Our Wives Under the Sea was haunting and unsettling. The novel alternates between Miri's and Leah's points o3.5 I'm conflicted about how to rate this.
Our Wives Under the Sea was haunting and unsettling. The novel alternates between Miri's and Leah's points of view. The two women are married. Leah is a marine biologist who went on a submarine research trip, missing for some time. Upon returning, Leah is not herself, physically and mentally speaking. The two women give us enough background information on their upbringing, how they met and some current events.
I liked that this was the story of two women. The writing was lyrical and polished, melancholic and introspective. I was somewhat confused by some speculative elements, as I was trying to diagnose what was wrong with Leah, which, I'll admit, wasn't important.
While the novel didn't quite hit all my sweet spots, it definitely made my antennae stand to attention, so I'll be interested to read more by Armfield....more
Maybe I don't like tennis as much as I thought - that's what I was wondering while listening to the audiobook, which I must add, was very well do3-3.5
Maybe I don't like tennis as much as I thought - that's what I was wondering while listening to the audiobook, which I must add, was very well done.
Going into this, I knew it was about a tennis player, so I expected tennis talk. But not to this extent! Talk about a character being one-dimensional!!! Maybe that's what it takes to reach the summit, obsession, sacrifice, a killer-instinct etc.
Carrie Soto was all about tennis. She had no hobbies, friends or interests (oh, I think she liked reading thrashy magazines - I guess we can call that an interest... )
I liked that Jenkins Reid made the main female character so unlikeable as it sort of highlighted how female and male athletes are talked about in different ways.
While it wasn't necessarily mentioned in the book, since we're on the subject, am I the only one who's been annoyed for years by the fact that the female players have to wear those skimpy outfits that don't offer much sun protection, they have to put the damn balls in their underwear!!! because why have no pockets (I mean it follows in that great female garment tradition of making clothes for women with no pockets!). Surely not all female athletes are comfortable wearing them, even though they're young, fit and attractive.
I'm impressed and feel bad for tennis players that have to sit through those infuriating interviews, being asked inane questions and the platitudes and cliches that go with sports talk. I'm aware that in the big scheme of things and given how much money is in play, there are worst things to deal with when it comes to a job.
In closing, reading this novel felt like reading transcripts of a tennis match. Some of the conversations between Carrie and another worthy opponent who surpassed her previous record were cringe. I don't recall the last time I consumed a book so rich in dialogue, which made it for a quick, easy-to-digest offering, albeit common and forgettable. Oh, and I did like all the Spanish interspersed throughout, when Carrie was talking to her Argentinian father and coach....more
This is only my second novel by Kingsolver, and I already feel that her books will be right up my alley.
I had no idea what this novel was about, but 4
This is only my second novel by Kingsolver, and I already feel that her books will be right up my alley.
I had no idea what this novel was about, but after reading the extraordinary Demon Copperhead, I needed to read more by the same author.
Domestic life, relationships, family, everyday struggles, death, disappointments and small revelations about people and life, are some of the themes of this novel.
Willa Knox's inherited house is falling apart. She and her underemployed and underpaid professor husband can't afford the repair cost. Worries and desperation ensue. They've worked all their lives and now have nothing to show for it. Willa has lost her job, and she takes care of her father in law whose health issues are multiple. There are other complications coming from their adult kids.
Willa is investigating whether their old house has any heritage value, which would allow them to get a grant to fix it. She stumbles upon Mary Treat, a naturalist who was corresponding with Charles Darwin, and her friend and science teacher, Thatcher Greenwood. The novel has dual timelines, the 1880's, dealing with Thatcher's and Mary Treat's issues at the time when there was a lot of resistance to teaching the theory of evolution. (I don't know why I say there was, as in the past ... ) Via these characters, Kingsolver denounces religion, superstition and anti-science stances - preaching to the converted, in my case.
There is a lot of debating and discussing capitalism, absurd consumerism and continuous growth, environmental destruction and climate change, inadequate health care, childcare and many other issues - things that very much preoccupy me.
