Review: Turbulence: Career, Drugs, Sex; Intertwined, by Edward MacMillan

Title: Turbulence: Career, Drugs, Sex; Intertwined

Author: Edward MacMillan

Publisher: Self-published

Date of Publication: 2015

Number of Pages: 218

Disclaimer: The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

Summary

Hotel executive Kevin Logan was the unsuspecting victim of a Mexican cartel's plot to test a diabolical distribution program using the airline baggage system to smuggle hard drugs into the United States. Discovering this plan by accidentally intercepting his forwarded baggage originally intended for a flight to Asia, Kevin chose to forego law enforcement notification and store the drugs while he continued his travel assignment that was deadline oriented and fraught with consequences to his company and his career. That decision set off a global drug chase halfway around the world threatening him and others, including a romantic interest that became entangled in the chase.

The tale, set in the nineteen seventies, before personal computers, cell phones, the internet and Homeland Security, provided minimum communication tools, but especially, an ability to cope using his experience and wits. Saddled with a stash of drugs worth near a street value of a million dollars, and a criminal enterprise desperate to silence their distribution plans, only that combination of experience and wits, aided by the love of a beautiful woman, could give him any chance of survival.

Review

It's been a while since I read a thriller, a story that would keep me at the edge of my seat and fill me with adrenaline. Well, none of this happened while reading Turbulence.

First of all, the plot started off quite interestingly. Kevin Logan was a hotel executive, who discovered in his luggage some carefully packaged drugs along with a tracking device. Because he had some urgent business matters, he hid the drugs and left the device in the house of a random flight attendant that he had just met and spent the night with. Then, until after the half of the book,  we followed him as he handled his business problems, which totally destroyed any suspense that has been created. Somehow, the storyline returned to the drugs, along with the action. The flight attendant, Alison, also returned to the plot because she had to bring the device to Kevin, and he decided out of nowhere that she was the love of his life. After this, the ending was anticlimactic and to be honest, I didn't really care much about the fate of Kevin and Alison.

The main problem with Turbulence was that the drugs were always in the background during the whole book. They were like a shadow in Kevin's life, that never posed to him a real danger. Instead on focusing on the action, we learnt what an amazing businessman Kevin was, how good looking he was, what an amazingly good lover he was, how many women he got, what luxuries he had, his workout routine, how he stayed in suites while traveling to the hotels he managed, how he traveled only first class, and the custom tuxes he had made. Seriously, I was fed up reading about how good looking, rich, smart, and generally awesome he was!

Furthermore, the romance in the novel came unnaturally and was forced. We never learnt anything about Alison to make us care about her. Kevin only spent a few hours with her, just like a one-night stand. After a couple of weeks that he contacted her, not only she was waiting for him, but he realised that she was the love of his life! How can she act like he is the best things that ever happened to her, only by spending some hours with him? And when they indeed met again, what did they do? Of course, they went on a date and had sex again and again. Meanwhile, the cartel was sending them warnings, but who cared about this little danger?

The story was set in the 1970's. This didn't really affect the story, except for the means of communication. Rather than using e-mail and mobile phones, Kevin used telephones, beepers, and fax. I only spotted a small anachronism: Kevin listened to some music on his CD player, a device that was first released in 1982. But this is just a minor thing.

I won't hide that Turbulence was a disappointment to me. Not only the action was minimum, the story didn't even focus on what it was supposed to be about. If you take the drugs out of the title, then you would have a better description of the novel. The flight had many turbulences.     

Review: At the End of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

Title: At the End of the Orchard

Author: Tracy Chevalier

Publisher: Viking

Date of Publication: March 15th, 2016

Number of Pages: 289

Summary

1838: James and Sadie Goodenough have settled where their wagon got stuck – in the muddy, stagnant swamps of northwest Ohio. They and their five children work relentlessly to tame their patch of land, buying saplings from a local tree man known as John Appleseed so they can cultivate the fifty apple trees required to stake their claim on the property. But the orchard they plant sows the seeds of a long battle. James loves the apples, reminders of an easier life back in Connecticut; while Sadie prefers the applejack they make, an alcoholic refuge from brutal frontier life.

1853: Their youngest child Robert is wandering through Gold Rush California. Restless and haunted by the broken family he left behind, he has made his way alone across the country. In the redwood and giant sequoia groves he finds some solace, collecting seeds for a naturalist who sells plants from the new world to the gardeners of England. But you can run only so far, even in America, and when Robert’s past makes an unexpected appearance he must decide whether to strike out again or stake his own claim to a home at last.

Review

When it comes to historical fiction, Tracy Chevalier is definitely one of the authors that I particularly like. After reading novels such as The Girl With the Pearl Earring and The Virgin Blue, I anticipated eagerly her latest book, At the End of the Orchard. Indeed, this was the novel that I expected the most in March.

At the End of the Orchard told the story of James and Sadie Goodenough, as well as the story of one of their children, Robert. The Goodenough family was trying to survive the difficult conditions of the Black Swamp, where they had established themselves. One of the most important elements for their survival were the apple trees that they tried to grow, which were the pride of James. But there was a huge difference in opinion between the couple: James wanted to grow apples that were meant for eating while Sadie preferred the trees that grew apples for the production of cider and applejack. The other part of the novel followed Robert as he traveled through America, chased the gold fever and ultimately finding what he wanted from his life.

When we got to know the Goodenoughs, the relationship between James and Sadie was declining. I couldn't stop thinking that I was becoming the witness of a failing marriage, where both of them were completely unhappy. Their argument seemed to be only about the trees, but its roots laid deeper than that, in the Black Swamp itself. Sadie was the worst possible mother I've ever encountered in literature. She was headstrong and hot-blooded, saying things only to hurt James, acting without thinking and wondering about consequences. What she did in the camp, was unforgivable to me. But James was a likable enough character, although I'd like to see the tenderness he showed to his apple trees extend to his own children, as well. He knew that Sadie was miserable, but he didn't do a thing. I'm not quite sure though what he could actually say and not backfire. The characters of both of them depict on Robert's personality later on. Whenever he thought about his father, he was always connected to the trees, and especially those Golden Pippins he loved. But he couldn't even stand thinking about his mother, I can't blame him since the last words he had heard from her before leaving his home hurt him deeply and made him doubt his existence. Despite the trauma that he carried, Robert somehow managed to find himself and grow into a goodenough man.

At the End of the Orchard also had a great variety of secondary characters. First of all, the Goodenough children, from which Martha is the most important since she was closer to Robert. Despite her appearance, she was a strong woman. Another character that I really liked was Molly, the somewhat romantic interest of Robert. His relationship with her made him grow up, take responsibilities and think about the future. But Robert's new life wouldn't even exist without his employer, William Lobb, who offered him a job that he really loved.

With this novel, I was instantly transferred into the US of the Gold Rush era. The research that the author made showed into every detail of the life back then, as well as the descriptions of the sceneries that the characters moved. Moreover, the descriptions of all those apple trees and the grand sequoias were magnificent. It's no wonder that every time I was reading this book I wanted to eat an apple! I mean, how can anyone resist, while reading about apples that taste like lemon, and honey, and have an aftertaste of pineapple?

