An absolute page-turner!! Lucy Foley really knows how to turn a simple, elegant wedding on a little island into a deadly affair. Each chapter follows An absolute page-turner!! Lucy Foley really knows how to turn a simple, elegant wedding on a little island into a deadly affair. Each chapter follows the point of view of different people involved in the wedding, the bride, the bridesmaid, the best man, the wedding planner and the plus-one. I loved how even though you see the entire story through varying perspectives, it's still easy to follow. Foley uses a diary-entry style for each POV which I thought worked incredibly well for a 'whodunnit' plot.
The plot twists had me shocked and one even made me cry, but the suspense and tension was as riveting as being an actual guest at this wedding. I am never going to look at celebrities the same way after this...more
The final book in the Crescent City series was everything the first 2 books should have been: fast-paced, action-packed, and consistent narration.
PloThe final book in the Crescent City series was everything the first 2 books should have been: fast-paced, action-packed, and consistent narration.
Plot: Bryce and Hunt are separated between worlds. Hunt is held in the Asteri dungeons with Ruhn and Baxian being severely tortured by the ruthless Pollux and the Hammer. Bryce finds herself in the original Fae world where she meets Nesta, Azriel, and Rhysand (cross-over from the ACOTAR series). Unfortunately, she's desperate to get back to save her mate, her brother and friends so she rapidly tries to figure out why her starlight sent her there to the home of her ancestors whilst finding a way to kill the Asteri. Meanwhile, Lidia (the Hind who is now enemy-turned-ally) finds a way to rescue Ruhn, Hunt, and Baxian using all the help she can muster from Bryce's friends. Thereafter, the group is tasked with the mission of ending the Asteri's regime once and for all.
Verdict: Lots of events and incidents take place, almost simultaneously. The history of Midgard and how the Asteri got control of it was super interesting but highly convoluted. Maas poured a ton of information in one go that you're forced to rely on Bryce to remember it all. This book made me realise I liked Bryce and Hunt much better when they were separated. Together, they were insufferable. Nevertheless, this book was all about tying up loose ends, which it did exceptionally well. I was expecting a lead up to an epic showdown, but it was more about having minor subplots reaching a resolution until the main one found its denouement. The last few chapters became tedious, so I skimmed through it and was still satisfied with the ending. This series is not better than ACOTAR, but not bad either....more
The Cloisters is a great read on how academia can suddenly turn dark. Following a single summer of Ann Stilwell, the reader is taken through the gloriThe Cloisters is a great read on how academia can suddenly turn dark. Following a single summer of Ann Stilwell, the reader is taken through the glorious archives of the Met Museum of New York, specifically the Cloisters. Stilwell, our very drab and boring narrator, is determined to leave Walla Walla, Washington, as soon as she graduates. Specialising in Renaissance art, a very rare study that she was the only student of her professor, she finally gets a summer internship at the Met. Upon arriving at the Met, she is told her supervisor/mentor was called away on urgent business and, therefore, was not needed at all. As fate would have it, Patrick Roland requires assistance in the Cloisters with him and another grad-student Rachel. They are researching tarot card reading/ divination during the Renaissance era. Ann, who is escaping the lingering memory of her father and does not believe in fate, decides to hide her own beliefs to take the job offer that could possibly catapult her current lowly status in academia. Unfortunately, she's not the only one with secrets, and soon Ann is embroiled (almost seduced) into investigating the reality or surreality of the past and present.
Ann is not a bad narrator. She is just very impressionable. I get why someone from a small town would be enticed by the highly influential people of a big city such as New York. I don't blame her for wanting to be liked, almost loved, by Rachel, whose old money status has gotten her to become widely known in the academic world at such a young age, by Patrick, whose mentorship reminds her so much of the father she lost too soon, or even by Leo, the cool gardener of medieval medicinal herbs whose subtle criminal activity gives her a thrill, especially when he starts showing romantic interest in her. But Ann is as self-aggrandizing as the academics around her. She knows that there's something off about the people she works with, but her fear of having to go back home and the desire to attain the same status as Rachel leads to her making the worst choices. Nevertheless, Katy Hays shows us that perhaps this is the result of what happens when you don't have a leg-up in the world, such as nepotism or special recommendations, you end up choosing what is best for yourself, and only yourself only. That is, until tragedy strikes....more
A fantastic read! In true Stephen King fashion, Holly follows a similar message in almost all of his novels: humans are the worst kind of monster out A fantastic read! In true Stephen King fashion, Holly follows a similar message in almost all of his novels: humans are the worst kind of monster out there. Holly Gibney is a private detective, and she just lost her mother to covid. Her mum was one of those who believed 'covid' is a lie, so the irony of her death is not lost on Holly. King sets this novel across a time period of before covid and during. He uses the backdrop of all the socio-political issues that took place in America at that time, such as the riots in the Capitol, the rise of the anti-vaxxers, and the racial injustices committed by the police. Against this, he carries an interesting plot of people going missing in a small university town. However, Holly doesn't know that yet because she was hired to only investigate the disappearance of Bonnie Dahl, a young woman who works at the university library.
