So much is said in so few pages in this poignant and quiet story of courage. Set in 1980s Ireland where the Catholic Church plays an important and powerful role, the story tells of a hardworking coal merchant and his family in a small town just days before Christmas. His encounter with something disturbing in a local convent led him to dig into his conscience..asks himself some moral questions as he reflects on his present and past. From the ⬇️

Oh my, what a bunch of liars. Everyone is a suspect. Any one of the unlikeable, and shallow characters could have done it. 🔪 But that‘s not the flaw of the book. Some parts felt dragged on, and I‘m not a fan of the writing style. But the chapters are short and I had to know who the killer was. Sad to say, the reveal felt flat. It‘s a shame, as it ruins the ride. Makes a fun beach read though.

What a treat. I enjoyed spending my time with the Stevens family for a relaxing seaside holiday in Bognor Regis. It‘s refreshing to read about this close-knit, lower middle class family‘s enjoyment of simple pleasures; their emotions and thoughts; and quiet struggles. It may lack in plot, but there‘s beauty in the writing which is subtle, leisurely, and perceptive. And this cover! 😍Wish I own a physical copy.

“The criminal doesn‘t escape‘”.… “He has to live with himself. He‘s caught there in that lonely place.”

Very good read. I was hooked from the beginning. Compelling narrative, brilliant characterisations, and great descriptions of the settings - I could almost picture the beaches and the diners..not forgetting the fog! Being in the head of Dix Steele can be exhausting, unnerving,..but a fabulous character study.

This is a fictionalised account of a real murder; and with John Boyne‘s skilful storytelling, it‘s superb. He brought so much empathy, humour, and excitement to the story. I was gripped by the tension, and found this utterly entertaining. Fans of John Boyne, do not miss this.

#AuthorAMonth

My, what a wonderful #bookmail ! 😍
This must be the package from you @BarbaraBB 😊

A narrative poem about a Black family which takes place in 2020, the year of pandemic, loss of jobs, death of G Floyd… I listened to this, narrated by the author and then by a cast of narrators. Jason Reynolds is so creative and talented. I‘ll love to see the hard copy as it‘s collaborated with artist Jason Griffin.

The setting is Paris 1950s. A place where writers and artists converged in cafes and bars. This book brings together narratives of four people, one of which is the heroine herself. Through their narratives, we are immersed in the Parisian atmosphere. There‘re constant references to streets, boulevards, and buildings names, which can be tiresome, but maybe that‘s the purpose, to show the city itself is a character in the book. The writing..⬇️

#bookmail 💃🏻🕺 Now this looks like a book from @LeahBergen 😍🥰

I didn‘t enjoy this as much as The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel. The killer is revealed halfway through the book, and I got a bit bored thereafter, which are mostly flashbacks and why things happened. Good atmospheric writing. Interesting characters. The paranormal aspect was eerie enough but felt forced into the storyline. I‘m disappointed this didn‘t work for me.

Lovely timing..this book came in the post today. Who do I thank? 🥰

Impressive. So much intensity in this slim book that contains fragments of thoughts of a young Black British woman over a course of a day (or so). Loads of insights into Black British identity, class, and gender. Also makes you think about the lasting effects of colonialism for people of colour in Britain..(apparently the history of British Empire is not effectively taught in school curriculum today??) The writing style..⬇️

This book is Swanson‘s tribute to Agatha Christie and inspired by And Then There Were None. Nine strangers with seemingly no connection, are marked for death. And as the story goes on, each one is killed. There‘s little about the investigation, instead the focus is on the thoughts and doings of the characters. I have no problem keeping track of the various POVs, the mystery kept me reading. ⬇️

An engaging coming-of-age story of a queer Asian American girl growing up in 1950s San Francisco. A girl who loves reading about space, dreams of rocket ships. A girl who discovers her sexuality and is fascinated with the lesbian culture she encounters, once she frequents a lesbian bar. The book touches on xenophobia, and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments during the time, also on the McCarthy‘s Anti-Communist hysteria. I was more interested in the glimpses⬇️

I enjoyed some parts of the book, but in the end, a so-so read.

What works for me: rich cultural diversity; family support; reading and drawing helps to overcome loneliness; hopeful.

What doesn‘t work for me: whiny main character; stiff dialogues; writing feels clunky and childish.

#MiddleGradeMarch #MiddleGradeMarchThroughTime

This book has an important story to tell about learning to accept your body, stand up for yourself, & the negative impact of body shaming to anyone of all ages. But it‘s quite depressing to read- in addition to being made fun of in school & in public, Ellie is verbally abused by her mother. The father, who is supportive of Ellie now, never admonish his wife for bullying their daughter? Also the novel-in-verse format wasn‘t nicely poetic. ⬇️

Beautiful words and illustrations to honour a strong, courageous, and heroic woman. I learnt that Harriet Tubman, in her lifetime, played many different roles, was known by different names. Lesa Cline-Ransome ingeniously tells Harriet‘s story backwards, in context of each role she held. A wonderful introduction to this amazing historical figure.

