It was years ago now that I first read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and as I recall I absolutely inhalThis book should come wrapped in a spoiler alert!
It was years ago now that I first read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and as I recall I absolutely inhaled it. I consider it to be one of Christie's best.
Truth is, I'm still in my pajamas feeling a little dazed and somehow violated. My inner psyche feels bruised like a bell that's just been rung.
It is as tTruth is, I'm still in my pajamas feeling a little dazed and somehow violated. My inner psyche feels bruised like a bell that's just been rung.
It is as though I am an instrument that's just been played by the most gifted of all musicians.
Deeply felt and profoundly intimate My Dark Vanessa is as stunning as it is courageous.
It has been a long while since I last read a true adventure story.
And what a story this is.
It’s about one man, travelling alone, primarily by canoeIt has been a long while since I last read a true adventure story.
And what a story this is.
It’s about one man, travelling alone, primarily by canoe, following the Arctic’s rivers and lakes across Canada’s Arctic region. His name is Adam and his journey began in Eagle Plains, Yukon and culminated in Baker Lake, Nunavit. Planning and preparing for this unimaginable trek began well on three years ago.
Take a look at a map and you will better appreciate the magnitude of such an undertaking. This is unrelenting and most unforgiving terrain my friends. A place where you can travel alone for months and never encounter another human being. Since he is travelling by canoe he must consider shifting ice floes and gale force winds across a land largely uninhabited, with barren terrain that offers scant protection from the elements. But there is life here, everywhere, from Grizzles and Muskox to Acrtic Terns. And there is beauty. Heart stopping, breathtaking beauty. But beware folks this is not a journey to be taken lightly!
“The secret to life is meaningless unless you discover it yourself.”
It took me a long time to read this story in its entirety. Perhaps that is becaus
“The secret to life is meaningless unless you discover it yourself.”
It took me a long time to read this story in its entirety. Perhaps that is because I was quite familiar with what the story was about, but I don’t think so. I need only reflect back on such classics as Gone with the Wind to know I can be held captive by stories even more familiar than this. Still there were sections of this story that for whatever reason did not resonate with me.
But, oh my, the writing. You know these days we are most likely all of us thoughtful of our diets and such, but this? Well it’s more like, a full on roast turkey dinner, you know the kind, with mashed potatoes, yorkshire pudding, roast corn and yams and ta-dadada…..rich creamy gravy (lots). And believe me I ate my fill. But then I needed to let that lay with me for a while, so I took a break and visited some old friends that were beckoning me from a different shelf. I had a lovely time until once again I found myself back in Maugham’s world.
As a character Philip Carey fairly stepped off the page. He seemed so real, as though I could reach out and touch him. And the whole time Philip was stepping off the page, I myself was stepping into these pages.and into his life or at least into his search for acceptance and love and meaning in his life. But Philip will not be the only character that steps out here. It is a rich and vibrantly woven tapestry, full of people and places, hopes and fears, sin and obsession, tenderness and greed, manipulation and despair.
No question I picked this one up on an absolute whim.
Meet Timothy Blake. Seems like a nice enough guy, all things considered, except he likes to eat, No question I picked this one up on an absolute whim.
Meet Timothy Blake. Seems like a nice enough guy, all things considered, except he likes to eat, well people. That's right, there is nothing quite like the taste of human flesh.
No worries he does not roam about killing people just so he can savour their juicy bits, there are other ways to find his favourite snack. He is currently employed by a local crime lord to take care of body disposal and oh yeah he does occasionally consult for the FBI.
As this story takes off he is assisting the FBI in locating a missing local university professor. This one could be tricky though as the good old prof just happens to have taken up residence in Timothy's freezer.
This is very light fare folks, an easy, breezy read that is sure to keep you creeped out and suppressing a smirk all in one fell swoop.
Believe it or not I found this pristine gem, published this year, in a used bookstore in the downtown core of my city. I picked it up on a whim and loBelieve it or not I found this pristine gem, published this year, in a used bookstore in the downtown core of my city. I picked it up on a whim and loved the feel of it immediately. It did not linger for long in my home before I picked it up again.
