Blurb: Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, unknown to each other, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman and will live in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle, raising children who will be sent abroad to be educated before returning to the Gold Coast to serve as administrators of the empire. Esi, imprisoned beneath Effia in the Castle's women's dungeon and then shipped off on a boat bound for America, will be sold into slavery.
Stretching from the wars of Ghana to slavery and the Civil War in America, from the coal mines in the American South to the Great Migration to twentieth-century Harlem, Yaa Gyasi's novel moves through histories and geographies.
This book didn't feel like fiction at all, it felt like I was reading biographies of different people. I had to keep reminding myself it wasn't .
Homegoing talks about the slave trade in a way rarely seen and the story telling is so perfect that I found myself reliving an escursion I once embarked to the slave dungeons.
It spuns on centuries over centuries telling stories of different characters and their generations giving it a feel of a book made up of of short stories
This book would have received a 5 star from me since it's about my home country but I give it a four because the characters became too many and I had to go back to see which character was which and getting to the end it got boring. But you can't take this fact away: this book is a must-read for all you fans of African Literature and Literary Fiction.
My Synopsis.
Imagine This: You broke up with your long-term boyfriend a few weeks before Christmas. Because deep down, no matter how perfect your sister who hooked you two up thinks he is, no matter how perfect your parents think he is, no matter how perfect YOU think he is, you know he's not the one for you.
Then a leather-wearing, jean-clad, biker walks into your life. He teaches you a lot about life—living in the moment, pursuing your dreams—that he feels so right than the boyfriend you've spent the longest time with. Even though, he tells you nothing. You know nothing about him. You let him into your life, your apartment, give him access to way more than your heart.
Then he dies.
You're in so much shock you can't believe he's gone. But what if, really, he isn't? What's the explanation for the bike that keeps following you around, the threatening mails you've been receiving? And why do the police and your family not believe that someone's on your tail?
My Review.
I liked this book. Good storyline. The blurb, a summary of all the above. Just reeled me in. A star to the storyline—★
Relatable characters. The characters in this title are the kind you'll find next-door, in your circle of friends, in you even.—★★
There's also the suspense. The questions you keep asking yourself about the strange Danny. Why is he hiding things, what's going on here?—★★★
And as always, Zoe Miller's good writing. Something about it. She makes the abstract take on the body of concrete. How she's so good at explaining emotions, personifying them, making them take the shape of people themselves! Another of the features of her writing that keeps me coming back.—★★★★
But sadly, my praises for this title ends here. I liked it. But it wasn't as good as he previous titles. A Husband's Confession and a Question of Betrayal. I just wanted so much more. Enough to make me forget how great her other unforgettable titles were.
I recommend this novel to fans of women's fiction with mystery elements. If you also want something with characters that are so true-to-life, pick this.
Claudia's Review
"We can't do whatever we want. There are ways we have to act. There are things we have to say. But we can think whatever we want. Thoughts are the only reality. It's true. I'm sure of it now. Thoughts are never faked or bluffed."—★
How does one describe a book like this? It's frustratingly confusing in a good way. If there was a what-the- hell-did-I-just-read genre, this book will fit perfectly. This is one of the shortest novels you'll ever read yet one that will stay on your mind the longest, no wonder there is a whole website dedicated to discussing it. (I did a bit of stal—ahem, 'research' on this) Might be the year's most outstanding Bookclub Fiction—★★
I'm Thinking Of Ending Things tells a story of a man and his girlfriend who go on a road trip to visit his weird parents. Most of the story centers around the road trip and the use of flashback was employed to give readers information about the characters. The whole story was told in first person-narrative so brilliant that you felt the main character was sitting across from you.—★★★
In between chapters, there were two nameless people having a conversation about someone who commited suicide.—★★★★
I give this book a five star because it had good writing style, unnervingly perfect story line and a cover that made you want to drop everything and read it (talk about judging a book by its cover).
I never read a book twice but this is a book I'll read over and over again if it will help me understand the ending. Recovery, what I needed after reading this piece of awesome literature!
