tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38195022825344150892024-03-18T18:31:38.915-03:00WildWritingLifeWelcome to my world of wonderful books! WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.comBlogger1566125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-32410873408034935592024-03-18T18:31:00.001-03:002024-03-18T18:31:05.615-03:00Random Things Tours: Crow Moon by Suzy Aspley<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcW0hi0Cp2ij09WC3cJvnEgNotJNbzaU6qj8heDxs6gEOyBMYQ4WmfsGteJLoDUI5AfE1jI_jevov0KW1Av1Fo_qVycRhSQWoQ1FnAdSlTy8NkRewcpaJWAoT2_zCUfs6Ln7Yg3vNbLjjSKAdk6KI9Ea0hE7fPT7hE-4_mm5l7RVAfWLXRWeclOp-5Es/s2339/CROW%20MOON%20FINAL%20COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPcW0hi0Cp2ij09WC3cJvnEgNotJNbzaU6qj8heDxs6gEOyBMYQ4WmfsGteJLoDUI5AfE1jI_jevov0KW1Av1Fo_qVycRhSQWoQ1FnAdSlTy8NkRewcpaJWAoT2_zCUfs6Ln7Yg3vNbLjjSKAdk6KI9Ea0hE7fPT7hE-4_mm5l7RVAfWLXRWeclOp-5Es/s320/CROW%20MOON%20FINAL%20COVER.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Martha Strangeways (What a predestinated name for a main character in a Gothic thriller) decided to quit her beloved job as an investigative journalist following the tragical death of her twins. But once an investigative reporter, always an investigative reporter. It´s almost impossible to take this gift out of you. Once a missed teenager is found dead, she is back on the investigative journey, decided to find out the truth at any price. The price though is the unleashed energy of human darkness.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Crow Moon</b>, the much praised debut novel of Suzy Aspley, published this month by <b><a href="https://orendabooks.co.uk/">Orenda Books</a>, </b>is announced as the first installment in series that promise terrific gripping stories. The book is set in the Strathbran, Scotland, a place that seems to be took over by the unsettling strength of nature. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Traditionally, the Crow Moon indicated the end of the winter, and as usual, the change of seasons means a dramatic struggle for survival, as nature changes and so the overall mood. A moment very well represented into the book, in its fully symbolism. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Personally, I´ve found fascinating the mixture between old local traditions and the contemporary setting, which add a very strong layer of tension into the plot development. Even if you may not be a lover of Gothic mysteries, you will still remain interested into following the story, because in addition to the dark ambiance and unique characters, the story is told in a way that will not leave the reader indifferent. You either love or hate the story, while being unable to part ways with the book. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">On a side note, the cover offers an inspiring rendition of the book, and if you are one of those people - as the author of those lines - that are easily convinced to judge a book by its cover, you will not regret purchasing the book based only on the predominantly black visual representation.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I can´t wait the next installments of the series although I am still under the impression of this book, few days after having finished it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4.5 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-27575704689548377542024-03-18T18:10:00.001-03:002024-03-18T18:10:04.127-03:00Rachel´s Random Resources: The Last Resort by TJ Emerson<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAR0nui293wKtAy_Fex2UkOQgZF_0BUp1wOjWwBnQVKzxitjis5oJXwuLYc_PwWfF4Y6j35IwXKsx0gF2Gn_TH76WwppKabJQIRY5ofmzPxM6X_dmz1cKn2xAifUqXhT4CE61C4QmbIO9XDbZlazjDujBvidIUKQzCmQj-vXBZOU5cmfMFXhmrBJU5BY/s1080/19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAR0nui293wKtAy_Fex2UkOQgZF_0BUp1wOjWwBnQVKzxitjis5oJXwuLYc_PwWfF4Y6j35IwXKsx0gF2Gn_TH76WwppKabJQIRY5ofmzPxM6X_dmz1cKn2xAifUqXhT4CE61C4QmbIO9XDbZlazjDujBvidIUKQzCmQj-vXBZOU5cmfMFXhmrBJU5BY/s320/19.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A mystery thriller set in an idyllic setting, in the Cyprus hills, <b>The Last Resort</b> by TJ Emerson is built around a dramatic moral decision: how far would one get in order to remain in paradise. Inspired by the <b><a href="https://www.boldwoodbooks.com/inspiration-the-last-resort/">author´s readings of German literature</a></b>, the book is playing a daring game with destinies.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Faced with bankrupcy, the members of a carefree community of people that decided to re-start their life, far away from the everyday stress, are faced with a horrible choice: a death - only one - will save their house, and automatically their right to continue their life in the paradise. At the first sight, it´s an easy choice: refuse the offer. But the temptation is big, given the high stakes: their own carefree life. Would someone be able to make the step and save their present and future?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Personally, I find such situations - although just in books - very mind challenging. It was important to follow the characters reacting to the dramatically changing context, as well as the display of secrets they were hiding. Apparently, there is no innocence in paradise.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is a tormenting feeling to advance through the book, as the story brings the reader in, and one may watch terrifying the unfolding events, unsure about what will come next. Such a story may weight heavy but it is nevertheless an interesting moral adventure.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Last but not least, the title itself, <b>The Last Resort</b>, plays very well the game of double meaning and ambiguity so valuable in a good thriller. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-14101840014732967082024-03-15T14:31:00.001-03:002024-03-15T14:31:17.275-03:00Rachel´s Random Resources: The Spy Across the Water by James Naughtie<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwJQyc4qSzQonxP4-mwdWHayDUJmYxjTxkDVsFZd4TgFvzQkUigFP_1txIPqa7MELy4TAR7PpVQoG-n-XAYFQJxIxcAJQStoeou_SHOCZmW8GvSrOMPlp9NnowVAyhV1B8TbHxyaPipbXAC9bR6qkROmLzZrmWnZc8ljmJKRsngdi808mRnfiI8cA1to/s700/The%20Spy%20Across%20The%20Water.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwJQyc4qSzQonxP4-mwdWHayDUJmYxjTxkDVsFZd4TgFvzQkUigFP_1txIPqa7MELy4TAR7PpVQoG-n-XAYFQJxIxcAJQStoeou_SHOCZmW8GvSrOMPlp9NnowVAyhV1B8TbHxyaPipbXAC9bR6qkROmLzZrmWnZc8ljmJKRsngdi808mRnfiI8cA1to/s320/The%20Spy%20Across%20The%20Water.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">No matter how long is my TBR - and it´s always getting longer by the day - I have a weakness for Cold War spy novels. A terrible weakness to be honest. The confrontation between two worlds, none of them completely black or completely white, the tension of a potential atomic war and the race against time for acquiring better information are always a strong inspiration for powerful plots.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Journalists are great writers of spy novels. Especially those with experience in the world politics and international affairs. Because they got to know your friendly spy around the corner, they can relate to their own experiences, although in a fictional way. They, the spies, may know exactly which one of them was the inspiration for the novel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">James Naughtie, the autor of my latest spy novel read set in the Cold War, <b>The Spy Across the Water</b> is a popular <b><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news">BBC News</a></b> journalist and presenter of Today on <b><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj9z/episodes/player">BBC Radio</a></b> for 21 years. The book is the third installment in the series featuring former spy Willy Flemyng but it can be easily read as a stand alone book. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Currently the British ambassador to the UK, Willy Flyming is facing unexpectedly ghosts from his past. He needs to help a former Cold War ´friend´ in lethal danger, but is there something like friendship of spies? From Washington DC to the bloodied streets of Northern Ireland, the book leads the reader through the maze of a world full of secrets, untold betrayals and loneliness. From the point of view of the global design, a human life is nothing but a tool to reach and aim. Wars and espionage may ignore completely the value of life as every single one can be replaced in the larger economy of things.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I enjoyed the spy adventures and at least getting to know some of the characters. The book is well paced, alert while still allowing thoughts about current political and diplomatic events. Well informed and well written, a very entincing combo for any spy novels reader.