Fiction

Review – The Accident, by Chris Pavone

Posted by

1

18050094A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed The Expats by Chris Pavone, and this week, I have for you a review of Pavone’s follow-up book, The Accident. Now, it’s not strictly a sequel per se, but some of the same characters do appear, and you learn a lot more about them, and I would definitely recommend reading The Expats before you read this one.
Pavone’s The Accident, is set in the cut-throat and sinking world of publishing. We are sucked into the intricacies and complexities that the publishing business faces on a daily basis, all whilst giving us a meaty thriller. Set over the course of a day (except for flashback scenes), Literary agent Isabelle Reed, is anonymously sent a manuscript and even though it is one of many hundreds she will receive in the week, she makes a copy and passes it along to her assistant, and to an editor to read. The manuscript is an explosive expose on the CEO of a multi media empire. It reveals secrets that are damaging to both the CEO and indeed the CIA. It soon becomes clear that anyone who reads the manuscript is soon in grave danger.
As I mentioned in my previous review, Pavone himself is a former editor who has lived in various places throughout Europe. The Accident takes places in Europe and NYC, and because of the author’s previous profession and his expat experience, the story really builds its layers in a successful manner. The pace is taut, the plot exciting – not too far from the realm of believability, and the dialogue is genuine. Pavone has created characters that you really want to either succeed or fail. This is another successful thriller from an author that will soon become as well know and successful as other thriller bigwigs such as David Baldacci. What gives Pavone the edge is his actual experience that he puts in his writing.
This book is definitely worth your time and money if you are a fan of the thriller genre.
~ Pegasus.

ARC provided by Blogging For Books, in exchange for an honest review.

You can read an interview/conversation with Chris Pavone regarding The Accident, here: http://crownpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/A-Conversation-with-Chris-PavoneThe-Accident.pdf

The Accident

Review, Discussion, GIVEAWAY: Summer House With Swimming Pool by Herman Koch

Posted by

2

20140601-190211-68531752.jpg Want to win a copy of this book? Comment on this post on Facebook or twitter or on this blog (below). We will randomly choose a winner and mail you off a copy of this compelling read!

[The giveaway timeframe has ended. Thanks for the great comments!]

Calliope: This book definitely intrigued me. My eyes were gaping wide at every turn. I was astounded by everyone and everything. Would a doctor really DO that? Do doctors really THINK like that? Do wives actually turn such a blind eye to their husbands’ criminal behaviors? Is the human body truly so disgusting?
Pegasus: Whilst the rather extreme views that some characters possessed did interest me, I did feel as though some were completely unrealistic. I would give some examples, but wouldn’t want to spoil anything.

Calliope: I kinda couldn’t get over how graphic Marc was about the human body. Yes he’s a doctor, and I understand he would see things objectively, but he seemed so negative about it. The people I know in the healthcare field have an APPRECIATION for the human body, not contempt. So WHY? Why was he a doctor and why was he so grossed out by stuff?

Pegasus: I’m not easily grossed out by descriptions. Not at all. However, I felt physically sick with some of his musings regarding the human body. I kind of understand why the author chose to portray Marc like this, and to be fair it was very effective if it made me react in such a way.

Calliope: Not only was Marc a little odd, I couldn’t for the life of me understand the family dynamics. Any father I know would choke the life out of any grown man who laid a hand on his daughter. This guy was like Oh hey, it will be fine, let it be, let it be. And the mother went along with it! Maybe this happens when people are traumatized? I don’t know. It made me mad.
Pegasus: that whole scenario made me so mad! Unrealistic, and frustrating!

Calliope: The writing was great and the characters were interesting, but I thought the plot would be more thrilling. Instead it seemed to plod along, with complaints about bodies, complaints about other people, narration of the comings and goings of the children, and the acquiescence of the wives. The best I could come up with is that it’s not supposed to be exciting, rather maybe just social commentary? If so, everything makes a whole lot more sense! I was getting a little annoyed at how disrespectful everyone was. But then again, I’m used to reading Happily Ever After Chick Lit Romantic Comedies that make me laugh, then cry, then laugh, then cry happy tears. 🙂

Pegasus: I really have mixed feelings. On one hand, yes, I did think the writing was at least original, but on the other hand, I felt it did not flow properly. Maybe I just wasn’t In the right mood? Who knows. Calliope is right insofar as saying that this is social commentary. Society isn’t perfect I suppose, and there will always be factions of it with wich we don’t agree.