And then……………………..
Time stood still, I got lost in the story and I got lost in time and before I could fully appreciate what was happening, dusk had descended. Where did the day go I wondered, why are my eyes burning?
I absolutely loved getting pulled into this story and consumed by it so effortlessly. It may look like a long book, but it is a fast read, plump full of flesh and blood, swimming in a sea of unshakable atmosphere.
Reading this took me back to the days of my youth. Perhaps you remember those days. The early days of marriage, young children, shaky foundations, isoReading this took me back to the days of my youth. Perhaps you remember those days. The early days of marriage, young children, shaky foundations, isolated locations, a love of reading but limited choices. Whatever, you paint the picture. I remember reading a book and attempting to cook dinner at the same time. Suddenly I became aware that my husband was in the kitchen and the potatoes were burning. Trust me there was little to salvage from that “meal”.
This book that I read is a mass market paperback, my least favourite vehicle for the written word, and came to me as recommended and gratis from my youngest daughter’s, mother in law, a voracious reader. That aside, honestly, when given a choice, I cannot see myself picking this one up.
Still there is a good story here and even though it took me a while to warm up to the protagonist, the game was definitely afoot. Ricky, a psychoanalyst, is given fifteen days to identify his stalker or kill himself. The stakes are high and measured in human lives. If you think this is a hoax or a joke stay tuned and allow Katzenbach to convince you otherwise.
Honestly for me, the writing was something of a workout. Too many words became a recurring refrain within the confines of my read. Still a picture was indeed painted and I became invested in the outcome. The story took over and I rode out the waves. Words and all.
Find yourself a comfy perch and settle in. You are going to be a while.
Truth is I knew next to nothing about this story as I began to read. I did however have a sense almost from the beginning that it read like an accountTruth is I knew next to nothing about this story as I began to read. I did however have a sense almost from the beginning that it read like an account of something that actually occurred. I did experience an eerie grip on the back of my neck that held on throughout the read. I give T. Greenwood props.
Those of you that may be familiar with this story or perhaps the other novel inspired by these events, will know that this is not happy go lucky fare. It is horrendous and agonizing. I should have been pulled to the brim of distress and despair, but I was not. Saddened of course, but I never really connected, the writing missed my core and so the emotions that I felt, seemed removed and remote, which really is why I cannot rate this novel any higher than I have.
That said, Rust & Stardust has an average rating of 4.2 with over 1200 readers thus far. It clearly has connected with many. No doubt, I am the outlier at 3.5 stars.
As always I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, T. Greenwood and NetGalley for an opportunity to read this novel....more
This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years….This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years…..
That is the line that first drew me into this story and it is followed up by a compelling if somewhat damp, dark and twisted tale of: friendship, new love, betrayal, duplicity and murder.
The protagonist, Geo ( Georgina) Shaw, is not very likeable. She is in fact about to go to prison for the part she played in the murder of her then best friend Angela Wong some fourteen years ago. A sordid secret she has held onto all these years.
Truth is, Hillier’s ability to invest the reader in such an unsavoury character is but one of the many talents on display here and even though this was a slow start I soon found myself chasing the lure, wanting to know more and even though I had to shelve belief a couple of times along the way, still I took the bait and ran.
I would like to thank St, Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley and Jennifer Hillier for an opportunity to read this book....more
You come out at night That's when the energy comes And the dark side's light And the vampires roam You strut your rasta wear And your suicide poem And a croYou come out at night That's when the energy comes And the dark side's light And the vampires roam You strut your rasta wear And your suicide poem And a cross from a faith That died before Jesus came You're building a mystery Sarah McLachlan
Take a look around. It is easy to see that this story is a big hit with readers. And it is easy to see why. It is after all, a great human interest tale that is very well told.
So why the middle of the road rating? Perhaps the fault is mine. I mean I loved Beartown, but this one failed to resonate with me. I caught a sense, early on, of being preached to. I did not like that but I also could not shake it and the stain spread.
As evidenced by an average rating of 4.44 from over three thousand readers, there can be no doubt that the vast majority of readers loved this. No doubt I missed out.
