The Illegal by Lawrence Hill

Publisher: W. W. Norton & company
Publish Date: January 25, 2016
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780393070590

All Keita has ever wanted to do is to run. Running means respect and wealth at home. His native Zantoroland, a fictionalized country whose tyrants are eerily familiar, turns out the fastest marathoners on earth. But after his journalist father is killed for his outspoken political views, Keita must flee to the wealthy nation of Freedom State—a country engaged in a crackdown on all undocumented people.

There, Keita becomes a part of the new underground. He learns what it means to live as an illegal: surfacing to earn cash prizes by running local races and assessing whether the people he meets will be kind or turn him in. As the authorities seek to arrest Keita, he strives to elude capture and ransom his sister, who has been kidnapped.

My Thoughts

While this was an interesting concept, and I found the story engaging, this just didn’t live up to the hype for me.  This is the first novel I have read by Hill and had high expectation being his previous novel, The Book of Negroes, has such a following.  I found some of the dialogue to be artificial and dragged on in parts. Whereas parts I thought needed more focus seemed to be brushed aside.  I also had a hard time with the country and character names, I felt like he was trying to make this into a dystopian novel but it didn’t quite work as one for me.

As a whole, I can’t decide why it didn’t quite work for me.  Maybe the imagined countries just seemed too fake for my liking?  I’m not entirely sure.  I found the characters to be likable, and was eager to see how everything played out for them. But I have to agree with other reviewers, in that the ending was too neat and tidy for me.  Not saying happy ending aren’t worth reading – but it just seemed a little too unrealistic.

This novel was picked as my March book club, and had it not been picked I don’t know if I would have picked up this novel and read it willingly.  But in the end I’m glad I did read it as it casts light on many issues in today’s society.

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

China Dolls by Lisa See

Publisher: Random House
Publish Date: June 3, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 376
ISBN: 9780812992892

In 1938, Ruby, Helen and Grace, three girls from very different backgrounds, find themselves competing at the same audition for showgirl roles at San Francisco's exclusive "Oriental" nightclub, the Forbidden City. Grace, an American-born Chinese girl has fled the Midwest and an abusive father. Helen is from a Chinese family who have deep roots in San Francisco's Chinatown. And, as both her friends know, Ruby is Japanese passing as Chinese. At times their differences are pronounced, but the girls grow to depend on one another in order to fulfill their individual dreams. Then, everything changes in a heartbeat with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Suddenly the government is sending innocent Japanese to internment camps under suspicion, and Ruby is one of them. But which of her friends betrayed her?

My Thoughts

Lisa See is an author I have long been wanting to dive into and I was somewhat disappointed.  This book was just ok and I expected a lot more with all the novels See already has under her belt.  I couldn't relate to any of the characters and they all just fell flat and frankly were boring and shallow.  The whole thing just left me scratching my head wondering why these 3 girls were ever friends.  Each chapter was narrated by either Grace, Helen or Ruby and I had a hard time keeping track of who was narrating.  I would have to go back to the beginning to find out who's POV I was reading about. Also sometimes the story was choppy - there wasn't good flow going into the next chapter.

The writing was terrible, terrible, terrible (see what I did there.)  I found it juvenile and poorly put together.  I've read other reviews who stat her other books are beautifully written so I don't know where she went wrong with this one.

I really enjoyed the history and cultural tone of the novel and the Chop Suey Circuit is something I had never heard of prior to reading this novel.  The rich history and detailing of the era is what saved this read for me. 

My Rating: «««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K Lee

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Publish Date: January 13, 2009

Format: Audio

Discs: 9

ISBN: 978 0143144410

Exotic Hong Kong takes center stage in this sumptuous novel, set in the 1940s and '50s. It's a city teeming with people, sights, sounds, and smells, and it's home to a group of foreign nationals who enjoy the good life among the local moneyed set, in a tight-knit social enclave distanced from the culture at large. Comfortable, clever, and even a bit dazzling, they revel in their fancy dinners and fun parties. But their sheltered lives take an abrupt turn after the Japanese occupation, and though their reactions are varied -- denial, resistance, submission -- the toll it takes on all is soon laid bare. 