I adored ‘Finding Langston‘ and looked up more books by the collaboration between Lesa Cline-Ransome and husband James. I know of the Underground Railroad but not Overground Railroad. This children‘s book tells of a family‘s journey north during the Great Migration. Like many others who were exploited by the sharecropping system, they escaped for a better life in the north. Gorgeous illustrations.

I love this beautiful story about young Langston. He has difficulty in adapting to his new life in Chicago, gets bullied in school, feels lonely in the crowded city, & misses Alabama very much, especially his mother, whom has just passed away. By chance, he stumbles upon the library, where he finds solace in books & poetry, discovers black writers-among them, a poet with whom he shares the same name.#MiddleGradeMarch #MiddleGradeMarchThroughTime

Mei is a 13-yr-old Chinese American girl who helps out her father, a cook, at a logging camp. Inspired by the tales of Paul Bunyan, she reimagines them as the Legends of Auntie Po, sort of a guardian figure of the loggers, and tells these made up stories to entertain the workers and to help cope with the difficulties she faces. This is a sweet story about friendship, tradition, and the power of ⬇️

#MiddleGradeMarch #MiddleGradeMarchThroughTime

I really enjoyed my first Margery Sharp book. Like the rest of the #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub members, I find this to be a very pleasant read. Quiet and satisfying. Full of wit and shows a keen eye for human nature. Now which of her book should I read next?

I find this a good attempt on the subject of loneliness in its many aspects. In between telling her own story in words and images, Radtke jumps in and out with some history and results of scientific studies. There‘re loads of information, some powerful like the fascinating but disturbing Harlow‘s experiments, but generally it feels lack of cohesion; it reads like scattered thoughts. Interesting read, though.

This is a little book with a simple but beautiful story about reconnecting with oneself. I could look at Joanna Consejo‘s moving illustrations over and over again, they fill the pages with quiet progress. A good reminder to slow down in our lives and ‘stop and smell the roses‘.

“But sometimes he felt as if the world around him were flat, as if he were moving across a smooth page in a math book that was covered in evenly spaced squares..”

“If someone could look down on us from above, they‘d see that the world is full of people running about in a hurry, sweating and very tired, and their lost souls.”

This is an interesting collection of comics about book lovers & their bookishness; also about writing. Many are amusing & entertaining, some I can relate to. The ones about the Pig Latin, Stages of a Reader & Murakami Bingo are gems. Fun read, but I reckon you‘ll enjoy it better if you read a few pieces a day & not binge read it in one sitting..I think they‘re great on their own but lacks ‘the flow‘ when read as a collection.

Sweet book, some amusing poems. Wished there‘s more of Pooh in it. My favourites are the Christopher-and-Pooh poems.

#ChildrensClassicRead2022

‘Navigate Your Stars‘ is a reminder & inspiration to younger audiences that life is about hard work & resolve.The author reflects on her family, especially her grandmother, understanding now how she had misunderstood their choices in life. She now knows & appreciates how they did the best they could with what they had under circumstances. “Hold on to your dream tightly,” she advises, “and do everything to realize it within reason.”

A collection of ten short stories, about students walking home from the same school one day. These loosely connected stories offer glimpses of the students‘ lives..we learn of their secrets, the reasons for what they do (or don‘t do). The stories are reflective and inspire empathy, touching on themes like friendship, divorce, illness, bullying, fear, etc. I love the subtle ways these stories are connected, ⬇️

This is a slow burn mystery, with a predictable plot and a melodramatic ending. In spite of these, I was thoroughly absorbed. I enjoyed the writing which evokes a great sense of place and time; the dialogues; the study of characters, sometimes comical; and the prose are gracefully crafted. And as his previous novel, Snow, it is nuanced with some politics; violence; hypocrisy and corruptions of certain elite quarters.

Wet afternoons are great for curling up with a book indoors, I was enjoying a few poems from the tagged book. Loving the original illustrations by E.H. Shepard.

“Wherever I am, there‘s alway Pooh,
There‘s always Pooh and Me.”

I love Pooh 💛

#ChildrensClassicRead2022

I thought this to be a very honest semi-autobiographical look at a young boy coming to terms with his sexuality while spending a summer at a boy scout camp. Warning, this book contains bullying - homophobia, racial, and body-shaming; abusive parent; suicidal intention; sexual identity. It‘s heartfelt, powerful, hopeful, and accompanied by great illustrations that worked well. Recommend!
#MiddleGradeMarch #MiddleGradeMarchThroughTime

Cece Bell‘s life changed drastically when at 4 years old, meningitis left her hearing severely impaired. In this graphic novel memoir, she shares how she felt during her elementary school years, how she embraced her differences. She chose not to learn to sign, and had to wear a big hearing aid to school, making her feel embarrassed and worried at first, but soon learnt it became her ‘superpower‘.

