In a Nutshell: A good option for CPC fans who also like to colour.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While we all must have used colouring books in our childIn a Nutshell: A good option for CPC fans who also like to colour.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While we all must have used colouring books in our childhood, the last few years have seen a boom in colouring books for adults. These are supposed to relieve stress, help with anxiety, and improve focus. But I don’t see myself using colouring books. In fact, I have not touched a colouring book since my childhood (unless you count the ones I “touched” when I handed them over to my kiddos.)
As my friends can guess, I got this mainly for the CPC characters. I have no idea how to review a colouring book! ...more
In a Nutshell: An entertaining romantasy featuring a middle-aged lead pair and dragons. Second book in the Hart & Mercy series. Can be read as a standIn a Nutshell: An entertaining romantasy featuring a middle-aged lead pair and dragons. Second book in the Hart & Mercy series. Can be read as a standalone but better if read in series order. Not as dark as the first book, but enjoyable enough. Recommended to cosy fantasy lovers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Twyla & Frank, both fifty-three-year-old Tanrian Marshals whom we briefly met in the first book, have been best friends & neighbours since ages and job partners since eight years. Motherly Twyla finds her job a welcome change from her domestic life, though no one can picture her as a tough Marshal. Frank, though, is somewhat bored of his work. With the dangerous drudges eliminated, it has become far less exciting. Or that’s what he thinks. When the body of a Tanrian Marshal turns up covered in glitter, the last thing Twyla and Frank expect to pop up is a dragon. But that’s not the only danger they have uncovered. Soon, their friendship is tested in more ways than one. The story is written in the third person perspective of Twyla.
This book is the second in ‘The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy’ series. While the story is standalone, there are several characters who continue their arcs from the earlier book. I’d recommend reading this series in the right order.
In a Nutshell: A literary fiction set in 1994 Ireland, when divorce wasn’t legally allowed. Interesting and layered characters, many points to ponder In a Nutshell: A literary fiction set in 1994 Ireland, when divorce wasn’t legally allowed. Interesting and layered characters, many points to ponder upon. A strong debut.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
County Donegal, 1994. Izzy, who is married to a local politician since many years, isn’t content with her life and her husband’s parochial attitude. She whiles her time by staying active in multiple activities, but she wonders if she should separate from her husband to liven up her life. Colette left her husband and her sons some years ago to live with a married man in Dublin. Now she’s back, but her family no longer wants her. She rents a house by the coast road, while planning to earn some money through writing classes as well as trying to reconnect with her sons. Dolores, married with three kids and pregnant with a fourth, knows that her husband cheats on her. But with limited options, she ignores his infidelity as much as she can. When she rents out the cottage on their property to Colette, little does she imagine what would happen next. The story comes to us from the third person perspectives of multiple characters, including the above three women.
Bookish Yays: ✔ The characters: complicated, flawed, human. Can’t understand whether to root for them or not. Loved the nuanced depiction.
✔ Father Brian: When I saw the priest mentioned in this Irish work, I thought the story would go the typical way. But Fr. Brian is an interestingly complex character. Also, the approach towards organised religion and some of its control freaks is kept realistic and balanced.
✔ The writing approach: The initial chapters are somewhat episodic, with the narrative view point going from character to character. Helps us to know each of the key people well. Perfect approach for a character-oriented story.
✔ The setting: A small Irish town where everyone knows all the affairs of their neighbours, and yet, they don’t know the truth. Works excellently for such an intimate story. The coastal location is also incorporated well into the narrative.
✔ The Irish connection: Great representation of the 1990s social, political, and religious scene in Ireland.
✔ The lyrical writing, bringing depth to the town, the coast road and the humans equally well.
✔ The focus on the divorce referendum: As divorce was not legally allowed in Ireland till the mid-1990s, the only options available for women who suffered in their marriages were silence or separation. As expected, only women bear the repercussions of such a restrictive policy. The plot highlights the plight of many such women.
✔ The other themes, especially the sexist behaviour, the small-town tendency to gossip, the pressure on the women to stay thin and attractive for their husbands, and the scorn towards independent women, are equally powerfully depicted. I also enjoyed glimpses of Collette’s writing class.
✔ Three strong yet brittle female characters, written by a debut male author who does justice to their emotions without once succumbing to #MenWritingWomen tropes. Love how the women aren’t glorified or condemned for their choices. Rather, the plot lets us decide for ourselves what we want to feel about them.
