Tag: reading

Book Blog, Penguin U.K. Books

ARC Review : The Wardrobe Mistress

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Book Title : The Wardrobe Mistress
Book Author : Patrick McGrath
My Rating : ⭐️⭐️/5
Expected Publication Date : September 7th, 2017

My first book by this author, Patrick McGrath.

A historical set in London and its theater, during the 1940’s, we follow our protagonist, Joan whose husband, Gricey, just died and she was over-engulfed in grief. After certain events, she discovered a secret and realized her husband is not the person who she thought he was.

With such a beautiful cover, I really wanted to love this book. Badly!

I found the first chapters as readable as could be. I was interested in Joan, her relationships with her daughter plus the husband, and quite a few characters being introduced in the book.

I kept on reading on the hope that things will eventually make sense, but Alas! I was almost halfway through the book till new things started to happen and it wasn’t as interesting as I thought it would be. The author have prolonged the grief part a bit too much and everything else was just vaguely described.

For a historical, there wasn’t much talk about the war or the events. For a theater-based book, there wasn’t much description about it either.

I believe those who are passionate about the theater might (I still say might!) find it more interesting than those who don’t. I personally have never been to a theater before and wasn’t able to imagine or connect to it throughout the book and actually found it a bit dull.

I wouldn’t really recommend the book as I didn’t really get anything out of it.

 

Thanks to @penguinUkbooks for this book, which was given in an exchange for an honest review.

 

 

Book Title : The Wardrobe Mistress
Book Author : Patrick McGrath
My Rating : ⭐️⭐️/5
Expected Publication Date : September 7th, 2017

My first book by this author, Patrick McGrath.

A historical set in London and its theater, during the 1940’s, we follow our protagonist, Joan whose husband, Gricey, just died and she was over-engulfed in grief. After certain events, she discovered a secret and realized her husband is not the person who she thought he was.

With such a beautiful cover, I really wanted to love this book. Badly!

I found the first chapters as readable as could be. I was interested in Joan, her relationships with her daughter plus the husband, and quite a few characters being introduced in the book.

I kept on reading on the hope that things will eventually make sense, but Alas! I was almost halfway through the book till new things started to happen and it wasn’t as interesting as I thought it would be. The author have prolonged the grief part a bit too much and everything else was just vaguely described.

For a historical, there wasn’t much talk about the war or the events. For a theater-based book, there wasn’t much description about it either.

I believe those who are passionate about the theater might (I still say might!) find it more interesting than those who don’t. I personally have never been to a theater before and wasn’t able to imagine or connect to it throughout the book and actually found it a bit dull.

I wouldn’t really recommend the book as I didn’t really get anything out of it.

 

Thanks to @penguinUkbooks for this book, which was given in an exchange for an honest review.

 

Book Blog, Other Reviews

Book Review : Half of A Yellow Sun

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Book Title : Half of A Yellow Sun
Book Author : Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Publication Date : September 12th 2006

 

There’s no argument that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of the best authors out there, in my opinion, with her exceptionally flawless writing and narrative style. Having loved and praised Americanah, I had to check out her other books and somehow I found myself group reading Half of a Yellow Sun.

A Historical fiction that is recounted with the point of view of three people, each chapter by one of them. Ugwu, the houseboy who works for a university Professor. Olanna, The professor’s mistress and Richard, and Englishman who’s in love with Olanna’s twin sister. We follow those three and other characters, back and forth, between the early 60’s and late 60’s, with events leading up to the Nigeria-Biafra war.

I can’t help but give a standing ovation to how the book, chapter and parts where structured. It was absolutely clever and I believe no one, but Adichie, can pull it off that easily and effortlessly. I was able to follow the plotline without any difficulty and was immensely enjoying it.

Another standing ovation for how brilliantly, a subject that may be kind of a bore to me, was expertly relayed thus had me hanging and interested in every word. I’m not a big fan of political or war related books but Adichie’s style makes it hard not to get absorbed in it.