Enter Claire Pendleton from London. Months after her husband is transferred to Hong Kong in 1951, she accepts a position as a piano teacher to the daughter of a wealthy couple, the Chens. Claire begins to see the appeal of the sweltering city and is soon taken in by the Chen's driver, the curiously underutilized Will Truesdale. A handsome charmer with a mysterious limp, Will appears to be the perfect companion for Claire, who's often left to her own devices. But a further examination leaves her with more questions than answers.

My Thoughts

Talk about a yawn fest.  The book was so boring to listen to that if I wasn't driving I would have probably fallen asleep.  I should have listened to this as my bedtime story to lull me to sleep.  The story had so little to do with Claire - the piano teacher - and more to do with Trudy and Will.  I have to say that the only storyline I found remotely interesting was Trudy's and would have maybe enjoyed this book more had it focused on her.  But probably not because I didn't like her.  None of the characters were likable and by the end I just felt frustrated and deflated.  

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The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: April 1, 2014
Format: Kobo
Pages - 
ISBN: 978 0062316875

A voyage across the ocean becomes the odyssey of a lifetime for a young Irish woman. . . .

Ireland, 1912 . . .

Fourteen members of a small village set sail on RMS Titanic, hoping to find a better life in America. For seventeen-year-old Maggie Murphy, the journey is bittersweet. Though her future lies in an unknown new place, her heart remains in Ireland with Séamus, the sweetheart she left behind. When disaster strikes, Maggie is one of the few passengers in steerage to survive. Waking up alone in a New York hospital, she vows never to speak of the terror and panic of that fateful night again.

Chicago, 1982 . . .

Adrift after the death of her father, Grace Butler struggles to decide what comes next. When her great-grandmother Maggie shares the painful secret about Titanic that she's harbored for almost a lifetime, the revelation gives Grace new direction—and leads both her and Maggie to unexpected reunions with those they thought lost long ago.

Inspired by true events, The Girl Who Came Home poignantly blends fact and fiction to explore the Titanic tragedy's impact and its lasting repercussions on survivors and their descendants.

My Thoughts

I have long since been fascinated by the Titanic and it's ill-fated maiden voyage and I never tire her haunting stories.  It was interesting to learn that this novel was inspired by a group of 14 people from small town Addergoole Ireland who set sail on the RMS Titanic for a better life in America.  I was very fascinated with this story and did further research on this remarkable group of people to learn more  I thoroughly enjoyed Maggie's story and thought it was beautifully written.  There is something about an old woman telling a story of her youth to her granddaughter that is just so beautiful and moving.

It wasn't a literally masterpiece by any means but it was charming and very touching.  Defiantly recommend this to Titanic lovers everywhere. 

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Last Romanov by Dora Levy Mossanen

Publisher:
Publish Date: April 3, 2012
Format: Kobo 
Pages - 
ISBN:978 1402265952

She was an orphan, ushered into the royal palace on the prayers of her majesty.  Yet, decades later, her time spent in the embrace of the Romanov haunts her still.  Is she responsible for those murderous events that changed everything?

If only she can find the heir, maybe she can put together the broken pieces of her own past – maybe she can hold on to the love she found.

My Thoughts

My typical cover loving self got the best of me on this one!  With a new found love for Russian storytelling,especially the Romanov family, I was excited to stumble across this one on sale.  Well there is always a reason a book sells for dirt cheap - it's awful.  And apparently I will never learn.  It took me so long to actually figure out what the story was about that by then I had lost interest.  It was boring, poorly written, and just a down right confusing jumble.

I don't mind a fantasy element in a novel, although it's not my favourite, but in no way did it work with this story.  An opal eye? Really?  And while historical fiction novels have a tendency to be inaccurate, this novel was so beyond inaccurate it makes me think the author knew nothing about the history of the Romanov family.  A little bit of research is necessary when writing a historical fiction novel.  The author attempted to write a story, and I'm sure there was a story in there somewhere, it was just very unclear.  All the characters fell flat and had no real depth to them.

My advice?  Steer clear of this one. 

