Mini - Comments

These are two books I've read in Portuguese by Portuguese authors. I don't think either is translated but even without specific information in English, I still want t leave a register of having read them.

Ala Feminina by Vanessa Ribeiro Rodrigues is literally translated as Female Ward and is a non fiction book based on a collection of notes the author, a reporter, did on female prisons and who are the women there and what it means for them in all their roles (woman, wife, mother, daughter...) to be away from their families. It was interesting to read this book because the point was never to focus on the women's crime and why they are in jail. Well, we do know why but the ladies whose stories we have are just a little sample, and the prisons the reporter had access to seemed to be destined for crimes that aren't the highest security or however one would call this. Most ladies were doing time for drug trafficking but what really united them all was the dream to leave and go back to their families, to be with those who loved them in spite of what happened. It Obviously, the book not being long, we cannot really "know" the women mentioned, but what they are facing and their thoughts are similar for the most part. It really makes one think....

Grade: 8/10

O Lugar das Arvores Tristes by Lénia Rufino could be literally translated as The Place of the Sad Trees.

It is a small book, the author's debut, and it is an apparent simple story. The setting is Alentejo (one of the regions of Portugal, which happens to be where I live) and the main character is Isabel, who has a quirky personality and weird interest in spending time at the cemetery looking at the graves. One day she notices one that provides very little information and no one seems able to explain how that person died. Upon investigating, she realizes it has to do with her own mother's past... I liked the book until the end because I did recognize a lot from my own family's experience, well, that I have heard family members tell me, since the story of Isabel's mother happens in the early 70s and I wasn't born yet. The author really did a good job when it comes to cultural and historical factoids but the end was abrupt and left too much to the imagination, almost as if this was an unfinished story... this was frustrating after all the hints pointing at a resolution.

Grade: 6/10

Ilona Andrews - One Fell Sweep

Dina DeMille may run the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, but she caters to a very particular kind of guest… the kind that no one on Earth is supposed to know about. Guests like a former intergalactic tyrant with an impressive bounty on her head, the Lord Marshal of a powerful vampire clan, and a displaced-and-superhot werewolf; so don’t stand too close, or you may be collateral damage.
But what passes for Dina’s normal life is about to be thrown into chaos. First, she must rescue her long-distant older sister, Maud, who’s been exiled with her family to a planet that functions as the most lawless penal colony since Botany Bay. Then she agrees to help a guest whose last chance at saving his civilization could bring death and disaster to all Dina holds dear. Now Gertrude Hunt is under siege by a clan of assassins. To keep her guests safe and to find her missing parents, Dina will risk everything, even if she has to pay the ultimate price. Though Sean may have something to say about that!!

Comment: This is the third installment in the Innkeeper series by Ilona Andrews, following the adventures of innkeeper Dina and of her guests.

Things have been pretty quiet for Dina until she receives the message from her sister Maud, asking for her help to leave a certain planet. Dina knows the only way to get there in time is by asking for Arland's help, with his super fast ship, and they manage to pick up Maud and her daughter Helen. No sign of Maud's vampire husband, but she learns he has died, which makes Dina assume Maud her her niece might live with her and she will love to know Maud is nearby. However, a sudden new guest, a Hiru, shows up asking for Dina's help in hosting a certain event, on the recommendation of George, the Arbitrator she met in the previous book. The problem is that the Hiru's enemies want to kill him, and that might place the whole inn in danger...

I was very hopeful this would be a great story, not only because the previous installments had already been so, but also because the authors are excellent writers. I was also hoping this book would advance some of the loose threads that came from the other books, namely the romance and the search for Dina's parents. 

As expected, this was a fluid and easy story to read. It's not long, as the others had not been either, which means the plot doesn't languish and the main events are told in a very objective manner. This doesn't take emotion and complexity out of the story, which might happen if it were to be written by another author, and I think there is a very good balance in what we think will happen and in what does happen.

For me the only reason why this didn't get a higher grade is because the two elements I was eager to see developed were a little superficial. The romance between Dina and Sean is heartfelt but I kind of wanted less subtlety about it. During the plot there is a moment where Sean offers all the help he can to Dina and we do see how committed he is to her, and how balanced they are as a couple, which is great. But there were times this felt more like an afterthought.. I suppose this might have been originally planned to be the final installment, perhaps?

