What Strange Paradise - Omar El Akkad

 Title: What Strange Paradise (Bookshop.org)

Author: Omar El Akkad

Published: 2022 (first published 2021)

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary

Edition: Paperback

Source: Surrey Libraries

Thoughts:  I really wanted to like the book, as I thought, and the others in my library book club also thought, that it would be a good read.  And it was a good read; it's just that I couldn't get into it with the two different timelines that the author gave for the book.  The book really needs to be read either closely or multiple times to really understand the two main timelines.  It is definitely a fairly quick read, if you just want to go through it once, but I think that if you really want to understand the book, you may want to read it many times.

Bottom line: A really excellent read that needs to read multiple times to get a complete understanding of it.  I just feel like there was something more to the book that I missed that would have completed my understanding of the book better. Recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5

Description: From the widely acclaimed author of American War a new novel--beautifully written, unrelentingly dramatic, and profoundly moving--that brings the global refugee crisis down to the level of a child's eyes.

More bodies have washed up on the shores of a small island. Another over-filled, ill-equipped, dilapidated ship has sunk under the weight of its too many passengers: Syrians, Ethiopians, Egyptians, Lebanese, Palestinians, all of them desperate to escape untenable lives in their homelands. And only one has made the passage: nine-year-old Amir, a Syrian boy who has the good fortune to fall into the hands not of the officials but of Vanna: a teenage girl, native to the island, who lives inside her own sense of homelessness in a place and among people she has come to disdain. And though she and the boy are complete strangers, though they don't speak a common language, she determines to do whatever it takes to save him.

In alternating chapters, we learn the story of the boy's life and how he came to be on the boat; and we follow the girl and boy as they make their way toward a vision of safety. But as the novel unfurls, we begin to understand that this is not merely the story of two children finding their way through a hostile world, it is the story of our collective moment in this time: of empathy and indifference, of hope and despair--and of the way each of those things can blind us to reality, or guide us to a better one.

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Eternally Artemisia - Melissa Muldoon

Book Details:

Book Title:  Eternally Artemisia : Some loves, like some women, are timeless by Melissa Muldoon

Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  312 pages

Genre: Fiction General, Fiction Women

Publisher:  Matta Press

Release date:  March 2019

Tour dates: June 3 to 28, 2019

Content Rating: PG-13 + M (The themes of the book deal with rape and overcoming sexual abuse. It is a book about female empowerment and how with the right tools, and support women may rise above past tragedies to build a better future for themselves.)

Book Description:
​

They say some loves travel through time and are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who wrestles with the “peculiar feeling” she has lived previous lives and is being called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie’s previous existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced to the Crociani family—a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts—she finally meets the loves of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have triumphed despite it.

As Maddie's relationship develops with Artemisia Gentileschi—an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that—Maddie discovers a kindred spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united together.

In a journey that arcs back to biblical days and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the “thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.

Thoughts: Having read Ms. Muldoon’s previous two novels, I knew that I wanted to read her latest book. And having read this latest installment of her Italy novels, I really enjoyed this book, although I had a thing or two that I thought could have been done better.

For the things that I didn’t like about the book I didn’t like how the book was concluded.  I felt that the author could have brought the book full-circle rather than just end it where she did.  Also I felt that the first two parts could have been a little shorter or the final two parts could have been a little longer.

But that being said, I really quite enjoyed the book, especially the first two parts.  I have several reasons that I enjoyed the book.  The first reason that I enjoyed the book was that I felt that Ms. Muldoon’s writing was much better from her first two books, even though I really enjoyed those ones as well.  But you can really see the growth of the author’s writing over the course of the three books.  Secondly I enjoyed the book because the author drew her main characters very well.  One really felt that you were there right beside Maddie as she went into these parallel lives.  Finally I felt that I could just enjoy the book and not really care about what was going on in the outside world.

