I found myself in awe at this novel, devouring it at lunch time, on the tube, at night. Ms. Winn tells a heart-breaking love story during a terrible period of history, devastating and horrifying. I loved that she doesn‘t shy away from the horrors of war, its absurdity, the profound loss of life on all sides, its last line all the more haunting. Gaunt and Ellwood shine as characters: brilliant, in love, flawed, and so human. Hauntingly beautiful!

How this book broke my heart! How poetic its writing is and how the enduring love of Isaiah and Samuel shines on every page! Mr Jones Jr manages to create a vivid world, a non-linear timeline full of pain and brutality, but in which love also permeates all existence. It‘s an absolutely brilliant book - Tony Morisson and James Baldwin (Mr Jones‘s literary heroes) would be proud. Exquisite and profound, it still haunts me.

This is one hell of a autobiography that feels honest and deprecating, no glitter thrown around to hide the darkness beyond. I also appreciated the different points of view on the same issue/ story/ event inserted here and there. There‘s an honesty and rawness of the account - it‘s gripping and engaging. At times, it reads like a novel. The only thing that I‘d add is that sometimes it feels a bit curated. But I highly recommend it. 📚

Currently reading this book and it‘s very hard not to get angry, be horrified or disgusted by the treatment of women throughout the history of medicine. It is such a compelling book and so engaging.

I almost didn‘t buy this book and oh boy, what a loss it would have been. Poignant, evocative, wise, and sharing things about well-renowned places, or on the contrary bringing to light new places, this book is a meaningful exploration of human impact on environment. But it is also a wonderful exploration of nature‘s resilience and resistance. What a treat this book has been!

Oh how I love this series and how sad I am it ends here. Although “Ravensong” remains my favourite, I think this is pretty close to first spot too. What I enjoyed so much about this final story is that it‘s not just about Carter and his road to auto-discovery; it‘s also a story about found family, about the sins of the past and how they infect the present if left festering, about redemption. But ultimately, it‘s all about love, so much love.📚

Sweet and heart warming, this is the perfect read for a sunny Sunday. I enjoyed Albert‘s journey from an anxious man with little left in his life to enjoy to a man that has the courage to put himself out there, enjoy the little joys of life and above all, recognise some hard truths about himself. But underneath it all, there‘s also a story of hiding oneself, of never living one‘s life because of fear, judgement and repercussions.

How can the sequel be even better than the first book? I don‘t know, but the entire mythology of this story is becoming increasingly enthralling, a captivating journey I wished it never ended. Furthermore, all four main characters are compelling in their own way and I, for one, love a particular side-story. 😉There‘s just so much love for books, story-telling and writing within this book, I‘d read a dozen more sequels. 📚Can‘t wait for book three!

One of my three TBR piles. I honestly don‘t know when I will get the time to read them all but I hope I can make a dent in them really soon. 🤓

There are no words to do justice to this memoir. Part autobiography, part a wonderful tribute to the LGBTQ+ community and the men lost to AIDS, this is ultimately the story of an incredible woman, whose kindness and compassion I‘m sure had a huge impact on all those who met her. I can‘t possibly tell how many times I cried, laughed,or got angry. I can only bow to Ms. Coker Burks, applaud her for her resilience and go back to re-read her story.

All the stars for this book - it made me laugh, cry, and go all mellow inside. It‘s an enthralling story about life, how love can change us for the better and how courage resides in all of us. I don‘t know what kind of magic TJ Klune sets in motion, but it makes the story charming and so real, despite how unlikely it may seem. Perhaps it starts a little slow but it builds up like any self-respecting hero journey does. Lovely indeed!

The final part of the Gilead tetralogy and I‘ll miss it terribly. The gentleness with which Ms. Robinson unwraps Jack‘s inner world (perhaps too philosophical at times, but fascinating nonetheless) had me enthralled. At the heart of it, it‘s a love story, the way two people fundamentally different manage to find and love each other. But it‘s also about rich inner lives, consequences and the very essence of our human nature. A lovely read!