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-12622476654544888822024-03-13T15:04:00.001-03:002024-03-13T15:04:52.257-03:00Istanbul Tango by Esmahan Aykol translated from Turkish to German by Antje Bauer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop2jUXRNgklqdnHu6JYjqBRJwFdr7olT3FTacPJuWzKX9EbThmyXOxwFGvVfkdRiMxXFu98YGAOLZiabEx2OOaEpwq8Z9FD-lUAg7Q0VXF1o9T5t_K_wenxkDVzac8aNJHFv4-q8LLK2J2a1qHOXEkHOdLWw7jIE3Y17RA7bN5gmeAmLw8FbBXhyphenhyphenzXAs/s445/istanbul%20tango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop2jUXRNgklqdnHu6JYjqBRJwFdr7olT3FTacPJuWzKX9EbThmyXOxwFGvVfkdRiMxXFu98YGAOLZiabEx2OOaEpwq8Z9FD-lUAg7Q0VXF1o9T5t_K_wenxkDVzac8aNJHFv4-q8LLK2J2a1qHOXEkHOdLWw7jIE3Y17RA7bN5gmeAmLw8FbBXhyphenhyphenzXAs/s320/istanbul%20tango.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Turkish literature has an enormous potential, especially the crime and thriller genre, but unfortunatelly, language remains a big deterrent. As my Turkish learning is too slow to jump suddenly to crime novels, I still rely on various translations, and as usual, German edition houses never disappoint.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Esmahan Aykol is well known as a German-Turkish author, the creator of Kati Hirschel character, a bookstore owner in Istanbul specialized in crime novels and herself passionate about solving a case or two.<b> Istanbul Tango </b>translated into German by Antje Bauer was my first encounter with the series and it looks like I may be interested in continuing my reading with other installment in the series.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nil, a young woman, recently fired from her journalist job, is having a sudden attack while in a coffee, that will end her up in the Emergency Room, where she will lie few more days in coma before dying. Kati who didn´t have a close connection, if any, with the victim, is curious to figure out what exactly happened to her. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is just an accident, a medical occurrence, after all, why need to go so deep into a crime investigation?This is a question I´ve asked myself several times, as almost 100 pages into the book, was not yet very clear if there is any crime plot besides the intention of it. I´ve rarely read a story which is moving so so slowly towards an unexpected end.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Crime, sex, political corruption, an omnipresent intelligence apparatus, but also unique stories about the connection between <b><a href="https://istanbultarihi.ist/770-the-tango-in-istanbul">Argentinian Tango and Istanbul </a></b>- as at the time of her death, Nil was about to finish a beautifully written novel inspired by those connections. The story is well written and I enjoyed how it was constructed, although it took a bit too long to reach the end. The advantage of this take was though to add a lot of local flesh and colour, including by portraying the characters and focusing on their relationships. The human element is very important in this story, as it leads from different directions to the final storyline.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Istanbul Tango</b> is not my cup of crime tea, but I would love to read more from the series, because it seems like Esmahan Aykol has a well curated art of writing that sometimes can be as important as building a powerful story itself. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 3.5 stars</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-36322631520571673382024-03-13T13:21:00.001-03:002024-03-13T13:21:27.407-03:00Piglet by Lottie Hazell<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bBDqFhVEK5c6QiVN909spwgsGwa75J5qqH2Pb8jYbx9OGYidQ2JOJgN6JptWVOTZAeQBUZR0lsBIr7j4ryYlrLp6TWTqX-aGQEakX-ls7h0v8sbwMS_V8wddPt48RyEiiHHMW8DSLT8U8a-QuppLMdXTTf2u6X6g7um4GS75ltbpd2zDnkOchJFJCzw/s445/piglet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="277" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bBDqFhVEK5c6QiVN909spwgsGwa75J5qqH2Pb8jYbx9OGYidQ2JOJgN6JptWVOTZAeQBUZR0lsBIr7j4ryYlrLp6TWTqX-aGQEakX-ls7h0v8sbwMS_V8wddPt48RyEiiHHMW8DSLT8U8a-QuppLMdXTTf2u6X6g7um4GS75ltbpd2zDnkOchJFJCzw/s320/piglet.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A delicious debut novel about a foodie shaking herself free, <b>Piglet</b> by <b><a href="https://www.lottiehazell.co.uk/research">Lottie Hazell </a></b>has precise - and mouth watering - food descriptions accompanying a story of falling out of love set with the sound of class and priviledge in the background.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Piglet, the foodie-obsessed character of the book is about to get married with his boyfriend Kit. She, an editor of cookbooks, commuting from London to Oxford where he moved with his priviledged husband-to-be. Her family is delighted, his not too much. Their decision is to go onwards with their plans. But shortly before the wedding, Kit confesses having cheated on her. Would she rather give up her newly acquired priviledge plus the social status of a wife for such an accident?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although I usually like stories with a more expansive plot, I loved Piglet - the book and the character. She is genuine, a foodie, and her foodie endeavours are extensively detailed, in a very inspired way, and her late awakening to self awareness may not be radical, but definitively much awaited.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The dialogues do balance the extensive foodie descriptions and do convene the social disparities, especially when the both pairs of parents are talking and interacting. Both Piglet and Kit though, they are the result of their own indistinguishable, as for now, class natural selection. This may come with time, though.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Piglet</b> is a debut novel announcing even better literary endeavours. For me, it is the favorite debut of the year so far and the occasion to add another author to my watch list.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 3 stars</b></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-72673702099832220432024-03-11T18:53:00.000-03:002024-03-11T18:53:17.818-03:00The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Sila translated from Portuguese by Jethro Soutra <p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELSUwyZ9vRoaeMZQ54BlnWkVTpzmLIgyoI6z1q6KeNiy238X2TJYMIXcO3A_5ux7qZ0OSOLD4WQGKbK9uXbFrExwyawZw3GfWPeTnrSY-QbRXhuA-hYiy-OXhuB78dQqUSm79SHJbq9aoTqvnkJ9KQy-yFTc_50N2VxusPodolNSaybumOs28HKK_aWA/s445/the%20ultimate%20tragedy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="281" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELSUwyZ9vRoaeMZQ54BlnWkVTpzmLIgyoI6z1q6KeNiy238X2TJYMIXcO3A_5ux7qZ0OSOLD4WQGKbK9uXbFrExwyawZw3GfWPeTnrSY-QbRXhuA-hYiy-OXhuB78dQqUSm79SHJbq9aoTqvnkJ9KQy-yFTc_50N2VxusPodolNSaybumOs28HKK_aWA/s320/the%20ultimate%20tragedy.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The meeting between the colonizer and the colonized do have its own layer of humour. There is that encounter mediated by the lack of communication, different cultural codes, mistranslations that indulge hilarity. That´s what usually help the colonized to survive day after day the pressure of the coloniter.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Ultimate Strategy</b> - I didn´t research, but maybe the title is inspired by this quote by MLK Jr. : <i>The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence</i> - by Abdulai Sila, the creator of the modern novel in Guinea Bissau, translated from Portuguese by <b><a href="https://wordswithoutborders.org/contributors/view/jethro-soutar/">Jethro Soutra</a></b> portrays the white man lost in its own endeavours, facing an increasing opposition from the local population, itself undergoing a dramatic shift at the level of mentalities and daily practices. Various Christian denominations - as <b><a href="https://wildwritinglife.blogspot.com/2023/08/scolastique-mukasonga-kibogo-est-monte.html">Scolastique Mukasonga </a></b>already wrote about it - in the case of the Portuguese colonies, the Catholic Church - did play an important role in performing the most important part of the colonisation, with effects visible until today.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Guinea Bissau gained independence from Portugal in 1973. The story is centered during the last decade before the independence. Ndani is the constant character of the story. She is first a housegirl that is brought to the church and ´emancipated´ by the illiterate wife of an equally illiterate colonizer, afterwards a Regulo´s - chiefdom - wife and finally the wife of The Teacher, a brave defier of the colonial balance of power. From one stage to another she is reflecting the changes taking place slowly within different levels of the society.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The social and political development plays definitely an important role in the story and builds up a special dynamic. However, the story line is sometimes getting lost and the intertwinned stories are missing some points or not necessarily connecting.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was very happy to discover this important novel for the literary history of Guinea Bissau and I am looking forward to read more literary testimonies from the former lusophone realm. There is so much to discover.