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bibliokyra's reviews
1108 reviews
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
5.0
“Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.”
The Shadow of the Wind is an ode to literature. It is a gothic tale and coming-of-age story full of symbolism, mystery, humor, romance and shocking twists all wrapped up into one poetic book.
It is not a quick read and is meant to be read slowly, savoring each word. This dark tale had me laughing one minute and then scared sh*tless the next. It is full of quirky characters, my favorite being the unfiltered Fermin. Daniel helped to turn Fermin’s life around from living on the streets and gave him a job working in his fathers bookshop. Fermin becomes a great friend and accomplice in the investigation of Julian’s doomed life.
I was thrilled to find out that this is the first in a series and I’m eager to read on to book 2, however, I don’t know how any book is going to top this one. It quickly became one of my favorite books of all time and I highly recommend it.
5/5 stars
Summary:
Set after the Spanish Civil War in 1950’s Barcelona- Daniel Sempere, the son of a widowed book store owner is 10 when his father brings him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. He is drawn to the book, The Shadow of the Wind, written by Julian Carax which captures his imagination. After setting out to find other works by Carax, Daniel realizes he may have the last of Julian’s books because someone has been destroying everything written by the author. He launches a seemingly innocent investigation but over time comes to find that he has uncovered dark secrets, murders and stories of star-crossed love as his own life begins to parallel Julian’s.
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Publisher: Penguin Books
The Shadow of the Wind is an ode to literature. It is a gothic tale and coming-of-age story full of symbolism, mystery, humor, romance and shocking twists all wrapped up into one poetic book.
It is not a quick read and is meant to be read slowly, savoring each word. This dark tale had me laughing one minute and then scared sh*tless the next. It is full of quirky characters, my favorite being the unfiltered Fermin. Daniel helped to turn Fermin’s life around from living on the streets and gave him a job working in his fathers bookshop. Fermin becomes a great friend and accomplice in the investigation of Julian’s doomed life.
I was thrilled to find out that this is the first in a series and I’m eager to read on to book 2, however, I don’t know how any book is going to top this one. It quickly became one of my favorite books of all time and I highly recommend it.
5/5 stars
Summary:
Set after the Spanish Civil War in 1950’s Barcelona- Daniel Sempere, the son of a widowed book store owner is 10 when his father brings him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. He is drawn to the book, The Shadow of the Wind, written by Julian Carax which captures his imagination. After setting out to find other works by Carax, Daniel realizes he may have the last of Julian’s books because someone has been destroying everything written by the author. He launches a seemingly innocent investigation but over time comes to find that he has uncovered dark secrets, murders and stories of star-crossed love as his own life begins to parallel Julian’s.
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Publisher: Penguin Books
Cove by Cynan Jones
4.0
Cove is the hauntingly beautiful story of a man who travels out to sea in a kayak to scatter the ashes of his father. A lightning storm approaches and the kayaker is struck by lightning. Suddenly, he wakes up with the realization that he lost his memory, he is partially paralyzed and in unknown waters.
The readers are granted an intimate glimpse inside the mind of the unnamed protagonist, his battle of survival and clash with the power of nature. The writing in this story is phenomenal, poetic and entrancing. Filled with symbolism and purpose, this lyrical novella will not easily be forgotten.
Thanks so much to Catapult Books for providing me with a copy of Cove for the Little Free Library!
The readers are granted an intimate glimpse inside the mind of the unnamed protagonist, his battle of survival and clash with the power of nature. The writing in this story is phenomenal, poetic and entrancing. Filled with symbolism and purpose, this lyrical novella will not easily be forgotten.
Thanks so much to Catapult Books for providing me with a copy of Cove for the Little Free Library!
The Life List of Adrian Mandrick: A Novel by Chris White
5.0
I was quite smitten with this book and it was unlike anything I've read before. Adrian Mandrick is a successful anesthesiologist, a husband, father, avid birder, and last but not least, a painkiller addict. Adrian has a good heart but is full of imperfections and all of these flaws are on full display for us readers.
The story starts right before Adrian's life begins to take a turn for the worse. Adrian had a rough childhood and finds his head is often swirling with unanswered questions. After he receives missed calls and messages from his mother (who he once loved so dearly) asking for a talk, he begins to self-medicate for his anxiety by popping pills. His addiction and state of mind causes Adrian to start making mistakes and adds fuel to the fire of his already-crumbling marriage.
His main comfort in life is his "Life List"- the all-encompassing record of the 863 bird species he has spotted and identified. After the death of his mother, Adrian goes on a relentless quest to find the extremely rare Ivory-billed Woodpecker to add to his list, no matter the cost.
This haunting tale has so many gripping aspects- birds, conservation, addiction, obsession, painful childhood memories, a crumbling marriage, and family. The writing is stunning and incredibly detailed. This story will stick with me for a long time. I can't recommend this one enough.
Thank you, Touchstone Books, for sending me this wonderful book and wildflower seeds. All opinions are my own.
The story starts right before Adrian's life begins to take a turn for the worse. Adrian had a rough childhood and finds his head is often swirling with unanswered questions. After he receives missed calls and messages from his mother (who he once loved so dearly) asking for a talk, he begins to self-medicate for his anxiety by popping pills. His addiction and state of mind causes Adrian to start making mistakes and adds fuel to the fire of his already-crumbling marriage.
His main comfort in life is his "Life List"- the all-encompassing record of the 863 bird species he has spotted and identified. After the death of his mother, Adrian goes on a relentless quest to find the extremely rare Ivory-billed Woodpecker to add to his list, no matter the cost.
