Hades, Argentina by Daniel Loedel

A fast - or very fast - reader, I am slowed down only by books who are playing a very human cord. I am used with terror and wars and disappearances. But it comes a moment in life when you have enough. You don´t want to read about it either in real life or in fictional realities. 

I started Hades, Argentina by Daniel Loedel somewhere in September 2023, probably. Maybe a bit earlier. And I took a break doing some extra research. Then, October 2023 happened and there were more pressing cruel realities to deal with. It didn´t change too much since, but I already reviewed recently other books about the Argentinian Dirty War. And this book was still at the same place at the bottom of the Tower of Babel of TBR books until few days ago I decided that it is about time to continue the lecture, no matter how fed up with horrors my heart is. 

I´ve faced the cruelty of the Dirty War many years ago, when I delved into the Cold War episodes outside Europe. Between 1976 and 1983, US-backed military dictatorship killed and kidnapped tens of thousands of dissidents, many of them young people, in the name of fighting the communism. Afterwards, only the members of the junta themselves were put in prison, but many ofc the rapists and torturers are free until today. They may meet their victims in one of the beautiful cafes in Buenos Aires.

People disappeared, corpses were disposed from airplanes in Rio de la Plata or the Atlantic Ocean. Children of victims were sent to adoption, sometimes ending up as adoptive sons or daughters of those who killed their parents. It is a terrible trauma that afected in a way or another almost every Argentinian family.

Daniel Loedel wrote the book inspired by his own family story: his sister disappeared during the junta. Tomas Orilla, the main character of the book, was 21 when he entered a bizarre game of love and death. A game that only the pure and naive hearts can play: for the sake of his sweetheart love, who is involved with the rebels, he get a job in an illegal detention center, helped by the Colonel, a family acquintance. His aim is to spy for the rebels, hoping that he will get her back. But the world of adults has horrific rules. ´I´m afraid it´s going to break me, Isa´, he confessed, when it was already too late. There are mistakes of the youth, of course, but no young soul should be faced with such choices.

Few years later, after living for years in NYC, under a fake name, he is back confronting the ghosts. All of them - his mother, the Colonel, Isa, people he worked with at the detention center. They may continue the story stopped by his departure, but somehow it is difficult to distinguish between time past and time present.

I felt at times that I am very much missing enough details to understand Tomas´ personality. For instance, it is mentioned only once that he is Jewish, but there are no other information in this respect. 

Nevertheless, Hades, Argentina is an exceptional story showing the tragic randomness of cruel history into everyday life. May humans be spared by the touch of history.

Rating: 4 stars

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

´There are guavas to steal in Budapest and right now I´d rather die for guavas´.

There are books that do have such a great start but the original enthusiasm is often cut short as it ends up in a sea of stereotypes, for just jumping back to some serious unique toughts towards the end.

We Need New Names, 2013 Booker-prize finalist by Zimbabwe-born NoViolet Bulawayo was for me one of the most recent confusing literary experiences. Told with the voice of the growing up 10-year old Darling who moves from an unnamed country - but we are offered enough smart hints to figure out that it is Zimbabwe - to America. From a careless childhood stealing guavas and roaming the streets of a shanty town called Paradise in the company of age peers called Bastard or Godknows playing games like Find Ben Laden, Darling will be an undocumented immigrant, doing cleaning jobs to save money for college.

´There are two homes inside my head: home before Paradise, and home in Paradise, home one and home two´.

The first part of the story, featuring - with irony, not only when it comes to the names, but with the pure questioning attitude of children towards the nonsensical world of adults - Darling´s&friends roaming through Paradise is exciting, fresh, smart. A new story of coming of age. However, the second part, shorter, it´s focused on the American experiences which pale in comparison, are quite similar with other ´being consumed by the American dream´ kind of story´: financial struggles, poverty, strained social relations. The American episode intervenes exactly when I was fully immersed into the story, expecting only good developments.

I was partially disappointed, but towards the end, the story takes a more reflexive and meditative turn and thus was given the chance again to enjoy some good written episodes.

Although I fell literarily confused by We Need New Names, it was an exceptional reading experience and would want to continue further with other writings by NoViolet Bulawayo. It has a strength and humour that do have a huge literary potential.

Rating: 3 stars

Rachel´s Random Resources: A Farewell to Imperial Istanbul by Ayşe Osmanoğlu

 

The end of the Ottoman Empire opened up a new chapter in the story of Turkey and the Middle East whose consequences we are still experiencing today. I´ve read a lot of books and studies about the modern Turkey, and the beginning of modern nationhood in this part of the world, but not too many available studies about the last days of the Ottoman Empire as we know it.