Bookish Mixed Bags: ⚠ The pace is quite slow. As this is literary fiction, a slower tempo is the norm, but this one gets a tad too sluggish in between, making us feel as restricted as the women in the story.
Bookish Nays: ❌ The last quarter somehow doesn't hit the mark, I wish I could pinpoint why. It was not bad, but also not as impactful as the rest of the book. It felt unhinged somehow.
❌ There is not a single healthy marriage in the entire story. I wish the representation of marriage had been slightly more balanced, even if the plot required only the flip side of marital unions.
❌ The author's note is too brief. I'd have loved to know more about the divorce referendum and what happened next. But it hardly covers any of the history.
All in all, this is a satisfying debut, focussed on an important referendum of recent Irish history, and indirectly depicting why it was needed. Though the last section went a bit haywire, I still liked the book for its true-to-life portrayal of human emotions and fickleness.
For a debut work, the book aims high and hits much of the target without succumbing to the dreaded “kitchen sink syndrome’ by overloading themes. As is common in literary fiction, the story is somewhat sad, though the writing never feels like it is piling on the misery for maximum effect.
Definitely recommended to literary fiction lovers who love character-oriented fiction set around actual historical events.
4 stars.
My thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Coast Road”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
In a Nutshell: A beautiful and imaginative picture book about a little girl who wants the sun for herself. Lovely plot, nice illustrations, valuable mIn a Nutshell: A beautiful and imaginative picture book about a little girl who wants the sun for herself. Lovely plot, nice illustrations, valuable moral. Recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Hazel loves the sun and watches it every time she can. In fact, she loves it so much that she begins hatching a secret plan to steal the sun and keep it in her room. When she succeeds in capturing the sun, she realises that she forgot to take something important into account: the sun is not hers alone.
This is the kind of creative story that little children enjoy with all the strength of their young imaginations and their firm belief in the magical. Hazel’s adventure will offer little minds a lot to think about. However, let’s be clear that the story is not scientifically and practically accurate. So it is to be read not for factual preciseness but for its magical plot and the beautiful moral.
Hazel is a sweet character whose single-minded passion for the sun results in this misadventure for the world. The book shows her as a resourceful child who rectifies her mistake as soon as she realises it. The story depicts how every decision has repercussions and we should always think not just from our needs but also from a general and long-term perspective.
The ending of the story works especially well not just because of the message but also because of how it casts doubt on certain events that occurred before. A good way to continue discussing the story after the last page!
The illustrations are also really cute and match the story perfectly. The contrast between bright and dull works in sync with the text.
The only main thing that I would have altered is the text distribution. Some pages have only one line of text while some others have 8-10 lines of text without para spacing. These longer text blocks might be a bit overwhelming for beginner-level independent readers.
I wish the book could have ended with some interesting facts about the sun. As the story is so fantastical, it would have been great to learn some fun trivia about the star that lights up Hazel’s world and ours.
Overall, a really sweet book to be read with the eyes and heart of a child. This story would work well as a bedtime story for little readers aged 3-6. Amazon has this book pegged as being for children aged 6-8, so that might be the age range for independent reading. I feel that the fanciful nature of the story makes it suitable to the younger segment.
4 stars.
My thanks to Austin Macauley and NetGalley for the DRC of “Hazel and Her Sun”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
In a Nutshell: A hardhitting graphic novel about the world’s largest nuclear disaster. As horrifying as you can imagine, though the artwork luckily toIn a Nutshell: A hardhitting graphic novel about the world’s largest nuclear disaster. As horrifying as you can imagine, though the artwork luckily tones down the gruesomeness thanks to the chosen colour palette. A bit rushed in execution, but still, a good starting point to know about the Chernobyl catastrophe in 1986.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When blind nationalism supersedes common sense, the result is disaster. Chernobyl is the biggest proof of this.
This graphic novel retells the events of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl in April 1986 and the aftermath of the same. It covers the impact on the first respondents, the ordinary citizens and the responsible parties, while also highlighting the series of illogical decisions that led to the disaster.
The book begins with a spine-chilling reference table indicating radiation levels and their effects. This indicates how radiation is actually everywhere, what constitutes a dangerous or a fatal dose of radiation, and what dose was received by the people in Chernobyl on that fateful day. The numbers are enough to induce nightmares.
But the main nightmare is when you see not just the disaster unfolding on the page, but the events that led to the disaster. What can one say when people who know nothing about nuclear energy are put in charge of building and running such huge nuclear power plants? Or when deadlines are made so crucial that quality is compromised for speed? Or when the general population is considered expendable for the larger good of proving your country’s worth to the world?