My Synopsis
Imagine This: You're the author of true-crime novels, and a lawyer. Every case you take on, a convicted murder is released from jail. This makes the public, as the police force, very antsy about you stepping up to lawyer a convicted serial killer who specializes in women-of-size.
The thing about this serial killer is he's suave, as most of them are. He's also handsome. Very handsome. So handsome he can get away with anything.
You have firm belief if there's anyone he could use his handsomeness on, it wouldn't be you. You are so immune to his charms. But of course, you have no idea what Hamish Wolfe is capable of.
Maggie Rose's brush with a serial killer
with his own fan club summarized for your delight.
My Review.
OK! I love, love this novel! Great storyline! On the cover of the book there's a note: 'In her ninth mesmerizing Thriller, Sharon Bolton shines a light on the world of convicted killers—and the women who adore them.' How fascinating! A star to the storyline.—★
You'd love Maggie Rose, the female lawyer talked about in my synopsis. She's amazing! I almost wanted not to like her from the beginning, because Sharon Bolton wrote the book in third-person and it is really rare for me to enjoy a book in third-person, but from her blue hair, her unusual fashion sense, her perpetual coldness, what was not to like?—★★
Other characters who also acted as main characters and got their point-of-views are Hamish (which auto-correct adventurously spells 'HAMPSHIRE') Wolfe, the serial killer who's very unnervingly good-looking and charming. And Pete Weston, the detective who hates Hamish with passion and may have a thing for Maggie. I really took a liking to Pete because he was not a recurrence of the cliche running around in thrillers as detectives with their equally cliche 'past demons' to contend with.—★★★
This book is suspenseful! So! Leaps from the start! Find yourself vested in the world of fast-talking lawyers, tricky serial killers, their crazy fan clubs and suspicious detectives!—★★★★
Giving this book five stars because of the twist in the end. But it's nowhere as good as Sharon Bolton's previous Little Black Lies.
Daisy in Chains is available on Amazon.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants a Psychological Thriller based on fascinating subjects (cold serial killers and their fan clubs). If you also need something to keep you awake, you should get this too.
My Synopsis
Imagine This: There's an opening of a new lido in your suburban neighborhood. And it's the place to be this summer. You have always loved to swim. But there's your 13year old daughter who wouldn't want to be anywhere near the pool.
You'll do anything to make her deal with her phobia. But as a teacher, you've made plans this year—with an unshakable resolve—to live this summer like a normal citizen! So you go to the pool, partly with a hidden agenda in mind:
To see Lara Channing, the woman who single-handedly recommissioned the lido for the neighborhood.
A little brush with Lara Channing, neighborhood celebrity, and you're spending more time with her gatsby-like crowd, drinking, toasting and partying your summer away. By and by you're getting estranged from your husband who doesn't want you to hang out with Lara. But who cares? There's something about Lara that you can't just opt out of. And not surprisingly, Lara, the schemer that she is, has something under her belt of tricks for you.
Before the summer is over, you'll regret ever knowing Lara Channing.
My Review.
As always, I love Louise Candlish's storylines! She puts the 'Domestic' into the Domestic Thriller by writing about suburban neighbourhoods in which disasters have happened and one character has suddenly fallen from all-high grace, to all-low scandals. In this story played around the opening of a new lidobin a neighborhood, you wouldn't be able to have enough! A star to the storyline!—★
Her writing! I would always keep saying this! And sadly, only my Desperate Housewives junkies would get this reference! Imagine Mary Alice Young narrating a tragedy that had happened in Wisteria Lane with her intonation and her use of 'You see...', 'I remember...', 'I should have known...' depicting how irreversible the situation was...? That's how Candlish writes! You'll find your inner Mary Alice Young reading along with you! Extreme pleasur(e)! A star! Plus you know this sort of writing can only create suspense and too much of it! So two stars for Candlish here—★★★
The characters in this novel! I spent my nights dreaming about them. What will happen next? I should have probably woken up and quenched my curiousity. But I'm sure if I did, I wouldn't be able to get enough of intriguing Lara Channing! And her sultry tones! In Candlish's novels there's always that character that sticks and is mostly the neighbourhood queen bee, but how she manages to make new characters out of this stereotype, who are actually different and all the more intoxicating... it must take such excellence to pull this off!—★★★★
Now my praises end here. Because while I feel this book is a must-read... it hurts me to think I can't give it five stars because I feel Candlish's previous title (The Sudden Departure of the Frasers) which I urge you all to read too, is better than this! Of course, had I not read her previous title, I would have given this a five star!
