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Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog The Cleansing by Victoria Alvear (@valvearshecter) #RBRT

Hi, all:

I share my review of another book I’ve discovered thanks to Rosie’s Book Review Team. I hadn’t read a book set in this historical period for a very long time, and this one felt incredibly relevant to our world today.

The Cleansing by Victoria Alvear

The Cleansing by Victoria Alvear

Based on a true story, this is not the enlightened Rome of myth. This is a city choking on fear, where blood flows on both the battlefield and altar, and where generals and politicians alike are desperate to appease rageful gods.

When 50,000 Romans fall in a single day at the Battle of Cannae, priests claim there can be only one reason the gods abandoned a Vestal Virgin has broken her vow of chastity. And they accuse Opimia (Mia), the strongest, most defiant of the six sacred Vestal priestesses.

Forced as a child into serving Vesta, the goddess of fire, Mia has always chafed against Rome’s control of her every move—especially after being separated from her childhood love, Attius. Now, accused of a crime she did not commit, she must defend herself in a hostile court to avoid being buried alive for her “crime.”

Betrayed by the high priestess, hunted by Rome’s political and religious elite, Mia must either accept her fate — or join with the Sybil of Cumae to expose the truth behind a world built on superstition, fear, and lies.

A story of personal awakening amid public catastrophe, The Cleansing is a haunting journey through a city at war with itself — and a woman who risks everything to survive it.

“Shocking, searing and all too timely.”
Kate Quinn

“Excellent and very evocative.”
Ben Kane

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243371380-the-cleansing?

About the author:

Victoria Alvear aka Vicky Alvear Shecter is the author of multiple books set in the ancient world. She writes for adults as Victoria Alvear and for children as Vicky Alvear Shecter. Her adult novels include THE CLEANSING: BASED ON A TRUE STORY, which tells of the true story of a Vestal Virgin falsely accused of having sex and facing a death sentence. Others include A DAY OF FIRE: A NOVEL OF POMPEII, A SONG OF WAR, and A YEAR OF RAVENS. Her YA novels include CLEOPATRA’S MOON, based on the life of Cleopatra’s only daughter, and CURSES AND SMOKE: A NOVEL OF POMPEII. She has written a mid-grade series on mythology (ANUBIS SPEAKS, HADES SPEAKS, and THOR SPEAKS) as well as two award-winning biographies for kids. She is a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta.

My review:

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.

This is my first experience of reading one of this author’s novels, and I was impressed by the story and how vividly she recreates what life in Ancient Rome must have been like, especially for the protagonist, a Vestal Virgin called Opimia (Mia). Those who have the notion of Ancient Rome being an enlightened and civilised empire are likely to be horrified by much of what happens in the novel, which is based on real events, although it is a work of historical fiction. The author adds several sections at the end that I recommend reading, as they include an author’s note where she explains why she thought the story was so important in this day and age (and there are many thoughts and ideas expressed in the book that could be easily applied to some of the events we’re experiencing at the moment and some of the “reasoning” behind them); a collection of historical notes about the real historical events behind the novel (that takes place during the Second Punic War, in 216 BCE Rome); a list of real historical characters that are featured in the story; and a fascinating section on ‘Strange but true facts about Ancient Rome in this novel’ where we can find topics such as female virginity, blood sacrifices/relationship with the Gods, human sacrifices, Prodigia, among others that I won’t mention because they might reveal too many details about the plot. Alvear also mentions the sources of her information; there is a section of acknowledgements, and a map of the Roman Forum, where much of the action takes place.

The novel starts with a warning about the content, and I think readers must indeed be warned that this is no genteel historical fiction. It starts with a bloody and horrendous battle that we live up close and personal (the Battle at Cannae), and the horrors do not stop here. The Roman defeat and the great loss of lives (an estimated 50000 men) in that battle created terror in Rome, as they feared Hannibal’s army and his next move. Somebody had to be blamed for that loss, and their belief in the supernatural meant the explanation had to be that somebody had done something that had enraged the Gods, and they had to pay for it to ensure Rome’s safety. Animal sacrifices and the usual rituals were not enough.

We follow Mia, the youngest of the six Vestal Virgins in Rome at the time, as she goes about her duties, and through no fault of her own, she gets accused of being the reason behind the defeat at the battle. She knows she hasn’t done what she is accused of, being impure (she was taken into the service of Vesta at age 6 and has never known a man), but nobody is interested in hearing her side of the story. Although she manages to secure a trial of sorts, she eventually realises that everybody is conspiring to ensure she is made an example of and ‘the cleansing’ of the title takes place.

Although Mia is a real historical character, there is little known about any of the individual Vestal Virgins, and that gives the author a chance to turn her into a fascinating character, with doubts about religion but also very influenced by all she has been taught. She is a rebel at heart but tries to obey and behave as expected to avoid something terrible happening to Rome and the Roman people. We learn about her past experiences through flashbacks where she (her story is told in the first-person) remembers specific moments of her life, and by the end of the novel we have quite a clear picture, not only of what she is like, but also of what life must have been like for these women, who, in the best of cases, had to serve for thirty years from a very young age and live a very restricted existence. If they were unlucky, they might end up flogged and buried alive. What a bargain!

You will have to read the novel to appreciate how things worked and the process she goes through until she realises that much of what passes for truth, religious belief, and rituals have been manipulated and doctored by those in power to control the masses.

Apart from Mia, whose stubbornness could be frustrating at times, there were other characters I loved as well, like Kete, her servant, an Egyptian woman who is brave and intelligent; Prisca, a childhood friend who keeps in contact with Mia and tries to help her; Atticus, another childhood friend and a bit more than that; Floronia, another young Vestal Virgin and the one closest to Mia; the wonderful Sybil of Cumae (my favourite), and Useless, the dog. Of course, there are some horrible characters as well, but I’d rather not talk too much about them.

I have already mentioned the way the author createsa vivid portrayal of Mia’s life and the life led by the Roman citizens at the time. The book is full of small details that bring it to life, from dresses and hairstyles to customs, traditions, food, drink, laws, and everyday routines. This is not a fast-paced novel, as it takes its time to build up enough understanding of the way the religion and the society of the time worked to ensure we fully appreciate the change in Mia’s beliefs and the arc her character experiences. That doesn’t mean the story is not gripping, because it is full of fascinating scenes inhabited by characters who won’t leave anybody indifferent.

Although the ending doesn’t feel particularly realistic, considering what happens in the rest of the story, it is satisfying. I think most readers will be happy with it. And the author explains why she chose this ending as well.

A fascinating novel that feels particularly relevant now. I kept highlighting quotes and sections that spoke to me loud and clear, and I know it’s a story that will stay with me for a long time. I recommend it to readers interested in this historical period and to readers of historical fiction in general, provided they take into account the author’s warning about the violent and extreme content.

I leave you with some of the quotes I mentioned to give you a taste of what the writing is like and what I was talking about.

A frightened people will always side with the powerful, if they believe the powerful will protect them in some way. Even when they actively hurt them. The promise of safety and protection was more potent than the strongest poppy tincture.

It was ill-omened to speak lies of the dead, I told them. And I would not accept being told up was down, white was black, and truth was false even as our leaders spat falsehoods with impunity. The goddess of lies and deceit, Fraus, I told them, must never be given more credence than the goddess of truth, Veritas.

