Random Things Tours: A Sicilian Affair by Susan Lewis

Leaving behind a broken marriage and a sensible family situation, Catie is looking to enjoy herself while spending time in Sicily. Her short vacation in Taormina is meant to cure her heartbreak and prepare her for a new easier life.

However, when she expected less, the handsome Giancarlo appears into her life and is interested in spending quality time with her. It may be a blessing, unless you have a heavy secret past that weights way too much to leave you time to enjoy the present or think about the future.

As in other books by Susan Lewis that I had the chance to review, A Sicilian Affair is exploring the role of secrecy into one´s life, particularly it´s dangerous influences, but this time there is an unique aspect of the story which stands alone: the game of emotions.

The book is following a double timeline, as the story is switching from present into the past, both episodes important for revealing details of a story who is developing into a constant crescendo. It is one of the most emotional thrillers I´ve read lately, but it is that kind of emotion that does suit the events of the story, without creating tensions for the sake of the creative impulse. The narrative is well paced and made of pieces that come together, aiming at revealing events and facts useful for understanding the story.

Last but not least, although I haven´t been to Taormina and Sicily in general yet, Lewis is able to convene a special ambiance of the place, which adds a layer of authenticity to the story.

A recommended read if you are looking for a different kind of thriller, with an interesting take on old secrets and the ways in which past may alter the future, no matter how decided one is to completely forget it.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Blog Tour: Reinventing Democracy by David Kauders

There is no secret that many old traditional democracies, particularly in Europe, are going through a process of re-consideration and re-evaluation. ´Huge economic disparities, the increasing disatisfaction of a large category of population with social and economic policies, corruption and lack of efficiency of institutions and political authorities, as well as their representatives are topics frequently discussed, no matter the system of government and the democratic age of the political system.

Particularly in the UK, the political establishment is often criticized for incoherent policies and weak politicians, The public, the voters are more and more disappointed and such attitudes are in general dangerous for democracies in general. 

Based on carefully crafted financial and economic assessments, David Kauders is suggesting a dramatic but much awaited change of the British system. Reinventing Democracy. Improving British Political Governance is an analysis, a manifesto and a generous invitation to dialogue about burning questions such as the need of changing deeply the government system and the structure of the state as such. He suggests, among others, the switch to a written Constitution, as well as a re-organisation of the territory based on the federal system and devolution principles.

Definitely, each theoretical suggestion always needs a serious nationwide discussion, but the ideas are here and deserve a larger analysis. The reinvention of democracy is a long process, but the final result needs to consider the diversity of opinions and regional requirements.

I consider the book a good contribution to this debate and I can only hope to hear more about this project. 

Rating: 4 stars

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

Calling Ukraine by Johannes Lichtman

Mourning his late father, in the afterwards of a long-term relationship, a failed journalist, John accepts without second thoughts the offer of an old acquaintances to re-train a group of call center employees based in the Western part of Ukraine. With a good salary, one year contract and a native command of English, he is ready to help the team improve their innate knowledge and pronunciation of the English language.

John is an overthinker, with a penchant for self-deprectiation. However, as he (apparently) kills an abusive husband whose wife he was in love with, except some nightmares that may stop after a while, there are no terrible negative effects.

I was very curious about the book, covering 2018-2019, including the moment when the current Ukrainian president, Zelenskyy, was elected. The book is categorized under the sub-genre of ´Americans abroad´, and it does include some usual stereotypes associated with such endeavours. There are some interesting observations about language - the one we speak, we use, we learn as a second language, mispronounce and mistreat, as well as some nonfictional details about the recent history of Ukraine. There are also one or two twists that may have the effect on the reader of waking you up from a deep sleep when nothing really noteworthy happens in terms of plot.

But except those small details, I was left after around three hours of reading largely disappointed. I would have expect a lot of developments and a story, that is just killed due to an apparent lack of plot directions. I wanted to like it and I was almost tempted to do it due to the intelligent remarks on language, but I simply couldn´t.

Rating: 2 stars

Random Things Tours: Clickbait by L.C.North

´Living with the Lancasters has something for everyone. You´re going to love us, and if you don´t, then you´re going to love hating us´.

Since the cover reveal for Clickbait, I couldn´t wait to have the chance to read and review this book. If you are following my reviews, you may notice that I am fascinated about stories that relate to social media episodes, either through the characters interactions or as a main setting or both.

The Lancasters aim at being the British Kardashians. Every Sunday, at 7 pm, there is a new episode on YouTube, revealing daily episodes from their glamorous life: parties, launch of new product lines, daily interactions. But there are cracks in Paradise and once a disappeared teenager appears in one of their videos from 20 years ago, the family is overexposed for all the wrong reasons and there is a tragic chain put into motion.

The story is created through various reports of social media interactions which gives you the impression of being part of a reality show as well. It made me think a lot about way too many glamorous families and couples on screen, struggling in fact against the odds of very miserable private lives. It is sad, indeed, and teaches us to never try to compare our lives with the projections of happiness we see on screen. Comparing in general is toxic, but pushing ourselves under pressure to replicate empty lives is very dangerous for our mental health as well and the reality shows - reality, indeed, but still shows - do deliver us an attractive reality.