I have watched the brilliant miniseries “Chernobyl” and though I had vaguely known about the disaster even before, it is the TV series that first showed me the actual terrifying nature of the event. If you have already watched the series, the book doesn’t offer much new information. It would anyway be tough for a graphic novel to compare with an audio-visual medium, but to a certain extent, this book succeeds in its purpose of reminding us of that haunting calamity.
What I especially liked was how the novel depicted the “socialistic” approach towards getting work done. The author doesn’t hold back in his criticism of the Russian oligarchy, being quite blunt about how their uppity attitude, their blind adherence to party dictates, and their overconfidence in their skills created a goof of such a monumental scale.
Another thing I loved was its simplified analogy of how exactly the reactor exploded. This was a clever way of explaining the cause to general readers without going too jargonistic.
At the same time, the book feels somewhat rushed. It is only 112 pages long, including the initial publisher material: too short for such a topic. Some pages have graphic panels without any text. As such, the content, while accurate and comprehensive, also feels superficial, with only a brief glimpse of the trauma that awaited the Chernobyl victims. It flits across various issues without going deeper into most. The main focus of the book is to point fingers at those who created the disaster, directly or indirectly, but I would have liked an equal focus to be on the victims as well. The human, animal, and environmental cost of the disaster is still being paid today, but this isn’t covered in that much detail.
The illustrations work in favour of the storyline. The blue and yellow colour palette, probably to doff a hat to the Ukrainian flag colours (with Chernobyl being in present-day Ukraine), also serves to lessen the visual brutality of the more severe effects of the explosion and subsequent radiation. The scenes are scary enough to watch even with this muted colour tone. A few of the words in the background illustration are in Russian; I wish the English edition had the translated version of these as well.
In short, this is a heart-breaking yet impactful graphic novel depicting a catastrophe that took place almost four decades ago but that continues to affect lives today. To those who have already read nonfiction novels on Chernobyl such as Adam Higginbotham’s ‘Midnight in Chernobyl’ or Svetlana Alexievich’s ‘Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster’ (both of which are on my TBR list), or have watched the HBO miniseries, this graphic version might not add much. But it would be a great option to readers seeking broad information on the catastrophe without wanting to invest too much time.
Needless to add, this graphic novel is only for adults. Too many disturbing events in here for younger hearts.
4 stars.
My thanks to Palazzo Editions and NetGalley for the DRC of “Chernobyl: The Fall of Atomgrad”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
In a Nutshell: A sweet and heartwarming contemporary novel about an eclectic group of characters who learn to live and work in harmony. Great for thosIn a Nutshell: A sweet and heartwarming contemporary novel about an eclectic group of characters who learn to live and work in harmony. Great for those who enjoy found family stories with relatable and loveable characters. Only one thing was a major bugbear for me, but it might not be an irritant for all. Definitely recommended to women’s fiction readers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Seventy-four-year-old Venetia Hargreaves, recently widowed after almost fifty years of marriage, now has a huge empty house, a hefty bank balance, and a newfound determination to finally live her life the way she wants, even if her son Heron is adamant that she cannot survive on her own and forces her to employ a caretaker, or a “granny nanny”, as her grandson Kite puts it. But Venetia makes sure that her new employee Liberty follows her commands and no one else’s. When a dilapidated old ballroom comes on the market, the lives of the key characters change, not just because of echoes from the past but also through influences of the present and dreams of the future. The story comes to us in the third person perspective of various characters, with Venetia’s story coming from two timelines.
In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.) However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of several villagers by declaring them witches. Her delusions soon begin to affect her work as well as her sanity. The story comes to us in two alternating timelines, with a third person perspective for Christian’s present time in 1722 and her first-person point of view for the events of twenty-five years prior.
In a Nutshell: A short story about an interstellar mission, or perhaps, a story about thousands of interstellar missions. Human emotions plus astronomIn a Nutshell: A short story about an interstellar mission, or perhaps, a story about thousands of interstellar missions. Human emotions plus astronomical challenges. Unusual, intelligent, thought-provoking. A good story for sci-fi fans.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Roy Court and his crew are among the few chosen to be scanned and sent to Earth-like exoplanets in the hope of continuing the Earth’s civilisation on new abodes. The twist is that it’s not just one crew that has been sent. The whole team has been duplicated multiples times through the scans and each dispatched to a separate location in the far reaches of space. With so many possibilities for the future, humankind might have a good chance of success, right? Roy, meanwhile, is still battling remnant feelings for his ex-wife as scanned from his original Earth body. Can an old relationship be healed in a new world?
