We Can´t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon

´I´m no longer the girl who always says ´yes´ ´.

I am always interested in discovering books with a multicultural topic, therefore We Can´t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon, an author whose name often appeared on my bookish feed, sounded like a good recommendation.

To my shame, I´ve started the book five years ago, abandoned it - although was considering resuming the reading every few months, and was only able to finish it last week. I am a very compulsive reader and even though I am trying to keep my overactivity under control - including in its bookish manifestation, I often embrace my limitations.

Quinn, who is Jewish - her name isn´t though - is trying to part ways with her family´s wedding company, while finding out herself in playing harp and being tormented of the idea of comitting to a relationship with Tarek, the son of an Egyptian family owning a catering company. There are few, but not enough identity markers of the two main characters so for me it looked a bit make up. It sounds good to have inter-racial love, but it is not enough as long as the characters do not really belong. 

However, other details regarding the characters are more fulfilling rendering them and their stories more relatable. Quinn´s transformation and the acknowledgement of her interests and need to follow her own dreams, happening at the same time with her fully acceptance of her feelings for Tarek, are important story pivots. 

Better placed and developed than the inter-racial story, the struggle of the characters with mental health issues like OCD, chronical illnesses and family trauma do relate to topics of interests for the younger generation.

I think this book brings a lot of contemporary topics and I am very much glad of being able to finally finish it. In the meantime, would be more than happy to give more than one chance to this author in the coming months.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Random Things Tours: 138 Main Street by Gavin Bell

I love a good crime story, but I love even more a fantastic premise for creating a story. Each story has a start but some do have a greater spring priviledge.

138 Main Street by Glasgow-based Gavin Bell created such an unique reading encounter. An unknown killer is picking up his victims from the same address: 138 Main Street. And, not surprisingly, there are 7,000 such addreses in the US. As the corpses pile, the killer is issuing a manifesto of social justice to the media, warning of a continuation of the killing spree. 

Personally, I couldn´t stop reading this book, because it sounded both authentic and scary. I went thinking that although it is important catch the killer, but nevertheless sounded more intellectually challenging to guess if there will be any reasons why - except being killed - the crimes may stop.

The professional team assigned to find the killer - Ben Walker and Zoe Hill, especially Zoe Hill who is playing a terrific role in catching the killer - deserves a special place in the evolution of the plot - with an interesting dynamic, personalities and character threats. 

Both the original premise and the well-structured story itself - with mounting tension as the terror threat continues - were outstanding, and the ending was equally interesting. 

A recommended read if you are looking for a strong unexpected thriller.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Random Things Tours: The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

A famous mysterious library in New York hosts a legendary book many do have reasons to see, and maybe to have it too. A group of curious among which, an architect, a journalist, a bookseller, a famous author and a professor, taking part to a special after dark tour of the aptly named Daedalus Library. And a potential killer on the run who must be found as soon as possible. 

The Library after Dark by Ande Pliego  is an alert thriller, with a sense of emergency. I love books sets in libraries, but don´t remember to have read a looked room thriller set in one. For all the right reasons, it was a stellar choice and I was clearly caught into the story web from the very beginning.

The details of the plot are very important for the further development and so is the chain of different points of views reflecting the story. The multiple voices sharing their own version of things echoes the facts, without offering us however enough information for sharing a conclusion of our own. I love books with a generous cast of characters, especially thrillers, because it challenges me more to trace the mystery solution.

Ande Pliego weaved a captivating story, where personal and historical stories are brought together in a puzzle dominated by powerful emotions and hidden family histories. 

A recommended read if you are looking for a very eventful thriller story, happening in an unexpected Gothic setting.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Tous mais pas Beyrouth by Mathieu Diez illustrated by Jibé

´Le pays de la guerre des autres´.

French embassy in Lebanon and one of the most important abroad, which shows still French´s interest in the region, although politically speaking French politics internationally aren´t at their best. French soft power however still plays an important role, not only from the linguistic point of view.

Mathieu Diez, founder of Lyon BD Festival, spent four (very) eventful years in Beyrouth working at the embassy´s cultural section, where he was involved in organising important cultural events like book fairs and literary prizes awards, swimming through the trouble waters of a country forced to restrain its cultural potential while serving as arena of other people´s wars.

Tous mais pas Beyrouth/Anything but Beirut, illustrated by Jibé, is his graphic memoir covering time spent in the diplomatic service, between 2021 and 2024, very intense years for the country and the region in general. With an acribie and empathy not always expected from this genre, he is not only serving as a chronicler of his times, but also is doing his best in understanding the history, current challenges and culture of Lebanon. 

