villain operated and how the drug he gave to Evie and other victims seemed to leave no trace for the labs to find. Things weren't always smooth or interesting; I did not care for the club like behavior the villains organized for themselves and could do without the whole shady/titillating expectations supposed powerful men partook in before they were caught.

I think the author used several elements we would say are cliches now, but this didn't make me any less engaged and I kept rooting for Harry to succeed, both in discovering the hidden evil plans behind the deaths and in clearing his name. 

I would probably read more things by him, if it becomes possible.

Grade: 7/10

Susan Cain - Quiet

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great contributions to society.
In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture. She also introduces us to successful introverts—from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

Comment: I brought this book from the library, simply because I consider myself to be an introvert as well and was curious to see what the book would contain.

Susan Cain has compiled a set of examples of introvert and extrovert people to illustrate how introverts are actually capable, clever and ingenious, even though they are not always comfortable exposing ideas or being the center of attention. In this book, based on many case studies, the author aims to prove how being an introvert isn't necessary a negative feature, as often seems to be inferred. Thus, this book is a simple tool to demonstrate how being an introvert can be a positive element after all.

As with so many other people out there, I have always considered myself to be an introvert. I have not done well in public situations and have done my best to avoid them when I can. I went through some juggling so that I could avoid oral presentations, including missing a class to present work for another one at a time I knew not many people would attend, I have simply not done them when I could avoid them, and I have tried my best to not be at a place where others had to rely on my oral skills. 

Now, in my professional life, I need to deal with public but thankfully, in a kind of contained environment, and I have learned to deal with it. But I still avoid parties, social situations where I feel I cannot control my hopes of leaving, of if I don't know people/feel comfortable with them. I am one of those who prefer to stay home, who finds excuses not to go to a social event and praise the Lord when something is cancelled.

Therefore, reading this book did settle something in me, in the sense that being like this - I also consider myself to be shy, but that is a different trait, not the focus here - doesn't have to be as negatively perceived as I have personally thought all this time. I liked the fact the author used many examples of people she worked with, or people who are famous, to establish the fact that there are ways to deal with social anxiety and the need to fit a role that is, sometimes, more like acting than genuine feelings in some contexts.

The book is divided into several chapters, all somehow focused on several ways introverts have been overlooked in detriment of the extroverts, but in reality this isn't so, because introverted people can shine in the same situations, if only we see them through a different POV. I've found the several ideas quite interesting and all of them gave me food for thought, but I must say that, considering the examples and the institutions mentioned (for studies and so on) were all, obviously in the US - since the author is north american - some things felt very geographically limited. There are some references to Asian-American individuals but that wasn't enough, I'd say.

I also kind of wanted a bit more focus on cultural aspects, which I feel weren't really given the importance I feel they merit for how introverts and extroverts might be influenced. This book did focus a lot on corporal/big companies/law behaviors and how they work. Not all situations depicted, shared seemed to be simple to compare with other settings. I guess this makes sense, f that is the author's field, but some of the guidelines used/suggested don't seem to be as easy to incorporate in a more daily life situation, so... a little too specific, it seemed.

For me, what this book benefited me the most was in reading the examples and thinking about the fact others had to deal with insecurities and issues as much as I have. Some descriptions and even genetic data seemed quite interesting and provocative. I think the author did an OK job in presenting the information and in making it matter, but not everything was always as captivating as I imagined, simply because it would include things that passed me by, to be honest.

Still, all things considered, it was an intriguing book to read, and it did give me plenty of information to think about. I'd read other things by the author on this theme.

Grade: 7/10

L.A. Witt - Rebound

Officer Geoff Logan has his plate full. His cop’s salary and Marine retirement aren’t enough to make ends meet. He’s got war wounds and demons that are in it for the long haul. His teenagers are, well, teenagers, plus they’re pissed that he left the boyfriend they loved. Can’t a guy catch a break?
Seattle Snowhawks center Asher Crowe has it all. A seven figure salary. A literal house on a hill. A stable, loving relationship with an amazing boyfriend. At least, that’s what the world sees. Behind closed doors, he’s been living in a private hell, and when he finally works up the courage to end things, his boyfriend refuses to go quietly.
One call to the cops, and suddenly Geoff and Asher’s paths cross. But is the connection between them simple chemistry? Kindred spirits? Or just a pair of lonely hearts looking for a hot distraction?
And even if it’s more than physical, is there really a future for two men from such vastly different worlds? Especially when the past comes knocking?

