The Wren Hunt - Mary Watson

What is it about: Every winter, Wren Silke is chased through the forest in a warped version of a childhood game. The boys who haunt her are judges, powerful and frightening pursuers, who know nothing of her true identity. If they knew she was an augur, their sworn enemy, the game would turn deadly. But Wren is on the hunt, too. Sent undercover as an intern to the Harkness Foundation - enemy headquarters - her family's survival rests on finding a secret meant to stay hidden. As the enmity between two ancient magics reaches breaking point, Wren is torn between old loyalties and new lies. And trapped in the most dangerous game of her life.

My Thoughts: I am very conflicted about this book. I've read it for the monthly book club I'm subscribed to and on paper, this is the kind of book I would have actually picked myself. But the reality was very different. I found it very difficult to get into. The author was describing rituals and using names like if I knew all about them already. It was like reading a whole new language, could not understand what was going on for about 280 pages. And when I finally started to get the gist of it, the book ended. Leaving me wanting to know more.

The story is based on Irish mythology and I don't know anything about it, so that didn't help.
I do love mythology but I mostly know about Greek's and Roman's, so this actually made me want to know more about the Irish one as well.

In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced - Justine Bothwick

What is it about: Set against the lush backdrop of early 20th-century India, In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced – the debut novel from Justine Bothwick – is the moving story of one woman’s journey back to herself.

Agra, 1938: Eighteen-year-old Florence Hunt has grown up riding horses past the Taj Mahal and chasing peacocks through her backyard under the critical gaze of her father. Increasingly enamoured with his work on the booming railway, Florence yearns to know more, but finds herself brushed away, encouraged only to perform the more ladylike hobbies of singing and entertaining guests. So when a dazzling young engineer walks into her life, she finds herself not only gripped by secret lessons in physics but swept entirely off her feet.

Portsmouth, 1953: Fifteen years later, Florence finds herself pregnant and alone in post-war England – a far cry from her sun-drenched existence in India. Struggling to cope with the bleakness of everyday life in a male-dominated world, Florence is desperate to find the woman she used to be. But when someone from her past reaches out, Florence might just have a chance to start over.

Soaring from the shimmering heights of the big top to the depths of heartbreak, can Florence find the happiness, independence, and passion she once had in order to start living again?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book!
Florence is such an amazing character. You can see that she tries to fit in the norms of a young woman living during the Second World War but she is definitely conflicted and wants to get out of those standards. Loved the journey of self-discovery she went through and how it ended.
The writing was flowing and it was easy to read - only part I struggled with is when the author was going into too many details about trains and engines - which was one of Florence's passions, new for a woman in those years.

Whilst reading this, I was also reading 'Mythos' by Stephen Fry and noticed that the peacock is one of the symbols of Hera, goddess of marriage. Florence always sees and talks about peacocks when talking of/with Jay and I like to think there is a connection there (maybe it's just in my head, but I like to think there's Greek mythology everywhere).

I honestly really liked the background also. It was interesting to see India and the process it went through for independence from England, and how it was seen by both Brits and Indians - even though this is not the main topic of the book, I would have liked to see even more of it.

Love the cover of it as well, I hope there will be a version with sprayed edges! - Publication date, 24th June.

Thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for the opportunity of reading this advance copy.

Exciting Times - Naoise Dolan

What is it about: When you leave Ireland to spend your parent's money, it's called a gap year. When Ava leaves Ireland to make her own money, she's not sure what to call it, but it involves:

• A badly paid job in Hong Kong, teaching grammar to rich children

• Julian, who likes to spend money on Ava and lets her move into his guest room

• Edith, who Ava meets while Julian is out of town and actually listens to her when she talks

• Money, love, cynicism, unspoken feelings and unlikely connections

Exciting times ensue.

My Thoughts: I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. It'll be such an unpopular opinion, but it dragged for me. I couldn't get into it. All the characters were unlikable.
Ava is moving to a new country and all she does is spending her time with a man she barely knows who just controls her because he can. Even Ava herself refers to Julian as "her owner" at some point. How sad.
She leaves home for a new adventure, for something exciting, like the title would suggest, but she ends up in this relationship that's not even a relationship.

Then she meets Edith and once again, she is constantly seeking her approval. She has a crush on her and she doesn't know how to deal with it, she starts questioning her sexuality. Probably the Edith's chapters are the most likeable part of this book. Ava becomes a little more human and relatable. Although I still don't like her, she's another person with Edith.