My Rating: «

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

Publisher: Random House Audio
Publish Date: July 17, 2012
Format: Audio
Discs: 9
ISBN: 978 0307917379

When Elizabeth Endicott arrives in Syria, she has a diploma from Mount Holyoke College, a crash course in nursing, and only the most basic grasp of the Armenian language.  The First World War is spreading across Europe, and she has volunteered on behalf of the Boston-based Friends of Armenia to deliver food and medical aid to refugees of the Armenian genocide.  There, Elizabeth becomes friendly with Armen, a young Armenian engineer who has already lost his wife and infant daughter.  When Armen leaves Aleppo to join the British Army in Egypt, he beings to write Elizabeth letters, and comes to realize that he has fallen in love with the wealthy, young American woman who is different from his wife he lost.  

Flash forward to the present, where we meet Laura Petrosian, a novelist living in suburban New York.  Although her grandparents’ ornate Pelham home was affectionately nicknamed the “Ottoman Annex,” Laura has never really given her Armenian heritage much thought.  But when an old friend calls, claiming to have seen a newspaper photo of Laura’s grandmother promoting an exhibit at a Boston museum, Laura embarks on a journey back through her family’s history that reveals love, loss – and a wrenching secret that has been buried for generations.

My Thoughts

"How do a million and a half people die with nobody knowing?  You kill them in the middle of nowhere."

I have to admit that I had never heard about the Armenian Genocide before this book.  It's sad, I know, but I'm defiantly not alone.  But once I started reading I needed to know more and spent hours devouring the internet to educate myself on this horrific event that is widely unknown.  The author take you away on such a heartbreaking journey of war and grief, love and loss and I loved how each character leaves a huge impact in unfolding this incredible story.  

I listened to this on audio and absolutely loved the alternating narration with Elizabeth and Laura - I think it's important in audio to have different voices if a story from multiple points of view.  It just makes for a more enjoyable listen in my opinion.

This was such a powerful and insightful novel that was overall unforgettable.  I encourage everyone to read this novel of an important piece of lost history.  This was my first novel by Chris Bohjalian and I am eager to read more.

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Confabulist by Steven Galloway

Publisher: Knopf Canada

Publish Date:April 29, 2014

Format: Advanced reading copy

Pages: -

ISBN: -

The Confabulist weaves together the life, loves and murder of the world’s greatest magician, Harry Houdini, with the story of the man who killed him (twice): Martin Strauss, an everyday man whose fate was tied to the magician’s in unforeseen ways.  A cast of memorable characters spins around Houdini’s celebrity-driven life, as they did in his time: from the Romanov family soon to be assassinated, to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the powerful heads of Scotland Yard, and the Spiritualists who would use whoever they could to establish their religion.  A brilliant novel about fame and ambition, reality and illusion, and the ways that love, grief and imagination can alter what we perceive and believe.

My Thoughts

Whether or not this book is historically accurate (which it's not) I still found it to be an entertaining read.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to others, just as long as they don't dissect and really analyze it.  Harry Houdini was a fascinating person - there is no doubt about it.  And his career was only a small part of it.  And I think that's what I wanted more of with this book.  So much of it was fabricated (such as Martin Strauss) that I wanted maybe just a bit more reality.  But on the other hand had I wanted all the facts I would have just read a biography.  I liked the uniqueness of this retelling and learned a few things about Houdini that I didn't know before such as his involvement with the Romanov family and his strange relationship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the spiritualists.  But it did peak my interest enough  that I gave it 4 stars because it grasped my interest and held it, I never struggled to keep going. 

Thank you to Random House Canada via Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

Publisher: Random House Audio

Publish Date: January 10, 2012

Format: Audio

Discs: 15

ISBN: 978 0307939708

Pak Jun Do is the haunted son of a lost mother – a singer “Stolen” tp Pyongyang – and an influential father who runs Long Tomorrows. A work camp for orphans.  There the boy is given his first taste of power, picking which orphans eat first and which will be lent out for manual labor.  Recognized for his loyalty and keen instincts, Jun Do comes to the attention of superiors in the state, rises in the ranks, and starts on a road from which there will be no return.

Considering himself “a humble citizen of the greatest nation in the world,” Jun do becomes a professional kidnapper who must navigate the shifting rules, arbitrary violence, and baffling demands of his Korean overlords in order to stay alive.  Driven to the absolute limit of what any human being could endure, he boldly takes on the treacherous role of rival Kim Jong Il in an attempt to save the woman he loves, Sun Moon, a legendary actress “so pure, she didn't know what starving people looked like.”