Calliope: By the end of the book I realized Summer House With Swimming Pool is more literary fiction. For one thing, the whole eye infection scene begged to be torn apart and analyzed. The enormity of that eye infection, the perspective of the doctor, the healing of the eye…. But I won’t analyze it here and ruin it for everyone else. For another thing, the tension between Ralph and Marc wasn’t anything I’ve seen in real life. It seemed like a metaphor. Ralph and Marc each represented something much more than themselves. And the treatment of women in Summer House With Swimming Pool was so egregious that, were I still an undergrad, I could write my senior thesis based on it. As a woman, I wanted to shake these guys out of their stupid stupors. *eyeroll* I’m getting fired up thinking about it.

Pegasus: This book was definitely more than what it portrays on the surface. A part of me felt like that it was trying to be too clever in some parts, and, in my opinion, that added to the feeling of it being disjointed. Also, because we’re not reading it in the original Dutch, translation may have been a contributing factor.

Calliope: In any case, this book spilled open some topics that are probably uncomfortable for most people to deal with: the human body, cancer, sexual immorality, the power of patriarchy… Heavy stuff told in a way that turned my stomach, made me question people’s motives, and made me wish that our world was nicer than it is.
Pegasus: I’m glad that I read this book, and it did definitely have it’s merits. Not too sure if I’ll be reading Koch’s next book, but we’ll see. However, opinions are like… Well, you know the phrase, so give this a read and hopefully you will enjoy it!

Remember, comment below for a chance to win a copy of Summer House With Swimming Pool!

-Pegasus and Calliope

buy SUMMER HOUSE WITH SWIMMING POOL

Review: The Remaining by D.J. Molles

Posted by

0

the remainingDo you want a zombie book that is a bit different? Well here it is! I was a bit surprised just how much I enjoyed reading this one. At no time did I feel like I just wanted to hurry up and finish it! Sadly, that is often how I feel with tons of books….and books with zombies are usually a sure thing….even if I enjoy them, I also get a bit bored with them too….YES….at the SAME time…..that’s just how I roll…..

Anyways…this is about The Remaining and not about my weird personality quirks!

Here we have US Army Captain Lee Harden. Harden is one of 48 Army members that very few people know about. They have secret bunkers under their homes. His mission is to go out after an US Government collapse and try to bring people together and reestablish law and order. Of course this means he spends several weeks at a time down in his bunker to only be told it’s a false alarm and to come out like nothing happens.

However, when this novel starts Harden hasn’t heard from his contact at the appointed time. As one day goes by he knows something is not right. After 48 hours he knows there is trouble.

When he finally comes out of his bunker, he is in for a great shock. The world as he knew it is no longer. He is amazed at just how fast a government can fall. How quick mob mentality can take over. How soon people forget about others and look out only for their own. Yes, we’ve all seen examples of this in this life. The riots after verdicts…..the looters after natural disasters. But that is one city….something that can be contained…what if mass chaos happens world-wide?

I really liked Harden as a character. What he lacks in discipline he makes up for in heart…..it can also be said that what he lacks in heart can be made up in discipline….and NO….they are NOT the same thing….

Harden soon finds out that he can’t carry on with his mission as he hopes BECAUSE of his mission. He is to gather survivors together and try to control blatant violent crimes. He is supposed to protect the innocent whilst at the same time trying to control the non-innocents. His mission would be much simpler if he did not have survivors such as young children and women to worry about. He could move much faster and get more done if he could just leave them somewhere safe…but as the hours go by he is realising that no place is safe.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The only complaint I can voice is that at some points Molles seemed to make it too easy for Harden…at other times he seemed to make it too hard.

There are several more books in this series and I look forward to reading the others soon….

Until next time….

Urania xx

Review copy provided by NetGalley

Buy it now at only $1.99 it’s a steal of a deal! The Remaining by D.J. Molles

Review: The Last Word by A. L. Michael

Posted by

0

20140527-195639-71799185.jpg
Tabitha was playing it safe, blogging from home in her pajamas, going out occasionally with her roommates, and avoiding romantic relationships… Until editor Harry Shulman offered her a job at the newspaper doing real journalism. Tabby did everything she could to avoid the opportunity, remembering the disaster that landed on her the last time she worked for a major news outlet.

The conversations in this book are snappy! Tabitha’s convos with her roommates and Harry are quick-witted, and so are the times she’s just talking to herself… Useful characteristic for a blogger, but a little annoying when your editor is trying to ask you out on a date. 🙂

And oh how I enjoyed Harry and Tabby’s dates. Her head on his shoulder. Flirting on car rides. Restaurant debacles. The beach. Holding hands. Staring with affection and sometimes confusion. Kissing. Sigh. I was totally brought back to being in my twenties and going on fun dates and bantering and falling in love.

Every facet of The Last Word was done well. The characters were developed appropriately for their roles (Tabby’s mom was hilarious!), and, for the most part, they were likeable. (Ex-boyfriend/ex-editor was hate-able in a wonderful way.) The plot drove forward at a respectable speed. Everyone’s relationships made sense. Natural dialogue and excellent writing made for easy reading. I’m impressed, especially knowing that Carina UK, an imprint of the publisher Harlequin, is only a year old! Well done, A.L. Michael and editors.