When Julian comes back from London, the old Ava appears again and now she has to choose between Julian and Edith. Needless to say she made a mess out of it.
All of them were such annoying characters.
The writing was flowing at least.
But I'm really sorry to say, this book did not bring me joy.

Transcendent Kingdom - Yaa Gyasi

Firstly, I have to admit I bought this book just for the cover. I hadn't read the synopsis. I bought it because it looked pretty and I kept seeing it everywhere.
My thoughts on this book are torn. I enjoyed it but I struggled finishing it. Even though it was only 250 pages - usually a breeze for me! - I had to force myself to read it.
The topics written here are not easy, it's not one of those books you can read just before bed time with all your lights switched off but one. You have to pay attention, to focus, to have all your lights on.
I wouldn't have read it if it wasn't for the cover.
It talks about spirituality, drug addiction, depression and dealing with loss. Some heavy stuff.
I didn't enjoy the type of writing to be honest. It keeps passing from one thing to the other without warning and it is a bit unnerving.
I'm glad I read it, though because I finally read something different.

The Authenticity Project - Clare Pooley

Title: The Authenticity Project

Author: Clare Pooley

Pages: 352

First Published: 2020

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Such an uplifting novel that forces 6 strangers to face their own truth. And in doing so, it forces you to do that also. There were parts of the book that were obvious, and other that you didn't see coming.
I only gave 4⭐ simply because there was so much hype around it and I was expecting something even bigger and better. I suppose that's the risk in reading popular books.
Said so, I loved it and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

Title: The Thursday Murder Club

Author: Richard Osman

Pages: 377

First Published: 2020

What is it about: In a retirement village in Kent, four pensioners love solving murders. They have founded a "Thursday Murder Club" so they can meet and discuss old cases. How do they get hold of them? Don't ask. Their routine is about to change when someone gets killed near them. Someone who has something to do with their peaceful retirement village. They have to solve the murder. With or without the help of the police. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim use all the resources at their disposal in order to find the killer, uncovering many more secrets on the way.

My Thoughts: This was most certainly the best book I could have chosen to start 2021. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I cannot wait for the second one to come out. The writing was clear and concise, went straight to the point, with the first murder only a few pages in. All characters have such a witty sense of humour that made me chuckle all the way through. 

Chapters are short but full of content, which I loved as it gave me time to pause for a second to get my facts straight. I hate when chapters go on and on for pages as I tend to get lost and forget where the chapter actually started in the first place.

Like any modern woman, I am any number of things,
as and when the need arises.
We have to be chameleons, don't we?

This was the first book in a very long time, in which I could not predict the ending. I had my suspicions along the way, some were right in part, some were completely wrong, but I most certainly did not expect to end the way it did.

All of the characters have a background story, so no one was just put there by chance, they all had a purpose in the storyline, something that is not always expected in a book. 

I only knew Richard Osman from telly - even though I don't think I actually ever watched an entire episode of his program, but I do really like him as a writer and cannot wait to read his next book.

Ciao Ciao ♥

V.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Pages: 502

First Published: 2012

What is it about: Marco's and Celia's life have been intertwined by something bigger than they could even imagine. One game that can result in one winner only. The rules? Do your job. Setting? A circus of dreams, that only opens at night, you don't know when or where. It simply appears one day and it might be gone the other. A game that goes on for many years, even before the circus is open. A game that has been going on way before Marco and Celia. Who will be the winner?

My Thoughts: I have to admit, I've never heard of this book until probably a month or so ago. It appeared one day in my Amazon research and I got intrigued by the storyline. I simply had to have it.

It started a bit slow, I am really impatient with books and want for the main event to arrive soon, but I felt like the circus was not even mentioned at the beginning and did not understand where it was leading to. But once the circus arrived, oh boy, I could not put the book down. Everything was magical. Reading this book made me feel like when I was reading as a child, I have not felt like this in a very long time. All the books I've been reading lately make me feel so grown up and I cannot transport myself in the world described between those pages. But with the Night Circus I was just able to do so. Everything was described so well that when I had to look away from the pages for one reason or the other, I was surprised to be still in my room rather than inside one of the circus tents. 

The characters were also fascinating, although I feel like one or two of them were superfluous to the storyline.

I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone who wants to escape reality for a little bit and feel that spark we all had as children.

Ciao ciao ♥

V.