A murder mystery set amongst the the cyclists, during the Tour de France. I happen to love le Tour, so found the setting and references to the race, teams, and real cyclists thrilling. The mystery itself had plenty of twists and turns, so I think fans of mysteries will enjoy it even if they are not cycling fans.
Month: November 2019
Fire and thorns by Rae Carson
Elisa has been gifted the Godstone, which means she has been chosen for an act of heroism. But she does not fell like a hero. So begins this fantasy adventure. Love, kidnapping, war, death, religion are all in the mix as Elisa puts the puzzle pieces together. A satisfying read.Elisa has been gifted the Godstone, which means she has been chosen for an act of heroism. But she does not feel like a hero. So begins this fantasy adventure. Love, kidnapping, war, death, religion are all in the mix as Elisa puts the puzzle pieces together. A satisfying read.
Gravity is the thing by Jaclyn Moriarty
In 1990 Abigail’s brother went missing, and she started receiving random chapters from a self-help book called The Guidebook. Now, she is invited to a weekend away to learn the truth behind The Guidebook. It’s about loss, searching for hope, friendship, and love. It is a quirky whirlwind; funny, sad, thoughtful, heartwarming, and most life-affirming.
The river by Chris Hammer
Before he became a novelist, journalist Chris Hammer took a journey following the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin. This book is the result, and it is a fascinating account of the people who live in this area, what has happened to the rivers at the hands of the government, farming and the weather, and what the future might hold. There is a lot to worry about; at times it is depressing, and on the whole the future seems bleak, but there is also a lot of great, Aussie spirit where people are doing it tough, and this book is full of their stories.
The Van Apfel girls are gone by
In the long, hot summer of 1992, an outer Sydney suburb is rocked by the disappearance of three young sisters, the Van Apfel girls. Tikka was their friend, and all these years later, she is still struggling to come to terms with what happened. This is a nostalgic, atmospheric, and suspenseful coming of age story about friendship, trauma, neighbourhood dynamics, and loss.It has been described as a mix between Jasper Jones, The Virgin Suicides, and Picnic at Hanging Rock, which is think is perfect.
The vegetarian by Han Kang
Yeong-hye has a horrible dream, after which she decides to give up meat. This decision is so shocking to her husband, family, and society, that it has serious consequences. The story is told in three separate sections, from the perspective of Yeong-hye’s husband, brother-in-law, and sister, not Yeong-hye herself. It is strange, haunting, disturbing tale of abuse, family bonds, societal expectations, and mental illness. The narration is very well done, by Korean-Americans.
Friday black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Friday Black is a series of short stories, some of them connected, that probably fit into the sci-fi/horror genres. Extremely dark, violent, sad and disturbing, I didn’t enjoy them very much, and some I didn’t understand. Some are very thought-provoking, though, on the topics of race, consumerism, and violence.
Echoes from afar by Tamara McKinley
A enjoyable read, it did take a while for me to become involved in the story. I must admit I did not enjoy the setting of France as much as Tamara’s other books set in Australia. The story moves along at a good pace, although I was expecting a lot more drama to the end of the story.
Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe is the least daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, but she does find that she has the power of witchcraft. Banished to an island, she hones her craft, and becomes caught up in great stories of the gods and mortals. A retelling of mythology, this book is ancient stories fleshed out in a timeless way. Adventure, longing, loneliness, power, vengeance, caprice, and the search for self, this book has it all.
The wife’s tale by Christine Wells
This was a great read. I loved how the author distinguished the two time periods, each had their own feel and voice. Delany was a great character – a strong woman – balancing society’s expectations with her own and enduring a lot of sadness. I love learning new things and I have now added criminal conversation to the list. The modern storyline was not as strong as most of my emotions were evoked in the historical story – but they worked well together nevertheless.
rrlreads 