Whatever the powerful in Rome claimed to be true— and wrote down as true— became “fact”. And with enough repetition, lies always seemed more true than the truth.

Thanks to Rosie and her team for their support, to the author for her fabulous novel, and especially to all of you for visiting, commenting, sharing, liking, and for your support. Keep smiling and keep reading!

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Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog My Husband’s Wife: A Novel by Alice Feeney (@panmacmillan) (@alicewriterland)

Hi, all:

I bring you a book by a writer who has become very popular, but this is my first experience reading one of her novels. Not one straight plot-line in the whole book!

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

My Husband’s Wife: A Novel by Alice Feeney

The New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists is back with a psychological masterpiece that will leave you questioning everything you know about love, identity, and revenge.

“Nonstop thrills! The best Feeney book yet!” —FREIDA MCFADDEN
“Propulsive, compulsive, addictive.” —LISA JEWELL

Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife.

One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying.

Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person’s date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs.

My Husband’s Wife is a tangled web of deception, obsession, and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass – if you dare – to experience a story where nothing is as it seems.

About the author:

Alice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author of novels including His & Hers, Sometimes I Lie, Rock Paper Scissors and Daisy Darker. Her books have been translated into over thirty-five languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations, with His & Hers currently in production for Netflix, produced by Jessica Chastain, and starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal.

Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years. Her seventh novel, Beautiful Ugly, will be published around the world in January 2025.

You can follow Alice on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. To find out the latest book and TV news, or to sign up for Alice’s free newsletter, please visit alicefeeney dot com

My review:

I thank NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel, which I freely chose to review.

I had seen the author and her novels featured and was aware she is a very popular writer, but this is the first of her novels I read, although I have some others already waiting on my list.

I read many thrillers and mysteries, and I do love a story with twists and turns, red herrings and unreliable narrators, but this one must be one of the most convoluted stories I’ve ever read (if not the most), and with one of the highest counts of unreliable narrators I’ve ever come across. And that’s saying something. Of course, not having read any of her previous novels, I cannot comment on how it compares to those, but based on what I’ve read, she truly deserves the title of the Queen of Twists.

I am not sure what else to say about the book. I won’t tell you that I will try not to give too many details of the plot to avoid spoilers, because it is almost impossible to explain the plot in any way that makes sense without getting tangled up in who is doing what, when, who knows what, who is lying to whom, who is hiding what… Well, you probably catch my drift.

To begin with, the story starts with a fascinating premise. A woman named Eden Fox returns home after a run and discovers her key doesn’t work on the door. To make matters worse, the woman who opens the door tells her “she” is the real Eden Fox. The first woman we meet (who is telling the story in the first person, as all the narrators do) doesn’t have her phone or any means of identifying herself. She soon discovers how difficult it can be to prove you are who you really say tiy are when you’ve recently moved to a small town (Hope Falls) and haven’t interacted with any of the locals. That is, of course, if she is who she says she is.

Her story alternates with the story of another woman, Birdy (Olivia Bird), a bit of a loner who lost her mother when she was very young and seems to enjoy the company of her dog more than anybody else’s. She is given a terrible diagnosis, but also some surprising news about a relative she hadn’t thought about in years. Of course, readers will think there is a connection between the two women, but what is that connection?

We also get the story, as it develops and gets more and more complicated, from the point of view of other characters as we get into the story (Eden’s husband, the local policeman, and a few more), and when the body of a woman appears, there are also interrogations, transcripts, autopsy reports… The small town and Spyglass, the house where Eden Fox and her husband live, also feature prominently, and we get to hear about some peculiar characters, festivals and traditions, as well as local gossip. There are elements we’d expect to see in classical mysteries, and others fairly original (a company that tells people when they are going to die, and it seems to get it right), and there are stories of revenge, family relationships, questions of ethics and morality (how far would you go for your children, and what would you do to somebody who hurt them), and the odd touch of humour.

The characters… Well, it is impossible for such a twisted and changeable story to have characters that act consistently. I kept changing my mind about Eden Fox to begin with, and although I did like many things about Birdy (who has quite a sharp sense of humour), all the characters hide so many things (especially considering the narrative is told by all of them in the first-person) that I didn’t get the sense I knew any of them when I reached the end. Did I care for them? I felt intrigued, but I am not sure I’d say these are characters that will stay with me for a long time.

This is a genre that requires suspension of disbelief, like all fiction, but some novels stretch this more than others. This is not one of those stories that, as you read it, you think that it could easily happen to you or your next-door neighbour. Unless you lead a pretty complicated life. I finished reading it and wondered if everything would fit in and make sense if I reread the story now that I know what had happened (well, more or less). I am not sure.

This is an entertaining read that will keep you turning the pages (and yes, of course, there is a final-final-final twist), ideal if you are looking for something to keep you entertained and aren’t worried about it not being terribly realistic. Don’t expect deep psychological insights (there are many quotable phrases, though) or truly consistent and credible characters, but if you like twisted and challenging plots that will make your head spin, this is your book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the book, thanks to all of you for your support, for visiting, reading, liking, sharing, commenting, clicking… Have fun, keep reading, and always keep smiling. ♥

Categories
Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog So Shall Ye Reap (Book 2 of the Revenge Series) by Terry Tyler (@TerryTyler4)

Hi, all:

I bring you the second book in a new series by one of my favourite authors, whose stories regularly feature on my blog.


So Shall Ye Reap (Book 2 of the Revenge Series) by Terry Tyler

So Shall Ye Reap (Book 2 of the Revenge Series) by Terry Tyler

“Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”
-Galations 6:7

Call it karma, call it poetic justice – two novellas that explore the cunning way life can exact its own revenge, in a way that no amount of foresight can ever fully predict.

Ordinary Joe

A phone call on a cold November morning summons Joe Carter from Vienna to Brazil, to meet up with his old travelling buddy, Ziggy. But Ziggy’s changed. He has a new crowd, different values, and a clever way of reeling Joe in.

Soon, Ziggy will make an offer Joe could refuse, if he really wanted to. When he agrees, he has no idea of the dark path he will travel down.

Some roads don’t let you turn back.

King of the Playground

The path between love and hate is narrow indeed.

At six years old Jerry and Mikkel become inseparable, the brothers each other never had. Mikkel is generous, funny, adventurous, the leader of the gang, the king of the playground. Jerry feels honoured to be his second-in-command, but over the years his resentment grows. Why can’t he be the king? Why does Mikkel always turn up smelling of roses?

As they become men, Jerry acknowledges that this choke hold of emotions that intensifies as the years pass, has consumed him.

