An absolutely stunning book has been recently published!

I’m generally very picky about the books I read. I think there are many books that are ok, there are even more books that are not, and there’s just a handful, just very few that are really stunning. The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt is like that.

Although I usually speak about things I liked and things I disliked in books, this time I liked absolutely everything and I have only positive things to say.

The story

“Aren’t memories a little like furniture of the mind?”

Miss Kratt lives in her large house with Olva who’s helping her around the house. They’ve known each other all their lives. Both of them are quite old now. They haven’t always lived alone in this house. When they were children there were other people around. Miss Kratt’s father was an influential person in the town, and his son although still very young was a key figure in keeping this influence going. Everything changed when a tragedy happened.

The characters

Absolutely all characters, regardless of their roles, are fully-developed and multilayered.

Miss Judith felt absolutely real to me and I sympathised with her a lot. Even when the book was over I still wanted to be there for her. Although she probably wouldn’t appreciate it.

There are some characters that I despised even though I could understand why they were acting that way.

None of the characters is perfect but they aren’t artificially flawed either.

The writing

The writing is perfect. I felt as if the story had been told by Miss Judith herself and not by the author. I highlighted so many quotes in my copy that it took me several minutes just to scroll through all of them. Here are a few:

“… she wore a gray dress that held the sad promise of once being black.”

“He was a small-town man who read big-city newspapers.”

“… conversations with siblings cannot be separated from all the conversations that came before.”

“We enter this world curling our tiny hands around our mother’s fingers, and we exit with those same hands cinched by arthritis. How could we pretend our grasp, clutching onto life from opposite ends, stays the same?”

I loved the fluidity of chapters, the two storylines, one in the past, one in the present, flowing two separate paths and then merging together.

I especially liked how the chapters were separated by Miss Judith’s list of inventory. After each chapter, new objects were added to the list. If you didn’t know the story behind the objects you wouldn’t pay attention to them but because you have read the chapter, you know what the objects mean, and so just a single mention of them could bring a whole wave of memories. That is pure literary magic.

What I liked most

I loved the stories themselves and the way they were told. There is no melodrama in them. The stories are deep and touching even when they are scary and sad.

Final thought

This book brought tears to my eyes just because of how perfect it is. I’m so grateful to the author for this book, and of course to the publishers for sending me the copy in exchange for my honest (albeit emotional) review. I hope Andrea Bobotis will write more books. I will be looking forward to her new works.

House of Glass is a platypus of literature. The book has a body of one creation and a tail of another one. It starts as a gothic mystery but turns into War and Peace in the end.

What is the book about

It’s a story about Clara, a young woman whose bones are fragile like glass and whose emotional state has also been shattered by a recent loss. Clara is hired to work in a glass house of an old estate, and of course the estate hides many mysteries which Clara will try to solve.

What I liked about the book

The gothic part

The book creates a perfect gothic atmosphere. There is an old mansion, spooky sounds, and a history of complicated lives.

The mystery

I absolutely loved Clara’s attitude which turned a spooky story into almost a detective one.

Characters

The characters are not either good or bad. They are multidimensional and complicated. It’s hard to come to final conclusions about them.

Storylines

There are many storylines and they are all connected on some level.

Chekhov’s guns

Each detail mentioned in the story has its function.

What I liked less

Women’s rights agenda

I know it’s a sensitive topic so I’ll try to tread it carefully. I understand the necessity of acknowledging the problems, both historical and current ones, but modern female-authored literature seems to be overusing the topic to the point that it’s starting to repel people rather than draw the limelight to the problems.

Random villain

It feels like the characters were drawing straws to pick up a villain, and the one who landed the role didn’t really fit it.

The platypus tail

When I want to read War and Peace, I read Tolstoy. If I am drawn to the book by its gothic atmosphere, I prefer the atmosphere to persist till the end.

Final thoughts

It’s a well-written book with an interesting and complicated plot that for the most part combines mystery and gothic. If it was not for the ending I would have easily given the book five stars.

The Salt of the Earth is an exceptional book but unfortunately I failed to like it as much as I expected to.

About the book

The Salt of the Earth is a pacifist novel about a person who loses the little he had, to be a pawn in something he has no understanding of.

