The books I really liked

1. Melmoth by Sarah Perry

Melmoth is a huge discovery for me. It’s a gothic story with an element of fantasy that serves to illustrate the nature of human beings. I’m totally in love with Melmoth; with its style and its story. Read my review of Melmoth for more information.

2. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

An absolutely gorgeous book with an intricate story about people’s lives in the 18th century London. I haven’t read anything so beautiful in years and there probably will be years till I read something that beautiful again. If you want more information, you can find it in my review of The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock.

3. You Were Made For This by Michelle Sacks

You Were Made For This is an intense psychological thriller about people who are not what you initially think they are. I loved how perfectly the characters were being unveiled. I loved the controversial ending that I felt was natural for these characters. You can read more in my review of You Were Made For This.

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

If you want to get lost in a book, get a copy of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Despite the several flaws that I noticed in the book, I generally liked it very much. It was so much fun to be reading a book without getting bored for a single minute. Here’s my review of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

5. The Last by Hanna Jameson

The Last is an apocalyptic story about a small group of people who are trying to survive in the wake of a nuclear war. The Last hasn’t been published yet, but if you are building your reading list, I would definitely recommend adding The Last to that list. My review of the book will appear on the blog later.

Other books I read in October

1. The Salt of the Earth by Jozef Wittlin

The Salt of the Earth could be a very interesting historical novel about ordinary people during the WWI. Unfortunately, because of its writing style, it’s very hard to read. It’s also a first book in a trilogy that never got finished so it also leaves its mark on the whole perception of the book. It was published before, and will be republished in February 2019. My review of The Salt of the Earth will also appear later.

2. The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson

The Darkness is a thriller that causes very contradicting feelings. I liked most of the book and hated the ending. Some people actually liked the ending too. You can read my review of The Darkness.

3. The Chalk Man by C. J. Tudor

The Chalk Man is a thriller that many raved about. People couldn’t sleep at night, they were scared and found the book very spooky. I didn’t. It is gory, but it is not scary. You can read more about it in my review of The Chalk Man.

4. The Songbird by Richard Parker

The Songbird is actually not a bad thriller. I didn’t find the ending satisfying but the writing and the plot were quite good. The Songbird hasn’t been published yet, and my review of it will appear later.

I feel so lucky to have read so many books that I can actually recommend! Off to November now! My reading list is getting more and more exciting with each day!

Genre: Gothic and historical fiction. Stars from Goodreads: 3.8. Stars from me: 5.

Melmoth. The story.

Have you ever watched the Japanese version of The Ring? Do you remember the moment when that long-haired lady crawls out from the TV screen? That’s approximately how it feels to be reading Melmoth. Only the feeling is not as simple because Melmoth is not a story to spook you for your entertainment. Melmoth does get out of the book but not to harm you. She wants to show you how people can harm.

Melmoth is a story about human nature shown through some elements of fantasy. It takes you through several different timeframes and storylines but its core story is set in Prague, in winter. I felt the snow and saw it falling. It was so realistic I had to collect my things from the hot beach and retreat to my shadowed bedroom in order to escape the contradiction.

Melmoth. The writing.

I don’t know how Sarah Perry does it but I’m so grateful she does it. Just like her character, she takes you by your hand and leads you through the story. She tells it in her very special way and it works. From the first pages there’s a rhythm and a style. And from the first sentences you want more. My copy is a tree of shining bookmarks.

The bookmarks point to quotes, although I can’t even call them quotes. They are universes of their own. Look at some of them:

• “She notes with unease how he holds it with both avarice and distaste, as if it were an object he had coveted all his life, only to find that having paid the asking price it had a foul smell.”
• “You are so ordinary your very existence makes the extraordinary seem impossible. I mean it as a compliment.”
• “The change that has come over him is nothing less than the change from mortality to immortality: it all at once occurs to her, as it never has before, that he’ll die; that death already has its imprint on him, on the days he’s not yet lived, like a watermark on empty sheets of paper.”
• “The silence is something more than the absence of noise.”

And one more, from those jackdaws crying for the first time. The moment freezes your blood.

• “Why? they said: how? how? why? I looked away.”

I read this book, sometimes putting this composition on. I think it enhances the experience and brings even more Melmoth into your life. Try it.

Melmoth. Other reviews.

Melmoth is everybody’s mirror. The reflection is different for every reader. I’m attaching the list of bloggers’ reviews that I liked the most.

1. Ova’s honest and deep review of Melmoth.
2. An absolutely amazing review from Umut where she analyses the structure of the book.
3. Another very informative review of Melmoth.
4. And one more very good review.

Do I suggest you read Melmoth? I don’t just suggest you do it, I dare you to.