Ayşe Osmanoğlu, the author of A Farewell to Imperial Istanbul, has herself a very interesting story to tell. She belongs to the last Ottoman family and her book is mostly inspired by personal stories and researches in the family archives. There are so many royal family, many of them no more in power, around the world who are extensively sharing their story, but for me this is a first in terms of Ottoman history thus my double interest for this book.

Given the subjective involvement of the author, don´t expect the book to be a history book, written based on the objective rules of the history of science. However, A Farewell to Imperial Istanbul is a personal story, a personal recollection that fills a historical and memorialistic void. 

The writing is evocative, still balanced and takinng into account responsibly the historical milestones in the region and in the world at the time.

For historians and anyone interested in turkish and Middle Eastern evolutions, this book is an important bibliography that deserves not only attention, but also to be continued with more studies and eventually archives research. As a historian myself, I may want to further the academic investigations on this topic, hopefully soon.

Rating: 4 stars

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

The Applicant by Nazlı Koca

´I was so intoxicated by Berlin that I didn´t even smell the puke, the piss, the poverty´.

A young leftist Turkish lady, Leyla, is trying to find her way through writing in Berlin, while working part time as a cleaning lady in a hostel, getting intoxicated on drugs and alcohol and waiting for the infamous Foreigner´s Authorty - Ausländerbehörde, for the connoisseurs - to decide her fate. Her university rejected her graduation paper and she is tolerated until the confict with the university is clarified. 

The Applicant by Nazlı Koca sounds like a typical Made in Berlin story. I live in this city for almost two decades and I´ve met my fair amount of people sharing Leyla´s destiny. Also, I know from my own experience the pain of having to do with Ausländerbehörde - in the book, the procedures are correctly described. 

Her story, told as diary entries in 2017, is a tragi-comical story of making your way through the literary world, as an immigrant woman writer. Leyla is in the wrong place, with the wrong people, forcing herself to survive in another language. She is using any escape from reality - including soap operas - to survive. She fantasizes about the possible lives of the people she hooks up with. 

Maybe because I am so familiar with such stories, on a regular non-fictional basis, I wasn´t fully charmed by the story. It sounded to real to be fictional, unless towards the end of book when it is becoming a bit more abstract and reflexive. But I suppose for someone not living here it sounds as pure fiction and this is what Berlin life may be sometimes. Unless it is too repetitive and overrated but we all love a bit of drama. Berlin drama, of course.

Rating: 3 stars

Rachel´s Random Resources: The Affair by Claire Allan

Psychological thrillers featuring everyday life interactions and situations are my weakness lately. Also, if there are some secrets hidden in plain sight, you will got me thrilled too.

The Affair by Claire Allan, published by Boldwood Books really challenged my intuition, especially because it features very relatable characters and situations. 

Two days after surviving a very heartbreaking betrayal, Christina is decided to restart her life and what else can help her than joining an online group organised by a famous influencer, Sorcha. Through various exercises and thematic reading, the aim is to help the members improve their social skills and reach their love and friendship goals. Slowly, the two of them are getting closer, but it seems that Christina has at least one secret to hide. Once she start receiving threats, she is becoming anxious and is afraid her life may be destroyed again. 

The touch of mystery and suspense is present in the book from the very beginning, but it grows in a crescendo towards the end. As we are swimming deep in the waters of mystery, it is hard to think about anything else but the next steps of the story. What has Christina to hide and how would she survive the eventual shock of the revelation?

I´ve found both main female characters - Christina and Sorcha - very motivated and strong as they are fighting hard to build up a new life, beyond all the previous relationship failures. They are a good story match and do give a special dynamics to the crime story.

The Affair is a good recommendation for psychological thriller readers, interested in discovering strong characters and a really suspenseful story.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Random Things Tours: The Estate by Denzil Meyrick

Rich families forced to share their revenues among family members, with or without a will, always offer inspiration for crime novels. It is a fascinating topic for anyone reading yellow media about big scandals created around inheritance of the rich and famous therefore, a crime novel on this topic sounds always very interesting for me. 

Add to this the chance of discovering a new crime author, Denzil Meyrick, and you have the perfect motivation for spending wisely some good reading hours in the company of The Estate.

The Pallanders do have a perfect family and business life. But when Sebastian Pallander dies, and then his son is killed in unclear circumstances, the picture perfect image is turned into shatters. DI Cara Salt and DS Abernethy Blackstock are trying to figure out who the killer is and what are the main motivations before another corpse it´s found.

One of the things that I did not expect to encounter during such a complex crime investigation was the acute sense of humour. Definitely, the world of rich do inspire often such situations, but in this case, it really helps to deter too much drama and tension. Greedy people always generate ridiculous situations.