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 3 stars</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-43657804361528527622024-03-11T14:00:00.032-03:002024-03-11T19:23:03.978-03:00Random Things Tours: To Kill a Shadow by Julia Castleton<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCu_cwKkoKws4q5wPEAoVqTJWIW2x3yvtiwRsi5ZI_6wc_cYUrA5zB_aq4hyphenhyphenGoeH6W0oxjpG4xQzIa5HZwXzoB4mQCaWwLnzUpahOpS-JBMZORPXjeR6gL5dN9oysmQvyQfChr0cQPj8gkkOHeKVLZVMOFjkZAnHDZVAb4kN9grHKjHTG8h5wXuyC1N_E/s1500/To%20Kill%20Graphic1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCu_cwKkoKws4q5wPEAoVqTJWIW2x3yvtiwRsi5ZI_6wc_cYUrA5zB_aq4hyphenhyphenGoeH6W0oxjpG4xQzIa5HZwXzoB4mQCaWwLnzUpahOpS-JBMZORPXjeR6gL5dN9oysmQvyQfChr0cQPj8gkkOHeKVLZVMOFjkZAnHDZVAb4kN9grHKjHTG8h5wXuyC1N_E/s320/To%20Kill%20Graphic1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I have a weakness for books having as main character journalists or/and blogger, aimed at revealing inconvenient truths about politics and politicians. <b>To Kill a Shadow</b>, the first stories in a series featuring citizen-journalist Julia Castleton is just a different level of fiction rooted into the daily reality. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A former<b> Times</b> journalist and a single mother, her troubles start when a potential source died while trying to get in touch with her to share some story of political corruption. But soon she will turn into a target herself, as she ends up in the middle of a complex net of lies and deceit that may not only put her own life in danger, but also her son´s. What is really saves her - as in the case of many single mothers, more or less exposed to dangerous work circumstances - the network of friends and relatives is saving and protecting her and her little one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What I´ve found interesting in the case of this book was the use of political realities and sadly corruption at the highest level to create a fiction story. Thus the story is relatable in terms of the background and entertains through the thriller and spy setting. The balance is quite good while showing how important the work of honest journalists continue to be for the society and lethal for the enemies of freedom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Julia Castleton is the pen name of a writing duo. I feel very priviledged to be part of the blog tour featuring the first installment in the series and can´t wait to read the other books. It promises a lot of action and political entertainment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A recommended read to any lover of political intrigue set in our sad times.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-25158688559952792202024-03-10T16:52:00.002-03:002024-03-10T16:52:53.627-03:00Rachel´s Random Resources: The Good Wife by Gemma Rogers<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT4nyJULfko6NvRaQls0Q3qdWDNUWtuFdX1Qtifz7iiD4X1Htke_ixapnpqVlG_wLO22OdT2d6ZhiM6_OV1LIhWycI-nR-ORegTxqj5LUz1IXIzbBPk6yYEkzrREAALWnzDFqlJVuP38CCrz_dND_TO3lnjxKToEWwVsHdMzOPstKk-mEiW8WI1-dIyw/s1080/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT4nyJULfko6NvRaQls0Q3qdWDNUWtuFdX1Qtifz7iiD4X1Htke_ixapnpqVlG_wLO22OdT2d6ZhiM6_OV1LIhWycI-nR-ORegTxqj5LUz1IXIzbBPk6yYEkzrREAALWnzDFqlJVuP38CCrz_dND_TO3lnjxKToEWwVsHdMzOPstKk-mEiW8WI1-dIyw/s320/4.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Almost one year ago I had the chance to read<b><a href="https://wildwritinglife.blogspot.com/2023/01/rachels-random-resources-neighbour-by.html"> my first psychological thriller </a></b>by Gemma Rogers. Now, I am back with another book by this author, as eventful and thrilling as the first one.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I may have a very plain fascination with simple everyday stories that may turn into something terrible. Family stories who went wrong due to unexpected or long hidden abuse. It´s that game that shocks our innocence that I am sometimes interested to study.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Good Wife </b>was an interesting experience in this respect. A wife, a good one, obviously, living under the constant terror of an obsessively controlling husband. A miserable life, as one may expect under those circumstances. There is no end in sight and she knows it. Unless something happens that may distract the husband from her. A new woman, maybe? Will the three years of terror end for her? </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The book has the turns of psychological thriller and the fine observation of a psychologist trying to understand his or her patients. All those fine details of the marital bliss turning into a nightmare do provoke many important thoughts about relationships and trust and how mistrust may not only destroy a relationship, but destinies as well. In my opinion, nothing built on control can lead to a future for the couple. Through stories shared in a book one can learn how to detect, avoid and get free from such relationships, before all is too late.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Beyond this ´lessons learned´ part, <b>The Good Wife</b> is an exciting read, with suspenseful episodes and psychological tension that is well built. A good thriller story that I can see it as a movie as well.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b> </p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-63832744162295779282024-03-09T07:00:00.031-03:002024-03-09T07:00:00.132-03:00Rachel´s Random Resources Blog Tour: Can You Keep a Secret? by Jo Lovett<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnVZxRp1hXIuHUr52IwVg0izE7tBZMo1dnIKvI_XqpsiiNEOq-dCzmXEXAavuo32B8CBWO0P-SkzX862-14A6CRSk0FQPvfkMFJRUh3QqHyc9s9q8HrglhhDaajkcjhICoWXK8xs2WCv_xcnu8zrBN8mA1SW2e5M4cRvdGhSaQhAY8OjTsKHEqt2xOig/s1080/40%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnVZxRp1hXIuHUr52IwVg0izE7tBZMo1dnIKvI_XqpsiiNEOq-dCzmXEXAavuo32B8CBWO0P-SkzX862-14A6CRSk0FQPvfkMFJRUh3QqHyc9s9q8HrglhhDaajkcjhICoWXK8xs2WCv_xcnu8zrBN8mA1SW2e5M4cRvdGhSaQhAY8OjTsKHEqt2xOig/s320/40%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am a strong believer in New Year´s Resolutions and although often I don´t keep them in detail, at least I have some master plan to guide my professional and personal aims during the year. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Can You Keep a Secret?</b>, a lovely rom com by Jo Lovett, starts with such an event: at the beginning of a new year, Georgie and her friends promise to track their resolutions by sending to each other letters where they share some special secrets. The secrets will be revealed at the end of the year only if the resolutions will not be kept.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sounds terrible, but some of us may need a bit of extra pressure to keep up their plans. And the idea to be honest, is quite ingenious. However, Georgie, under the impact of the moment, is about to share a terrible secret. And she got caught into a situation she may be hard to get out of it, only by her genuine fault.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This book is a rom com but it has so much psychological observations and insights into human decision making and human mind in general. As the characters are relatable, it is easy to figure out such situations in our own lives as well and it was an interesting mind exercise to do it. It also explores in a very fine intelligent way the power of secrets and how they can be sometimes stronger than us.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I´ve read this book over the long weekend and was a very good time investment. <b>Can You Keep a Secret?</b> is a recommended read for anyone curious to explore a different take on friendship, secrets and committment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b> </p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-91682952644538005052024-03-07T07:14:00.001-03:002024-03-07T07:14:03.750-03:00Le Bureau d'Eclaircissement des Destins by Gaëlle Nohant<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmeNNRGKJQq-4sp6rNhZRE8XiBbehjdmsHrF2k8ATDPg9ELZ2HjqFRWafCQzkkfbtn3U8frLQr8jiNCb0oYrKRVdDBGwNyGg1x-o9RuJVx-qKLx8do0uDUumQL4olw7Hq3otUWoZoP_Wr8_Tb_I1dD8OZtfMj1YhPhhPJtn_svJoDie1hcB2ZKCaxGg0/s445/destins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmeNNRGKJQq-4sp6rNhZRE8XiBbehjdmsHrF2k8ATDPg9ELZ2HjqFRWafCQzkkfbtn3U8frLQr8jiNCb0oYrKRVdDBGwNyGg1x-o9RuJVx-qKLx8do0uDUumQL4olw7Hq3otUWoZoP_Wr8_Tb_I1dD8OZtfMj1YhPhhPJtn_svJoDie1hcB2ZKCaxGg0/s320/destins.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some books are very hard to read, as they convene so many emotional histories. The imagination is challenged to imagine the unimaginable. Unless this unimaginable already happened, in the heart of our civilized Europe.