Bottom line: I quite enjoyed the read, despite having a couple of things that I felt could have been improved upon.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.25/5

Praise for Eternally Artemisia:

“A true Renaissance woman, Melissa Muldoon weaves her passions for art and Italy into a stirring saga that sweeps across centuries. As her time-traveling heroine Maddie reconnects with kindred souls, we meet Artemisia Gentileschi, the 17th-century artist who overcame rape and ignominy to gain respect and acclaim. Historic figures such as Galileo and Mussolini also come to life in this intricately plotted novel, but the women who defy all constraints to take control of their destinies are the ones who prove to be eternally fascinating.” -- Dianne Hales

What a lovely story! Melissa weaves the lives of 4 women across time, all with some connection to Artemisia Gentileschi, a 16th century Italy painter. They represent the feminine strength that arises from life challenges, each with their unique intelligence. Underlying their stories is the idea that love transcends all, even time, love is timeless. As with her other books, Melissa fills the story out with interesting facts and references to the Italian life, culture and it's history, her attention to detail is immaculate . I loved all of the many connections in this story that tied it all together, very cleverly done. Wonderful read, I would highly recommend it. – Lize, Amazon Reviewer

Melissa Muldoon does a phenomenal job blending fiction, romance, art history, and the Italian language into this gem. For fans of historical fiction, romance, and time travel, I strongly recommend this novel. –Exemplary Editing, Amazon Review

To read reviews, please visit Melissa Muldoon's page on Italy Book Tours.

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

  

Melissa Muldoon is the author of three novels set in Italy: “Dreaming Sophia,” “Waking Isabella,” and “Eternally Artemisia.” All three books tell the stories of American women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future in Italy.

Melissa is also the author of the Studentessa Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). Studentessa Matta means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include a podcast, Tutti Matti per l'Italiano and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel, Facebook page and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn Italian in Italy. Through her website, she also offers the opportunities to live and study in Italy through Homestay programs. Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master's degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

She has also studied painting and art history in Florence. She is an artist, designer, and illustrated the cover art for all three of her books. Melissa is also the managing director of Matta Press. As a student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home, she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she’d never need it again, but after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized something was missing in her life. That “thing” was the connection she had made with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a life-changing event. Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency—a path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in countless ways. Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. Melissa designed and illustrated the cover art for Eternally Artemisia, Waking Isabella, and Dreaming Sophia.

She also curates the Dreaming Sophia Art History blog site and Pinterest site: The Art of Loving Italy, where you will find companion pictures for all three books. Visit MelissaMuldoon.com for more information about immersion trips to learn the language with Melissa in Italy, as well as the Studentessa Matta blog for practice and tips to learn the Italian language.

​Connect with the author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Pinterest  ~ Instagram

Burton Blake - Robert Tucker

Book Details:

Book Title:  Burton Blake by Robert Tucker

Category:  Adult Fiction, 518 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing

Release date:  1/06/2019

Tour dates: May 27 to June 28, 2019

Content Rating: G (Depictions of violence are minimal. No bad language, religious expletives, sex scenes, drug use or underage drinking.)

Book Description: 

In this sequel to the well-received The Revolutionist, the American journey of three generations locks the neophyte company president, Burton Blake, in a vicious struggle with corporate intrigue, financial greed, and social corruption. Born to a taxi dancer at the beginning of the Second World War, Burton’s father, Elias Blake, never knows his natural father, who is killed in the South Pacific. He is raised by his mother and stepfather from her second marriage who makes his fortune during the post-war real estate boom of the ’50s. Their untimely death by his business partner leaves the boy Elias in the guardianship of his mother’s best friend and her marine vet husband who introduces him to the macho culture of guns and hunting.

Elias’s youth is influenced by the adult world’s drive for personal material gain. Over the next decades, he expands his parents’ original real estate empire into the diversified multi-divisional, multi-national corporation that he leaves to his son, Burton. Upon his forced return from traveling and working with oppressed third world people, Burton learns increasingly more about the true nature of his deceased father as he undertakes the challenges of leading the company in a new direction.

Thoughts:  

I quite enjoyed the book.  I can't really say what it was, but this book seemed to flow a bit more than The Revolutionist did.  I quite liked Burton, as he definitely was a product of his great-grandmother Julie, who was the main character in The Revolutionist.  And Burton in his own way became a revolutionist in trying to fight against the greed and corruption that had enveloped his father’s company.

I also really liked the first section of the book, which laid the groundwork for the second part and it really set up the conflict that would eventually envelope the second half of the book.

