Urania

Review: The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

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Untitled-14 Okay. So anyone that knows me probably thinks I’m giving this five stars just because it’s Pat Rothfuss….well…yes…and…no….I guess it gets five stars because I don’t think any other author could have written a book like this and have it work! However….I was prepared to rate it lowly regardless of who wrote it….so yes, it gets five stars but only because, for me, it was a five-star read….

As I was reading this I felt like I might have to only give it three stars…

I know Rothfuss has been a bit worried about this short book…

Some will say he should have been because they feel it’s awful…it doesn’t have a plot, it doesn’t have a beginning, it gives no history of the main character…it doesn’t even have any characters…it only has one…Auri….

However, I didn’t find it awful at all….and for those that are disappointed….that Rothfuss has nothing to be proud of…..

I have a few thoughts about that….Rothfuss should be proud of this book because he, himself, loved it…in the end, isn’t that really enough? I initially wrote this review before reading Rothfuss’ personal note at the end….he states he wrote this story to find out more about Auri…the way he talked about this book it was almost as if the story wrote itself….he didn’t know where it was going, he only wrote where it took him….at the end of the day he didn’t think others would like it….he didn’t think it was a book that could be published….but HE loved it…..

Second of all….

He should also be proud that all he said about it is true…it’s not a real story…it doesn’t contain any spoilers….it doesn’t make a lot of sense…it won’t make any sense if you haven’t read The Kingkiller Chronicle…he was honest and up front about what this book wasn’t…..

No…it’s true….this isn’t a typical story….it doesn’t follow any format that stories are supposed to follow. It’s very different….it’s very unconventional…but no more so than Auri is herself. For that reason alone I don’t think it could have been written any differently and still fit with who she is…..

But if that’s not enough…

Here’s the kicker…

As I read this short novel I felt small ripples in my heart…much like walking on thin ice and feeling it start to crack underfoot…at about 70% I felt it shatter…I so felt for Auri…I ached for her…I felt that she was real…I can’t even begin to try to make anyone understand this beautiful wreck of a girl. Or how such a tiny slip of a girl can be so powerful. I can’t explain how something so shattered can be so breathtaking in its beauty…

But damn it…Pat Rothfuss can…NOW THAT IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF!!!!!

Finally….As I hit the last bit of this story all I heard in my head was:

“In madness there is beauty”. I don’t know where that came from. I’m not even going to search it on google…all I know is that it sums up this book in five words…

“In madness there is beauty”

It’s madness that Rothfuss stepped outside the box and took a chance on something so different….and finally….in Auri herself there is madness….

but again….

“In madness there is beauty”….

“In madness there is beauty”…..

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

Review: The Wolf in Winter by John Connolly

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thewolfinwinterOkay….so I should probably start this review by confessing that although this is the twelfth book in the Charlie Parker series, it is actually my very first time reading John Connolly.

However, that doesn’t mean I felt lost….it doesn’t mean that I believe I could have liked this book any more…it was simply put…brilliant. I was torn between wanting to rush on and finish this one or slinging it aside and starting at book one….It’s a new series that I am EXCITED to read more of. This is at a time where I have been in a major book slump and nothing could hold my attention.

Here we have infamous Charlie Parker….a former NYC police officer turned private investigator. As with all great protagonist, Parker has personal tragedies that have shaped him into the man he is today. There are many people that love him….and many that would like to see him dead….but few are brave enough to try it themselves…He has a reputation that proceeds him and many that have battled against him do much to stay clear of him today….

This is borderline paranormal. No….maybe I shouldn’t say borderline. It is paranormal. But it doesn’t read like it. It seems very real. This book isn’t written to provide escapism into another universe….It’s made to have you question those things around you….to look closer at things around you….

What I especial liked about this book is that there is little doubt that there are many ongoing story-lines involved. Yes, I read this as a stand alone. No, I did not feel lost. Yes, the focus was on THIS storyline….however, you were surrounded by several other ongoing story-lines as well…there were hints and glimpses galore..and I am excited to go back and get started on this series and find out what they are all about!

I also loved what Connolly has done with the many characters. Again, it’s obvious that they have played major parts in previous novels. In this novel they might not be very dominant, but they are there to remind you that they exist. There are there to remind you that they will become more involved one day in a future story. They are much like an old friend (or disliked co-worker) that you meet on a crowded street….you’re in a hurry…you only have a moment to say hi….but you promise to meet up soon and really discuss life…..and you mean it!

So often, authors of longer series feel the need to start and end a storyline in every book….maybe dragging it out for a second book to wrap up…..so often they think that each character must play a dominate, visible part in each novel….or somehow just mysteriously be vacant in the novel…..Connolly didn’t do this….and it makes me excited to read the rest of these novels….