At the End of the Orchard is a great historical novel. The characters and the relationships between them are the central points of the book and the result is touching and heartwarming. It is definitely one of the most highly recommended books of the year!

Review: The Story of Lucius Cane (Book One) by Vanya Ferreira

Title: The Story of Lucius Cane (Book One)

Author: Vanya Ferreira

Publisher: Self-published

Date of Publication: 2016

Number of Pages: 27

Disclaimer: The author provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!

Summary

London, 1794. Lucius Cane, a peculiar sort of vampire, comes upon an opponent the likes of which he has never seen before – a brute with remarkable abilities. But not all is as it seems as their encounter unfolds in a manner that neither of them expected.

Review

You can never go wrong with the Vampire vs. Werewolf theme in a horror-fantasy novel. Plus, I'm always eager to dive into worlds with supernatural creatures, such as these two. The Story of Lucius Cane is a short novella that promises a lot within this field.

Lucius Cane is apparently a very powerful vampire. Jack Estenborough, aka "The Hound", is a werewolf who is hired to kill Lucius, only to fall into a trap. I have to admit that this story is very intriguing and by the end of the novella, I just needed to know what happened next.

But, as is usual with novellas of this length, I felt that many things were missing. The only real backstory we get in this book is how Jack was converted into a werewolf. But Lucius interested me more, as the protagonist, and I wanted to know more about him, like his origin and who/what is the one that he's constantly hearing in his head! Also, in the beginning, we are introduced to a human character, Anne Hathborne, only to forget her as soon as the chapter finishes.

The Story of Lucius Cane is a novella with a lot of potential and I would love to read it as a full-length novel, as well as Book Two, whenever it's ready. If you want something quick to read and you like horror-fantasy then give it a try!

Review: Sophia: Writings On Nature and Religion by Todd Erick Pedersen

Title: Sophia: Writings On Nature and Religion

Author: Todd Erick Pedersen

Publisher: Balboa Press

Date of Publication: 2013

Number of Pages: 172



Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

Sophia: Writings On Nature and Religion features a selection of concise meditations and short essays, with a host of psalmist-style prose poems and one eponymous hymn. Thus, this book is all at once supposed to deepen and to expand upon and to illuminate, the ancient mysterious and religiously archetypal figure, of Sophia, or Holy Wisdom. Writings On Nature and Religion is then a sustained exploration of this numinous figure and of her livingly gracious presence.

Review

Sophia: Writings on Nature and Religion seemed like the ideal book to provide food for thought. Although I'm not that religious, I am a nature lover and so I thought that I could give it a try. But it turned out another disappointment.

First of all, I never understood what the author tried to write: essays or poetry? I know that in the description they are mentioned as psalmist-style prose poems, but in order to keep the format the author had to cut something from the writing. This often led to half-finished sentences. Another thing that really bothered me was the extensive use of adjectives. I understand perfectly well that the imagery was used in a symbolic way, but it was too much. Most of the times it didn't add anything to the essay, it just described beautiful scenery.

This leads to the next problem I had with this book: its name should be Sophia: Writings On Religion. This was a purely religious book and although at first there was a more holistic approach to it, after a certain point passages from the Bible appeared. Don't misunderstand me, this fact alone didn't bother. I just expected to read something about nature, as well as something about religion.

All in all, Sophia: Writings On Nature and Religion wasn't my cup of tea. I almost didn't finish it. I'm also not sure where to recommend it. I guess, if you are into spiritualism then you could give it a try.

Review: The Boston Ranter: Slanted Vignettes from a Native New Englander by Layden Robinson

Title: The Boston Ranter: Slanted Vignettes from a Native Englander

Author: Layden Robinson

Publisher: Self-published

Date of Publication: 2015

Number of Pages: 85

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

This autobiographical novella was inspired by my life growing up in New England. Comedic, dramatic and quite revealing. This latest title will truly explain why I am the raving lunatic I am today.

Review

I'm always up for a short and quirky read. The number of pages appealed to my first demand, and if a cover can tell us things about the book, then this cover appealed to my second demand. But the first question that comes to mind about The Boston Ranter is whether this is a short story collection or a novella, as the summary promises. Would it be some sketch-like stories or would a central plot exist? Is it the story of the author's life, or is it a work of fiction? To be honest, I was kind of confused. I can understand if the author changed the names of the people he mentioned in the stories, but I never figured out if the incidents he described actually happened.

To answer my first question, this is a short story collection. In fact, there are 37 chapters in this book all dealing with different subjects. But there is no way I could see The Boston Ranter as a novella. I'm not sure if describing those chapters as short stories would be alright. Vignettes is definitely a more fitting word. In each chapter the author shares a certain memory, but most of the times the stories don't lead anywhere.

This leads to my next question: is it fiction or not? There is definitely a very particular point of view and some of the characters appear again and again. The way that the stories are written makes you think that these are things that have actually happened. At least, I hope so. In that way, I could forgive that there is no structure in the stories. Most of the times there is neither a beginning nor an ending.

The writing style is vivid and it actually makes The Boston Ranter an easy book to read. The author tries to bring the particular accent of Massachusetts is his writing, but the result isn't always as pleasant or as funny as it tried to be. There are also some profanities, which don't really bother me, but I know that some readers find disturbing. Lastly, there are smileys in a couple of chapters. I didn't mind, but I couldn't explain either the need for their existence in the text.

The Boston Ranter is indeed a quick and easy read. If you can pass the fact that there isn't a central plot and you don't have any problems with the profanities, then you could give it a try. At least, some of the stories are entertaining.


This counts as a self-published book for the 2016 Reading Challenge.

Review: Bioshock- Rapture by John Shirley

Title: Bioshock - Rapture

Author: John Shirley

Publisher: Tor Books

Date of Publication: 2011

Number of Pages: 444

Summary

It's the end of World War II. FDR's New Deal has redefined American politics. Taxes are at an all-time high. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has brought a fear of total annihilation. The rise of secret government agencies and sanctions on business has many watching their backs. America's sense of freedom is diminishing... and many are desperate to take that freedom back.

Among them is a great dreamer, an immigrant who pulled himself from the depths of poverty to become one of the wealthiest and admired men in the world. That man is Andrew Ryan, and he believed that great men and women deserve better. And so he set out to create the impossible, a utopia free from government, censorship, and moral restrictions on science -- where what you give is what you get. He created Rapture -- the shining city below the sea.

But as we all know, this utopia suffered a great tragedy. This is the story of how it all came to be... and how it all ended.

Review

Bioshock: Infinite is one of my favourite games. I don't usually play first-person shooters, but in this particular case, the story was so engrossing that I had to make an exception! Indeed, if you're looking for a great story in a game this is one of the titles that definitely come in mind. So, when I decided to read Bioshock - Rapture for the video games to books themed read I was equally excited and anxious. The first book of the theme (Assassin's Creed: Renaissance) turned out to be a disappointment although the game had an excellent story and I was worried that history would repeat itself. But with Bioshock there was a difference: I hadn't played the first installment of the franchise prior to reading the novel. And doing both of these, reading the novel and playing the game at the same period, gave me an experience I didn't expect. 