Dina is still in search for her parents. Once again we get two or three hints on this and I surely hope something substantial happens in the next three stories (two same sized stories as the ones we had already and a novella) because if things had to end here at first, no closure/resolution happened. Considering what we do learn, perhaps the final book might explain the mystery of their disappearance, especially because the next book seems to be centered on Maud and not Dina as the main character.

As for the adventures in this book, they were as fun as I imagined, I really have a great time going through the fast paced scenes and character interactions. The authors have an incredible amount of imagination to create worlds and characters, and everything related to how these two elements come together. I particularly liked the big conflict here, between the Hiru and their enemies, although it wasn't difficult to guess what was behind the conflict and why the Hiru were targeted.

Now, I'm quite eager to see how Maud adapts to one more stage of her life, bearing in mind what happened in this book. Maud and Dina have a sisterly relationship that isn't too close but they still would do anything for one another. It also helps to think that in this series, interplanetary travel isn't as lengthy as if it was in real life. I also liked how knowing Maud and learning about her gave me another perspective on Dina too.

Well, let's hope for a great next book!

Grade: 8/10

Mary Balogh - Someone to Remember

Matilda Westcott has spent her life tending to the needs of her mother, the Dowager Countess of Riverdale, never questioning the life of solitude she has spun for herself. To Matilda, who considers herself the aging spinster daughter, marriage is laughable--love is a game for the young, after all. But her modest, quiet life of order unravels when a dashing gentleman from her past reappears, threatening to charm his way into her heart yet again.
Charles Sawyer, Viscount Dirkson, does not expect to see Matilda Westcott thirty-six years after their failed romance. Moreover, he does not expect decades-old feelings to emerge at the very sight of her. When encountering Matilda at a dinner hosted by the Earl of Riverdale, he finds himself as fascinated by her as he was the first day they met, and wonders if, after all these years, they have a chance at happiness together. Charles is determined to crack the hard exterior Matilda has built for over three decades or risk losing her once again...

Comment: This is a novella, part of the Wescott series by Mary Balogh. According to the author and a note in the beginning of the book, it had not been in her plans to write it but the two immediate novels before this novella put the heroine, Matilda, at such a light, that mrs Balogh felt the need to give her a HEA too...

Matilda Westcott is fifty six and she seems resigned to her spinster life, taking care of her mother, even if that now means welcoming her mother's younger sister and her companion into their home. Recently, Matilda has also been quite brave, in seeking viscount Dirkson, the biological father of Gil (hero of book #6) so that he could help with something his son needed. What others don't know is that viscount Dirkson, Charles, was actually someone she was in love with when they were both young, but her family pressured her to not accept his suit. Now, after 30 years of different lives, they are interacting again. Is there hope for them now, with experience and wisdom to support their new chance?

The author stated that another reason that prompted her to write this novella was the fact there aren't many heroines in their 50s being protagonists of romance stories. I can imagine it is true, which made reading this story even more intriguing. Of course, being Mary Balogh, everything was dealt with a lot of politeness and conscientiousness. 

In the previous novels, Matilda has been described as fussy and stressed, except for the last book, in which she acted differently, with apparent more drive and perception. She actively helped Abigail, her niece, in a way that certainly caught the readers' attention to her and that made it necessary for her to get her HEA. I really can't say much about Matilda except what is shared in this novella, but the first thing that came to mind was actually that this reminded me of the premise of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Yes,it's not the same thing but the main idea is the same.

Charles, viscount Dirkson was a little harder to read, I'll confess. Of course we learn he didn't fully control how his relationship with Gil developed when Gil was a little boy and as adults they were mostly estranged. Now, for more than one reason, they are in the same family orbit and we get to see Charles in a different light. As a young man, he was known for his wild ways and it can be understandable why he and Matilda didn't try harder for a relationship. Obviously, this being a novella, there isn't enough time to really deal with all those past doubts, but I suppose the author found ways to make him seem "redeemed".

Their romance now is very quiet and unassuming, and I don't think it's only because of their age. They have seen and felt things that might not call to flashy behavior anymore, but this, too, was dealt with in a cute way, considering how they decide to marry, with all the fanfare they deserve. I still cannot really say what their personalities are and if they are such a great couple... I'll believe they will be so. 