This book is another example of the potential of graphic novels, allowing their authors to play the role similar with the journalist: taking notes of their times, and putting it into words and images. It is a humorous, yet subjective take, that may help you get to know a topic through its main actors, their interactions and last but not least their feelings.

A recommended read for anyone curious about personal experiences from a conflict zone.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Les Enfants de la Nuit by Eva Ionesco

 

The perception of childhood changed through ages, with our Western times, in my opinion, enjoying the most generous definition of it, extending the age of childhood - and implicitly, of consent - until late teens. The legal protection - from abuse, forced labour or marriage - in the Western world goes far from the previous approaches. Sexualisation of young girls, that we no need to go too far than the glorious rebelious 1970s. Personally, I experienced it much later, in the 1990s, but those are stories for another time.

I´ve first heard about Eva Ionesco as she was mentioned in Vanessa Springora´s book, with her very sharp insights into the French literary afterwriting debacle, as a case of young girl in the attention of social services. Ionesco´s story however, is even much cruel and her struggle with sexual abuse continues until today. 

Eva´s mother - Irène/Irina - who died at the beginning of 2020s, was a Romanian-born photographer famous for her sexualized portraits of young girls, for whom her daughter was forced to pose from the very early age of four. Before being a photographer, Irène born from an incestuous relationship, used to play in a circus, until being partially incapacitated for this type of work from an accident. 

In the autobiographical novel by Ionesco, read in the original French language - part of a series of three - Les Enfants de la Nuit/Children of the Night - her mother is portrayed in very cruel, sadistic even terms: manipulative, narcissistic, self-absorbed. Her daughter, in her very early teens, became aware of being used for purely financial purposes, as a free-model for her mother sexual photographic fantasies. Although she despised Irène, she is not cutting her out completely, even accepting a little dance of lies with the representatives of the social services. Her silent scream of abuse is her self-destructive night life, wasting herself out with drugs and illicit sex during the nights spent with her hard-partying band of dysfunctional teens, among which Christian Loboutin.

Without excusing her mother´s fundamental role in her traumatic story - until today Ionesco is fighting in court for her right to taking out of circulation her sexualised pictures - the amplitude of her case was facilitated by the so-called esprit du temps. In other words, it was a public open to the consumption of the media her mother produced; or the society accepted the picture of an 11-year old in Playboy; or a bunch of teenagers were accepted to roam the best of the Paris´ dubious clubs. It is the same world where Brooke Shields played the role of a 11-year old prostitute. 

The topic of the book is not easy to digest, but it mirrors an age, an episode from the last century French world, introduced in its cruelest possible way. It is not an easy read, at times the writing is raw and traumatic - if it´s for the reader, spending some hours only with this book, think about how does it feel for Eva -, but necessary. As parents or just humans, it is vital to understand how to protect our children - from themselves and the others.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered for the publisher in exchange for an honest review 

Rachel´s Random Resources: The Collector by Rae Devine

Lucien, a billionaire art dealer is tasked -- by the Devil - with the recovery of a forbidden artifact stolen centuries ago by a rebelious Gatekeeper. Curious, he wants to know more and may found the task challenging, but the dangerous pathway to Hell may threaten the hierarchies and provoke loyalties.

The Collector by Rae Devine is dark, may belong to the paranormal genre while adding some spicy romance to the already packed plot. Paranormal isn´t my genre, but I´ve found the combination literarily attractive and Devine´s writing kept me engaged from the very beginning. There is a lot of ´sin and shadow´ into this story, but the ambiance is skillfully built. An important element in the plot are the detailed descriptions creating perceptive environments so important for the paranormal genre. 

The book is relatively short and it can be easily read in one sitting. This was my reading choice, and it was very helpful to keep a fast track of the characters and the very action-packed story. 

The Collector is the second installment of the paranormal romance series The Seven Gates. 

A special word of appreciation of the cover, with both lettering and the images are in a tensed sync. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Random Things Tours: Work Love Balance by Sophie Loxton

Romance is being rewritten, over and over again. Each generation, its love stories. As much as I love romance - without being too much of a Romantic myself - I´m usually drawn to contemporary stories I can actually relate to.

From this point of view, Work Love Balance by Sophie Loxton was a great read to start the week with. The author is a romance writer with a sharp, witty voice, and her story was such a fun and relatable read, especially if you love influencers characters and stories from the world of art. The main female character, Lizzy, seems to have everything under control...until a few work-related encounters bring her closer to a charming young man who threatens the delicate balance she´s built between her career and her love life. Her boss however, doesn´t mind too much keeping those limits and this may challenge Lizzy in unexpected ways. 

