Apr 1, 2021
My awesome online book club's choice for April has been revealed!
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from Georgia
seen from France
seen from United States
seen from Romania
seen from United States
seen from Romania
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Romania
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Romania
seen from Australia
seen from United States
My awesome online book club's choice for April has been revealed!
Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys
Book Review
Seafire by Natalie C. Parker
Genre: Adventure/Pirates
After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet.
But when Caledonia's best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all . . . or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?
Part 1 of the Seafire Trilogy
Review
This is the (kind of pirate) story with fierce, diverse and fucking well-written female characters that I was secretly looking for so long.
We follow the story of an all-female crew trying to survive and fight back against the evil of Aric in a – I assume – future world where terror reigns and everyone is either living in the constant fear of being enslaved or already has been made a part of Aric’s drug-addicted army. The crew of the Mors Navis fights back, clinging to their freedom in a world where freedom is scarce. Their source of strength is their sisterhood, which is a lovely element in the book. I love how individual the characters are, even ones that are passing in the background are nicely done, and the relationships were as close as family, all feeling natural. Also I felt like they weren't all stuck in the first impression but changed with all the events.
The plot went at a good pace, with some nice twists and well-written battles, also we're given more insight into how other groups of people are dealing with Aric's reign - overall I liked the world-building a lot.
I also liked how the novel put a lot more emphasis on the sisterly love between the women on the Mors Navis than on developing a romance subplot. Eventually there kinda is one, but it just doesn’t start to dominate and that’s what I liked.
Also this book almost killed me with the cliffhanger at the end and naturally the sequel is already on my wishlist, I can’t wait to see how the story goes on.
If you’re looking for a novel with strong women, friendship and action, this one is for you - I can warmly recommend this book to everyone :)
Book Review
The Dollmaker of Krakow by R.M. Romero
Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fiction
In the land of dolls, there is magic.
In the land of humans, there is war.
Everywhere there is pain.
But together there is hope.
Karolina is a living doll whose king and queen have been overthrown. But when a strange wind spirits her away from the Land of the Dolls, she finds herself in Krakow, Poland, in the company of the Dollmaker, a man with an unusual power and a marked past.
The Dollmaker has learned to keep to himself, but Karolina's courageous and compassionate manner lead him to smile and to even befriend a violin-playing father and his daughter--that is, once the Dollmaker gets over the shock of realizing a doll is speaking to him.
But their newfound happiness is dashed when Nazi soldiers descend upon Poland. Karolina and the Dollmaker quickly realize that their Jewish friends are in grave danger, and they are determined to help save them, no matter what the risks.
Review
To me, this book is a little gem, and I'm very glad I found and decided to read it.
The beginning of the story reminded me losely of The Nutcracker, with rats being the enemies of dolls - I don't know if that was intentional, but it was a sweet element.
Overall, the story is a bittersweet mix of precious, warm friendship strong enough to make the very lonely dollmaker come out of his cocoon, and heartbreaking drama. I think the story shows well how the Nazi's presence slowly started to impact the life of the characters, and the protagonist's story peaks in a fight against them. However, here is a warning - there's no happy end and you'll get your heart broken by the last chapter.
I loved it despite that, and it felt like a wholesome read - sweet, warm, but also dramatic and sad. It’s hard to describe; all the factors - characters, plot - play together very well. A beautiful book, a definite recommendation :)
Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit
Book Review
The Spy by Paul Coelho
Genre: Historical Fiction
When Mata Hari arrived in Paris she was penniless.
Soon she was feted as the most elegant woman in the city.
A dancer who shocked and delighted audiences, as a confidante and courtesan she bewitched the era’s richest and most powerful men.
But as paranoia consumed a country at war, Mata Hari’s lifestyle brought her under suspicion. In 1917 she was arrested in her hotel room on the Champs Elysees and accused of espionage.
Told in Mata Hari's voice through her final letter, The Spy is the unforgettable story of a woman who dared to break the conventions of her time, and paid the price.
Review
I don't know how to describe how I feel about this book. It's as if there was a lot missing, and it could have had much more details - that could have prevented everything from feeling somewhat rushed. I didn't feel well about the letter format of the book either - I can see why the author did choose it, but I felt like they should have been used as an addition to the story, not the main way of telling Mata Hari's story. Also I didn't feel like I learned much about her apart from the main waypoints of her life. It doesn't seem like she was explored much as a person, and it's only lightly touched upon how certain events influenced her later life. Her relationship with her daughter was not mentioned much either. I get that novels about a real historical person can be a challenge, since you have to do that person justice, but it's obviously not impossible, so I feel like Paul Coelho should have either not written this book but instead chosen a topic he was more interested in or should have done way more research. Not a bad book per se, but as I bought it hoping to learn more about Mata Hari's life, I was disappointed quite a lot.
Book Review
A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles
Genre: Historical Fiction
Summary
When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
Review
If I had to use a single word to describe this reading experience, I would use “beautiful”. And it truly was; the language use was wonderful, the writing style amazingly descriptive, and every character, even ones that were only mentioned in passing, seemed to come alive easily. That alone seemed to make the book quite wholesome already, or at least setting a very good groundwork for the plot.
The story progresses with little time jumps, which confused me a little the first times, but once one gets used to it, it actually reads nice and fluent and actually helps build the tension. The pace of the plot was very well too, and it never felt like something went too quickly. Well, apart from the book being over ;)
There were many amusing parts in the book that made me laugh and added to the characterisations, also making the story even more alive.
The story contained just the right amount of information about the historical background, but my personal highlight still were Sasha and Nina. They were simply adorable together, I loved the parts where they explored the hidden corners of the hotel and she basically helped him come to term with his situation and realise that there’s a way for him to get more room and keep his days from being boring. I actually caught myself thinking what a wonderful father he could be when I read their conversations, and I was sad when their paths separated.
And then there was Sofia. Her appearance was a turning point in the story I didn’t see coming, and I loved how having her there made him realise how stuck he was in his routines. The progress of adjusting to her presence and realising what it takes to care for her was well-crafted, and I loved to see him growing into a father.
The ending was bittersweet for me, since seeing them separate was painful, but it was also very well done, leaving me with a smile. His plan for their escape was just amazing to read about, and the book couldn’t have had a better end.
I absolutely loved this book and I can only recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that’s not focussed on action.
Book Review
Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Genre: Crime
Summary
What more can a mystery addict desire than a much-loathed murder victim found aboard the luxurious Orient Express with multiple stab wounds, thirteen likely suspects, an incomparably brilliant detective in Hercule Poirot, and the most ingenious crime ever conceived?
Review
I’ve listened to two audiobooks from Agatha Christie a few years ago and liked them a lot, so I decided that it was time to actually read one of her books, and it was definitely a good decision.
I was glued to the pages, it was written in a way that made the story quite gripping.
If I was a character in the book, I probably would be Monsieur Bouc - every new piece of evidence just made my head spin more and more. And I had to go back and think about the second set of interviews again to catch the subtle wording Poirot used to solve the case.
The plot twist that led to the solving of the case was the least thing I expected and I absolutely loved that - good plot twists that make your eyes go wide and catch you off guard are just amazing.
The old-fashioned solving of the case without gore and dramatic action but with loads of analytical talent was very entertaining - I can warmly recommend this book! It definitely won’t be the last book of Agatha Christie I’ll read.