Honesty, what i was more interested in was seeing the development of Charles' relationships with his children. He has two daughters and a son from his first marriage and he has Gil. I really thought we would get a lot more about these two, but no, not really. Still, i liked it how we got to see him interacting with his other son and how he became friends with the Westcotts too. I'm hoping this will be more obvious in the following books, for certainly there will be many family scenes.

All in all, a good novella, a good enough way to tidy things up.

Grade: 7/10

Gregory Ashe - Orientation

Shaw and North are best friends, private detectives, and in danger of losing their agency. A single bad case, followed by crippling lawsuits, has put them on the brink of closing shop. Until, that is, a client walks into their Benton Park office.
Matty Fennmore is young, blond, and beautiful, and he’s in danger. When he asks for Shaw and North’s help foiling a blackmail scheme, the detectives are quick to accept.
The conspiracy surrounding Matty runs deeper than Shaw and North expect. As they dig into the identity of Matty’s blackmailer, they are caught in a web that touches politicians, the local LGBT community, and the city’s police.
An attack on Matty drives home the rising stakes of the case, and Shaw and North must race to find the blackmailer before he can silence Matty. But a budding romance lays bare long-buried feelings between Shaw and North, and as their relationship splinters, solving the case may come at the cost of their friendship.

Comment: This is the first book in a trilogy by Gregory Ashe, an author whose work is now familiar to me. I have found most of his books to be good but not great, but considering that I had this trilogy already anyway, I've figured, why not.

North and Shaw are best friends who also have a detective agency together. They are both gay which helped in finding a niche, one that specializes in cases aimed for the LGBT community, whose members are often discriminated. The story starts  with Matty Fennmore, who tells him the story of how he's being blackmailed by someone he trusted and who now is demanding money in exchange of keeping a certain video, one Matty didn't know was being recorded. However, the case isn't as simple as finding the blackmailer, something they learn when they meet the police near the guy's apartment. At the same time, things are stressful between North and Shaw, since their friendship is also hiding some more deeper feelings neither assumes...

I confess I was a little apprehensive with starting this trilogy. I have enjoyed some books y the author, but his style is clearly one that aims for a lot of psychological development and his protagonists go through a lot before any HEA is on the horizon. Then, he also has another series (I've tried the first book) which is lighter, but the protagonist was a little OTT. I hoped this one would more balanced.

In this first book we get to know the investigator duo, and what we learn about them in between the lines is as telling as what they share through dialogue. This is probably what the author does best, and I'm saying it after having read about protagonists in three different series. The intensity and the drama and the tension - not always sexual - can be felt constantly. On one hand this is what makes the reading quite captivating, this need to see one scene or detail that proves everything, but on the other it can be a bit exhausting being on the edge.

Shaw and North have quite the history between them, and in their personal lives. I liked learning tidbits about them all the time but it does get a little tiring to keep track of each nuance and hint too. Also, I must say that for people who know each other for so long, their repressed feelings seem to be highlighted a lot and I could not help wonder how could they even go on through their days, considering that every action in the book always had the "weight" of their personal thoughts regarding the other. I suppose this is done so that it can be even more rewarding to see the HEA, but it's obvious it won't be easy.

I guess that, perhaps, this won't take as long as in the other series I've read, since now it's only three books.. besides, North is dealing with a personal issue that cannot be easy to deal with, much less solve. Things now seem to be too difficult to be solved. It also doesn't help, in my opinion, that every character somehow, protagonist included, is almost too complicated, too brainy and complexity of characters seems to be synonym with personality. I don't think this is the best approach as often as it's used.

Regarding the case they are investigating, I won't go into spoilers but the culprit becomes easy to guess once a certain situation takes place. I don't know if the goal was to do something shocking or not, I think the tactic was clever enough and provided interesting interactions and development. As for the reasons of the villain and the method in which the crimes were committed... part of me always felt some detachment from what was going on, but it turned out to be a good element of this book.

All said, this was quite captivating in general, but I cannot let go of the fact it was tiring to read about characters who were always on the go, always on the edge of learning/doing something and it's as if they don't have a personal life. Plus, with drama... still, I felt I had to try, so I will finish the trilogy, I just hope the next installment is more balanced.

Grade: 6/10

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