The Marriage of Opposites
Review of an ARC CopyI had been waiting for this book impatiently so as soon as I got hold of it, I stopped all other readings and immersed myself into it. Immersed is really the right word, because I did not look up until I had read the last word. And I was not disappointed. Again, Alice Hoffman delivers a jewel of a book !!!! She really is the queen of magical realism, and with "The Marriage of Opposites" she outdid herself, but if you have read her other novels (I did, all of them), you will also find that she has perfectionned her writing style and while magic is still present, it's presence is now much more subtle and the characters motives and actions are described with deeper scrutinity. Alice Hoffman has found in "The Marriage of Opposites" the perfect balance and she delivers an enchanting yet profound novel, reminiscent of impressionist paintings (the main protagonist was Camille Pissaro's mother), with an apparent chiseled structure and subtle color touches.
Elizabeth I and Her Circle
Review of an ARC CopyI had already read The Tudor Chronicles by the same author and am a fan of the Tudor period so already had a good chronological knowledge of the period and the main actors. I found the approach Susan Doran chose for "Elizabeth I and her circle" extremely interesting, especially the structure of the book, which goes through Elizabeth's relatioships with the composants of the circle, being individuals or interest groups. This book is, imho, a must read for those who already know the basics on the Tudor and the chronological events in Elizabeth's life but are interested in understanding her profound motives.
The Day Of The Wave
Review of an ARC Copy"The Day of the Wave" was not what I expected, it was very uplifting and so much more. Starting a decade after the big asian Tsunami on Boxer day, Becky Wicks writes about two indivuals who were personally hit hard by the tsunami and its aftermath and will try to reconstruct a life after the catastrophy. I was very touched by the story and admire the way the author managed to write so profoundly and yet without artificial pathos about the lives of those who were left behind, how they helped each other, and found their own happiness through it all. A definite 5 Stars read !!!
The Last Bookaneer
Review of an ARC CopySo.. First I have to say that I absolutely adored "The Dante Club"and really liked "The Poe Shadow". "The Last Bookaneer" though did not live up to my expectations. It is well written, Matthew Pearl is a good writer, but sadly I felt that he did not pull all he could out of the interesting premise he sought for his novel. At times I felt as if the book had been artificially lengthened and that it would greatly profit from a more severe editing. Some parts were boring and did not add anything significant to the storytelling. On the positive I found the characters well crafted, which did not surprise me because I think this is one of Mr Pearls's greatest talent.
Mile High
ARC Version A tongue-in-cheek murder novel, Mile High is very entertaining. Anyone a tad familiar with the airlines world will recognize the actual key players that inspired the cast for this very funny (and quite hot) fiction. It's Jackie Collins 3.0 !!!! A great read for the beach this summer.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC
I Take You: A Novel
Review of an ARC Copy.This was hilarious. Not your usual chick-lit novel, and with a provocative set-up, this novel unravels over the last week before the protagonist wedding, she (the bride) is the female version of the perfect playboy. The storyline will surprise you, the dialogs are extremely witty, the characters well rounded. IMHO, this could make a fantastic motion picture, if well adapted.
Station Eleven: A novel
Undeniably well written, reminiscent of Margaret Atwood, thus 4 stars, because of the craftsmanship really, because it did not touch my soul. I thought it would, and some moments in the book got very near to that, but at the end it was a hit and miss. But "it's not you, it's me". Reading this during the Christmas time was a bad timing decision on my part. It is a very good book, just not for me right now.
Somerset
Much better than the cover would make you think. Not a romance book, I would classify it under historical fiction. Well researched, in the line of the Louisiane Serie by Denuziêres.
El viajero del siglo/ Travelers Century (Premio Alfaguara 2009)(Spanish Edition)
"tocado por la gracia" seems indeed accurate, at least for me. I am pretty sad I've finished it, and it will be very difficult to find a similar read.
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
A fantastic read !!!! It is a modern tale, an ancient quest, a reflexion on books, on technology, on friendship, an art essay, all this and so much more. I adored it !
Entre deux feux
Je viens de lire l'Ex, La frondeuse et Entre deux feux et c'est ce dernier qui est clairement le moins partisan et le mieux écrit.Je n'éprouve aucune sympathie pour Mme Royal, mais on doit lui reconnaitre beaucoup de courage. Mme Trierweiler devrait grandir de toute urgence, elle n'a plus 15 ans loin s'en faut. Intelligence et beauté ne suffisent pas, sagesse, maturité, sérénité et générosité lui font singulièrement défaut ! Je plains non seulement les enfants Holande-Royal mais encore bien plus les trois fils Trierweiler qui non seulement n'ont rien demandé mais en plus ne sont pas préparés aux prjoecteurs, et n'ont visiblement pas une mère qui les protègent, eux.
Dirty
For those who like me found Fifty Shades badly written and very simplistic, here is the antithesis of it. Well written for one, and with a fine layered character study. Megan Hart can be irregular in her work, but Dirty, Broken and Stranger are imho her good ones, where she shows what she can as opposed to delivering what has been ordered in her other books.