The action is well paced, allowing enough details to explain various situations, circumstances and characters while keeping the reader alert. Watching the Pallanders looks like one of the many realities shows when you are offered some insights into a world that seems too far from the problems of everyday life. In reality though, we are all humans, no matter how fancy estates we own or not.

I really enjoyed - with some hard laughing as well - reading The Estate and would definitely be curious to read more about Meyrick. Hope that his other books are at least as entertaining and with the same smart psychological, and sometimes sociological too, insights.

Rating: 4.5 stars

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

Sob by Firoozeh Dumas

Going though a painful separation is never easy. But it can get easier after a while, if you allow yourself time to mourn. You mourn to cleanse and be able to start over. It is not mine and not original idea that in order to laugh hard, you shall know how to cry.

Iranian-American humour writer and memorialist Firoozeh Dumas couldn´t stop sobbing, after a painful divorce from her more than three-decade long husband. Sobbing uncontrollably, financially cheated, abandoned, she is able to find the way out. Through spiritual exercises, hope and determination to continue. 

Her audiobook Sob, an Audible production, is the story of a remarkable awakening, re-connecting with the world after shutting down. Forced to move out from the house she was dreaming to grow old, she is discovering the force of kindness. The weight of grief may equal sometimes the capacity to love.

It is a short audiobook - around 1 hour - the daily dosis of inspiration that one may need to start the day. 

I´ve previously read and reviewed a children book by Dumas, but wanted to read her memoirs for ages, so maybe this audio experience made the right introduction to proceed further with exploring this author.

Rating: 5 stars

Eine Liebe in Kairo by Amir Hassan Cheheltan translated from Farsi by Jutta Himmelreich

Eine Liebe in Kairo - Lovestory in Cairo, according to my own free translation - by Amir Hassan Cheheltan translated into German from Farsi by Jutta Himmelreich was on my to-read list for a couple of months. 

I´ve read and reviewed previously works by Cheheltan, which has an audience in Germany and his novels are translated into German relatively shortly after publishing. He may have some interesting takes - although I often don´t share them, such ideas and interpretation are representative for a certain intellectual environment.

Eine Liebe in Cairo is a mixture of love story and recent historical fiction. The Iranian diplomat - unnamed - is representing the young Shah Pahlavi in Cairo, a capital city with a specific importance for the Persian dynasty. His missions are to convince Queen Fawsia to return to the his husband, the Shah, and to return to Iran of the corpse of the old Shah Pahlavi who died in exile in South Africa. The action takes place in october 1947, when the Middle East boils facing the steps towards the creation of the State of Israel, events punctuating the diplomatic background of the story. 

Meanwhile, he is falling into an obsessive love with a lady he met first 15 years ago, a Jewish convert to Islam married with an Indian philosopher. She is part of the love episode in the story that is supposed to fuel the narrative. There is no happy ending, as in the end, the diplomat will leave Cairo, at the end of an unaccomplished mission.

Despite some writing accomplishments, Eine Liebe in Kairo was for me one of those books that despite the relatively coherent individual episodes is the lack of genuine connection between the different layers. I am not very interested in novels with a solid nonfiction background but missing the story. 

I may have had several expectations about this book but in the end I was disappointed. Time to start another book, life is too short for regrets.

Rating: 2 stars

Schatten über Moabit by Jens Anker

When I am not busy with long lists of books in various languages, I prefer to take some time off reading German crime novels. At a certain extent, the topics and characters featured in crime stories reflect some real-life situations from the countries they are set in, hence my interest. Also, the choice of topics featured to mirror the crime-related episodes happening in the non-fictional reality. 

My choice for the last weekend of German krimi - a genre that needs definitely more international praise and attention - was a debut novel of the Berliner Morgenpost journalist Jens Anker, Schatten über Moabit, in my own translation - Shadows over Moabit.

Moabit which is slowly slowly getting through its own gentrification phase, is known as the law&order area of Berlin, with an important prison and the criminal court being situated here. The criminal court that I had the chance to visit a couple of years back is an example of ´Einschüchterungarchitektur' - ´intimidating architecture´. Once someone enters such buildings he or she may feel instantly intimidated and compelled to submit to the act of justice.

Most of the action of the book is taking place at this criminal court, where a proeminent prosecutor apparently committed suicide. A young apprentice working there is decided to shed light on the case, trying to decipher first the three words that were found on a piece of paper in the possession of the victim. The investigation will take the reader through the maze of pharma industry and unexpected details provided by the forensic medicine.

The book has a relatively important part - out of around 200 pages - dedicated to various procedural aspects, which may be a German thing but even for the native reader does not bring too much - especially in this case - except the very typical complaining attitude about everything that does not change anything, it just express a permanent feeling.

