drama

Review: The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

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  I have no idea how this book got on my kindle, but I’m glad it did. If you gifted it to me, or anyone, THANK YOU, because it’s truly wonderful. 

The Shell Seekers is a family saga, replete with cultural, historical and generational contrast. You’ve got love, war, births, deaths, eating, laughing, painting, celebrating, mourning, and the satisfaction of unvarnished truth. 

In the countryside and beside the sea, through the world of art and artists, and across five decades including wartime in England, the novel illustrates how love carries people through pain and disappointment. 

Olivia and Penelope seemed to me to be the central characters, though you might have your own ideas. They were full of matriarch Sophie’s love, and spread it around the best they could despite their own wounded hearts. 

Pilcher amused me with military characters, wartime rations, long walks home, and the laughter of love. I could feel the bit of ease in an otherwise structured general’s day, the cool juice of canned peaches, the tired thighs covered by a thin dress. And I could very well see the sparkle in the eyes of Sophie, Penelope and Antonia… and the men they loved. 

The Shell Seekers also comments on family – disloyalty through selfishness, the effects of nurture vs. nature, and the rewards given to those who make life a little lighter for another. Do we all give ourselves to the people who need and appreciate it most? 

At first it was difficult for my linear self to get into Pilcher’s rhythm of occasional flashbacks, but once I fell in love with the characters, I also fell into the rhythm.  The novel was also on the long side as far as pleasure reading goes (can’t give five stars because some pages were pure skippable description without moving the plot forward). However, I was glad for every character, every kiss, every seaside gaze. I relished the daydreaminess of Sophia and Penelope… and then occasional bouts by Olivia.  And despite deaths and some residual bitterness, the family pretty much lives happily ever after, leaving me with a satisfied smile and a full heart. 

If you’re looking for a substantial, long, hearty, uplifting read, look no further. It may be available at your library, or click the title here to find it on Amazon: The Shell Seekers.

-calliope

Review (Revisited): Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum

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IMG_3330Okay….so now I need to figure out how to review a book that I didn’t even read….

So yes, this isn’t really a review, but it does contain some of my thoughts about this book….

I was very excited to start this book….I’ve recently moved from the only country I’ve ever known to another country to be with my (now) husband. So I thought in many ways that this book would speak to me. That there would be parts that I could relate to. Also it’s has such a beautiful cover. I try not to judge a book based upon it’s cover, but I admit to being a sucker for one that is as beautiful as this one. Plus, when I glanced over the description (I try not to read full descriptions) it looked like exactly the type of book I enjoy….

So I started it….I will say I finally gave up at 25%…I did scan a few later chapters and I did read the last chapter….with the ending, it’s really a shame that I couldn’t get into this novel…because endings like this book don’t put me off….they don’t make me angry….they enrich my enjoyment of a novel because they are more real to life than some neatly wrapped up pretty package of an ending….

But back to why I just couldn’t read more of this novel…I just couldn’t relate to Anna at all. It’s not that I didn’t like her….or couldn’t understand her….she was just….errrr…lifeless….perhaps that was intentional, I don’t know…I’ve met people who were lifeless I suppose….I guess it would even make sense if it was intentional…as if Anna was only existing, and not actually living….hell, I said I looked forward to this book because I could relate….it wasn’t just moving to another country I spoke of….I’ve merely existed as well….but….I don’t know….Anna just felt flat to me….

I will say that from what I read this wasn’t a marriage/family thing…this is how Anna was long before she moved to another country….before she got married…and before she had children….and I understand to some extent what the author was trying to do here….Perhaps she is trying to paint the world that I was reading to mimic the world that Anna was actually in….

But on a personal level…I’ve been there…..and I have no desire to revisit that bleakness again….so maybe I am wrong in saying that I could not connect with Anna…perhaps I did…and wanted no part of it….

The way that the book was written was very confusing to me as well….I’ve read a few books that jumped from current time, to future conversations, to past conversations without warning and not had issues with it. It suited the book….I didn’t feel it suited this novel though..the more the jumps happened…well the more and more I felt that it was just another factor that was determined to prevent me from relating to Anna and her story….It was just another barrier that I couldn’t overcome….let’s be clear….It’s not that I didn’t like Anna….or that I hated Anna….heck, I confess to loving some books that I absolutely hated ALL the characters. I will even admit that some books have annoyed me to no end by the behaviours of the main character….but the writing and all the *stuff* going on in the novel….well….there was nothing to do but to read on and marvel at the writing…the feelings this novel inspired (which were few) did not inspire me to read on…I wanted to give up much earlier than I did, but I hate to give up on a book!