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Le Bureau d'Eclaircissement des Destins</b> by Gaëlle Nohant is a story about a French archivist, living in Germany, is trying to recover the destinies of people who died during Shoah, by returning to their relatives objects that assumely belonged to them. She is working at the <b><a href="https://arolsen-archives.org/">Arolsen Archives</a></b> where many documents related to disappeared persons are stored.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The story follows various micro-stories personal stories, of people whose lives are fictionally reconstructed. The archives are becoming alive through the researches, in an imaginative effort aimed to bring them back to life. There is so much tragedy and humanity in the stories that the weight is unbearable. What if...those little child killed because too weak to resist would have live his beautiful child life?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Set in the contemporary recent times, the stories are inserted into the reality, as a reminder that there are so many destinies that were broken and distorted by the events of WWII. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is a thoughtful read, that reminds the weight of emotions that trauma brings to an individual destiny. No life story can avoid trauma, and their traces are transmitted from a generation to another. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is a work of fiction, of course, but powerful enough to convene a strong message. It is a work of fiction, of course, but it has so many elements of reality, as so many destinies were broken exactly this way. And they remain broken for the time being.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This book is an extraordinary effort of fiction, an important French contribution to the literary bibliography inspired by the events that took place during Shoah.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 5 stars</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-21431336975906206622024-03-06T16:51:00.004-03:002024-03-07T06:20:37.420-03:00Compulsive Readers Book Tour: Secrets of Malta by Cecily Blench<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuv6mqlyj0BBKsDIwSYcNhCK1b5IsZI9gkszFJArB6RpeNzwyo3Zswi4d5m944er8iyPSzg0LyiMoB-DplZtGJR1BGlhIJ7Qkd4I6nFUnWt-j_TSLIolVRvWsJYMR0em7fOYYlvAfueV6mRLyWU3wTko8Imh2DPAj2ztjzwbeaSfVhuIvB6Z5R50CXRq4/s1704/Secrets%20of%20Malta-Recovered.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1704" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuv6mqlyj0BBKsDIwSYcNhCK1b5IsZI9gkszFJArB6RpeNzwyo3Zswi4d5m944er8iyPSzg0LyiMoB-DplZtGJR1BGlhIJ7Qkd4I6nFUnWt-j_TSLIolVRvWsJYMR0em7fOYYlvAfueV6mRLyWU3wTko8Imh2DPAj2ztjzwbeaSfVhuIvB6Z5R50CXRq4/s320/Secrets%20of%20Malta-Recovered.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I don´t remember to have read too many books, if any, set in the beautiful island of Malta, a well kept mystery of Europe. I haven´t visited the island yet, but would definitely think about doing it one day, enchanted by so many stories I´ve heard about nature, language, culture and history.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Secrets of Malta</b> by <b><a href="https://www.cecilyblench.com/">Cecily Blench</a></b>, introduced me to a different Malta: it is 1943 and a man suddenly disappeared without a trace. Probably dead, as his wife is about to inform his former lover, Margarita a singer by night. Margarita is decided to figure out the circumstances of the death, and ends up dealing with bizarre characters and nefarious spies. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, she develops a strong friendship with the wife of his ex-lover, a friendship that goes beyond past histories. A beautiful friendship that grows up in a very hostile environment, building trust in a time of geopolitical crisis.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I particularly loved how the author is able to coordinate different aspects of the story, building a literary portrait of women solidarity during the hardships of war. The charater of Margarita is very interesting and complex, intelligent and genuine in her search for the truth. She is bubbling, relatable and a person you would love to meet in real life as well. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">First and foremost, <b>Secrets of Malta</b> is also a spy story which is unexpected and eventful, well inserted into the other layers of the story. The local descriptions are recreating beautifully the local ambiance, many of them as entincing as a picture-perfect snapshot. It also extensively put Malta on the map of WWII endeavours, an aspect rarely mentioned both in fictional and nonfictional approaches.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For both lovers of spy stories and strong women characters, <b>Secrets of Malta</b> is a pleasant discovery and an entertaining read. For those interested in finding out more about the author´s writing process, this article from <b><a href="https://www.timesofmalta.com/article/new-novel-explores-secrets-wartime-malta.1086892">Times of Malta</a> </b>offers some valuable insights.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own.</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-54537034657626071342024-03-06T14:44:00.002-03:002024-03-06T14:44:21.763-03:00Random Things Tours: The Collapsing Wave by Doug Johnstone<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfuMdjXX38sEfgTH9wvLyqItF83_0XZEiq3PVbijmDE21h16fFhLXEB-60fKH_POR_NjI-20WWpCbZUfWcaT9JwW9SFH0CuyMYVMz6DNrsR2MjLqgbfsS_8zSjRYUfhPIWha8vtBAK6O3xFXgmCMwZQ7Bfrhak-RuaPoyb1TDJTqAy2ZMRO4zx_jKTM8/s2339/THE%20COLLAPSING%20WAVE%20FINAL%20COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfuMdjXX38sEfgTH9wvLyqItF83_0XZEiq3PVbijmDE21h16fFhLXEB-60fKH_POR_NjI-20WWpCbZUfWcaT9JwW9SFH0CuyMYVMz6DNrsR2MjLqgbfsS_8zSjRYUfhPIWha8vtBAK6O3xFXgmCMwZQ7Bfrhak-RuaPoyb1TDJTqAy2ZMRO4zx_jKTM8/s320/THE%20COLLAPSING%20WAVE%20FINAL%20COVER.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I rarelly read sequels of books I haven´t read yet and even rarely I am keep to bring some science fiction into my life. But when it happens, I definitely want to be offered the best of the best, nothing less, nothing more. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Collapsing Wave </b>by <b><a href="https://dougjohnstone.com/">Doug Johnstone</a></b>, an author I had the chance to previously feature on my blog <b><a href="https://wildwritinglife.blogspot.com/search?q=Doug+Johnstone">more than once</a></b>, published by the one and only<b><a href="https://orendabooks.co.uk/"> Orenda Books</a></b> was my exception. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">To be honest, I didn´t know what to expect: I liked the sound of the title and also the cover, two reasons good enough to embark on a long reading adventure.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The book is a sequel of the famous <b>The Space Between Us</b>, this book can be also read and understood as a stand alone book. I would be curious to read the first book as well, but as for now, <b>The Collapsing Wave</b> is strong enough to stay with me for a long while. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The story enfolds in a real collapsing wave pace: it involves - not necessarily in this order: aliens´ presence on Scotland´s West coast, M17 agents and a lot of US military personnel. Lennox, a teenager with a problematic and his mother Heather, together with Ava, a new mother, are planning to escape a military base. As they were ready for the worse ever, there is an alien, Sandy, making contact with them, and this encounter is about to change the world.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am not very familiar with the language and the narrative settings of science fiction, but this book is an exercise of imagination, even for the most non-creative minds among us. I´ve found fascinating the setting as well as the characters - humans and aliens - particularly the ways in which big topics of our society are inserted into the fiction. There may be some easy takes and a little bit of fine humour too, but the questions about humans and their lost humanity is burning hot.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The takes and the character development do make <b>The Collapsing Wave</b> into a provoking read. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-35259701750704192472024-03-05T18:34:00.002-03:002024-03-05T18:34:43.390-03:00Corylus Books Blog Tour: Rodolfo´s Walsh´s Last Case by Elsa Drucaroff translated by Slava Faybysh<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMgKDfLGqSMKDYz1pmwb1lzad7PXf_-vKtOVkVBra-X4g-T8QP5YXLJU2L3x2YO4036NOMSYMaqXrTU4AopSMjiY3-zkCl9ivC2TqK9SpdCj3T0z7oC8VHJio7uMlz5IoebNKNtbq9VW0KbcEr7mqL0UZYtkmqg5zX6oc8lZYuLmcnLS_2Z6Fo-iny8c/s1000/rodolfo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="616" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMgKDfLGqSMKDYz1pmwb1lzad7PXf_-vKtOVkVBra-X4g-T8QP5YXLJU2L3x2YO4036NOMSYMaqXrTU4AopSMjiY3-zkCl9ivC2TqK9SpdCj3T0z7oC8VHJio7uMlz5IoebNKNtbq9VW0KbcEr7mqL0UZYtkmqg5zX6oc8lZYuLmcnLS_2Z6Fo-iny8c/s320/rodolfo.