This is the first standalone story in 'The Far Reaches’ series, described on Amazon as “a collection of science-fiction stories that stretch the imagination and open the heart.”
There’s not much I can talk about this story without spoiling it. The preview above offers the essence of the premise, and the title tells you the result, “how it unfolds.”
This science fiction short has a lot of techie content (which, at times, gets overwhelming), but it doesn’t stop at being ‘astronauts surviving in space’. I love the way it explores human emotions and existential philosophy within the sci-fi structure. The non-linear narrative adds to the challenge as well as the charm.
The premise is so amazing that I wish this could have been a longer story. It has so much to offer! Regardless, the story also works in its current condensed form, but a few things are left to our imagination. In other words, it is an intelligent story and it trusts in the intelligence of its readers to fill in the gaps.
This is my first story by writer duo “James S.A. Corey”, who seem to have written a plethora of books in a long-running series titled ‘The Expanse.’ As I am not a fan of such extended works, I will just keep my fingers crossed that they will pen a standalone novel or another short fiction work in future so that I can read more of their works.
Definitely recommended to sci-fi short fiction fans looking for an unusual read. If you want a simple and straightforward space exploration story, stay away. This has been a great beginning to this series and I’m looking forward to find out what other far reaches await me in the remaining five stories.
4 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the 'The Far Reaches’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
In a Nutshell: A humorous children’s chapter-book about a lazy prince forced to go on a rescue mission and the misadventures he has along the way. A dIn a Nutshell: A humorous children’s chapter-book about a lazy prince forced to go on a rescue mission and the misadventures he has along the way. A definite recommendation to fans of David Walliams and Dav Pilkey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Twelve-year-old Evert, the prince of the realm of Medievaldom, is unlike every prince you might have read about in fiction. He is lazy, he hates baths and cleanliness, and he shirks his ‘princely duties’. The only thing he enjoys is playing video games. The Queen, totally fed up of his “unprincely” qualities, takes away his screen access, until he goes on a rescue mission to save Princess Amelia from the Shadow Dragon’s cave. Evert obviously refuses with a variety of excuses, but moms are moms, and he has no choice but to follow her dictate, especially if he wants to play his beloved games again. All he has for help are his royal steed Cosy (who isn’t exactly cosy) and his fairy godfather, a troll named Joe. How exactly will this rescue mission work? The story comes to us in Prince Evert’s first-person perspective.
Think of the wild craziness in the stories penned by David Walliams and Dav Pilkey! They are obnoxious and over the top and even gross, but many kids enjoy the silliness of the plots. This Canadian indie book contains a similar kind of humour that little ones will laugh out loud at.
The story is a parody of typical fairy tales where princesses patiently wait to be rescued by their noble prince. It turns the entire traditional narrative on its head and thus offers a laugh-out-loud experience to children.
Medievaldom seems to be a strange mix of medieval (with horses and kingdoms and rescue quests) and modern (with pizzas and video games and electronic devices and GPS.) The quirky combination makes the story fun. Nothing about the story is typically royal.
Prince Evert, his less-than-princely preferences, his laziness, and his utter lack of personal hygiene are the key target of the jokes. It is entertaining to read about a prince who finds swords boring except when they are a part of his video game and who can’t even mount his horse without the help of a supporting stand. The icing on the cake is that his godfather is a troll, and not really good at magic.
Only one thing spoiled a little bit of my fun. A key misadventure that the prince faces – that of his turning into a porcupine – is revealed to us through the book cover and the title. However, this incident doesn’t occur until a little ahead of the halfway mark. It would have been a nice surprise to see the prickly prince suddenly turn into a prickly little porcupine, but the surprise is hampered by the premature reveal. I would have loved to be amazed at the transformation, but in the current scenario, I was just waiting to see when and how and why the prince became a porcupine. Of course, this might work differently for kids. They might look at the porcupine on the cover and wonder why it is being referred to as a prince, and pick the book to know more.
While this story is complete in itself, the ending establishes the foundation for the next instalment of the series. Looks like poor Prince Evert won’t be able to return to his video games any time soon!
The illustrations in this book are by the hilarious James Warwood, whose ‘Truth or Poop’ series have been the source of many a laugh in my house. His whimsically crazy sketches liven up the narrative further.
All in all, this is an amusing and atypical tale of an unlikely ‘hero’ and his mission. It is a fun ride with crazy antics and hilarious outcomes.