He is an author I have always wanted to read….I pictured for some reason a John Saul type of author….I’m not sure who to compare John Connolly to now….no….I take that back….there is no comparison. He is original. He is worthy of all the praise I’ve heard about him. He deserves to be a household name. You deserve to treat yourself to this series….

I’m feeling some serious author love right now….just saying….

Until next time….

Urania xx

ARC provided by Edelweiss for an honest review

Buy it now The Wolf in Winter by John Connolly

Review: The Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle

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*1I have to think about this book a bit….but off the top of my head I really didn’t like it. It seemed to me that the characters started off perhaps being ignorant, but they weren’t racist….by the end of the novel it seemed that all sides had turned so racist. There was little hope for anyone….not from page one and certainly not on the last page either….I kept waiting for someone…ANYONE to do the right thing….but it never happened. Yes, one can say that bit at the end….but I disagree….I think it was reflex and something that happened without thinking….it seemed that anytime a character took the time to think about their circumstances that it never ended positive. Only America seemed to think things out and look for the positive….but life certainly wore that poor lady down, didn’t? If Candido had time to think at the end, I believe he would not have reacted as he did…that’s right….I think he simply reacted to the situation…

Now having said all of that, where does it leave us? It seems to me that the nature of how the media portray these things really is part of the problem. Sure…just about every one can agree that children are born colour blind. They don’t see other races, they only see other humans….but think about how the media has portrayed immigrants in the last ten years. Is there any positive reported? How long does someone listen to negative reports day in and day out about abuse before they see only that? How long before someone that is judged day in and day out actually become what others automatically judge them to be? It was obvious that many of the characters in this novel didn’t start out as they did….others influenced their actions and ultimately changed their minds about how they perceived someone simply by the colour of their skin….

How long before you and I stop taking every thing we are told by the media at face value and actually step outside and talk to our neighbors? How long before we cross the street, not to avoid someone, but to actually help that person of a different colour? Just as others can change our perception of someone wrongly….we also have the power to change, not only our own, but also someone else’s perception….

Don’t let the negative be the guiding force in your life….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now The Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle

Review: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

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*1So weird…this of course was real life vs Murakami’s imagination. I absolutely love how this man can stump me on one single sentence for minutes at a time…I just read them over and over again….this book was not like that….it was pretty straight and to the point….with most of his books I give them 4 stars right off the bat and then go back a month later and bump it up to 5 because, honestly, it sometimes takes me that long to fully appreciate him….yes, a month later, I still often think of the latest Murakami book I have read. It’s true…for me, his words become part of me…they seep into my very bone marrow…but for whatever reason, this one got 5 stars right off the bat….why? I am not sure…I just know it deserves it….stupid reason, but there you have it…and really, who knew he could run 60 plus miles in a single day? Who knew he has more albums than I have books? But most of all, I felt a real connection to him after reading this book. I don’t write. When I write down my thoughts they start to consume me. I lose control. It is a very scary thing for me. It’s why I avoid it when I can…Murakami spends some time in this book explaining why he must run to offset the unhealthiness of his imagination…How you have to go deep inside you to be able to tap your creative vein…if you don’t stay healthy on the outside, the inside will take over….me? I just have never learned how to do that…I fear one day I would just bleed out….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

Review: The Recruit (Cherub #1) by Robert Muchamore

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*1This was a new type for me. Yes, I’ve read plenty of YA novels. I’ve even read them like this so far as that it involves young people in some sort of war/espionage type thing. However, all of these involved post-apocalyptic world or includes some sort of magical realism. This one, however, included none of that. It was simply a story about a young boy orphaned at the age of 11. He is then contacted by an governmental agency and offered a new home. Once he completes training he will be placed in various missions in order to obtain information that will be useful to his government. The organization was formed in WWII and has grown and evolved since then.

In this first installment of the series, James looses his mother, is placed in foster care, has contact with the law, is contacted by the secret agency, finishes his basic training and completes his first mission. It’s a fast read but only because it’s so entertaining. The author has set up a great start to what promises to be a fantastic series. We have many characters to not only follow, but to also fall in love with. If that wasn’t enough, the spy element also ensures us lots of suspense and mystery as well. There are countless story-lines that can follow.

I especially enjoyed that James did not just complete his mission blindly. He is young, but not so young that he doesn’t realise that his actions have consequences. At the start of the story, James doesn’t seem to let these bother him….yes, he thinks about them, but only as they effect him. At the end, James questions the effect that his actions has on others. At what costs does one pay for the benefit of the overall good? When does the price paid negate the good?

I realise this series has been out for a while now, but I hope as I read the later books that James continues to question and to learn from what he sees and does. I hope he does not just blindly follow.