Comment: This is the first book in the Puck and Rainbows trilogy by author L.A. Witt, which I have decided to read because I had tried the author's books before and liked them, so... why not try some more?

Geoff Logan is a 40 something police officer who answers to a call with his partner and they meet hockey player Asher Crowe and his boyfriend Nathan, who seems to be the aggressor. Geoff quickly realizes Asher needs help and makes it possible for him to leave and he follows up on his promise, checking in with Asher in the days after, becoming aware Asher and Nathan have finally broken off. As their meetings pile up, so does the fact Geoff and Asher have a lot in common, in spite of their age difference and the numbers on their paychecks. But Geoff's experience through a similar situation is enough to give him hindsight in how to be with Asher?

It is rather obvious that hockey romance in m/m books has had quite a boom lately, but let it be said this title was released in 2019 and it does seem to show. I say this because I have loved the m/m hockey series that have taken the world by storm lately but in this book by mrs Witt, hockey isn't really the focus of the plot. In fact, it seems to be more a convenience and not a necessary item.

In general, I cannot say this is a bad story but it wasn't always very thrilling to read either. Probably, the element I wasn't as amazed by was the romance, which felt a little mechanical and a little superficial, considering the amount of personal issues they both had, and then adding the age gap and the different interests/work fields, made things seem to be too focused on their shared history of having an abusive partner. I mean, I understand their initial link, but the romance felt almost secondary.

Geoff is a man in his 40s, with two children, he still gets along with his ex, their mother, and he is still dealing with some PTSD from his days in the marines, and now the end of a six year relationship with a man who manipulated him, mostly through financial issues. He has baggage but he is still a likable person, he is aware of his limits and problems and he tries his best to do the right thing. Basically, a sweet man! I was, of course, rooting for him and for Asher.

Asher is a 20 something, has a great paycheck and is known in all of Seattle, as expected. His physique matches his job as a professional hockey player but he hides the fact his boyfriend has been abusive for a long time, which he knows would clash with the idea others have of him. Asher is a sweet guy too and quite mature for his age, which we learn why when he shares his more humble origins and the stable family background.

As individuals, these two were great on their own and I think their personal stories were worth of more depth, more development, which didn't happen. I can understand that it's not easy to include so much in one romantic dynamic, but the truth is that none of the elements used seemed to have been developed with the intensity or the depth they merited. Perhaps the author only wanted to let if be obvious why the guys would take their time, why they would be careful with one another, why they would respect boundaries and such, which is wonderful, but then the chemistry and romance seemed to be missing.

There were too many elements to keep track of, things that deserved more air time. Thus, the plot included too many important things for the romance to feel it was center stage. I liked the scenes between Asher and Geoff but did I fully believe in their falling in love? Not really... and the age gap, Geoff's children, their jobs... all these things were like props, it felt. I am certainly being harsh, but I kind of wanted more from this, considering the memories I have of having enjoyed the author's other books I had tried.

All in all, a good enough effort, it did entertain me. I wanted more out of it, though, and for that, for the potential, I think the author could have done better.

Grade: 6/10

Mark Sullivan - The Last Green Valley

In late March 1944, as Stalin’s forces push into Ukraine, young Emil and Adeline Martel must make a terrible decision: Do they wait for the Soviet bear’s intrusion and risk being sent to Siberia? Or do they reluctantly follow the wolves—murderous Nazi officers who have pledged to protect “pure-blood” Germans?
The Martels are one of many families of German heritage whose ancestors have farmed in Ukraine for more than a century. But after already living under Stalin’s horrifying regime, Emil and Adeline decide they must run in retreat from their land with the wolves they despise to escape the Soviets and go in search of freedom.
Caught between two warring forces and overcoming horrific trials to pursue their hope of immigrating to the West, the Martels’ story is a brutal, complex, and ultimately triumphant tale that illuminates the extraordinary power of love, faith, and one family’s incredible will to survive and see their dreams realized.

Comment: Two years ago, I got this book for two reasons: the cover is gorgeous and I had seen some references by several people on GR who seemed to have enjoyed. Thus, without much investigation, that is true, I assumed this would be an historical fiction story, and a heartbreaking one at that. Still, I've decided to give it a go.

It's 1944 and Adeline and Emil Martel traveled with their two sons and other family members from a region under the rule of Stalin to another one, in Germany, where they would stay apparently safer since their family is descendant from "pure blood" Germans. The problem is that, at this time, between politics and poverty, there isn't much hope in their future and who knows when something changes again. the Martels decide to go as west as they can, but will they succeed?