Recommended to children aged 6-9 who enjoy funny, magical stories. As a chapter book with mostly simple language, it also works well for children who are not so fond of reading but might be motivated by an entertaining story.
4 stars.
My thanks to author Tekeyla Friday for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Prince Prickly Spine”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
In a Nutshell: A literary fiction structured in reverse, going from 2040 to 2014. Character-driven all the way. The structure is what will make or breIn a Nutshell: A literary fiction structured in reverse, going from 2040 to 2014. Character-driven all the way. The structure is what will make or break your experience. I loved it, despite the few gaps in the jigsaw. A marvellous debut. And guess what, I am an outlier… on the positive side – Yippee! ...more
In a Nutshell: A beautiful OwnVoices collection of short stories set in Lagos, Nigeria. The locational feel as well as the writing is outstanding. EacIn a Nutshell: A beautiful OwnVoices collection of short stories set in Lagos, Nigeria. The locational feel as well as the writing is outstanding. Each story feels unique. An excellent debut, much recommended, especially to speculative fiction and dark fantasy lovers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The highlight of this collection of twelve stories is its setting. Each narrative is based in Lagos, a city that juxtaposes the modern as well as the traditional, the African culture with a sprinkling of Western modernity. (Probably, a bit like India in this sense. We have the best of both worlds – traditional roots and modern wings.) The stories have an authentic vibe that immerses you in the location and makes you feel Lagos and its sights and sounds.
The cover, with the inherent contrast between the serene smile and the gush of blood, ought to prepare you for the content. Most of the stories are a combination of the routine and the supernatural. Characters are portrayed in ordinary situations, but their ordinary itself is extraordinary, what with sentient houses and macabre babies and women turning into birds. If you expect straightforward or traditional stories, this book isn’t for you. But if you like the twisted, the dark, and the speculative, you will relish this creative set.
Each tale is primarily a chronicle of human struggle, whether against the sins of the past or the oppression of the present or a threat of the future. You see a granddaughter who suddenly finds her late grandmother reincarnate in the weirdest way possible. You see a servant girl who is kidnapped by someone least expected to commit such an act. You see a street full of fearful families as a strange virus takes the life of its sons, going linearly from one end of the road affecting each house in numerical sequence. The stories generate varied emotions, not just the negative ones. There is a fun and happy undertone as well in a couple of the tales, but most of the stories stay firmly rooted on the darker side.
A majority of the stories come to us from the female perspective, which seems to be the common situation in African writing. However, there are a couple of really strong tales with male leads as well. All the main characters feel relatable to us in their responses, even if their situations are too wild to be within the normal realm of human experience.
I am truly impressed that this is a debut work. The writing is so vivid and polished! I love how the author takes the heart of Nigerian culture and blends it seamlessly with the bizarreness that is spec fic. None of the stories repeats themes or plots, so every story feels distinct in content as well as impact. Nothing in the writing makes it seem like it required further polish or proofing. The endings are apropos to the speculative genre, so they worked excellently for me, but they aren’t for readers requiring happy endings.
The only thing I wish this collection would have incorporated is an author’s note. My friends know my fondness for authors’ notes, especially in collections/anthologies. Knowing the author’s intent behind the stories or even getting an idea of the theme connecting the stories prepares a great preparatory foundation, helping us know what to expect from the book.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twelve stories, only two stories failed to touch the three-star mark, and that too by a narrow margin. The rest were all at 3.5 stars and above, leading to a great reading experience. These were my top favourites: ...more
In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much reIn a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! ...more
In a Nutshell: This series is proving to be such a delight! The plot this time is quite simple but the characters and the writing approach make this aIn a Nutshell: This series is proving to be such a delight! The plot this time is quite simple but the characters and the writing approach make this a winner. Much recommended to all those who enjoy clean romcoms intertwined with some meaningful themes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Cleo Jordan has always dreamt of owning her own tea room. So when Lilith retires, Cleo puts in an application to lease the teashop on Ever After Street and redo it with an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ motif. To her surprise, her application is granted on a three-month trial basis. There’s only one hitch: Cleo loves baking, but baking doesn’t love her back anymore! As Cleo figures out how to turn supermarket baked goods into whimsical wonderland offerings so that the trial gets extended into a permanent lease, there comes one more hurdle. Magician Bram, who had been running the carousel earlier, has been appointed by the Council to perform as the Mad Hatter at the new establishment. Can Cleo keep her “supermarket” secret from Bram? And why does it seem like Bram has secrets of his own? The story comes to us in Cleo’s first-person perspective.