Again….this novel…it just fell flat for me 😦 I hate that it did. I really wanted to fall in love….but sometimes we just have to make due with the fact that not every book speaks to us…and we can’t love every one we read…..

Until next time…

Urania xx

Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review

and please….don’t bother committing on this review and telling me I shouldn’t rate it if I didn’t finish it…I can take a bite from a sandwich and know it’s not for me…I shouldn’t be forced to eat the whole thing before I’m allowed my opinion….I know after 25% that this writing style would never be for me….and I’m entitled to my opinion and yes, I’m allowed to rate it based on my feelings…don’t like it? Well…..get over it….oh….and have a nice day….x

Buy it now Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum

Review – A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley.

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41193I first read this when I was around 17, doing a comparative literature course on Shakespeare and contemporary writers. This was my first time reading anything by Jane Smiley, and to be honest, the Pulitizer didn’t mean a whole lot to me! Now, I love King Lear – in fact, it is my favourite of Shakespeare’s published plays. Reading Shakespeare at 17, especially one of the less “famous” ones, was quite daunting, but reading Smiley’s interpretation alongside it, made it not only easier, but it gave me a better appreciation of it.
If you don’t know the plot, here is a very simplified version: Smiley presents us with a family that owns a 1000 acre farm in 1970’s Iowa. We have Larry, Caroline, Ginny and Rose who are obviously representing Lear, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. Larry, who is getting on in years, decides to transfer ownership of his farm between his 3 daughters, with Caroline not agreeing. This begins a journey in which none of the characters fare very well.
Much like Shakespeare’s play, Smiley gives us a rich novel full of varying themes. However, it is also simple and honest. I say simple not as an insult, but indeed a compliment. Smiley is able portray common tragedies and instances of abhorrence and turn them into a multi-faceted series of events that propel the actions and growth of the characters.
I’m not going to go on and on about this book because sometimes, less is more!

If you haven’t read this novel, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy today!

Pegasus.

A Thousand Acres: A Novel

Review: Jack of Spades by Joyce Carol Oates

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23281515Well, well, well….I asked a friend about this author as I was reading this book. Of course I’ve heard of Joyce Carol Oates, but this is the first I’ve read. I asked him if her writing was always so weird. After finishing the last page, I am completely flummoxed. I am also wondering if her writing is always so…well….weird.

It’s just from the very start this had a feeling of a sort of Stephen King short story feel to it. Then lo and behold, SK is mentioned over and over in the book. Again, it was weird. It reminded me of something Richard Bachman would write. So it got even weirder. As this book was *written* in the voice of a famous author that was using a pseudonym that no one was aware of. The weirdness just got weirder for me.

It’s like once the little seed had been planted the entire book was glaring at me with the whole SK/RB/pseudonym thing….Was this intentional? Yes, i think it was….Intentional I mean, well…..okay…..you have to read the book to understand what I mean….but I reckon the best way I can explain it is that I don’t think another JCO would read this way…That’s why I really enjoyed this book. It’s amazing that an author could change a writing style so much just to suit a book. I mean, seriously, how often have you read a book and knew that it read just like a XY&Z book? Authors have a certain style to their writing, but throughout this entire book, I kept thinking, she’s writing like this on purpose! Just to weird me out. So now I have to wonder about all of JCO’s other books.

Of course…if it wasn’t intentional, I am soooo going to be disappointed! But never mind….I shall just pretend it was! Hahahaha

I really enjoyed the ending….this is a short, quick read….go on and give it a try….I’m glad I’ve read it…even though….still……weird…..

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review

Buy it now Jack of Spades by Joyce Carol Oates

Review: Take Another Look by Rosalind Noonan

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511PcSLyRdL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_This latest thriller from Rosalind Noonan had me hooked from the very first page. From the opening scenes until the conclusion, I simply could not tear myself away.

It starts off as sort of a “What would you do?” When Jane finds herself pregnant with twins and in an unhealthy relationship, she makes the heart-wrenching decision to give one of the babies up for adoption. After struggling with just which twin to keep, she makes peace with herself and her choice. She moves away and starts a new life with baby Harper.