The novel was first published in Polish in 1936 and received great acclaim. As a result Jozef Wittlin, the author, was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1939. The book was first translated into English in 1940. It was supposed to be the first book in a trilogy but the drafts of the other two volumes were lost when a soldier in a French town threw the case with them into the sea in 1940. Only the first section of the second book survived and is included in this edition.

Good things about the book

Salt of the Earth is an example of beautiful writing. Jozef Wittlin was a poet, and you can feel it in his book. Here are some quotes.
About the news that the war has started:

The news spread by word of mouth. The mouth bit it, chewed it, ground it and crunched it until suddenly a million mouths spat one word out onto the pavement like a bitter almond.

At the recruiting station:

Around midday, Niewiadomski’s name flew out from under sergeant’s black moustache.

And more:

Stars flashed on the clear firmament, one after another, glorious, mature, brilliant. It was nights like these that gave birth to astronomy.

What I didn’t like

Unfortunately, I failed to like the novel, despite the beautiful writing and the greater message. There are only about fifteen instances of direct speech in the whole book, out of which about ten are actual dialogues, which are short and kept to a minimum. Even when communication between characters does happen it’s being recited as a narrative. Overall, the book feels as if somebody had written you a huge letter retelling different events and thoughts. This style of writing takes all possible dynamism out of the book. The book was written 80 years ago and so the rules of the story telling were probably different then, but I do read classics and I have never encountered anything so still, like water in a pond.

Although there’s a protagonist, you never connect to him closely. He’s a mere tool to show you what a state can do to a person. And as it’s an unfinished story you never even get to know what happened to him eventually.

As for the translation of the book, I’m not an expert but I think the name that sounds like “Semyon” or “Semion” would look much better written exactly this way, rather than simply transliterated as “Semen”.

Final thoughts

It’s undoubtedly a very deep book, but the peculiarity of the writing style makes it very hard to read and the incompleteness of the story brings no satisfaction. Thus, I can only give it 3.5 stars. I’m sure somebody with a different attitude to reading will like it more.

Thanks to the publishers for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

General information

This is a story about Fleetwood, a 17-year-old wife of a noble person living in England, in the year 1692. Fleetwood is going through her new pregnancy, having miscarried several times before. She’s worried that this baby won’t survive too, and that her life is also in danger. She meets Alice who gives her some hope. Unfortunately, Alice might be one of those uncomfortable women who are not tolerated by people in power. This is a story about women who are trying to save and to be saved.

How was it?

I expected to be infuriated by the story, and I was. It could not be different with a book about women that are treated like cattle. It raised lots of questions. Was it truly that bad? How did it come to this?

Have things really changed much since then?

Good things about the book

The story

The story is very gripping, it’s hard to put the book down. There’s lots of action going on.

The ending

I liked it because it felt realistic and natural.

Things that I liked less

The editing

The passage of time feels very abrupt sometimes. The book feels raw and unpolished at places.

Those nasty bad men, those great good women

As I told in one of my reviews before, I’m tired of this concept. I understand that in a book about a witch hunt such element is inescapable, but I still believe that characters have to be more diverse in order to be plausible and interesting.

The husband issue

I find the eventual situation with the husband implausible and obscene, especially taking into account all the things we’ve read about him.

Questions that I still have

I wish I could learn more about Alice, but I’m also wondering about those historical times in general. If it was that bad could such brave, rebellious Fleetwoods really exist? Did they? Or was the mere thought of going against the current impossible for women then? Well, unless they were witches…

Would I recommend the book?

I’d definitely recommend it to those who are looking for an adventure story with strong female characters. The Familiars will be out in two weeks, on 19.02.19.

Many thanks to the publishers for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

I fell in love The Last as soon as I read the excerpt. I love good writing. As long as the story flows naturally, I want it, regardless of the genre or description. That was exactly what happened with The Last. More than that, I found the description very intriguing. Who wouldn’t? 

BREAKING: Nuclear weapon detonates over Washington

BREAKING: London hit, thousands feared dead.

BREAKING: Munich and Scotland hit. World leaders call for calm.