As soon as we started this book, we are presented with an author's note saying this story is based on true facts, on real people and their life story and how they should be recognized by the terrible fate they were dealt and by how amazing their resilience and ability to suffer in the grace of God was. I could immediately tell I would not really enjoy the "vibe" of the book, but since I had already decided...

Besides, I have read other books based on real people or in historical facts/events and some have been great and addictive. However, this wasn't so, I'm afraid. I also see now that the average for this book on GR is quite high but I must join the group of those who didn't really have a great time... perhaps the time I hesitated before buying this book because something about it didn't "grab" me despite the cover and so on should have been a warning I should have paid more attention to, after all.

There is nothing wrong with the writing, it is certainly competent, correct, easy in the sense that the grammar and the graphic separation between chapters and situations within the chapters make for an effortless experience. For me, the problem is with the style, which I've found to be boring, simplistic, dull. The way this is written is competent, yes, but made me have zero interest in paying attention or in wanting to know what would happen next. I only finished because I pushed myself and because I was already imagining I would be able to donate this to my local library.

The book includes, at the end, two pictures of the Martels, which was great, yes, as was the knowledge of what efforts the author took to prepare himself to write this book, including traveling trough the current countries which are part of the path the Martels traveled since leaving their place in what is now Romania or Ukraine, until they reach Germany. I also liked knowing these were real people, who survived, obviously, and who had quite a tale to tell their children and grandchildren. For these things alone, I graded this story higher than what I thought at first.

I disliked the writing, though. The Martels go through a lot but this is told to us in such a way that it felt more like a paper and a list of all the tragedies they faced/lived though. I mean, of course, but wasn't there a better way to convey the story? Wasn't there a different tone to describe the narration? I wonder if this was so that the family would accept/validate the publishing of the book somehow? I also didn't like how religious aspects were made to seem so important. I can accept that they were for the family, but the author should have found a better way to include this.

I conclude that the author should have simply written a non fiction book, just like other readers have said in other(better) reviews. I don't feel this story should have been fictionalized this way because while i can appreciate the real people who went though all this, the characters in this story were just too one dimensional, lacked development and evolution in a believable manner, as one would expect from a fiction narrative. Again, perhaps this was so that the family would feel honored, I don't know.

Therefore, not a great experience for me. I think I won't be reading more by this author but perhaps someone at the library will enjoy this book!

Grade: 3/10

Nora Roberts - The Mirror

In need of an escape from her ex-fiance's betrayal, and the lucky recipient of a surprise inheritance, Sonya MacTavish leaves behind her life in the city and moves to a Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine.
The house is beautiful but comes with surprises - footsteps in the night, doors slamming, music playing - and in her dreams Sonya sees glimpses of the past and the brides who once lived there.
As the house reveals more of its history and the sad stories of the brides murdered there, Sonya discovers an antique mirror. She finds herself drawn to the mirror, sensing it holds dark secrets. What can the mirror tell her? Can it help her to understand how the seven brides died?
Sonya will need the help of her friends and family if she has any chance of breaking the curse and making this house her home.

Comment: This is the second book in the Lost Bride trilogy by Nora Roberts, whose first book I read last month.

Sonya is getting on pretty well with her new life at the manor, inherited by a father she never met. She has her best friend living with her, her one-woman business is doing well, considering how recently she started freelancing, the community was welcoming and she even has a new boyfriend. The only problem now is the dead witch who ghosts her life and who tries to force her to leave the house. Thankfully, Sonya is resilient and she is eager to do her best to restore the manor to its full potential, and for that she needs to find a way to get rid of the evil ghost...

If I weren't a fan of the author, if I weren't a fan of her style and work, which i have been religiously following for the past 20 years, I'd probably give this book an even lesser grade but the truth is that this second book not only has the "second book" syndrome but it was avoidable, in terms of plot. This story, generally divided into three installments, could have been a single title perfectly well.

Sadly, even more so than the first book, this one was extremely repetitive and a bit boring because nothing really happens and what does could have been easily inserted, summarized, into just one single title. I bet the third will probably be better, since most resolutions will need to happen then, but I will probably have the feeling this full story would not need to take so many pages, overall.

When I say that nothing happens, I mean nothing that changes the way we perceive what is going on. Sonya and those around her keep up with their days, little tasks and bigger ones, they still deal with the evil ghost and accomplish other things, such as: Sonya finally visits the new hairdresser, she and Cleo ask their boyfriends to hang some lights, Sonya does her work presentation, they plan for an open house for their families and the community, Sonya visits Gretta, who has Alzheimer but who helpfully tells her enough to connect some dots about the family's history and several other things which did not need 400 pages.