About the author:
Terry Tyler is the author of twenty-eight books available from Amazon, the latest being the post-apocalyptic thriller, Safe Zone.
Other recent publications include the SFV-1 rage virus trilogy: Infected, Darkness and Reset, also ‘Where There’s Doubt’, the story of a romance scammer and his prey, and ‘Megacity’, the final book in the dystopian Operation Galton trilogy. Happy to be independently published, Terry is an avid reader and book reviewer, and a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.
Terry is a Walking Dead addict, and has a great interest in history (particularly Saxon, Plantagenet, and Tudor), along with books and documentaries on sociological/cultural/anthropological subject matter. She loves South Park, the sea, and going for long walks in quiet places where there are lots of trees. She lives in the north east of England with her husband.
Terry can be found on X @TerryTyler4
My review:
Having read several of Terry Tyler’s stories before, I was keen to read the books in her Revenge Series, for several reasons: I love revenge stories (perhaps I’m a bit twisted, but who is perfect?), I am always happy to read anything this author writes, and I was intrigued by the idea of combining two novellas under a general theme in each book. I read the first one, and I knew I would be waiting eagerly for the rest. So, in case you’re in a hurry, I can already confirm: the second book in the series is a fabulous read as well.
I don’t want to dissect the two stories in excessive detail, to avoid giving too much away to future readers, so I’ll try to talk in general about the two.
As expected from an author who is talented at creating gripping stories inhabited by realistic and psychologically complex characters, ‘Ordinary Joe’ and ‘King of the Playground’ manage that elusive combination: a compelling plot and protagonists we can relate to (even when we don’t like them very much).
The two novellas in this book have male protagonists who narrate their stories in the first person. Both stories share some similarities: both feature a male friendship that has lasted many years (in one of the cases since childhood), where one of the friends is the more popular, adventurous, and fun of the two; in both of them, one of the friends betrays the other, although the nature of the betrayal is very different (one is very personal, the other involves something that is more “dangerous” in the usual sense); and, as can be guessed by the title, in both stories fate has a way of punishing the betrayer, more or less directly. Both protagonists also learn a lesson by the end of the story, and they are changed by their experience, at least to some extent.
There are also many differences. While one of the protagonists is determined to turn his life into a successful story, and his ambition is to achieve an important social status and become well-off, the other cares nothing for material things and only sees money as a means to an end: travelling, meeting people, and collecting unique experiences. Also, one of them is the “victim” of the betrayal, while the other one is the “perpetrator”, although there are many nuances and things aren’t clear-cut, because life is rarely, if ever, black or white. While one of the stories is set in a world that will feel everyday and familiar to many readers, the other takes place in a much more exotic, dark, and dangerous world, but both are compelling and make us keep turning the pages.
The plot builds up quickly, but the author manages to pack enough details into both stories to make us grasp the psychological makeup of the protagonists, so we understand why they behave in the way they do, and we get the full impact of what happens next.
The two stories work as cautionary tales and deep explorations of the psychology of relationships, self-perception, fairness, and revenge. Readers can draw their own conclusions, but I’m sure both stories will keep them turning the pages until the end and thinking for a long time after.

Thanks to the author for this book, to all of you for reading, and remember to like, share, comment, click, and above all, to keep reading and smiling!

I’ve closed comments here as I will be a bit busy. Take care! ♥

Categories
Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog My Greek Island Christmas (Holiday Reading Selection) by Effrosyni Moschoudi (@FrostieMoss)

Hi, all:

I bring you a very seasonal novel, one I’ve picked up from Rosie’s book review team list, although I have read and enjoyed other books by the same author before.

Oh, and I’m adding some links at the end of the post so you can see some of the things Sants 3 Ràdio (the local radio station where I volunteer) and I have been busy with over the holidays.

My Greek Island Christmas by Effrosyni Moschoudi


My Greek Island Christmas (Holiday Reading Selection) by Effrosyni Moschoudi

Two die-hard cynics when it comes to love meet on a small family farm on the alluring Greek island of Santorini, and the magic of Christmas goes to work.

Cathy Roussos, a Greek-American single mom, swore off love many years ago after a painful breakup. Her nine-year-old son, the energetic but rather shy Leo, is everything she lives for. When she takes a temp job as a housekeeper for the Christmas season at a small family farm on the island of Santorini, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the standoffish son of the owner.

Alex Rallis, a veterinarian living in Athens, is a sworn bachelor. As Christmas draws near, he is offered an ideal job abroad. Before taking it, he has to sell the family farm in Santorini and find a new place for his elderly father. The last place Alex wants to be at Christmas is the farm that holds painful memories, but he can’t avoid it. His father will only agree to sell the farm and move out if Alex spends one last Christmas with him there. It seems the old man has a ploy in mind, and a string of adorable locals have their parts to play, too. Next thing you know, Christmas cheer is shared all around, old sad tales are retold in different ways, and romantic love swirls through the air deliciously, like the aromatic steam of hot chocolate.

Can these two wounded souls find happiness together? They say Christmas holds its own magic, and Santorini can be just as enchanting. Even in the midst of winter, its allure remains—enough to give anyone a chance to heal and open up their heart.

About the author

Effrosyni Moschoudi was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She writes books for the romantic at heart, and for all readers around the world, who love her country and its vast culture.

Her stories are set in alluring locations around Greece and tend to feature supernatural creatures such as angels, ghosts or witches, as she believes our world is magical and not as mundane as we think.

She writes clean and sweet romances that are peppered with humour and a touch of family drama, offering the reader an emotional rollercoaster ride with perfect happily-ever-after endings.

Effrosyni lives in a quaint seaside town near Athens with a British husband, two mischievous cats, and a vast collection of books. Her little town is heavenly enough, yet her mind forever drifts to her beloved island of Corfu.

The Ebb, her new adult beach romance that was inspired by her summers in Corfu in the 1980s, was a Q-Finalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards in 2014. Her debut novel, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, won a silver medal in the 2017 book awards of Readers’ Favorite. Her supernatural suspense novella, The Boy on the Bridge, was a Top 10 winner of the “50 Best Indie Books” awards of Readfreely in 2021.

Effrosyni’s books are Amazon bestsellers, having hit #1 several times, and are available mainly in kindle and paperback format.

What others say about Effrosyni’s books:

“Effrosyni layers her words on the page like music.” ~USA Today bestselling author Jackie Weger

“Very few writers have such a gift for realism.” ~Kelly Smith Reviews

“I was glued to the pages by the author’s vivid descriptions and her beautiful, almost poetic way of writing.” ~Angel Sefer, author of The Greek Isles series

“Moschoudi’s writing is impressive; sweet and delicate yet powerful, like a punch rolled up in silk.” ~Nicholas Rossis, author of The Pearseus sci-fi series

Visit her website, Effrosyniwrites, for her travel guide to Corfu, delicious Greek recipes, and a plethora of blog posts about her life in Greece.

You are welcome to join her bimonthly newsletter for free books in every issue. You may also contact her via her website or her favorite social medium, Facebook, with any comments or just to say hi. She loves to hear from her readers!

My review:

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.

I have read several novels by Moschoudi, and they are sure to be favourites among the fans of romantic novels, especially those who like to travel thanks to the stories, as they tend to be set in wonderful holiday locations. Here, the reluctant couple meet in Santorini, and although it is winter, the island is depicted as a paradise, as enjoyable in Christmas as it is in the summer, only cosier, with fewer tourists and with the added magic of the season to look forward to.

We meet Cathy, who is travelling with her young son Leo, as she is about to take up a brief assignment as the housekeeper for the Christmas holidays at a Santorini farm. She is half-Greek and half-American, but had been living in Athens when the story starts. She plans to go back to the USA to live with her parents and her son after Christmas. A man mistakenly takes her suitcase at the airport, and there is a nasty misunderstanding before things are cleared out. To her surprise, she discovers that the stranger who took her suitcase, Alex, is the son of the man she is supposed to be keeping house for, and they are all going to be living under the same roof.