General information

This is a story about a group of people left stranded in a Swiss hotel after nuclear bombs demolish major cities and wipe out most of the planet’s population. People are left with no connection to the outside world, no ways to learn about their families, no news. There’s also not enough food and it’s getting very cold as the nuclear winter begins. It’s a whole new life now for those who survived. There are new rules, and the values get adapted to the new reality.

What I loved about the book

The protagonist

I loved the protagonist’s voice. I could hear him and I believed him. He felt absolutely real.

The atmosphere

Whenever I closed the book, the atmosphere stayed with me. It was so consuming that for a few nights I was having apocalyptic dreams.

The plot

I loved how the plot branched out to so many different storylines. I really couldn’t let go of the book, I had to know what happened next.

The higher purpose

The book is very thought-provoking. It makes you debate and argue. The topics will not leave you indifferent, and I am especially thankful for that. 

What I liked less 

The background stories of characters

I think the book progresses rather slowly in the parts where the background stories are introduced. I really wanted more action in those places and felt a bit bored.

The description of how the community changed

I would love to see more examples of how the community changes. The book merely states that people did change, but because there are no actual actions to demonstrate it, the statement alone feels forced.

What I disliked a lot

One of the choices the characters made

Imagine you live in a diminishing community and suddenly discover a dangerous member amongst you. It’s not clear if he’s really guilty but the presumption of innocence doesn’t exist anymore so he’s presumed dangerous. What do we do with him? Just for the record, we constantly need people to search for food, someone to dig graves, someone to clean, to watch over water supplies. There’s lots of other work that’s needed for the survival of our small community. What would we do with such a member then? Would we try to make him somehow useful? Maybe, we’d lock him in the basement with a task to attempt growing mushrooms for the community (or any other useful task)? Well, the people in The Last make a very different choice.

Politics

I feel like the book is trying to make a statement that if people choose wrong leaders, or don’t speak up against wrong leaders, we will have a nuclear war. I would have loved it if The Last had gone even deeper than that. No lunatics in power is a good idea. No power would have been an even better one.

Final thoughts

The Last is interesting, fast-paced and easy to read. It’s also multilayered and thought-provoking. I’m giving it 4 stars and I will gladly recommend it to anybody who’s interested in this genre. The digital version of the book is already out. The paperback will be available from 31st January.

Thanks a lot to the publishers for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

1. What We Buried by Kate A. Boorman

I won this book in a Giveaway organised by Lili @ Utopia State Of Mind. Thank you Lili! I had no idea I was in for such a treat! The book will be out in the end of February, so I will post my review later. I can say now that I’m starting to suspect I’m still a young adult, because it’s yet another young adult novel that I have liked really much. It’s surreal and absolutely gripping! It tells a story about very complicated family relationships. The book is not without its flaws but it’s very entertaining.

2. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Sarah Perry was my love at the first line. I am enjoying reading her stories even when nothing spectacular is happening for half a book. I am fine with the lack of action if the writing is that good. But I do know some bloggers (hello Wellreadtart ) who might strongly dislike the book for this very reason. I think The Essex Serpent is what they call a slow burn. It burns slowly, but oh so beautifully .

3. The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I’m still reading this book, and I have to say I am treading the story very carefully because I have a lurking suspicion I might abandon it eventually. This book did absolutely nothing to deserve this, but it reminds me a chic lit genre which has repeatedly disappointed me recently. Meanwhile the story is quite charming. It’s a story about book sales rep and a book shop owner. It has so many different books mentioned that I keep taking notes not only about the book itself but about the books that are mentioned there.

4. Patrick Melrose novels #3 and #4

I grew very much attached to Patrick, a character with a very difficult childhood, a history of drug addiction, and with some hope for a better future. I’m less than two novels away from the end of his story, so no matter what happens in the books I am not going to quit. But, as you see, I still haven’t posted a review of Some Hope, Patrick Melrose novel #3. That’s because Edward St. Aubyn’s talent to write a whole novel based on just a few events reached unbearable levels in this third book. It’s a curious case of a book that you read for a long time, but afterwards can’t say much about. I’m reading the fourth novel now, called Mother’s Milk where Patrick is even older, and the author gives the book a new perspective that I’m not sure I’m happy about.