First of all, Bioshock - Rapture is a prequel to the game. We get to know from the very beginning who Andrew Ryan was and how he decided to build Rapture, an underwater city. Before even the foundations of the city were laid, we understood which people Ryan wanted to recruit. If everything went according to the tycoon's plan, the Rapture would surely be the utopia he was hoping for. When the city was finally built, Fontaine came into the foreground and the relentless game of power began. There was a lot of politics and manipulation while each one tried to control Rapture. Ryan wanted to avoid unions and nationalism at all costs, but he was forced to act as a tyrant. If you haven't played the game, then there are a couple of spoilers towards the end.

The idea of a city like Rapture is very appealing. A free city, with free market, where everyone will be entitled to his own work. No government, no religion, nothing to control society. The rise of such a city was rapid and the falling was even more rapid. If it weren't Fontaine, then there would surely be someone else that would want to control Rapture.

The key to the fall of Rapture was the discovery of the plasmids. This is one of the distinctive elements of the game and it couldn't be omitted. But at the same time, it offered a tool of manipulation. Plasmids were addictive and helped human genes to mutate, giving to the users super-human abilities, like telekinesis and incineration. The one who sold the plasmids was the one who possessed all the power.

As I've already mentioned, Bioshock is a first-person shooter game. If there were violent scenes in the novel, then it would totally be justifiable, but this wasn't the case. The novel indeed had a couple of fights, but the violence was mild. Also, looting was absent. To be honest, I would find it absurd if this gameplay element was included. What Bioshock - Rapture managed to do was to keep the atmosphere of the game and that was what impressed me the most.

Playing the game while reading the novel gave me an extraordinary experience. I was completely immersed in the world and the novel gave me a better understanding of some of the characters that appeared in the game as well. It was like I was reading about the cause and then I traveled into the future and saw the effect it had. If you haven't played the game, then I would recommend that you do both.

All in all, Bioshock - Rapture was an excellent read. If you expect to find the raw violence of the game, then you'll be disappointed. But if you want to dig deeper into the motives of Andrew Ryan and what the citizens of Rapture thought, then you'll definitely love it. This is a tough call for the score, as the novel is as good as the game, but I'll have to give the point to the book format.

Review: Headlines You May Have Missed by Morris Brady

Title: Headlines You May Have Missed

Author: Morris Brady

Publisher: Self-published

Date of Publication: 2016

Number of Pages: 82

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

Are you ready for some news that isn't fit to print?

Humor and news come together in the new ebook Headlines You May Have Missed. Sure, you can find news in most newspapers, but where else can you find headlines like these...

SHRINK SAYS YOUR GRANDMA COULDN'T COOK... You just liked food she prepared because she put sugar or booze in everything.

FLORIDA COLLEGES SLASH BUDGETS... Academics out--football to stay.

TRUMP: I THOUGHT FOOD STAMPS WERE POSTAGE STAMPS WITH PICTURES OF FOOD ON THEM

Admit it... you don't see headlines like that in the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times. See what you've been missing by reading Morris Brady's new book, Headlines You May Have Missed.

Review

I love books that make me laugh. The funny books themed read is, in fact, one of my favourite themes I've done so far. So, I was eager to dig into Headlines You May Have Missed, especially after reading lengthy novels, such as 11/22/63.

The format of this book is quite simple. The headlines fall into seven categories: Popular Culture, Sports, Politics, Modern Life, Big Business, Tabloid News and Politics (The George W. Bush Presidency). In that way, everyone can find a topic that will enjoy more. For example, I couldn't really get the Sports and Politics headlines, but I was interested in Popular Culture and Tabloid News ones.

But the issue with Headlines You May Have Missed is that many of these headlines didn't connect with me. Most of them are topical, so people from the USA might enjoy it more since they will be more familiar with the news and people the headlines intent to comment upon. Another thing that I missed in this book is a foreword by the author, even a short one. This is a book that contains only headlines, there are only a couple of exceptions where there is also a subheader, but I'd love to read one or two words from the author.

Headlines You May Have Missed is a quick read. The humour might not be for everybody, but if you're in for a quick and light read then give it a try.

So, my advice is...

Visit the newspaper stand... 

Review: A Guide Through A Woman's Mind: Women, It's Time to Say What You Mean...And Mean What You Say! by Rea Unique

Title: A Guide Through A Woman's Mind: Women, It's Time to Say What You Mean...And Mean What You Say!

Author: Rea Unique

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Date of Publication: 2008

Number of Pages: 80



Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

So many relationships fail because of communication. Men seem to think that we can read their mind.

Women, if you fall into this category…Wow! The only thing that comes to me is that you are tired of him.

Girls, don’t worry. No one’s name is out in the air and you are not the only one complaining about your situation. I’m just surprised so many women are going through the same situation. Maybe this is the reason so many women are in violent domestic relationships. Is it because some men don’t know how to express their feelings or opinions, and becoming dominant is the only way they know how? I am here to tell you that do not work!!!

This book deals with relationships. It speaks words from the heart of women. This book speaks words that women find easy to discuss among each other. Words that they find hard to express with their partner and words they so desperately want to say.

Review

There isn't a better way to express feelings and thoughts than through a good poem. Moreover, a collection of poetry, such as this one, dealing with domestic violence has every potential to be pretty powerful. Or, at least, that was what I was expecting.

A Guide Through A Woman's Mind wasn't actually about women suffering domestic violence like the summary had promised me. It told the story of a woman who lost communication with her husband and, therefore, she felt miserable about it. Now, this is also a very serious problem, but different than the one I was expecting.

Apart from my expectations, this collection of poetry told a story. Each poem added something new to the plot and revealed parts of the characters that were unknown to me before. I'm not sure if those poems are even a bit autobiographical, but I got to know this woman who cried to her partner for communication. I felt like a witness to a marriage that slowly fell apart. Moreover, I followed this woman when she was trying to decide when she should let go of a relationship that did her no good. Eventually, I realized how much courage she needed to begin again. I have to admit that I enjoyed that A Guide Through A Woman's Mind turned out to reveal its own story bit by bit.

But my enjoyment wasn't enough for this book to leave me satisfied. Sometimes, and I hate to admit that it was more often than I'd want to, the narrator seemed to me a little unfair and unreasonable. After years of living together, it's only natural not to have candlelit dinners anymore. But what I really didn't like was the frequent mention of who brought the money home. If a man were to read this collection, I'm not quite sure what he would think. Well, I understand that this is targeted to women, but still it's full of cliches.

Nevertheless, I'm sure that I would enjoy A Guide Through A Woman's Mind more if there weren't so many typos in the poems. If there were just a couple I wouldn't even mention it, but this collection needs some editing. Especially those grammatical errors really threw me off the poems!

To sum things up, A Guide Through A Woman's Mind had potential, but I was mostly disappointed. Both thematically and morphologically this collection failed to appeal to me. Read this only if you are a woman and need some poetry to read, but still keep in mind of the issues I've stated.