What I would have liked to see more of would be of Burton being able to connect his actions to those that Julie undertook herself back in the early 1900s and to also find out the history behind his father in the second half, as it was more about the conspiracy, which did get a little cumbersome as the book came to its conclusion.  Also I would have tried to use a different title for the book, as I felt it was misleading for the first half of the book and also done a bit more to tie the first part with the second part.    The first part could have easily been its own book and completely separate from the second part, which I felt had little to do with the first part and ignored the first half of the book

I would have also liked to see the book edited a little tighter, as I felt that there were too many details that didn’t make any sense to the overall story and felt that unlike The Revolutionist, which was a continuous story of Julie’s early life, this book felt like two separate stories that had little to do with each other.  I would have liked to see more characters from the first half of the book interact with Burton instead of just Lizzie.

Bottom line: It was a good book overall.  I would have liked to see more links between the first and second part of the book and few more callbacks to The Revolutionist.

Rating: 3.75/5

​Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Add to Goodreads

Watch the book trailer: 

Meet the Author: 

 

​Robert is published by Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing under a multi-book contract. The author of four previous earlier novels, Robert infuses his books with unique dynamic stories and characters that portray social and cultural conflicts of their time. His career encompasses many years as a business consultant that have given him access to a wide range of organizations and an appreciation for people in all areas of society. His life experience is reflected in the literary quality of his work. Born and raised in the Middle-West, he has traveled throughout the United States and abroad.

Now retired, he resides with his wife in Southern California where he devotes full-time to writing. Robert is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Masters Degree in Communications at the University of California, Los Angeles where he received the Samuel Goldwyn and Donald Davis Literary Awards.

An affinity for family and the astute observation of generational interaction pervade his novels. His works are literary and genre upmarket fiction that address the nature and importance of personal integrity.

Connect with the author:   Website  ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

The Revolutionist - Richard Tucker

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Revolutionist by Robert Tucker

Category:  Adult Fiction, 649 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing

Release date:  12/03/2017

Tour dates: May 27 to June 28, 2019

Content Rating: PG + M (This book does not contain any gratuitous violence. Any depicted violence is relevant to the historical period, as are scenes of white slave prostitution, sexual and physical abuse, and one of an abortion mill. They are written with sensitivity as to time and place and with appropriate literary language.)

Book Description:

Two different families escape from the political tyranny of their respective homelands, the Josephsons from Sweden and Matias and Kurt Bauman, brothers from Germany and Austria Hungary, with the aid of a Viennese opera diva, Sophie Augusta Rose, and Jean Guenoc, a former Jesuit priest, family friend and protector and partisan of the French underground. Their journey brings them to America in the throes of the industrial revolution during the 1890s and early 1900s.

Ingrid and Olaf Josephson settle on a small wheat farm in North Central Minnesota to raise their children, Newt and Julie. Among the Jewish entrepreneurs forced to leave Germany and Austria-Hungary, Matias and Kurt Bauman re-establish their transportation company in Chicago, Illinois. In search of a secret list of insurgent social democrats, the bounty hunter assassin, Luther Baggot, tracks his victims to the American heartland. Following the murder of their mother and father, Newt, Julie, and their friends, Aaron and Beth Peet, hide from the killer in a Northern Minnesota logging camp. Believing the children have taken possession of the list, Luther tracks them down and they are forced to flee again, this time to Chicago where a different world opens up to them as they are thrust into the turmoil and violence of an urban society and economy careening into the new century.

Review:

I didn't read the description, so I came into the book completely cold.  I knew nothing of potential plot lines and so forth.  So had I actually read the description of the book, my initial impressions of the book would have been a lot different than they actually were.

There were times I felt that the book was a bit clunky at times and that the author took too much time to introduce characters that had little to do with the actual plot line.  While those stories were fascinating, I felt that they took away from the main crux of the book and those characters could have had less screen time than they did, as some of them had either very little or nothing to do with the actual story.

As for the main story line, I actually quite enjoyed it and found myself racing through the secondary storylines to get back to the main plot line.  The author did an excellent job of drawing the reader into the storyline, making one care for the characters as they navigated the world they became involved with.  One could almost feel as though they were a fly on the wall as the characters made their way from Minnesota to Chicago and the various other places that the book was set in.

My favourite character was Julie in the book.  I thought the character was well-written and she really captured my imagination and could actually see here at times.