Jaimie Admans is probably the only romcom author whose books I have grabbed blindly. She is also the only romcom author I still read. I have long outgrown typical romcoms, but Admans always writes content that goes beyond staid love stories. More importantly, she incorporates settings into her plots like no one else can. (She would make a great cosy fantasy writer if she wishes to; she’s so fabulous at conjuring up tantalising locations!) This book is no exception.
The Ever After series has romances loosely based on a fairy tale or a classic fantasy. After tackling ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in the first two books of this series, the third Ever After entry draws inspiration from the Lewis Carroll novel, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, for some of its characters as well as its key setting – the Wonderland teashop. It is not a retelling (Thank God!), but just pays a tribute to Wonderland by incorporating some of its elements into the plot line. This worked very much in my favour, because I am not a big fan of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. I love its quotes, but the story is too absurd and meandering for my taste. If this Ever After book had been written by some other author, it might not even have appealed to me. But my love for Jaimie Admans’ books triumphs over my dislike of Lewis Carroll’s works. This latest book maintains my fandom.
In a Nutshell: A collection of stories set in contemporary Nigeria, covering various kinds of “madness”, but not necessarily the one you would assume.In a Nutshell: A collection of stories set in contemporary Nigeria, covering various kinds of “madness”, but not necessarily the one you would assume. I enjoyed the setting, the writing, as well as the content. Much recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wouldn’t say that this collection of ten stories took me by surprise. Most OwnVoices African anthologies or story collections I have read have been outstanding, and I am glad that this book continues the positive trend.
There is no introductory or author’s note, but the theme of the collection is quite clear from the title and the blurb. The title highlights how a ‘kind of madness’ is the driving force behind these stories. The primary focus is on relationships, whether familial or societal. Expectations lead people to do crazy things, and that’s the kind of crazy we see haunting the pages of this brilliant book. The emotions behind the characters’ actions come out so well through the author’s pen!
What I especially loved is that the stories are NOT about literal madness. ‘Madness’ as a word has so many meanings: obsession, insanity, temporary craziness, weirdness, unsoundness of mind, foolishness,… The narratives span across many of these meanings, thereby proving how all of us human beings are mad at times. (Probably, most times!) Each story feels distinct in its style and content, because of which there was no sign of the fatigue that usually props up in themed anthologies.
There is a strong flavour of Nigeria in the writing, and by this, I don’t mean the Nigeria that the media shows us or the stereotypical negatives alone. We see the food, the culture, the beliefs, the parenting style, the social norms, and the gender-based requirements. We see the juxtaposition of the traditional with the modern. We see characters caught in tough circumstances, with their response deciding what will happen next. Of course, given the title, the negative features outweigh the positives in almost every story, but there is still a strength to the characters that attaches a sense of hope – often unfounded – even to dire circumstances.
Many short stories are made or broken by their endings. In this set, the endings are partially incomplete but not abrupt; only avid short fiction readers might understand what I mean by this line. The stories stop at the right transitional moment in the life of the characters, the point at which the main topic of the story is either settled or given up on. This isn’t a book you should pick if you want happy endings or settled conclusions. To me, the endings were perfect!
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the ten stories, only three stories ended up between 3 and 3.5 stars. The rest were all 4 stars and above. These were my top favourites:
In a Nutshell: A standalone short story (more like a novella) featuring a pigeon-loving grandpa who finds a new agenda to become passionate about. GooIn a Nutshell: A standalone short story (more like a novella) featuring a pigeon-loving grandpa who finds a new agenda to become passionate about. Good plot, interesting characters, multiple emotions. Enjoyed it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Pigeon Tony, a senior citizen of Italian origin, loves being with his Italian friends (some of whom are also Tonys with a different nickname) and flying his pet pigeons. His English might still not be so good, but he loves America as it has saved him from his own past. But now, Pigeon Tony finds that his young neighbour, a boy named Enzo, is being forced by drug dealers to act as their courier, he knows that he can’t allow crime to enter the community. But what can a senior citizen do?
This is the first standalone story in the 'We Could be Heroes’ series, described on Amazon as “a darkly inquisitive collection of short stories that examines heroic intentions versus their real-life consequences.”
This short story should actually be called a novella, because at 72 pages, it is much too long for short fiction. But I am glad the author took up the extra pages because it offers a depth to the proceedings not always possible in shorter tales.
