Ce Qui Est Perdu by Vincent Delecroix

 

With Small Boat shortlisted for this year Booker´s, Vincent Delecroix is another French author entering the main literary attention. I will most probably read the book in the original French version later, but for now I´ve started with another book by him, that received a good reception in the Francophone realm: Ce qui est perdu - What is lost, in my own translation.

It is a short book, a non-story about a man, whose name we are told halfway through the book is Vincent living in Paris, who is trying to write a book about the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard. He may know a bit of Danish but his efforts to overcome the heartbreak are just efforts. His failed professional and personal life are just a distraction, with no finality. But, philosophically speaking, does philosophy has a practical aim?

This is what will finally happen in the end of the story. The thought of writing and the apparent intellectual familiarity with the philosopher do distance himself for the physical person of the lover. Her letter, that he kept unopened until the right moment, got lost and lost is the way towards each other.

The writing is so sharply chiseled that I just got lost myself into the words. Everything falls in its right place.

I will definitely read more by Vincent Delecroix, a philosopher with a writer´s clarity.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Random Things Tours: The Penthouse by Catherine Cooper

 

Catherine Cooper is an author I´ve featured before on my blog and I am always happy to discover her intelligent twists. A luxury travel writer, her books always have an unique approach to human psychology. The Penthouse, her latest, is following the same complex narrative. However, this time was even more intense, which makes this book one of my favorites so far.

Enola, a rich and famous singer, disappeared suddenly 15 years ago. Now, the members of her band are back to Las Vegas for some concerts, but unfortunate events do affect their schedule and everyday lives. Suddenly, they may think that it has to do at a certain extent with Enola, but they are not prepared to the truth to be revealed to them.

The mystery regarding the case is permanently maintained, as there is an unnamed character who will add a perspective to the story during the coming and going of points of view shared by the different characters. The characters themselves seem to be plagued by deep inimities and jealousy, something to expect in the world of showbiz, but the extent of this is hard to estimate.

I may confess that I´ve found the book pretty addictive, keeping me focused for a long amount of time, playing the crime detective and trying to understand what exactly is happening and if there will be any follow-up regarding Enola´s fate.

The Penthouse is a recommended read to anyong in love with good thrillers, with a hint of mystery and deep insights into human nature. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

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

Le Bastion des Larmes by Abdellah Taïa

 

I had the chance to encounter the nostalgic storytelling of Abdellah Taïa, but until Le Bastion des Larmes - the name of a fortification in Salé, Morocco, erected to counter the cruisaders - I´ve mostly read his books in various translations. Moroccan-born Taïa, who lives in Paris since the 1990s, is a voice in the French-speaking literature from Morocco, many of his books using autobiographical details.

Youssef, currently a teacher in France, returns to his native Salé following the death of his mother. As expected, he is facing fragments of his youth, memories of his opressive and abusive personal experience as a gay man. His return is a juxtaposition of encounters with people and objects, projected into personal journeys, particulary his sisters´, but also fragments of memories of his love interest, turned into a corrupt drug dealer, who made his way through the relationship with an important colonel.

Bastion des Larmes has a concise and evocative prose expressing through both ideas and short encounters the power of words. Through those well chosen words we are empathically brought close to a world mostly in disguise, about destinies broken by the violence of everyday indifference and cruelty. I am sure that will come back soon to this author, probably only in the original French language.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Compulsive Readers Blogtours: The Marriage Vendetta by Caroline Madden

 
Eliza´s world almost got broken into small little pieces as she received an anonymous photo of her dear husband, a career-oriented gentleman, together with another woman. He is her love and life and she wants to save her marriage above everything. A competent marriage therapist may be the best way to fix everything, but instead, it opens up a very dark box of revenge that instead of bringing up the couple together again, may lead to even darker places.

The Marriage Vendetta, the debut novel by Caroline Madden, is successfully going beyond the narrative that one may expect in such a story dynamics: stay-at-home unhappy mom and wife, freak-control successful man, a marriage based on an illusion of love. Instead, the psychological twists do add a different dimension to the story and definitely avoid the risk of the stereotype. 

I particularly liked Eliza, once a successful concert piano player, a character with a special human sensitivity although partially blinded by love. The manipulative role of the psychologist and the games aimed apparently to punish Richard are very interesting to observe, but at least at the beginning hard to appreciate if they are necessary or not and especially if they will lead to anything better, at least from Eliza´s perspective.

The Marriage Vendetta is a very promising debut novel, on a topic that it´s always open to new interpretations and takes. The funniest of all is that there is actually an US-based infidelity expert psychologist with the same name as the author´s. 