I thought it overall was a pretty good book and with a few editing changes, it could have been a bit better.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Buy the Book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Audible

Add to Goodreads

Watch the book trailer:

Meet the Author: 

 

​Robert is published by Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing under a multi-book contract. The author of four previous earlier novels, Robert infuses his books with unique dynamic stories and characters that portray social and cultural conflicts of their time. His career encompasses many years as a business consultant that have given him access to a wide range of organizations and an appreciation for people in all areas of society. His life experience is reflected in the literary quality of his work. Born and raised in the Middle-West, he has traveled throughout the United States and abroad.

Now retired, he resides with his wife in Southern California where he devotes full-time to writing. Robert is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Masters Degree in Communications at the University of California, Los Angeles where he received the Samuel Goldwyn and Donald Davis Literary Awards.

An affinity for family and the astute observation of generational interaction pervade his novels. His works are literary and genre upmarket fiction that address the nature and importance of personal integrity.

Connect with the author:   Website  ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Lilac Girls - Martha Hall Kelly

Title: Lilac Girls
Author: Martha Hall Kelly
Published: 2017 (first published 2016)
Pages: 502
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Source Fraser Valley Regional Library

Description: New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.

An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.

The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I was on Litsy when I saw Mrs. Kelly's most recent book being promoted by somebody a few months ago and when I look up information about that book, I saw that there was an earlier book.  Knowing that there was an earlier book, I requested this particular book.  I wasn't really sure about what the book was about when I picked it up, but once I started reading it, I was informed as to what the book was about.  I looked at the pages at the end to get an idea as to what it was about, but I was still fairly clueless as to what it was about.  But as I got into the book, I got quickly absorbed into the novel and also what had happened to these young women at Ravensbruck.  The first time I actually had heard of Ravensbruck was when I read The Nightingale, but I may have heard about the concentration camp earlier.

I really liked how the author used the three different perspectives, two of which were actual people and one of which was a fictional person based on an actual person.  I don't know how accurate the book is, but judging from the limited research that I did do while I was reading the book, it seems as though it is fairly accurate.

Bottom line: It was a really excellent book and I am most definitely going to be reading the next book that this author has written, Lost Roses.  Don't let the title deceive you and don't go down the "rabbit hole".  Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

    

  

God's Big Picture - Vaughan Roberts

Title: God's Big Picture: Tracing the storyline of the Bible
Author: Vaughan Roberts
Published: 2012 (first published 2002)
Pages: 170
Genre: Christian, Non-fiction
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal collection

Description: Sixty-six books, forty authors, written over nearly 2,000 years, in two languages and several different genres. A worldwide best-seller published in countless sizes and bindings, translations and languages. It has been sworn by in court, fought over by religious people, and quoted in arguments. The Bible is clearly no ordinary book. How can we begin to read and understand it as a whole?

In this excellent overview, Vaughan Roberts gives the big picture -- showing how the different parts of the Bible fit together under the theme of the kingdom of God. He gives us both the encouragement and the tools to read it with confidence and understanding. He points us to the Bible's supreme subject, Jesus Christ, and the salvation God offers through him. (via Goodreads)
Thoughts: This was a book for a bible study class I was taking at my local church and while the author covers in a short book, with bible study questions at the end of each chapter, how the Bible is interconnected and how different parts of the Bible fit together.  It is a nice introductory book for those wanting to go onto further study that could give them a much bigger look of the Bible with more depth.

Bottom line: This book is only a cursory look at how the Bible fits together and if you wish to have something that gives a bigger picture, this is not the book for you.  Recommended.

Rating: 3/5

The Unquiet Dead - Asuma Zehanat Khan

Title: The Unquiet Dead (Rachel Getty & Esa Khattak #1)
Author: Asuma Zehanat Khan
Published: 2015
Pages: 368
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Edition: Paperback
Source: Surrey Public Libraries

Description: Despite their many differences, Detective Rachel Getty trusts her boss, Esa Khattak, implicitly. But she's still uneasy at Khattak's tight-lipped secrecy when he asks her to look into Christopher Drayton's death. Drayton's apparently accidental fall from a cliff doesn't seem to warrant a police investigation, particularly not from Rachel and Khattak's team, which handles minority-sensitive cases. But when she learns that Drayton may have been living under an assumed name, Rachel begins to understand why Khattak is tip-toeing around this case. It soon comes to light that Drayton may have been a war criminal with ties to the Srebrenica massacre of 1995.