But…

It’s quite a shame that for some reason, I cannot connect or fall in love with any of Adichie’s characters. I haven’t liked any in Americanaah and the same with Half of a Yellow Sun. They sounded flat and devoid of any characteristic-ish flavor. I wasn’t able to sympathize or root for any of them. I especially hated Olanna as it was confusing on how Adichie wanted to portray her. She wasn’t weak but she wasn’t strong either. Maybe, just maybe I could have liked her twin sister whom I felt was the most real of any of the characters.

As real as the writing is, and as the events, her characters are not. That was why I could not have given this a full five stars.

I would recommend the book though. It was worth the read but not worth the hype.

Book Blog

Book Review: Into The Water

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Book Title: Into The Water

Book Author: Paula Hawkins

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Publication Date: May 2nd 2017

Though I did enjoy, The Girl on the Train, I was still surprised by the major popularity it gained. Heck, it was even made into a movie which I also thought was fairly well.

So I decided to pick up Paula Hawkin’s second book Into the water and give her another chance. I would start by saying I was not impressed at all.

I know it became a trend that books have POVs, and alternating between the past and present but I believe not all books could pull it through. Some work and some don’t. This one obviously didn’t.

And the main reason why?

There were just way too many characters – most with their own POVs. If that’s not enough for you, add in snippets of the past which I thought some were truly unnecessary and adds or explains nothing to the plot.

I didn’t find it easy to get into the book once I started reading. I had to reread the first chapters more than once then gradually started to get impatient and didn’t really care to reveal “the mystery” behind all the events and to expose each character’s secret.

Overall, in my opinion, it wasn’t an intense read. It wasn’t as gripping and you won’t find me recommending it to any thriller fans.

Book Blog, Other Reviews

Book Review : The Kind Worth Killing

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Book Title: The Kind Worth Killing

Book Author: Peter Swanson

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Publication Date:  February 3rd 2015

This book is for sure The Kind Worth Reading. A psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of whatever it is you are currently sitting on!

Two strangers meet at the airport and decided to play a truth-telling game. After a few drinks, it becomes a plot of a murder which is a necessary one since its decided that the world needs less of such people – which people? You need to pick it up and read it to find out!

This is a highly addictive read and truly a page turner. I enjoyed it immensely and was actually rooting for the killers to get away with it. It was also so full of twists and suspense that I was just taken away with and not able to put down.

I gave this a four stars because as much as amazing it was (it really was!), it did have a minor “but” which I think most could overlook. There were some repeated narrations/chapters which I thought was unnecessary and just added pages to the book. Again, four stars because there are also some elements in the book which I didn’t really like and hoped it was different.

Overall, I would totally recommend this book without hesitation, and I’m just about dying to discuss it with someone right now!

ARC Review, Book Blog, Penguin U.K. Books

ARC Review : Exit West

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Book Title: Exit West

Book Author: Mohsin Hamid

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Publication Date: March 7th 2017

This was my first Mohsin Hamid book so I had no idea what to expect. It wasn’t so difficult to get into the mood of the book or get connected with the characters. They were simple enough, first names basis, easy going and didn’t say much. Though I’m not sure whether this was the character’s mood or the books but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
The book follows two people, Saeed and Nadia, who met and fell in love. Shortly after, they had to leave their homeland behind because of the war and they find themselves entering a door that lead to an alien and uncertain place.

I liked the idea of the book. I took it mostly as metaphorical especially when it comes to the places they go to, the people they met and the new place they have found and assumed it would be their sanctuary.

But, here comes the but, as much I liked it, there were some parts that have been a bit slow for me. I also felt the need to be more connected to the characters, it was left up to our imagination most of the time as to what they are thinking which could work for some readers.

All in all, it was a good read but get ready to have a very open mind as you will have to grasp what you can and have your own interpretations of the book.

I’d first love to thank Penguin UK books @penguinukbooks for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.