A haunting but excellent novel on injustice and racism, inspired by real life events. There is a constant sense of doom throughout the novel and, sometimes, it‘s the fate of the secondary characters that hit the hardest. Best summed up by this quote from the novel: “This was one place, but if there was one, there were hundreds, hundreds of Nickels and White Houses scattered across the land like pain factories”.

A beautiful and interesting depiction of Socrates the man, not just the philosopher. It traces, through the few documented scraps of history we have about him, the origins and the journey that actually transformed him into the emblematic figure that he is today. What is most important is the way love (not just the romantic kind) played a key role in his life. A fascinating read!

A book of poems that came to me at the right time. 🤓 I am not always good at reading poetry, but Ms. Kaur‘s poems came from a familiar place for me and that was more than enough to grasp their meaning and language.

Wow, what an experience this book was! A powerful journey from start to finish. Mrs. Eger talks openly not only about her terrible experinces during the war and her imprisonment at Auschwitz, but also about how much she struggled afterwards and how she used her experience and expertise in helping other people. I genuinely feel like I learned a lot reading this book and I can only thank Mrs. Eger for sharing her life and her wisdom with us. ⬇️

Both a thriller and a thorough investigation, this book is a terrifying account of what rich and powerful men can get away with, of a system that rewards their appalling behaviour and mutes indefinitely their victims. Yet for all the exposed Weinsteins and the Lauers of the world, there‘re so many others that continue to ruin lives unchecked. All my respect goes to the brave women that fought hard and to Mr. Farrow for giving them a voice.

This book offered a wonderful ending to an incredible tetralogy. The characters are flawed and colourful, the plot thickens constantly, there are a lot of cliffhangers and stunnning moments. But it is also a haunting rendering of the ruin and life-altering terror of the Franco regime, a raw and unflinching depiction of human-made horrors while the uplifting moments of kidness and loyalty offer some relief in between.

Finally starting on this behemoth. 👀 It‘s been a while since I got lost within the Cemetery of Forgotten Books so I look forward to this. Though I think this tome would have benefited from being split into two volumes - it‘s a bit difficult trying to find a comfortable reading position; but I won‘t complain if it gives me a respite from all the worrying and the anxiety of these past few weeks.

This book left me breathless with its gut-wrenching depiction of a reality far too many are familiar with. I can‘t possibly describe how much Jojo‘s story touched me, how much Pop‘s story made me cry, how the poetry of Ms. Ward‘s prose is unbearably beautiful. It is a heartbreaking book about the deep wounds of the past and the history that we carry with us and that shapes us. It‘s definitely one of my favourite reads this year.

I‘ll be honest: I‘ll be haunted for years to come by this raw oral history of this terrible event. The depth of these people‘s suffering, the horrible consequences of what they went through, the love, the recriminations, the pain. I cried so many times. Their raw and unflinching testimonials are painful in their sincerity. By interviewing them, Ms. Alexievich manages to never fall into trivial thus giving voice to those that needed one the most.

Five women go on a corporate retreat but only four return. What I liked about it was the nice blend between the present and the past as the truth slowly unravels. It is also carefully plotted so as to keep the reader involved constantly in the story. And while I found the ending a little bit predictable, it was just as entertaining as “The Dry”.

These are my TBR books for this month. But I will count myself happy if I finish these because my work has gone crazy for the past month. Also, I see some people reading even thirty books in one month. 👀 How do you guys do it? Share the secret, please. 🙂 Anyway, I‘ll start with “Force of nature” - I‘ve completely forgotten I actually had this book. 😅🤓

There are few biographies these days that are as honest and raw as this one. JVN doesn‘t shy away from the difficult aspects of his life and the trauma that he went through, while also taking responsibility for his choices. But he also shows what it means to work hard and fight for your dreams while also underlining the difference between public and private persona. Throughout all, he remains a beacon of hope, a source of sunshine and happiness.