Review: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Title: 11/22/63

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Gallery Press

Date of Publication: 2012

Number of Pages: 849

Find it at: Book Depository

Summary

Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away...but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke... Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten...and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful.

Review

11/22/63 has been sitting on my TBR list almost since its publication. Think about it, it's written by Stephen King, it's a time travel novel and one that has to do with history, how can it disappoint? I finally got to read it and I'm glad that I've started the new reading year with this novel.

Jake Epping is an English teacher. He is invited by the owner of his favourite diner, Al, to go back in time in a portal that he had accidentally found. This portal always leads to a day in September 1958. But Al has a particular plan for Jake. He needs him to remain in the late fifties and save Kennedy in 1963. Of course, this doesn't come as a surprise since both the title and the cover of the novel are huge pointers of this fact.

But what we truly get in 11/22/63 is a portrayal of an era so different from this one. The research that Stephen King made for the construction of this world is mindblowing. Even the slightest detail is in order. You can only take a look at the Play(list) by the Book to figure out in what extent we emerge in life in the late fifties and early sixties. Indeed, like Jake, we have to adapt to the way the people talked back then, to the things they were listening to, to what was entertaining to them, to their morals. Jake is supposed to live almost five years there, so he has to create a new life. This includes things like getting an apartment, getting a job and most importantly to interact with people and maybe be friendly with some of them.

Being able to travel to the past enables Jake to change some things he doesn't like. First of all, he decides to change the fate of Harry Dunning, one of his adult students, and his family, before going to Dallas. In this way, he will find out how the past reacts to change. The answer is badly. The past will throw anything at him, in order to make him fail. This side story, along with another one, much shorter, could make a novel of their own.

After taking care of this, Jake is ready to move to Texas and wait for Lee Harvey Oswald to return to the USA. According to King's description, Dallas isn't the right place for Jake, so he moves to a smaller town nearby named Jodie. Before too long, he is accepted by this community and feels like home. On top of that, he meets Sadie and falls in love with her. This is where the biggest part of the novel takes place. Jake's life in Jodie is so important to the story that sometimes I forgot why he traveled through time, which might be my only complaint about the whole novel. At times, the assassination of Kennedy felt like a secondary subplot in Jake's adventures, but the climax leading to that fateful day was so intense that it was ultimately rewarding.

The main characters, Jake and Sadie, are both well-developed. Jake, on the one hand, is rational and manages not to lose his mind, although all of these things keep happening to him. He understands perfectly well that the past doesn't want to change, but he is persistent and driven. Ok, sometimes he loses his focus but in the end he remembers the reason for his visit in 1960's. Sadie, on the other hand, has a complicated character. Her past makes her afraid of giving in to Jake, plus she senses that he has secrets of his own. I admired her bravery towards the end of 11/22/63.

We also learn many things about the Oswald family. I like the fact that we get to know Lee as a human, able to love and be afraid. But once again I feel that I learnt more about his wife, Marina, rather than the man himself. Kennedy is only present in a couple of scenes and thus, I couldn't form an impression of him. The other secondary characters only appear here and there. Some are likeable enough, others not so much. But I missed Al towards the end of the novel. In fact, we never learn what happened to him after Jake returned to the present.

All in all, 11/22/63 is a great time travel novel. It has all the questions and paradoxes that a visit in the past can cause. Even the slightest change might be enough for unpredictable things to happen. It also has some intense and nail-biting moments and a very good ending. Although it's quite lengthy, if you are on the lookout for a thriller, then this is the novel for you.


This counts as a novel from North America in the 2016 Reading Challenge.

Blog Tour: Death in A Major by Sarah Fox (Review and Excerpt)

Title: Death in A Major

Series: Music Lover's Mystery #2

Author: Sarah Fox

Publisher: Witness Impulse

Date of Publication: 2016

Number of Pages: 304

Summary

The new season for the Point Grey Philharmonic starts off on a sour note when one of the symphony’s wealthy benefactors drops dead in the second Music Lover’s Mystery from author Sarah Fox.

When Archibald Major, local big wig and nasty tyrant, drops dead at a post-concert reception, violinist Midori Bishop soon suspects foul play. Although Midori has no intention of getting involved in another murder investigation, that all changes when Jordan - her violin student and the victim’s grandson - seeks her help convincing the police that the real killer is his uncle, a low-level criminal.

As Midori digs into the victim’s life, she discovers that he was a man who created discord at every turn, even within his own family, and there is no shortage of potential suspects. When someone close to Midori unexpectedly confesses to the crime, Midori must race to discover the identity of the true killer before an innocent person goes to jail for a crime they didn’t commit… and before Midori herself becomes a victim in the killer’s deadly encore.

Review

What can be more appealing than a mystery novel under the tunes of Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, and Mozart? The Music Lover's Mystery combines these two things that I love, mystery and music. Although I read Death In A Major without reading the first instalment of the series, Dead Ringer, I didn't have any problem getting to know the characters.

Mystery novels tend to have a certain pattern: a murder happens, the main character makes a list of the suspects and then investigates each one of them. Death in A Major follows this route. Midori was present at Mr. Major's death and so she had the chance to witness who seemed to hate the elderly man. Although she didn't intend to participate in the investigation she always seemed to be in the center of the events. Generally, I liked the way she chose to search for answers, but I found it a little weird that she chose not to investigate certain suspects based only on her gut feeling.

I really liked that everything in Death in A Major were unpredictable. In every single chapter, I learnt something new about Mr. Major and his life, as well as facts about the suspects, that I didn't expect, which is great in this particular genre. Until the very end, I couldn't guess who the murderer was! Also, the climax of the novel was pretty intense. For a moment, it seemed like Midori didn't have a chance of escape.

But there were also things in the book that I could do without. Basically, one thing: the love story with Aaron. I realise that he might have appeared in the first instalment of the series (which I'm not sure since I haven't read it) and so he would have to appear in the second one as well, but I couldn't feel concerned about the future of his and Midori's relationship. So, the chapters where the young violinist was thinking about breaking up with him didn't have anything to offer to the story.

Nevertheless, one of the greatest advantages of Death in A Major was the main character, Midori. She was well-developed, I instantly connected with her and I was sincerely worried about her well-being. Sometimes, it did feel strange that she always found herself in trouble, when the police had clearly told her to stay out of this. Also, her curiosity would easily make her seem nosy and in a few instances I did consider her as such.

All in all, Death in A Major is a highly enjoyable read. The mystery is hard to solve and if you love this genre then it will definitely keep your interest. I won't hide that I will now read the first Music Lover's Mystery, as well!    

Excerpt

“I’m going to speak to Ernest. He looks lonely.”

I escaped from the questions I knew Mikayla wanted to ask and approached Ernest, a short and rotund French horn player in his late fifties. His normally pale face was flushed and he stood by himself at the edge of the room, one hand fiddling with the lapel of his tuxedo jacket as he stared through his thick glasses at the crowd of mingling people.

“Hi, Ernest.”

He started when I addressed him.