Most readers will imagine that, despite the inauspicious beginnings, Alex and Cathy will end up finding each other. I won’t confirm or deny that, but one of the many strong points of the story is the way the two characters seem to be total opposites to begin with, but they have more in common than they imagine, as we discover as the story progresses. Both of them are traumatised, both of them have suffered betrayals and feel abandoned, have issues of trust, and find it difficult to confide in others. Alex has a difficult relationship with his father, whom he hadn’t visited for years, and the complex story behind that is slowly revealed. There are secrets, lies, and even more misunderstandings. There are also third parties involved, future plans, and life in general, which might have other plans for them both.

Added to the central romance, there are some wonderful secondary characters (Mr. Stavros, the father; Mrs. Marianna, a friend of the family and owner of the bakery; Mr. Nikos, a friend and colleague of Mr. Stavros; Leo, Cathy’s son, who is a wonderful child and loves the farm animals and any other animals and people in need of help, and more) and all of them are changed by the experience. Traditional families might not always work as they should, but found and chosen families can bring unexpected happiness to people who have given up hope.

For readers looking forward to discovering new things about Greece through this novel, there is also plenty of Greek food, all of which sounds delicious. I am not sure this book shouldn’t come with a warning, because it is impossible to read it and not feel hungry and eager to try many of the wonderful dishes mentioned.

The story is written in the third person, with Cathy as the main narrator of the story, and we see things mostly from her point of view, although there are also some scenes from Alex’s and Leo’s perspectives, and that gives us a better understanding of the characters and how they truly feel. But I must warn readers to prepare their handkerchiefs, as Moschoudi has written a very moving story, and it is impossible not to grow fond of the main characters and feel for and with them by the end.

This is a great read for this time of the year, especially for readers who miss a bit of sun and enjoy sofa-travelling, those who prefer a romance where the protagonists are grown-ups with emotional baggage, lovers of Greek food, and anybody looking for a different kind of Christmas story in a glorious setting and with a big heart.

Thanks to Rosie and her team for their support, to the author for another enjoyable story, and to all of you for reading, commenting, liking, and sharing, and before you go, as I promised…

Here you can see the party Sants 3 Ràdio organises every year on New Year’s Eve:

https://www.el3.cat/noticia/105765/la-bordeta-dona-inici-al-2026-amb-les-campanades-del-barri-al-campanar-de-la-parroquia-de-

Here, and in the whole of Spain, it’s common to celebrate the Epiphany, when the Three Wise Men (the Kings of Orient here) visited baby Jesus with gifts. The children write letters to the king of their choice, asking him for presents. Several organisations of the neighbourhood, with the support of the town hall, create what they call a Royal Encampment, so the children can visit, see the Kings, and give them their letters. My mother and I helped decorate the place, and we also dressed up for the event itself. (I played one of the royal pages, and I didn’t mind the feather on my cap, although it isn’t exactly a cap, but…)

https://www.el3.cat/noticia/105766/mes-de-5.000-persones-han-visitat-els-reis-dorient-al-campament-reial-de-sants-hostafrancs

And here, we also participate in a parade the day before Epiphany (6th of January):

https://www.el3.cat/noticia/106853/la-cavalcada-de-reis-de-sants-les-corts-emplena-els-carrers-i-balcons-del-barri-per-54e-an

Categories
Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog The Last Death of the Year(A New Hercule Poirot Mystery. Book 6) by Sophie Hannah (@HaperCollinsUK)

Hi, all:

I bring you a book in a series you might already be familiar with. I’ve read some of the previous books, and most people will know the main character.

The Last Death of the Year. (The New Hercule Poirot Mystery, book 6) by Sophie Hannah


The Last Death of the Year: The exciting new Hercule Poirot mystery for 2025 (A New Hercule Poirot Mystery. Book 6) by Sophie Hannah

The new Hercule Poirot mystery by Sophie Hannah, follow-up to the bestselling Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night.

New Year’s Eve, 1932.

Hercule Poirot and his good friend Inspector Edward Catchpool arrive on the Greek island of Lamperos for a little holiday…or is it?

Catchpool suspects Poirot has a different reason for being there — one he won’t reveal. As the clock ticks towards the New Year and a festive guessing game takes a sinister turn, can Poirot stop a murderer who is determined to strike before midnight?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221714629-the-last-death-of-the-year?

About the author:

Hello! Welcome to my Amazon Author Page, and thank you for your interest in me and my books. Below you will find my official biog and all my online links so that you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You’ll also find a link to my Dream Author Coaching Programme for writers, which launched in September 2019.

Oh, and you can see some cute photos of my amazing dog Brewster on this page too! He often leaps onto my laptop while I’m writing and deletes entire paragraphs by accident – so you could say he’s a regular contributor to my literary efforts!

If you would like to receive my monthly newsletter (in which I give away freebies and share scandal, gossip and intrigue) you can sign up at the bottom of the home page of my website, sophiehannah.com. And if you want to contact me directly (to say you’ve loved a book of mine, or even to complain vociferously about one of my books), email sophie@sophiehannah.com. I’m always delighted to hear from my readers!

Sophie xx

My Official Biography is as follows:

Sophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling crime fiction writer whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her crime novels have been translated into 49 languages and published in 51 countries. Her psychological thriller The Carrier won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the 2013 UK National Book Awards. In 2014 and 2016, Sophie published The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket, the first new Hercule Poirot mysteries since Agatha Christie’s death, both of which were national and international bestsellers. She went on to publish a third, The Mystery of Three Quarters in 2018 which was an instant bestseller, and her fourth Poirot novel, The Killings at Kingfisher Hill will be published in August 2020. Sophie helped to create a Master’s Degree in Crime and Thriller Writing at the University of Cambridge, for which she is the main teacher and Course Director. She is also the founder of the Dream Author Coaching Programme for writers which launched in September 2019.

Sophie is also an award-winning, bestselling poet, and her poetry is studied at GCSE level across the UK. She has co-written two murder mystery musicals with composer Annette Armitage: The Mystery of Mr. E and Work Experience. She has written a self-help book called How To Hold a Grudge: From Resentment to Contentment – The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life, and hosts the How to Hold a Grudge podcast.

Sophie lives with her husband, children and dog in Cambridge, where she is an Honorary Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College.

And I can be found online here:

Website: http://www.sophiehannah.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sophiehannahauthor/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sophiehannahwriter/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sophiehannahCB1

Home

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-hold-a-grudge/id1439465411

My review:

I thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel, which I freely chose to review.

I have read several of Sophie Hannah’s novels in the New Hercule Poirot Mystery series and enjoyed them. The plots and the figure of Poirot were true to the spirit of the original novels, and I also liked Catchpool, an inspector from Scotland Yard, happy to follow Poirot in his adventures and to put up with his peculiarities.

This novel, the sixth in the series, had an interesting premise. Poirot and Catchpool travel to a Greek Island, although Catchpool is given the impression that they are going on a short break over New Year’s, and they’ll stay with some friends of Poirot. The truth is somewhat different, because Poirot has been called due to the concerns of the owner of the house, who also happens to be the leader of a small community of people who share a set of intentions and beliefs all around the importance of forgiveness and its power to make the world a better place.

This wouldn’t be a Poirot novel (old or new) without a crime (or several), in this case, a murder that revolves around the New Year’s resolutions of all the characters living there, one of which contains what seems to be a very specific threat.

