Book Tour: The Call by PD Viner

 

I couldn´t resist The Call by P.D.Viner. A page turning thriller I´ve read in one long sitting it kept me constantly wired to the story. I am a super-active person with a limited attention span but with a big heart for books therefore, when there is a story waiting for me, I know how to switch the focus.

´I´m coming. It´s you and me against the world´.

From a hotel room, Mia desperately calls Ben, her beloved husband. There is a corpse and a lot of blood. Before explaining herself, she needs help, support and her husband´s presence. Did she turn into an unprofessional killer with a serious anger management issue? The more I delved into the story, the more questions I had. So many that I almost forgot that there should be an answer.

The action takes place within a couple of hours, hours revealing the cracks of their marriage, but there is no light coming out of it. There are dark secrets and breach of trust, there are missed opportunities and lost chances. And as I arrived at the end of the exceptional emotional ride, I was surprised by the ending, which was however totally in sync with the rest of the book: eventful and with unexpected twists every couple of pages.

The piece of resistance of the narrative is the dialogue. Particularly through the exchange between the two there are new details revealed of the enormous puzzle that should be solved in just a couple of hours. All the tensions and the next steps depend on them, of the next word to be uttered between Mia and Ben. I can imagine this book turned into a movie, anyway.

The Call by P.D.Viner is a book that stays with the reader for a very long time. Indeed, marriages may be black boxes, but the codes of the heart are always hard to break, if ever.

Rating: 4.5 stars

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

Random Things Tours: It Only Takes a Minute by Sasha Lane

 

´I´ve spent my entire thirty-one years of living on this planet doing the right thing, being sensible, never stepping out of the line doing what was expected of me, and right now, as I sit and stare at the closed front door, contemplating my future alone, being sensible feels like the most stupid decision I´ve ever made´.

With a banking career and a predictable relationship who is history now, Kiera decided to overcome her break-up and spend some weeks on the Portuguese coastline. In the e-world we are living today, everything is possible within minutes: accommodation - one click; flights - another click; checking the weather - another click. For someone used with the predictable comfort, it was really fast. Even faster is her relationship with a local expat, Dylan, she met and...as the title goes It only takes a minute...to fall in love, obviously. And there is love and out of love and another very fast decision she will not regret.

The problem of a novella is that everything should take place fast, and if in the case of a mystery or thriller it is actually possible to move on fast forward to a solution, for a romance, the short times required to be burned fast because there is so much to develop in human time but so little time in literary measurement. 

Sasha Lane´s first stand-alone novella, It Only Takes a Minute is well crafted though and although it is largely predictable - within the matrix of Eat, Pray, Love (you break up, run away to discover yourself, randomly find the one, The End) - and even too fast for my emotional imagination (how people can fall in love so so fast...?) is nevertheless pleasant to read. And we need a pleasant book, and a hopeful story and a sweet ´happy ending´. 

If you are on your way to your summer destination or spending a day on the beach, reading keeps your spirit alive. And despite the easy plot, the novella is well written so definitely worth one bibliophile´s time. I would have wished Kiera is more developed as a character, although her handsome partner Dylan is easier to represent as a human being. 

For anyone looking to hone their novella writing skills, especially in the field of romance, this book is a recommended lecture for the humour, brevity and joyous storytelling. There is a genre for every category of reader and romance will never be out of fashion.

Rating: 3 stars

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

Short Stories Collection from Libya: Catalogue of a Private Life by Najwa Bin Shatwan translated by Sawad Hussain

 

Translators deserve a place of light in the paradise of readers. What would we do without them, mediators and carriers of meanings and secrets we are unaware of ? There are many ways to praise their work, but telling that our world will be poorer without them is one of it. I am happy to have been discovered in the last years excellent translators whose works I appreciate and follow. Actually, I would read anything they translate, with the same passion I will follow a reader which inspires me. Among them, Sawad Hussain, an exquisite translator of Arabic wor(l)ds.

Without the knowledge of a translator, how could we/me be able to read such an elegant collection of short stories like Catalogue of a Private Life by Najwa Bin Shatwan published at the end of the last year by Dedalus.

Najwa Bin Shatwan is a Libyan academic and novelist, author of four novels. In 2017, she was the first Libyan to ever be shortlisted for the International Prize of Arabic Fiction. In general, Liyban literature is under-represented, before discovering her short stories I was acquainted with only one author: Hisham Matar. Language is definitely a barrier, but as usual, there is always at play a self-suficient neglect of authors and literatures belonging to a realm outside the regular political or social - or even touristic - interest. If a couple of decades ago, Libya was sporadically famous for the excentricities of Muammar al-Gaddafi, after his disappearance and the local/international debacle it seems there is nothing to say about and from Libya. 