At times, I was a bit bored by the old-time stories, I would have liked them to be shorter, nevertheless, I appreciated learning about Mary Treat and a few other historical events.
I see many didn't like this novel, as it was didactic, preachy, and political (isn't it interesting that we only throw that at progressive views?). I sympathised with the more contemporary characters and appreciated how Kingsolver weaved different themes and issues through the story.
I'm looking forward to reading more by Kingsolver....more
In my desperation to find something to keep going while cooking, cleaning etc - I thought I'd try one of Cleeves' books, as lots of people rave about In my desperation to find something to keep going while cooking, cleaning etc - I thought I'd try one of Cleeves' books, as lots of people rave about her books. I downloaded the first one I came across that was available right away.
This was OK. But I gave up 3/4 into it, I just couldn't be bothered to find out who did it....more
3.5 I couldn't help myself, although I don't care much for memoirs, especially celebrity/actor memoirs, not to mention I had never seen McCurdy in anyt3.5 I couldn't help myself, although I don't care much for memoirs, especially celebrity/actor memoirs, not to mention I had never seen McCurdy in anything.
The hype made me expect a unique, out-of-the-box memoir. It wasn't. The writing was pretty straightforward, McCurdy's reading of it was extremely fast, too fast.
We've all known that child actors don't have it easy. It's just harrowing that those who were supposed to protect you and love you, just used you.
I hope McCurdy recovers fully and finds a way to know herself. I don't know if acting and being in that world is the healthiest of ways, I guess one has to pay the bills etc. ...more
Demon Copperhead is the narrator of this novel. He didn't wiDemon Copperhead was my first Kingsolver novel.
I'm in awe, this was one hell of a novel.
Demon Copperhead is the narrator of this novel. He didn't win the birth lottery, he was born to a teenage single mother, who was addicted to alcohol and drugs. They lived in a small community in the Southern Appalachians. She does the best she can, but she's not terribly capable. And then, Demon becomes an orphan. Here come disappointments, including terrible foster homes. Some good things happen to Demon as well. His life is a rollercoaster, with many nauseating highs and lows. Speaking of highs and lows, he gets the physical kind as well when he joins the plethora of painkiller addicts.
While I had seen the news reports and read articles about the opioid crisis that destroyed so many people and communities, reading about it in this novel was more potent as it was portrayed through characters that I came to care about.
I read other novels about dispossessed communities, more often than not, they come very close to joining a category of novels which I call misery/trauma porn. This incredible novel never even comes close to going into that (made-up) category, quite the feat as far as I'm concerned.
The voicing was outstanding, it felt so realistic, even more, impressive was the fact that Kingsolver chose to write this through the voice of a male character.
Another thing that I noticed and was impressed by was the lack of preaching, even though the novel had plenty to convey.
So don't let this novel's size put you off, it's an easy read/listen, it's got a fast pace, and there's no sagging, lagging or padding - it's remarkable.
A special mention goes to Charlie Thurston, who was terrific, he should get an award for his splendid reading....more
The Happiest Little Town is set in a picturesque town in North Queensland.
Kate is a fifty-something divorcee starting over in a new town away from CaiThe Happiest Little Town is set in a picturesque town in North Queensland.
Kate is a fifty-something divorcee starting over in a new town away from Cairns. She's working hard to remodel a van which she plans to take on solo adventures around Australia. Her plans are altered when she becomes the guardian of a teenager fathered by her ex-husband.
Tilly is thirteen, grief-stricken and now geographically displaced.
Another character is septuagenarian Olivia, a former professional actor and a resident who plays an important part in the Buralee Amateur Theatre group. The Theatre group is staging a world premiere play by a famous writer. There is excitement in the air but also hurdles that need to be overcome.