If that's true, any number of people might have had reason to help Drayton to his death, and a murder investigation could have far-reaching ripples throughout the community. But as Rachel and Khattak dig deeper into the life and death of Christopher Drayton, every question seems to lead only to more questions, with no easy answers. Had the specters of Srebrenica returned to haunt Drayton at the end, or had he been keeping secrets of an entirely different nature? Or, after all, did a man just fall to his death from the Bluffs? (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I read this for my May library book club and I quite enjoyed it.  It was weird reading a book that took place during an event that I very much remember seeing on the news in the mid-1990s.  There is also a callback to Eichmann and how he tried to hide in Argentina after WWII.  Despite the book being choppy in places (this is the author's first novel), I really liked it.  I liked how Rachel Getty was drawn and how she basically put down when she has a gut feeling about something related to the case and her old male partner tries to quiet her down or dismiss her ideas in regards to the case.

Bottom line:  While it isn't a strong first novel, I have heard that the second book in the series is a lot better.  And with that in mind, I think she did an excellent job and acquitted herself quite well in writing a novel based on an event that happened less than 30 years ago.  Recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Finders Keepers - Russ Colchamiro

Book Title: Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Category: Adult Fiction
Pages: 310 pages
Genre: SciFi/Fantasy
Publisher: Crazy 8 Press
Release Date: October 17, 2018
Edition: Ebook
 Content Rating: PG-13 + M (A few f-bombs, and mild sex scenes + some casual drinking/pot smoking) 
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Description: In the spirit of The Good Place, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, author Russ Colchamiro has gone back to the future to deliver his wildest, funniest novel yet--the new and updated Sci-Fi/Fantasy tale Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition. 

When a jar containing the Universe's DNA falls from Eternity, bumbling backpackers Jason and Theo find their loyalties--and sanity!--put to the test. Unaware that a motley crew from another realm is chasing them across the globe to retrieve that radioactive vessel, these intrepid new friends are forced to contend with passion, responsibility, and their own mortality--and the fate of the Solar System, which hangs in the balance. 

Traversing Europe, New Zealand, and the backbone of Eternity, Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition ultimately asks one simple question: Is the life you're living the life you actually want . . . or does the Universe have more to offer than you can possibly imagine?

Thoughts: I really didn’t like this book, as I felt it was more of a chore than anything to read it.  I felt that that there were a lot of things that I didn’t like about the book.  The first thing was that I didn’t really find it funny. I had one small chuckle at one point during the read, but it seemed rather mundane for the most part.  Secondly I felt that the plot of the book was all over the place and there were too many characters.  I have read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and that book was more polished and coherent than this one.  For example, the book didn’t keep you with one set of characters for large periods of time and I wouldn’t get a sense of what the book was about.  I would read about one set of characters for a bit and then a few chapters later, would read about another set of characters and that switch to yet another set of characters a few chapters down the line.  I realize that the book is part of a series, but the number of characters in the book was way too much and too hard to keep track of to the point that I couldn’t tell who was who for the most part.  The author needed to have a better editor that would make the book tighter and more readable and therefore more readable.

It also needed to be shorter in terms of page length.  If the book was at least 50 pages shorter, it would be a better read.  There was too much to keep track to comprehend it properly.

I can see where the author is going with it and while it’s a good idea,  I doubt I am going to continue with the series.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
Playster ~ Kobo ~ 24symbols
Add to Goodreads

Watch the trailer:​

Meet the Author:

​Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space opera, Crossline, the zany SF/F backpacking comedy series Finders Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, and is editor of the SF anthology Love, Murder & Mayhem, all with Crazy 8 Press.

Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife, two children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself.

Russ has also contributed to several other anthologies, including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea, Altered States of the Union, Camelot 13, TV Gods 2, They Keep Killing Glenn, and Brave New Girls. Russ is repped by The Zack Company.

