Everybody, Always - by Bob Goff: Book Review

Title: Everybody, Always. Becoming Love in a world full of setbacks and difficult people
Author: Bob Goff
No. Pages: 240
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publishing Date: 17 April 2018
Format: Kindle

Bob Goff's second book follows the theme of his first: Love. Love everybody, no matter their background, their story, just show love. 

I have to say that the ways in which he shows love are sometimes extreme and not always applicable to everyone's everyday life. While his enthusiasm is through the roof (he does admit that espresso drinks him to wake up) and the stories he shares are engaging, I don't see how this effervescence can be maintained constantly.

The book is made up of twenty something chapters, all following the same pattern: a story told in an amusing way followed by a practical/ devotional-esque aspect for our daily life. It's a standard form and if I remember correctly, it's the same as his first book's. I didn't think it was possible to say the same thing in so many chapters. The idea is simple: love people. I am not sure we needed a new book to tell us that, and it is repetitive after a few chapters. This might be somewhat tiresome to see, but if you read it sporadically, not in one sitting, it works fine. I enjoy this kind of essay writing for when I am short on time to sit and read, but I still get to read a book in the free moments.

Someone mentioned the crazy things he gets to do, like buying a house almost on a whim, hopping on a plane to Uganda, flying a plane to the Lodge, or doing other extraordinary things. All these are not what the majority of people get to do on a daily basis. Although they create a sort of social and economic gap between the author and the reader, and I was surprised by this when I read Love Does too, they don't prevent you from putting into practice the main idea: love people the best way you can. Another thing I have to agree on with another reader is that he sure talks a lot about him and his people. I don't know how this could have been presented by mixing the personal stories, the practical aspect, and more Jesus. I think the book does lack more mentioning of Jesus.

The book is a nice read, the tone if friendly and engaging, there are some witty parts, and the last few chapters about Charlie are the best in my opinion, so give this a try. For the Christian reader, used to this kind of books, maybe it will not contain much new information, but it's Bob Goff, you kind of want to know what other crazy things he's done.

I received a free e-book copy of the book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Us Against You - by Fredrik Backman: Book Review

Title: Us Against You. A novel

Author: Fredrik Backman

No. pages: 448

Publisher: Atria Books | Simon & Schuster

Publishing Date: 5.06.2018

Format: Kindle

Unlike Beartown, in Us Against You there are more tears and people are more emotional. At the same time, people are crueler and the atmosphere is more charged. The novel felt heavy and I kept wondering if it could get any worse. It could and it did. The turn the events took made me gasp quite a number of times, it made me stop and reread, but it definitely made me turn one more page.

It was interesting to see how some of the characters I met in Beartown evolved. A few new ones are introduced, and one character in particular is so bad, it adds to the gut-wrenching feeling. To do this, however, he uses a politician, and for this political aspect I did not care too mcuh. In the end, it didn't influence the novel very much, except make it longer and winding. Some characters were introduced too late to fully get to know and like/dislike them, and some characters were just plain extra (see: Teemu and Vidar). I did like how he created tension by presenting the two teams, the Beartown hockey team (the greens) and the Hed hockey team (the reds) as enemies; you see the lows and the highs of the human nature as a result. I also liked how he presented the obvious "bad" characters from different perspectives to see how easy it is to judge, and they aren't as bad as you're tempted to think.

Unlike Beartown, Us Against You seemed at times unlikely. Not every action the characters engaged in had authenticity, and I am sure people don't usually speak like that, but in the cold Beartown people are so different that you let this slide. Speaking of the town, it's so unlike any city or town I have read about. Even compared with Hed, the other town in the novel, it seems very different and out of place.

The shorter chapters are so full with emotion (and I don't like this cheesy word, nor cheesy emotions) and dripping with feeling, that you can't close this book untouched. Of course, you have to give the writing style some time. I see how Fredrik Backman's writing may not appeal to every reader, but once you see how he uses language smoothly and apparently effortlessly to draw you in, you can't help but applaud him. There are moments when you expect the plot to go in a certain way, but he shifts it and it takes a different direction. 

I must say, though, I am not sure I want there to be a #3. (Although of course I will read it!) The story dragged a little bit in this novel, and if I think about it, not much was actually going on. There isn't really a happy ending, but better times for some of the characters are hinted at. Maybe Beartown is made to be tough, but without being a winner and champion. I am afraid that another book in the series will be just a commercial one, without the depth Beartown had. Comparing Beartown and Us Against You, the first one is much better. It was good to see how the characters recovered from/dealt with what happened in the first book, but we don't need to see them more than we already did, despite the unfinished feel the second book has. Also, the moments where the author has to make a paranthesis to help everyone catch up with the characters and events in the first book are annoying. 