Rating: 4 stars

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

Random Things Tours: Lovers of Franz K. by Burhan Sönmez translated by Sami Hêzil

 

Lovers of Franz K., first novel written in Kurdish by the current PEN International director Burhan Sönmez, translated into English by Sami Hêzil, is a crime mystery with an entincing literary touch. I´ve recently talked about the book, featuring the unique book cover, inspired by the Andy Warhol´s vision on the famous Jewish author, but this time I had the chance to delve into its subject.

Set in the troubled years of the end 1960s, when anti-establishment protests took over the world, it uses the Cold War tensions as the setting to a mysterious crime that may lead the reader to a forgotten - for a good reason - last Kafka´s manuscript. 

I am passionate about this historical period, and I was pleased by the well-researched background, both political and emotional of those times.

There are so many books inspired by Kafka lately - as an individual, as a writer, as a creator of unique characters - and I can only wonder if the times we are living are really calling for it. In the case of Lovers of Franz K. the big question opening has to do with the ways in which the works of an author do belong to the public, even though they may not actually agree to disclose its content for various reasons. In an age of public disclosure and obsessive transparency, should one get involed in revoking decisions about one´s own work, no matter how famous and how relevant for the history of literature that person is?

So many questions and ideas that I am trying to understand right now, introduced to the reader under the disguise of a very well written political crime novel. A book that appeals very well both the crime readers and...well, the lovers of Franz K., obviously.

The book is published by Open Borders Press, an imprint of Orenda Books.  

Rating: 5 stars

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

Rachel´s Random Resources: Meet Me Under the Clock by Jo Lovett

 

A failed blind date, an unexpected accident of sorts at the iconic Waterloo station in London. Nadia meets Tom and they decide to play the ´fake date´ for the sake of their parents and acquintances. After all, everyone expects you to settle down in your 30s. A lovely connection that grows up by the day, as beautiful as a flower can freely grow.

Meet Me Under the Clock by Jo Lovett, an author I´ve featured before, it´s irresistible. I´ve read it in few hours, as I couldn´t keep my mind busy to anything until I´ve reached the end of the book. It´s so much hope and good hearted people, building beautiful bridges between people. For a bit, you may just forget all the wrongs of the world.

Nadia is by far my favorite character of the book. Optimistic, with a big heart, accepting failures as part of her life, analysing what is happening around her, especially her feelings. She gives the tone of the story, leading towards a better moment. People like her do really make a difference, and I wish there are more real life persons in this world like her.

If you are looking for a soothing read, this is the right book that will convince you maybe that love can appear from the most unexpected places. Just keep being good and genuine.

Rating: 3.5 stars

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

Kukolka by Lana Lux

Even since I´ve read Jägerin und Sammlerin by Lana Lux, I planned to read her debut novel as well, but I am always overwhelmed by my TBR. Kukolka - in Ukainian, Little Doll, a term of endearment for beautiful women - waited around three years to awake my interest again. But once I started the book, I just couldn´t focus on anything else.

It is a book that will boil inside you for a very long time. While reading it was feeling the full blow of my own feelings towards the main character and her horrible circumstances. 

Samira is an orphan in the post-communist city of Dnepropetrovsk - we are randomly mentioned the city more than half into the story, while the country we can only doubt, as it is once mentioned the national currency, hryvnia. As her best friednd got adopted in Germany, she is dreaming to join her and one fateful night, she is literally running out of the orphanage to join her. 

But on the way to the train station, she got into the claws of Rocky, a local gang leader that will use her, altogether with other young orphans, to reach his aims: street singing, purses ´cleaning´ and other illegal actions. She joined when she was 7, lured by a promise of getting enough money to travel to Germany. In few years, there is another milestone happening, as she meets Dima, a charming young man, who will actually take her to Germany, but with what a price for her. 

The story is told by Samira herself, with the innocent voice of a child who is caught into a horrible life, but the only she ever knew. There is an expectation of abuse to happen, but nothing prepared me to the extent of it. The story grows in intensity, with Samira sharing unbearable details about her everyday cruelty, when she is not even 15 yo, but the voice remains kind and focused on the moment, without assuming that this could be the rest of her life. Despite the terrible reality, there are kind people who may accompany her although, at least for the time spent begging near the local central station, I kept asking myself why no one really noticed the street children? It feels at times unbearable to accept living on the same planet with child abusers. Indeed, the book is stirring so many intense feelings.

As many other books in German I´ve recently read, Kukolka deserves as well to be translated into English.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

An academic experiments aimed to explore the psychopathic behavior went terribly wrong, with one student, Chloe being caught in a race against the clock to save herself while hunting a guy who wronged her terribly years ago. A Scooby-Doo gang getting dangerous while being hunted at the same time. 

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian is a complex psychological novel with many unexpected turns, not only related to the action but also regarding biographical details of the characters putting many short episodes into a larger perspective. A carefully curated story, it is using the moral ambiguity of the characters to create suspense and a heavy, sometimes unbreathable, ambiance. 