I won’t reveal too much about the plot, and although the principles that rule the community and the intricacies of the interactions and relationships between all the characters raised some interesting questions, I did not find the plot as compelling as that of other stories in the series, perhaps because I didn’t feel much connection or even sympathy for any of the members of the community (although I had a soft spot for the Greek inspector and the cook, who brought a humorous and bright spot to the proceedings). And although I don’t have to “like” the characters to enjoy a novel, if I don’t care for them at some level, I find that the experience of reading doesn’t grab me as much as I’d like, especially when reading a mystery.

I also missed Poirot playing a bigger part in the story. Although he is there, investigating, it felt more like a novel about Catchpool, where each one of them did their own thing and then compared notes, and Catchpool is always convinced that his ideas are bad and he won’t get anywhere. Needless to say, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I liked the idea behind the setting, both the place and the time of the year, but apart from a few times, I didn’t feel the location played as important a part as it could have, although perhaps that was due to my own expectations.

Regarding the mystery itself, there aren’t many factual clues, and all the characters hide things and contradict each other, making it quite convoluted and even confusing at times, with red herrings and misdirections galore.

I enjoyed the ending, which, as expected, takes the form of the familiar meeting of all the characters where Poirot shares the big reveal (or one reveal after another), and the epilogue, pretty light-hearted, but, all in all, this is my least favourite of this new series of novels about one of Agatha Christie’s most memorable characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers, the author, and Agatha Christie, of course, and to all of you for being there, for visiting, liking, commenting, and sharing. I hope 2026 is a year full of peace, great books, kindness, and forgiveness as well.

Categories
Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey (@CathChidgey)

Hi, all:

I bring you a book by an author new to me, but one that I will follow in the future.

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey

England, 1979. Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents of a secluded New Forest home, part of the government’s Sycamore Scheme. Every day, the triplets do their chores, play their games and take their medicine, under the watchful eyes of three mothers: Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night.

Their nightmares are recorded in The Book of Dreams.
Their lessons are taken from The Book of Knowledge.
And their sins are reported in The Book of Guilt.

All the boys want is to be sent to the Big House in Margate, where they imagine a life of sun, sea and fairground rides. But, as the government looks to shut down the Sycamore Homes, the triplets begin to question everything they have been told.

Gradually surrendering its dark secrets, The Book of Guilt is a profoundly unnerving exploration of belonging in a world where some lives are valued less than others.

About the author:

Catherine Chidgey (born 8 April 1970) is a New Zealand novelist, short-story writer and university lecturer. She has published eight novels. Her honours include the inaugural Prize in Modern Letters;the Katherine Mansfield Fellowship to Menton, France; Best First Book at both the New Zealand Book Awards and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (South East Asia and Pacific Region); the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards on two occasions; and the Janet Frame Fiction Prize.

My review:

I discovered this book thanks to NetGalley, and I went ahead and bought it when it was published.

I had never read any books by Catherine Chidgey before, but the description of this book intrigued me enormously, and it lived up to my expectations.

This book is set in a somewhat dystopian parallel historical universe, as it takes place in the UK, most of it in 1979, but there are important changes in the situation and history of the XX century we are familiar with. WWII in this novel didn’t end with clear winners and losers. Instead, there was an agreement between both sides that changed the political situation, but not only that. One of the important things that changed was the sharing of the “research” and the conclusions of the “experiments” that took place in the concentration camps, resulting in some scientific advancements like the discovery of DNA in the late 1930s, and there are other unseen and unexpected consequences that readers discover in the book.

The story is told from three different points of view, clearly marked and differentiated. The first one, narrated in the first person, is that of Vincent, a teenager and one of a triplet of orphaned brothers who always dress in the same colour to avoid confusing the people taking care of them. They live in a peculiar orphanage, where three “mothers” (one for the morning, one for the afternoon, and one for the night) look after them. The orphanage is isolated, and they have only very limited contact with the outside world. They follow pretty rigid routines: there is a Book of Dreams, where Morning Mother records their dreams every morning; they receive their education from reading and learning the Book of Knowledge, a children’s encyclopedia with a missing page; and if they do anything wrong, that is recorded in the Book of Guilt, which gives name to the novel. The novel is peppered with fragments from the Book of Knowledge (the author mentions the sources she consulted in a section at the end), and also with some descriptions of the children’s dreams and their wrongdoings.

The three children are fighting an unnamed illness (“a bug”), the mothers also record their symptoms regularly, and they are visited by a kind and elderly doctor who adjusts their medication according to their symptoms. The three brothers (Vincent, William, and Lawrence) are the only three children left now in the orphanage, as the children who recover are sent to Margate, where they can enjoy the seaside resort, with all it has to offer, and live together in a big house.

Changes in the government result in changes in their situation, such as the possibility of going on errands to a nearby town, and even bigger changes that are in the planning as we are introduced to the story.

The second point of view belongs to Nancy, a girl who lives with her parents, but her life is also isolated, as they don’t allow her to mix with anybody, and there are secrets she cannot grasp.

The third point of view, narrated in the third person like Nancy’s, belongs to the Minister of Loneliness, a married woman focused on her career who is given a mission by the female Prime Minister: to dismantle the homes and try to place all the remaining children with families. She comes into contact with the triplets and ends up becoming involved beyond the call of political duty.

The novel is divided into three parts, each named after one of the books the children’s lives revolve around, and it reminded me of a book by Ishiguro I read a while ago, and I loved: Never Let Me Go. The writing style is very different, though, and I won’t go into details about both plots to avoid spoilers. Those who read this one and have read the other one (which I recommend as well) can make their own minds up.

Readers from the UK will find references to a variety of events TV programmes, products, places, famous people, and even pretty well-known news items that will sound familiar. As mentioned, the author includes a note on the sources she consulted and was inspired by, and that might help join the dots for other readers.

I enjoyed the different narrators and trying to work out how they might interconnect. Also, I am a fan of unreliable narrators, and, for different reasons and in different ways, several (or even all) the narrators might be considered unreliable here. It is a novel that brings up interesting questions, as novels set in parallel historical universes tend to do. “Could something like that happen here and now?” is one of the questions most people will ask themselves. I will leave it to each reader to decide, but for me at least, it is not unthinkable.

A fascinating story, full of intriguing ideas and with characters who are unusual, complex, and morally ambiguous, so, pretty much like most of us. Judging by this novel, I will follow with interest this author’s work in the future.

Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support, for visiting, liking, sharing, and commenting. And, of course, Merry Christmas! Have a lovely holiday season, and let’s hope 2026 is much kinder and brighter for all.

And I thought I’d leave you with a Catalan Christmas Carroll, that many of you might have heard in other languages as well. A friend suggested I dedicate a post to the Catalan language, but I haven’t been organised enough to do that yet. Let’s make this a little introduction to it. Oh, and pay attention to the background. It’s el Palau de la Música Catalana, a fabulous building I recommend you visit if you come to Barcelona. It’s not by Gaudí, but the architect was a contemporary of his, and pretty famous as well, Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

Categories
Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog Resonant Blue and Other Stories by Mary Vensel White #RBRT

Hi, all:

I bring you a collection of stories by an author new to me. It’s another find thanks to Rosie and her Book Review Team.