I know I'm sounding unfair and I did enjoy the vast majority of the author's books (as opposed to those I wasn't as fond of) I have tried so far, but it is a fact her style changed, or evolved, and some stories nowadays don't feel as passionate nor as romantic as before. I think there is too much awareness of what is correct and what is not in her work, and all the characters seem to fall into repetitive and predictable roles. I think this has always been so and her style is definitely one for predictability but in the most recent years, it feels as if the nuanced situations and the cute romantic scenes which made me love her books in the past were switched for one dimensional characters.

The romances, in particular, are very disappointing. Sonya and Trey became a couple and now Cleo and Owen too. This is part of the author's formula but for me the romance in her books has always been great because the characters were made to seem special, and their feelings and little heartbreaks worthy of new chances and possibilities. Now, the couples basically talk, sometimes debate, sometimes assume they will be a good a couple and that's it. Absolutely no sexual tension, no slow dance in thinking about the other person, nothing. It feels the romances in these recent books are like simple transactions. It's utterly boring.

Since nothing major happened, I don't have anything else to say. I still love the smoothness of the writing, the way I can so easily go through the stories but this one was quite weak.

Grade: 5/10

Kate Belli - Betrayal on the Bowery

New York City, Summer 1889. Society girl-turned-investigative journalist Genevieve Stewart and wealthy Daniel McCaffrey have arrived at the docks to see their friends, Rupert and Esmie Milton, off on their honeymoon. But the romantic idyll comes to a screeching halt when a crazed man bursts into their stateroom screaming about demons and drops dead before their eyes.

The dead man is Marcus Dalrymple, who had once asked Esmie to marry him—and inside Marcus’s pocket, Daniel finds a medallion that they trace to a Lower East Side bar called Boyle’s Suicide Tavern. The medallions are prizes given to anyone who spends the night there without dying.Clearly, a visit to Boyle’s could prove hazardous, but it may offer the only clue to Dalrymple’s death. Genevieve and Daniel barely escape the bar with their lives but learn that the crime could have a connection to the recent disappearance of a sugar baron’s daughter. 

Only after another young man plunges to his death from a rooftop bar—also screaming about demons—do the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together.The clues lead Genevieve and Daniel far from the city’s moneyed environs to a reputedly haunted mansion deep in the Bronx. There, they will confront the truth—and the demon at its heart.

Comment: This is the second installment in the Gilded Gotham mysteries by author Kate Belli, whose first book in this series I have buddy read in January. Now, my friend and I have decided to give the second book a try.

In this adventure, which takes place some months after what happened in the first book, Genevieve and Daniel reunite for the wedding of their friends Esmie and Rupert. However, when the happy couple is about to leave for their honeymoon, someone suddenly arrives with stories of monsters and then falls dead. The man is someone the group recognizes as Marcus, who had asked for Esmie's hand some time ago, and they also find in his pocket a medallion linking him to a club in seedy part of town. As Genevieve and Daniel investigate, they discover a complex link between several people and a house that many claim is haunted. But why is Marcus dead, and what about a young society woman who seems to be missing for several days, is there any connection? How can the case be solved?

As it had happened with the previous book, this one was also quite engaging for the most part. I must say that there were some moments, in the middle, which weren't as incredible and were actually a little boring for how repetitive, but the case being investigated and several key scenes related to it, quite alluring.

The case is a well thought plot, and has more twists than what I was expecting but I will be honest and say that this whole plot about shady people and their shady business reminded me too much of mafia like behaviors and I don't appreciate those types of stories. Thankfully, since both Daniel and Genevieve are part of a different social group, the scenes that happen in those shady locations aren't many and I could focus my attention in other elements.

I liked the way things are presented and how the clues fit one another as the plot moves along. I liked it that the author found ways that seemed realistic in how the events connected and why would the characters accept that to go from point A to point B they had to do things a certain way. But, along the way, other things, such as how Marcus and then another character that dies would know each other, and why would they decide to visit this shady bar and so on, many of those things just passed me by. I wanted to focus again on the actual decisive details and not on things that, while useful, failed to captivate.

There are many things that seem to be isolated at first but turn out to be linked as things progress. While this does mean the story is always vibrant, it also means there is a lot to be aware of and I've found myself too distracted by too many things. Besides, part of me was always on the lookout for clues about the main couple's relationship or, better, the possibility of a development in their relationship, thus it was very difficult to keep my focus on details of the case all the time.