Several years later, her past comes back to haunt her when she unwittingly comes face to face with her long-lost daughter, Isabel. Everything she’s struggled to build for both herself and Harper is threatened when she must ‘fess up to Harper.

As if that wasn’t a hard enough task, Isabel’s arrival coincides with some strange happenings. Accidents, missing items, illnesses, truths disguised as lies…Jane doesn’t know who or what to believe. Are these just more of Harper’s typical teenage dramatic outbursts? Or is something more disturbing at play?

This is one of those stories where you might think you know what’s going on. I thought the same thing. And I was right. Partially. It’s a book that leads you on and keeps you guessing. And even when you’ve got it figured out, it’s still one heck of a story!

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Take Another Look

Review: Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

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So maybe you’re hanging in on a Friday night (like me), wondering what to read next (like me). Or maybe it’s Saturday and you’d like a book to help you procrastinate, because really, who wants to clean the bathroom right now?  Look no further. Barbara Kingsolver is a five star author. And if you’re lucky, you’ll be reading her instead of doing anything else. 

The first novel I read by Kingsolver was The Bean Trees. Loved it. So clever. I reviewed it on this blog. Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior – even more clever. See, Barbara Kingsolver writes in layers, so I can effortlessly enjoy the superficial layer: Dellarobia and her family living in Appalachia; the beauty of butterflies and the wonder of their migration. 

And then I can look underneath… at the marriage struggles, and the secrets, and the desires to stop the cycle of poverty and ignorance. I can understand the socioeconomic and ecological divisiveness that microcosms create. 

And as I keep reading, the deepest layer peeks out: the hows and whys of nature gone wrong; the right way to be honest with the ones you love; the flight of survival, even when it takes you away from the comfortable, predictable place you’ve always called home. 

There’s even more, of course. Love, religion, education, science,  living off the land… Kingsolver addresses myriad facets of life and polishes them from underneath. She keeps putting pieces together… And when you see the result you’ll be amazed. 

This is a five-star read. 

-calliope

Buy FLIGHT BEHAVIOR

Review: The Keeper of Lost Causes (Department Q #1) by Jussi Adler-Olsen

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keeperHow many times to you keep seeing a title of a book and remind yourself weekly that you *really* should get around to reading it? Well, “The Keeper of Lost Causes” is a book I’ve been meaning to read for years. For one reason or another it just kept getting pushed to the back burner.

Now that I’ve finally finished it I feel that I need to give myself a swift kick up the arse for being a total idget and not reading it sooner! This is a detective novel for sure…there’s plenty of mystery and suspense to go around. The storyline and the suspense is truly enough to satisfy anyone that loves Thrillers. However, what is even more remarkable with this novel are the characters. Not the main character. Granted, once again, the head of Department Q is plenty enough to satisfy anyone…there is so much to his inner workings that you can’t wait to spend more time with him….however, the secondary characters are truly outstanding. There isn’t a single one that you don’t long to know more of. There are many that you can easily hate (but in an, “I LOVE to hate you” kind of way) but there are also a few that you will absolutely fall in love with. You will want to rush out and finish the rest of the series just so you can see where Adler-Olsen takes them. You will long to hear their background history…You will thirst to know what happens next. I simply can’t wait to revisit them all soon and to see what is happening with them.

Adler-Olsen has done a brilliant job in laying the foundation in a series that will have you wishing the characters were not only real people….but also part of your intimate circle of friends.

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now The Keeper of Lost Causes (Department Q #1) by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Review: The One I Was by Eliza Graham

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25059957I’m a sucker for epic stories, pieces of historical fiction that not only provide factual information but also spin a marvelous tale. Some of my very favorite books ever read fall under this category. This book by Eliza Graham did not disappoint.

The time is the late 1930s, the place is England. Young Benny has come to England to escape Nazi Germany. He’s part of a group of young boys taken in by a well-to-do family. They have a chance at a new beginning, a new life away from the horrors back at home.

Fast forward to modern times. Rosamund has taken on a nursing job with ulterior motives, a chance to return to her childhood home and confront her past. Benny is now on his deathbed and requires round the clock care. He doesn’t know Rosamund, and he doesn’t know anything about her past. But he did know her grandmother, for she was the one who took him in as a young child. As Benny and Rosamund become closer, they begin to confide in each other. Turns out, Rosamund isn’t the only one hiding secrets.