This is a novel about community, friendship, new beginnings and second chances. Everything was nicely packaged and tied nicely with a bow. If you're after a cosy, feel-good, comfortable read, this should fit the bill....more
2022 hasn't been my best reading year. Life got in the way and my busyness and moods must have affected my reading, as I abandoned a record number of 2022 hasn't been my best reading year. Life got in the way and my busyness and moods must have affected my reading, as I abandoned a record number of books this year. (I can't be bothered to count how many).
I don't even have to look at the stats, 2022 was the first time I consumed more books as audiobooks rather than in print. So I'm grateful to audiobooks for allowing me to still indulge in books.
My book of the year: Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
My favourite novel of the year: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The funniest book of the year: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend
My favourite memoir: Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby
This is the second novel I read by Cognetti. He sure has a thing for the mountains, the Lovers also has the Alpine mountains of Italy as a main characThis is the second novel I read by Cognetti. He sure has a thing for the mountains, the Lovers also has the Alpine mountains of Italy as a main character of sorts. On the human side, we have forty-year-old, Fausto, and twenty-seven-year-old, Silvia, who start a relationship. They come together and then they split, they take to the mountain, they come together when seasons change.
This was a quiet and atmospheric novel, with a slow pace that fitted the setting. ...more
I give up - I've listened to 60%, the novel isn't terrible, but there's so much gibberish and so many small things that just feel like fillers to me, I give up - I've listened to 60%, the novel isn't terrible, but there's so much gibberish and so many small things that just feel like fillers to me, so I decided not to torment myself any further. It could also be a timing thing....more
The Couple Upstairs took a while to get going, at some point, I considered not finishing as I was unclear about the author's point. Eventually, it becThe Couple Upstairs took a while to get going, at some point, I considered not finishing as I was unclear about the author's point. Eventually, it became clear. There was a lot of build-up and padding, as there were several PoVs, some unnecessary.
The main character is forty-year-old, Mel, a recently divorced mother of two. She embodies the cliche (which is a cliche because it is true) of the stressed, busy, working mother. Things become "interesting" when a guy who looked very much like a man Mel loved and dated moved into the apartment upstairs. He's much younger, in his early twenties, full of confidence and swagger. He's taken over the lease of someone and keeps throwing parties and having all sort of people over. Mel is fascinated and repulsed at the same time. He's bringing back memories of times past. We occasionally hear Fin's thoughts, they're not particularly interesting, which I guess match his persona.
Then an English young woman moves in with Flynn. Her name is Lori. She's pretty and not very self-assured. Mel is watching them and doesn't like what she's seeing. Lori occasionally babysits Mel's kids which allows them to become closer.
Then, Lori disappears. Where is she, what's happened to her?
While the novel was breezy, the ending and the epilogue greatly redeemed this novel, even though I generally don't care for epilogues.
I had no idea this was a romance novel, the wonderful title, taken from Florece + The Machine's song Hunger, and the cover led me astray. No biggie, aI had no idea this was a romance novel, the wonderful title, taken from Florece + The Machine's song Hunger, and the cover led me astray. No biggie, as I do read romance novels occasionally.
I'm always keen to read books about characters with different backgrounds. The main character of this novel, Feyi Adekola, is a Nigerian living in Bronx, New York. She's an artist and shares an apartment with her best friend, Joyce.
My reaction to this novel is best described as a bell curve. In the beginning, I was irritated by Feyi and Joyce calling each other bitch. Eventually it stopped bugging me as much. I know, it's a little thing, but there you have it.
After a while, the writing style started to grow on me and I was eager to find out what happens next.
I'm much more open-minded and indulgent when it comes to characters in novels. Also, nobody reads novels for their realistic characters and plot, right? Then why did I get irked by the fact that the men were all drop-dead gorgeous, well-built, well-hung and so in touch with their feelings and, incredibly enough they were able to discuss and articulate those feelings - I didn't know I was reading books about aliens ;-) Oh, and although they were super attracted to Feyi they were willing to wait around and just cuddle and spend time together. Yeah right, these people at their sexual peak, in their 20s, waiting around "to feel right"...