Daniel and Genevieve like each other, are possibly in love with each other but she refused a proposal by him in the first book. Here,it seems they had time to process things and now seem to be on the same page, but apart from some thoughts and tense moments here and there, nothing advanced. I cannot say i mind this, because I know the third and fourth books will deepen the romance, but the magic of seeing them fall in love seems too bland and mute. I kind of wanted more romance content.

The plot gets to a point where some twists are revealed and while I see how they might seem incredible, some were also a little predictable. The end, however, was quite a letdown, and the culprit arrested by the police was obviously framed. I suppose this might have a new turn in the following book but it really made things seem they were not finished. I would not say things end in a cliffhanger but it feels like it.

All things considered, this book had interesting situations, others were boring and unnecessary and the romance was quite weak, even allowing for their history since the first book. I hope the third is better.

Grade: 7/10

Margot Livesay - The Flight of Gemma Hardy

When her widower father drowns at sea, Gemma Hardy is taken from her native Iceland to Scotland to live with her kind uncle and his family. But the death of her doting guardian leaves Gemma under the care of her resentful aunt, and it soon becomes clear that she is nothing more than an unwelcome guest at Yew House. When she receives a scholarship to a private school, ten-year-old Gemma believes she's found the perfect solution and eagerly sets out again to a new home. However, at Claypoole she finds herself treated as an unpaid servant.
To Gemma's delight, the school goes bankrupt, and she takes a job as an au pair on the Orkney Islands. The remote Blackbird Hall belongs to Mr. Sinclair, a London businessman; his eight-year-old niece is Gemma's charge. Even before their first meeting, Gemma is, like everyone on the island, intrigued by Mr. Sinclair. Rich (by Gemma's standards), single, flying in from London when he pleases, Hugh Sinclair fills the house with life. An unlikely couple, the two are drawn to each other, but Gemma's biggest trial is about to begin: a journey of passion and betrayal, redemption and discovery, that will lead her to a life of which she's never dreamed.
Set in Scotland and Iceland in the 1950s and '60s, The Flight of Gemma Hardy--a captivating homage to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre--is a sweeping saga that resurrects the timeless themes of the original but is destined to become a classic all its own.

Comment: I cannot remember why this book got on my radar. Probably a positive opinion somewhere and the link to the Jane Eyre inspiration/retelling.

Gemma Hardy is a young child when her uncle brings her from Iceland to Scotland after the death of her parents. However, her life isn't as idyllic anymore after her uncle also dies, and Gemma is taken to a school for girls, where she is no more than a servant.  After years in the school and of adapting and surviving, Gemma is finally a young adult who accepts being a nanny in the Orkney islands to take care and tutor young Nell. Things are finally steady and Gemma feels this is a good opportunity to keep studying since she wants to go to university, and then she meets mr Sinclair, Nell's guardian...

Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. I still remember how addictively devastating it was to read it when I was like 12 or 13 and that when it ended, I've cried buckets over the tragedies and the redemption Jane goes through. Thus, I was quite interested in seeing how the author would adapt this wonderful story into the 1960s in Scotland and make it work.

In general, I did like this book. There are enough similarities for me to enjoy the plot and expect certain situations but obvious differences too, so that the changes felt interesting on their own. Well, most of them, because while I liked the book and all those differences for the most part, I will have to say that my biggest disappointment was the way the author chose to separate Gemma and mr Sinclair at the key moment of the novel. In Jane Eyre, this happened for a foolproof reason; here, not really, in my opinion.

The book is divided into five parts, very clearly distinctive and related to Gemma's moments in life, and this does help to establish her character and fearless personality. Gemma is very likable and I always rooted for her but it is also true that, in spite of her having so much to deal with during her childhood and youth, she was always a bit too innocent. I mean this with the sense that she didn't seem to have gotten enough defense against what would be an obvious situation that could cause her harm.

Perhaps, part of why I got this feeling is because the author chose to have the story narrated in first person by Gemma. I liked her but I don't think this was the best option. If Gemma is this innocent throughout, her experiences are just too limited in her POV, and the nuances, the "read between the lines" inferences are simply lost, unless other characters have dialogue with her. I think this was a poor decision and brought the story down, in terms of emotion and character interactions. 