The proceedings as such, weren´t impressive either, as although the data collection was right, the interpretation was spectacular, maybe too spectacular to be really reliable from the logical point of view. Also, the character development is mostly simplistic and does not go beyond the basic introduction: a name, a profession, but unclear what those people want, think, are motivated to do and hide.

Therefore, despite my all admiration for German krimi, this time the choice was not impressive and Schatten über Moabit will remain in my reading records as just another book that I´ve chose randomly from my local library but was far from being a lucky one.

Rating: 2 stars

Random Things Tours: The F**k It! List by Melanie Cantor

 

We still live in a world where women, including the highly educated, successful ones, should conform to society norms and expectations that were set for them, sometimes against them, but rarely by them. As women, we may be born with a to-do-list that strolls to age milestones. But what about if there is a reverse of it?

The F**k it! List by Melanie Cantor, a PR professional working as a celebrity talent agent, is an inspiration for everyone - every woman - that needs encouragement and support to just say it loudly to The List. Any List. 

A successful interior designer, full of life and optimistic, Daisy is having a party to celebrate her 40th anniversary. A birthday party that ends up in an apparent disaster. Her beloved successful boyfriend is caught with someone else and shortly after Daisy is returning back to her childhood home. Her childhood bad. 40, not married, without a property on her name, no children. But she is not alone, and with the help of a trustworthy network of friends and there is also someone who may catch her broken heart when she was expecting less.

This book is for anyone going through a heartbreak but also for any woman who needed at least once in life to face the social pressure and discover the resources and strength laying ahead for getting over the bad times. In the end, it may be all for good.

I really appreciated how Cantor is treating the story in a very straigthforward way, brave and less melodramatic. The topics she approaches are important and difficult, and being storified in a romantic setting doesn´t make them less relevant for our everyday life.

A book that will make you think and hopefully better understand what really matters in life. F**k it! and start your life again and again. 

Rating: 4 stars

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

Corylus Books Blog Tour: Murder under the Midnight Sun by Stella Blómkvist translated by Quentin Bates

While the debate about the real identity of writer Stella Blómkvist haunts the world of crime writers in Iceland and abroad, without any clear results in sight, Corylus Books is offering another translation of one of her suspenseful crime novels. 

I really enjoyed Murder at the Residence, therefore I couldn´t resist the temptation of reading Murder Under the Midnight Sun, also translated by Quentin Bates.

Investigator Stella Blómkvist is taking over two separate sensitive investigations that may lead the reader deep into the intricacies of Icelandic politics. In the last 3-4 years, I had the chance to read quite a lot of crime and thriller books set in Iceland and it is surprising how different image emerges from the literary realm, compared to the outsider´s perception of the country (pristine landscape, Northern Lights, lonely yet content people enjoying a good middle class life). The crimes investigated in this novel do reveal unexpected underground networks were politicians and their networks of power are prevalent, although only for the trained eyes. Like Stella´s.

I am a big fan of Stella - the fictional investigator: lover of whiskey, seductive and when necessary, seductress, smart and hard to stop. The book - shortly over 200 pages, therefore a good time investment for a weekend crime read - it is written at the first person, which gives a certain subjective particular tone to the story. 

Murder Under the Midnight Sun is eventful, surprising and realistic. I don´t necessarily want to know the real identity of Stella the writer but I may expect more books written by her. Her crime riddles are one of a kind and to not be missed.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Rachel´s Random Resources Book Tour: Murder at Raven´s Edge and Murder at Ravenswood House by Louise Marley

One of my biggest issue with having so much to read and blog about it is that I can rarely follow books in series. I can start falling for some characters or settings and would burn to see if the continuation will be as good as it promises, but with such a limited amount of time on my sleeves and so many books to review, it may take a long long time, if ever, until I will be back.

Thus, my highest pleasure of being able to read not only one, but two books in a series: Murder at Raven´s Edge and Murder at Ravenswood House by Louise Marley. 

Set in a quaint village - Raven´s Edge, a name that promise a lot of mystery -, the novels do have a touch of mystery and old folktales. An impressive team of detectives - professionals and hobby ones - are involved in solving out of the ordinary crimes, which involve mysterious rituals and dark characters. And, in  addition to the crime story, there is also place left for a bit of romance, which make the story even more exciting, as it was not suspenseful enough.

The novels are atmospheric and sometimes the ambiance is Gothic-dark, but do also focus on character development, which make the series unique in both of approach and cast of characters. Knowing that I have not only one, but two books set in the same environment and most likely featuring a similar distribution, I was able to focus on details and behaviors that helped me to better understand the next episode of the saga.