Impossible or nearly impossible relationships make for good tension in novels. That part hooked me in, although I had some moral qualms about it - I'm trying not to give away spoilers.
Towards the end, there was way too much talking about feelings which I found over-the-top. I know, it's contrary, on one hand, I'm implying that men are not good at talking about feelings but then I say there was too much talking about feelings. But there was too much, unnecessary, very teenage in spirit talking about feelings, to the point that it was off-putting. Also, one of my pet peeves is when people make such a big deal out of getting married or not.
This was imperfect but there was something different and captivating about the writing style, which kept me interested. It was the right length.
I'm going to have to check out other books by Emezi....more
This little novel was hyper-realistic, the simple, matter-of-fact writing contributed in a way to that realism. The narrator of this novel is a wid3.5
This little novel was hyper-realistic, the simple, matter-of-fact writing contributed in a way to that realism. The narrator of this novel is a widowed woman in her late sixties who works as a carer in an old people's home, where she looks after a woman suffering with dementia. It's a hard job, both physically and emotionally. The narrator wonders how long she'll be able to do this exhausting work and fears ending up like most residents, who have no one to visit them and are just waiting to die.
And then, her only daughter, now in her thirties, has to move in with her, as she's broke and can't find a permanent job. She shares her room with her long-term partner, another woman.
The narrator is unhappy with this arrangement, she doesn't get it, she doesn't see the point, how can they have kids, and how about what people say. All these qualms are only amplified by the fact that the daughter and her girlfriend are protesting unfair dismissal and discrimination in the workplace.
Concerning my daughter looks at intergenerational conflict, tradition, ageing and to a degree, loneliness in Korean context....more
When I requested this audiobook I had no idea about its size, so I was surprised to see it was over 17 hrs long.
The novel is both a marathon and a rolWhen I requested this audiobook I had no idea about its size, so I was surprised to see it was over 17 hrs long.
The novel is both a marathon and a rollercoaster ride, my feelings and emotions towards it went up and down.
Lessons is long - it covers many decades of Roland Baine's life from childhood to his seventies. We get to travel through post-war Britain, the Thatcher years and pre and post-Brexit Britain. Roland also visited East Germany and later united Germany. Roland's boarding school life is intensified and at the same time thorn apart by his sexual relationship with the piano teacher, an event that affects his future relationships and life trajectory.
Roland's life is dealt another blow when his German wife leaves him and their baby boy to follow her dream of becoming an important writer. Roland takes on with relative relish the sole parenting role. He does what needs doing, making sure his boy has well looked after and knows he's loved.
McEwan deftly moves through time and to different characters' lives. Major historical events are referenced, some were more affecting than others.
Regrets, lost opportunities, relationships, and ageing are some of the major themes of this sprawling novel. Chance, family secrets, memory and history feature greatly as well. The last part covering the later part of Roland's life was quite sad. As they say, getting old is not for the faint of heart.
Lessons is a topical novel, with many references to authors and writing, that I couldn't help but feel were McEwan's own views on certain things. I think the novel could have been tighter, certain aspects and passages weren't that interesting and didn't add that much to Roland's story.
As far as the audiobook production is concerned, I confess I wasn't very fond of the narrator's delivery. I eventually got used to Simon McBurney's voice, I would have preferred a softer, less dramatic reading.
I received this audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review....more
I didn't even know Eliza Henry-Jones had a new novel out when I noticed the audiobook in Libby. I read and enjoyed all her novels, so obviously, I hadI didn't even know Eliza Henry-Jones had a new novel out when I noticed the audiobook in Libby. I read and enjoyed all her novels, so obviously, I had to download it.
I went into Salt and Skin without even bothering to read the blurb. The lyrical writing grabbed me early on. Its main characters, Luda, a recently widowed mother and her two teenage kids, beautiful Darcy and his sister, Min, are grieving, flawed, moody and baffled. The kids are begrudging their mother for taking them from their small rural community in Australia to some remote Scottish island so that she could document the effects of climate change via her photography.