Resonant Blue and Other Stories by Mary Vensel White

Resonant Blue and Other Stories by Mary Vensel White

The first collection of award-winning short fiction from the author of Bellflower and Things to See in Arizona; Mary Vensel White’s writing reflects “how we can endure and overcome our personal histories, better understand our ancestral ones, and accept the unknown future ahead.”
In “Driftwood,” a woman in a sleepy desert town willingly jumps into the back of a stranger’s pickup to escape her quiet house. In “Griffin,” an organized wife struggles to keep her family together and keep the beast of her husband’s mental illness away. And in the title story, “Resonant Blue,” an egotistical architect shatters everything around him as he tries to connect with his loved ones and build a better life. A game show for those seeking love, a family wedding that unveils another secret union, a woman’s impulsive trip to Greece to find her first love—in these twelve stories, Vensel White’s characters face turning points. Whether backed against a wall, reeling from a loss, or forced to confront a painful truth, each doggedly pursues the glimmer of possibility shining on the horizon.

About the author:

Mary Vensel White is the author of the novels Starling, Bellflower, and The Qualities of Wood, and the young adult novel, Things to See in Arizona. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in numerous publications. Born in Los Angeles, Mary has lived in Northern California, Denver, and Chicago, and has been back in Southern California for two decades.

Visit Mary at maryvenselwhite.com

My review:

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.

This is my first experience reading Vensel White’s stories, although she is a well-known author. People who know her work might have already read some of them, because quite a few have been published in magazines before. I recommend followers of the author to check the list of stories to avoid surprises, although even those who have read some of these stories might appreciate the chance to have them collected in a single book and rereading them at their leisure.

I thought I’d share a bit of information (no spoilers, of course) about each story, so prospective readers might get a sense of how well they might fit their taste. I will add that they are beautifully written, differ in length and subject, and all of them are populated by well-built characters whose emotions and feelings are recognisable. We meet at crucial points in their lives, and we get to share in their experiences, close and personal.

Stories:

Griffin: A story about a grown-up daughter coming back to visit her parents, a seemingly happy occasion, but one that raises many questions and issues, especially for the mother, who has to confront what life with her husband has been and is like. Full of eerie symbology, the story is one of latent threats and hidden (and not so hidden) tensions.

Prism: A brief story/vignette, about a young girl’s perception of her mother’s complex relationship with men and the impact it has on her.

Cadmium: Three siblings attend their mother’s wedding, and issues of forgiveness, tolerance, and change in our family relationships over time are brought into focus. Can people change, and can prejudice be overcome?

Driftwood: A very atmospheric story set in a striking location, where a woman in crisis rediscovers the zest for life and manages to inspire her husband as well. One of my favourites.

Resonant Blue: The end of the relationship between an older man and his younger partner, which he should have seen coming, but he ignored the signs until it was too late. His attempts at trying to reconstruct what had happened by focusing on an unfinished project aren’t a great success, but there are some positives.

Smoke: One of those stories where the protagonist is stalling for time after something terrible has happened. The author does a great job creating a sense of foreboding and menace, and making readers understand the kind of life this woman has had to bear with. An unfortunately common occurrence in many women’s lives, but disturbing nonetheless.

Verdant Pastures: A story about missing fathers, unknown siblings, religious (Christian) faith, how well do we know anybody, and what it means to be a parent.

Dear Rebecca: A very special love letter, written many years after the loss of his wife, where the author of the letter explains his life, the emptiness that never went away, and he reveals a traumatic event that ended up having a positive impact on everybody involved. Another one of my favourites, and it links quite nicely with some of the themes from the previous story.

The Love of Your Life Show: A reality TV show about finding the love of your life, where the protagonist, a young woman who was a reluctant participant in the proceedings, discovers that perhaps the perfect life companion isn’t necessarily a romantic partner.

Par Avion: The story begins in mystery mode, with the mother of two quite different children, now grown adults, disappearing from the condo she had moved into not long ago. It transforms into something quite different, where readers get to share in the various characters’ thoughts and points of view, and it ultimately becomes a story about families, secrets (sunny rather than dark or nasty), new and old experiences, reinventing oneself, and the joy of small things. Another favourite of mine.

Bad Luck: A young couple’s weekend break turns out anything but romantic, and the male protagonist suspects that another guest’s bad luck might not be a coincidence.

What You Know: This is a story that starts one way, with a troubled couple, but it is not about them at all, or perhaps it is. Those readers who love stories about writers and about the process of writing will probably find it fascinating, as I did.

This is a varied collection of stories whose author’s talent shines through. Having learned that she has written and published several novels, I am curious now to check them out. Another author to add to my list.

Thanks to Rosie and her team for their work and support, thanks to the author for her stories, and thanks to all of you for visiting, reading, sharing, liking, and supporting my blog. Keep smiling, and I hope the holiday season treats you well. ♥

Categories
Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog King of Christmas: A Choose Your Own Path Psychological Thriller by J.E. Rowney (@newbooksplease) #BooksGoSocial

Hi, all:

I bring you something special today. It might bring back memories…


King of Christmas: A Choose Your Own Path Psychological Thriller by J.E. Rowney


King of Christmas: A Choose Your Own Path Psychological Thriller by J.E. Rowne

THE ONLY CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CHRISTMAS THRILLER BOOK – AND THE MUST READ HOLIDAY BOOK OF 2025.

Not every path leads to the truth. But every one brings you closer to him.

Eight missing children. One urban legend. A town that stopped asking questions.

They call him the King of Christmas—a red-suited figure said to haunt Pine Hollow, taking children who’ve done wrong. Always on Christmas Eve. Always leaving behind a trail of footprints in the snow… and a single silver bell for every home that’s lost a child.

Jenny Matthews, now a Boston journalist, returns to the snowbound town she fled decades ago to investigate the disappearances.
Officially, she’s here to write about the legend.
Unofficially, she’s chasing something much closer to home.

The police won’t help. The town won’t talk. And this year a new family will receive a silver bell.

In this unique psychological thriller book, you decide what Jenny does next.

Will she uncover the truth—or become the next to vanish?
Will she expose the legend—or step straight into it?
Will she find redemption—or lose everything trying?

KING OF CHRISTMAS is a uniquely immersive Choose Your Own Path psychological thriller where your decisions shape the story. Every choice matters. Some truths are buried deep. Some paths lead to justice. Others to regret.

Choose carefully. The King of Christmas is watching.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242439461

About the author:

J.E. Rowney is a British author who has written several psychological thrillers, including “Gaslight”.

“Gaslight” is a gripping novel that tells the story of a young woman named Ella, who becomes convinced that she is being gaslit by her partner. As she struggles to uncover the truth, she is forced to confront the dark secrets that lie hidden in her own past.

Rowney’s writing style is known for being fast-paced and suspenseful, with a focus on building tension and keeping readers on the edge of their seats. She is skilled at creating complex, multidimensional characters and weaving together intricate plots that keep readers guessing until the very end.

In addition to her work as a writer, Rowney is also an advocate for mental health awareness and works to support mental health charities. This theme is often present in her books, which explore the impact of trauma and mental illness on the lives of her characters.

Overall, J.E. Rowney is a talented author who has gained a following for her gripping psychological thrillers. “Gaslight” is just one example of her ability to create unforgettable stories that leave readers on the edge of their seats.

Ms. Rowney says: “I always dreamed of being a writer, until I realised that I was. Then I started to write.”

You can find out more about JE Rowney on her website at jerowney.com, or follow @jerowneywriter on social media and @jerowney on TikTok


My review:

I thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an ARC copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.

I remember discovering the Choose Your Own Path books when I was a teenager, thanks to one of my younger cousins, and I read a few of them at the time. The idea of the books is that the reader becomes the protagonist of the adventure (they usually were adventure-type children’s books) narrated in the book, and he or she has to decide between several options at certain points of the story. One book can turn up very differently depending on who reads it, and you can read the same book several times, choosing different paths and discovering different stories.