Connect with Russ: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

China Rich Girlfriend - Kevin Kwan

Title: China Rich Girlfriend (Crazy Rich Asians #2)
Author: Kevin Kwan
Published: 2015
Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description:
On the eve of her wedding to Nicholas Young, heir to one of the greatest fortunes in Asia, Rachel should be over-the-moon. She has a flawless Asscher cut diamond from JAR, a wedding dress she loves more than anything found in the salons of Paris, and a fiancée willing to sacrifice his entire inheritance in order to marry her. But Rachel still mourns the fact that her birthfather, a man she never knew, won't be able to walk her down the aisle. Until: a shocking revelation draws Rachel in to a world of Shanghai splendor beyond anything she has ever imagined. Here we meet Carlton, a Ferrari-crashing bad boy known for Prince Harry-like antics; Colette, a celebrity girlfriend chased by fevered paparazzi; and the man Rachel has spent her entire life waiting to meet: her father. Meanwhile, Singapore's It Girl Astrid Leong is shocked to discover that there is a downside to having a newly-minted Tech Billionaire husband. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: While I enjoyed this book, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I did the first one in the series.  It took me longer to get into the book and I really didn't get the point of it.  I really didn't like the focus on Kitty but when the book focused more on Rachel and Nick, I felt that the book was better.

Bottom line:  I felt it was a decent sequel to the first book Crazy Rich Asians, but it suffered from what most second books do in that it was flat in areas.  Sure there were areas that were funny, but it didn't have the introduction that Crazy Rich Asians had and it didn't really wrap any of the lingering story lines that the third book will likely have.  And yes, I will be reading the final book in the series.

Rating: 3.5/5

Bellevue Square - Michael Redhill

Title: Bellevue Square
Author: Michael Redhill
Pages: 262
Published: 2017
Awards: Scotiabank Giller Prize (2017)
Genre: Fiction
Edition: e-book
Source: Personal Library

Description: From award-winning and bestselling author Michael Redhill comes a darkly comic literary thriller about a woman who fears for her sanity--and then her life--when she learns that her doppelganger has appeared in a local park.

Jean Mason has a doppelganger. At least, that's what people tell her. Apparently it hangs out in Kensington Market, where it sometimes buys churros and shops for hats. Jean doesn't rattle easy, not like she used to. She's a grown woman with a husband and two kids, as well as a thriving business, and Toronto is a fresh start for the whole family. She certainly doesn't want to get involved in anything dubious, but still . . . why would two different strangers swear up and down they'd just seen her--with shorter hair furthermore?

Jean's curiosity quickly gets the better of her, and she visits the market, but sees no one who looks like her. The next day, she goes back to look again. And the day after that. Before she knows it, she's spending an hour here, an afternoon there, watching, taking notes, obsessing and getting scared. With the aid of a small army of locals who hang around in the market's only park, she expands her surveillance, making it known she'll pay for information or sightings. A peculiar collection of drug addicts, scam artists, philanthropists, philosophers and vagrants--the regulars of Bellevue Square--are eager to contribute to Jean's investigation. But when some of them start disappearing, it becomes apparent that her alleged double has a sinister agenda. Unless Jean stops her, she and everyone she cares about will face a fate stranger than death. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I had purchased this book back in late 2017 after it had won the Giller Prize last fall.  I bought it because it had won a literary award, not because I was interested in the book, and because it was something I had kept returning to the library unread.  So fast forward to July of this year when my library book club picked this book as the book to read for our August meeting and I thought great; I can get one off my TBR pile

Well, I really didn't like it.  The writing was very good and very descriptive, but quite honestly I couldn't quite get the story that the author was trying to tell.  It felt convoluted, but I guess when you have a brain tumor, you do get convoluted and since this is to be part of a trilogy, maybe the answers will eventually come.  I just had a hard time understanding what the premise of the story was and therefore didn't really enjoy it.

Bottom line: While the writing is good, I just didn't understand the story.  The book really needs a reread at some point, but with books that I probably will enjoy more on my TBR list, I don't see myself getting back to this book, unless I am on a trip somewhere where I am desperate for a book. 

If you enjoy books where the protangist is a bit loopy and trying to discern what is and isn't real, then I would recommend it.