Catalogue of a Private Life proves though that those anti-literary scales of value are completely wrong. With a highly elegant humour, Bin Shatwan knits together social observations and political misfortunes in stories short but of an unforgettable impact. Think about the tragedy created by a brainless cow who broke a delicate truce simply by walking on the wrong side of the lane. Or the grandmother who caught a burglar in white socks falling from the sky, and while wainting for some news from her son, she impatiently asks: ´Touch the phone. Maybe it´s hot; maybe he just called´. 

The characters, like we all, navigate through traditional obligations, religious commandments and political interogations. But as they cannot stop rummaging about their own drama, they may forget paying attention to the potholes on the road. 

´(...) how could one call this a homeland when it´s just an airport for missiles?´

The everyday tragi-comical may look unbearable, but arts and literary talent in general helps survival. You need two to tango and an enemy to start a war, and a good short story to understand that, in fact, literary talent is equally distributed among all peoples and nations and a good translator to open your eyes and your literary appetite.

Rating: 5 stars

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

Random Things Tours: When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley

 

When We Fell Apart, the exceptional debut novel by Soon Wiley, has a well crafted prose and literary construction. Maybe we should just stop pretending that a debut may be necessarily a promise instead of evaluating it according to the usual literary standards. After all, a book should be good or simply not worth spending the time with. No middle ways. 

Min is in South Korea trying to explore his roots - American father, Korean mother. There he meets Yu-jin that after 10 months into the relationship will be found death in her home in an apparent suicide. As he is trying to figure out the circumstances of his death, he is not only becoming part of her story, but this encounter may change him for ever.

How much two persons can know about each other after ten months? It depends of the circumstances, but it seems that Min was vaguely aware of his girlfriend personality and family history. There are secrets deeply burried and a social and family burden Min may not be familiar with.

If Min´s profile is relatively common in the literature exploring the youngsters searching for their family roots, Yu-jin´s story is rather unconventional as it encompasses both her personal identity as the family burden and pressures. 

The details are revealed through the game of the points of views expressed by the two main characters, in diary-like entries. It´s like a game of dare and truth which unfolds, until the very end. The switch of perspectives gives depth while creates a certain expectation about the ending - which I was able to guess half into the story but wasn´t exactly ready to face it in its complexity when the journey finished.

The aim of the story is to reveal the truth about Yu-jin´s death circumstances, but there is a pleasure to read the book just for what it is: an adventure in human exploration of pain, coming of age, self-discovery and grief, but also love and emotional curiosity. All those threads are skillfully played on in When We Fell Apart. 

Rating: 4 stars

Short Stories about Syrian Women

Some time ago - but not too far away - when I was having some relationship doubts - as in relationship-the concept, not the relationship with someone - I met a woman originally from Syria who opened my eyes wide about a couple of couple dynamics I ignored my whole life. I still cherish her kind words and good inspiration. Thus, I was curious to read the two collections of short stories built around Syrian women wrote by Anna Halabi. 

Anna Halabi - most probably a pseudonym - was born and raised in Aleppo and is living since 1999 in Europe and currently in Germany. Inspired by her friends, relatives and acquaintances, she developed - sometimes admirably - women characters of an open humanity. 

What I particularly loved about those stories is that it shows women as they really can be: sometimes compassionate, sometimes cruel against each other, jealous, greedy and generous. They can betray their husband, long for more (jewellery) or conspire with other women to leave or change their men. 

It is a passionate, funny ready, told at the pace of an old tale. The endings are always surprising and the character development follows into the smallest detail various personal threats and emotional stories. 

If the first book had as characters brides, brides to be or in waiting, the sequel - Syrian Wives - has to do with women experienced in family and couple life. The challenges are bigger and so are their reactions and planning. 

At certain extent, I´ve found the stories in this volume less attractive in terms of plot construction as the first ones, but maybe it´s also because I´ve read them one after the other and the first strong pleasant impressions after my first encounter with this writer were still strong. 

Also, it may be that wives, in general, do have less space of manoevre in their everyday life and therefore, reifying them is a more complex attempt. How one can be made a realistic spontaneous woman character who in fact has so many daily obligations and limitations to deal with?

A plus feature of this sequel is the local ambiance, reminder of an Aleppo that most probably is right now just a memory. The food references are more than delicious as a reminder of the savour of the Syrian kitchen.

I just wish there are more short stories featuring women from the Middle East, in a realistic depiction, without the usual either patronizing or manipulative victimizing way. 

Rating: 3.5-4 stars

Random Things Tours: Codename Edelweiss by Justin Kerr-Smiley

 

Justin Kerr-Smiley

Codename Edelweiss by Justin Kerr-Smiley is a book built on a ´what if´ premise and therefore the historical fiction aspect is heavily fictionalised itself. 