The point of view alternates between the kidnappers, Holly, and sometimes minor characters between chapters. I don't usually like knowing who the perps are before the denouement of a whodunnit novel as I love making my predictions, but for this novel, it works. You get an understanding of the how, why, when, where, and what reason two old people in their late seventies would want to kidnap certain people. Yes, they're old, very old people. I will never be able to fully trust an old person's plea for help again. As much as I enjoyed this novel, I am only giving it a 4 out of 5 stars because I didn't particularly like how it ended. It's definitely worth a read, though....more
It took me a while to warm up to the narrative of a half-human, half-fae female who is hyper-independent and wants everyone to think the worst of her.It took me a while to warm up to the narrative of a half-human, half-fae female who is hyper-independent and wants everyone to think the worst of her. Bryce Quinlan comes across as your average YA female protagonist, which might make it seem that this may be your average, predictable YA novel. It isn't! House of Earth and Blood is far from predictable, and Bryce genuinely develops holistically as a character.
Seeing as my only other foray into Sarah J. Maas's writing is the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, I obviously made many comparisons. While the ACOTAR series really delved into the explicit sexual content, the Crescent City series teetered on the edge of it. One can only assume it was to create the slow-burn romance between Bryce and the angel Hunt Athalar. However, like ACOTAR, House of Earth and Blood has the female protagonist go from ordinary and average to the most powerful entity in the universe. Maas does toxic masculinity really well and even gets her female protagonists to stand up to it, but it would be nice for the women in her novels to come across a feminist male once in a while (and not one that values women empowerment only because they're in love with the most powerful one of all). It's a fantasy genre; make it up if such things don't exist in reality.
Nevertheless, it was a great and enjoyable read, and I would highly recommend giving this series a go!...more
What an adventure! Katie Daysh is a new author I've been introduced to, and I find her storytelling exceptionally intriguing. As a huge fan of piratesWhat an adventure! Katie Daysh is a new author I've been introduced to, and I find her storytelling exceptionally intriguing. As a huge fan of pirates and sea-faring adventures, Leeward checks all the boxes. Her main character, Captain Hiram Nightingale, has just been given his post after a two-year sabbatical. He is a decorated Navy officer from Portsmouth who is now expected to travel to Trinidad for work but is instead ordered to captain the Scylla and sail across the Americas to find and bring back the Ulysses. The Ulysses is a king's ship that was hijacked by a bunch of mutineers, making it a dangerous and arduous task for Captain Nightingale. Especially since he has to work with a brand new crew and a lieutenant Courtney, who was secretly hoping to be given the job of captaincy. Things begin taking a deadly turn when he discovers that there is a pile of gold on board the Ulysses and his second lieutenant, Hargreaves, begins behaving very suspiciously.
Leeward is queer romance novel set in 19th century England, which is wonderfully executed. Through her characters, Daysh depicts people's struggles of living with sexual preferences that society deems abhorrent, yet are completely innocent and pure. Captain Nightingale is my new favourite character. He reminds me so much of Ned Stark (of The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R Martin) in the sense that he genuinely believes that since he is honorable, everyone else would be too. Nightingale is the epitome of goodness and deserves the world. Daysh has made this a series, so I am excited to read more of Captain Nightingale's swashbuckling and high-seas adventures....more
**spoiler alert** The 7th novel in the Cormoran Strike series is absolutely delightful. Robin and Cormoran still have those lingering feelings for eac**spoiler alert** The 7th novel in the Cormoran Strike series is absolutely delightful. Robin and Cormoran still have those lingering feelings for each other, but they are completely ignoring it. Nevertheless, they continue to work exceptionally well together to build an astounding private detective agency. This time, Robin goes undercover into the cult organisation the UHC (Universal Humanitarian Church) to extract Sir Colin Edensor's son, Will.