“Oh. Hello, Midori.” He cleared his throat and continued to tug at his lapel. “The concert went well, don’t you think?”

“Very.”

His gaze drifted back to the crowd in the middle of the room. I followed his line of sight. Mrs. Duffy—Mr. Major’s daughter and the mother of one of my violin students—was helping her father into a wheelchair. He sat down heavily and Mrs. Duffy hooked his cane over one of the handles.

A middle-aged woman with glasses and dull, frizzy brown hair hovered behind the wheelchair and patted Major on the shoulder once he was seated. The elderly man must have grown tired of standing, but I doubted that he’d ever grow tired of creeping out women less than half his age.

I returned my attention to Ernest. His eyes were still fixed on Mr. Major and his expression had transformed in the past few seconds from bland to darkly angry.

The drastic, unexpected change startled and puzzled me. “Do you know Mr. Major?”

“What?” Ernest swiveled his head toward me, his thick glasses drawing my attention to his gray eyes and their staccato blinking. “No. I’ve never met the man.”

“Oh.” How odd. Why would he have such an intense dislike for a man he’d never met? Unless I was mistaken about whom he’d been focused on.

Ernest pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and patted his perspiring forehead. “Excuse me.”

He made a direct line to the nearest waitress and snagged a flute of champagne off her tray. My eyebrows shot up as he gulped down the entire contents in no more than a second. He abandoned the empty glass on a nearby table and moved through the crowd, patting his damp forehead again.

Weird.

Or was it? I’d never seen Ernest act like that before, but then again, I barely knew him and had never spent time with him outside of the orchestra. For all I knew he was odd on a regular basis.

Shrugging off Ernest’s behavior, I decided to join some of my fellow second violinists who had gathered near one of the grand arched windows, the view nothing but darkness at this time of night. I threaded my way through the clusters of people, making sure to stay behind Mr. Major so he wouldn’t see me and have a chance to run his sleazy eyes over me again.

As I passed within a few feet of his wheelchair, Mrs. Duffy spread a small blanket over his knees.

“Are you warm enough, Dad?”

Major swatted her hand away. “Stop fussing. I don’t need your incompetent brand of help.”

My eyes widened at the rancor in his voice. So did Mrs. Duffy’s. She choked back a sob and turned away from her father, quickly squeezing her way through the crowd.

I glared at the back of Major’s head. What a mean old bastard.

He continued to grumble under his breath. The frizzy-haired woman patted his shoulder again and spoke to him in quiet, soothing tones.

I set my empty champagne glass down on a nearby table and searched the room for Mrs. Duffy. I spotted her just as she slipped out through a door at the far end of the room. Abandoning my plan to join my fellow violinists, I worked my way through the crowded room until I reached the far door. I pushed it open and slipped out into a corridor lined with the same red carpeting as the reception room.

There was no one in sight. I knew there was an exit around the corner, so it was possible that Mrs. Duffy had stepped outside to collect herself. I wasn’t sure if I should continue to look for her to make sure she was okay. Maybe she’d prefer to be left alone. After all, I didn’t know her particularly well. I’d taught her son, Jordan, violin for seven years, but had never talked to her for more than a few minutes at a time, and the topics of our conversations had always stayed confined to her son’s progress or lesson schedules. Certainly we’d never discussed anything personal or established any sort of friendship.

I turned back to the door, intending to return to the reception room.

“What are you doing here?” a female voice asked.

I spun around, thinking the question had been aimed at me, but I was still alone.

“I need some cash,” a man said.

“And you think I have extra lying around?” I recognized the female voice as belonging to Mrs. Duffy. “You know I’m having my own financial troubles since I left Gregory.”

I paused with my hand on the doorknob. I knew this was a conversation that wasn’t meant for my ears, but somehow I couldn’t bring myself to go back into the reception room. I’d always been too curious for my own good.

Two quiet steps took me farther along the corridor, closer to the branch that led to the exit.

“Of course I know,” the male voice said. “I need you to get some money off Dad for me.”

“Kevin, you know I can’t do that. If I even mention your name these days he goes through the roof.”

The man let out a string of colorful swearwords, most of them unsavory descriptors aimed at Mr. Major Senior. “Can’t you pretend it’s for you? I’m desperate here, sis.”

“I can’t.” Mrs. Duffy sounded close to tears. “He’s not much happier with me than he is with you lately. He thinks I’m a failure since my marriage fell apart.”

“Has he been bullying you again?”

Mrs. Duffy sniffled.

I jumped as a loud bang reverberated along the corridor.

“Kevin! Be careful!” Mrs. Duffy admonished in a hushed voice. “You almost put a hole in the wall.”

“That damn bastard,” Kevin spat. “Always trying to make everyone else miserable.”

A door opened nearby and a draft of chilly air wafted along the corridor toward me.

“Where are you going?” Mrs. Duffy asked, her voice tight with worry.

“I’ve had enough of the old miser,” Kevin said. “And I’m going to make sure we never have to deal with him ever again.”

A door slammed shut, the noise jolting me into motion. Not wanting Mrs. Duffy to know I’d overheard the conversation, I slipped back into the reception room and pulled the door closed behind me.

About the Author

Sarah Fox was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia where she developed a love for mysteries at a young age. When not writing novels or working as a legal writer she is often reading her way through a stack of books or spending time outdoors with her English Springer Spaniel.

Connect with Sarah Fox

Website - http://www.authorsarahfox.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/thewritefox

Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahfox

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4027516.Sarah_Fox

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Review: The Year of the Stolen Bicycle Tire and Other Stories by Andrew Kozma

Title: The Year of the Stolen Bicycle Tire and Other Stories

Author: Andrew Kosma

Publisher: Smashwords Editions

Date of Publication: 2015

Disclaimer: The author provided me a copy of his book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you so much!

Summary

The Year of the Stolen Bicycle Tire and Other Stories is a collection of weird, beautiful literary fiction containing four stories based in the fictional college town of Martinsville, Florida, as well as Athens, Greece, and Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.

The title story concerns a philosophy professor bent on taking revenge against a bike tire thief, who also happens to be one of his students. In An Apartment Hunter’s Guide to Martinsville, a young woman attempts, without luck, to find an apartment and perhaps a friend in her newly-adopted city. Mile-High Bridge tells of a couple climbing a mountain to give their cat a wilderness burial, and what they find along the way. Lastly, The Gypsy is about a couple in Athens, Greece, just after a city-wide riot, who find a woman who promises to rid them of their bad luck.

Review

The Year of the Stolen Bicycle Tire and Other Stories is a collection of four short stories, all having some kind of bizarreness about them. But before anything else, I have to admit that I loved instantly the title! It grabbed my interest and I wanted to see what happened in the story with the same name.

As it turned out, The Year of the Stolen Bicycle Tire was my least favourite story of the collection. I was pretty curious about the professor, Nathan, and why he hated David so much. Although there was no reason for him to suspect his student for his stolen tires, this fact didn't felt out of place. Instead, I could understand why he would feel jealousy towards David. The way he chose to take his revenge though wasn't satisfying at all. But what I really didn't like about the story is that the narration wasn't as straight-forward as I'd like. There were instances where Nathan was dragging on about his own thesis and his own philosophy, which felt tiring and they were taking a completely different route from the main story.