Until next time….

Urania xx

Review copy provided from NetGalley for an honest review

Buy it now The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

Review: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

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*1If every book read like this for me, I would seriously find a job that I could hide behind a counter and read all day….This book nourished my soul. It was perhaps the most beautifully written book I have ever encountered. It read like pure poetry that seemed to be written especially for me. A lover’s gentle caress that was so intimate that you know it was for meant for you alone. So deeply felt that it must have been written in the stars long before I even existed. This is a book that I have enjoyed so much that I am hesitant to read the second book in the series. If I were 10 years younger, or not so jaded, i would not hesitate to pick up book two….but life has taught me well…I know that oftentimes what we become enamored with often fails us in the end…perhaps is really is better to remember a perfect moment in time instead of trying to pursue it and have reality slam you in the face….yep….I know….I know….but this book ended perfectly for me….so many could be stand alone books are ruined with authors trying to “do the right” thing…I couldn’t bear it if this perfection were ruined…sigh…..

After finishing this book a second time, I can’t say enough about the mystery that resides within this novel….It’s so easy to fall in love with almost every character in the pages as well….I find it hard to believe that I could love this book any more than I did the first time I found myself lost within it’s pages….but it’s true…I love it even more now…..such a great story….I’m still afraid to continue on with the story in the other books that follow….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Review: Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

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*viso ummmm….I appreciate this book, because honestly, it’s the first book I’ve actually been able to read in months without actually forcing myself to pick it up and finish it.

However, I can’t decide if I like it or not….I see where it could have actually been a very good book. It just fell short in so many places. The main character just felt forced. The humour felt forced. All I could think of though out the entire book was that I was pretty thankful that I never had a friend that was so obsessed with her virginity…or better yet….so obsessed with *herself*…..Okay….let me rephrase that….of course as young girls we were all obsessed with our sexual journey to a certain point…however, I like to think that we weren’t so self-absorbed with it to the extent that nothing else mattered in our lives….and I should hope that those that made it to the age of 21…well….I certainly hope that they wouldn’t have still been so focused on it….

I suppose I am just old-fashioned without considering myself old fashioned….by that I mean…well….I guess I have issues with sexual relations with people who you aren’t exclusive with and have no intent to be so….I suppose I also have issues with simply going out with multiple partners whilst having sexual relations with them…..

hey ho…I’m not passing judgement….I’m just saying I personally have issues with it and I really can’t relate to it….so perhaps I am not the best person to rate this book….

I’m not a prune…I’ve enjoyed books where there might be a love triangle….I understand people can be confused….I suppose I don’t even have problems with people have multiple partners if that’s what they want….I guess I just have issues with people not putting a higher worth on something that can be so intimate. Don’t misunderstand me…I’m not just referring to the main character here…This wasn’t just a one person trait here…it was multiple characters….

And therein lies the rub….

That’s why this book wasn’t as wonderful as it could have been for me….it wasn’t the actions of the characters that bothered me…..it’s how those actions made me feel about how they valued themselves….or actually a lack of value. It cheapened the entire book for me. They were so occupied with themselves that they often overlooked what it meant to others….they selfishly took and then became offended when others seemed to be doing the exact same thing….if what you’re concerned with in life is superficial and what you offer others is also done only for what you can get out of them and not what it can mean to someone….well….don’t be surprised if you get the same type of behaviour in return….just saying…

Until next time…

Urania xx

Review copy provided by Edelweiss for an honest review

Buy it now Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

Review: Field of Prey (Lucas Davenport #24) by John Sandford

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lucasI think I love his books more with each new release….I’ve been in a massive book slump…nothing holds my attention….but this did….and the ending….I love Davenport so much….I love that he is flawed, but his heart is not….I love that he faces moral and ethical dilemmas head on…..doing what he knows will allow him to sleep at night….even if it costs him something somewhere else down the line….and never putting his job before people…..those close to him, or just those he encounters for a short time….

I marvel at Sandford….an author that has kept me engaged for 20 plus years and more in love with a series now than I was with at the start….I also love that he doesn’t feel the need to make every thing nice and neat and wrapped in pretty paper…..his novels often get messy…and end messy….but that’s to be admired, not shunned…..

I hope Sandford is around for many more years to come…..still a favourite after all these years….

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now Field of Prey by John Sandford

Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

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darkI loved this book from page one. All the way up until the end.

This is the story of Libby Day. As a young girl of seven, Libby’s testimony puts her fifteen year old brother, Ben, in prison for the murder of their mother and two sisters. Libby has spent much of her life as pretty anti-social. She isn’t really a very nice person. Okay…honestly, Libby isn’t even a semi nice person.