This haunting tale has so many gripping aspects- birds, conservation, addiction, obsession, painful childhood memories, a crumbling marriage, and family. The writing is stunning and incredibly detailed. This story will stick with me for a long time. I can't recommend this one enough.
Thank you, Touchstone Books, for sending me this wonderful book and wildflower seeds. All opinions are my own.
An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
4.0
Wow. This book was an absolute gut punch. When I finished the book, it felt as though it had spat me out. I had to sit down for a while and gather my thoughts and secure my heart back inside my chest.
The year is 1981 and a deadly flu pandemic is growing rampant across a dystopian America. Time travel is now an option, made possible by a large corporation called TimeRaiser. Due to a glitch in technology, no one is able to travel back in time to stop the virus from spreading, however, people can travel into the future to avoid the virus. These people are referred to as "Journeymen". This is where the protagonist Polly comes in. Polly's boyfriend Frank has contracted the virus and she will do anything to save the love of her life. Polly receives an offer she can't refuse: if she time travels from 1981 to 1993 and works for a year as a bonded laborer for TimeRaiser, they will pay for Frank's necessary medical care and cure him. Polly hatches a plan to have them both go to the Flagship Hotel in Galveston, TX every Saturday in September of 1993 until they find each other.
Unfortunately, Polly gets re-routed an extra five years and winds up in an unrecognizable Texas in 1998. She is told that a border had previously been erected along the Mason-Dixon line and the southern states were now known as America and the northern states were The United States. Polly would now need a visa to travel back to her home in Buffalo, NY. She was transported to this unfamiliar time by herself, without any money, and without any understanding of this foreign place. The helplessness and agony she experienced while trying to navigate her way though America was haunting. She encountered a number of strange, relentless people who all tended to fend for themselves. The class divide was enormous and the laborers had almost no rights. The men throughout the novel seemed to be tinged with wickedness. The writing was so vivid, it felt as though I was there with Polly, experiencing all of these horrors myself.
The story fell flat for me during Polly's time in America, which was a good chunk of the novel. It was incredibly detailed, non-stop suffering for Polly which became repetitive and brutal to read. Also, it seemed to me that Polly might not have had the best taste in men to begin with, which was pointed out at the beginning of the story. I wasn't extremely convinced that her and Frank's relationship was as strong as she conceived it to be. I would've liked to know more about the characters and their back stories. Their stories seemed rushed and the characters seemed a bit dull. I loved the character of Polly's Aunt Donna. She had her head on her shoulders, was tough and gave excellent advice. I was leaning towards 3.5 stars for the majority of the novel until the end, when I bumped it up to 4 stars. The ending was not what I expected it to be but I think it was realistic and pulled the whole novel together beautifully.
Overall, this is an extraordinary debut novel with such elegant prose. The story is gripping, terrifying and emotional. I was curious to see if Polly and Frank would ever find each other and if their love would last the test of time. I can guarantee you will not want to put this book down until you've finished the last page. I look forward to reading more from Thea Lim. If you've read and enjoyed Station Eleven or The Hunger Games, this book is for you! Many thanks to Touchstone Books for my free copy. All opinions are my own.
The year is 1981 and a deadly flu pandemic is growing rampant across a dystopian America. Time travel is now an option, made possible by a large corporation called TimeRaiser. Due to a glitch in technology, no one is able to travel back in time to stop the virus from spreading, however, people can travel into the future to avoid the virus. These people are referred to as "Journeymen". This is where the protagonist Polly comes in. Polly's boyfriend Frank has contracted the virus and she will do anything to save the love of her life. Polly receives an offer she can't refuse: if she time travels from 1981 to 1993 and works for a year as a bonded laborer for TimeRaiser, they will pay for Frank's necessary medical care and cure him. Polly hatches a plan to have them both go to the Flagship Hotel in Galveston, TX every Saturday in September of 1993 until they find each other.
Unfortunately, Polly gets re-routed an extra five years and winds up in an unrecognizable Texas in 1998. She is told that a border had previously been erected along the Mason-Dixon line and the southern states were now known as America and the northern states were The United States. Polly would now need a visa to travel back to her home in Buffalo, NY. She was transported to this unfamiliar time by herself, without any money, and without any understanding of this foreign place. The helplessness and agony she experienced while trying to navigate her way though America was haunting. She encountered a number of strange, relentless people who all tended to fend for themselves. The class divide was enormous and the laborers had almost no rights. The men throughout the novel seemed to be tinged with wickedness. The writing was so vivid, it felt as though I was there with Polly, experiencing all of these horrors myself.
The story fell flat for me during Polly's time in America, which was a good chunk of the novel. It was incredibly detailed, non-stop suffering for Polly which became repetitive and brutal to read. Also, it seemed to me that Polly might not have had the best taste in men to begin with, which was pointed out at the beginning of the story. I wasn't extremely convinced that her and Frank's relationship was as strong as she conceived it to be. I would've liked to know more about the characters and their back stories. Their stories seemed rushed and the characters seemed a bit dull. I loved the character of Polly's Aunt Donna. She had her head on her shoulders, was tough and gave excellent advice. I was leaning towards 3.5 stars for the majority of the novel until the end, when I bumped it up to 4 stars. The ending was not what I expected it to be but I think it was realistic and pulled the whole novel together beautifully.
Overall, this is an extraordinary debut novel with such elegant prose. The story is gripping, terrifying and emotional. I was curious to see if Polly and Frank would ever find each other and if their love would last the test of time. I can guarantee you will not want to put this book down until you've finished the last page. I look forward to reading more from Thea Lim. If you've read and enjoyed Station Eleven or The Hunger Games, this book is for you! Many thanks to Touchstone Books for my free copy. All opinions are my own.