Their mother commits a major digression when she publishes some photos of a recently deceased young girl, which makes the locals very unhappy and alienates them even further. Slowly, they are being accepted in the community. Relationships are forged, deep friendships, camaraderie, amorous and so on.
This novel had quite a few themes and threads which made it feel slightly unfocused at times. Life is or can be like that, so I didn't mind it too much.
Climate change, witch-hunts, grief, forgiveness, relationships, and finding your place are some of the many themes in this atmospheric novel....more
The Netanyahus was kind of a strange novel, part campus novel, part non-fiction lecture on Zionism, Jewish history etc. On one had we have an access3.5
The Netanyahus was kind of a strange novel, part campus novel, part non-fiction lecture on Zionism, Jewish history etc. On one had we have an accessible, somewhat amusing story of an American Jewish family, made up of Ruben Blum, a professor of history at a small university in New England, his wife, a librarian, and their teenage daughter. The story takes place in the sixties when Prof Blum had to look after Benzion Netanyahu, a Zionist revisionist, who was trying to get a fellowship at the same university.
If the name sounds familiar it's because this Netanyahu is the father of Jonathan Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister for many years.
I'm not Jewish and I'm no Jewish history expert, but I was interested in the non-fiction bits, even though, at times, they were dry and a bit over my head.
I'm always interested in reading about people's duality when it comes to their origin, background etc. That was well done.
Using real people as characters in a work of fiction is tricky. I personally don't think it was necessary.
So, to conclude my ramblings, this was unique and interesting, I just didn't quite love it....more
How is it possible that this is a debut novel from an author who's not even thirty? When, where and how does onJust give her the Booker prize already!
How is it possible that this is a debut novel from an author who's not even thirty? When, where and how does one so young master the English language and the art of writing to such a high level?
I'm glad I listened to the audiobook because it was superbly narrated by Tamsin Greig and Lydia Wilson who were phenomenal. Their reading emphasized the text's musicality and playfulness. Apparently, this is also one of those novels that play with typography, paragraphs and images. I'm a fan. For instance, one of the main characters of this novel is cancer who interjects now and then and whose voice is in a bold typeset. (I need to get me a copy, besides, it's got such a beautiful cover and the title is superb.)
The cancer is taking over Lia's body. She's had it before, but now it's returned and it's terminal. Her beloved husband, Harry, is destroyed and so is their twelve-year-old daughter, Iris. They have their distinct ways of dealing with their pain. When one is dying, one looks back. We get to travel back in time to Lia's teen years and younger years.
Painful memories, cold parents, bad relationships, sickness, loss, parenting, and a mother's love for her daughter - are themes that are familiar to all of us. Mortimer excels in the way she goes about telling those familiar stories, she uses incredibly lyrical, unrelentingly beautiful language (this is a novel to savour). The structure was brilliant, it never felt gimmicky.
It's taken me way too long to finish this novel. The beginning was promising, even though the subject matter is gruesome. The story is relatively simplIt's taken me way too long to finish this novel. The beginning was promising, even though the subject matter is gruesome. The story is relatively simple - Maali Almeida is a thirty-something gay photographer who finds himself dead and in a Limbo-kind of after-life situation. He's got seven moons to try to find out who killed him and then move on.
With each moon that passes by we find out a little bit about Maali. Maali was playing the field when it came to his sexual relationships and work assignments - he was photographing different camps of the civil war. He sees corruption, and gruesome, unfathomable crimes. I confess I didn't know much about Sri Lanka's history, it was good to learn a little, even know it didn't put Sri Lanka in a favourable light.
The novel is peppered with a variety of characters, from "garbage men" who were disposing of bodies, to government officials, professionals, Maali's friends, lovers and family. They all contribute to the puzzle.
This is a literary who-done-it, with a twist. It got a bit bogged down and tedious in the middle, but that happens often....more
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