For fans of Fredrik Backman, yes, you must read this. It does add a new layer to the story, albeit not a crucial one. I hope this is it with Beartown; we know the people and the town, but farewell. I like the author's writing better in stand alone novels. Harsh? Maybe, but I like to think I'm a picky reader.

4.5*

I received an e-book copy of the novel from Ariele Fredman, Assistant Director of Publicity at Atria Books | Simon & Schuster. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Sociable - by Rebecca Harrington: Book Review

Title: Sociable
Author: Rebecca Harrington
No. pages: 256
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Release Date: 27.03.2018
Format: Kindle

I don't understand why the hatred towards this book: it's shallow because these are the characters acting in it. This is the youth of the 21st century. I think I can be a bit harsh with the characters of this novel because I, too, am a 20 something living in a world of hastag everying, LOL when you have a straight face, constant social media checking, the desire to appear deep and profound, but in reality being too shallow for our own good, and with a question mark at the end of a statement (which btw is more than I could handle in this novel.)  So, it is a novel focusing on millennials. No better definition of the word than this select group of characters.

"Funny" is not the word I'd use to describe this book. Sure, there were some moments. However, what sums up this  book is cringy. The focus on appearance, the failure to be of any substance, the obsession with one fix idea one has - it's too much at times. And yet, I couldn't blame the author; this is who the young people are nowadays, in larger and larger numbers. 

I liked how the author at times addressed the reader directly. I wish she had done that more often. At some points it felt as if she kept the distance, and only sometimes came closer to the reader again. Those ocassions were when one of the characters (usually the main character, Elinor) did something worse than before. 

I didn't like any of the characters. Elinor lacked any tact and individuality. She is dependant and seemed to like to dwell in self-pity (she has a bad day every time we see her doing something, anything) and conformity, she is fake and selfish. She is like a child who expects a gold star for doing something that's expected of them; except she's an adult. Her ex-boyfriend, Mike, is beyond what words could describe: annoying, self-sufficient, self-absorbed. Mainly all the characters exist to benefit from the others, to gain something from their large network. The characters manage to drive you nuts!

It left a bitter taste this novel. It's an easy read, lacking substance as far as depth of character goes, but maybe this was the point - to show the shallowness which we as a world are heading towards. Despite the light tone, it's sad. I am sure anyone over 35 years old would not like this novel, and those younger would still need tolerance for it. Silly me actually thought there'd be a redeeming moment for Elinor. Nothing though. Nothing can redeem the world this novel shows. 

I received a free e-book copy of this novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

List of Characters (might contain spoilers)

Elinor Tomlinson - used to baby sit, gets a job at Journalism.ly. 26 y/o

Mike - her boyfriend, also a wanna-be writer

Pam - Mike's mother, a freelance writer for various publications

Sean - owner of Journalism.ly

J. W. Thurgood - an employer at Journalism.ly

Peter - writer at Journalism.ly

Sheila - Elinor's best friend. nurse

Ralph - Sheila's on-and-off boyfriend

Postcrossing Update

Here are the postcards I received since I last wrote an update on Postcrossing.

 from Taiwan. isn't it pretty?

from Turkey. I love postcards of paintings.

I also sent a couple of postcards:

 

to USA

 

to Russia

I have two postcards traveling, one to Taiwan, one to Germany.

As I may have mentioned last time, I had a goal to reach 100 postcards sent. This finally happened this week. The 100th postcard was to USA, the one pictured above.

Now I have to work to reach 150.

Postcrossing & Postcards

It's been a long time since I last posted an update on the postcards I received and sent via Postcrossing. I haven't been very active over the last six months (or year?), but a few weeks ago I remembered my 101 in 1001 project. Of all the goals I have come up with for that project, reading is the only one that I have been serious about. Besides reading, I think sending mail is my favourite, so one of the goals I set was to send 100 postcards. I am short of three postcards, and I'll be able to cross another goal off the list. 

Here are the last five postcards I received and I have a photo of. I've decided to take a photo of every postcard I send and received in order to upload it on the site from now on. Makes me feel more organised and serious about the whole affair.

 I love this postcard!

 And here are some I sent:

In May I spent  two days in Cluj-Napoca and I stayed overnight at a cousin and her husband's home. She is an avid postcrosser. She was kind to give me a lot, and I mean a.lot.! of postcards. This may have contributed to rekindling my love for sending postcards. 

A few weeks back, I got a surprise email. Of course, initially I thought it was spam because I am calm and never jump to conclusions. (that is sarcasm, btw, if you didn't catch it). The sender, Ana, the community manager at Postcrossing, congratulated me for winning third place on the latest giveaway. That means ten free postcards from Natuurlijkefoto. I get excited for everything free, but to have won a giveaway made me even more excited. Today I got the postcards in the mail. It came as a lovely surprise because I completely forgot about it. It's been a full and stressful month this July, and it's not even over yet. But, the postcards: 

 

 This is the "extra" postcard letting me know I won. Isn't it pretty that little birdie whose species I don't know?