From the very beginning, Lizzy became my favorite character. As the main storyteller, she is sharing her own - very vivid and humorous - interpretations of things. Through her experiences, she learns what she expects from herself, from others and from her work. The story keeps the reader entertained, with unexpected situations twists that not only make you want to keep reading, but also reveal new and engaging details about the characters. The book itself starts with a surprise - an unexpected wedding between Esme and Ajax and the meeting of Olly - and keeps entertaininng the reader until the very end. The fact that it also includes travel - clearly of the work-related kind - and influencer-related episodes, was definitely a big plus for me as well.

I loved that the characters who give the tone of the book - Lizzy and Esme - are women, successful in their own professional areas. The mention of Esme´s dyslexia is noteworthy, as one may rarely associate successful people with such issues, which is far from being the truth. 

Work Love Balance is a great book to start - or end - your workweek, with or without the counter-balance of love.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

 

Random Things Tours: Call of the Isles. A Scottish Anthology

 

Scottland has not only a high literary potential, as source of inspiration and literary background but it does as well write literary history, through the diversity of the voices identifying themselves as ´Scottish´. 

A  collection published recently by Glasgow-based edition house Tantallon Tir, carefully curated by John Gerard Fagan features one - if not the - best literary voices made in Scotland. In a bit over 100 pages, this collection is an impressive overview of the topics and ideas inspired by life on an island. Even when they are not explicitly referring to it, talking about experiences in other realms, the personal experience of having lived here continue to shape their literary influences and writing in general.

Initially I was very curious about this collection, as I am sharing a Scottish interest for some time already and I felt rewarded in terms of the quality of the writing and topics. The ideas shared and impressions collected will definitely nurture any incoming trip to the island. 

A recommended read to anyone interested in literary travel or just looking for some well-curated lists of quality authors. 

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

London Falling. A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family´s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe

Zack, grand nephew of Shoah survivorrs seemed to be just another 19-year old troubled teenager, but as he disappears and found dead in the Thames, his middle class parents may discover in horror that their belovoed son was leading his very own secret life. 

At first, Zack seemed to be a slightly more dangerous masculine version of Anna Delvey: he built up an identity as the son of a fictive Russian billionaire with connections as high as Roman Abramovic, mixing up with the London underworld. 

In any of the details meticulously shared in the well-documented and well-written true crime story of his case by Patrick Radden Keefe - London Falling. A Mysterious Death in the Guilded City and a Family´s Search for Truth, there is no mention that Zack didn´t love his family, or was alienated in any possible way from them. Swallowed up by social media, trying to show off and build a satisfactory identity. An identity that everyone seemed to take it seriously, until something may have been revealed and put himself into danger in relationship with his entourage. There is a new world, with new expectations and trusting your child is not enough; one needs also to understand what the actual dangers and illusions luring ahead may be. 

Patrick Radden Keefe is going so much into the deep details of the case, from social to family history, in a curious yet empathic way. As a mother of son, was often thinking of the deep drama his parents are going through. Lovely parents with a sense of justice who just wanted to understand what actually happened to their son, and maybe also why did he followed this path, or at what extent they were sharing a responsibilty. 

This book - that I had access to in the audiobook version - is a complex investigation where parenting meets true crime, in a contemporary episode in a city with a century-old personal history of crime. A recommended read for understanding the world our children are living in. 

Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 stars

 

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au

A mother-daughter trip to Japan turns into a memory journey through unsettled memories. With allusions and suggestions of impressionist nature, Cold Enough for Snow by Australian-based author Jessica Au  was a minimalistic, although too short - 90-page length - read.

There is no plot or proper story, but memories within memories prompted by the encounter. There is not too much proper communication between the two, not the expected empathy that you may show as a mother towards your child you haven´t seen in a while or as a child towards the mother you haven´t see in a while. The encounter itself creates the context for unclear memories and unsettled endings.

It enfolds as an episode, as the fragment of a dream, as a memory of the memory. Sometimes, as the angle of the story is changing, there are details added, that are soon after abandoned due to the next shift of memory. 

The writing is seamless and powerful, and from the beginning to the end it was a full immersion, with many hours of afterthought afterwards.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rachel´s Random Resources: Murder in Rome by T.A.Williams

 

Long time no news from DCI Armstrong and his sweet Oscar canine assistant! I am happy to share some good news, as the newest book from the series Murder in Rome is ready and it was really worth waiting for it.