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Argentina <b><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Dirty-War">dirty war</a></b> is one of the darkest episodes of the 20th century Latin America. It hurts to read about the cruelty of humans against other fellow humans, entrenched by political ambitions and abuse of power. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rodolfo Walsh´s Last Case</b> by <b>Elsa Drucaroff</b>, translated into English by Slava Faybysh and published by <b><a href="https://corylusbooks.com/">Corylus Books</a></b> combines the Argentinian literary tradition of storytelling with nonfiction episodes set during the years of the dictatorship. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rodolfo Walsh is considered the founders of investigative journalism in Argentina, and was killed in 1977 by armed members of a group later denounced as committed crimes against humanity during the mandate of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. One of his daughters, Victoria, was killed by the military junta, and Walsh wrote <b>Letter to my Friends</b> denouncing the crime. Walsh wore many hats, among others being also the intelligence coordinator of a resistance group Montoneros, and being politically active in various organizations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rodolfo Walsh´s Last Case </b>imagines the latest and maybe the most important investigation of the journalist in a gripping, highly emotional and intelligent last operation. The author, a bestseller writer of fiction and nonfiction, is elegantly walking on the fine line between fiction and history, using the information for nurturing the work of imagination, creating a suspenseful political novel. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love the suspenseful alert pace but also the precision of the story. Most probably would love to have a look into the original version as well, curious by nature by the original choice of words.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For lovers of political novels, this is a perfect reading choice. I am grateful for being offered the chance to discover this episode of Argentinian history, a country I am very interested about from both literary and nonfiction reasons. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 5 stars</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-2540103036631684752024-03-05T17:56:00.003-03:002024-03-05T17:56:50.492-03:00Random Things Tours: Miss Cat: The Case of the Curious Canary by Joëlle Jolivet and Jean-Luc Fromental<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0-4_-0uWyI0ML-CAIWfyFWLBOCPeQqPK3G4Jp6MsG0hYJQtzoVbOOvQHbH2FqFTNE5X1oUu7iF9DBm2aS9eJutsezDem6byDArLTFpIsCEjyEbMpof2UZfCFLzRt9wSWz4WQelAmHNQ_O0JWyiG2OlA2q6WjO1eOtVtXHU3-kvyDMrd1AV6ZGm6PPVs/s1500/Miss%20Cat%20Graphic4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0-4_-0uWyI0ML-CAIWfyFWLBOCPeQqPK3G4Jp6MsG0hYJQtzoVbOOvQHbH2FqFTNE5X1oUu7iF9DBm2aS9eJutsezDem6byDArLTFpIsCEjyEbMpof2UZfCFLzRt9wSWz4WQelAmHNQ_O0JWyiG2OlA2q6WjO1eOtVtXHU3-kvyDMrd1AV6ZGm6PPVs/s320/Miss%20Cat%20Graphic4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Cats are by nature curious animals, thus distributing one of their kind as a detective sounds like an inspired choice. Miss Cat, ´an expert in the art of disguise´, among many other gifts, was languishing in her office, detective office, until an old sad man entered to ask her help: with tears in his eyes he requested help to find his beloved yellow canary, disappeared without a trace. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But while trying to find at least one feather that may lead to the canary, the curious Miss Cat is about to reveal some terrible secrets that will end the story in a very spectacular unexpected way.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Miss Cat: The Case of Curious Canary</b> by Joëlle Jolivet and Jean-Luc Fromental is the first installment from a graphic novel for young readers that promises a lot. It combines the high quality illustrations with a good story, that includes mystery, crime and a bit of fantasy as well, with a dangerous cast of characters, both humans and belonging to the animal world.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is a different take on graphic novels for young readers, with an interesting story to be continued. I love the cat character and I am sure the little readers will love it too. A recommended read for the little ones and their children, especially for the coming spring holidays. The story will keep them for sure a bit busy while trying to solve by themselves the mystery of the curious canary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 5 stars</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-53140571478784443302024-03-01T13:59:00.000-03:002024-03-01T13:59:00.551-03:00The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour: The Djinn´s Apple by Djamila Morani translated by Sawad Hussain<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>´On this earth, it wasn´t enough to be smart. Being smart can get you into all kinds of trouble that being stupid won´t´.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oV6bpmuWMrO26-94xqXLy3PQRBJv9nHsB7J79qJlEr_fuSFFKoNnxzi3louVhN9qi8A-HMCE-NWfoSNFgIhpUsqDeREE9bgIRai8xKGH1P2_nrzWx0ZM9RCY-SlxtWkbpN1UeejqWi9kfTjgsuQuFpIl5-gnZSDpxKIDWVXtItZzEOcW6zExMe03xuI/s445/djinn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oV6bpmuWMrO26-94xqXLy3PQRBJv9nHsB7J79qJlEr_fuSFFKoNnxzi3louVhN9qi8A-HMCE-NWfoSNFgIhpUsqDeREE9bgIRai8xKGH1P2_nrzWx0ZM9RCY-SlxtWkbpN1UeejqWi9kfTjgsuQuFpIl5-gnZSDpxKIDWVXtItZzEOcW6zExMe03xuI/s320/djinn.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The genre of YA novels is a quite complicated domain, both for the writer and the reader. The interest on behalf of the readers belonging to this age category is high but the topic should be developed through twists and change of situations, able to keep the readers involved and entertained. Thus, there are not too many YA historical novels and/or murder mysteries that are really engaging. I am reading books for all possible age categories, but I often find difficult to find books to happily further recommend to parents of young readers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Djinn´s Apple </b>by Algerian author <b><a href="https://neemtreepress.com/ntp-author/djamila-morani/">Djamila Morani</a></b>, translated into English by one of my favorite translators from Arabic, <b><a href="https://wildwritinglife.blogspot.com/search?q=Sawad">whose translated books I love to review</a></b>, <b><a href="https://sawadhussain.com/">Sawad Hussain</a></b>, it´s an outstanding exception. Set in Abbasid period - between 750-1258 - the golden age of Baghdad, when the current capital of Iraq became the center of culture, science and innovation in the region, it follows the tragical story of Nardeen. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She was born into Baramika family - ´<i>Nardeen the Baramika, the teacher´s daughter, spawn of a demon´. </i>Her father, a medical prodigy, was accused of poisoning Haroun Al Rashid´s cousin, Musa bin Ja´afar, and him and her whole family was slaughtered. Luckily escaped, she was adopted by another bright medical mind, who helped her to expand her medical knowledge acquired during the years when she accompanied her father.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Although she is growing up into a talented knowledgeable doctor, she is following secretly her plan of revenging the death of her family - ´<i>It was enough for us Baramika to have the luxury of staying alive, and it would be enough for me to have the honour of killing the person who gaveme this luxury´</i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the story evolves, it is becoming more complex, touching upon the doctor´s moral responsibility towards their patients, but also the dynamic between characters. Indeed, Nardeen aims to revenge the tragedy that hit her family, but how far is she decided to go with her plans. The adjustments and changes of perspective happening during the story. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I also liked the historical and human ambiance of the book, and appreciated that although it creates a specific episode back in time, it does not overwhelms the reader with highly intellectual details of any kind. Even the information about the special plant - Djinn´s Apple , that´s is - and other poisonous potions are smoothly slided into the story.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Djinn´s Apple</b> is an enchanting YA murder historical novel, unique in both its topic and the approach. A recommended read for young readers and their parents, beautifully written and emphatically translated. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The cover also deserves its own appreciation, particularly the choice of colours.