The general outline of the story follows certain reality lines: Germany lost the war, there was a murderous dictator that killed 6 million Jews, the Catholic Church and the Vatican in general was ambivalent regarding the IIIrd Reich and its followers, some of the Nazi refugiated to Argentina who later bankrolled the military Junta. This relatively general frame is used as a canvas for creatively imagining alternative facts: Eva Braun and her mustachioed husband faked their death and refugiated to Argentina, they even had a son that disappeared which right now is sought after by Mossad and former comrades. Each group has different reasons for it: Mossad wants to eliminate a further heir that could contribute to the raise of a new German danger; the comrades as they actually want to set up a ´new´ Germany.

In-between, there are way too many ´noir´ episodes of confusion and irony. The Jewish journalist Ariel Guzman who revealed the story of the ´lost son´ is killed apparently by mistake and the heir of the couple of despicable memory ends up...in the Golan Heights as a rabbi (converted). 

Indeed, imagination does not have any limits and even myself, as a historian by training, I am not a big fan of historical fictionalised historical novels, I can use some good laughs because, you know, even if reality can get stronger than fiction - hopefully not - one day, there is a blue-and-white team who will do its best to get the monster and this cannot be ignored even by the most fictionalised fictionalisation of histories.

Rating: 3 stars 

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

Book Review: The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh

 

Ghosted was one of my best reads of 2018, but had to wait 4 long years until reading something new by Rosie Walsh. And it was worth waiting, as The Love of My Life is impressive in terms of the story construction and spectacular twists.

Emma is a marine biologist who just escaped a cancer verdict. She is in love with Leo, obituary writer, with who she has a daughter, Ruby. But various turns of events, of different impacts and intensities may completely challenge this perfect-looking family. 

This book has one of the best narrative´s construction I´ve read in a long while. Based on a chain of mistrust, deception and lies, and a considerable amount of misunderstanding, it kept constantly my curious and inquisitive mind in a labyrinth of smoked mirrors. I like the idea of playing with half-truth(s), although I felt like I am manipulated to think something, only to be suddenly woke up and revealed another piece of information which changes completely the perspective. The mind games are very elaborated and worked very well, at least in my case.

Until the very end, which is maybe too sweet for my taste, one may not know anything about how everything will turn out. The complex ramifications of the story match perfectly the ambiguity of some of the main characters, as well as their constant breach of trust. Ambiguity and half-meanings are literally played into a story elaborated in the smallest details. 

The Love of My Life is even better than Ghosted which makes me even more curious to have vivid literary dreams about how Walsh´s next book will look like. Hopefully, will not have to wait another long four years to find it out.

Rating: 5 stars

Random Things Tours: Kalmann by Joachim B. Schmidt - transl. by Jamie Lee Searle

 

It never happened before to read a book labelled as a mystery, a genre I adore, but ending up being focused on completely other non-mysterious details, such as following the voice of the main storyteller and other social- and politically-related aspects pertaining to Iceland. 

Kalmann by Iceland-based German author Joachim B. Schmidt, translated into English by Jamie Lee Searle is built around the voice of the character with the same name, a thirty something neurodiverse man who, inspired by his ailing grandfather is spending his time hunting and catching gigantic sharks. Self-appointed sheriff of Ranfarhöfn, he is becoming of public, even mediatic interest, as he discovers a pool of blood, most probably belonging to a local wealthy resident, Robert McKenzie, who mysteriously disappeared. 

Logically, the rest of the story which starts at the pace reminding of an old tale, is expected to be built around the efforts of discovering his corpse or/and the perpetrators, if any. However, although those details still play an important role and shape the account at a certain extent, Kalmann´s unique voice is more captivating and takes more narrative space. 

Kalmann is the one who was given full control of the story: he is the one sharing the account and giving voice to the other characters and events. His personal details and wishes and interpretations are the only one we are offered. The other characters are his reflection and so are the interpretation of facts, as well as the choice of the priorities: for instance, the mentions about his grandfather and the extent to which this one shaped his own world and choices are more important than finding McKenzie. 

His voice is naive, hilarious, but also deeply curious about the world. It´s captivating to follow along, as it does have its own charm, while also sharing local everyday Icelanding realities, such as the reaction towards foreigners, particularly coming from Eastern Europe, or the decline of traditional fishing industries.

As I was deeply lost into Kalmann´s account, the way in which the ending was introduced didn´t come as a suprise, but most probably in other contextual circumstances I would have been a bit disappointed. But as I said already, the mystery aspect is less relevant in this case.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Book Review: Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

´One day, the mother was a mother, but then, one night, she was quite suddenly something else´.

There is a lot of intellectual excitement when discovering a new literary revelation. Almost six months into 2022, out of many new books and authors I got to know, Rachel Yoder is my favorite so far. What exactly means having a ´favorite´ author? It is that writing mind shaking my intellectual comfort zone, forcing me to think the unthinkable. 