The characters are young people, some priviledged, some from humble background, identifying themselves as psychopaths. The aim of the program they are in is largely unclear for the most part of the story, but they are expected to report to various checkups and take part of some activities, while doing their own academic schedule. 

But Chloe, who is the main storyteller, is here with a slightly different aim: to satisfy a very human basic emotion - revenge. At the same time, there is a serial murder wandering the campus, and Chloe feels followed. Would she be able to survive or can she with her super psychopathic skills use this situation as an opportunity to reach her goal?

I didn´t know what to expect from this book, but I got relatively easy caught into the story. The observations regarding psychopaths are used to build up the story and the characters, and was a fascinating part. However, I felt that there are many details wasted and there are many episodes lagging the story behind. I felt like the story is hurried towards the end, but the final installment though is playing again with ambiguity which is an inspired choice.

Never Saw Me Coming is Kurian´s debut novel. Since then, she published another book that I would really be curious to read one day.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Orenda Books Blog Tour: Dangerous by Essie Fox

 

Historical fiction needs so many ingredients to be successful: it needs to be reliable in terms of research and historical accuracy, but also to use this well-researched framework for creating authentic unique stories. When the main character of the fiction is a historical character himself, then the challenge is double at least, as it should by relatable, still fictional in its creative touch.

Dangerous by Essie Fox, published by Orenda Books is going exactly in this literary direction. The main character is bigger than life, the famous Lord Byron, in disgrace though, spending his time in the beautiful Venice. No matter how destitute he may be, he still attracts attention, particularly in the suspicious Venitian community. But the attention switches slowly to the chain of crimes targetting local women. All of them found with a strange cut in the neck. As in a movie, the attention will turn again to Lord Byron, whose book The Vampyre opens a dangerous box of suspicion. Could it be a connection between his book and the crimes?

Well written and also very good researched, the book is inspired by real events from Lord Byron´s life and this weave formed by fiction and reality is very well balanced. This combination between reality and fiction happens in the book itself, as the story itself challenges the readers to make the best use of their imagination to separate facts from fiction. The book also combines very skillfully two complex literary genres, historical fiction and mystery novel and the result is very creative, appealing a large category of readers.

I also appreciated the ambiance of the book, an unexpected British Gothic touch that surprisingly suits very well Venice´s ensconced streets.

A special not deserves the cover as well, just another example of the high standards Orenda Books set in terms of publishing, which starts with the stories and ends with the visual presentation.

This book just opened up my curiosity towards more books by this author as well as books where mystery, history and famous literary characters come together beautifully.

Rating: 5 stars

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

People Like Us by Louise Fein

´Who is right? And who is wrong?´

Set in the turbulent times that witnesses the Nazi´s raise to power, People Like Us - published in the US under the title Daughter of the Reich - by Louise Fein is in addition to the forbidden love story, an account of acknowledging the poison of the ideology of antisemitism. 

Inspired by Fein´s own family story, the book features Hetty´s unhappy love story with Walter, a German Jew from Leipzig. Careless, Hetty lives a priviledged life, particularly once her father is getting up on the social ladder, But all is a treachery: the big house they are living belonged to a rich Jewish family and the whole narrative Hetty naively surrounded herself is a lie. And through her dear Walter she will experience a different Germany with a different type of Germans. 

Slowly, extended on over 500 pages, the book shows how education of hate operates at a very young age. Hetty´s evolution and even involvement with resistance groups, coincides with her own growing up, as she is getting freed from the cultish Hitlerist ideology. 

The story is told from Hetty´s perspective, starting from the 1930s, when she was 7, young and careless and saved from drowing by Walter, until our current times, when now an old adult, Hetty´s about to meet the son she had to send away.

There is no black-and-white take, and I am very happy with that, as one of the reasons I avoided for a long time fiction books on such topics was exactly the non-creative simplistic take. The characters and situations in People Like Us leave a lot of space to personal decision and change of perspective. 

The historical context is throughout researched and well tempered. The slow pace allows some unexpected turns to happen which creates a welcomed tension within the story.

This book encouraged me to pay more attention to historical novels set during WWII, in Germany and elsewhere. It gave me hope that there is still so much to understand about human behavior and unheard voices and perspectives.

Rating: 4 stars

Challah la danse by Dalya Daoud

When journalist write literature, literature is ennobled because they bring to the imagination the counterweight of the experience, helping to reveal realities of the everyday life they only knew better. Dalya Daoud is the founder of Rue98 Lyon where she worked as a journalist for 12 years. Her debut novel Challah la danse, published last year, made sensation for her depiction of France périphérique, that space between big cities and no man´s lands.

This area, situated at the periphery of Lyon, is not seen however as a lost place, of social failure, but as a world in itself, worth to write a book about. With fine sociological and anthropological observations, it opens the gate to a micro-space on the move. 