 

 

 

And that's my update on Postcrossing. I think I should pick a postcard and send it on its way, and have the last three postcards traveling together towards the fulfillment of my goal.

Aww, doesn't that sound poetic and cheesy? 

PS. Excuse the lack of quality these pictures of postcards have. Winning a Pulitzer for photography is not a goal of mine.

If the Creek Don't Rise - by Leah Weiss: Book Review

Title: If the Creeks Don't Rise

Author: Leah Weiss

No. Pages: 320

Publishing Date: 8.08.2017

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Format: Kindle

I liked this book. I 5 stars liked this book. However, it left me with the feeling that there was missing something. It starts with Sadie Blue, it ends with Sadie Blue, but between the first and the last page there is a host of other characters I was curious about. The writing is good, the information given about each character makes you interested in them, it makes you want to know more about them - but you don't. That's what left me with the feeling of something missing - what happens to the rest of the characters?

The language, more specifically the characters' dialect, gave a special flavor to the characters and the story. There were many things I didn't know about Appalachia of the 1970s that I discovered while reading. It did read in some parts like a "lesson" for the reader, but it's something I can overlook. 

What made me furrow my brow was the way the speech seemed to transform towards the second part. The novel is told from different points of view, which I always like because it gives different perspectives on the same events. Most characters speaking are poor and uneducated, and you're made to believe, that they will speak like such people. And so is the language at first. In the second part, though, the speech becomes a bit more polished. I know it sounds as if poor and uneducated people can't be coherent and eloquent, and that's not my intention. However, while reading I sensed a gradual progress from simplistic language to well articulated thoughts. 

As I said, I enjoyed this novel very much. It made me curious for more novels set in the South, be them classics or contemporary novels. I was impressed that this was the author's debut novel, and even more impressed that she was brave to go after her dream a bit later in life. I will read more from this author, and I hope there is a sequel to this novel. I do want to know more about the other characters!

GoodReads Blurb 

In a North Carolina mountain town filled with moonshine and rotten husbands, Sadie Blue is only the latest girl to face a dead-end future at the mercy of a dangerous drunk. She’s been married to Roy Tupkin for fifteen days, and she knows now that she should have listened to the folks who said he was trouble. But when a stranger sweeps in and knocks the world off-kilter for everyone in town, Sadie begins to think there might be more to life than being Roy’s wife.

As stark and magnificent as Appalachia itself, If the Creek Don’t Rise is a bold and beautifully layered debut about a dusty, desperate town finding the inner strength it needs to outrun its demons. The folks of Baines Creek will take you deep into the mountains with heart, honesty, and homegrown grit.

I received a free e-book copy from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Impossible Views of the World - by Lucy Ives: Book Review

Title: Impossible Views of the World

Author: Lucy Ives

No. Pages: 304

Publisher: Penguin Press

Publishing Date: 1.08.2017

Format: Kindle

 

This novel sure is witty, but it didn't feel like a neurotic humor, nor did I find it dazzling, and I certainly did not find Paul's secret "unbearable".

I did like the lost-at-thirty-years-old thing Stella had going on there. Made her more humane, and that was necessary because all her pretentious words made her seem all put together and snob-ish in the beginning. She reveals more about her life and you get to know her better. I still have a curiosity and this thought popped into my head a few times while reading - what exactly was her job at the museum? And speaking of those bombastic words, there were a lot. Sure, I read to learn new words, but it's too much when on the same page there is at least one word that I have to look up. Maybe it's just because English is my second language, but this sure was an impediment. However, the witty part about this novel was this exact speech - she is funny, sometimes deep, you chuckle at some parts, and that works in her favor.

The plot, minimal as it was, is centered around a museum, and that immediately creates the perfect background for mystery and secrets. I had a hard time keeping up with all the bits of information she came upon. I think this is because the novel was in the first person narrative, and every time she figured something out she expected us to have an aa-haaa! moment as well. Well, explain it to us, mere mortals with no PhD in art history. I still have this feeling that I missed something and now it's (obviously) too late to understand it all. And as I mentioned, I didn't find any secret as unbearable and shocking. I've read worse. Or better, depending how you look at it.

I liked the way she over-analyzed everything, I had no problem having patience for that. However, I didn't have any patience for her love life drama, but it was good that she had two major things going on in her life during the week the novel takes place in. A mother with whom she has a not loved based relationship; an emotionally distant father, but still present and helpful; two men she loves or not; a man who's dead and into whose life she decides to look into and then take it upon herself to discover his hidden things and side job; and a fourth man who thank goodness doesn't become her lover in the course of that week - yeah, it was a packed-full week; only in novels.