Mr. Preston was part of an expedition to find a “lost city” in Honduras in 2015. This book deals with the unbelievable, often daunting realities of modern archeology. He doesn‘t shy away from the politics and the controversies surrounding it, the impact the expedition had on his health and on other members of his team. It‘s a fascinating hystorical analysis of the area and the terrible impact of disease over entire civilisations. A great read.

In 1989 Mark and Wally take the HIV test that comes back positive for Wally. This stunning memoir deals with their last year together. It‘s a poetic and heartbreaking tribute to Wally, to their love. But it‘s also a gut-wrenching analysis of what it means to gradually lose a loved one, the emotional toil of it, the terrible realities of loss, while the AIDS crisis rages on in the background. And yet love and hope always shine through the lines.

Nine experienced hikers disappear in 1959 in the Ural Mountains and they‘re later found dead in inexplicable circumstances. Mr. Eichar paints a clear and thoroughly researched picture of that time, bringing back to memory those young people that perished in such a mysterious and awful way. Not only that, but he doesn‘t fall into sensationalism, ultimately suggesting a scientific explanation that makes sense, while also disapproving other theories.

My current read because if I read an article about a mysterious happening on the internet then I want to know everything about that. 👀 Also, this is a very interesting book and it looks thoroughly researched so far. Though Tricky doesn‘t seem so interested in it by the way he fell asleep on my feet. 🤓

I found this novel bland, made of disjointed parts that can‘t seem to harmonise in any way. I don‘t know but it left me wanting (not in a good way). I found the first 100 pages dreadfully dull, the writing stilted. It picked up a little in the 2nd part (sadly, the only part that actually intrigued me) but it didn‘t improve much. Whether as a sequel for CMBYN or as a stand-alone, this novel doesn‘t impress much. Quite close to a pan for me. 📚

Is anyone else struggling with this book or is it just me? 😞 I‘m fifty pages in and it‘s a struggle, not necessarily because I had any expectations regarding it (I try to avoid this every time I read a sequel). It‘s mostly the writing - I find it so stilled and dry. I just can‘t seem to get into the story.

Inspired by true events, the doomed Franklin expedition searching for a Northwest passage, the book manages to perfectly combine the awful reality of those men with a terrifying supernatural element that enhances the sense of doom and terror throughout the story. Though it could use some heavy editing (there‘re some really problematic aspects, not just length-wise), it keeps an alert pace and the pages fly by. It‘s a gutwrenching & haunting story.

Wow, this book!! So good! This is an absolute gorgeous feat of imagination, with great and wonderful characters (my love will always belong to all of them, but especially to Zachary). It manages to create original stories, unbelievable places, the Harbour, and everything in between. It‘s been a while since I couldn‘t put down a book and this was brilliant. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Maybe I should go and read it again. 📚

Only apparently simple, this book is absolutely stunning in its contained prose, its evocative nature, its unabashed rawness. Mr. Besson manages to tell a coming of age story with tenderness - a story that ultimately manages to become so much more with its devastating conclusion. It will continue to haunt me for a while.

Perfect cosy Sunday afternoon. 🤓 Also, I betrayed my tea cup with hot chocolate (a new recipe) but I can‘t find it in me to feel sorry one bit. 😊 Also, the book is really great so far, I can almost hear Jonathan‘s voice narrating it.

When you hear about a book and you think that you should read it but then you realize that the pile on the nightstand has literally tripled. 👀 But I‘ll probably start on “The Terror” as I heard some nice things about it. 🤓 and then go through this pile while ignoring the other pile much larger on my TBR shelf. 😂

Meh. Maybe Ms. King approached too many important themes or I was too annoyed by both MCs, but this book falls flat on too many levels. The narrative is interesting at the beginning and kept me curious. For a while at least. But then the MC‘s naivety about the world, dangerous for the people around him, becomes annoying. There‘s no solace in other characters either and the climax falls flat. A story that could have been more but just couldn‘t.

