Sunday Post #44, Home, Sweet Home

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things received, and share news about what is coming up on the blog for the week ahead. To get in on the Sunday fun, see the rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

Outside the Blog

      It is so good to be home. I enjoyed my trip to Sicily very much. We were taken care of and spoiled. I tried so many new things of Italian, namely Sicilian cuisine, that I had to buy a cook book. I am not sure if I will manage it the same way, but definitely I will try.
   I had quite an adventure in Rome airport, where we had our transit, one of the passports was missing and we missed the last flight. Luckily, the passport was recovered at the police point, but still we had to work out alternative roots back home. So we flew to the closest city and my relative was driving to pick us up. So 14 hours later, 200 euros lighter (God bless cheep airlines) we finally reached home. I must say, that is not experience I would like to repeat. Not because of the money loss, but all the stress you have to go through.
      Reading was not impressive. I finished two books that I was reading for almost a month now, so not boasting here.

Goodreads

    One thing though: I found great comics series. I am not fan of comics and I do not read them at all. I randomly picked it up because of the drawings. Guys, I could not put it down! The problem is, the series is in French, and I read it in translation and so I cannot find any information when and if the series will be continued. 

  Last on the Blog 

• On Monday I reviewed Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin 
• On Tuesday I published March 19, Top Ten Tuesday 
• On Wednesday I did not post anything as I did not finish a single book in a week
• On Thursday I reviewed The Waif of the "Cynthia" by André Laurie and Jules Verne 
• On Friday I published Friday in Memes #7 

Next on the Blog

• On Monday I will review The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian
• On Tuesday I will publish April 2, Top Ten Tuesday
• On Wednesday I will publish WWW Wednesday and Library Loot
• On Thursday I will review The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
• On Friday I will publish Friday in Memes #8

 Newcomers on my Shelf

Die Again by Tess Gerritsen  

March 29, Friday in Memes #7

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
    Name one classic novel you have always wanted to read. (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

My Answer:
      A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (1929). I guess it is more than 10 years I keep in mind this book and still did not come even close to it. It was a recommendation from our literature teacher and we were supposed to read it, but as additional book, so nobody did. But I still remember how she talked about it and it made me wanting to read it anyway.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

Goodreads

My Book Beginnings:

Once, four children called Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell lived all together in a village called Haworth in the very farthest , steepest, highest, northernest bit of England.

My 56:

Charlotte's furious pace had dragged them all across the moors and into sooty Keighley streets early. The hay market gate clattered and echoed with horses and voices and
smelled of many less wholesome things than hay, but no carriages waited there to collect two unhappy girls. Emily looked up to a bank's brassy clock tower. It wasn't near time for speeches yet.

Outline:  I have heard a lot good things about this book, but I know literary nothing about the plot. The only this is obvious from the beginning the story is based on inspired by Bronte family.

The Waif of the "Cynthia" by André Laurie and Jules Verne

Author: André Laurie and Jules Verne
Original title: L'Épave du Cynthia
Pages: 432
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: e-book
Genres: Adventure, Mystery
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   1886 novel by Andre Laurie and Jules Gabriel Verne. A novel about a young man's search for his identity leads him through Verne's 5th novel of Arctic exploration.
  
My thoughts: 

      One of my childhood favorites. The Scandinavian setting of this novel was unusual and quite refreshing. The plot revolved around a dark-haired boy called Erik in a family of blond Norwegians. He was discovered by them in the sea as a baby tied to a ship's buoy. The plot concerns Erik's efforts to chase round the world trying to track down a sailor who supposedly knows the secret of his abandonment. We follow Eric’s life from his childhood: all his struggles in finding his own identity as he has no roots. It was a nice coming of age story, but still I liked more the adventurous part of the novel. It was a great sea journey that I followed with a map open, marking their route and places visited. It is true that everything comes together rather conveniently at the end, but I could not ask more from a teen adventurous story. 

Rating:  

    4/5 

March 26, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week’s TTT topic is Audio Freebie

I guess I am still getting into audio books as I do not listen too many, but there already a lot of favorites.

1. The Diviners series by Libba Bray
Narrated by January LaVoy 
Goodreads

Audible 

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City - and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries her uncle will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho is hiding a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened....

2. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling 
Narrated by Jim Dale
Goodreads
Audible

      Well everybody knows what it is about.

3. The Illuminae Files series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Narrated by a full cast 
Goodreads
Audible

  Illuminae is a 2015 young adult space opera epistolary novel written by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. The story is told through a series of classified documents, censored emails, interviews, and others. Illuminae is set in 2575 and is the story of teenage colonist Kady Grant and her fighter pilot boyfriend Ezra Mason.