In Nightbitch, a female character called anonymously ´the mother´ develops suddenly feral features. There is the body hair, but also a taste for raw meat. Sometimes she is hunting bunnies. Her son, for whom she abandoned a relatively successful career in arts - ´I am spending my life in a dark room, she thought to herself. I am spending my most productive years in unproductive, supine waiting´ - will follow suit her example, although in a more mimetic manner. She, the mother, is the one who is the real bitch. She morphed in an animal who does not need to work or think about art. Much easier.

I´ve seen many comparison between the Nightbitch and Kafka´s Metamorphosis. I will not go too far with this and it shouldn´t actually happen. Indeed, in both cases there is a dramatic body transformation taking place, but the context is radically different. Maybe Cursed Bunny is a more appropriate comparison.

This level of animality is the physiological outburst of a projection: of how a quiet housewife - ´a mother in a small Midwestern town´ -, with a husband making much more than her, should comply to the society´s pressure. The society´s expectation of motherhood. There are other mothers too, also moulded according to the society´s expectations: a happy working mom, an entrepreneur mom. And the Nightbitch that with a Nietzschean energy will turn her life into an art installation.

Nightbitch has not only various philosophical layers about arts and its limits among others, but also developed a fine semantics and social critic. 

But what which prevails is the writing wrapping and the unlimited power of literary imagination. And I have only pure intellectual love for such achievements.

Rating: 5 stars

Random Things Tours: A Most Private Bank by Andreas F. Clenow

 

A financial noir thriller set in Zürich, A Most Private Bank by Andreas F. Clenow has all the ingredients of an eventful read with references to international finances and transborder crime. With a diverse and interesting cast of characters, the action follows one week and a bit from the life of Jim Dixon, an asset manager with a shady professional history and a couple of secrets as precious as a Swiss bank.

When a young heiress is knocking at his door for professional help, he thought things are gonna be easy, but Christina Rosenbaum is not as easygoing as he expected. And, it seems that old ghosts can´t wait to get back in touch with him. 

As the action takes place in the highest echelons of high finance, there are enough explanations helping the reader to understand the context, and the language is usually accessible to a larger audience. If you don´t know anything about the secrecy of Swiss banks, maybe you better not read this book at all, but this is basic knowledge for anyone living in today´s world.

Although the action is well paced and portioned given the relatively short amount of time alloted to the story, I would have expected more characters development. But otherwise, the twists are interesting and you will not get bored, for sure. The writing is direct inviting the reader to get involved mentally into the enfolding story. 

Andreas F. Clenow is a Swedish-Swiss asset manager and entrepreneur and author of several fiction and non-fiction books.

Rating: 3 stars

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

L´Amande by Nedjma

 

L´Amande is an intimate erotic story of a supposedly Moroccan Muslim woman. Published in 2004, it is considered the first such novel written by a Muslim woman, it is the story of a young Berber-Arab girl whose sensuality is awaken outside of the classical, traditional framework of the marriage.

Now single, in her 50s, she writes under a pseudonyme and after L´Amande, published another novel with a similar topic.

The Arabic erotic written literature, I dare to say, has earlier roots than our century, and only an over zealous religious establishment hid it under the carpet of extremism. Eroticism and sex in any culture is part of the everyday life and therefore, does have a women authorship as well. We only have to search and be brave to share our sources. In her society, Nedjma should hide behind a pseudonym in order to protect herself. 

Obviously, not everything that approaches ´forbidden´ topics is necessarily good from the literary point of view. The frame on ´forbidden´ means also that the expectations of the readers may be to be privvy on various intimate details and therefore, the literary format and creativity aren´t necessarily of high importance. 

As a work dealing with tabus, L´Amande is a novelty and won its own historical mention. From the literary point of view I was not necessarily impressed, as it mostly deal with topics that are usually covered with more details and probably finesse too in the literature belonging to this genre. Being a ´forbidden fruit´ makes it more interesting and one may be tempted to forget that, after all, erotic writing is also literature.

Rating: 3 stars

Book Review: Herr Parkinson by Richard Wagner

 

A chronical illness changes not only our relationship with the world through our body, but also our entire constellation of relationships. Life after being diagnosed with a chronical illness cannot be the same and is a trigger for our entire lifestyle. From now on, it is the chronical illness that dictates our journey, usually by taking away our freedom.

´Die Krankheit machte mich unfrei´. (Sickness took away my freedom - my own translation).

Herr Parkinson by Richard Wagner is his story of being diagnosed with the terrible illness. There is no cure for Parkinson although the medication can milder the effects. Wagner is fine writer and poet and his encounter with his own limitations is a dramatic contribution to the growing literature dedicated to chronical sickness read through literary eyes. 