If you are curious, here are my reviews of the first two novels: Never Mind, Patrick Melrose novel #1 and Bad News, Patrick Melrose novel #2.

5. The Turning, short stories by Tim Winton

Can you tell me how it is possible that short stories are losing popularity? At least, that’s what I heard. I mean, people seem to prefer short Twitter messages over longer blog posts but they still don’t like it when a whole story is told very shortly and thus it is even more focused and intense?

Anyway, back to the topic. I’ve read a few short stories from The Turning and I loved them. They are very atmospheric and thought-provoking. My only little problem with them is the writing, which is very abrupt. It’s obviously just a style so I can’t hold it against the book.

That is it for these first five days of the fresh new year. I’m wishing you happy reading. Tell me what you are reading right now if you want to chat.

If you are interested in similar posts from previous months, here they are:

Reading books in December
Currently reading in November
Currently reading (a post from October)

A wishlist is, basically, just another digital shelf. I simply add a book there and then go back to reading whatever I was reading, because, as we all know, the wish to get a book are the wish to read a book are two different wishes. Most of purchased books continue their undisturbed lives on shelves, some of them eternally.

Here are the books from my wishlist

Have you read any of them? Would you recommend them?

1. House of Glass by Susan Fletcher

The book has everything I love: a gothic story, an old stone house, an eerie mystery. That’s about as much as I know because, I stay away from descriptions in order not to accidentally spoil a book for myself.

2. The Parentations by Kate Mayfield

Sarah, a fellow book blogger, suggested this book to me. She said it’s really beautiful and magical, but for some reason not many people read it yet. So its place is secured on my wishlist.

3. The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir

It’s a modern story about a fictional reality show, and the characters dealing with an unexpected situation while trying to carry on with the show. I want to get a physical copy of the book because of the shiny font on the cover (I’m a bookish magpie).

4. Night-Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates

It’s a short story collection with quite an intriguing description about lovers, vengeful wives and some murders.

I first saw the book when Bookish chat posted the photo on Twitter. I hope to get a physical copy of the book because I like the cover, even though the woman seems slightly clumsily photoshopped into the armchair. I’m also worried by the book’s unflattering rating of 3.33 stars on Goodreads.

These are all the books I have on my wishlist so far. Do you have wishlists too?

The books I’ve finished

1. The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis

I enjoyed absolutely everything about the book: its story, characters, writing. The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt is a story about a family in a little town in the South of the US. The action takes place both in modern times and in the year 1929. The writing is amazing! I’ve collected several pages of quotes! The characters are very realistic, multilayered and alive. If you like literary and historical fiction, and family stories, you will definitely like this book.

The book will be published only in July 2019. I feel bad for making you excited about the book that you can’t get right now. I will, of course, remind you about the book closer to the publication date, when I post my full review of it. If you are not sure you’ll be reading blogs then, maybe it’s a good idea to pre-order the book now.

2. No Motive by Daphne du Maurier

No Motive is a short story from The Rendezvous and Other Stories collection. I picked it up when I was looking for something really good after a book that had disappointed me. I expected No Motive to be a decent well-written story, but du Maurier, again, did much better than that. I really don’t know how she managed to pick up a shocking idea, to knit it, thread by thread, into a perfect story, and to create not only a gripping plot but a logical and clear ending.

Here’s how the story begins:

Mary Farren went into the gun room one morning about half-past eleven, took her husband’s revolver and loaded it, then she shot herself.

Marry Farren was happy. She was expecting a baby, loved her husband, and no people who talked to her that day suspected that anything that horrible could happen. Why did it happen? Read the story to find out

3. The Familiars by Stacey Halls

I expected to be annoyed by the situations in the story, and indeed I was. That doesn’t mean, though, that the book is bad. On the contrary, it means, the book is very good.

It’s a story about Fleetwood, a 17-year-old wife of a noble person living in the year 1692. She’s going through her new pregnancy, she miscarried all the times before. Fleetwood has reasons to worry that either she or her baby, or both of them, won’t survive the childbirth. She’s desperate to give an heir to her husband. She meets Alice, a girl who knows a lot about herbs that can help, and so now there’s a hope that Fleetwood and her baby will live. Unfortunately, a friend of the family found a way to climb up a political ladder by inventing an enemy for the kingdom (as you can see these tactics are as old as the history itself). This time the enemies are witches, i.e. any clever, peculiar or just uncomfortable women. That’s when the story starts to unfold.