My sincere thanks to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley and Fredrik Backman for an opportunity to read this. ...more
Vincent Trussardi stands accused of murdering his wife Laura. He specifically requests Jilly Truitt, an up and coming defence attorney, known for takiVincent Trussardi stands accused of murdering his wife Laura. He specifically requests Jilly Truitt, an up and coming defence attorney, known for taking risks that paid off, to represent him.
Jilly already juggling a full load finds her new client to be not entirely forthcoming, there is an enigma about him that will not be quiet and her investigation into the events surrounding Laura’s death yields little beyond frustration, due in no small part to uncooperative family members and others of interest. All of her friends, family and colleagues warn her off the case, certain it will be a loser.
Let me just say that I found this authors writing to be very engaging. Her prose has a graceful, fluid style. It pours forth and I found myself carried away by the current. That said a couple of instances come to mind where, “the dish ran away with the spoon”, even so, I caught the author’s meaning well enough.
As well written as this story is I did not find it to be particularly mysterious or thrilling. Somewhere in one of my mind’s back rooms a couple of scenarios played out that I eventually heard described by McLachlin herself. soooo no it did not keep me guessing, I was however thoroughly entertained. And it is called Full Disclosure.
Definitely count me in, should McLachlin write another, cause man that writing……….3.5 stars.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley and Beverley McLachlin for an opportunity to read this advance copy.
Pssssssssst Beverley McLachlin, prior to her retirement was the 17th Chief Justice of Canada, the longest serving Chief Justice in Canada and the first women to ever hold this position. She knows of what she speaks....more
Someone is trying to kill Thor Loxley, the youngest and recently estranged son of the Loxley farming dynasty. He has just hThis story has great bones.
Someone is trying to kill Thor Loxley, the youngest and recently estranged son of the Loxley farming dynasty. He has just had a narrow escape, is licking his wounds, struggling with the weight of what’s happening and seeking comfort in the arms of his girlfriend Roisin.
The Loxleys of Crook's Hollow have a long running feud with the only other major landowner in the area, the Crooks, who are Roisin’s family.
In this small, rural English village, everybody knows everyone’s business and farmers deal with their problems in house, no need to involve outsiders like the authorities. And right now, Thor has a rather big problem.
What is here is driven by a fast paced narrative from Thor’s perspective that gives you some insight into who his potential killer may be and why. Red herrings thrive in the twists and turns that unfold with Thor’s search for the truth. What is missing is much of the flesh of the beast. I wanted to know more about Thor’s family and the rift that separates them, as well as Roisin and the generations old feud that still breathes, still feeds, is still alive and well, between his and her family.
I gobbled this up in no time, a couple of sittings and it was a very tasty treat indeed. Had it been served, I would willingly have stayed for the whole feast.
My thanks to Black Rose Writing, NetGalley and Robert Parker for an opportunity to read this advance copy....more
Ok so first things first Mr. Hunt, you and I have to have a conversation. Mostly about location, I mean come on, you are getting just a little too cloOk so first things first Mr. Hunt, you and I have to have a conversation. Mostly about location, I mean come on, you are getting just a little too close for comfort. Guelph, Ontario is a short half hours drive from my city, in fact I worked there for many years. My god man you are driving down the Hanlon! Enough said.
Would I classify this as horror. You betcha.
Taylor is a fat man. Tall with generous proportions, certainly, but still fat. His mother makes him look small. They have repurposed the garage to house her. But when his mother dies Taylor sees a shadow of a menacing man wearing a fedora. More like a shadow really, if shadows had teeth. He hears creeping and feels threatened by a possible intruder in his basement. The fear is persistent and invasive, it takes up residence. Then one day he wakes from a long slumber and finds he has lost days. And then, there it is, the shadow, from before.
I remember reading Doll House and thinking this guy’s got something going on. Trust me, he does. That said, John Hunt is decidedly honing his art, courting his muse, if you will. His prose may be a little too rough around the edges, but pay heed, this too shall pass.