One may not acknowledge at first that this is a memoir and you should do a bit of additional research to figure out. The book is written at the first person, with some gentle references to a ´you´, someone, a woman to whom he is talking with directly. Wagner, born in the Banat part of Romania, was member of the only literary German speaking anti-communist group, Aktionsgruppe Banat. Until a couple of years ago, he was married with Nobel-Prize winner Herta Müller.

As a writer, an intellectual, the betrayal of the body is observed with acuity, but the mind helps to adapt. Currently living in an assisted care facility, he depends on other people, but this dependency helps him survive. 

Such testimonies do help understanding not only what does it mean to be faced with a chronical illness diagnosis, but also what does Parkinson really means and at what extent it does affect the body and the mind. It happens to have acquaintances being affected by it and a literary rendition of it adds layers of understanding and empathy which is a noteworthy contribution.

 Rating: 4 stars

Random Things Tours: Watch How You Go by Tim Hill

Watch How You Go by bestselling author Tim Hill is a diagnosis of friendship and betrayal written in a very creative and unique style. It explores the intertwined stories of three couples, through their everyday interactions and secrets.

Three couples, spending time together and knowing each other well. Or pretending they do. There are dark and dirty secrets between them; temptations and betrayals. Human, oh so human. Nevertheless, Tim Hill creates a special web of interactions and relationships where the author feels like invited to spy and make his or her own opinion about it.

I particularly liked the right balance between the descriptions and author´s interventions and the dialogues, creating a diversity of perspectives and points of views. 

The book belongs to a new category of novels exploring the sides of everyday relationships and the story hidden behind them. You don´t necessarily need to build up a crime-plot to sell your story. Relaying on simple, everyday life experiences can be equally a source of literary inspiration. Sometimes, even more exciting to read about than a crime-driven novel.

Personally, I was curious to see where everything leads to, with the same high alert and interest as when I am reading my beloved mysteries and thrillers. The writing was an intellectual delight and so were the intricacies of the story. 

The ending is exceptionally unexpected but mostly because we expect easy, superficial ways to survive with guilt. Sometimes, a big step towards nothing is the only possible answer.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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

Random Things Tours: It Never Rains but it Paws. Adventures Caravaning with Dogs by Jacqueline Lambert

 

Adventure traveller and doggie travel blogger Jacqueline Lambert belongs to that community of people who are at home on the road, discovering the world. I used to be one of them too and hope that one day will get the strength to return to my traveller´ self. Until then, I have a seasoned stuck of books to ignite my inspiration.

Her travel stories, before Brexit, in the time of Covid, in France, Italy or just around the room, during quarantine (How We Made our Isolation Splendid) are smart, curious and often hilarious. That kind of hilarious that only someone smart and curious can be. I can feel a certain happiness in her writings that is frequently the result of a humble attitude towards the luck of being able to travel so often and in such beautiful places.

But besides all that, Lambert is a special traveller. She is accompanied by a ´fab four´, her four cute dogs: Ruby, Rosie, Kai & Lani. Definitely an extra hard work, but rewarding as nowadays one can find a lot of tempting dog-friendly offers, such as dog-friendly wine tours. 

It Never Rains but it Paws is a great source of travel inspiration, especially now, when the summer holidays are just about to happen. It´s for both armchair travellers and adventurous - dog lovers - in need to find their travel soul-mates crossing the world´s roads in a caravan. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

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

German Book Review: Die sanfte Gleichgültigkeit der Welt by Peter Stamm

 

My approximate translation of this book by Peter Stamm, a Swiss-based German author I´ve read and reviewed last year, would be: The Gentle Indifference of the World (some may say ´sweet´ but I like ´gentle´ more anyway). As in the case of the previous book, the story is relatively simple, but part of a complex narrative: A man meets in Stockholm a woman with a similar name and looking the same with his ex-girlfriend many years back. This resemblance - a contribution to the Doppelgänger literature, with a contemporary touch - leads to a mixed intertwining between temporal junctions between past and present, fiction and reality. 

Is this possible to repeat your life, or at least an episode of it? 

The storyteller, a man called Christopher/Chris - in love with Magdalena/Lena - is a relatively successful author, or used to be once. Is the story he shares a piece of fiction inspired by his life, or is this a real story? And which story is in fact the real one, the first story of young love, or the latest one, when he meets the younger Doppelgänger ?

From the point of view of the questions asked and the narrative accomplishment(s), this book is much elaborated and therefore more interesting than the last one, about a man who suddenly leaves his family and wanders with no direction around his old residence and beyond. The topic in itself though, has the obsession of a man who cannot accept he was dumped by his girlfriend and compulsively ends up with someone looking alike, just to reiterate the happy moment that once was. 

As right now I am reading a book, in German too, by a German writer, which deals also with the story of a man searching his own meaning, I will avoid to draw necessarily a conclusion. However, I can already see a pattern and I am not very impressed by the relative scarcity of imagination.