Along with Strike and their bona-fide subcontractors, they investigate a scary world of the eerily charming Jonathan Wace, who is accused by Sir Edensor of extreme manipulation, indoctrination and extortion of his son. The UHC comes across as an innocent charity organisation, but through Robin's point of view, we see a dark and dangerous entity exploiting the most vulnerable people in society. JK Rowling, under the pen name Robert Galbraith, captures the nuances of brainwashing extremely well that the reader will always be prepared in life to look for the signs of manipulation. In parallel to the main plot, we also learn more about Cormoran's past with his mother and sister, who has an awful connection to the cult they're currently investigating. Furthermore, there is a death of a recurring character that, for me, felt necessary. Highly recommended!!!...more
One of the loveliest stories I've read this year, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, is truly a wondrous escape to early 20th Century India (aOne of the loveliest stories I've read this year, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, is truly a wondrous escape to early 20th Century India (and a little bit of Scotland). Spanning three generations, The Covenant of Water is a long read, but it is by no means tedious. In fact, the writing flows as easily as the water that connects all the villages in Kerala, where the story is mostly set. Beginning with the introduction of Big Ammachi as a young girl of twelve, marrying an older man, as was common in old India. The man is a widower with a two year old and owns an entire estate. He turns out to be a kind, good man, yet quiet and reserved. Thus, we see Big Ammachi live a lonely life of raising her stepson and becoming the resolute force on the Parambil estate.
Soon, however, the son dies due to a drowning. The devastation of this tragedy has Ammachi questioning why her husband refuses to travel on water (which is the only mode of transportation in Kerala at the time other than walking) and why there are whispers of a family curse. It turns out that there is an unexplained condition (actually referred to as the 'Condition') that has affected the family for generations. Immediately, the story introduces another character, Digby, a Scottish doctor who finds himself moving to Kerala. I assumed that Digby was introduced as a means to be the person to find the cure of the condition because I couldn't understand the parallel of the two stories. I wasn't wrong. Digby and Big Ammachi's lives are intertwined in various ways, which is what makes the novel so intriguing.
Verghese uses the flow of water as an extended metaphor to show the interconnectedness of life, and just like water, the reader is expected to go with the flow. This isn't a critique of British-ruled India, but various political, religious, and social events are mentioned within the novel. The author keeps to the time period well, but as a backdrop to the main characters' storyline. A highly recommended read!...more
A sweet love story between Achilles, the Greek demi-god, and Patroclus, the exiled prince, is explored in Miller's The Song of Achilles. As I type thiA sweet love story between Achilles, the Greek demi-god, and Patroclus, the exiled prince, is explored in Miller's The Song of Achilles. As I type this, I realise that the title itself isn't mentioned nor implied or even suggested in the novel (feel free to correct me if I am wrong). While the writer kept to the most part of the mythology behind the Greek Gods, she did use creative license to alter certain aspects of the myth. I wasn't happy about a crucial factor of Achilles' myth that was changed, but I did find the author's interpretation of character and their development intriguing. It's probably what makes it an enjoyable read. With Achilles and Patroclus joining the army to save Helen of Sparta, we are given incredible insight to how the Greeks prepared for and acted in battle.
The story is narrated through the eyes of Patroclus, who is an excellent conveyor of his feelings for those he meets. This allows the novel to feel like you're reading his personal diary. However, the characters mentioned are no longer spoken of if Patroclus doesn't come across them again or if he doesn't care to know what happened to them, which makes you left wandering about those minor, insignificant characters. Both Patroclus and Achilles are likable characters (as opposed to their depiction in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida) with all the qualities of what truly makes a hero, which contradicts the usual premise of Greek heroes as being severely flawed. I recommend this novel if you're a fan of Greek mythology....more
Brandon Sanderson came highly recommended, so I decided to give his standalone novel, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, a go. Set in the author's CosmerBrandon Sanderson came highly recommended, so I decided to give his standalone novel, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, a go. Set in the author's Cosmere universe, the story follows two ninteen-years-olds from two completely different places (or worlds, like they assume). Yumi is a yuki-hijo that was chosen at birth to live a deeply conservative and sacred life connected to the spirits of her world, whereas the Nightmare Painter, Nikaro, is a lonely painter whose job is to paint nightmares away (yes, in his world there are nightmares that come to suck people's souls and there are designated people who undergo school and training to paint the nightmares into a different shape to decrease the fear and thereby vanish). This is all narrated by an alien from another planet brought to the Painter's world and, due to some cosmic disaster, has turned into a statue. Anyway, a spirit communicates to Yumi and requests her help as they are all in danger. She agrees to help and is then put into delirious sleep and wakes up to her body being taken over by the Nightmare Painter, while she is a separate corporeal entity. Plot twist: she can see the painter as himself, but other people in her world see him as Yumi. Another plot twist: whenever they go to sleep, the vice-versa happens, and she is in his body in his world, and now he is the sentient being. Does this mean the people in the Painter's world see Yumi as the Painter? Nope. Another plot twist: the people in his world see Yumi as herself. It is unclear why Sanderson made this difference. To be unpredictable? To add spice? For fun?
Most of the plot is centered around these two young people trying to figure out what happened to them and what exactly they need to do so they can go back to their own bodies and lives. In the process, they have to live each other's daily routines and master each other's jobs, providing an experience that removes both of them in their comfort zone. Through this, we see more about the worlds they live in, and we can piece together how differently they were brought up. Also, they fall in love, which was kind of predicted from the beginning that this would happen. However, it is a sweet, slow-burn romance with nothing untoward.