I gave Doll House 3.5 stars but only lit up 3. This time another 3.5, but I am letting 4 burn bright.
You are on my radar Mr. Hunt and I am seeking good things. I’ll let you define that.
My thanks to Black Rose Writing, John Hunt and NetGalley for an opportunity to read this novel....more
There’s gold, and it’s haunting and haunting; It’s luring me on as of old; Yet it isn’t the gold that I’m wanting So much as finding the gold. It’s the grThere’s gold, and it’s haunting and haunting; It’s luring me on as of old; Yet it isn’t the gold that I’m wanting So much as finding the gold. It’s the great, big, broad land ‘way up yonder, It’s the forests where silence has lease; It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder, It’s the stillness that fills me with peace. Robert Service
This book got me to thinking about why I read and at times it would seem I have as many answers as there are moments to consider them.. For me I guess it all began when I was a child. Back then I read to escape. To slip silently, unnoticed, away from the here and now.
Well now
Kristin Hannah took me to Alaska and I loved every moment I spent with her, within The Great Alone.
As the story opens we meet the Allbright family. Leni is but thirteen in 1974 when her father Ernt comes home with one of his bright idea smiles and tells them he has been left a parcel of land from a deceased war buddy. The land is in Alaska. Leni’s parents share a passionate, tumultuous relationship. But her father Ernt has not been the same since his return, from the Vietnam War. These days he is always on edge, always bristling; he drank too much and had bad nightmares. The worst part was how quickly he angered, and how often he angered. Without the slightest provocation, especially when he drank, which he did, often. But Ernt is convinced that things will be better in Alaska, the last frontier, free from the daily demands of civilization, free to live off the land and enjoy nature’s bounty.
I have lived in Ontario’s north country, well at least as far north as any road would take you at that time. An isolated post, the government called it. From there we flew further north still, into the native reserves and the magnificent, spell binding, haunting, silent beauty of the north land. Breathtaking and oh so deadly. I have laid under the summer stars and stood frozen, blinded by the winter landscape, kidnapped by the northern lights. Captive and amazed. Even now words fail me. Still I was seriously way south of places like Alaska.
It is really hard to put my finger on the magic that Hannah has created here but I’m going to try and I guess the best place to start is with her characters. I was first introduced to Hannah’s ability to flesh out characters when I read The Nightingale, so I should not have been so surprised at the talent on display here. Her people, the good and the bad, come alive on these pages and fixed themselves firmly in my minds eye. I loved Large Marge and was so positively crushed by Leni’s father Ernt that I found myself forgetting to breath when he was around. And there are more, not the least of which is Leni herself, bound by circumstance to a harsh, resplendent world and an untenable future. Both captivated by and victim to this unrelenting and unforgiving land and her parent’s toxic relationship.
I find myself thinking of Alaska as one her characters, it is such a big part of this story and Hannah’s ability to take me there both baffles and astounds. There is no one passage I find myself wanting to share to further demonstrate this skill, no it doesn’t lie in one or even a handful of passages. It is just there, hidden almost, behind every word, carved out over time and painted with slow, vivid strokes; cut on the very edge of the often lethal, always brutal and delicate artistry of nature’s awesome bounty and sweeping, panoramic vistas.
Oh my. I am far less than equal to the task of relating the awesome power of this novel. You will not want to miss it.
Wow, respect.
Five fully captivated stars.
Pssssssssssssssst As an added bonus Hannah had me pulling Robert Service (talk about an ode to the North) off my bookshelves and once again exploring his spells of the Yukon and other musings. It was like visiting with an old and trusted friend, one that helped inform my own poetic coming of age. Priceless!...more
Boy you can bet I am glad to see the back of this baby. Teeth or no.
Not going to lie I did not care for this at all.
For those of you who do not know,Boy you can bet I am glad to see the back of this baby. Teeth or no.
Not going to lie I did not care for this at all.
For those of you who do not know, Baby Teeth is the story of Hanna, a little girl who is determined to kill her mother.
Of course any story of this nature is going to be an uncomfortable read and I was very aware of that hurdle from the onset. That said, no doubt I would have found this more unsettling than I did, had I bought into any of it. I did not.