The only interruptions to the flow of this terrific read were the drinking and weed-smoking binges. They aren’t really my scene, but I see how it could make sense if you’re in your twenties, living in the city with roommates also in their twenties.

Honestly, I know it’s a good book when at the end I shut the kindle cover and sigh with contentment. The Last Word totally did it for me. Tabitha was a spitfire sweetheart, and Harry was so awesome I could read ten books about the man! (A.L. Michael, does Harry have a doppelgänger?)

–Calliope

buy THE LAST WORD

Review – The Expats by Chris Pavone.

Posted by

1

12617758Can you hear that? Well, that’s a sigh of relief that I am able to write a positive review this week, considering that last week’s book left a lot be desired!
This week we have a book called The Expats by Chris Pavone. Set predominantly in Luxembourg and Paris, The Expats follows a family that move to Luxembourg for a career opportunity, and the trouble that soon begins. Kate and Dexter Moore seem to be your average couple caught up in DC’s rat-race, however, Kate is ex CIA with a lot of history. When they get to Luxembourg and begin to mingle with the expat community, Kate soon becomes suspicious of another American couple, and begins to investigate. What follows, will take Kate and Dexter on an exciting, and at times perilous, journey throughout Europe. Is this new couple dangerous? Are things all that they seem?
Ok, granted, the premise may sound a little familiar within the countless other novels in the espionage thriller genre, but what gives this the edge is the real experience behind the writing. Chris Pavone has himself been an expat in Europe, and this really shows in the writing. Being an expat myself, I could definitely relate to these characters, their sense of apprehension and that feeling of not being grounded.
The pace and tone of this novel was perfect for the genre – not too slow, and not too fast – an intelligent thriller. Thrillers are my go-to for an easy fluff read and this hit the mark. Saying that however, this novel also crossed genre boundaries by examining how people cope in a relationship where secrets rife. In an unknown country, with friends who you can’t necessarily trust, or even a spouse, how do you cope? What runs through your mind? What influences your actions? Well, Pavone attempts to give these questions some answers in the midst of creating an exciting espionage thriller.
If you are looking for a fairly quick, but thrill seeking read, then definitely give this one a go, especially with it being only $1.99 at the moment!

‘Till next time my lovely readers,

Pegasus

The Expats: A Novel

Review: Before We Kiss by Susan Mallery

Posted by

0

20140419-225500.jpg The latest Fool’s Gold romance has girl next door Dellina trying not to fall in love with strong, silent, private Sam. Their romance starts off slow, heats up, cools down, and ends with a public announcement no one expects. I loved it!

I also liked this book for the camaraderie of Taryn and the football guys she works with, and the consistent support the women provide to each other. There’s something to be said for knowing there’s always someone to rely on, just a block or two away.

Before We Kiss has a lot of, um, instructions for intimacy. Graphic ones. Ones that will make you uncomfortable, and not always in a bad way. 😉 Sometimes Sam’s mother tells someone something no one wants to hear, and other times her candid sex conversations are quite educational. Be prepared!

If you’re an animal lover, this is the Susan Mallery book for you. A major subplot involves Larissa and her compulsion to help animals. By the end of the book, at least two main characters become grateful pet owners. Meow. Woof. 🙂

This was yummy icing on the cake of a week’s worth of reading Susan Mallery. In a few months I’ll be reviewing more, as I have a permanent place in my heart for Fool’s Gold, its caring women, and its smokin’ hot…. I mean LOVING… men.

–Calliope

Buy BEFORE WE KISS

Review: Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Posted by

0

veryvalentineOh dear me…I love this type of book. I won’t lie and say that there were things about Valentine, the main character of this novel, that didn’t bother me….because there were. She was annoying in some ways. She was somewhat self-centered. However, that fit the character perfectly. It fit the family perfectly. There is just so much going on with this huge Italian family. Trigiani made them come to life! They all seemed real! It’s not every day that an author can make you a bit annoyed with the heroine, and yet you love her all the same. Trigiani is sure to be a new favourite of mine. I seriously can not wait to read the other books in this series! I am already sad that there is a wait list for the next book. I did not want this book to end. I can’t wait to read Trigiani’s other books as well! She’s been on my TBR list for so long…I am actually really pissed at myself for not reading anything by her sooner!