There are quite a few characters in this story, but the writing makes all of them very clear in our heads. I loved the old men the best, especially eighty-something Mazzo who has to SPEAK LOUDLY SO THAT OTHERS CAN HEAR HIM and Pigeon Tony who cares much about his dear pigeons and also about his Italian food, even if his favourite dishes are not good for his heath. Young Enzo is also a sweet boy.
Seeing the old men come together to save Enzo is an entertaining experience. As the story says, “they work fuelled by fear, love and caffeine.” Their banter leads to some humorous conversations, but it also shows their strong bond and their commitment to justice.
While the plot resolution is a bit too simplistic, it still works for this tale. But this is a story to be picked up more for the characters than the plot. It seems some of these characters originally appeared in ‘The Vendetta Defense’, which is the sixth book of the Rosato & DiNunzio Series. (DiNunzio has a secondary role in this tale.) I haven't read any book in this series, but when I read the short story, I didn’t feel any gap in my comprehension. So it works perfectly well as a standalone.
Recommended to those looking for a heartwarming story with loveable senior characters and a strong flavour of Italy.
4 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the “We Could Be Heroes” collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
In a Nutshell: A bittersweet middle-grade novella about a little girl who understands the importance of home and family and how it is sometimes accompIn a Nutshell: A bittersweet middle-grade novella about a little girl who understands the importance of home and family and how it is sometimes accompanied by sacrifice. Beautiful writing and great emotions, but slower pace. Might work better as a discussion read than as an individual experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Ten-year-old Juno is very upset after her mother leaves her with her grandfather for the entire summer while her parents are off doing volunteer work in some other country. Juno thinks it is very unfair that her parents care more for other kids than for their own daughter. When Juno discovers an abandoned doll house in her grandpa’s attic, she sees how beautiful it might once have been, and how lonely its little doll family looks. So she decides to make a new home for them, and in the process, learns some important lessons. The story comes to us in Juno’s first person perspective.
This is my fourth book by Katya Balen, and while it is not going to be my favourite of her works, it is still impressive.
Juno and her grandfather are the two main characters in the book. While Juno was a sweet child, a lot of her initial arc is spent missing her mother and being annoyed at having to spend summer away from the city. And as we hear the story from her first person perspective, the proceedings, especially at the start, are somewhat slow and melancholy. The final quarter salvages the mood and the impact.
Juno’s grandfather was the star of the story in my eyes. I love how the book chose to have a grandfather, instead of the more common grandmother, playing the role of the understanding adult. Fictional grandfathers rarely break the mould. But Juno’s grandpa is not just an expert woodworker but also a great chef, experimenting with cuisines from around the world. He encourages his granddaughter in both the activities – woodworking as well as cooking – without once bringing gender roles into play. He is patient and loving, a good listener and a wise counsel-provider. We need more grandfathers like him, in fiction as well as in real life.
Balen is excellent at writing descriptions and emotions, and this book is no exception. The little doll house is detailed wonderfully, as is Grandpa’s woodworking. Juno’s feelings, torn between her love for her parents and her resentment at being ‘abandoned’, are nicely written. The metaphor between her situation and that of the abandoned doll family comes out well.
That said, I am not sure if kids will get the point of the book correctly. If read at a superficial level, the book might lead them to assume that their happiness is worth less in comparison with the greater good or humanitarian purposes. Charity always begins at home, so it is important for kids to realise that Juno’s mother left her in the safe hands of her grandfather before leaving for her volunteer work. This is why I feel like the book will work better as a discussion read, so just in case any child misinterprets the message, an adult will hopefully be able to guide them back to the right track.
There are grayscale illustrations throughout the book, in the same style as that on the cover – somewhat hazy and without defined edges. While the art style wasn’t my cup of tea, it works for the story.
Basically, this is a sweet tale but not typical of its genre. It covers a wider spectrum of emotions than a usual MG work does, including some complex feelings. But the message it puts forward is a subtle but thought-provoking one.
As with all Barrington Stoke publications, this book is written in HiLo style, which means that the target age of the story is 9+ years but the reading level is age 8. So the content is accessible to a greater group of little readers.
Recommended for sure, as this is a great combo of plot plus moral plus discussion points. We can all do with a little help and a little hope, and this book provides both amply.
4 stars.