The second story, An Apartment Hunter's Guide to Martinsville, was a little odd, but compelling at the same time. A woman is in search of an apartment in the fictional town of Martinsville and we follow her as she visits several of them. None of those apartments is completely normal and we keep wondering whether she'll manage to find a place to stay, a thing that we never learn. At the same time, she is convinced to find a friend in this new town she moved. A potential candidate is a man that, we suppose, becomes eventually her landlord, but what is wrong with him?

Mile-High Bridge is the story that follows. This is yet another strange story, but intriguing, like the previous one. I liked the subtle flirting with the supernatural and Nick was such a likable character. But in this journey, Jordan and Nick didn't sound like a happy couple, which troubled me a lot. Despite this fact, this is the story that I liked the most.

The collection closes with the short story called The Gypsy. I won't hide that I liked that it took place in Athens, a setting so familiar to me. The story was supposed to occur after a big riot, but there wasn't anything more than the mention of it that made me believe that this was actually the case. To be honest, this fact didn't really offer anything to the plot. In The Gypsy, the supernatural elements were also present and I liked it a lot. Another thing that I liked is that not only money didn't bring happiness, but it's basically a curse to the couple.

All in all, The Year of the Stolen Bicycle Tires and Other Stories is a great collection of short stories. All of them have interesting elements and if you don't mind strange things happening, then you'll definitely enjoy it.  


This counts as a short story collection in the 2016 Reading Challenge.

Review: The Ghost of Christmas by K.J. Emrick

Title: The Ghost of Christmas

Author: K.J. Emrick

Series: Darcy Sweet Mystery #4 

Publisher: South Coast Publishing

Date of Publication: 2013

Number of Pages: 75

Summary

Darcy Sweet loves the Christmas season with its snow and Christmas trees and colorful decorations. She also loves the Christmas pageant that her town puts on every year. However this year things don't go as smoothly as hoped when an unexpected visitor shows up: The ghost of a murdered man who was a former pageant Santa. The ghost needs Darcy to find out who his killer is so he may finally rest in peace. However, things are complicated further when there is an attempt on Darcy and her boyfriend's life, while he is wearing the ghost's Santa costume. Will they find the ghost's killer in time when every attempt Darcy makes is being impeded by forces unknown? Will they make it to Christmas in one piece or will the Santa suit claim another victim?

Review

Now that we've reached the last week of the year, I have a confession to make: I like cozy mysteries. The Darcy Sweet Mystery series was my introduction to the genre and as I read more installments from it, I like it even more.

Darcy Sweet lives in Misty Hollows, a town full of mysteries. When something bad is about to happen, a mysterious mist rises in the town, which is quite frequently. For Darcy, who can see ghosts, this often becomes dangerous, as she tries to help the ghosts and solve the mysteries of the town. In the fourth installment of the series, The Ghost of Chrismas, Darcy feels unsure about her future with her boyfriend Jon. This is when the ghost of Roger August visits her and informs her that he was murdered 20 years ago. So, Darcy ones again finds herself in a perilous situation! 

In The Ghost of Christmas, the elements of romance and the problems in the relationship between Darcy and Jon are more central than the murder. This fact doesn't bother me, as it's the fourth book of the series and I've wanted to learn more about the way Jon feels about Darcy's ability. And for a moment, it's so bad that they almost break up. By the end of the book, I feel like both of them learn things about themselves that they weren't aware of and their relationship gets stronger. 

The mystery was quite interesting as well. Darcy's ability and her aunt's ghost give good starting points for the investigation. The Santa suit, also, gives an unpredictable twist to the mystery. Is it really haunted? Like the other novels in the series, the conclusion comes quickly and quite easily. 

All in all, The Ghost of Christmas is a light mystery, easy to read during the holiday season. With the Christmas pageant, it has a wonderful seasonal atmosphere. But don't expect too much suspense, because you'll be disappointed.

So, my advice is...

Visit Misty Hollows!     

Review: Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne

Title: Snowed In

Author: Rachel Hawthorne 

Publisher: HarperTeen

Date of Publication: 2007

Number of Pages: 261

Find it at: Book Depository

Summary

Well, apparently I live here now - my mom just bought the place. And named it after me, Ashleigh, which was nice. But did she know how cold it is here??

Um, it's a tiny island with not much to do, unless you really like sleigh rides. But I gotta say there are quite a few hot guys on this cold island...

Review

First of all, I love Christmas! Every year, around this time I want to read books about the season, and winter, and snow, and Christmas trees, and all these things. Well, I couldn't ask for anything more from Snowed In! This novel is ideal for the holiday season.

Ashleigh Sneaux (I just love the name) has just moved in a tiny island with her mother, where everyone uses sleighs for their transportation, as there are no cars. The island is also located north in the US, so the amount of snow and cold is immense. Think only that Ash moved there from Texas. But, as soon as the two women move to their place, Ash finds out that there are some hot guys in their new community, Chase and Josh. Will she get over the fact that she doesn't date the same guy for more than twice? 

Snowed In has an absolutely adorable story! Ashleigh doesn't do stable relationships and Josh (the main love interest) is already in a long-term one. The way they find their attraction for each other is just too cute, I've been giggling most of the time! Their conversations were hilarious, as well. From the very start, you can see the spark and that they are right for each other. How do you know that it's a great match? When her surname is Sneaux and his is Wynter.

Our main two protagonists, Ash and Josh, are so likable! Ash, at first, finds it difficult to fit in the community, but she tries hard. Her attraction for Josh is instant, which I don't really get, but it's something that I have been expecting. What really bothers me in her character is her stubbornness about the boyfriend thing. Even though she feels all those things for the first time, she still pushes Josh away. Thanks to her best friend Tara they were able to move forward a little! Josh, on the other hand, is so cute! He is the nice guy, he helps Ashleigh a lot and he has to deal with the worst girlfriend. Nathalie, Josh's girlfriend, is the character that I dislike the most in this book. Seriously, what is wrong with her? She refers to Josh as "my boyfriend" and only that and she even admits that she likes having a boyfriend more than she likes Josh himself. Oh well!

Snowed In is definitely an enjoyable read! It has an adorable story and likable characters. They may be a little immature at times, but by the end of the book, they learn their lesson. If you're looking for a holiday read, I recommend it!

So, my advice is...

Go for a sleigh ride!   

Review: The Fin: Fate, is Only Waist Weep... by Matthew Danza

Title: The Fin: Fate, is Only Waist Deep...

Author: Matthew Danza 

Publisher: Self-published

Date of Publication: 2015

Number of Pages: 78

Disclaimer: The author provided me a copy of his book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you so much!

Summary

Lee Kager, her twin brother James, their best friend Adam and their father have been shipwrecked on a sandbar near the shores of Horseshoe Island. Stranded several miles from the local shore with no means of communication and the ocean’s tide rising fast, the only thing standing between them and the shore is a shark with an appetite for human flesh. Join their quest for survival as they fight their way to shore. Inspired by the blockbuster hit, Jaws. Read the book before you go swimming, and know that fate, is only waist deep.