In full honesty, I hope there will be more books in the series, as I already feel at home in the ambiance of the book. A recommended read for anyone looking for some serious crime riddles for the coming weekend or summer vacation.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Rachel´s Random Resources Book Tour: Her Husband´s Lie by Amanda Reynolds

One happy couple, Nicole and Matthew. Middle class, in love, trusting each other. They have a beautiful house, a safe and predictable everyday life and a healthy and charming daughter. The perfect family picture for everyone to envy and emulate. And then suddenly, in just one week, Nicole´s world is getting upside down. Matthew disappears lefting Nicole with a huge riddle to solve: who is actually her husband to whom she gave her heart and full trust?

As in the case of previous books by Amanda Reynolds I had the chance to read and review, Her Husband´s Lie is advancing slowly but firmly towards a revelation towards the end of the book, and I really appreciated the ways in which the suspense is created through the pieces of smoking mirrors that are obliterating the truth. 

Crime psychological thrillers evolving in a family environment may be a genre apart those days, and it´s justly so, as the everyday life may be the perfect unexpected source of surprises, as things are rarely indeed so glossy as they may look like at first sight. 

In Her Husband´s Lie though, there is an unique game of emotions that are built through the story, which involves the reader into the story in a very direct and brutal way. You may encounter a lot of untrustworthy characters, hard to like, but they are actually the salt and pepper of the book. There are hardly likeable characters in this book and many of them do also act in a very unempathic egoistic way. But, how could you write a great thriller with good, likeable characters, after all?

Some of the characters, particularly Nic, may act so erratically at times, that it is very hard to show any solidarity towards her. As for Matt, it´s impossible to give him any excuse, as he seems the perfect soulless manipulator. 

The timeline is very dense, so that you can hardly realize that the action is actionally taking place within few days, not weeks, how it feels at times like. The back and forth from present to the past, as fragments of Nic´s (mostly traumatic) past are shared adds even more weight to the timing of events and the story in general. The ambiance - both of the main location and geographically, in general, is not the strongest point of the book, in my opinion, but there is already enough tension in the air.

As the ways in which the story evolves from the very beginning - a relatively bourgeois family setting is shortly degenerating in a chain of deceit and lies - it was very hard to predict what will happen next. Thus, I felt compelled to follow up carefully every single detail of the events, hoping that somehow near the end, all those pieces will come up together to give the right key to solve the riddle. The fact that almost all characters do have something to hide from the police investigators - an arrestable offence, after all - may make the reader think that there are many things at stake that we might imagine.

For lovers of psychological thrillers, this is a very inspired choice for anyone looking to an eventful read, with many psychological turns and densely emotional as well. Once starting the book is very hard to put it down, as you are getting more and more curious to discover how far some characters went in pursuing their secret dark aims. Actually, very far.

Rating: 4 stars

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

The Falconer by Dana Czapnik

I am rarely impressed by coming of age novels. The main reason is that most characters, particularly young girls are completely unrelatable for me. In addition, there is a certain tendency towards stereotypying the characters who sooner or later will all sound the same: rebelious, playing with sex, some recreational drugs etc.

I´ve heard many things about The Falconer - inspired by the homonymouos statue in Central Park and interpreted by one of the protagonists as a symbol of freedom and nonchalance of young age -, the debut novel by Dana Czapnik and therefore included it on my TBR, but wasn´t sure what to expect. Maybe some easygoing coming of age story, with just another rebelious girl folllowing the same ingredients of the same old recipe...But it´s far from it.

Jewish-Italian Lucy Adler is a young girl, not too rebelious, playing basketball and asking questions. Her questions and questioning though, reflect a process of acknowledging the reality. Adulthood is few steps away, but until she will reach this point, she adds the information bridging one age to another. Like when she is trying to understand her parents, how, for instance, her father abandoned his writing career - he published a book once - for a more lucrative profession of lawyer. 

Lucy, the main storyteller, is like sitting in the center of the world, reflecting herself through the mirror fragments of other people´s realities, be it adults or other fellow youngsters. This is how I used to see myself as a late teenager as well. Many bonus points for the basketball playing, few of the sports I loved to play - in comparison with tennis, which I find utterly noninteresting. 

The historical ambiance of the novel - end of the 1990s - it´s an unique choice, and it really sound like, with the middle class social shifts during the Clinton years and the typical youth realm during those times. 

The Falconer is a story of an inquiring young girl trying to intellectually map the world. I just hope Czapnik will release soon another novel, as this debut novel announces a mature voice that may keep telling stories.