My thanks to Barrington Stoke and NetGalley for the DRC of “Little House”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
In a Nutshell: A short story about a young couple who encounter an unexpected guest in their new cottage. Mixes humour and awareness in an interestingIn a Nutshell: A short story about a young couple who encounter an unexpected guest in their new cottage. Mixes humour and awareness in an interesting way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
A young couple has just moved into a cottage, eager to begin the next phase in their relationship: that of living together. As they are going about their usual shifting routine, they have an unexpected visitor. Yup, a bear, as you might have guessed from the title. What happens next?
Let me begin by blowing my own trumpet. This story exists because of me. ...more
In a Nutshell: A historical fiction based on true events, focussing on the functioning of the Bethnal Green Library from the local underground stationIn a Nutshell: A historical fiction based on true events, focussing on the functioning of the Bethnal Green Library from the local underground station during the WWII Blitz. The ending was a bit too smooth for my liking, but the rest of the plot was worth it. I learnt a few new facts as well, which isn’t something I expected. Recommended!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
1940, Bethnal Green, London. Juliet Lansdown, 26, has just been appointed the new deputy librarian at the Bethnal Green library, but when she takes over, she realises that the head librarian refuses to adopt new ideas to imbue fresh life into the library. Juliet is determined to prove to him that women librarians can handle the job adeptly. Katie Upwood, 18, loves her job at the library though it is only for the short term before she heads off to university. But after the death of her boyfriend on the front line and some big personal upheavals, Katie finds herself handling a life-altering problem with no one to help out. Sofie Baumann, 19, a young German-Jewish refugee, has come to London on a domestic service visa, only to be stuck with an employer who treats her miserably. She cannot leave her job as it’s the only way she can legally stay in London. The library is her refuge from drudgery while she hopes to reunite with her sister and her father, who are still stuck in Germany. The story comes to us in the third person perspective of these three characters.
I am still on a sabbatical from WWII fiction. Historical fiction is actually among my favourite genres, but I have burnt myself out reading too many similar WWII stories. The only reason I grabbed this novel is that I had enjoyed Jennifer Ryan’s ‘The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle’, another WWII work covering a part of the war I knew nothing about. I was hoping for a similar experience this time around, and luckily, this one worked even better.
In a Nutshell: A classic novella combining comedy and tragedy in a memorable way. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea as the themes are quite subtle. In a Nutshell: A classic novella combining comedy and tragedy in a memorable way. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea as the themes are quite subtle. I am still not sure if I got them all. But I liked it enough, and that’s what counts. ...more
In a Nutshell: Quite similar to the first book BUTT with new animals and new butts and faces to sort out from. Great as a classroom resource.
~~~~~~~~~In a Nutshell: Quite similar to the first book BUTT with new animals and new butts and faces to sort out from. Great as a classroom resource.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I had read 'Butt or Face?', I wish I had known that there was a second book in the offing. I used all my *booty*licious puns in that review, and have *bottom*ed out of *face*tious vocabulary. Kindly *ass*cuse the lack of *cheek*iness in the rest of this write-up.
The format is the same as in the first book. We have some tricky photos of some part of an animal’s anatomy, and the reader has to answer a simple question – is it a butt or a face?
As kids enjoy potty humour, I am sure they will have fun with their guesses. To add to the fun, ask kids if they can guess which animal, or even which species the depicted butt or face belongs to. That is much, much trickier!
The answer is provided on the next page, along with the complete photo of the creature. (I love books that present animal facts with actual pictures instead of using illustrations – it makes a huge difference.) This is accompanied by some interesting trivia about the animal, which comes under some *fanny*tastic headings. (Yay! One pun slipped in!)
I read this book along with my younger daughter, and we had a nice time competing over who could guess the most right answers. (It was a tie!) A couple of the animals were too familiar to both of us, but there were enough novel creatures to keep us both happy. Some of them are so weird-looking that I couldn’t figure out where the butt or face was even after seeing the whole image.
There is a little author’s note about what inspired this series. I can’t recollect if this was present in the first book as well, but I enjoyed reading it as it contained quite an interesting fact.
Finally, there’s a table, detailing the habitats and the eating preferences of the animals pictured in the book.
The only reason I am not going higher in my rating is that it offered exactly the same experience as the first book, which is great for consistency but also feels like too much of a good thing. There’s no pushing of the bar in terms of novelty. (Such a tough demand to make of an author, right?)
All in all, this is a fun and informative read that ought to work excellently in classrooms as a guessing game. The humour will appeal to the target age of 6-10 years. Younger ones can also have fun guessing the butt or face part, but the trivia might be too advanced for them in vocabulary.
4 stars.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Kids and NetGalley for the DRC of “Butt or Face? Revenge of the Butts”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Loading...