Surely this novel would appeal more to art lovers, to those with a knack for modern mysteries, and novels set in museums. I wish I liked this novel more, but I knew it wasn't something I enjoyed reading when I chose to watch TV instead, and I hardly every do that.

I received a free e-book copy of the novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

List of Characters:

Stella Krakus

Paul Coral - museum curator, gone missing, dead

Mary Carol Lynch - Stella's mother

Fredrick Lu - museum curator, Stella's ex-lover, colleague

Bonnie Mangold - museum employee, Stella's boss

Marco - museum employee

Whitaker Ghiscolmb - Stella's ex-husband

Nicola di Carboncino - museum director

Anything Is Possible - by Elizabeth Strout: Book Review

Title: Anything Is Possible

Author: Elizabeth Strout

No. Pages: 272

Publisher: Random House

Publishing Date: 25.04.2017

Format: Kindle

What I didn't like:
Every.single.character. was downright sad or pity-worthy. Even the characters who posed as happy or content were, actually, ridden by a deep issue. Not to mention, everybody in this novel has a mommy, daddy or sexual-nature issue. And it's just sad that all the poor people seem to have these problems. It felt a bit judgmental, but who am I to judge? Makes one have a lousy opinion about the human race. Just pick another human issue, goodness!
It left me with a bitter taste and in a funk, not in the mood to enjoy life, if that makes sense.
Clearly, I am not the target audience for this book. Also, I think it would have been better if this was written/ published before "My Name Is Lucy Barton".
 

What I liked: I wouldn't consider this a novel, but more like a short story collection, with one common thread: Lucy Barton. I've always liked books that are constructed that way.
I also thought that the book was written in a natural way, that is as if the author was telling the story of what happened. It also had a stream-of-consciousness feel about it, which was nice to see.
However, these are not things that redeemed this book.

It was not my cup of tea, thankyouverymuch. Maybe I would have appreciated it more were I in my middle-age stage of life?

Glad I didn't have to pay for this book since I received a free e-book copy from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

1*/5

Goodbye, Vitamin - by Rachel Khong: Book Review

Title: Goodbye, Vitamin

Author: Rachel Khong

No. Pages: 208

Release Date: 11.07.2017

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Format: Kindle

It starts with a light tone. It's written in a diary form, peppered with letter-entries from her Alzheimer ridden father's diary from when she was growing up. As it usually happens with epistolary novels, the entries get longer and reveal more and more. 

It's a natural progression, without any focus on deep feelings characters dwell on. What I found especially refreshing was that Ruth, the main character, did not take herself too seriously. The characters had their particularities, and this made them human and endearing.

Despite the initial light tone, there was the expected melancholy that was later seem in the notes Ruth made. She writes about the random and about the serious, about the quirky and about the deep things. The roles eventually reverse; she starts writing her father the things he did that day, just how he used to when she was little. The transition is bitter-sweet.

The novel is funny and insightful, with some moments that are so real they could only happen in real life. It's a novel of discovery and of letting go.

I received a free e-book copy of the novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

4*/5

Lockdown - by Laurie R. King: Book Review

Title: Lockdown. A novel of suspense

Author: Laurie R. King

No. Pages: 336

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine

Release Date: 13.06.2017

Format: Kindle

The novel is told from the point of view of different characters. They all have something they'd rather not tell about, and it makes you wonder who will be the one whose past mistakes brings the doom over Guadalupe Middle School. The novel kept me interested until the very last page. I was surprised to see that the author chose a rather sensitive subject to tackle, but it was well approached.

The shifting perspective from one character to another added to the dramatic effect and it showed the gaps in understanding between people. Their background story was something that added an extra flavor to the novel. It was nice to have the bird's eye view and see how prompted each character's actions.

One shortcoming of this novel was the list of characters. At first it was difficult to keep track of all the characters, and I sometimes confused them, especially the boys. However, because their perspective was presented more often I got them all figured out and it was no longer a problem. Another thing worth mentioning is that although the book blurb describes it as a day of confrontation and shocking turn of events, this takes up a smaller part than I was expecting. Only towards the last 15% percent of the book does the event occur. Up to that point, it is a gradual increase in tension. Yes, it is done well, but just a heads up that this is not the thing that covers a large section of the novel.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author had a grasp on teenagers' reactions. How they reacted and spoke read as something a teenager would. The connections between characters, and their maturity despite their age (the oldest was in 8th grade, the youngest in 6th grade) made it feel like the novel was about some high-schoolers.

All in all, though, this is probably one of the most original mystery and suspense novels I've read, mainly because of its topic. I enjoyed reading it very much.


I received a free e-book copy from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own. 

5*/5

The Little French Bistro - by Nina George: Book Review

Title: The Little French Bistro

Author: Nina George

No. Pages: 336

Format: mobi - Kindle

Publisher: Crown Publishing

Release Date: 13.06.2017

It's a poetic and funny novel, it reminds a little bit of Brit-Marie from the novel Brit-Marie was here. As most novels whose setting is the beach during the summer, it created a cozy feeling, with quirky characters whom you cannot help but endear. It's the kind of novel that presents the good characters clearly, making sure you see their goodness, and the bad characters truly bad, making sure you don't miss their nastiness. It presented love as the only important force in the universe, and you couldn't help but cheer for them. However, I do not remember the names and particularities of every characters, only the most important ones. At some point they seemed alike, and I'm referring to the women. Not a deal breaker, though. 

At some point there were some eyebrow-raising details, but because the story and the main character, Marianne, were presented so smoothly and as if everything happened naturally I let them pass. The novel starts in a somewhat gloomy way, but it doesn't stay that way for long. Some lines the characters have made me straight-up laugh, and I don't often laugh at a book. It's just that it took me by surprise, and it was a nice surprise.

I read Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop about two years ago. I enjoyed that novel, but The Little French Bistro I liked more. Maybe it's the setting and the summer vibes and the perfect timing when I read the novel - whatever it was, it was a perfect read at the right moment.

If you want to read a novel set in France, a novel that sends summer vibes with a touch of melancholy and even sadness, but with a good ending, pick up this novel. It is a novel with an eventually daring character and a perfectly dreamy setting.

I received a free e-book copy of the novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

5*/5

No Turning Back - by Tracy Buchanan: Book Review

Title: No Turning Back

Author: Tracy Buchanan 

Pages: 321

Format: Kindle

Genre: Mystery Fiction

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publishing Date: 13.06.2017

It was a slow start, but after 10% it picked up. I am not convinced of the premise of the book - to kill a child to protect yours. Some parts of the story, when it is described what is happening (view spoiler), are not very clear and I had to re-read them. I was curious to see whodunit, although at some point I guessed who one of the murderers was, albeit later than I expected (and have liked!) to guess who the murderer was.

Some parts seem impossible, and forced. Those police officers, poor souls, were highly incompetent. That kid was very smart for an eight month old, the people were stiff in their dialogues for the most part, and even the romantic relationship is not plausible and doesn't make you cheer for the characters. The setting by the sea was lovely, though.

However, for a mystery story, it was nice, I enjoyed it.

I received an advance e-book copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

3*/5

Secrets of Souther Girls - by Haley Harrigan: Book Review

Title: Secrets of Southern Girls

Author: Haley Harrigan

Publisher: Sourcebooks

No. Pages: 400

Release Date: 6.06.2017

Another beautiful, blond, smart, and innocent girl left a secret behind. Thank God she wrote a diary before she died, and we can read her diary entries to learn her bad, dark secret! Of course, three people feel guilty of her death, but they are not, shocker, guilty.

This is, in a nutshell, the novel. Despite my sarcastic tone above, I kept reading even when I hit the clichés of the novel. Reba, the dead girl, did nothing for me. I read her diary entries with curiosity, as I did the rest of the novel. I don't know if I will remember this book forever, but I was interested to learn what really happened. Probably the secret is to read it in big chunks at a time, to give yourself the chance to be drawn in.

Julie, the best friend, did not impress me. A character that after ten years cannot move on never impresses me. Most of the times it felt like she was moping around and being over-dramatic.
August was OK; he existed as a collateral victim, another mopey of the novel.
I agree with who said Toby, the cousin, was the best constructed character. I was fooled into not liking him in the beginning, but that changed when he became more substantial as the novel progressed. Despite his mopey-ness, I enjoyed reading the parts he was present it.

It's a nice read, although the plot doesn't seem original. Bits and pieces read in other novels in various forms. The author can write, that is certain. There were some parts I didn't expect, and all in all I enjoyed this book.

I received a free e-book copy of the book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Love Story - by Karen Kingsbury: Book Review

Title: Love Story

Series: The Baxter Family

Author: Karen Kingsbury

No. Pages: 368

Publisher: Howard Books

Publishing Date: 6.06.2017

Although the book's back-cover promises the story between John and Elizabeth Baxter, this only takes up a rather small part of the novel. Cole Paul, a grandson of the Baxter's has to write a heritage project for school, and this is what starts it all. This story line ramifies and other sub-plots are created. About four love stories are touched upon in this book, but not in depth. For those familiar with the Baxters and their friends, this is like a get-together. 