Rating: 5 stars

Canción by Eduardo Halfon

 

Although my Spanish used to be more than decent - read it B1 to B2 in terms of officially certified languages - for years already, I didn´t dare to read literature in this language as I was definitely lacking that local, native touch of the language. As improving some of my languages and perfecting others was one of my objectives for this year - and we are almost half through it - I tried my best to keep track of my promises. With once the week full immersion into Spanish language - thanks to my lovely friend M., my knowledge of native nuances and subtleties improved considerably, hence my audacity of reading this month not only one, but three books in Spanish - covering various geographical areas of the language.

My first ever book read in original Spanish to be reviewed on the blog is a book I wanted to read for a long time: Canción by Guatemalan author Eduardo Halfon. The book was recently longlisted for Dublin Literary Award - but haven´t made it to the shortlist. 

A short partly auto-fictional work, the book exposes the multi-layered identity and the treachery of memory. An author from Guatemala is invited in Japan to take part to a colloquia of Lebanese writers. His Lebanese part of identity is shared through his grandfather who was actually born at a time when Lebanon and Syria was one, as a Jew. The same grandfather who, as Halfon´s grandfather as well in 1967, was abducted by a faction involed in the Guatemalan civil war. One of his captors was called Canción.

As in my previous Spanish-written book I´ve reviewed a couple of days ago - read in translation thou - I am very much interested in auto-fiction set in the modern world, where personal destinies are notwithstanding with global or regional events. We cannot escape history and historical events do leave a trace even on the most recluse individual destinies. It leaves so much freedom of choice for the writer as you can combine individual destinies with way too many political events in infinite ways, but we may also realize that at the personal, real-life level, it really leaves us with a high-range of inter-personal stories.

Canción will for sure remain in my literary history as my first ever novel in Spanish read fully in the original, but my excitement for this personal achievement put aside, it´s a really intriguing book and I am looking forward to read more by Halfon, in Spanish as well.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Rachel´s Random Resources Book Tour: The Takedown by Evie Hunter

´Well, we´re both here with a common aim. It would make sense for us to work together´.

Once I am falling for an author - in terms of topics, writing, characters development, you name it - the reason I am interested in following their writing is because I am looking to see how a writing pattern is maintained, although the content is adapted to the requirements of the topic. Evie Hunter, for instance, is one of the authors I cannot refuse to feature on my blog, as at least until now, they never disappointed.

In The Takedown, her latest, I was pleased to meet the same cast of bold main female character - Freya makes it into a very relatable character - caught in a net of deceiving weak and cruel manmade world. Feeling guilty for not saving her sister in due time, as she was falling slowly for her drug addiction, fuelled by the meeting with Falcon, a cruel oportunistic entrepreneur with way too many shades of black in his biography.

I was interested in Freya. but Falcon was a more complex presence. Particularly his family background - the troubles with his children particularly - makes you curious to understand his personality and eventually to find an explanation of his behavior and attitude. He is a bad character, with evil tendencies and an attitude that would only help him gain mortal enemies. Evil people may always run alone in the end.

Although the intentions of the characters are clear from the beginning of the book, it does not make it less suspenseful, as how exactly the revenge if ever, will take place guides the reader´s interest alongside the unfolding episodes of the book. Especially before the end of the story, everything went confusing and most assumptions about who´s who may got jeopardized.

The Takedown is a great weekend or vacation book, for readers interested in psychological suspense and, why not, playing the devil´s advocate in understanding some evil characters.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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

Random Things Tours: Wild Treasures. A Year of Extraordinary Encounters with Cornwall´s Wildlife by Hannah Stitfall

One of my biggest regrets of the last four years of almost no travel, is that I haven´t continued my exploration of the English countryside. Its wildlife and pristine nature is like no other landscapes I ever encountered during my wanderings and wonderings around the Globe.

But it´s never too late and with summer just around the corner I am just looking for the right inspiration before being able to plan something. Thus, my delightful encounter with Hannah Stitfall account of ´A Year of Extraordinary Encunters with Cornwall´s Wildlife´. 

Hannah Stitfall is a different type of journalist. In a world when speed and accumulation of any kind - of audience, followers, experiences - she is slowly taking her time to capture intimate moments of nature life - a hedgehog, a plant, a moving landscape. Hours on end for a perfect understanding of an animal behavior or a change slowly taking place within the nature is never enough. What it matters is to capture the moment and understand its implications. 

Her writing reflects her love for nature, her passion for observing the nature. It´s part of her priviledge of living in this corner of paradise to track her observations and discoveries, and her dedication is a love letter to this tremendous advantage of living so close to nature. I loved how she carefully plans her expeditions, aimed at lead her to new discoveries. She is breathing the rhythm of nature, therefore she is able to go beyond the usual passionate take on nature. Although a writer, she behaves first as a scientist ready to first discover the phenomenon and only afterwards, when she has all the proper details, to share her observations with the rest of the world.