I found the story very gripping. I couldn’t put it down and hated when anything was distracting me from the book. If you are looking for an interesting, historical story about women doing their best to survive in a society that treats them like cattle (it’s my personal interpretation), you will like this book.

The Familiars will be published soon, there are only two months to go. You can pre-order the book now. I will remind you about the book when I post my full review of it (so subscribe to the blog, if you are not subscribed yet).

The books I’m currently reading

1. The first novel about Patrick Melrose, called Never Mind

When I first started reading the novel I was really impressed by its humour and writing. Soon I realised it wasn’t that funny at all. In a witty and cynical way the book describes the lives of several aristocratic and very dysfunctional couples, while Patrick Melrose is still a kid. There are all kinds of abuse and violence going on between family members and friends. It’s not there to merely attract attention to the book. The events that are described, are indispensable for the plot and the characters. Never Mind a very well-written book for those who can stand reading about violence for the sake of a story.

2. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

I was attracted by the description of the book. It’s a story about a blue-skinned woman (and such people really existed!) who’s traveling to distant places with her library, trying to spread the power of books while facing and fighting prejudices. It’s still too early to say something certain about the book, but I’m starting to suspect that I will dislike some aspects of it. I will know for sure by the end of the month so I will tell you if my suspicions were correct.

This is also “a book from the future”. It will be released in May 2019 but you can pre-order it now. The full review will also be published in spring.

3. Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagán

Theoretically, this book isn’t my type. It’s a chick lit genre, a genre that focuses on a woman manoeuvring through everyday life situations that include troubles with men, children or girlfriends. Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties is about Maggie, an average woman who’s facing quite usual struggles of a not so young anymore person. Her husband left her as a result of his own midlife crisis. Her children are grown-ups and have their own lives and interests. She’s fifty-three, but the last time she felt happy or noticed was when she was in her thirties.

I would have never picked this book up, had it been not for the style of writing. From the first pages I’ve been able to hear a true voice of a real person, and it’s interesting to simply listen to her. There’s a lot of self-irony, and even humour at times. Basically, I’m reading this book because I like Maggie’s personality. I’m not sure what I will eventually say about the book but so far it’s been a good companion.

The book I decided not to finish

It’s Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb. The book is shelved under mystery, gothic and thriller genres but these are not the book’s primary genres. In its core it’s chick lit and romance. There is a woman, betrayed by her husband, a tall handsome stranger with a deep voice, a newborn baby, and some love stories.

Was this book better written, I would have still carried on with it. Unfortunately, it’s not. For example, it has a bad case of “somehow” infestation. Here are a few examples:

…a voice she had never heard but somehow knew…

…she knew somehow that she would always be safe with it.

Somehow, he always knew.

…these small stones somehow carried the spirit of the lake…

… the harsh winter that surrounded the town but somehow didn’t penetrate it.

… her ghostly shape, somehow translucent and solid at the same time.

It feels dangerous, somehow.

It smelled of the past somehow.

I had both audio and digital version of the book. The audiobook is even worse than the actual book. The narrator smiles through the book, even when something boring or dreadful is happening.

Wendy Webb published many novels, which makes me think people need her books, so I’m just not the right reader for her stories.

That’s how my December is going. I’m off to compose a list of noteworthy books that I’ve read this year, so come back soon!

PS: Do you like the forest photo at the top? It’s mine . I took it years ago. The one at the top of the post about books I read in November is also mine.

Many people adore Bitter Orange. I won’t say that the adoration is undeserved. I just won’t be one of those people. I did like this book but there were some moments that I liked less. Here’s more about the story.

Spoiler-free synopsis

An American purchases an old English mansion called Lyntons. He’s in the States so he hires two people via mail to assess the estate. One of these people is the protagonist called Frances, an expert on old bridges. Another one is a handsome man called Peter. Frances, Peter and Peter’s wife called Cara move to the mansion to explore the territory. We start discovering their histories, while their relationships develop.