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 5 stars</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-7198240844326402202024-02-28T17:28:00.004-03:002024-02-28T17:28:42.836-03:00Random Things Tours: Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster by Michael Foreman<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5PdMDuvKAZ82lbR3_IH3MeEGJqWYXoSU-u2KHW8fdzH7wvMMkv4SyvDGRPkx5AF95Gtz6nVBfCLgIm_j5tvhu39T_iBrNRW2RUHEjsVncXb5PDtn_mfP4lwStiufKbaPt6gWdHmk6I8FVHOsPP_vBseQj7IEzkpd5ojQuDkg5zmum1ykKtTGIiCnnA8/s3402/9780500653449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3402" data-original-width="2906" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5PdMDuvKAZ82lbR3_IH3MeEGJqWYXoSU-u2KHW8fdzH7wvMMkv4SyvDGRPkx5AF95Gtz6nVBfCLgIm_j5tvhu39T_iBrNRW2RUHEjsVncXb5PDtn_mfP4lwStiufKbaPt6gWdHmk6I8FVHOsPP_vBseQj7IEzkpd5ojQuDkg5zmum1ykKtTGIiCnnA8/s320/9780500653449.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">An adorable preschool children book written and ilustrated by Michael Foreman, Little Mo and the Great Snow Monster is funny, optimistic and encouraging the smaller among us to be brave and creative even when facing the scarriest monsters.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Left alone during a quiet winter day, just after he discovered and tasted the snow for the first time, while his parents are out looking for food, little Mo is receiving the unexpected visit of a gang of greenish monsters, keen to take over his family cave. However, Mo is not afraid even when being in danger of becoming a snack for the nasty prehistoric creatures. And he will prevail against them, with a little help from the forces of nature.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I loved the illustrations and the unexpected twists of the story. Little Mo was my hero, innocent and genuine, nevertheless very much decided to defeat the bad guys. The pastel-dominated illustrations are soothing the eyes, and a perfect companion to the story. There is a good harmony between the text and the illustrations, which often applies when the author is drawing the images as well. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I appreciated the very short introduction note at the end, which explains to the little preschool readers about the prehistorical times and periods. A recommended read for curious kids about to enter the real life of school and learning.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Foreman is a well known, multi-awarded prolific author and illustrator, who published over 300 titles for children.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-69481113414287316612024-02-27T05:06:00.002-03:002024-02-27T05:06:21.835-03:00Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar<p><i> ´It´s so exactly what I´ve been wanting to write about, how to make a death useful´.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzJ21Cl8dslEcxiN8BkMSV1jqhsxzHfYIOSlrBaUofwKx5n6c1VzXtQEyXaqCpRBYRwgZleysTjM1wJYm9eWRZ3Y9vgsX4OFdIT-dyWwt4y8fbEBjLXL7l2_NPvYQjzF9jE0Xwtx9sk2OYpyb6LLX8iCG7NETu9ZqVDFgHuBYIAv9GpS9dG7vGKCF-rI/s445/martyr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="277" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzJ21Cl8dslEcxiN8BkMSV1jqhsxzHfYIOSlrBaUofwKx5n6c1VzXtQEyXaqCpRBYRwgZleysTjM1wJYm9eWRZ3Y9vgsX4OFdIT-dyWwt4y8fbEBjLXL7l2_NPvYQjzF9jE0Xwtx9sk2OYpyb6LLX8iCG7NETu9ZqVDFgHuBYIAv9GpS9dG7vGKCF-rI/s320/martyr.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="https://kavehakbar.com/">Kaveh Akbar</a></b> writes beautiful poetry. The kind of beauty that hurts because it is revealing all those unspoken words of life. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Martyr!</b> is his first novel, where he includes some poetry intermezzo as well, attributed to his main character. Cyrus Sham. Born in Iran, he lost his mother during the 1988 downing of a <b><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Iran-Air-flight-655">commercial Iranian airline by the US Navy</a></b>. He moved to the States with his father, who worked his whole life in a chicken farm, and died shortly after he entered college. In and out of addiction, Cyrus is trying to write a book about death. About how death can be meaningful, either through the act itself, or the society scenery - arts, religious renditions. And by an accident of fate, he got to meet Orkideh, a dying artist, also from Iran, doing a life - and death - show in Brooklyn, spending her last days as a happening.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Filled with ancient and recent historical and cultural references, and moving into a precise cultural realm, this book is also a finely written prose. It pushes the limit of thinking outside of our mental comfort zone while imagining worlds we ignore they exist. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Existential as it tries to re-enact life and death, <b>Martyr!</b> is writing about the brutality of life as writers rarely write those days. With passion and taking the risk of deeply thinking about death in itself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 5 stars</b></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-53901714993619435232024-02-27T04:37:00.001-03:002024-02-27T04:37:02.406-03:00Florence in Ecstasy by Jessie Chaffee<p style="text-align: justify;"><i> ´I forgot to eat´.</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosmVGc3ZqoTcSInktGGPCjDuqjXupRjnb3oSuBwZVL41Tdxsw0GJj_GMBLLuG004nb3kclh0w4XSLzE40v_1XE_tYy6ePvDGn9Kbi78vyMG7xufTBSHNFYCgZ37UTM6fNYepWoY6I6AyoixkLPOXhSOV8X4cooKRjHehHObSe4Zayp5i6Pqh6vRM3t0M/s445/florence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosmVGc3ZqoTcSInktGGPCjDuqjXupRjnb3oSuBwZVL41Tdxsw0GJj_GMBLLuG004nb3kclh0w4XSLzE40v_1XE_tYy6ePvDGn9Kbi78vyMG7xufTBSHNFYCgZ37UTM6fNYepWoY6I6AyoixkLPOXhSOV8X4cooKRjHehHObSe4Zayp5i6Pqh6vRM3t0M/s320/florence.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Just another lost girl, this time in Florence, I said to myself at the beginning of <b>Florence in Ecstasy</b>, the debut novel of <b><a href="https://www.jessiechaffee.com/about">Jessie Chaffee</a></b>. If was one of those choices I made during the day, when trying to find some pleasant reading companion while waiting in between appointments or who knows what house-based chores. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, soon I was completely concentrated in the story, unable to think too much about any other random obligations I had on my to-do-list. Because this book was calling so much home. My body home.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Hannah, the main character and storytelling voice of the story suffers of eating disorder. She went to Florence first to travel, succeeded to find a job and tried to melt into the surrounding society. A rowing club - an activity hard for the body - some lavish meals, starts a relationship with a local guy from the club. And she´s convinced that this time is over. Until someone from the past she met randomly put into motion the trigger. The obsessive dismissal of the body. While working at the library, she has access to various memoirs of women saints, forcing to disconnect from their bodies: fasting, body mutilations. The body is the appearance, the soul is somewhere else, it is more important and eventually eternal, they said. For days and weeks afterwards, she is torturing her body, but this is just the reflection of a tortured soul. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I don´t remember to have ever read such precise descriptions of feelings experienced during bouts of eating disorder. Deep traumatic dreams of food, days organised around eating or avoiding it completely. Forgetting to eat, because ´busy´. So many many more. I suffered for most of my teenage years of eating disorder. Inherited trauma, induced by the social environment I used to live at the time. It was all there and even if now I am healed, I know it can come back any time. <b>Florence in Ecstasy</b> is describing moments and thoughts that I rarely expressed myself into too many words.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But this book is more than a therapy report or medical account of a widespread condition. What I really liked about the book is that it actually builds a story, and the mental disease per se is inserted into the narrative, without being the exclusive topic of the narrative. It relates about Florence, its beauty and people, their family relationships and spontaneity.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Returning to traumatic life episodes, even only through the way of fiction, is a risky journey, but <b>Florence in Ecstasy</b> provided me with a lot of understanding about myself. That understanding that one needs to come at pace with oneself.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4.5 stars</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-51839719031861201762024-02-25T17:43:00.005-03:002024-02-25T17:43:57.423-03:00Rachel´s Random Resources: A French Adventure by Jennifer Bohnet<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r2VSCZBjy8iVv_FcG8EJUy6I62e-T3EkHAXw0Sude3R2U-35e1dDyPFTGX4MV-k44XqrDQEBxBXsrBS3oGjI5uZhfuvkxajWmbDEhaZSho_dpcgYlBkbDJdMKtPQoV_RZd6ec-tCuOfS_FskYRV70osrfc_ismHh41uRa22fBw2jM4Xe8xQRsB8Ydys/s1080/22.