So my rating: 4.5 stars.
Find The Swimming Pool on Amazon.
I recommend it to anyone who still craves a Desperate Housewives binge. Anyone who wants a Thriller about suburbia life they can and must relate to should also go get this! A perfect summer read!
*Claudia's reviews are tailored for you US fans (with distinct tastes in fiction) for books sold in your territories*
Crazy.....crazy....crazy....that's what this book made me.I had such an unusual emotional connection to this book. So that when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it,when I wasn't thinking about it, I was dreaming about it.
This book gave me nightmares to the point that I was convinced I had psychological problems. To all the books out there so believable it puts your sanity on the line—★
Crow girl tells a story of a detective (Jeanette Kihlberg)who joins forces with a psychologist (Sofia Zetterlund) to solve the unexplained rampant murders of illegal immigrant children. Brilliant Storyline—★★
This book spirals mainly between the perspectives of Jeanette, Sofia, an unknown psychopath and a character who identifies herself as crowgirl. I guess it was for books like this that the term plot twist was coined because there is going to be a huge one that will make you question everything you've read.—★★★
Crow girl also touches on the subject of child abuse and its gory details probably making it the most disturbing book you'll read this year. Don't you just love a Thriller with a cause!—★★★★
This is probably the easiest 5 star I have given and I would have given it more if
I could because this book was everything-it had a little bit of murder, mystery, romance and tons and tons of thrilling darkness.—★★★★★
Crow Girl available for purchase at Amazon. Just go get it you fans of unsettling books!
My Synopsis
Imagine This: Your girlfriend took a business trip. Then She never returned.
You're distraught. You're wondering why she's not even answering your calls!
But then news pop up, pop up, pop up. And you explode. Your girlfriend. The one you've spent your days planning your future together. The one who's been waiting for you to get that big break. The one your friends no more of than you did. Did she leave? Or was she taken?
Your search for her leads you to a cruise ship, trudging through parties, fun and lots of unanswered questions that keep you up late at night when everyone is asleep. And murder.
Adam's distressful life summarized for your delight.
My Review.
You'd love this storyline! Great premise! A Thriller set on a cruise ship! You'll never look at cruise ships the same way again!—★
The writing is very easy to read. Flows. Adam's point-of-view, first-person, is a great way for you to relate to him, understand his plight, root for him. Cat Ryan Howard has made reading about male leads, enjoyable! A star to Adam—★★
The extra characters: Sarah, the mysterious girlfriend who you'd keep flipping the front-cover to take a look of and worry if Adam is just on a goose-chase for someone who isn't worth it. Rose, the annoying best friend to Sarah, who can be such a bitch you wonder why Adam keeps talking to her. There's Moorsey, Adam's patient friend who's been by his side, since, well, they were young. A star to these characters—★★★
Suspense! Every chapter drops a bomb. Bomb so huge you would keep gasping at the opening pages. This Thriller is never a slow burner! Fast from start!—★★★★
My only problem with this thriller will be the villain (—I didn't say the killer, mind you). I wish he was fleshed out more. His point-of-view and his motivation, and all the people in his life, his mum, his dad. I wished they were done more work on. I love my villains.
Otherwise, this book was a great something to keep you up at night if you want to be late for work the next day. And that last, final OMG moment! Almost gave this book four stars.
My rating: 4.5 stars.
Distress Signals is available on Amazon.
I recommend it to you if you love your thrillers taking off from the first page and leaving you with shocks, after shocks, after shocks, till you exclaim, God, this book is fucking not good for my heart!