This book is the type that I really wish I could find more of. This is not bogged down with drama. It’s not bogged down with romance. It’s not bogged down with too many details. Nor is it stripped of all the details you want. It’s not bogged down with any one thing or lacking something else. it’s just enough of everything to keep you interested, but yet you don’t have to “think” too much. This is exactly the type of contemporary fiction I love….It’s like being at a very well done buffet Sunday dinner. Most buffets are total crap. Face it. Stuff sits under the lights too long. It’s undercooked, because many times the establishment knows it’s going to cook under the lights anyway….it’s over crowded. The staff couldn’t care less about your service. The food is bland. There’s too much salad. Or too much fried crap. It’s impossible to choose which dessert you want. So you just grab 3 different types. You feel rushed to eat as much as you can. As fast as you can. Like all the crap food is just going to disappear or something. You end up leaving bloated and over satisfied. But we keep going back. Why? Because every now and then, you find one…well…the food is perfect. They even cook your food choice to order. Your every need is seen to right away. You know exactly what you want and it’s right where it should be. You’re enjoying it so much that you actually take your time and enjoy every single bite….and you’re able to walk away with the knowledge that you can go back for more any time you want…..Well that is exactly how this book felt. It hit all the right spots for me…

And I love Adriana Trigiani’s writing style. Hell, I even enjoyed reading the details about making and designing the shoes. This is something I have not one iota of interest in! Yet, it was written so eloquently that I wanted it to keep on! Oh dear me…I have to shut up already…just go buy the damn book already and it give it a try!!!

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now: Very Valentine (Valentine #1), Brava, Valentine (Valentine #2), The Supreme Macaroni Company (Valentine #3)

Review – Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid

Posted by

2

18778806I’m not sure why I do it to myself. I really don’t. What I’m talking about of course, is the scenario in which you read a book hoping against hope that it won’t disappoint you, even when your gut tells you that it will.
Well, this happened to me this week when I decided to start reading Val McDermid’s contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey.
Now, I’m sure most of you know the basic plot of this famous novel; Catherine (or Cat, as she is now called in this version) is sent away to another city in hope of finding a suitable marriage, and the intricacies of this societal bed of hot rocks, serves as the plot of the novel.
In McDermid’s version, Cat goes away to Edinburgh and the story focuses on the people she meets and the antics she gets herself into.
Now, although I wasn’t a fan of the actual book, I have to give McDermid credit for her way of making the story accessible for contemporary readers. McDermid seems to take scene by scene and change it to fit contemporary times, and as a story it does technically work, but does it make a good story? Is it really enough to replace “So and so went to the ball and caused quite a scene when she danced with Captain so and so instead of Captain…” with “so and so went to the club and caused quite a scene when she was recorded twerking with her BFF’s ex” (I made that text up, but it is the same principle). Some will claim that McDermid successfully completed her task, and some will argue that it is just lazy writing. What do I think? Well… somewhere in the middle actually. You’ve been given a task, and I imagine, paid quite handsomely, to contemporize (I know it’s not a word, but it is now) a classic novel. Yes, McDermid did this, and yes, she could have perhaps made it a little more original. All I know is that I’m glad I wasn’t given this task.
If you want to give this novel a go, and you are a die hard Austen fan, I just want to iterate that I am not responsible for any heart attacks, fits of rage, or spontaneous combustion that may occur. (-;

~ Pegasus

Northanger Abbey

Review: The Marriage Pact by Linda Lael Miller

Posted by

0

20140518-214023-78023213.jpg Parts of this book were fun, and other parts were a little hokey, and still others were a little bit confusing. I’ll tell ya what’s what, and you can decide if it’s a book for you. (I totally believe everyone’s tastes are good for them, and some people’s mediocre is other people’s terrific. So read on.)

Hadleigh and Tripp grew up together, and despite her wedding that didn’t end in I-DO, and his wedding that ended in divorce, Hadleigh has always been a little bit in love with Tripp. Tripp’s persistence and Hadleigh’s reluctance create fun romantic tension that I loved! Tripp is a chivalrous, handsome cowboy and courts Miss Hadleigh with notions of settling down. The one little problem with the romance was that it jumped abruptly from Hadleigh not wanting to give in to her own feelings of love for Tripp, to all of a sudden being all-in, head over heels.

This book is the first in a series, each centering on one woman in a circle of three friends. They make a pact to support each other in their searches for husbands. This is the part I thought was a little hokey. Do people in their late 20s/early 30s do this? Make pacts with charm bracelets and promises? I’ve never heard of such a thing. It seemed very teenager-ish to me. And a little contrived. I think best friends would naturally be there for each other without a formal agreement!

I love Miller’s characters: well-thought-out, likable, distinct, and memorable. Tripp being a gentle, loving, caring, rich, gorgeous, perfect cowboy hero? I dig it. But I’m not a fan of the heroine changing her tune in a New York minute, nor her friends contriving a marriage pact.

–Calliope

buy THE MARRIAGE PACT