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r2VSCZBjy8iVv_FcG8EJUy6I62e-T3EkHAXw0Sude3R2U-35e1dDyPFTGX4MV-k44XqrDQEBxBXsrBS3oGjI5uZhfuvkxajWmbDEhaZSho_dpcgYlBkbDJdMKtPQoV_RZd6ec-tCuOfS_FskYRV70osrfc_ismHh41uRa22fBw2jM4Xe8xQRsB8Ydys/s320/22.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Adventure sounds always better in French, and French beautiful landscape a perfect location for new beginnings. Beginnings of books or of a new life. Or both.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For Vivienne Wilson, the main character of <b>A French Adventure</b> by bestselling author Jennifer Bohnet, her destiny was rewritten during a writer´s retreat in the Antibes. She is not only healing the wounds of a failed marriage, but she is also able to discover life in its burgeoning beauty, for the sake of every moment of it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I personally resonate with the message of the book and I am definitely convinced that nothing compares with the rewriting every day as a beautiful adventure. As much as it can be done independently of the ugliness life can display sometimes. Definitely, under the French Riviera sun, the good thoughts and the hope for new beginnings sounds much better than anywhere else.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The women characters are relatable and their unique stories of resilience are soothing and inspiring. I also loved that the main character is a writer and how she is able to use her super writer power to get over a failed marriage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>A French Adventure</b> is a soothing reading for a broken heart and new beginnings. It has a scent of summer that I cannot wait to smell in real life too. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 3.5 stars</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-28765439980208478612024-02-22T08:41:00.039-03:002024-02-24T08:53:02.855-03:00Random Things Tours: Queer Villains of Myth and Legend by Dan Jones<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-aVvMkgeBfSKa2i2rpLSxu7E_L39lJ0XiuholYTSUhEc-DJ-V3SrGU4SEAql3LPUIw7Lxv8yUt1tmzHAxD4UZydSmL2OZFhalzNoPvhRLaTMVnNWlTWxadTp6vCHyxm3xEcK7ObAR4iTEdXt287CRlQKMncVxI_7E36yKaPS1jKvBwCADkmVQ3HRWkY/s1500/Queer%20Villians%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1052" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-aVvMkgeBfSKa2i2rpLSxu7E_L39lJ0XiuholYTSUhEc-DJ-V3SrGU4SEAql3LPUIw7Lxv8yUt1tmzHAxD4UZydSmL2OZFhalzNoPvhRLaTMVnNWlTWxadTp6vCHyxm3xEcK7ObAR4iTEdXt287CRlQKMncVxI_7E36yKaPS1jKvBwCADkmVQ3HRWkY/s320/Queer%20Villians%20Cover.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Queer stories, especially belonging to the nonfiction category, are pretty hard to find those days. Although in the last decade, queer characters are a familiar presence in literature, the nonfiction genre needs to do a lot more in this respect. Hence, the importance of books like <b>Queer Villains of Myth and Legend. A Revelry of Queer Rogues and Outlaws through the Ages</b> by Dan Jones. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What is really important in this book is the very niche approach of the book. By featuring villains, it already opens up towards an area that until now, to my knowledge, was completely tabu. Think about how many book characters, queer ones, can be inspired by such throughout research? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For me, as a historian and a lover of biographies, this book was a revelation. I was largely unaware of the stories of most of the people featured but from now on I will be, for sure, very interested in researching more about them. From mythological figures to contemporary names, the author is featuring a big and very colourful cast of 50 characters. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jones, a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn, wrote other books on the same topics - but also covered fashion and cocktails, among others - , and hopefully will keep doing it, because there is so much to explore in this area. The style is very approachable, therefore useful for both a specialized audience, or just curious to learn more about such topics. What is very important is the details of each case, their histories and the legends surrounding them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fascinating stories that are writing queer histories in the making.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4.5 stars</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-89882923488548497212024-02-22T05:53:00.004-03:002024-02-22T05:53:47.498-03:00Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao<p><i> ´Since her teens she had made working in fashion her goal in life. Who was she outside of that?´</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo95JEPv6tHh-AOMNCZCY6hJZpJ0whdSYz2F2dbvOg6JL7zpUg5SycEAj6mKjRexJKYX3YDkYFcfIAzRMQ_XNAT9kqytVXqOwYTXib1wbqIthyphenhyphen2hvzTBCbBxIvVZOBw254b0EPQm0zqmaQSjyVh4AFuaBMELsziedeDu72mpi-QjaJnzyW18o7-gRp-q8/s425/valley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="277" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo95JEPv6tHh-AOMNCZCY6hJZpJ0whdSYz2F2dbvOg6JL7zpUg5SycEAj6mKjRexJKYX3YDkYFcfIAzRMQ_XNAT9kqytVXqOwYTXib1wbqIthyphenhyphen2hvzTBCbBxIvVZOBw254b0EPQm0zqmaQSjyVh4AFuaBMELsziedeDu72mpi-QjaJnzyW18o7-gRp-q8/s320/valley.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">Zoe Zeng is an ambitious fashion writer working in New York for a small fashion publication. She enjoys doing it, has some good friends there, but financially she is far from paying that student debt. When she is offered a top position in marketing at a Silicon Valley fashion startup by a complete stranger she met and impressed at a fashion show, she is accepting the position, but she is completely far, far away from her comfort zone. She is clumsy in everything that has to do with tech, from the terminology to the practicalities.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Surviving in a relatively hostile and new working environment, Zoe is finding her way, growing up both professionally and personally, getting to know and sometimes trust new people, while adapting her wardrobe to the new circumstances, becoming self aware enough to fight against a sexually abusive boss, creating alliances with other women.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I personally liked Zoe Zeng a lot, as she resonates with some parts of me: the journalist and the fashionista. The word of tech and startups with its stereotypes, hilarious titles - ´chief dream evangelist´ - and obsessions is pretty well described, particularly from the perspective of women employees and their limitations. I really wanted her to succeed as a tribute to all women in tech and fashion marginalized for unprofessional reasons.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Very often I felt though that the story could have been better developped and the characters more involved into the story. Almost half of the story, the second part to be more precise, has a #metoo vibe which I appreciated but would have expect a bit more story context and some background stories too - for instance, Zoe´s and other people´s family background and past are largely absent from the story.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, I would be very curious to explore more writing by Kyla Zhao and as I am writing this, took a break to oder her other book, <b>The Fraud Squad</b>. Because I really enjoy her humorous writing and witty women characters.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 3 stars </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-72763149561783217112024-02-21T15:56:00.000-03:002024-02-21T15:56:01.626-03:00Random Things Tours: Point Zero by Seichō Matsumoto translated by Louise Heal Kawai<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqM5fi9uKFQZS1GZIXegMelpdwTHAR_WGR5B4Rhl3fl8e1EKoC0C7GgO9r24cxb8oFG63qz52h8co1eRHr8a7GUSJDbGUg4fckW_E9F-K5k65Jyxsqo3k_9V0i2PvZdDdvvi2Evni4EwaSR7nWfFqKyqktsFVjkOU8uhIX_GEeMhrEP_g2P5oLQpXAbA/s2456/Point%20Zero%20cover%20Final.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2456" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqM5fi9uKFQZS1GZIXegMelpdwTHAR_WGR5B4Rhl3fl8e1EKoC0C7GgO9r24cxb8oFG63qz52h8co1eRHr8a7GUSJDbGUg4fckW_E9F-K5k65Jyxsqo3k_9V0i2PvZdDdvvi2Evni4EwaSR7nWfFqKyqktsFVjkOU8uhIX_GEeMhrEP_g2P5oLQpXAbA/s320/Point%20Zero%20cover%20Final.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I love mysteries and books set and about Japan, but the meeting between those two interests of mine, rarely happens. Thus, my infinite pleasure of getting to know Seichō Matsumoto, a multi-awarded journalist and thriller author. Seichō Matsumoto. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Point Zero</b>, translated into English by Louise Heal Kawai, who also translated, among others, <b><a href="https://wildwritinglife.blogspot.com/2020/09/book-review-breasts-and-eggs-by-mieko.html">Breasts and Eggs</a></b> is standing out for more than one reason. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Set in Japan at the end of the 1950s, almost ten years after the end of the WWII where Japan was a defeated power, it reveals deep social struggles and rifts, in addition to a very interesting detective story. Teiko, the main woman character of the book, is decided to find out why her beloved husband, ten years her senior, disappeared suddently during their honeymoon. But as she is trying to put together the disparate pieces of the disappearance puzzle, there are surprising facts that she will discover about him, and his life before they met. Exactly the kind of mystery that I am very much interested in, as it connects society and history with the journey towards finding the truth.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Particularly important is the fact that in comparison with other similar novels published in Japan, the truth is investigated by a woman. A product of her world, Teiko is reclaiming her autonomy and courageously asking questions. Thus, Matsumoto breaks a tabu on allowing women both in real life and in literary fiction to act as independent characters.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A finely executed story, <b>Point Zero</b> is just encouraging me to pay more attention this year to Japan, a world that played an important role in my personal and professional history.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4.5 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-62450818992342581612024-02-20T18:19:00.003-03:002024-02-20T18:19:48.634-03:00Random Things Tours: Mongrel by Hanako Footman<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPggY33xdWPurjeJn-Pgbs8rIgHyfuEge5o29rtJSQ7j_GPD_sM0H41V8IktYCCIx0srv3tisxPTRD2fL2Gy9fcbZmaVHShA7BBGi5rCDR-uT1DcG9NvF9of535O5x6BIKZlkZ2IGo7HDcnIjuEZyTLt_SoGvPOMZGXbPYJaGe476brka74cMR_8ExS8/s2764/Mongrel%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2764" data-original-width="1795" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPggY33xdWPurjeJn-Pgbs8rIgHyfuEge5o29rtJSQ7j_GPD_sM0H41V8IktYCCIx0srv3tisxPTRD2fL2Gy9fcbZmaVHShA7BBGi5rCDR-uT1DcG9NvF9of535O5x6BIKZlkZ2IGo7HDcnIjuEZyTLt_SoGvPOMZGXbPYJaGe476brka74cMR_8ExS8/s320/Mongrel%20Cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Three women - Mei, Yuki and Haruka. All are navigating the temptations and hardships of life, dreaming and mourning. Belonging to places they are far away from. The pathways of their lives may meet, but in the end each is left with their own past and uncertainties.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mongrel</b>, the debut novel by British-Japanese author and actress Hanako Footman is a lyrical story, narrated with elegance and beauty. Each of the three stories, women stories, stories of young women lost in the networks of life and modernity, develop slowly, leaving the characters enough space to breath. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is a captivating experience to get so close to someone else´s life, but this is how I felt most of the time while reading this book. There are three different experiences, three destinies, unique yet inter-connected. They long for love, community and mourn - at least two of them - the death of their mothers. As Asian women, they do experience the weight of their perception and sometimes the fake reflection into the eyes of the others. From London to Tokyo and Surrey, they do share the interconnectivity of our modern lives, but the ways in which they feel and position themselves as humans may be part of the eternal repertoire of humanity.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is normal that debut novels are sometimes far from being perfect, both in terms of writing and story construction. Mongrel though does offer a refined story and a carefully styled poetic prose. Which makes me very curious to read her next writings.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A special note of appreciation for the beautiful cover, a story in (fragmented) images of the novel</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 4 stars</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-86932485607410098622024-02-20T17:52:00.005-03:002024-02-20T17:53:08.027-03:00Family Meal by Bryan Washington<p><i>´Sometimes the best we can do is live for each other (...) It´s enough. Even if it seems like it isn´t´.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OQYHLgUTjVrSLSaQYShY6C5f0y0vzU8fCLwm4jPdOOrbqFX4V0kuddPZUeRhKxM7flr8Ra4YQBC1DJbZFnHOMeUnO436arofK8dYcLqKP0Mjt1-hRjGSQwddgSYeWz1lCrAisPDRLS9NBZ-tjC9czBi_o9GihKryfBEQRpqe7DR2r_eIX0rg97ubVpY/s445/family%20meal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OQYHLgUTjVrSLSaQYShY6C5f0y0vzU8fCLwm4jPdOOrbqFX4V0kuddPZUeRhKxM7flr8Ra4YQBC1DJbZFnHOMeUnO436arofK8dYcLqKP0Mjt1-hRjGSQwddgSYeWz1lCrAisPDRLS9NBZ-tjC9czBi_o9GihKryfBEQRpqe7DR2r_eIX0rg97ubVpY/s320/family%20meal.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><p></p><p>Ever since reading <b><a href="https://wildwritinglife.blogspot.com/2021/07/book-review-memorial-by-bryan-washington.html">Memorial</a></b>, I was craving for the next Bryan Washington book. His writing convenes a genuine empathy that I often miss in both literary and everyday ´real´ life. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Family Meal is a story told from the perspective of three characters: Kai (now a ghost), Cam - Kai´s partner - and TJ - Cam´s first old crush. It´s a story of enjoying the moment, having a lot of sex, and a lot of sex again. Because life is running fast, we rarely figure out when it goes and sometimes focusing on the moment is the best we can do. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Through the interactions of the day, there are short fragments of old memories, like flashes from the past. Most of them they have to do with people, their reactions and interactions and how they went out of the picture. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">As in the case of Memorial, I loved the authenticity of the dialogues, reflecting the way in which we usually interact through words in the everyday life. No longue reflective sentences without end. This is how we imagine people may talk, but it´s not true.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I also loved the interposition of few pictures, black-and-white pictures, mostly of flowers in bloom, which are completing the story.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Family Meal</b> is a queer story of friendship and community, of the strength of empathy. Such feelings are part of being an adult as well. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 5 stars</b></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3819502282534415089.post-47779474581329930942024-02-19T18:25:00.006-03:002024-02-19T18:25:59.636-03:00Berlin ist mein Paris by Carmen-Francesca Banciu<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjurGKEHd_ZKqY0LHka99L__y2i4q0CGQriDg3kOArtBlUnxh5fneiiQgCGONFmMgXjefELwfOuLPsihFoUa8GolPd_BMycabeqfu4bNec0dpDgXnr14MqfqSj_UHfIQHebrdQOGFXJFuCOdLQWAogq9IEh1nuofn-E6zOfFUSVeM1SgTSUAs_xje82A4/s445/berlin%20ist%20mein%20paris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjurGKEHd_ZKqY0LHka99L__y2i4q0CGQriDg3kOArtBlUnxh5fneiiQgCGONFmMgXjefELwfOuLPsihFoUa8GolPd_BMycabeqfu4bNec0dpDgXnr14MqfqSj_UHfIQHebrdQOGFXJFuCOdLQWAogq9IEh1nuofn-E6zOfFUSVeM1SgTSUAs_xje82A4/s320/berlin%20ist%20mein%20paris.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Carmen-Francesca Banciu is a Romanian-born author based in Berlin. An author before moving to Berlin, at the beginning of the 1990s, she started writing in German since 1996 and she is also a creative writing coach. Her books - novels and short stories - do receive positive reviews in the specialized literary sections in German, but I am still trying to define her audience and style.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Berlin ist mein Paris</b> is a collection of stories and stanzas with an autobiographical inspiration, an angle which I actually appreciated. She is keen to share her authentic experiences, that in fact do relate to a larger human experience: finding your way into a new country, getting to know a new language, observing human relationships from the corners of coffees in different places across Berlin. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Indeed, this way of writing in a coffee, inspired by the stories heard and guessed is a great source of inspiration and Berlin is full of such stories. However, I´ve felt that the coffee places featured in those stories are relatively stereotypical in their customers variety, but everyone his or her sources of inspiration.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The stories do contain some interesting observations and do have their authentic flair as introducing new characters and sharing life stories from Berlin. Such experiences are usually subjective therefore it liking them or not it is also a purely subjective. My Berlin is definitely more dynamic and a recollection of way too many worlds although Paris for me is irreplaceable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rating: 3 stars</b></div><p></p>WildWritingLifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16118100822165670191noreply@blogger.com0