I hadn’t thought about these books in years, until I saw this novel, a psychological thriller, described as an old-fashioned Choose Your Own Path story, but this time for adults. Not only that, but the crime involved the disappearances of young children that had been happening in a small town for over forty years. To make matters worse, the children had gone missing on Christmas Eve, and the parents who had lost children would also receive a memento of their loss every Christmas Eve after that: a silver bell.

I read a lot of thrillers, and I could not resist the idea of trying this one. The story sounded interesting; it was also appropriately seasonal and dark. And I was curious about how the formula would work for an adult book.

As you can imagine, it is not easy to talk about this genre of books without revealing any spoilers, and that is even more the case here. There is also the issue that the reading experience can vary a lot depending on the choices one makes. I had to follow different paths and go back and forth a few times to get to some semblance of an explanation, although I am not sure the path I followed is the one the author originally chose for the story. (In her afterword, she explains that readers can access her version of the story on her website, but I haven’t checked it yet).

I was impressed by how easily one gets dragged into the story and carries on reading, wanting to know what is going to happen if one follows a particular path. It is a bit like watching a horror movie and shouting at the screen for characters not to enter a room or not to hide somewhere, only in this case, the reader has become the person choosing (rightly or wrongly) what to do. Although the reader takes on a character, a writer who is the sister of one of the missing girls, we are only given some background information; the rest is up to us. The book is written in the second person and addresses the reader directly, something not common in fiction books, and that makes for a quite peculiar reading experience.

I was also impressed by how well the story’s continuity works. It must have been hard to work everything out, because it is like writing several stories, chopping them and mixing them all, and making sure that the details fit. That is something pretty important in this genre, and in this case, it becomes multiplied many times, as there are many different options. Some of the paths share many similarities, but the order in which one does things can change the outcome, and I didn’t spot any inconsistencies in the parts I read.

The style of writing is easy to read, flows well, and although, as per genre, a degree of suspension of disbelief is required (pretty large here), the story works quite well within its own parameters. This is not a police procedural or a story where the fine details of the investigation, the methodology and talent of the investigator win the day, and it all fits in nicely. The fullest version I read (which I suspect is probably pretty close to the one the author intended) put me in mind of some horror books and movies that take place in small towns, rather than standard psychological thrillers, but I won’t mention any examples to avoid unduly influencing those who are interested in trying it for themselves.

In sum, this is a clever idea, an interesting and gripping story, and a nostalgic and fun trip down memory lane for those of us who experienced this book format in our childhood. I especially recommend it for those who prefer their Christmas stories to be dark rather than sweet. Oh, and do not worry about the format of the book: I read an e-book copy, and the format and the transitions work perfectly well.

A side note: if you decide to read it, in case you want to go back to the previous point in the story, I recommend bookmarking the place where you choose to go down a path or the other, although you might prefer to start the story from the very beginning and try a completely different approach.

Thanks to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and the author for this fun book. Thanks to all of you for reading, sharing, commenting, liking, and visiting my blog. Remember to keep smiling!

Categories
Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog Get a Life! A Guide to Finding a Philosophy to Live By by Alan Poon (@newbooksplease) #BooksGoSocial

Hi, all:

I bring you a non-fiction book that I came across on NetGalley, thanks to Books Go Social, and it has made me think and smile, both great things.


Get a Life! A Guide to Finding a Philosophy to Live By by Alan Poon 

Get a Life! A Guide to Finding a Philosophy to Live By by Alan Poon 

AN IRREVERENT GUIDE TO THE GOOD LIFE
Learn Philosophy. Sound Smart. Live Well.

Are you searching for meaning in a world that feels hollow? You’re not alone. As modern life casts off the traditional anchors of the past, many of us are left adrift. Take an introductory tour through the wisdom of the ages to rediscover what has been lost. Explore transformative ideas from eight of humanity’s greatest philosophies—from Buddhist calm to Existentialist courage, Epicurean delight to Confucian duty, and everything in between.

Uncover alternatives to the script contemporary society has given us. Why is life worth living? What things are worth fighting for? How do we be good and do good? Wisdom comes in many shapes and sizes.

This book mercilessly cuts through the mumbo jumbo of academia with clarity and wit to distill complicated ideas into plain English, focusing on practical insights to live a life of purpose, fulfillment, and happiness. Whether you’re a seeker, skeptic, or simply feeling stuck, Get a Life! offers a roadmap to finding a philosophy of life that’s right for you.

About the author:

Alan Poon was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Vancouver. As a child, he read a complete encyclopedia set for fun (it’s like Wikipedia, but printed!). He had a reputation as a teenage rebel, writing his own answers on multiple-choice tests and fearlessly opening the door to debate Jehovah’s Witnesses. Armed with an engineering degree, he works as a mailman and has no credentials to talk about philosophy. That hasn’t stopped him from trying.

My review:

I thank NetGalley and BookGoSocial for providing me with an ARC copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.

This is a book by an author I hadn’t come across before, and who openly acknowledges he is not an expert in Philosophy. And that might work to our benefit, because although this is not a book that will enlighten anybody who has studied Philosophy in depth, the way it approaches the subject is likely to suit people who have only read superficially about it or have a limited knowledge of the ideas of some famous philosophers and little else. The book is written in an easy-to-read way, although that doesn’t mean the ideas or concepts the author discusses are simple. But he manages to find up-to-date examples, many from popular culture, and that makes it seem less threatening and obscure. And he states that this is not an attempt at writing a self-help book either, so those who are not interested in that genre, or have had their fill of it already, need not worry.

From the beginning he warns the readers that he will not include the big religions in his book, and even when he discusses some philosophies that are closely related to religious belief (like Buddhism) he does it from a secular point of view, talking more about the way they deal with moral and ethical matters, and not getting into otherworldly or faith related themes.

He briefly summarises several philosophical schools:

Under the category “The Ancient East,” he writes about Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. Under “The Ancient West,” he talks about Aristotelianism, Stoicism, and Epicureanism.

Under “The Modern Age, “he includes Existentialism, and Secular Humanism.

He also includes an introduction and a conclusion “the concluding pep talk”) and a sort of quiz at the end that might help those readers who aren’t sure which one of those philosophies would suit them best to choose one of them. A word of warning, though. I only had access to an ARC copy in e-book format, and the quiz was impossible to follow due to formatting issues. I am not sure if that will be the case in the final copy; otherwise, people interested in trying the quiz might do better getting hold of a paperback copy. (Here, I must add that the author left a comment on the post informing us that he had updated the quiz, so hopefully that shouldn’t be a problem any longer. A very nice gesture.) Ah, and there is also a bibliography at the end, including books and articles consulted in the writing of this text.

I enjoyed this book because the author has a talent for summarising the most important aspect of all these philosophical currents; he has a great sense of humour and some of his subtitles are bound to stick in our memories and make us smile as we remember the different philosophies; he shows great sympathy and understanding for human nature and includes everybody, no matter what their interests or lifestyles; and he does not expect a rigid adhesion to one single philosophy or set of ideas. Whatever helps us lead a good life, whichever definition of a good life we choose, is perfect for him, be it a full immersion in one of these philosophies or a pick-and-mix approach to some of their concepts and principles.

