I hope you are reading something good for National Reading Day! I'm in the middle of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman. Reviews soon to come for my first three reads of the year.
Read on!
Read on!
Monday, January 23, 2017
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
A MONSTER CALLS BY PATRICK NESS AND SIOBHAN DOWD (CONCEPTION)
 |
| Image Credit: goodreads.com |
Patrick Ness took Siobhan Dowd's idea and completed what would have been her fifth book - In A Monster Calls. Sadly, Dowd lost her own battle with cancer before she could realize her idea.
In this fantasy book, we meet 13-year old, Conor O'Malley who is grappling with the imminent death of his mother who is stricken with cancer. Through his dreams, he meets a monster who helps him come to terms with what is happening in reality.
This is a children's novel, so it is told in such a way that a young reader could relate. However, there are beautiful nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout this ~200-page book. The way in which Ness conveys the confused emotions of a youngster having to cope with such an adult problem makes this story a masterpiece.
A Monster Calls was also made into a movie starring Lewis MacDougall as Conor and Liam Neeson as the Monster, and it was released Christmas 2016. It seems as though the film did not have wide range appeal as it was only widely released for a few weeks. I haven't seen the film, but I highly recommend the book. And as I'm sure my fellow readers know, the book is always better!
To sum up my review of this book, I will close with one of the more poignant quotes from the story. I hope it offers comfort to those who might need it:
Belief is half of all healing. Belief in the cure, belief in the future that awaits.Recommendation: I think Ness did Dowd justice in telling a story of grief in such a creative way. This is a gift for children (and people, in general) who have taken on the challenge of dealing with such a difficult situation. May you believe and be healed.
Until next time ... Read on!
Saturday, January 14, 2017
THE SECRET PLACE BY TANA FRENCH
Tana French's fifth novel in the Dublin Murder Squad Series is The Secret Place. Just like the previous four books, French wastes no time in setting up the murder. However, in this particular book, the murder is about a year-old cold case surrounding teenagers.
Set on the grounds of a posh boarding school for girls and using elements from a popular website/blog (PostSecret), we are introduced again to Detective Stephan Moran, who made an appearance in Faithful Place (book) #3. We meet new character to the reader, Detective Antoinette Conway. And Detective Frank Mackey [The Likeness (book #2), Faithful Place (book #3)] and his daughter Holly Mackey reappear.
Chris Harper, a boy from a nearby boarding school for boys was murdered a year ago, and Holly (because of her previous experience) reaches out to Detective Moran with a clue that offers to re-open the case. Wanting to transfer from the Cold Case Squad to the Murder Squad, Moran uses this tip from Holly to persuade Detective Conway, the original detective on the Harper murder case, to let him tag along. From there, we spend several hours on campus with the detectives questioning two groups of girls who all had motive to kill the boy from the neighboring school.
As always, French uses a familiar who done it premise, to pull us into this Dublin, Ireland community. The book alternates between Detective Moran and Holly, each chapter giving us clues and positing a viable solution. By the end of the novel, you do find out who did it and why. It is one of French's more tidy endings. It just takes an awful long time to get there. I found the book to include too many characters, and trying to remember which girl had which personality and was part of which group and what the pecking order was in that particular group made the book a little heavy to sift through.
On the other hand, I did enjoy watching the relationship between Detective Mackey (as a father and a professional) evolve as well as the relationship between Detective Moran and Detective Conway grow. (Prior to this book, Moran and Conway were relatively unknown to one another.) I think that is the gift of reading Tana French. It's not necessarily about the murder, although that is what keeps the story moving, it's more about the character development between the detectives. They are all a little broken (aren't we all?), and the author captures their complexities in an engaging way.
I enjoyed this book, not as much as the others (books #1-#4), but it was a satisfying read. I think this is one of the novels where having read the other books might help create more of an understanding and a clearer backdrop. But as I said in my Broken Harbor review, it's not necessary to read all of French's books or read them in order to appreciate her craft.
If you enjoy murder mysteries and take guilty pleasure in the mean-girl cliques, you will probably devour this book. As I understand it, Detective Conway and Detective Moran will reprise their roles in French's sixth book, The Trespasser, which is on my to-be-read list. If French maintains her writing trend, we'll see book #7 some time in 2018
Recommendation: French is an excellent storyteller, painting vivid pictures of empathetic characters.
Until next time ... Read on!
Sunday, January 1, 2017
BEST BOOK OF 2016: A MAN CALLED OVE BY FREDRIK BACKMAN
 |
| Image credit: goodreads.com |
When I started this blog, I wasn't sure what direction it would take, but I knew I wanted to memorialize each book I read by drafting a review that included an overview of each book as well as my opinion on its worth. I also knew that would serve as the general framework or structure of the blog. I was certain of that and one other thing - I wanted to review the best book I read each year.
Earlier this year, I had an inkling it was going to be A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, but I started this blog in late summer of 2016. So, I wanted to keep my mind open in the event I read something that eclipsed Ove. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead got close, but Backman's heart-wrenching prose kept it in the lead until I finished my year in books. So, let me tell you about the best book of 2016 according to me - A Man Called Ove.
Ove is a bit of a curmudgeon. He's set in his ways. He's a creature of habit. He's cantankerous. He sounds pretty unlikable, huh? And truth be told, when I first started this book I didn't like Ove. But like a lifetime friendship, a classic song, or a persistent suitor, Ove grows on you. We get a peak into his life of solitude, that against his will changes, in the present day, but we also learn what made the man through flashbacks of his life from childhood through marriage.
Ove is a simple story that is beautifully told. It may seem impossible, but I believe that men, women, and young adults - people of all walks of life, can fall in love with a grumpy old man. I've mentioned before I have become a fast fan of Backman's writing style, and as a result, I will continue to seek out his work.
Recommendation: It should really go without saying that my best book of the year receives a resounding recommendation in the affirmative. If you haven't picked up a copy of this book, do yourself a favor and get to your closest bookstore or local library today!
I'm excited to see what books will gift me for 2017. Until next time ... Read on!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