The story enfolds like a puzzle game during which the reader should stay alert for not missing any single detail of the story. As you advance from one episode of the story to another, there is a growing feeling that there is something more serious and dramatic about to happen and this expectations are largely met. As for the end, it is very unexpected - at least for me - one last twist after many surprising turnes of the story.

I really enjoyed Clickbait for its engaging plot and the psychological insights into a world we are all writing off, one social media or YouTube like or comment at a time. A fully relatable story of our busy times.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Rachel´s Random Resources: Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin

Suddenly unemployed, Evie is accepting a call from her grandmother to come help her maintain the bookshop she managed for years on the sunny island of Santorini. But her grandmother´s problems are more than simple management issues, as she is about to lose her beautiful bookish place, due to misunderstandings with the local Greek landlord. And as the situation seems to become hopeless by the day, a charming idea seems to take shape: what about if Evie is set on a fake date with the handsome landlord´s grandson, the equally charming Georgios?

In full honesty, I´ve read this book in a day, in just few pleasant hours spent in the company of those witty characters - among which, Floretta, the grandmother is lovely and the kind of person you need into your life, and the relationship between her and Evie is beautiful and inspiring. The ambiance plays a good role in creating the story, and even if you never been to Santorini, you can feel and breath the place from the pages of the book.

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop is an invitation to believe in love, even if it may start with a fake date for a very noble cause. The kind of book one would love to have with on vacation, on a Greek island or not. 

Rating: 5 stars

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

Rachel´s Random Resources: A Kiss in Kashmir by Monica Saigal

I am honoured to consider Monica Saigal a close friend, and I feel always priviledged to be part of her literary success, sometimes by getting early access to her beautiful writings. She has an unlimited capacity to reinvent herself, by trying different genres, from poetry, short stories to fiction, cookbooks and personal accounts. No matter the genre she is experiencing with, the result is always eye-opening as it opens up to new worlds and ideas, leaving the reader richer and bolder to explore beyond the comfort zone of the everyday imagination.

Her latest book, A Kiss in Kashmir is a romance of second chances. Sharmila, a talented artist, is back to Kashmir after many years of absence, following dramatic political events that lead to the disappearance of the love of her life. While busy preparing the wedding of her daughter, Alina, she gets to know George, a retired art historian, slowly recovering following the death if his beloved wife.

Two broken hearts who lost their soulmates. Would they be given a second chance? Are there second chances, second soulmates? After all, love is just love. Love in itself is a chance to live, no matter when it happens or how many times in life it happens. 

What I really loved about this book is that it covers so many separate aspects - local Kashmir history, art history, love and romance - while creating a coherent beautiful story. This is how one recognizes a great storyteller and Monica Saigal is definitely one of them. Only if she will share with the world more of her beautiful stories.

A recommended read to anyone looking for an emotional story of love, with relatable characters set in an unique surrounding. It leaves the reader with a soothing feeling that love is such a simple, rare and genuine feeling, we must always cheerish, every time it really happens. 

Rating: 5 stars

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

The Last Exiles by Ann Shin

 

Book set in North Korea or with a North-Korean inspiration are rare those days. The secretive repressive nature of the regime that turned the country into a prison hard to escape from deter some people from finding freedom. Those who did, probably are rather interested in sharing their stories as nonfiction, in memoirs or movies. 

Hence, my high interest in reading The Last Exiles, by movie maker and author Ann Shin. A love story set on the background of an unlikely couple caught in the everyday life absurdities of the repressive system, it resonates with every other stories of people growing up in dictatorships. The repressive system controlling the lives and content of the cupboards of the citizens is nurtured by abuse and corruption that will stay for a long time in the soul of the people, independenlty of their will.

Jin and Suja met at the university where they are studying together journalism. He is on a scholarship from people with modest background, she is the only daughter of a powerful media owner, close to the establishment. While on vacation visiting his parents, there is a raid taking place, during which the food rations of his parents are stolen. Jin will try to make justice on his own, but no one is on his own in a totalitarian regime. He ends up in a penitentiary colony but he will escape to China. 

Driven by love, Suja will escape using a complicated network of smugglers only to end up as a victim of human trafficking. After many unhappy adventures, the two of them will meet again and will leave behind China and North Korea, hoping to start a new life abroad.

Inspired by true events, The Last Exiles is an emotional story of random human cruelty but also of empathy and hope. Although I felt that som, e moments that I expected to be highly tensed as the escape through the river of both of the main characters were treated too fast - personally I was really curious how they did it, being fed many stories of escaping dictatorships by the way of swimming as well - the book is well and empathically written.

I would be curious to read more - also in nonfiction - about the human trafficking stories at the border with China, but first and foremost, would love to hear more stories about everyday life in North Korea and the escape stories. The Last Exiles just arose my curiosity to discover more, although it is not always easy for me to carry to weight of all those broken destinies only because born in the wrong moment, under the worse political regime.

Rating: 4 stars