This story begins when Libby finds herself suddenly in a position to revisit the events of that night and to finally ask the questions about what really happened. Questions that she has avoided for the past twenty-four years. She finds herself finally face to face with her brother and father for the first time in years.

Because I don’t do spoilers, I will say the only one part of this novel I had issues with is the small part near the very end when Libby has a confrontation with a mother and daughter. One part of that just seemed like it was put in there for nothing other than shock value. I have no issues with the mother and daughter being in the storyline…or even the actual storyline….just some of the actions….but enough….

I did like how Flynn wrapped up the events of that night and the answers that Libby discovered. Perhaps “like” isn’t the correct wording, since, after all, Libby’s mother and sisters were killed….but….

The real reason I wanted to write this review is….well…Flynn really had me thinking….I think everyone can agree, Libby Day is not a very likable person….but at one point…on the day of the murders…Seven year old Libby is sitting down in the back a car drawling circles on a window. It really made me stop and wonder. That one simple glimpse of Libby as a little girl made me forgive her as an adult. How different would Libby be if that night had never happened. What type of adult would that little girl have grown up to be? How about Ben? As an adolescent boy he felt lost and misplaced. He felt isolated. But what teenager doesn’t? If even one of the events that happened to Ben had been changed, what would have happened to all the other events? Just one broken link in the chain of events for him could have made such a huge difference. What could have been avoided? What side of the maze of would he had come out on out of adolescence into adulthood?

Sure, we all know that our experiences and circumstances help to shape us into the person we are today….but for Libby Day it can be narrowed down to one single experience….It is easy to imagine a complete total different life for her had she not experienced that night. So is that an excuse for Libby to use? Or is it a way to forgive her for her actions and behaviour?

Sure, I know….Libby Day is not a real person. She is a character in a book…but look around….how many of the people you don’t like….ones that you pass judgement on….how many of them have that one single life event that might have made them into the person they are today? Perhaps it doesn’t always come from a lifetime of experiences…instead it can be traced to just one….

Again, yes…I realise that many have survived terrible things and they become great people. I’m not saying someone gets a free pass on their behaviour. No matter what happens in life, I strongly believe that we are all responsible for our actions…regardless of the childhoods we had….but it is very easy to see that the Libby Day we saw in this novel was not the same Libby Day that was sitting quietly in the back seat drawing circles on a foggy car window….

So yes….that little girl played a huge part in my forgiving the adult Libby Day for her behaviour….not just to others….but to herself as well….

Thank you Gillian Flynn for putting that scene into this novel….it meant a lot to me….and it has gave me endless hours of thinking….xx

Until next time…

Urania xx

Buy it now Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Review: Personal by Lee Child

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personalhmmmmm….what can I say? I love Jack Reacher. I love Lee Child. I’ve been a massive fan from the very start. I’ve recommended his books to dozens of people…probably hundreds! I’ve shared countless books with neighbors, co-workers and friends. I pour a cup of coffee and I think of Reacher. I buy a new toothbrush and I think of Reacher…..

But I didn’t care for this book at all. Actually my least favourite book of Reacher. I’m the type of person that buys books on pre-order. Lots and lots of them. However….there are only two authors I actually READ on release day…..John Sandford and Lee Child…..Usually I read Lee’s in a single sitting….no more than two days….This one took me over two weeks to muddle through it.

I’ve been trying to figure out why this one is so different for me. It’s taken me a bit, but I think I figured it out finally. Reacher wasn’t on his own. I understand he’s been part of makeshift teams before. However, even as a team member he was always on his own….working for himself….because he wanted to correct some wrong in the world. This book was full of politics. It was just bogged down. The story line just got lost in all the politics and the conspiracy and back office deals. Reacher felt like a puppet in this novel. He had no personality.

I won’t continue on…except to say that I was totally bored with this novel. I wouldn’t have even finished it if it were not a Reacher novel. That makes it a very sad day in the life of a long time Reacher fan….

Will I wait for the next book? Damn right. Will I read it right away? Damn straight I will. This is one book out of almost 2 dozen…..it’s not the end of the world….I’m still a loyal fan and I still have massive love for Lee Child and Reacher…..I will still be putting on a pot of black coffee next time he comes to town…

If I could say one thing to Lee Child it would be this….Forget your editors….forget your fans…..go back to your one new book every May…..forget the second book in the fall….yes we bitch and moan about the wait…..yes, you can make more money by writing more books….but really, Christmas only comes once a year and we’ve all survived our childhoods of waiting for Santa all year long…….The Real Jack Reacher is worth the wait as well……please…please…..go back to once a year and spend that extra 6 months giving us the REAL Reacher….not just words on a page….

That is all…..

Until next time….

Urania xx

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review

Buy it now Personal by Lee Child