Rating: 3 stars

Book Review: The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

 

Set in France during the last decade of WWII, The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel is built around an interesting topic: Eva, a young Jewish woman from Paris, moves to Aurignon while trying to escape to Switzerland, after her father was arrested by the French police and sent in a concentration camp. Eva has a special artistic gift that she will put in the service of the Resistance, becoming an important element of a network forging fake documents to children, mostly orphans. With a new non-Jewish identity they are taken over the border and eventually adopted. Eva took upon herself the mission of saving their real names, by using a Fibonacci sequence. 60 years after the end of the war, someone found the book, which was looted by the Nazis, and Eva, despite the old age, she runs to Berlin, at Zentral- und Landesbibliothek to reunite with the book.

The story unfolds following two different timelines, but unfortunatelly the current times one is completely unuseful, with few references only. 

Another aspect that for me looked completely mistaken is Eva´s Jewish identity. It looks so empty and irrelevant that one can hardly can figure her out as Jewish, expect that there is a voice in off which assumes that she should be. Otherwise, there is no significant content to support this, and there are many details of her assumed spiritual/religious biography that simply do not match.

Although the book has some interesting twists, it is mostly predictable and it lacks sometimes that kind of continuous action that keeps the reader engaged and interested. 

Despite those shortcomings, The Book of Lost Names is hard to put down, be it for the topic and as it writes about stories of the French Resistance against Nazis which is still not so well documented and often featured in historical fiction. It appeals both to lovers of contemporary historical fiction as well as to young readers that may be inspired to research more about those terrible times.

Rating: 3 stars

Random Things Tours: Keep Her Sweet by Helen FitzGerald

 

The story goes that ´Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way´. But what about psychotic families? Are they all alike still different? If you are curious to find an answer or two, Keep Her Sweet by bestselling author Helen FitzGerald is an excellent source of inspiration. Because, we all know that literary beings can be as real as the human ones.

The web-story is built around a middle-age couple and their daughters, Asha and Camille. The parents seem to enjoy their time together and so are the two girls, except that once they are revealing their true colours they are looking less than just your influencers-in-the making kind of kids. Desinhibited is not the right term to describe them. Maybe dangerously psychotic is better? Hence their casting in a crime novel.

Around them, there is a cast of characters as dysfunctional as they are. Addicted, obsessed in various ways, emotionally unstable. Although such a combination is perfect for a horror story, FitzGerald deal with it in a very dark-comic way. Indeed, there are some emergencies and high risks, but why be dramatic when you can see the hilarious side of it? This is a very smart approach going beyond the clear limits of the genre the book is supposed to belong.

Keep Her Sweet requires a lot of attention from the reader. The situations may escalate and there is a generous cast of characters whose POVs are presented, not necessarily in a given order. One should focus on the action and voices and wait until the end to figure out the final chain of events.

Personally, I loved the ending, but equally the irony and the tragi-comic turn of events. I am still not sure what kind of label suits psychotic families but it´s sure that ´birds of a feather flock together´. 

Rating: 4 stars

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

Book Review: Stay With Me by Ayòbámi Adébáyò

 

Stay With Me, the debut novel by the Nigerian writer Ayòbámi Adébáyò is a journey of womanhood within and beyond the social roles assigned by society, men, other women. But beyond this need of classifying, organising and structuring the literary journey into clear categories and concepts, this book is first and foremost a story. 

Yejide, owner of a hairsalon in Nigeria, is under pressure to reproduce, shortly after her wedding with Akin. Not sure it was necessarily her desire, but for sure, other people´s desire to see her having a bany pushed to go as far as travelling to the Mountain of Jaw Dropping Miracles and breastfeed a goat. The urban legend goes that it may lead to end up breastfeading your own babies. And Yejide ends up believing: that the goat is a baby, that she is pregnant for at least 18 months. 

Then, there is a baby, who dies, and another baby who dies of a genetical disease. And there is a thirds baby that may have the same disease and may die too. This sequence of the story happens in the second part of the book and it´s gently tragic, as sad as such an encounter can be. As emotionally sad as it was hilarious in the beginning. 

Beyond the details and the political, social and religious references, the story thread itself is inviting the reader to navigate alongside the journey. You feel like you really want to stay into the story, even most of the women characters are despicable and bullying and there is nothing to expect from the men. There is a sense of strength of the writing which announces - hopefully - many more unique stories.

Rating: 4 stars

 

Rachel´s Random Resources Tours: The Write Balance by Bonni Goldberg

 

Most of the books I´ve read and reviewed aimed at offering inspiration and guidance to writers do have some very general common lines of advice. First and foremost, one has to keep writing no matter what, maintain a healthy balance between writing and documentation, being persistent and refusing to give up in fulfilling his or her gift of wordsmithing. Personally, I think that at least most of those advices are right. On the other hand, though, treating writing like any kind of work may be misleading sometimes. Discipline and time management are indeed vital for building a successful writing career, any kind of career in fact, but sometimes there is something else left behind in this list of recommendations.