Written as a succession of dated entries, from locations around the areas - including the parking lot - it covers the end of the 1980s. A time when the first generation of France-born immigrants, for instance, were making France their home. The humour and the natural way of being of the characters may remind of Discretion but the characters from Challah la danse do gather from different parts of the world and social status. Their interactions are more genuine and their stories go though beyond an ethnical narrative of any kind. The story of the place is part of the French history in the making from the 1970s onwards. 

The journalistic simplicity may be also the curse of this book, as it does not have necessarily a plot. and when the reporting starts, the reality is also cut. There is no autonomous story.

It is a relatively short book but so enjoyable both in terms of characters, interactions but, last but not least, the colourful vocabulary. If you need to update your everyday French slang, this is the right book to start it.

This was just another good French read, and stay tunned for even more recommendations in the coming days and weeks.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Rachel´s Random Resources: Dirty Business by Evie Hunter

Evie Hunter is no new name for my blog readers, and I am always enjoying her better than life characters and their unexpected turns of events.

Her latest, Dirty Business, has a story that brings to the forefront the usual mixture of human greeds, with a detective-like twist. When Gavin, Callie´s husband, disappears without a trace, the comfortable everyday life in the posh  Frenchurch Falls is under threat. Gavin´s whereabouts may jeopardize not only Callie´s situation, but also other people lives, hence her determination to find the truth. 

What follows, is an intricate encounter of misplaced trust, naivity and acknowledgement of tracheary. Everyone is vulnerable and there are no heroes, but way too many villains. Instead, we are faced with a panopticon of human imperfections. It feels less as a novel but as a daily adventure in the real life of the rotted rich and fabulous.

In this book, women do play a very important role, as even abadoned by their unfaithful men, they do raise and find out new reasons to thrive. Together, and using their smart survival skills, they can overcome any difficulties, be it drug dealers or corrupt policemen. 

The book starts in a very direct way, taking us instantly into the chore of the story. No time to introduce the story and the characters, there are more urgent things to deal with. The language is also very colourful, a good introduction to regional British English if you are trying to upgrade your everyday life vocabulary.

Dirty Business looks like a good inspiration for a movie, as it has the kind of emotions and characters that always do very well on screen. I was very pleased reading this book and I cannot wait to get into her next one. She always delivers what she promises and sometimes, even a bit more.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Random Things Tours: No Precious Truth by Chris Nickson

 

Set in the 1941 Leeds, No Precious Truth by historical fiction Chris Nickson is a well-researched historical spy thriller. 

I am lately delving into the literary representations of WWII in various geographical contexts and this book added some eventful layers to my perception. But although the Zeitgeist and the social and political implications at the global and local level are accurately represented, the book is more than informative story from 1941. Instead, it has its own narrative and lively characters.

Police Seargant Cathy Marsden got involved into a spycatcher race, after her brother, a MI5 operatives, disclosed his worries about a German spy network that may endanger England´s situation and even the war operations generally. 

Moderately paced and insightful, the novel takes the reader, to a ride against time to catch the traitor. A timeless adventure that it´s worth following. I´ve read the book in one sitting, as I couldn´t stop not thinking about what will happen next. It was the best way to spend some late evening.

A recommended read if you are into WWII historical novels with a very serious spy interest.

Rating: 4 stars

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

Orenda Books Book Tour: The Cure by Eve Smith

There is a fascination as old as humankind about life without end and youth at all costs. In her new intelligent dystopian thriller, The Cure, published this month by Orenda Books, Eve Smith opens up a full Pandora´s box of challenging topics and ideas.

The genre is very much out of my reading comfort zone, but I´ve read another book by this author before, and the topic interests me a lot. Plus, I will read without any second thoughts any book published by Orenda. The intellectual reward was as expected.

A vaccine against old age diseases is abusively used for extending life until the biblical 120 - a ´genetic upgrade designed to extend lifespan´. Wishful thinking, but think about the whole world overpopulating the planet and the dramatic consequences for societies and economies. No retirement, no new jobs for the ´younger´ brood. With some long-time psychiatric side effects. 

The Cure exposes all those ideas through a very eventful and elaborated story. Mara and Ruth, two women from very different backgrounds, do have their own personal reasons to stop the perpetuation of this condition. In an unexpected team work, they do put together their information and skills to reach out to the source of the new evil.

I always found the topic in itself fascinating, but after reading the book I got even more ideas and inspiration about it. The dystopian ambiance, although at some extent relatable to our modern pace, is very well described. There are fascinating descriptions with a very strong visual impact, my favorites being related to lab designs, an intricacy of technical details that do make so much sense.

I personally loved that book. My plan for 2025 is to challenge myself to try new intellectual pathways and this dystopian thriller showed me how much creativity and valuable ideas are generated by this genre. It just gives reality a different boost.

Rating: 5 stars

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