After 30 years in the Murder Squad, Dan Armstrong is nowadays based in Florence, but this time, shortly after his wedding with history professor Anna his investigative steps are taking him to the historical city of Rome, where he is requested to help finding the murderer of a rich UK financier, the uncle of a famous TV personality Tamsin Goodfaith, settled in a Roman castle. And who can say upfront ´no´ to a famous and beautiful TV star? Soon after though, there is a second murder taking place, and Dan has to find who is behind it, until it is not too late. It seems that getting to know Rome took him - and the curious Labrador Oscar who is accompanying him - into a completely new unexpected direction.

Cosy, smart and very well connected to the daily realities and Italian history, Murder in Rome is well planned and written with humour that may not affect the seriousness of crime investigations. As usual, the environment is well depicted, and the ambiance is very specific, as you almost feel yourself transported into old castles and Rome´s historical sightseeings. Add to this some lavish food descriptions, worth the fame of a Roman banquet.

The story unfolds within less than a week, in diary-like entries, with well-observed characters. It is relatively impossible to fathom what will really happen until the end, and I liked how T.A.Williams spread various hints at specific moments, most of them being nothing more than hints.  

A recommended read if you love Italy and want to discover it, especially Rome, with different eyes and in a more unique, history-seasoned and crime-related way.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Rachel´s Random Resources: The Hotel by the Sea by Julie Caplin

I love Portugal for its sense of privacy and calm, and for the warm and friendly people. A romantic novel set in this beautiful country can only promise good things, in addition to some more inspiration for the coming summer holidays.

The Hotel by the Sea by bestselling author Julie Caplin is an invitation to relax, and spend some romantic adventurous hours in the company of Rebecca and the handsome Felipe and his bubbling family. 

Disappointed in love, Rebecca decided to take a temporary job at a family hotel in Algarve. But love is following her, and instead of taking a break from the life of the heart, she is faced with some complicated choices and a very charming acquaintance. 

What I usually love about Caplin´s books is the relatable and realistic characters: they are very much alive with their mistakes and flaws, bad choices and blind love. They reflect the behavior and choices - bad or good - of people one may encounter in the everyday life, although they are always part of well planned stories that will definitely finish within a couple of hours. But as long as we are spending time with those characters, it feels like a movie where love is always in the air.

This is the 13th book from the Romantic Series by Julie Caplin, some of them previously reviewed on my blog.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Random Things Tours: The Woman in the Wall by Heidi Amsinck

 

When human remains are accidentally discovered in an apartment in Copenhague, it is almost impossible to fathom how the criminal can be caught any time soon. As the police investigator is trying to get the media involved, the smart reporter Jensen - whose full name remains a mystery - comes to mind. She may be professionally smart, but her choice of life partner, with whom she is having a child, wasn´t so, as the father of her child is a murderer. Jensen herself has a complicated family story of herself, with a legendary author claiming now being her father. In the end, all those dots and a bit more, may be connected in many unexpected way, leading to a terrific key to the murder.

The Woman in the Wall by Heidi Amsinck is an unforgettable thriller. Amsinck is a London-based Danish journalist and crime writer, whose Jensen thriller series are based in Copenhague. 

What makes the reading of this book fascinating is the skillful art of misdirecting the reader. The twists are so brutal - in the good, crime writing kind of way - that you cannot guess what will happen next. The best approach is to simply give up any projections and just follow the directions Amsinck chose, with her own plot in mind. 

The book is the newest (the fifth) installment from the Jensen Thriller series that I´ve reviewed previously, but can be easily read as well as a standalone. Personally, I always love smart women journalists as main characters in thrillers, therefore, these series are definitely a great read.

Rating: 5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Rachel´s Random Resources: The Sunshine Teashop by Jaimie Admans

 

Some people may have it all until...all plans and dreams are falling down as a fragile game of cards. In some cultures, there is the concept of ´evil eye´ that may hunt the success, hitting hard those who may enjoy life´s gifts way too much.

Before Dolly took up on the road on a campervan, she had dreams of opening a café and a charming boyfriend. Until the named boyfriend was caught kissing her best friend...Running away from the broken dreams on a campervan loaned from the boyfriend, Dolly may be trying to forget everything she went through. But, maybe the chance is knocking again to her door, as she is landing in Yorkshire and meets a gorgeous stranger. Could she trust someone again so fast?

The Sunshine Teashop by Jaimie Admans is a humorous and uplifting romantic comedy. Dolly is my favorite character but I suppose it´s almost impossible not to like her. Although heartbroken, she is able to see the light and follows her survival instinct running away from a place that hurted her. Starting a new love story, while feeling safe and appreciated, is part of her strength of trusting herself again and giving a new chance to romance.

A recommended read for unbeated romantics and strong women.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own