5. Themis Files by Sylvain Neuvel
Narrated by a full cast

Goodreads
Audible

    A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square-shaped hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.
    Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved - the object's origins, architects, and purpose unknown 

6. Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo 
 Narrated by John Lee
Goodreads

Audible 

      Harry Hole is the main character in a series of crime novels written by Norwegian author Jo Nesbø. Hole is a brilliant and driven detective with unorthodox methods, a classic loose cannon in the police force.  Hole is unmarried but has had relationships with a number of women throughout the series of twelve novels. Otherwise, he has few close friends. Hole frequently makes enemies among his colleagues who, nevertheless, grudgingly respect him.

7. Wayward Pines Series by Blake Crouch
Narrated by Paul Michael Garcia

Goodreads
Audible 

The Wayward Pines Trilogy (2012–2014) is a mystery/thriller/science fiction novel series by American author Blake Crouch. It follows U.S. Secret Service agent Ethan Burke as he unravels the mystery surrounding his unanticipated arrival in the small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho following a devastating car accident. The novels are Pines (2012), Wayward (2013), and The Last Town (2014). In 2015, the novels were adapted into the television series Wayward Pines. 

8.  Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Narrated by Caroline Lee
Goodreads

Audible 

Pirriwee Public's annual school Trivia Night has ended in a shocking riot. One parent is dead. The school principal is horrified. As police investigate what appears to have been a tragic accident, signs begin to indicate that this devastating death might have been cold-blooded murder.

In this thought-provoking novel, number-one New York Times best-selling author Liane Moriarty deftly explores the reality of parenting and playground politics, ex-husbands and ex-wives, and fractured families. And in her pitch-perfect way, she shows us the truth about what really goes on behind closed suburban doors.

Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin

Author: Alexander Pushkin
Original title: Повести покойного Ивана Петровича Белкина 
Pages: 82
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: paperback
Genres: Classics
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   This collection is a set of stories within a story. The preface by "the editors" incorporates a letter from a friend of the eponymous Belkin, describing the dead writer's character, history and interests. The stories are themselves said to be tales once told to Belkin by various and sundry figures.
  
My thoughts: 

    Pushin is often referred to as the father of modern Russian literature. Though the title implies gravity and humorlessness, Pushkin was a very funny writer. He was light-hearted and good-spirited Thus, his writing, both poetry and prose almost always interwoven with satire, parody and allusions. And this book is a great example in that regard. The five tales of Belkin were brief, to the point, and composed with a lightness that I found delightful. Curiously, the story I liked best was the only sad one The Stationmaster. My childhood favorite was The Mistress Peasant and I was not so enchanted this time.
      I have read many reviews where people find the stories quite funny and witty. True, but I was finding a lot of drama between the lines. Where are scenes in which you can see many social problems, inequality and bulling. At the same time other matters as parental love, sense of duty and pride are discussed in this witty and fun collection of short stories that made me feel genuine delight and enjoyment.

The Shot - a duel is derailed when one participant notices the indifference his opponent has towards his inevitable demise (5 stars)
The Blizzard - an aristocratic young woman falls in love with a young officer, but her parents disapprove of the relationship so they decide to elope, marry quickly, and then beg forgiveness (5 stars)
The Undertaker - an undertaker returns home after a party offended after someone jokingly offers a toast to the health of Prokhorov's customers; he decides to hold his house-warming party with his customers rather than his neighbors (3 stars)
The Postmaster - a returning traveler is surprised to see the station master's change of fortune after this daughter's kidnapping (5 stars)
The Mistress Peasant - in order to meet the handsome new arrival, a young lady pretends to be a peasant girl(4 stars)  

Rating:  

    5/5 

Sunday Post #43, Oh, Shiny Sicily

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things received, and share news about what is coming up on the blog for the week ahead. To get in on the Sunday fun, see the rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

Outside the Blog

      Traveling is not over and this week I am heading to Sicily. It is a friend visit and it is going to be quite calm and easy-going, but I hope I will have enough walks in Palermo so I can catch the feel of this island. Italy holds a special place in my heart, but I have never been so far south. Quite excited if people and way of live is so much differ from the north Italy.
     Manchester book searching was a bit disappointing, I have been to some old and new bookstores, but nothing caught my eye. But otherwise Manchester was great. I visited the Museum of Science and Industry and been part of an interesting excursion: "Rising of Textile Industry", the guy showed how the machines worked and was telling a lot detail about textile production. I have never thought that can be interesting)))
    Another great excursion was at Old Trafford. I liked it enough, but I have something to compare with and I think it lacked a history of the stadium and the team itself. It was supposed that you know it. I am not fan of Manchester United and followed their journey for about ten years, but they have 100 years history and I heard nothing of it. So that was a minus, but altogether it was nice.
     Reading is a problems as I have spent too much time on traveling, and since I am not alone, I cannot just open the book, so the only time left is at nights))