So well written but completely shocking and devastating. The total disregard for human life, the devastation that affected Osage generations to come, the extent of people‘s greed... I think there could be ten investigations done and still they‘d only scratch the surface of this tragedy. A compelling read indeed.

An exquisitely written book! Toibin‘s writing is at its best here. Such vividness in its scenes, such poetry in the narrative thread. It‘s absolutely beautifully written, painting the portrait of a man that never lived. “He needed then to watch life [...]” - this quote sums him up. James kept everyone at a distance. Missed chances to take a risk, to live life - what a waste it seems to me! And his treatment of women.... ugh. Still, a great read.

Don‘t ask me why I‘m reading a book about Henry James, whose work I never liked (though I read most of it) but I‘m doing it. As always, Mr. Toibin‘s writing is fascinating. I wonder how much of the real Henry James he managed to capture because what I‘ve been reading so far makes me ask some serious questions.

This book came on top of my TBR pile 📚 for this month. I‘m currently reading it. I‘ve seen so many great reviews about this book that I couldn‘t resist buying my own copy. So far, it‘s really entertaining. Plus, I love the documentary style. It‘s an original approach. 🤓

What a delightful book! Though I‘m not much of a fan of the epistolary novels, this one managed to captivate me from the very beginning with its charming characters and its obvious love for books. But at its heart, it‘s a story of pure humanity and how sometimes the smallest acts of kindness make the greatest of impact. And I think more than anything, it is Elizabeth‘s story that will stay with me. A great read! 📚

As a fan of “True Detective”, I jumped at the opportunity to read this, but honestly, I wasn‘t impressed. The structure of the book actually falls flat, the suspense of the plot unraveling too early. While I did appreciate the anti-hero approach, the dark lives of the marginalised and the sheer cruel indifference of society as a whole, there are parts that made me feel like the author was trying too hard to create that gritty world. 📚

When the books have finally started taking over every nook and cranny of our house. Even above other small bookshelves filled to the brim. Luckily, there are always small orchids and scented candles to keep them in check. 📚📚

Discovered thanks to #Litsy, this novel made me read it in one sitting with its melodious and meticulous writing, despite the terrible things that happen throughout the story. It‘s a good depiction of a harsh reality, but also a quiet and gutwrenching study of what it meant to be a woman during those times. Despite a very improbable ending and several narrative choices (which annoyed me), this is a hard to put down book.📚

My cold returned with a vengence. 🤧 Could it be because of too much icecream? Is there such a thing like too much icecream? 😉 Anyway, curling up with this book, which has been sitting on my TBR list for too long. 🤓

Aww, this is so heartwarming. I‘ve been following this comic for a while but I needed to have the printed version as well. I really love it. 💜

Unsurprisingly, this novella broke my heart. A bit melodramatic at the beginning, the story quickly evolves into the tragedy of difficult choices, of sefishness and true love, and ultimately, of the terrible realities that some people carry with them for the rest of their lives. I also liked the way the main focus is on the three women and how they deal with and perceive the return of the soldier.

Nope. Nuh-uh. Don‘t think so. Maybe it‘s because I read “Middlesex” first (and that‘s a great book), but apart from the evocative writing, this book‘s been a disappointment. So nope, this one gets a pan.📚

The story is all right. Ms. Paver manages to build up the terror quite well in a world full of otherwise well-known elements: foreboding signs, emotional repression, typical era-attitudes (including racism), upper-class superiority and so on. The problem is this book is pretty similar to ‘Dark Matter‘ to the point that it feels like reading the same story in a different setting. Nonetheless, an easy read for a Saturday afternoon.

I told myself I‘d buy one, I ended up with six. 👀 Wellll, let‘s not go there. 😂 Currently reading “The Gilded Wolves” - its magic realism seems enchanting at the moment but I read only thirty pages while on the tube. So we‘ll see. 🤓