Sanderson does a great job tying everything up at the end, but that's the problem. They way things come together or the resolution to the conflict raises more questions. The reasoning behind the body swap would mean that there'd be dire repercussions to the characters of Yumi and the Painter. Yet, the novel ends quickly with the conflict solved. This story needed the conflict to be solved earlier since the repercussions of the resolution would need deeper insight and understanding. There is an author's note that he wrote this novel because his wife told him he hardly includes romance in his novels. Maybe there's a reason for that...more
**spoiler alert** The Grandmother Plot is a quirky insight into the lives of those who have a close relative in care homes for Alzheimer's and Dementi**spoiler alert** The Grandmother Plot is a quirky insight into the lives of those who have a close relative in care homes for Alzheimer's and Dementia. Caroline B. Cooney does a sweet job of merging a young man's love for his grandmother and his passion for glass-making, which leads to unfortunate involvement with drug dealers/users. Plus, she throws in a whodunit mystery in the mix, and somehow, in the first half, it all makes sense with how everything links up. However, in the end, you realise there were many things that didn't tie up, leaving a very anti-climatic denouement.
Freddy is the protagonist caught up in this web whilst caring for his grandmother. She is in a care home that he pays for from his dead mother social security (he didn't call to declare her deceased) and whatever he can scrounge up from selling glass beads or marijiuana pipes. Yet, he has 3 older sisters who live much better lives than him who just can not be bothered to help with his grandmother. The only person who feels sorry for him is Laura, a 50-something old woman whose aunt is in the same care home. She is also given a point of view narrative, and Cooney alludes to her having a dark, sinful secret (it's not dark nor sinful at all...more
A slow-paced mystery set on an island off Scotland. The Brethren, a cult-like religious organisation, runs the town. Everything is creepily watched byA slow-paced mystery set on an island off Scotland. The Brethren, a cult-like religious organisation, runs the town. Everything is creepily watched by the Brethren. Everyone is aware of them literally having cameras around the town to view every citizen's movements. Cole comes to town to investigate a land dispute where a dead body was discovered. He refuses to leave until an autopsy is done. However, the Brethren priest Upritchard and Officer Lynch want to know why Cole is so interested in this body that clearly looks like the death took place over 20 years ago. We soon learn that Cole is actually a former resident of Morne and has history with these people. After befriending a lonely librarian, Kay, Cole starts investigating a lot more than a land dispute.
The Vogue crosses over 3 timelines: 1945, 1972, and 2000. There's another story unrelated to Cole 's quest but relevant to the evilness permeating in the town. Themes of teen pregnancy, racism and voyeurism are prominent in this novel, and McNamee handles it with a subtlety that is almost discomforting. It was a bit too slow for my liking, though, and the ending merely petered out rather than come to a substantial conclusion....more
It is rare to read an action-driven novel written like a bona-fide action movie, and My Father's House is one of them. Here, the action-hero is Hugh OIt is rare to read an action-driven novel written like a bona-fide action movie, and My Father's House is one of them. Here, the action-hero is Hugh O'Flaherty, an Irish Catholic priest serving in the Vatican City during the Nazi-occupancy of Rome. Hugh is well-known, well-liked, and the epitome of goodness. He is no anti-hero. His altruistic personality is what makes him decide to create an Escape Line for Roman Jews and political prisoners, even though his superiors have warned him against getting involved in matters that are "non-religious" in nature. So, he begins a Choir: a group of pertinent people in society chosen by Hugh to work as agents in the Escape Line. However, hot on his tail is Hauptmann, an SS officer who oversees the running of Rome and is absolutely certain that the padre is the reason why so many prisoners have escaped.
If you love action movies that are quick-paced, told through various points of view in different timelines, and with minimal background knowledge of characters, then this novel is perfect for you. The whole point is in the action, so there isn't much characterisation or exploration of themes. I still enjoyed it, even though I would have loved some more details of Hugh's life in Kerry, Ireland and the relationship between Hauptmann and his wife (yes, there is also Hauptmann's point of view which gave an interesting insight to life as an SS officer). There's an allusion to this being based on a true story that I haven't researched yet, so I can't say how much is fact or fiction. Highly recommended, nevertheless!...more
Excellent start to the life of Uhtred, Lord of Bebbanburg, and his relationship with King Alfred of Wessex. Bernard Cornwell does brilliantly in settiExcellent start to the life of Uhtred, Lord of Bebbanburg, and his relationship with King Alfred of Wessex. Bernard Cornwell does brilliantly in setting the scene, mixing historical fact with scintillating storytelling. A great read!...more
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