Review

I have never read a book about a shark attack, not even Jaws. Maybe because I live in a country where shark sightings are scarce and attacks are even scarcer. But this fact didn't stop me from picking up The Fin, so this novel was my introduction to this particular theme.

The story is quite simple. Lee, our protagonist, goes fishing with her brother, father and best friend. But in a moment when they don't pay attention, they hit a sandbar and so their boat is gradually sinking. As they try to find a way to inform somebody that they need help, due to lack of signal and broken radio, the first attack happens. As it's only natural, their panic grows and so they desperately try to find a way to survive.

But there is one problem. About half of the book is just setup. We get to know our characters, Lee's relationship with each one of them, her concern about the future and all these things that make us feel for her. Normally, this is one thing that I look for in a novel, but here I felt that I needed less, or, at least, I needed the action to come earlier. Apart from that, once the boat hits the sandbar it becomes really interesting and I couldn't really put it down. You feel the danger they are in and you know that they only have a few hours before the tide sinks the boat completely. Moreover, they are hungry and thirsty and shocked. Everything is against them!

As I've already said, Lee is well-developed. We learn about her plans for the future, how she feels about the island she grew up and her relationship with the other three characters. I particularly understand her need to leave the island. I felt really close to her and that's why I felt sorry for her and anxious about her survival. But I could use more information about the other three characters, Lee's brother James, their friend Adam and the twin's father. There are some nice parts where they recall stories of the past that let glimpses of their characters reach us and I'd love to discover more.

The Fin is a short novel, but a well-written one. Except for the issues I've already stated, it's a novel with great action. I am a little unsure about the first half of it, some parts of the conversations between the characters felt forced, but once the shark actually appears the thrill is there. It was a great introduction to shark attacks and I'm certainly glad that I've read it.

So, my advice is...

Swim Among the Sharks!   

Review: Undertow by Toni Holly

Title: Undertow

Author: Toni Holly 

Publisher: Pink Gables Publishing

Date of Publication: 2015

Number of Pages: 123

Disclaimer: The author provided me a copy of his book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you so much!

Summary

A hereditary curse.

Tiffany "Tiffy" Schafer is a novice Shaman. Saddled with spook-o-vision on her sixteenth birthday, Tiffy can chat with ghosts and may eventually be able to speak with Nature spirits like her Nana. Instead of vacations and sunbathing, she gets to spend an exciting summer in strict tutelage of how to use her new "gifts."

A summer of strange disappearances.

After a friend of Tiffy's ex-boyfriend goes missing, the boy returns as a grotesque Merrow: an undead thrall of a water witch. She realizes there's something fishy going on in her coastal town than simple disappearances. Caught in the middle of this brewing supernatural battle is the boy Tiffy swore to love forever. The prize: his heart.

Review

Undertow is a very quick paranormal read, yet one that I enjoyed immensely. I've always liked stories about shamans and spirits and this one has plenty of these two! You also know by now my fascination with folklore, so encountering creatures like merrows is a bonus for me.

Tiffany, our protagonist, is a shaman in training. At least, that's her intention of spending her summer with her Nana, from which she inherited her gift as well. One day, two ghosts ask for her help and the same morning she accidentally learns that her friend is missing. From this point on, everything gets complicated as she finds herself in a dangerous situation. This novel has a very intriguing story, which sucked into its world from the very beginning. It has some twists towards the end that I wasn't expecting, which certainly added to the enjoyment. My only problem is that I'd like it to be more extensive. I felt that when the action reached its peak, the resolution came too quickly.

Tiffy, also known as the Tiffinator, is a very likeable character. We feel for her when she meets her ex-boyfriend with a new girl, or when he tries to approach her and she's confused. We are anxious when she is in danger and we are shocked by her findings. But she is a strong character and she copes with everything that comes in her way with an admirable determination. The only thing I could say is that I'd like the secondary character to have a more active role in the story. I liked Father Vincent instantly, but he appeared very little in the novel. Also, Nana could be a great guide for Tiffy, a thing that I missed.

Therefore, Undertow proved to be a great novel, although it is pretty short. The writing is very good and it makes you want to know more about the story and the characters. The ending left me feeling that there might be a sequel, or at least other adventures with Tiffany and her new-found powers. If you like paranormal novels, I recommend it wholeheartedly!

So, my advice is...

Dive deep in the ocean!

Review: Nightmares by Dan Sihota

Title: Nightmares

Author: Dan Sihota

Publisher: Self-published

Date of Publication: 2015

Number of Pages: 121

Disclaimer: The author provided me a copy of his book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you so much!

Summary

A collection of stories which chill the senses with tales of vivid imagery. Prepare to be drawn into worlds of dark innermost secrets, bleak violence, and ancient lore.

Review

Nightmares is a collection of nine short stories. All of them deal with situations that feel like nightmares do come true, so I couldn't imagine a better title for the collection. 

Some of the stories are pretty realistic, while others have heavy supernatural elements. Whether a young man is taking the bus to visit his girlfriend, or a group of friends travel to India, things get really quickly out of hand. And there is no hope to be seen. In fact, all of protagonists have dark futures ahead of them. I like the fact that superstition and folklore is a part of some of these stories and these are the ones that I prefered, stories like The Spell, Dead Man's Fruit and The Field. I also like the fact that many of them are set in India, a country that seems so different from my own, yet has such rich traditions. 

But I didn't find all of the stories that appealing. For example, the first two stories, Road Rage and The Bus Journey, left me unsure. I couldn't really understand why things were happening the way they did. In these two stories, I couldn't really connect with the characters, because I felt that I was lacking information about their idiosyncrasy. 

The rest of the protagonists, though, were pretty likeable and I was sorry to see them in misery and distress. Ok, some of them brought their bad luck upon themselves, but I was still sad about the way the ended up. I have to comment in particular about the main character of the short story called Torture. He is such a well-developed character that I was very impressed.

All in all, Nightmares is a good collection of unsettling stories. This is a pretty quick read and if you love horror stories and maybe a little bit of violence, then you'll definitely find something to like. 

So my advice is...

Live your nightmares!

Review: Slade House by David Mitchell

Title: The Slade House

Author: David Mitchell

Publisher: Random House

Date of Publication: 2015

Number of Pages: 238

Summary

Keep your eyes peeled for a small black iron door.

Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you’ll find the entrance to Slade House. A stranger will greet you by name and invite you inside. At first, you won’t want to leave. Later, you’ll find that you can’t. Every nine years, the house’s residents—an odd brother and sister—extend a unique invitation to someone who’s different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a recently divorced policeman, a shy college student. But what really goes on inside? For those who find out, it’s already too late...

Review

Before anything else I have to declare that I'll try not to sound too much of a fangirl. I'll sincerely try.