The story is told through two perspectives; that of Hanna, the little girl and her mother Suzette. From the very beginning I had a difficult time connecting with these voices. They did not ring true for me.
I never found that what was happening on the page felt real, no tension, no drama.
It all seemed too contrived, too bent on shocking and horrifying the reader in as many gratuitous ways as possible.
Sorry folks but for me this was a shallow basin.
As always my thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and Zoje Stage for an opportunity to read and review this book. :)...more
Songs carry memories almost as reliably and poignantly as smells. (all the chapters are named after songs)
Max is in the winter of Five Luminous Stars
Songs carry memories almost as reliably and poignantly as smells. (all the chapters are named after songs)
Max is in the winter of his years and for the majority of them he has carried a secret guilt, a burden of shame, that will not be gone. It has manifested itself onto him in most peculiar ways.
There was a mannequin standing at the centre of my grandfather’s overgrown garden, a life-size male with black hair and hopeful blue eyes. He was dressed in a black suit, a white shirt and black shoes. The elements and birds had reduced him and his clothes to a forlorn forsaken state.
These days Max keeps lists of memories, more protection from ever forgetting, more fuel for the fire that stokes the flames of guilt that have consumed him all of his adult life.
Max’s guilt dates back to when he was twelve and living in Paris in the days just leading up to the Nazi occupation. He was then best friends and inseparable from a Jewish girl called Ada. They spent most of their time in Ada’s tree house where they taught each other spells and copied each one down meticulously in their book, which of course was kept hidden from all prying eyes but their own.
On any other day, in any other place, at any other time in history Max’s small act, not an act at all really, more of an unact, though mean and hurtful, would not have carried such a heavy weight. But it was not any other day.
Much time has passed and Max realizes that in order to keep the memory of Ada alive, he must share his story, his secret shame, with his grandson Mark.
But Mark has a shame all his own and harbours fears that are debilitating, reductive and have resulted in more loss than life.
It is not always possible to know which, if any, of my grandfather’s stories were actually true so when he told me about Ada and their book of spells, I could not tell if it was just a story or an actual memory.
Honestly for such a small book, that could be read in a few short hours, if you did not feel the need to go back and read again some of the beautiful, haunting passages that evoke such a visceral response; this one packs a lot of story into very few pages.
It was less the soldiers and more the enormous Nazi flags draped over buildings which brought home how altered reality was. The most immediate effect of the red and white flag with the black swastika was one of unfriendliness. It made the familiar look unreal. Like waking up into a dream. It seemed to steal one’s memories. Steal the substance from everything it presided over. The sight of it always made me feel a bit dizzy as if I was filled with hot air.
It has already made it to my must read again list.
And soon, when I can slow down, chew and savour every respectful word. I cannot believe I just said that about a novel about the Holocaust, but it’s true.
Highly recommended! A Must Read. Thank you Katie.
As always, my thanks to Cheyne Walk, NetGalley and Glenn Haybittle for an opportunity to read and review this book....more
I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her. She just lay on the floor, holding her jaw. Staring at me. Silent. She didn’t even seem to be I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her. She just lay on the floor, holding her jaw. Staring at me. Silent. She didn’t even seem to be surprised.
Meet Oliver Ryan, handsome, successful, married. His story starts out hard, fast and provocative.
But to better understand him and what brought him to this point we need to go back and learn something of who he is. In the process we will meet “family”, “friends” and acquaintances.
Perhaps it says more about me than it does the story when I say that there was nothing that really surprised me here. Predictable even. Perhaps because what did happen here is not only possible but plausible as well.
Unraveling Oliver is a well written, psychological profile. If you are looking for gruesome, red herrings or surprise twists, they are not to be found here. Much of what makes this story so compelling is that it is deeply anchored in the real world of possibility.
I am reminded of something J.K. Rowling said:
If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
The real threats in this world are far more frightening than any make believe, magical or mythological ones.
And they’re here.
My thanks to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley and Liz Nugent for an opportunity to read and review this book. ...more
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