The Write Balance by Jewish educator, author, speaker and coach Bonni Goldberg adds a very spiritual holistic touch to the general literature about how to write better, faster, insightfully etc. It is aimed at helping and explaining ´How to Embrace Percolation, Revision&Going Public´. Each of these steps are very important and are approached in the book on a very serious and detailed manner.

I´ve found that these three stages are rarely followed in sync in the dedicated literature on this topic, but after seeing those mentioned for the first time, I realized that in fact those stages are very important in shaping the book: first, one needs to consider the process of creation before the first draft takes shape (percolation); second - what the writer shall do after the first draft is ready (revision); third - how to follow the right strategy to share his or her book with the world (going public). Is there anything else that really matters? Don´t think so.

Each of this stages is explained by Bonni Goldberg through various personal examples but in a way that offers a generous space to build the right balance between the body and the mind (including through recommendations of exercises to practice in this direction). Cloud watching when you are out of inspiration or just putting on hold for a day your writing plans belong to those kind of advices one may refuse to consider seriously but in fact are so simple and inspiring. 

Goldberg´s book accompanies the reader and eventually writer-in-the making with a lot of care and dedication. Therefore, The Write Balance can be considered a good companion to first-time writers, but also a source of inspiration for more experienced onces. After all, book after book, one may need to refine his or her skills and writing techniques as well as habits. This book is generous in nourishing creativity, including through specific exercises - including of the yoga type.

The Write Balance is a resource of spiritual strength when writing does not go in the direction one may expect, but also helps to overcome (self-)doubts and writer´s block with the grace of someone who knows that he or she has a mission that will be fulfilled with diligence and distinction no matter how hard it is. You just have to look at the clouds and follow their changing shapes. Similarly, your words can get together in an infinite number of ways to create your books, one after the other.

Rating: 5 stars

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

German Krimi Review: Die Tote vom Chiemsee by Gretel Mayer

 

A young woman is found death in a monastery in Chiemsee - Bavaria region. She is the daughter of a glamorous film making family, a beautiful young lady with a promising career in the movies herself, but she chose otherwise. Who and especially, why, would have intended to harm this innocent creature?

Die Tote vom Chiemsee is the debut novel by Gretel Mayer that I selected for my regular German reading exercises. It is set in the 1930s, which adds a certain historical fiction layer, which is dealt with elegantly, but as the action is mostly set in the countryside, outside of the big cities, the perspective is switched and therefore much more focused on the micro- rather than the macro society level. 

Mayer re-creates a very relatable local ambiance, both in terms of historical descriptions as of language and human interactions. 

The story builds up piece by piece, although the ending is not suggested in any moments. Although, it remains a good exercise for the reader´s investigative mind. There are so many proofs that both the detectives and the reader can easily gather but in the end, the final verdict is beyond anyone´s expectations.

Die Tote vom Chiemsee is a good krimi, in the well-pondered career of the German genre, and definitely outstanding for a debut novel. I may have some disappointments regarding the course of action and the overall pace of the story, but this does not affect my general appreciation for the book. It also made me curious to explore this part of Germany, that I have on my bucket list.

Rating: 3 stars

Random Things Tours: M Is For Mummy by Katy Cox

´Since becoming parents, every thing revolves around the kids - our thoughts, schedules and conversations - so it´s no wonder that the flames of desire have struggled to stay alight´.

Lucy used to have a successful career and a lovely husband-wife relationship. Then, you know how it goes: career was put on hold, days and nights do sync with the needs and requests of the children - one of then, Stan, a very gifted and curious one - love life tendentially nil. 

M is For Mummy by musician by training, mother by habit Katy Cox is a hilarious journey through motherhood. That motherhood that nowadays can be laugh about, although always took seriously. It belongs to the brave literary wave of women writers courageous enough to write about the downsides of being a mother, without dismissing their motherhood. But describing in more precise terms what motherhood means, especially for career women, is a realistic take to life and it only does good to the everyday dynamics. It helps a woman to understand exactly where and what she stands for. And, in full honesty, being a mother is not easy at all.

This literary trend demystifying motherhood - and keep an eye on my coming reviews, of a terrific book about motherhood - is the oint you need on your salty wounds - salty because of the many tears - after leaving behind a slice of your life for a routine that seems will never end - at least, not in the next 18 years, anyway. 

But, you know what, only when you fully acknowledge your situation you can move on. Living in a pinky cloud where changing dirty nappies is upgraded to the supreme joy of life is denial and it hurts. Better try to be like Lucy, unconventional, hilarious and irreverentially thinking about sex. I love her character and I think it relates way more to what means being a modern woman than your Victorian brainless submissive wife.