I felt particularly inspired by the sections on Buddhism (which I had read about briefly), Stoicism, and Existentialism, but I enjoyed the entire book and revisited some concepts I hadn’t thought about in many years. And I have understood better some that, when I studied them, I was probably too young to fully appreciate.

Here I include a quote as an example of what the author attempts to achieve:

Philosophies of life attempt possible answers to impossible questions. They are stories within which we find a role and a reason to live. All we can do is choose a story that’s right for us, one that inspires, motivates, and comforts us through the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Call it a “truth” if you must —a subjective, personal truth, and one that lets us sleep at night.

A book to consult, revisit, guide us, and inspire us to dig deeper and keep learning and living.

Thanks to the author, to Books Go Social, and to NetGalley for this book; thanks to all of you for reading, sharing, liking, visiting, commenting, and especially for always being here. Keep smiling, and I wish you as good a life as possible. ♥

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Book reviews Rosie's Book Team Review

#TuesdayBookBlog We’re Sinking, but Not Tonight: The Kon-Tiki 2 Expedition by Torgeir Higraff, Randy Green #RBRT

Hi, all:

I bring you a book I discovered through Rosie’s Book Review Team, and in this case, through one of her own reviews. I had heard about the original expedition and had read accounts of one of the expeditions inspired by the original Kon-Tiki, so this book definitely piqued my curiosity.


We’re Sinking, but Not Tonight: The Kon-Tiki 2 Expedition by Torgeir Higraff, Randy Green


We’re Sinking, but Not Tonight: The Kon-Tiki 2 Expedition by Torgeir Higraff and Randy Green

Defying the forces of nature, two balsawood rafts departed Peru in 2015 to conquer the Pacific: to sail to Easter Island and back. The Kon-Tiki 2 expedition leader, Norwegian explorer Torgeir Higraff, and bestselling author Randy Green deliver a pulse-pounding narrative in We’re Sinking, but Not Tonight, chronicling fourteen adventurers’ grueling ordeal — storms, hunger, clashing egos, and raft-threatening disasters at sea. Witness raw drama unfold into a tale of cooperation and unbreakable spirit. Dive into this heroic saga and sail the South Pacific from your armchair now!

About the authors:

Torgeir Sæverud Higraff is an explorer, teacher and author with special interest in prehistoric transoceanic contact. Like Thor Heyerdahl, Higraff combines history, anthropology and traditional knowledge with expeditions. In 2002, the year Heyerdahl died, Higraff decided to recreate the Kon-Tiki expedition, and in 2006 the Tangaroa Expedition sailed from Peru to Raiatea in eastern Polynesia. Tangaroa outperformed Kon-Tiki by using an improved sail rig and active use of the guara centerboards.

In 2014, Higraff proposed another expedition: to sail roundtrip from Peru to Easter Island. The Kon-Tiki2 expedition built two rafts in Callao in 2015 and reached Easter Island after 43 days at sea, becoming the first rafts to have sailed to Easter Island in modern times. The return journey proved more difficult due to unusual weather patterns and the expedition was terminated halfway between Easter Island and South America.

Randy Green is an American writer who moved to China to teach and has written several books on life as an expat, and later joined Torgeir Higraff and accompanied him in the expedition featured in this book.

My review:

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.

This book is a non-fiction account of a fascinating expedition that took place between 2015 and 2016, the brainchild of Torgeir Higraff, a Norwegian explorer who had long been fascinated by the original Kon-Tiki expedition, organised by Thor Heyerdahl, another Norwegian, in 1947: Heyerdahl was trying to prove his own theories about people’s migration between South America and Polynesia, and he managed to sail, on a raft, from Peru to Easter Island. Although many of his theories have been disproved since (and are very much of their time, and somewhat problematic when looked at from a modern perspective), the feat of sailing across the ocean in a raft, using primitive methods, was impressive, and resulted in a book, a film, and the raft became an exhibit in a museum.

Higraff wanted to go further and do a round trip. Due to the weather, currents, and seafaring conditions, the second part of the journey was expected to be much more complicated than the first leg, and that is the part of the adventure the book focuses mostly on, although not exclusively.

The book starts at a dangerous moment on the way back to Peru, and the description of the conditions these seven men are living in grabs the reader’s attention from the beginning. We also learn straight away where the title of the book comes from. As we read on, we hear about the process of planning, the search for sponsors and materials, the actual building of the two rafts (as it was decided that two rafts would be more likely to succeed, as they could support each other, undertake more experiments and collect more data), the Tupac Yupanki (the one we learn more about, as Higraff was travelling on it), and the Rahiti, with a female captain and several women in the crew. We also get to hear some stories about the first part of the journey, and we discover that much of the crew changed from one leg of the voyage to the other. The story is not told linearly, although we get an overall chronological account of the second part of the voyage.

I was fascinated by the description of how different the societies and the regimes that developed in the two rafts were, with the Tupac being much more relaxed, with few rules and fairly spontaneous, and the Rahiti adhering to an almost military routine. We don’t hear directly from the Rahiti, but there are some temporary exchanges of crew members, so we get some indications of how things worked in the other raft as well.

I am no expert in sailing, and I can’t say I understood all the terminology or the nautical details in the book, although it is evident that sailing on a raft is quite different from sailing aboard a ship. Higraff, who had experience of travelling by raft from previous expeditions, explains they had learned more about the techniques used by the traditional seafaring people from Peru, and they were also carrying different equipment from that the original Kon-Tiki had access to (GPS, Wi-Fi, access to internet and social media…). Not all had changed for the better, though. They were measuring plastics in the sea, which wasn’t a feature in times of Heyerdahl, and they soon realised that finding fish was no longer as easy as it had been in the late 1940s.

There are great descriptions of life at sea, of the hardships they had to endure, of the foods they cooked, of how they slept (or not), and it did feel as if one was there, although I will try and find pictures and footage of the expedition, to see if my imagination matches what it must have been like. (I only had access to an e-book ARC copy, so I am not sure if there might be some extra material in the paperback copy.)

Some of the information and anecdotes appear more than once because of the way it is told. Although it might feel slightly repetitive at times, it also gives readers a sense of how differently time passes in a raft, and how much time crew members dedicate to ruminate about how they got there and what will happen next, more so for the person who is ultimately responsible for the expedition and for deciding if the whole operation can carry on or should be called off.

The ending is very far from Hollywood, as the author says, but it is fitting, and it leaves things quite open to those who might feel as inspired by this expedition as Higraff was by the original Kon-tiki.

I recommend reading the section of acknowledgments, particularly those of Higraff, which I found particularly moving. This is especially true when he explains why it took him so long to write the book and mentions how he coped with what he was told was a traumatic experience. It must have taken a lot of courage to relive the experience and his feelings about it, and that enhances the importance of this book.

An incredible adventure that teaches us as much about the people on the expedition and the human spirit as it does about the ancient civilizations that crossed the seas long ago.

Fascinating.

Here I leave you a Wikipedia link to the original Kon-Tiki expedition:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kon-Tiki_expedition

And a quote from the book:

“For me, the Tupac was alive, a living spirit that I shared everything with, that had kept me from certain death many times in the deep and dark ocean.”

Thanks to the authors for this book and for sharing their experience with us, thanks to Rosie and her team for all their support, and thanks to all of you for visiting, reading, sharing, clicking, and for always being there. Don’t forget to keep smiling and beware of the rough seas!

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