Wild Treasures is a gem of a book, an inspiration both in terms of nature writing and of dedication to nature. I would really love to read more such books that may help us understand that there are always better and respectful ways to (re)connect with nature.

Rating: 5 stars

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

Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener translated from Spanish by Julia Sanchez

 Dedicated to my dear friend Giuliana: We should have talk about this book instead...

´I realize I´m trying to build something out of pieces lifted from an unfinished story´.

I am incredibly late going through the Booker Prize Longlist - meanwhile, the shortlist was already announced few weeks back. But with no publishing pressure in sight - I am independently writing this blog, not on any commission therefore free to review what and when I want - I rather prefer to take my time and eventually explore an author nominated for more than one book - the case of Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, an author I am currently reading in the original Venezuelan-Spanish version and very much enjoying it. Kairos was definitely not my cup of tea at all, maybe because I am different audience than the one envisioned for the English-version of the book.

As I am spending a lot of time this year exploring Spanish-speaking literature and countries, Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener, translated from Spanish by Julia Sanchez. Wiener, a Peruvian journalist and author, lives currently in Madrid. 

My favorite part of this book is the way in which the world itself reflects into her personal story - in the way similar to Annie Ernaux, which fascinates me. A relative of a famous anthropologist whose writings perpetrated the ´white man´ scientific civilizational views, Wiener is exploring her trauma and personal history of desire, her life choices and relationships. There is a historical constraint in it and with the same openness and curiosity of an anthropologist she is deconstructing first her own identity shreds proceeding next to the rather society, global level.

Undiscovered has shortly over 100 pages, but it is that amount of knowledge that may completely challenge your ready-made ideas about society, civilization, Spanish culture and also love and sex.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Rachel´s Random Resources: My Second Life by Simon Yeats

 

Already present on my blog with a collection of out-of-ordinary travel stories, Simon Yeats is back with a lengthy memoir of resilience. The joy of reading memoirs, at least for me, consists in the chance of getting to know individual destinies and various ways in which life prepares us to cope with unexpected episodes. This is very much available in the case of Yeats whose life - or rather said, many lives - is bigger than life itself.

My Second Life. One Man´s Inspirational Story does have many travel details threfore travel lovers will find a lot of adventurous inspiration in this book as well. The descriptions are vivid and the adventures are his best companion. Cheating death more than once is not easy.

But there is a before and an after and we are repeatedly warned to keep in mind this distinction between the first and the second life. First, there is the preparation. Secondly, comes the test and him becoming freed of fear.

Shortly in the second half of the book, after many exciting travel-related encounters, we are introduced to Simon Yeats, the family man. He just married his Brazilian-born girlfriend and works hard more than one job for raising a family that soon will include a Miami-born son. Seven years of marriage later, he is faced with a dramatic reality: it was all a lie and no matter what he is trying to do, it seems he lost his son, who is now residing with his ex-wife in Rio.

It follows a complex legal imbroglio that reveals the sometimes hopeless. Instead of travel adventures, he is navigating the muddy pathways of Geneva Convention and is having informative sessions at the State Department alongside with other parents in similar situation. It is definitely not too much to learn from this, as in most cases the authorities seem to be hopeless in returning children back from far away lands to their parents. 

All those details of the legal proceedings at the Family Court in Rio may provide important information of what could happen when an international marriage or relationship involving children goes wrong. 

My Second Life is informative and personal, a complex life story that do leave you with a bitter taste. But maybe there will be a chance of a third life as well, after all.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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

Rachel´s Random Resources Book Tour: Love, Julie by Jamie Anderson

Love has many meanings, but sometimes it may start with the self-love. Lonely and far from achieving her potential, Julie wants first and foremost to get herself back on track and puts aside her dreams of everlasting love. In her mid-40s, she feels like something is missing from her life, not necessarily a someone.

Until she is attending her best friend´s meeting and meets a handsome but hard to grasp single dad, Luke. Will he be able to break the ice of destiny and convince Julie that life can finally get only better?

Love, Julie by Jamie Anderson is a great book choice for a weekend of reflection. Through Julie´s story, particularly the struggle, one can maybe better understand what really matters in life and how no matter how much one may fight to get that future of his or her dreams, sometimes it is better to wait or just accept that the focus on present is much more important.

Julie is not a boring or stereotypical character. She is unique especially in the ways in which she is able to reflect on her plans and change accordingly. It´s a character one can relate to, and maybe meet in real life as well. Luke is also a complex presence, and both they are a good story match.