Rating: 2.75/5

Heart Berries: A Memoir - Terese Marie Mailhot

Title: Heart Berries: A Memoir
Author: Terese Marie Mailhot*
Pages: 160
Genre: Non-fiction, Biography, Memoir
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library:

Description:
Heart Berries is a powerful, poetic memoir of a woman's coming of age on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation in British Columbia. Having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalized and facing a dual diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Bipolar II, Terese Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma. The triumphant result is Heart Berries, a memorial for Mailhot's mother, a social worker and activist who had a thing for prisoners; a story of reconciliation with her father--an abusive drunk and a brilliant artist--who was murdered under mysterious circumstances; and an elegy on how difficult it is to love someone while dragging the long shadows of shame.

Mailhot "trusts the reader to understand that memory isn't exact, but melded to imagination, pain and what we can bring ourselves to accept." Her unique and at times unsettling voice graphically illustrates her mental state. As she writes, she discovers her own true voice, seizes control of her story and, in so doing, reestablishes her connection to her family, to her people and to her place in the world. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this straightforward memoir of Ms. Mailhot's life up until this point.  While the book isn't presented in a straightforward manner, it is straightforward in that you know what she is talking about in each chapter, as each chapter has a certain focus.

I also liked that she didn't sugarcoat her life in British Columbia (she grew up on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation not far from where I grew up and live; it is probably about an hour drive from my place) and that she acknowledges her dysfunctional as a cause for her depression.

Bottom line: It is very short (under 200 pages) and very poignant.  Warnings for description of suicide among other things.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.25/5

* the copy I had didn't include the introduction nor the afterword

Waking Isabella - Melissa Muldoon

Book Title:  Waking Isabella: Because beauty can't sleep forever by Melissa Muldoon
Category:  Adult Fiction,  250  pages
Genre: General Fiction
Publisher:  Matta Press
Release date:  December 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (The story begins with violent rape and murder scene, touches on themes of miscarriage, murder, Nazi violence during war, adultery)
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Description: Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.

 Thoughts: 

Having read Ms. Muldoon’s previous book Dreaming Sophia, I was really excited when I saw a tour for a book by her again and was really intrigued with what this book was going to be about.

While the book started a little slow, the book definitely picked up steam as the book made its way through the storyline.  I particularly liked the parts about hiding the art work, as I had really enjoyed the movie The Monuments Men when it came out a number of years ago.  I also consider myself to be a bit of a fan girl when it comes to art and anything to do with the de Medici’s.  So this book was right in my wheelhouse. 

I particularly liked how the relationship between Nora and Luca develops and that it wasn’t too hasty and that it seemed to be at a pace that seemed to be fairly realistic.  Some will say that it was maybe a little too fast, but sometimes when the right person comes along, a relationship develops a little quicker.

I am looking forward to Ms. Muldoon’s next offering.

Bottom Line: I really enjoyed the book, despite the slowness of the start.  If you enjoy stories about Italy or the Renaissance or about art work, you will likely enjoy this book.  Highly recommended.  

Rating: 4.5/5

Meet the Author:

Melissa Muldoon is the Studentessa Matta—the crazy linguist! In Italian, “matta” means “crazy” or “impassioned.” Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence.

Melissa promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog, Studentessa Matta (studentessamatta.com). Melissa began the Matta blog to improve her command of the language and to connect with other language learners. It has since grown to include a podcast, “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano,” and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Tours, which she co-leads with Italian partners in Italy.

Waking Isabella is Melissa’s second novel and follows Dreaming Sophia, published in 2016. In this new novel about Italy, the reader is taken on another art history adventure, inspired by Melissa’s experiences living and traveling in Italy, specifically Arezzo, as well as her familiarity with the language and art. For more information about Waking Isabella and links to Melissa’s blogs and social media sites, visit www.MelissaMuldoon.com.

As a student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home, she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she’d never need it again, but after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized something was missing in her life. That “thing” was the connection she had made with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a life-changing event. Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency—a path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in countless ways. Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. When Melissa is not traveling in Italy, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Melissa designed and illustrated the cover art for Waking Isabella and Dreaming Sophia. She also curates the Dreaming Sophia blog and Pinterest site: The Art of Loving Italy. Please visit the Pinterest page for pictures of Arezzo, the Giostra del Saracino, and all the places we go in Italy in both books. Visit MelissaMuldoon.com for more information about immersion trips to learn the language with Melissa in Italy, as well as the Studentessa Matta blog for practice and tips to learn the Italian language.

Connect with Melissa:Website ~ Twitter ~  Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Youtube