Slade House is a collection of five stories all revolving around a mysterious house in Slade alley. Each story is nine years after the previous one and they are all related in some way or another. This is not a new pattern for David Mitchell, as we've seen him do something similar both in Ghostwritten and in Cloud Atlas. Nevertheless, the way everything adds up in the story of Slade House and at the same time in Mitchell's universe brings us closer to understand it better and reach out for its secrets.

The stories of the Slade House are intriguing. They are short, and quite easy to read, yet they suck you in a bizarre world which is not that much different from our own. The only difference? The existence of supernatural creatures. Deeply connected to the Bone Clocks, we encounter once again the Atemporals which suck human souls, in order to live forever. But Norah and Jonah Grayer work on their own, hidden from the Shaded Way. The twins, are indeed soul vampires. They have created a system which enables their souls to live on with the condition that their birth bodies remain intact and they provide energy for this system every nine years. The energy they need is of course the soul of an engifted person. So, every nine years they choose someone and lure him into the Slade House.

In that way, the five victims that we get to know are the ones from the last five decades of the Grayer twins. Each one has completely different circumstances, different age and gender and different ways of perceiving what they are going through. The one thing that I found in common is that they all faced serious problems. For example, on the one hand, Nathan Bishop is a socially awkward boy and on the other hand Inspector Edmonds has grave financial problems. Sally Timms is the next victim and she has self-esteem and anxiety problems and she is followed in the next decade by her sister Freya who tries to figure out what actually happened to her sister. The last one that enters the Slade House is none other than Marinus,  the same one from The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet and The Bone Clocks. You can guess my delight when I got to the last story and encountered Marinus for another time! He/she is one of my all-time favourite characters and it's never disappointing. Apart from Marinus, I liked all of the protagonists. I was able to understand their way of thinking and how they dealt with each situation. I got closer to Sally Timms because I felt that she was closer to my own character. And she got caught with the most hellish way!

While reading the stories I was able to find a certain pattern in the way the Grayer twins realised their plans. Each one of the victims has a very specific reason to find Slade House, or at least to be near the Slade Alley. They all encounter a jogger wearing black and glow-in-the-dark orange, which might be a coincidence, but by the end we know that Norah is using the mind of this jogger. Later, when they enter the house they are compelled for some reason to go up the stairs, they see the clock with no hands, they see the portraits of the previous victims on the walls and they also see a portrait of themselves. When they reach the end of the stairs they find a door with a shiny doorknob and when they enter they find themselves in a totally different environment, where everything is as they'd wanted it to be. But in their most blissful moment they awake into a dark attic with only the candlelight and this sums it up. I find it very appealing that there is this certain ritual, it indicated that the Grayer twins are very methodical in their ways. Maybe they are a little archaic, as Marinus points out, but they stick to them and up to a point they succeed.

But can the Slade House stand as a horror novel? There is neither much violence in it, nor much blood spilt. In fact, there is no blood shed. Norah and Jonah are interested only in the souls of the engifted ones. If there were other people with them, they were just casualties that they had to get rid of. But it's creepy and weird and can certainly give you goosebumps. I remember when I was reading the first story, The Right Sort, I was shocked by the way the twins manipulated Nathan and the same thing happened again and again in all the following stories. I can conclude that the atmosphere was right.

As I've already told you Slade House fits perfectly in the universe David Mitchell has created with his work. The biggest proof is Marinus, a character that appeared in other two novels and I hope will appear again in the future. We learn that the twins learnt the Shaded Way, from The Bone Clocks, as well as that Norah had contacted Enomoto Sensei, whose grandfather appeared in The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. But there are also subtler nods to Mitchell's previous novels. Someone is reading Crispin Hersey's Desiccated Embryos (from The Bone Clocks), another is dreaming of Vyvyan Ayrs (from Cloud Atlas) and a third is working for the Spyglass magazine (The Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas). This world just keeps getting more and more real with each new novel!

All in all, Slade House was an excellent book for me. I waited for its publication for a long time and I wasn't disappointed at all. Once I got reading it, I couldn't put it down. Although it's not necessary to have read The Bone Clocks before this one, I would strongly recommend that you do so. You will get a better understanding what Norah and Jonah Grayer really is and so the story will become clearer. So, if you've read and enjoyed The Bone Clocks and you like David Mitchell's writing style. you will love it. But if you haven't read anything by this author before, I would advise you to begin with some of his other novels first. Lastly, I have to admit that the end of this novel made me ask for more and I could certainly see Norah Grayer returning to get her revenge.

So, my advice is...

Don't open the small black iron door!

Manga Review: Flower in a Storm by Shigeyoshi Takagi

Title: Flower in a Storm

Author: Shigeyoshi Takagi

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC

Date of Publication: 2010

Number of Volumes: 2

Number of Pages: 200 (each volume)

Find it at: Book Depository (Vol.1), Book Depository (Vol. 2)

Summary

Love is like a storm. Riko Sassoku is trying to lead a normal high school life when Ran Tachibana bursts into her classroom carrying a gun and telling her that her life is now his. Ran, the richest, most powerful 17-year-old in Japan wants her as his wife, and he's not taking no for an answer! If Ran can't capture her by five o'clock the next day, he'll give up on her, but he has all that money can buy at his disposal. However, Riko has one trick up her sleeve--she has superpowers!

Review

It is the truth that I enjoy a lot a good shojo manga from time to time. Flower in a Storm was one of the titles that came up almost every time that I was trying to decide which one to read next. So, it was expected that I would pick it up at some point. It also had many other advantages, like an interesting premise and small size (only two volumes). What more could I ask from a light and quick read?

The story of Flower in a Storm wasn't that original. A rich boy came out of the blue and demanded to marry the protagonist. Everything happened so quickly that I was perplexed on how he met her and fell for her. They hadn't met before this incident, there wasn't a family connection, they basically lived in different worlds. Of course, an explanation is offered in the manga, but it wasn't satisfying enough. If there were a better one, the story would have been much more interesting.

The plot then became mostly episodic. In each chapter, something happened, like an assassin attacking Ran or Riko and while the two of them were trying to overcome these dangers they became slightly closer. At least Riko because Ran's feelings were already there. It was so swoon-worthy to watch Riko wonder why she felt so anxious for not seeing Ran! It might not be the first time that I've read a manga with a protagonist with these feelings, but it was certainly well executed.

What troubled me in Flower in a Storm and I couldn't enjoy it as much as I'd like to was the characters and their development. Both Ran and Riko felt more like some sort of archetypes, rather than original characters. Ran was the rich and eccentric kid, who would do anything to show off. Riko, on the other hand, was the one who had always been slightly different from everyone else and that's why she wanted to just be ordinary.

If you read the summary of this manga before this review, then you'd surely expect that Riko had some kind of superpower. Riko was just very athletic, she could run really fast and she could also beat anyone that came in her way. When I was reading Flower in a Storm it didn't bother me at all, but I found it really weird that I was supposed to consider it as something out of the ordinary.

All in all, Flower in a Storm was quite an enjoyable manga, although it was pretty generic. I could predict what was going to happen in the beginning of each chapter and I couldn't really connect with the characters. But, I have to admit that the idea with the clock was amazing. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to read something light and quick.  

So, my advice is...

Get caught up in the storm!