 Last on the Blog

• On Monday I reviewed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
• On Tuesday I published March 19, Top Ten Tuesday
• On Wednesday I published WWW Wednesday and Library Loot
• On Thursday I reviewed Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
• On Friday I published Friday in Memes #6

Next on the Blog

• On Monday I will review Tales of Belkin by Alexander Pushkin
• On Tuesday I will publish March 19, Top Ten Tuesday
• On Wednesday I will publish WWW Wednesday and Library Loot
• On Thursday I will review The Waif of the "Cynthia" by André Laurie and Jules Verne
• On Friday I will publish Friday in Memes #7

 Newcomers on my Shelf

My Manchester haul:
The Impossible Fairytale by Han Yujoo
The Astrologer's Daughter by Rebecca Lim
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

March 22, Friday in Memes #6

The Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
    Do you read along with your Audio books? (submitted by Angelica @ Paperback Princess)

My Answer:
      I do love audio books. Though even 5 years ago I could not imaging listening to the audiobooks, I could not concentrate.  I guess the quality of sound has changed drastically as well, not just me. But now I cannot even listen to the music or radio, it seems the waste of time.

Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader. A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. 

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice. Join us every Friday and share an excerpt from a book you’ve been reading.

My Book Beginnings:

Henry, Kansas, is a hot town. And a cold town.

My 56:

Henrietta looked at him. "There are some old tools in the basement, and some more in the barn. I bet there's a chisel. do you want me to check?"

"That would be good," Henry said. " It took me forever last night . I kept worrying that I was scratching the doors. I hope we don't mess any of then up."

Outline: I love novels set in a particular town or city. It makes it feel more realistic. The extracts evoke the expectation for a good hunt and secrets, so I am exited I came across this book.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Author: Celeste Ng
Original title: Everything I Never Told You
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Genres: Contemporary
Format: Audio book
Read by: Cassandra Campbell
Duration: 10h01m
Goodreads

Blurb:
    Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.
    So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.
     A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.

My thoughts:
       I listened to this book on audio and this is my first 5 star book of the year although it was written in 2014. I read Little Fires Everywhere in December 2018 and loved it as well. I was a bit afraid that I might be disappointed, as I loved Little Fires Everywhere, but instead I found a new favorite author.  I will be reading whatever she writes next for sure.
     It is a beautifully written story, and I was again impressed with how Celeste Ng mixes the characters' destinies, lives and brings together into a beautiful piece of writing.
      This is the story of a dysfunctional family dealing with the death of 16-year-old Lydia, the middle “favorite” child. You get to see snapshots of each family member's life, in the past and in the present. The story of Lydia is also interesting. She seems to be in a lot of mental turmoil leading up to her death and we slowly uncover what happened to her. She is constantly under pressure, particularly from her mother, to excel academically and from her father to make friends, try to fit in and be "normal". We learn just how desperate she is to please them and at the same time escape from them. Her only help is her brother Nath, who understand all her troubles without saying. This connection between then is really exceptional and was my favorite part of the book. Different of age and gender they are really close and support each other to overcome their parents’ disappointment and indifference towards Nath and uncontrollable admiration and love towards Lydia. I never thought that love can be so dangerous, even more dangerous than indifference.
      Additionally, I appreciated how Ng tackled issues of race, womanhood, and identity. But first and foremost, I think this story is truly about parents who are trying to live through their child’s life, the things that they themselves wanted and failed to achieve. It made me feel so much sadness for the children, and even for the parents as they seemed to be so sure that they were doing the right thing for their daughter.

Rating: 

         5/5 

WWW Wednesday and Library Loot, March 20th

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. A similar meme, This Week in Books is hosted by Lipsyy Lost and Found.
Description: WWW Wednesday is a weekly event where you share answers Below questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
  
I am currently reading 3 books:

1. Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
3. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty  

I have finished:
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
2. Can Doctor Proctor Save Christmas by Jo Nesbø

I am planning to start with the following books:
1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
2. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
 
Hosted by: The Captive Reader and Silly Little Mischief
Description: Library Loot is a weekly event that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

I found this funny looking book and it suites to my middle grade March
challenge:
100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson