In the intro Graham Greene called this her "finest novel". One will either agree, or find it rather dry. Because nothing much ‘happens‘ most of the time, no plot twist, no actual murder..but always, there is a feeling of something not quite right. The protagonist deals with his conscience, and isolation in the heat of Tunisia. We hear his thoughts mostly, and a good insight of world politics of the 1960s through all the characters‘ views. ⬇️

I‘m glad I finally got round to reading this little gem, thanks to #AuthorAMonth . A quiet, subtle piece of work, I love the way Ishiguro unfolds the story little by little. It has many layers, and so much of what is left unsaid is just as important as what is said. Beautiful, skilful writing. As in Never Let Me Go, it leaves me thinking long after I finished it.

Set in the 1950s California, this graphic novel touches on the main themes of homophobia, violent bullying, bigotry, abandonment, & isolation. The story is very bleak.The protagonist is going through adolescence phase, & trying to make sense of the world around him, but there‘re times I was frustrated with him for being a coward. The simple black & white artwork is effective in conveying the story..disturbing. TW: animal cruelty, nudity, suicide.

“Michiko Aoyama‘s “What You are Looking For Is in the Library” centers on a local library where five Tokyoites are gently guided through personal issues by a kindly librarian”.

This book sounds like a celebration of libraries, the power of books..light hearted and heartwarming, just the kind of book I need now. But it‘s ‘several months‘ waiting time! 😂🤣

I appreciate the author sharing her emotional experiences as a queer immigrant living in the US, and her strained relationship with her parents, in this comic book, which is a collection from the LGBTQ+ online magazine called Autostraddle (which I just discovered). However, my reading experience was not enjoyable as I was confused in places..it felt disjointed, without a sequence of narrative. It‘s like a diary of random feelings and experiences.

This historical novel about family secrets, war, and its trauma, is the fourth Simone St. James‘ book I‘ve read. The author can tell an engrossing gothic tale with paranormal elements, suspense, and romance. I didn‘t expect how the mystery and family issues played out, but overall it was an enjoyable read. This was supposed to be for last month‘s #AuthorAMonth but my timing is bad.

Hi #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub folks. Here are my picks ⬆️. Please cast your votes for November 2024 read. ❤️

I hope I got everyone in the list. Please add if I left out anyone Leah. @LeahBergen

This was a fun trip down memory lane. As a young reader, I remember loving Nancy Drew for her independence and the spirited girl she was. On rereading as an adult, I find the story too predictable but still admire her independence and determination. The fast paced story kept me turning the pages.
Read this for #ChildrensClassicRead2023 and #TBRtarot
Coincidentally it ties nicely with #NancyDrewBR this month. 😊

This historical novel raises the debate about criminality and ‘nature vs nurture‘. Richly woven with details of the Victorian life and times, it discusses themes like mental illness, motherhood, and class. I found this to be an engaging read with interesting twists. A clever debut and worth the read.

A woman finds herself the prime suspect in her husband‘s murder, and she turns fugitive, on the run from the law, wanting to find out the truth herself. The story started off strong, fast paced, but later the thrill died off and I found it to be repetitive. Also, I need to suspend disbelief on quite a number of occasions. The reveal was no surprise; overall it was meh for me. It‘s probably just me because many others have loved this tech thriller.

The recent release of Wes Anderson‘s new short films based on Dahl‘s short stories had me reading up the stories before watching. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Rat Catcher, and Poison. Henry Sugar has a melancholy effect, the others are peculiar, dark and unsettling. They‘re all fantastic with brilliant performances. Recommended to watch. 👍
#bookstomovie

I absolutely agree with all the others‘ reviews on this book - such a delight! Entertaining, great characterisations, fun plot, and humorous. Two thumbs up!
#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

1950s Dublin. Pathologist Dr. Quirke and DI Strafford (first appeared in Snow) despite their strained relationship, worked to solve a murder. There‘re glimpses of Irish class tension, the Church domination, feelings of antisemitism, and a little of world politics in this character-driven, slow-burn mystery. The plot was pretty good, I enjoyed the polished prose, and I didn‘t anticipate the twist in the epilogue.

An intriguing read told through a pregnancy diary, about a woman who fakes her pregnancy. Once she told the lie, people begin to treat her differently. She plans to follow through the lie, and in the process, she learns to live the life she wants. It‘s a quirky-turned-surreal read, exploring the roles of women in society and workplace, and of loneliness.

My first by the Argentine author and I didn‘t know what to expect, reading these collection of short stories, even the blurb did not prepare me for it. They revolve around daily settings in houses where the characters live..though these houses are not ‘empty‘ in literal sense, there‘s an emptiness or something missing in each..awkward relationships, grief, dysfunction family,etc. The stories are a bit strange, dream like, mostly disquieting, ⬇️

In this little gem of a story, a young woman is rushed by her parents into a train bound for a mysterious destination. There‘s lots of imagery and a sense of foreboding during the train journey. The story is thought provoking, symbolic, with many questions unanswered and are left to the interpretation of the reader. A must read for Plath‘s fans.

Read this for July‘s #TBRtarot

A weird, unsettling novella about a housewife who moved to the countryside when her husband got a job transfer there. Her encounter with a strange creature and her interactions with some odd persons lead her to a sequence of unusual events where she begins to wonder what is real and what is imagined. A surreal story that takes a look at women‘s role in Japan in terms of societal expectations and conformity. If you like uncanny stories,go for this.

Claire Keegan‘s beautiful prose says so much in less than 100 pages..about the power of love and kindness. Lovely story.

If you‘ve enjoyed The Kind Worth Killing, you‘ll want to read this sort-of sequel. It doesn‘t matter if you haven‘t read the first book, however you‘ll get a better context if you did. But because this was published 8 years after the first book, I couldn‘t remember the details of the first book, which I think affected my enjoyment of this. There‘s no major plot twist, and the middle part was rather boring. The limericks were witty though.

I enjoyed the psychological aspects of the crime, and seeing how Dr Bickleigh goes about his evil plans, and the desperate measures he has to take. A satisfying read, and what a splendid ending.
#goldenagecrimeclub

I didn‘t know Ursula Le Guin wrote childrens books. My Libby hold on Earthsea still have not arrived and since this was available, I quickly borrowed it for #AuthorAMonth . It‘s an easy and fun read for early readers with cute and detailed illustrations, about four unusual kittens who were born with wings; and their adventures in the rural areas. Nice read aloud story.

A great historical fiction novel set in the beginning of WW2, exploring the effect of war on individuals and families. It highlights the feelings of prejudice and xenophobia, children evacuation, and internment camps. It‘s also part adventure and mystery, as the 12 year old protagonist discovers traitorous spies among the villagers. Well written and captivating.
#TBRtarot #bookbeginswithaprologue
#titlesandtunes #guiltypleasure #middlegrade

When I picked this up I had no idea it was a story within a story (within a story). An intriguing premise, I liked the outer story better as it was dark (and could be further developed). The inside story is a bit meh..maybe it‘s just a framework or devise for the outer story? I‘m confused now. 😅 It‘s also clever that the author acknowledges certain real life events during which the book was set. Overall parts entertaining, so low Pick.

#titlesandtunes #guiltypleasure

Besides murder mystery/detective stories, I love reading middle grade books. I‘ll choose the tagged book as it also fulfill #TBRtarot which I have skipped last month.

I‘m also a fan of the 80s music, quite a number of superstars (with influencing fashion styles!) emerged during the time, and I loved watching them all on MTV. When that song is played, I guarantee you will catch me singing along. 🎤 😉

I thoroughly enjoyed John Boyne‘s fictionalised story of Dr. Crippen and I wanted to read a true crime book about it. This is well researched, and easy to read, the two connected stories of Dr. Crippen‘s life and Marconi‘s life and his passion. It was rather gripping in parts, but I skimmed over some of Marconi‘s part which I got lost. My introduction to Larson, who writes such good historical non-fiction, thanks to #AuthorAMonth for May.

This was an enjoyable read. I love the vivid descriptions of the idyllic Corfu; the ominous atmosphere; the right amount of romance and suspense; and the references to Shakespeare's Tempest. A great escape read!
#islandvibes #titlesandtunes for May.

I‘ve stacked this on my tbr wish list after seeing so many positive reviews here. A copy came in the mail today 😃💃🏻. I think this is from you, Cathy? @Cathythoughts Thank you!
#bookmail ❤️

Such an inventive piece of work. At times I chuckled at the dialogues and dark humour, next, I was silent at the gruesome crime scenes and the all-important, grave issues that Everett is putting across. An unexpected read, a page-turner, and the rousing finale… I want to read more of Everett. 👍

I finally got the book you sent me Barbara! @BarbaraBB
I‘m sorry we were anxious about it, turns out the new owner had taken our mails for safekeeping.
I love coming-of-age stories, and this is said to be autobiographical, “deemed too intimate to publish” during her lifetime..I‘m very interested to read it. Thank you very much! ❤️

Think I‘ll join in the fun of #islandvibes #titlesandtunes hosted by @Cinfhen and @BarbaraBB !

A good time to read my first Mary Stewart novel - mystery, suspense, romance and a lovely setting at Corfu. 🏝️
I pick ‘The Children of Piraeus‘ (a popular song first sung by Melina Mercouri) sung by Aroma, here‘s the video https://youtu.be/ap29bm2ZpEU (English)

https://youtu.be/Ffe3dQQyKOQ (original)

This novella is told in alternating perspectives of three woman remembering a murder that happened when they were in high school. But the story doesn‘t focus on revealing the killer, though I think there‘re clues everywhere. Chapters read like stream of consciousness, give us insights into the characters‘ minds and I was quite confused with the switching perspectives. The characters are dealing with grief, guilt that haunt them over the years, ⬇️

It‘s refreshing to read a mystery/crime novel without a murder. This one has a good pacing that kept me engaged, right up to the climatic court scenes. And it has a nice ending. However, the fact that the protagonist so quickly took the side of the accused, kept niggling at me. Overall it was interesting to see how the mystery unravelled, and putting aside some dated remarks and ideas, my first Josephine Tey is a ‘Pick‘.

#goldenagecrimeclub

#bookmail
A gorgeous-looking book arrived in the post today. 😍 Book Depository took its time, I guess they‘re flooded with orders before closure. Who is the generous sender? 🥰 Thank you so much, I love it!

The latest in the Detective Kaga series offers a good police procedural. There‘s a strong sense of place as Higashino describes the streets of Tokyo, and it was an interesting look at the culture. If you‘ve enjoyed Higashino‘s other books, do not give this a miss. Not my favourite of his books, but it was engaging to follow Detective Kaga solves the case, and it has a satisfactory conclusion.
#serieslove2023

@batsy Thank you, Suba for the book! I love the genre and look forward to reading it. Lovely gift, thank you so much ❤️😘

👍
-fast read, suspenseful.
-unreliable narrator with anxiety problem (whom I found exasperating later in the story).
-use of social media to heighten suspense.
-uncertainty over what happens after the final pages.
👎
-long list of names made difficult to follow (weak characterisation).
-cliche after cliche.

Overall, a fun (& forgettable) diversion from my stress of moving house. I think her later novels are better.

#AuthorAMonth

A wonderful collection of works from the author and women poets from 1910s to the 1930s. Taking certain lines from each of the featured poems, Grimes interestingly recreates her own. The poems talk about womanhood, black history, nature, etc. I like getting to know the poets introduced (bio in afterwards), some poems more striking than the others, and I love the gorgeous illustrations, varied in style, by different artists.