Here are the ones I‘ll be reading for #MiddleGradeMarch #MiddleGradeMarchThroughTime . I won‘t be able to read all of them but it‘s good to know I have these to pick from. The timeline is from early 19th century to present day. I may or may not swap some of these with others, as I‘m a mood reader. 👌

I enjoyed this charming story, makes such a comfort read. I like Polly, who is a spirited and sensible girl, and the character development of the others are heartwarming. Glad to have read this for #ChildrensClassicRead2022

For those who are interested, here are some of Haruki Murakami‘s t-shirts featured in the tagged book. His most treasured one is the yellow ‘Toni Takitani‘ shirt. He bought it in a thrift shop in Maui and asked himself “What kind of a person could Toni Takitani be?” And he ended up writing a short story with Toni as the protagonist, which later was made into a film.

‘They Went Home‘, the first poem in this collection, is autobiographical, like many of Angelou‘s poems. Short but full of hurt 😞.

Murakami has a massive collection of t-shirts- from marathons he has run, publishers, thrift stores. But he doesn‘t wear a lot of them, they just ‘accidentally‘ piled up. In these essays he shares with us how he came to own them, the memories behind them. These were first featured in a fashion magazine, the narrative style seems casual and random. It‘s a quick listen during one of my walks, entertaining enough, and great for Murakami fans.

I have been dipping in and out of this collection of poems, some written in slangs (I have to look them up), some like song lyrics…they are tough. They‘re poems about passionate love and loss, riots, wars, ..generally they talk about the lives of the Black people in America. So much pain and anguish. ‘They Went Home‘, ‘No No No No‘, ‘My Guilt‘, ‘Harlem Hopscotch‘ are powerful.

#AuthorAMonth

Here‘s my current reading situation. 👆

I‘ve been bad and neglected my reading. Amidst the busyness of life, I‘ve also been watching ‘The After Party‘, dubbed ‘the millennial whodunnit‘ - fun, though!

Have a good week ahead! 💖

This is wonderful to listen to, especially so it‘s narrated by the author. A collection of 12 poems, some moving, all wise words. ‘A Brave and Startling Truth‘ and ‘Mother, A Cradle to Hold Me‘ are my favourites.
#AuthorAMonth

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark spin of a fairy tale. It‘s suspenseful, with a good mix of scary and mystery, and a nice plot twist! It also pays homage to the power of storytelling. Perfect for young horror-fantasy readers (I‘ll say age 11 and up) or fans of Neil Gaiman. Makes a good choice for #MiddleGradeMarch or a Halloween read. I watched the Netflix adaptation trailer, looks good.

I read this on pdf version but saw this copy aimed at introducing Shakespeare to children. The blurb says “A story of friendship and how it can overcome all odds…Even though their friendship is tested, they deal with their problems and come out better than ever on the other side.”

Pfft! I didn‘t like these 2 ‘gentlemen‘; luckily there‘s Launce and Crab. Overall it was entertaining and amusing, wished for a different ending though.

On second time, this reads more like a psychological novel. An unforgettable story of revenge, destructive love, and disagreeable characters, especially Heathcliff with his all-consuming obsession, is a memorable, complex character. And the setting..it‘s everything, giving a haunting feeling and sense of foreboding. I also appreciate the way the story was told. It‘s full of drama, intense emotions, and shocking at the same time.

“Keep a smile on your face. Keep a spring in your step.”
Joel Osteen

Have a good weekend everyone!

#ThinkPositiveBePositive

I‘ve found a little gem in Dorothy B Hughes. Walter Mosley sums it nicely in the afterword, “Her novels are carefully crafted pieces, ahead of their time in their use of psychological suspense and their piercing observations about class and race.”
I think this is such a well done piece of noir fiction. Atmospheric writing, told with a great sense of dread, it held my attention to the very end. Recommend!

This book is whimsical. It reminds us why we read, and the power of reading. It‘s also a nice story about the young protagonist‘s coming to terms with grief, and finding courage and friendship in his life. An enjoyable light fantasy read, maybe aimed at younger adult readers. I only wished the references made were not entirely from the ‘western canon‘.

Such a perplexing read, yet it held my interest every time I picked it up, almost read like a thriller especially the 2nd half. This deceptively straightforward story about the strange mother-son-relationship is unsettling. As it‘s narrated by someone from afar, many things are told from the narrator‘s conjectures..rendering us not ever knowing what did really happen.
#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub

I don‘t quite like the story of the naughty Pinocchio, who always make bad choices, gets into trouble but lucky enough to get out of it & be forgiven. He never learnt his lessons, in the end, he got what he wished for because he was ‘rewarded for his good heart‘. That‘s just the surface of the story, obviously it has some moral lessons for children; and it‘s said Collodi wrote it as a social commentary.
#ChildrensClassicRead2022

I‘m a fan of Keigo Higashino and this latest in the ‘Detective Galileo‘ series did not disappoint. Yukawa, the sleuthing physicist and friend of Chief Insp Kusanagi once again stepped in to help the police solve a seemingly impossible murder. Although not a character driven story, it‘s still a gripping ‘how-dun-it‘.