Love, Julie is a completely different kind of love story and I enjoy spending time with the characters. The story keeps the readers focused and may even tempt you to make assumptions about what may happen until the end.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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

Rachel´s Random Resources Book Tour: Silver Wish Farm by KT Dady

21 years have passed since Heath was abandoned by Rhett in the day when they were supposed to be married. With a girl in the front of which they may need to behave for saving the responsible parents appearances. But now it´s the right time to find out why Rhett took the dramatic decision of abandoning Heath. 

Silver Wish Farm by prolific author KT Dady is concise but written in a way that may not disappoint the reader. I like how it started and followed curiously the story until the very end. I had some partial suggestions about the reasons and I was partially right, therefore, the reading journey was more than testing my own assumptions.

I really liked Rhett and her mysterious yet decisive ways to behave, no matter how tragic the price. I also appreciated that the story is taking place in a relatively small community, thus allowing the writer the chance to feature in detail at the same time ambiance, characters and plot.

For a relaxing summer afternoon, Silver Wish Farm is a read that will keep you moderately engaged while leading the reader through a story of love, betrayal and social pressure. I would love to read more from this reader as well.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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

Auris by Vincent Kliesch, based on an idea by Sebastian Fitzek

I am a big fan of Sebastian Fitzek and even went to see a play based on his novel last year, at the Berliner Kriminal Theater - worth seeing it, and even to come back for more at this niche theater in Berlin. Therefore, when I´ve first seen his name associated with Auris, a thriller novel, I didn´t hesitate and just get it. 

In fact, the novel is only based on an idea by Fitzek, as the main author is Vincent Kliesch. Kliesch, who is also a stand-up comedy actor, is a relatively new name for me, but I am always grateful to discover new German authors. I´ve had access to Auris in the original German language, in the audiobook format, read by some good local actors thus was worth the experience. 

This is just the first installment from a long series featuring forensic phonetician Matthias Hegel and true crime podcaster Jula Ansorge. I don´t remember ever to have heard about such a character as Hegel in my whole crime-thriller reading experience, therefore I was fascinated to find out more about such skills. Hegel is able to gather forensic details useful for a crime, by just listening to the voice of a person and his or her background noise environment details. 

In the first volume from Auris, Hegel is about to spend a lifelong prison term, following the assumed guilt of having killed a homeless woman. However, Ansorge, specialized in finding unique crime details that may reverse court decisions, is decided to prove him innocent, no matter the price, and although Hegel himself seems to be reluctant to such a change of fate. Ansorge, as Hegel, are characters with a complex history, and those details are smartly inserted into the main story.

The audio format is on point, with so many audio details that are increasing the tension in life threatening situations. Maybe if I would have just read the book, my impression would have been one star less, but overall, it is a thriller that delivers what one may expect from such a genre: tension, many many surprising twists and deep delving into human darkness. I am definitely interested in reading or listening more of this series soon. 

Rating: 4 stars

After the Party by Cressida Connolly

I am very reluctant to too much historical fiction reading, but I also know that fictionalized historical moments may open up towards less known historical episodes. The fate of Nazi sympathizers in Britain during WWII, mostly associated with Oswald Mosley and their interment in the Isle of Man - where they may have neighbour Jewish refugees from Germany, labelled ´enemies´ only based on their German passport - is a topic I am curious to explore more about. 

After the Party by Cressida Connolly is exploring exactly this topic, an unique take I was curious to find out more about.

Told in an alternance between first and third person account - the third person covers the past, end 1930s, beginning of 1940s while the first is aimed to relate, diary-like, the current feelings of the main character - the book is exploring the feelings and memories of Phyllis, a middle-class housewife who went involved with the movement around ´The Leader´ aka Mosley. It is a story of multiple family betrayal but also of awakening in a changing world while being unable to grasp the new realities and react accordingly.

The book has a relatively short length - 260-page long - but it was really hard for me to go through it (bless the long train rides across Germany with not too much to do on my sleeves for the achievement). The story enfolds as a chronicle, with daily details from her life and the other characters - parties, her sisters - as there is no tomorrow and everyone has the time in the world to read it. There are details accumulating but no scoop and the characters are not getting more reflection or self-reflection depth either. The switch between different timelines do not bring any additional literary encounters. The language however is exquisite as it both reflects the historical timeline and adds a noble touch to the narrative.

I succeeded to read the book until the end, but there were no change in terms of both my opinion about the book and the plot. I may have some questions regarding the Nazi sympathizers in England during WWII - like how high was the percentage of women involved in the movement and eventually some sociological background in this respect - but After the Party was definitely not a great literary fit for me.

Rating: 2.5 stars