Most situations Gemma faces are easily recognizable when comparing to Jane Eyre but, of course, since it is set at a different time period, there are obvious things that happen differently. I actually found it fun to think about this, to compare, but I can understand how it might not seem as interesting to other readers. Also, the fact this happens in the 1960s allows for some good changes but there are moments that simply cannot be done in similar fashion, such as the big conflict moment, which here was ridiculous to me, or how Gemma flies that big problem into her new circumstances. This part was very confusing and didn't really work for me.

The final part of the story does match what I remembered from the original source but having Gemma have Iceland roots and needing to seek information about them required some plot decisions that felt like one of the weakest points in the book. Gemma needs to travel to Iceland and the way she manages this was not easy to understand. I would have preferred her to have taken longer to manage this because the way she accomplishes this felt wrong, in terms of characterization. I suppose it was necessary to wrap things up but the whole Iceland setting seemed rushed plot wise.

I liked some of the 1960s references but there were times I completely forgot this too. So, I cannot say this was truly the best choice... although the author did research all the elements she used to make the story feel more realistic. In regards to the end of the book, I suppose I don't have to say what happened, but I confess I kind of expected a more detailed description of what Gemma's future would be. The author chose poetry, I'd say, and left things for the reader's consideration. Cute, but  slightly annoying.

All in all, there were many scenes/moments/situations I liked as I did like Gemma and her overall path, I didn't mind the adaptation nor the obvious stuff, but there were certain choices I feel weren't the best. All in all, still enjoyable, so...

Grade: 7/10

Truman Capote - In Cold Blood

Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the murder in 1959 of a Kansas farmer, his wife and both their children. Truman Capote's comprehensive study of the killings and subsequent investigation explores the circumstances surrounding this terrible crime and the effect it had on those involved. At the centre of his study are the amoral young killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, who, vividly drawn by Capote, are shown to be reprehensible yet entirely and frighteningly human. The book that made Capote's name, In Cold Blood is a seminal work of modern prose, a remarkable synthesis of journalistic skill and powerfully evocative narrative.

Comment: I've decided to read this book because of the challenge I'm participating in through one of my GR groups. I had it in the shelf already for it was included in a book collection I've got more than a decade ago, as long as I purchased a certain magazine.

Truman Capote saw the news about a murder in the small town of Holcomb and decided to investigate. Following that, he wrote this book, a fictionalized narrative on the events that led to and that happened during the murders. It also presents a character study on what went through the mind of the main individuals and what might have caused the killers to act and the prosecution to reunite the evidence to ask for the death penalty.

This isn't a big book but in spite of this and of knowing it was one of the author's most famous books (I also knew about Breakfast at Tiffany's), I had not had the urge to try it before now. The challenge I'm doing was a good reason and the fact it wasn't big made the choice even quicker.

I have to say I was positively surprised by how much I liked it. No, it wasn't perfect for me because I can't forget that some passages are just speculation and that several details are clearly dismissive because this happened during the 60s and nowadays we have way more scientific and psychological tools which would have explained or contextualized a lot of what caused the whole thing in a more professional manner. But in regards to how the author put everything into words... well, I already liked true crime fiction and now even more.

The writing captivated me from the beginning. I knew nothing about the case - I have not seen the movie - and was immediately taken by the setting up and the slow but methodical way the author presents the characters. I was easily drawn to the murdered family members, even with their flaws, and to how the chronological steps that took them into the place and moment of their death seemed to be described in such an atmospheric way. 

I was even more amazed at myself for how easy it also was to understand the personalities and possible state of mind of the killers and how simple it might be to think about such people for their acts and conveniently ignore they are human. I think Capote did a great job writing things in such a way that it never is implied whatever he thinks of these guys, although it is understood that they did something unthinkable for money, and not much of it anyway. 

I would have liked to see more about the psychology and the mental state of the killers during the trial but that was never a serious consideration, it seems. Still, the author conveyed interesting information and found a way for some of those facts to be read between the lines. These two committed a horrible crime for a ridiculous reason, and they have no excuse, but I liked it how the situation was presented and how, even in the middle of an unspeakable act, the background of the killers was a certainly important element to take into consideration.

This does read like a novel... in fact, there were times I forgot this wasn't so and I even wondered if the cops would catch the guys or not or if they did, would they  link them to the case? This is how well achieved the writing was to me. Also, how easy, perhaps, it would be to solve the case with contemporary technology... there was one or two moments in which convenience and coincidence seemed to be at work too...

After finishing the book, I did some research and will now try to find the movie to watch it too. I was very engrossed with this book yes, and it's still in my mind. It feels right that the family wasn't forgotten and that their story will stay for anyone to remember them.

Grade: 8/10