Why Bitter Orange is a very good book

The writing

Sometimes you know the writing is going to be good from the first lines already. That’s how it is with Bitter Orange. It feels like listening to someone who is only slightly aware that you are there and who doesn’t care that you are. The voice is natural but enchanting, and it pulls you into the atmosphere straight away.

Lyntons. Just thinking the word raises the hairs on my arms like a cat that had seen a ghost.

Who wouldn’t want to rewrite their past, if it means it will change their future?

Psychology

The main gem of this book to me is how well it shows the psychological portraits of the characters. They are so multilayered and deep, their behaviour can be analysed and explained as if they were real people. Frances’s inner world is conveyed so well, it’s possible to understand (almost) all her actions, and it’s possible to predict some of the things she would reveal about herself only later in the book.

Four shop people spoke to me with a good morning or a thank you as they handed over my items or change. I like to count these things. More than seven was a good day.

My problem with Bitter Orange

The personalities themselves

I found Frances too spineless. I know this is a story and she just played her role for the book, but I would have loved her to fight harder. As for Peter, I quite despised him for some actions and decisions he made. I find him immoral. I can sympathise with Cara’s state but it’s the same sympathy I would have for a rabid animal. I understand these people. I understand what made them the way they are, but this does not make me like them.

In fact, in order to distract myself from them, I thought more about the barely ever mentioned American who purchased the estate. He just hired a couple of professionals to have a look at his property and what did he get as a result?

The storyline

In the beginning of the book, the story is delivered via inconsequent waves of memories. The effect is perfectly created, but it’s hard to follow what’s going on. Also, the plot doesn’t really progress anywhere for the most part of the book.

The aftertaste

I like some light at the end of bookish tunnels, or ideas so deep they would justify the lack of light. I found neither in this book.

Final thoughts

This is a very good book if you are looking for something dark and atmospheric that explores human mind and relationships.

I’ll soon show you an absolutely stunning book I got. So come back soon, subscribe or just remember where to find me.

I’m starting to suspect that some level of implausibility is expected in thrillers in the same way as dragons and elves are expected in fantasy.

The Stranger Diaries is not a bad thriller. It’s gripping, fast-paced and it’s a very easy read. It took me just a few hours to finish the book. My eyes were gliding through the book. I wasn’t bored once and I even managed to like a couple of characters and to chuckle a couple of times. That alone means that the book is a proper read for a few hours to kill.

The story is about students, teachers and their families. Someone of them is a murderer.

I found it hard to believe, though, that two main characters managed to miss major spheres of each other’s lives. Their friends and even random strangers who accidentally walked into their rooms discovered the secrets within minutes and yet these two family members living under the same roof did never notice such things.

The Stranger Diary is described as “contemporary gothic” and it’s not really untrue. It’s just that contemporary in this book goes one way while the gothic part goes the other. The gothic floats in contemporary like oil in water. They do not mix or match. There’s a modern family story, there’s a gothic family story. They do not cross. If you try really hard you can find a few threads to bind them together just for the sake of justifying the existence of the gothic part in the plot. If you pull them apart you will have two fully formed unconnected stories. Up to the shocking point that one of them is squeezed whole at a very unexpected moment of the other.

My other, very likely overly subjective, reason to be confused with the story is that its characters’ names often start with the same letter. Try to distinguish between them when you have a dozen of others to keep an eye on: Holland, Henry Hamilton, Herbert. One of them is a dog. At one point the protagonist talked about two of them. It took me some time to remember who of them was the dog.

A few other implausible moments happen when a character contradicts his own behaviour. At first he protects something and just a few pages later launches to destroy it with no reason for the change. One mystery is solved because apparently nobody has ever looked at a historical artefact close enough, but now a teenager did so and the answer is suddenly found. A character gets shocked at an “unacademic” word “creepy” but then says something as unacademic as “soonish”. (That “soonish” made my Kindle come too close to be disposed through the window).

Thus, although The Stranger Diary is entertaining, fast-paced and gratifyingly easy to read, these details soured my experience. I’m giving the book 3.5 stars, but I can imagine that many people will like it more than that. 

I’m thanking the publishers for the copy that I received in exchanged for my honest and unbiased opinion.