My Thoughts

"In North Korea you are not born, you are made."  If I took anything away from this novel it would be this quote and that's about it.  I did not find this an enjoyable book, mostly because half the time I had no idea what was going on.  Maybe had I read the book instead of listening to it I would have grasped more, but I have no desire to actually read it, I don't want to waste anymore time than I already have.  I found it very confusing, somewhat like reading a puzzle and there was no line between what was fantasy and what was real.  There are 3 narrators.  The first you hear is the radio announcer who spews nonsense to the citizens and then the other 2 narrators are actually the same person - just one in the past and one in the present.  I listened to this on audio and it eventually just became background noise while I was driving.

I did find learning about North Korea fascinating - and it gave you a glimpse into how this devastating country really is and will also say that it is well written that is rich in symbolism.  North Koreans truly believe it is the greatest nation in the world. 

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout & Sara Corbett

Published: 
Publish Date: September 10, 2013
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 367
ISBN: 978 1451645606

As a child, Amanda Lindhout escaped a violent household by paging through issues of National Geographic and imagining herself in its exotic locales.  At the age of nineteen, working as a cocktail waitress in Calgary, Alberta, she began saving her tips so she could travel the globe.  Aspiring to understand the world and live a significant life, she backpacked through Latin America, Laos, Bangladesh, and India, and emboldened by each adventure, went on to Sudan, Syria, and Pakistan.  In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a television reporter.  And then, in August 2008, she traveled to Somalia – “the most dangerous place on earth.”  On her Fourth day, she was abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road.

Held hostage for 460 days, Amanda converts to Islam as a survival tactic, receives “wife lessons” from one of her captors, and risks a daring escape.  Moved between a series of abandoned houses in the desert, she survives on memory – every lush detail of the world she experienced in her life before captivity – and on strategy, fortitude, and hope.  When she is most desperate, she visits a house in the sky, high above the woman is kept in chains, in the dark, being tortured.

Vivid and suspenseful, A House in the Sky is the searingly intimate story of an intrepid young woman and her search for compassion in the face of unimaginable adversity.

My Thoughts

This is one of those books that every time I was in a bookstore would stop, pick it up, contemplate and then put back down and tell myself another time.  When it was selected as Chapters Indigo's October pick for their #worldsbiggestbookclub I knew it was finally time to dive in.  And am I ever glad I did.  Such a powerful and moving read full of real emotion.

This memoir either seems to speak to you or it doesn't.  There are a number of reviews out there that seem to think that Amanda Lindhout may have gotten what she deserves.  This is very disheartening.  Yes, she may have exposed herself to danger and been naive in thinking she was invincible but no mater if you are traveling in a "safe" country or a war torn country you never know what can happen.  No one deserves to be raped, beaten and torched.  I found it hard to understand how she remained so positive during her whole ordeal and has even gone as far as to forgive her captors.  Just goes to show how strong of a woman she is, and I have nothing but respect for her.

I found the first third of the book very interesting, while others found it boring I began to develop jealousy towards Lindhout, she was traveling to all the countries I've only dreamed about visiting and living the dream that many will never get to experience.

At the end of her memoir she mentions that Nigel wrote a book about his experience in Somalia and I would be very interesting on hearing his take on being imprisoned and his point of view.  I am also excited that the book had been optioned into a movie and it will be very interesting to see how it comes out.  What a true story of inspiration and perseverance.  

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Ellis Island (Ellis Island #1) by Kate Kerrigan

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publish Date: June 28, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 356
ISBN: 978 0062071538

Sweethearts since childhood, Ellie Hogan and her husband, John, are content on their farm in Ireland – until John, a soldier for the Irish Republican Army, receives an injury that leaves him unable to work.  Forced to take drastic measures in order to survive, Ellie does what so many Irish women in the 1920’s have done and sails across a vast ocean to New York Coty to work as a maid for a wealthy socialite.

Once there, Ellie is introduced to a world of opulence and sophistication, tempted by the allure of grand parties and fine clothes, money and mansions…and by the attentions of a charming suitor who can give her everything.  Yet her heart remains with her husband back home.  And now she faces the most difficult choice she will ever have to make; a new life in a new country full of hope and promise, or return to a life of cruel poverty…and love.

My Thoughts

This novel started out good and pulled me right in.  I loved the concept and if I were Ellie I probably would have been mesmerized by all the glitz and glamour of a big city in America if I had come from poverty ridden Ireland.  But once Ellie got there and settled in she transformed into a completely different character I could hardly stand to read about.  Her and her husband John decided she would travel to American and for one year then she was to return home.  When you begin to part one and it's titled 1920-1024 you know it just isn't going to be a year.

What transpires over the last half of the novel is a whiny, selfish, uninspired Ellie returning to Ireland kicking and screaming.  And then continues to do so for the rest of the novel.  All I wanted was the be swept away in Ellie and John's love story and instead got an ungrateful Ellie.

This is the first in a trilogy and although I was not a fan of Ellie's character at the end of the first novel I am still interested in the story line and where the author intends to take her.  I just feel like this novel had so much potential - I hope the next 2 redeem themselves.

My Rating: «««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfour

Published: Random House Audio
Publish Date: October 8, 2013
Format: Audio
Discs: 9
ISBN: 978 0804190817

Like most gentiles in Nazi-occupied Paris, architect Lucien Bernard has little empathy for the Jews.  So when a wealthy industrialist offers him a large sum of money to devise secret hiding places for Jews, Lucien struggles with the choice of risking his life for a cause he doesn't really believe in.  Ultimately he can’t resist the challenge and begins designing expertly concealed hiding spaces – behind painting, within a column, or inside a drainpipe – detecting possibilities invisible to the average eye.  But when one of his clever hiding spaces fails horribly and the immense suffering of Jews becomes incredibly personal, he can no longer deny reality.

My Thoughts

I love all things Paris period.  When I saw this haunting cover I knew that it had to be add to my Paris must read list.  During a trip to the library I happened to see this available on audio so I snatched it up.  I loved the narration minus one small factor-he was not very good at dialogue especially the women characters.  But that was such a small aspect in a much larger picture.  While it wasn't an amazing work of fiction that will withstand the test of time, it was an amazing novel.

WWII was such a devastating time period that I sometimes find novel set during this time very difficult to read, especially when children are involved. I believe that 1942 Nazi occupied Paris is a very important time in history and this novel gives a glimpse of just how horrifying this time was.  There is so much historical details that is portrayed very realistically.  Be warned though - this is not a light hearted story and can be pretty graphic at times.  I loved the plot, loved the characters.  This novel was powerful, heartbreaking and uplifting.  Oh, and a lot of great architecture.  Read. This. Book.

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Publisher: Harper
Publish Date: April 3, 2012
Format: Kobo ereader
Pages: - 
ISBN: 9780062098061

The Fateful first meeting of Enza and Ciro takes place amid the haunting majesty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the last century.  Still teenages, they are separated when Ciro is banished from his village and sent to hide in New York’s Little Italy, apprenticed to a shoemaker, leaving a bereft Enza behind.  But when her own family faces disaster, she too, is forced to emigrate to America.  Though destiny will reunite the star0crossed lovers, it will, just as abruptly , separate them once again-sending Ciro off to serve in World War I, while Enza is drawn into the glamorous world of the opera…and into the life of the international singing sensation Enrico Caruso.  Still Enza and Ciro have been touched by fate-and, ultimately, the power of their love will change their lives forever.

My Thoughts

I've said it before and I'll say it again (and probably again) I am a total sucker for a tragic love story.  When it comes to any story, fictional or not, some stories are just meant to be.    Although slow, and extremely over descriptive, I was captivated and drawn into the lives of Ciro and Enza.  I found the first three quarters of the novel the best part and would just get lost in their love story, but then the last quarter that span several decades and managed to be rushed but at the same time dragged out when it could have ended much sooner, although it would have been on a sad note, it would have made this tragic love story more compelling.

As I mentioned, this was a highly descriptive novel, and was clearly well researched, but it all didn't seem necessary to make the story flow, the characters were developed enough that the rest was just mumbo jumbo.  The positive aspect of this is as I was reading, I could easily see this as a movie.  The description used to illustrate each character and plot line consistently had a movie like aspect that I just couldn't get out of my head.  I loved every minute of it.

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Unwanted (Fredrika Bergman and Alex Recht #1) by Kristina Ohlsson

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publish Date: February 28, 2012

Format: MP3 CD

Discs: 2

ISBN: 978 1624065590

In the middle of a rainy Swedish summer, a little girl is abducted from a crowded train.  Despite hundreds of potential witnesses, no one noticed when the girl was taken.  Her distraught mother was left behind at the previous station in what seemed to be a coincidence.  The train crew was alerted and kept a watchful eye on the sleeping child.  But when the train pulled into Stockholm Central Station, the little girl had vanished.  Inspector Alex Recht and his special team of federal investigators, assisted by the investigative analyst Fredrika Bergman, are assisting to what at first appears to be a classic custody fight.  But when the child is found dead in the far north of Sweden with the word “unwanted” scribbled on her forehead, the case soon turns into the investigation team’s worst nightmare – the pursuit of a brilliant and ruthless killer.

My Thoughts

I've never really been a big fan of Scandinavian literature.  I have no desire to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series - although I'm sure I eventually will as they are sitting on my shelf.  I don't know exactly what it is that I don't like about them, but it's possible the dark and twistedness of the stories.  I defiantly did not enjoy this book.  It's possible the reason is because I absolutely hated the narrator for the audio book.  Maybe had a physically read the book I may have enjoyed it more, but listening to it made my ears bleed.

The premises for this story is just wrong.  I found it so disturbing that it didn't even want to finish.  A little girl is abducted  and later found dead with her head shaved.  During the whole novel the author does not portray any heartbreak from the family of the murdered little girl.  The father not only never makes an appearance during the entire story, he becomes a suspect...which I found extremely disturbing.  And I didn't feel any closure of his part of the story.  I hated the background story for Fredrika and Alex, it was unnecessary and had no added value to the story.  There was nothing gripping about this story that left me wanting more.  I simply finished it to move on to something else.

I just found the whole story unrealistic and unbelievable and the ending rushed.  The overall plot of the book was just weak and disturbing.  Overall I did not enjoy this and will most likely not read the rest in the series.

My Rating: ««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Publisher: Harper Audio

Publish Date: June 12, 2012

Format: Audio

Discs: 10

ISBN: 978 0062268365

The story beings in 1962.  On a rocky patch of the sun-drenched Italian coastline, a young innkeeper, chest-deep in daydreams, looks on over the incandescent waters of the Ligurian Sea and spies an apparition: a tall, thin woman, a vision in white, approaching him on a boat.  She is an actress, he soon learns, an American starlet, and she is dying.

And the story beings again today, half a world away, when an elderly Italian man shows up on a movie studio’s back lot – searching for the mysterious woman he last saw at his hotel decades earlier.

What unfolds is a dazzling, yet deeply human, roller coaster of a novel, spanning fifty years and nearly as many lives.  From the lavish set of Cleopatra to the shabby revelry of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Walter introduces us to the tangled lives of a dozen unforgettable characters: the starstruck Italian innkeeper and is long-lost love; the heroically preserved producer who once brought them together and is idealistic young assistant; the army veteran turned fledgling novelist and the rakish Richard Burton himself, whose appetites set the whole story in motion – along with the husbands and wives, lovers and dreamers, superstars and losers, who populate their world in the decades that follow.

My Thoughts

Well, all I really have to say about this is that it is one hot mess of a book.  Like the description states the story unveils a dozen characters...a dozen!  And not only that, but each of them have a point of view in the story telling.  This book is all over the map.  Every chapter is told by a different character, during a different time period in a different city.  I listened to this on audio, and while I found the narration enjoyable to listen to I found myself either lost in the story and had no idea what was happening or bored out of my mind from the rambling. 

There is not one character that is likable, all of them drove me crazy.  I can't think of one thing that I took away from this novel or that I found memorable.  I'm not sure how a novel with so many story lines happened to come to a neat and tidy end in no time flat.  If felt like the story was still unfolding then all of a sudden...The End.  Like at the end of a movie when it's over then they show a still picture with a character update.  Everything started with such promise, why couldn't the story have just continued on with Pasquael and the beautiful setting of Italy?

2 stars for the narration of Edorado Ballerini.

My Rating: ««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

Publisher: Harper
Publish Date: February 4, 2013
Format: Paperback
Pages: 456
ISBN: 978 0062257840

An inheritance from a mysterious stranger…

An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris…

And three exquisite perfumes that hold a mystery…and a secret.

London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman.  Despite her sheltered upbringing in Oxford, her recent marriage has thrust her into the heart of London’s more refined and ambitious social circles.  However, playing the role of the sophisticated socialite her husband would like her to be doesn’t come easily to her – and perhaps never will.

Then one evening a letter arrives from France that will change everything.  Grace has received an inheritance.  There’s only one problem: she has never heard of her benefactor, the mysterious Eva d’Orsey.

So begins a journey that takes Grace to Paris in search of Eva.  There, in a long-abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank, she discovers the seductive would of perfumers and their muses, and a surprising, complex love story.  Told by invoking the three distinctive perfumes she inspired, Eva d”Orsey’s story weaves through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London.

But these three perfumes hold secrets.  And as Eva’s past and Grace’s future intersect, Grace realizes she must choose between the life she thinks she should live and the person she is truly meant to be.

My Thoughts

I really really enjoyed this book.  I read it very quickly and before I knew it, I had finished 100 pages in one sitting...a sure sign of a great novel.  Although I had a good idea of the outcome, I loved the entire story in between, I felt like I was transported back to such an elegant time period.  I loved how the perfumes were woven in, and so badly wanted to smell them!

A true journey of self discovery for both Grace and Eva and I found myself so intrigued with the lives they lead.  I felt the entire time I was reading I always had a connection with the characters.

My only tiny negative factor would be that I wanted more.  While the whole novel was so elegant and well delivered the end left me feeling empty.  I wanted more of Grace's journey and felt there could have been an epilogue instead of an abrupt ending.  That was the only thing holding me back from a 5 star rating, there was just not enough closure for me.

Overall a great historical novel, that I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to awaken their senses. 

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publish Date: October 21, 2003
Format: Kobo ereader
Pages: - 
ISBN:

This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai’i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place – and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman.  Then one day a rose-coloured mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her.  Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka’i.  Here her life is supposed to end – but instead she discovers it is only just beginning.  With a vibrant cast of vividly realized characters, Moloka’i is the true-to-life chronicle of a people who embraced life in the face of death.

My Thoughts

Wowza...what a roller coaster of a story.  Moloka'i is the fictional story of events that are very true.  As I was reading I found myself constantly doing research and wanting to find out more information about a time and events I didn't even know existed.  

This story is so full of emotion.  Such a heartbreaking tale of probably the most courageous fictional character I have ever read about.  There is so much death and despair that there were times I didn't think I would be able to keep going.  

"God didn't give man wings; he have him the brain and the spirit to give himself wings.  Just as He gave us the capacity to laugh when we hurt, or to struggle on when we feel like giving up."

I felt an emotional connection to every character - Rachel, Henry, Kenji, Sister Catherine and even Dorothy and eventually Ruth.  There are a few points of view in which the story is told, mainly women - and I had to keep reminding myself that this novel was written by a male, not a female.  Brennert knows how to tap into the hearts of his readers and delivers such a beautiful story.

This is a novel that will stay with me for a very long time and will always keep me wondering, where they better off on the island than part of society?  Highly recommended!

My Rating: «««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas

Publish Date: February 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Incorporated
Format: download library
Pages: -
ISBN: -

Part love letter to New York, part love letter to Paris, and total devotion to all things sweet.  Paris, My Sweet is a personal and movable feast that’s a treasure map for anyone who loves fresh cupcakes and fine chocolate, New York and Paris, and life in general.  It’s about how the search for happiness can be as fleeting as a sliver of cheesecake and about how the life you’re meant to live doesn't always taste like the one you envisioned.  Organized into baker’s dozen of delicacies (and the adventures they inspire) that will tempt readers’ appetites, Paris, My Sweet is something to savor.

My Thoughts

So this is a memoir about self discovery.  Just under 300 pages of non stop complaining that she doesn't belong in Paris and that she doesn't belong in New York and where DOES she belong.  After being offered a job at Louis Vuitton (hello!? That happens?) Amy Thomas jets off to Paris from New York to start her new career.  I found the whole novel repetitive and sometimes boring and had to start skimming towards the end.  It was very Sex and the City meets Julie and Julia.

I was always starving reading this, and needed to bake 2 dozen strawberry cupcakes just to get through it.  Having such a sweet tooth myself I was envious of all the wonderful places she got to experience.  When I travel to Paris someday this will be my guidebook.

My Rating: «««

Buy it Now!

The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.