What takes a larger part of the novel is the story between Cody Coleman and Andi Ellison. I was a bit more interested in their story than in John and Elizabeth's.
Besides these two love stories, the novels touches on the lives of two other couples. One is Ashley and Landon Blake, one of the Baxter's daughters and her husband. Cole, the one writing the heritage project for school, is their oldest son. The other couple is Brandon and Bailey Paul, friends of the Baxter's. Bailey is Andi Ellison's best friend.

For those not familiar with the Baxters and their friends, it may seem overwhelming, what with all the character names. But take heart - they are all presented at the beginning of the book. I haven't read the other Baxter family books in the previous series, but I was given enough details throughout the novel to figure everything out. This novel can read as a stand alone, a good starting point for who wants to read the next books in the series. *raises hand*

It read surprisingly quick. It is a Christian novel, so keep that in mind. The focus is on the plot, mostly, not something necessarily deep in the sense of literature class. There was the potential for more depth (PTSD, out of wedlock talk, past mistakes and consequences), but all the characters seemed to be calm and accepting, and in the know. Maybe it's just me coming to this novel without a background on the characters.

What irked me at one point was all the tears. These characters have no trouble kissing their spouse/ significant other and showing emotion through tears. But I liked the strong relationship this gave the characters, especially the married couples. Another thing that I thought unnecessary were all the isolated sentences to draw attention on them, making sure you, the reader, understand that they are important. Let the sentences live in a paragraph.

One aspect that surprised me in a good way was the openness with which the author showed the characters' faith and their connection to God. It makes them more endearing. I even liked the way they hear from God, "as if He spoke audibly", but this has the potential to be misunderstood, especially for someone not used to the "Christian lingo".

For fans of Karen Kingsbury, this will be a sweet and darling read. For those who don't normally read this genre, nothing to lose. For those who like Christian book series, this is for you.

I received a free e-book copy from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

On Edge - by Andrea Petersen: Book Review

Title: On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety
Author: Andrea Petersen
No. pages: 320
Publisher: Crown
Publishing Date: May 16th 2017

As someone without a background in medicine or psychology, I'm pleased to report that it all makes sense for this unsophisticated reader. It didn't read like a scientific book, but like a story told by someone who knows about the personal and relational implications of anxiety. I especially liked the parts where the author told about her life.

I only felt slightly lost at the history parts in the beginning and during the "medication" chapter. But don't abandon this book because of this. However, she had my full attention when she mentioned researches and experiments. While I don't think I'll ever be able to remember much info to show off at a dinner party, the book helped me see anxiety from a different angle. It made me more sympathetic and aware that just like the word "depression", "anxiety" or "panic attack" shouldn't be loosely used. And shouldn't we all learn how to show more sympathy?

I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether they know someone dealing with anxiety or not. If it seems too hard to grasp in certain parts, persevere and do your fellow humans a favor and learn more about this mental affliction.

I received a free e-book copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Beartown - by Fredrik Backman: Book Review

Title: Beartown
Author: Fredrick Backman
No. Pages: 336
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: 25.04.2017

In a tiny community, obsessed with hockey or completely uninterested in it, things change in the course of a few weeks. As you read, you begin to care about hockey, too. Who knew? More than that, you begin to care about the people playing hockey, and about the people who have family members and friends playing hockey, and about all the characters in this novel, because you cannot possibly live in or read about Beartown and not care about hockey. It would be blasphemous.

It starts slowly, like a warm-up before a game. Soon the pace picks up and the focus is shifted from the hockey match that might save Beartown to the relationship between the characters. You cannot stay neutral, you can't help agreeing with each side, but you cannot pick sides. In a community you see everyone's point.

This novel is about many things: about hockey, clearly; but also about a parent's constant love and cheering on; about the friends you have when you are fifteen; about how some things can be overlooked in favor of a supreme good; about how easy it is to look the other side. This book is many things, but without impact on its readers it is not.

The author kept hinting to things that were to follow. Although the "action" was not fast-paced in the beginning, the author gives you a background on each character. Some pieces of information felt like they were repeated over and over again, but every time they led to a new route in the story. Every repetition and every word is aimed to draw attention to a specific aspect and to stress something you mustn't overlook. The author creates suspense, despite the above mentioned hinting. Just when you think you know what's about to happen or how the characters will react, with the swift of a word and the turn of a phrase, everything changes.

I cannot put into words how much I enjoyed reading this book. I can honestly say that Fredrik Backman is my (current) favorite fiction author. His writing gets better and better with each new book, and I can't wait for his next novel.

I was honored to received an advanced e-book galley from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

***
Beartown - List of Characters (contains spoilers!)
Peter Andersson- GM Beartown Hockey Club
Kira - lawyer, Peter's wife
Maya - their daughter
Anna - Maya's best friend
Leo - their son
Kevin Erdahl - the best hockey player, the star
Kevin's father - influential, has much money
Kevin's mother - successful career
Amat - player, poor background
Fatima - his mother, cleaner at the club
Sune - coach A-team
David - coach junior team
Benji - Benjamin Ovich - the heart of the team; Kevin's best friend
Alan Ovich - Benji's father, killed himself 15 year before
Adri - Benji's eldest sister, own kennels
Katia - Benji's sister, owns a bar, The Barn, in Hed
Gaby - Benji's sister, has two children
Jeanette - highschool teacher, friends with Adri
Bengt - coach boys' team
William Lyt - player junior team
Maggan Lyt - William's mother
Bobo - junior team, kind of a bully
Hog - his father, friends with Peter
Ann-Katrin - Bobo's mother, nurse
Ramona - owns Bearskin, the pub in Beartown
Holger - Ramona's deceased husband
Filip - player junior team
Filip's mom - friends with Maggan
junior hockey team: Kevin, Benji, Amat, William, Bobo, Filip.

Karolina's Twins - by Ronald H. Balson: Book Review

Title: Karolina's Twins

Author: Ronald H. Balson

Publishing Date: September 6th 2016

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Page No.: 320

This is another Holocaust book, but with a twist, at least for me. This is the third book in the Liam and Catherine series. I haven't read the previous two books, but we'll see if/when I'll read them.

Karolina's Twins starts without unnecessary preparation and jumps straight to the point, which I loved: Lena Woodward, a Holocaust survivor, wants to find two twins born to her best friend in 1943 in Poland, therefore she hires a lawyer - Catherine, and an investigator - Liam. This is the first story of the novel, the past story. In the present day, there is the plot concerning Lena and her son Arthur. There is also the family life of Liam and Catherine.

While the story Lena recounts about her life and the War years is heart-gripping, raw, and beautifully written and told, the case filed by Arthur against his mother Lena is too much: it's not credible and the only thing it managed to do was portray Arthur as a mean person. How are we to believe he's a good guy in the end when he suddenly drops the charges when he learns the truth Lena chose not to tell him? This abrupt change is hard to believe. I kept reminding myself that Arthur is 60+ years old, and not the helpless and reckless man he seems to be. His relationship with his mother is dry, artificial, and hardly believable. Speaking of artificial - so is Liam and Catherine's. I thought it a sweet idea to have a family team involved in solving a case, one a lawyer, one an investigator, but their relationship was credible only when they were talking about work. Their relationship as husband and wife is dry, they exchange stiff lines, Catherine has at some point a sudden outrage that was so unpredictable and over something so trivial it was weird, like I was part of a moment I shouldn't have witnessed. {There were also some allusions to events that happened in the other two books, and this is something that makes me not that interested in reading them. They fall in the unnecessary drama category.}

However. The book mostly focuses on Lena's story. The idea seems hardly believable, but it caught my interest and I was engaged till the end. As one character said: people did unexpected things during the War years, so I just rolled with the plot. As with many books before this, I blame myself for thinking ahead; right when the plot twist was about to be revealed, I guessed it, and the revealing came to confirm my guess. This didn't bother me, because this wasn't the point. I liked how Lena's story evolved, I empathized with her when she learned what she wanted, and regretted with her the missing years. She wasn't the depressed War survivor, and this gives the reader a good feeling when reading the book, not doom and gloom. It's not a surprise that her story is my favorite part of the novel. Probably this is the best part of the novel because it was aided by all the available resources on the War and Holocaust. The author did a good job knitting them together and putting forward a strong woman's story.

Anyone who likes to read historical novels about the World War II and about the Holocaust will enjoy Lena and Karolina's story, and will be willing to overlook the shortcomings of the rest of the novel.

I received a free e-book copy of this novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

One of the Few - by Jason Ladd: Book Review

Title: One of the Few. A Marine Fighter Pilot's Reconnaissance of the Christian Worldview
Author: Jason B. Ladd
Publisher: Boone Shepherd
Publishing Date: October 27th 2015
Page No.: 318

In the beginning, the author mentioned a remark made by one of his friends: "Your life is not that important to grant writing a book about." I read this book, and I agree with what the author said towards the end- every life is important enough to be worth writing abook about. This is all the more true when during the course of that life, the individual realizes their importance as a human created by God, made in His image, for His glory.

Jason B. Ladd is a Marine fighter pilot, so this book is packed-full with analogies and metaphors about the resemblance between a Christian's life and a Marine's. Prepare yourself for a lot of Marine talk and many capital letters words. I was unfamiliar with all of these, so it was a new thing I learned. However, at times it got overwhelming and I stopped trying to remember what all the words meant. I just accepted that they were relevant to the book. If you are familiar with the US Marine and other military structures in US, you're good. If you are not, don't give up, there are some good stuff in this book.