M iy For Mummy, published today, makes you feel good and entertained while keeping you company in a very relaxed way. After all, there are some baskets full of laundry waiting for you and the kids are about to come hungry from school. But it is a trustful companion that may help you figure out how to accept your condition and try moving on, a smile on your face.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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

Random Things Tours: May God Forgive by Alan Parks

An arson attack in Glasgow at Dolly´s Salon kills a couple of young women. Apparently, the culprits are three young boys that are eventually arrested. However, while under arrest, a set-up accident leads to the kidnapping of the boys. One of them appears shortly after as a corpse. There are two left to save and detective Harry McCoy is on a mission to bring them back alive. It is a race against the clock, as he is only 24 hourse left to solve the case.

May God Forgive by Alan Parks is a cruel drama, set in the 1970s. The story unfolds in diary-like installments, allowing to follow the action one dramatic episode at a time. There is a certain dramatism and raw energy in the way in which the events enfold as well as in the way in which the story ends. 

The story has a social take, especially when it comes to the way in which the young boys were used for an useless revenge. It also displays, at the very beginning, samples of how the pressure of the street may influence and alter the way in which justice is done.

The writing is smart, cold-blooded and carefully organised to offer a progressive installment of the suspense. My only dissatisfaction is that I rarely connected to the assumed timeline: the Glasgow of the 1970s, as it appears in the book, can be as well the Glasgow of the current year.

May God Forgive is a suspenseful and intelligent thriller. Recommended to anyone interested in books with unexpected endings of a well crafted story.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Le Roman de Beyrouth

 

Covering over a century of tormented history, Le Roman de Beyrouth by the Lebanese author Alexandre Najjar is for me one of the most nostalgic and beautiful book dedicated to this city and its people. There is nostalgia and honest love, recognition of its failures and crying salty tears over its bounds.

´En temps de guerre, la vie est suspendue´...

War though, is present in this novel as an occurence of the daily life. More important and beautifully are the human lives, their stories of love and disappointment and beautiful human mistakes. A city who lost his Jews to the ideological takes assumed circumstantially after the end of WWII, and whose multiculturalism may apply only when it does not overcome the very borders of cultural differences.

This multi-generational novel is telling the story of the city through the encounters with a Christian/Maronite middle-class intellectual family, whose children took different stances regarding political evolutions and marriage, but it is told in the natural tone of the encounters who happen and should be taken as such. There is no fist hitting the chest in despair, but a gentle way to follow the flow of events and make the best of it - in a very intellectual, matter-of-factly matter.

This book kept me captivated for hours, but until the end, I decided to portion its lecture, splitting it in maximum 50 pages or so per day. After all, I needed to think about and chew slowly my thoughts on the political and social interpretations offered. 

Alexandre Najjar is for me the voice of a Lebanon looking to get back its voice, a voice of intellectual strength and love for his country. It is an unique yet beautiful voice and would love to discover more and more such voices in the Middle East.

Rating: 4 stars

Random Things Tours: Little Drummer by Kjell Ola Dahl translated by Don Bartlett

A woman is found dead in a parking lot. Her boyfriend, a Kenyian scientist, also disappeared overnight. Was it a passionate crime? Or actually the victim was one of the many drug addicts hanging around in the area where the crime was committed?

With an editorial programm that never disappoints, Orenda Books offers to the non-Norwegian readers of thriller with a smart political touch a meticulously elaborated novel. Little Drummer by Kjell Ola Dahl, translated by Don Bartlett, is a journey through the dark global corridors of the pharma industry, particularly the HIV-related medication. The detectives Frølich and Gunnarstranda are joined by Lise Fagernes, the journalist that happened to discover the corpse. Together, they made it into a strong team investigating the dirty traces of the affair as far as in Africa. 

There is a special ambiance predominant in this book, of the kind of cruel realism, which may be hard to acknowledge, maybe because it is way too present in our everyday life and we are already immune to it. However, the story is easy to follow and the literary translation of news reports suits very well the noir genre. 

The writing is very precise, the story has a serious procedural framework which guides both the information and the action within under a clear direction. The team of investigators (the journalist included) do make it into a great match, working in sync to understand the intricacies of the complex international story. My favorite part of the story are the dialogues, with their sharpness and particularly pinpointed questions, making the story alive and real in its literary fictionality. 

Besides the international references, there are interesting insider´s observations about the Norwegian society, particularly when it comes to approaching the non-Europeans. With such a coordination between the global and the local perspectives, it is easy to understand the motivations of the characters and the context of the story.

Kjell Ola Dahl is the author of over a dozen of novels, non-fiction and collection of short stories, being considered one of the most brilliant representatives of Nordic noir genre. Little Drummer was my first book by this author but I am intrigued enough to can´t wait to look for another translation of his books. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

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