This is so unlike Of Mice and Men and East of Eden that I‘ve read. But it‘s quite a comical story of camaraderie among the sympathetic characters living a simple life. And plenty of wine drinking. I like the descriptive titles and straightforward storytelling.
#AuthorAMonth

I‘ve not read any horse stories as a kid, I can say I‘m not a horse person. This book started off well, promising of adventures, even though there‘re incidents of stereotypes and many coincidences. Maybe reading it as an adult, I find the story lacks emotions and the characters unrealistic. I guess a horse-loving person, especially a child will like it, especially the bonding between Alec and ‘the Black‘.

Such a fun and entertaining story. The author introduces us to Ada (Lovelace), daughter of Lord Byron, and Mary, daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, who formed a detective agency together. Though some aspects are not historically accurate, like the girls are actually aged 18 yrs apart in history, the historical bits are enjoyable. The mystery itself is not very clever, but I loved the appearance..

#serieslove2023
#middlegrademarch

This is an honest depiction of teenage life struggles in urban Japan that is relevant in the 90s when it was first written, as well as today. Bullying, education ‘rat race‘, pornography, ‘love hotels‘, suicide. In her afterword, Mori said she wanted to write a novel “that will allow young people who are tired of living to have a break from their own lives.” She wrote about these serious subjects with a little comical touch in..
#TBRtarot February

A moving story set in Kabul during the Taliban rule. A 11-yr old girl has to disguise as a boy to seek work to support the family, after their father was imprisoned. The illustrations are good, but the narrative feels rushed, some scenes like ‘chopped off‘ (feels like some pages missing), and the ending is abrupt. However it‘s a good eye opener for young readers. Perhaps the original novel and the animated film adaptation will have more depth.

This 5th book in the Veronica Speedwell mystery series has Veronica and Stoker on a dangerous mission to prevent a royal scandal, with Jack the Ripper murders terrorising London as the backdrop. I‘ve enjoyed the witty banter and chemistry between the duo all along, however I‘m not sure how I feel about them now. It was fast paced, engaging, and fun though.
#serieslove2023

I didn‘t realise this is a short story when I started. I liked the letters format, written between two strangers whose spouses are having an affair with each other. Very engaging, and the ending…I was surprised by it.
#AuthorAMonth

Thanks to @batsy who put the author into my radar. I couldn‘t find ‘Arthur Who Wrote Sherlock‘ but found the tagged book instead. This is an illustrated biography of Mary Shelly, adapted for children. It tells of the early life of Mary, and how ‘Frankenstein‘ was written. An inspiring story for young readers (and readers of any age) with great illustrations that complement the story.

An elderly widower, who is with a volunteer group that helps terminally ill people ‘take their own lives‘, finds himself on the run from the police. Although the subject matter is a serious one, there is much humour in the novel. The characters are likeable and endearing, especially the older ones. If you‘re a fan of The Thursday Murder Club series, you‘ll enjoy this.
Thanks @TrishB for sending me this copy some time ago. 😅😘

The packing has begun. Top priority to pack first are my books of course! 😂 And I‘m quite overwhelmed, staring at the number of unread books😬. I‘ll probably donate some of them, books that I no longer have interest to read now.
With all the stress of moving house, I‘m hardly in the right state of mind to read. But I‘ll try to finish up a couple of books I‘ve started. Happy Sunday!

Not much reading done recently, as I have been binge watching some TV detective series. Marcella, a British nordic noir series, kept me at the edge of my seat - but I stopped at season 2, too much grimness and violence to continue). Then Happy Valley, absorbing and fantastic - I highly recommend!

Anyway started the tagged book. Hope it‘s good, as I liked Rubbernecker and Snap.

Happy Monday!

My book from @wanderinglynn ‘s #300kBirthdayGiveaway has arrived. What a gorgeous copy! Thanks again Lynn! ❤️

Another children‘s book I‘ve never read when I was young. As an adult reading it for the first time, I find this not funny. I don‘t know what the author is trying to tell..Babar, whose mother recently got killed by a hunter, escapes to town, met a kind, old, rich lady who gave him lots of money to spend, and Babar suddenly feels the need to get fancy clothes and assimilated to society. And when he returns to the forest, he..⬇️