The book starts from the author's young years as a military kid, back when his family was stationed in Japan. The events of the book (although "events" is a bit much said, because events are not the focus of the book) are not chronological. However, the main idea of the book is Ladd's repentance and acceptance of God and Christianity. It is not (as I was tempted to think) an easy-breezy kind of book, where you learn about a man who decided to just accept God. This is about someone who researched God, who read a lot, inquired a lot, and then accepted that this God of the Christians is the only God. At times the book covers some hard topics, and deep theological issues. Reading this as a Christian should be no problem, but for someone who is not used to such aspects of faith it may be a bit challenging. Worth reading, though. 

One of the Few is divided into three main parts. The second and third part are the most "practical", if you will. They approach various daily life situations. This is great - it's like showing the basics to a new believer, or showing a non-believer what this Christian living is all about. As someone who's lived both lives, so to say, Ladd is not talking gibberish, he knows what being a Christian entails in the everyday life. It is encouraging to read it as a Christian, and thought-provoking as a seeking person who wants to learn more about God.

As I mentioned, this is a well researched book. It is clear he's read and studied a lot, and I liked all the references written down at the end of every chapter, not all added at the end of the book. They are useful for anyone who wants to learn more about a certain topic covered in a chapter. Although at times it may seem difficult to read because of the subject approached, it's something useful. I am glad and grateful I had the chance to read it.

3* - I liked it.

I was contacted by the author and offered a free e-book copy to read and review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

Pancakes in Paris - by Craig Carlson: Book Review

Title: Pancakes in Paris
Author: Craig Carlson
Publishing Date: September 6th 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Page No.: 320

I was surprised to see I didn't get bored while reading this book. I am not one interested in reading about people's businesses, about how they fulfilled their dreams and passions, and the process of all that. What drew me to this book was "pancakes". This is what set in motion the narrator's business idea, too: to open a classic American diner outside US, in Paris, France.

It sounds charming and exciting, but reading about all the things he had to go through to make it happen makes one realize this was no small task. I appreciated his honesty and openness: he wrote about his bad decisions, his failed attempts to make ideas work, his missed opportunities in love - all these give the book authenticity.

I read this book at a point in my life where I needed a nudge to go after what I want. This sure is a nudge, but a realistic one, telling you bluntly that there is no place for dreamers, but only for workers who are willing to roll their sleeves and get to work. By telling his life story and letting the reader in by revealing the background of his childhood, the author makes the book even more personal and honest. I liked how he looked back and saw how all the hard things in his childhood and early years of adulthood were teaching moments for what he planned to make in Paris.

This memoir is a recommendation for those interested in opening their business or reading about the behind the scenes of a restaurant running, those interested in food, and those who like a straight-forward told memoir. 

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko - by Scott Stambach: Book Review

Title: The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko

Author: Scott Stambach

Publishing date: August 9th 2-16

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Page Nr.: 336

It read like a coming of age novel. I liked it, I was curious most of the time where the story will lead. I expected for the character to be emotionally destroyed, but this is because I read about the novel likened to The Fault in Our Stars. 

I liked the main character, Ivan, but I didn't like Polina. She comes as a breath of fresh air for Ivan, sure, but reading about her and her personality - meh. Of course she had to be bubbly and go over the top in everything she did. I see how this was a good thing for Ivan and for the redundant life of the Mazyr Hospital for Gravely Ill Children, but looking back I realize I didn't like her that much as a character. As for a "love" between them - I think Ivan was the one in love, while Polina clung to Ivan in her desperate few last months.

Ivan, on the other hand, was a person with many drawers. He looked for ways to make his life bearable at the hospital, and managed to somewhat come to terms with his physical deformity. He was funny and normal, which is always a good thing, if you ask me. 

I am so glad the author chose to write about a teenage boy, and not about a teenage girl. I was clear he knew the ins and outs of a boy's mind. However, one thing I though was not necessary was Ivan and Polina's sexual... moment, should I call it? For some reason it seemed cliche and gave their relationship an ordinary feel. I thought the same about Augustus and Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars, by the way.

The writing of this novel is pretty good, I liked how the author made you feel the grayness of the communist hospital with its seclusion from the world. There were a few characters that didn't stand out to me, but they had their place in the world of the hospital. Some developments in the novel's action were unexpected and I liked them {{spoiler: Ivan is Mikail's son with an ex nurse at the hospital}}. I also liked how the novel ended. {{spoiler: nurse Natalya takes Ivan in her home and cares for him until his death.}}

It was a nice read. At the time I was very interested in reading it, but a few weeks after I finished reading it I am no longer that impressed, although I can't say for sure why.

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.