This is a very well told story. The author seamlessly transitions between past and present as she writes. The storyline is well-thought-out, and the characters are described fully. It’s historically accurate as far as the culture and attitudes of that time period. The mystery and suspense aspect is drawn-out enough to keep you guessing until almost the very end. As far as historical fiction goes, it’s one of the better books I’ve read from that genre.

~Thalia

Buy It Now: The One I Was

Review: Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova

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inside-the-obriens-9781476717777_lgI’m normally not the kind of person who gets scared while reading a book. Zombies, ghosts, vampires, end of the world…bring it on. But books about something that is a very real risk are in another category. This newest story by Lisa Genova is one of those books, one that will keep you thinking long after the last page has been turned.

Joe O’Brien is a happy man. He’s a proud member of the Boston police force, and his few days off are spent with his wife Rosie and their large family. They’re a classically close Irish family, even eating Sunday dinner together every week. Things aren’t perfect, and life is hard. But Joe understands it’s the small things that matter, things like watching baseball with his sons or watching his daughter dance with the Boston ballet.

But then things start to go wrong. At first it’s hardly noticeable, a forgotten word here and there. Things gradually get worse as Joe starts to experience extreme mood swings, stumbling from time to time, forgetting things on a regular basis. When Rosie finally persuades Joe to go to the doctor, neither one of them is prepared for the diagnosis of Huntington’s disease. So begins their adjustment to living with a progressive and fatal disease.

That’s not the worst part for Joe, though. He has to live with the fact that each of his four children has a 50% chance of carrying the gene for Huntington’s and eventually developing symptoms. Not only do they all have to live with this shadow looming over them, but they also must each decide if they want to be tested, to find out if they carry the gene that will eventually cause their premature death.

Without giving away too much, I will say that I was very satisfied with how this story ended. Rather than wrapping everything up in a nice, neat package for the reader, the author leaves us wondering a bit, deciding for ourselves just how we want it to end. There’s enough of a resolution to avoid a cliffhanger without making the conclusion seemed forced.

Genova has a way of getting right to the heart of the matter, whether it’s Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury, or Huntington’s disease she’s writing about. As a neuroscientist she brings an air of credibility to her writing that makes the stories so much more authentic. But she also brings plausibility to her characters and makes them lovable in spite of their very real faults. I’ve read every book written by this author, and each one has been better than the last.

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Inside the O’Briens: A Novel

Review – A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.

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22822858You know when you finish a book, and you have a sense of catharsis – a feeling that someone has gone inside your body and mind and washed it out with a hose pipe?  Yeah, I’m currently at that stage after finishing Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life.   It was only published in early March, so don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of it before; actually, it was completely by accident that I came across an NPR review of this book whilst reading another review on the same page.  l did a little more research and found a few more reviews.  I immediately went to NetGalley and requested a review copy.  I now am going to buy the hardback version.  I need it on my bookshelf!

You know by now that I don’t like to spend too much time on premise as it often can inadvertently contain spoilers, so I’ll give you the briefest overview.    A Little Life follows four best friends from when they are roommates at college right through the next 30 or so years.   We have Jude, Malcolm, JB and Willem.   All have different personalities and ways of handling issues.  We explore their lives as they try and deal with revelations, tragedy, happiness, fame, and each other.   However, rest assured, that Yanagihara’s novel isn’t just your standard coming of age drama.  No.  It goes deep into who we are , how much we can endure, and what it means to truly live.

The characters in this novel are truly what make it an exceptional book.   Each character is fleshed out sufficiently enough for the reader to believe that they could actually exist and that the dynamics between them are genuine.  Even the secondary characters are believable and vital to the story.  In the hands of another author, the characters could have easily become caricatures and much eye rolling would have occurred.

The language used in this novel is phenomenal.   Having the ability to evoke a sense of horror and shock without being explicit, is a true art form.  The language is raw, yet it never becomes explicit just for the sake of shock value.  It is believable, poetic and realistic all in one.

I will give fair warning that some of the themes and content are indeed painful.  I have read some negative reviews from people, that I believe, went into this novel thinking it was going a Nicholas Sparks type deal, and they were duly slapped in the face.  Go into this novel with an open mind, a willingness to recognize that different people react different ways, because Yanagihara does not make it easy for you.

Having said that, if you want to experience a novel that will really make you pay attention and and will present you with the harsh and beautiful realities of life, then do yourself a favour, go to the library, click on the link, go to your local bookshop, and pick up a copy of this truly unique novel.

~ Pegasus.

A Little Life: A Novel