Book review

Amazon’s first physical bookstore

~ SamanthaWho ~ 32 Comments

Amazon's physical bookstoreA few weeks after opening, I finally visited the Amazon bookstore in the University Village shopping center of Seattle, Washington.

The first thing I thought (along with just about everyone else hearing the news) is that it’s ironic that Amazon has decided to come out with a physical bookstore when they grew in size and scope by putting so many other physical bookstores out of business.

As far as appearance goes, the bookstore is pretty nice! The store is brightly lit, with rows of bookshelves along with areas designed for handling and testing out kindle products. News coverage of the store has explained that it is different from other bookstores because Amazon is using its huge database to stock  only  products that they believe will sell in a timely manner. Reps from Amazon have also said that instead of the spine out displays that are typical and are able to fit more books, they will show the book faces. This way the books each get more space and are easier to browse through.

Ironic or not, I love a bookstore and Amazon may be onto something with how they stock and display books. Either way, only time will tell the success of Amazon’s first physical bookstore and whether there will be more to come in the future….

The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg

~ SamanthaWho ~ 8 Comments

The Ice PrincessI’ve been waiting to read The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg for a while now, the eerie blue cover taunting me every time I pass my bookshelf. I don’t know what I was waiting for though because this book is a great mystery novel! One filled with seemingly unconnected characters and horrifying hidden secrets, I couldn’t put it down.

A scandal rocks Fjällbacka, Sweden, when a woman is found dead in her childhood home with her wrists slit open. No one knows what Alex was doing back in her hometown and why she would take her own life until details come out that it couldn’t have in fact been a suicide. Erica Falck, the childhood best friend of Alex, is coincidentally in town when the tragedy hits and is quickly pulled into the murder investigation. The more she learns, the more Erica realizes that Alex has changed in their 25 years apart, becoming distant and elusive over time. Clues pointing to the killer elude police until Patrik, a local detective, and Erica work together to piece together the mystery. As the story goes on, it’s clear that this murder isn’t the only scandal in the small town’s history…

A novel full of characters and storylines, I was fully engaged until the very last page in an effort to sort out how each story is intertwined. I really enjoyed this book and plan to read many more by Läckberg in the future!

At the Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen

~ SamanthaWho ~ 13 Comments

At the Water's EdgeThis is one of the books that helped build my love for Scotland, its green countryside, and the lively people. Sara Gruen, the author of Water for Elephants, has returned with another great book, At the Water’s Edge.

The story centers around Maddie, a young woman from high society Philadelphia. During World War II, she travels to Scotland with her husband and his best friend in an attempt to locate the Loch Ness monster, following a trail left by her father-in-law. After behaving poorly at a party, Maddie and her husband, Ellis, hope that finding the mystical monster will win back his favor.

Maddie has grown up in a very restrictive environment, bound by the rules of society and distant parents, but doesn’t realize how much so until she arrives in Scotland. The Scottish barmaids and inn owner open her eyes to an entirely different world and she finds herself drawn to it. In the Scottish countryside she also finds out that the man she married may not be who she thought he was. Her charming husband turns out to be a nasty brute while a new man in Scotland may win her heart instead.

At the Water’s Edge has a snowball effect, picking up speed as the story goes on. With an intense ending, I was gripping the book until the very last page. I really liked the story and found myself rooting for Maddie the whole time!

A Few Favorite WWII Historical Fiction Novels

~ SamanthaWho ~ 18 Comments

As we get older our reading choices develop and change. Over the last couple years, I’ve found myself drawn to historical fiction novels more than ever, especially those focusing on Europe during World War II. A terrible time in history, I find these stories both horrifying and fascinating. Three of my favorite books of this period also happen to take place in France during this time.

  1. The Nightingale by Kristin HannahThe Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – This is an excellent book sharing the powerful story of two sisters and how they each cope with the Nazi occupation in France. I was completely taken away by the bravery of these women and have recommended this book over and over again.

2. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – Another great book, this is a beautifully written story with flashes of scenes between characters and time All the Light We Cannot Seeperiods. Two characters, a young blind girl in France and a brilliant German boy who is recruited by the Nazis, offer readers very interesting perspectives. As the book goes on we see how their worlds collide during wartime.

  1. Sarah's KeySarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay – A haunting twist in the book has caused this story to stay with me years after reading it. In an attempt to save her brother from the Nazis during World War II, a little girl hides the boy in their special hiding place. Throughout the book we see her journey to get back to Paris and her brother.

These books are all so well written and I continue to look for other books by these talented authors!

The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty

~ SamanthaWho ~ 1 Comment

The Hypnotist's Love StoryPublished a few years ago, The Hypnotist’s Love Story is another great book by Liane Moriarty. Always fun and engaging, Moriarty does a fantastic job of transforming ordinary life and complicated relationships into stories worth reading. A quick read, it’s easy to get swept away with this book for a cozy afternoon on the couch.

This story focuses on Ellen, a kind-hearted hypnotherapist, and her new relationship with Patrick. A widow, Patrick comes not only with emotional baggage and a cute 8-year-old son, but with a stalker as well. Saskia, Patrick’s ex-girlfriend, cannot let go of their relationship and continues to follow Patrick’s every move as he begins to date Ellen. The Hypnotist’s Love Story switches between scenes from both Ellen and Saskia’s perspectives and we see their intense fascination with one another. As Ellen and Patrick become more serious, it’s clear that Saskia’s little obsession cannot continue on and something must be done…

I really enjoyed this story! The characters are interesting, their interactions are both realistic and amusing, and once again (I’ve read a few of her novels) I found myself completely absorbed in another book by Moriarty.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz

~ SamanthaWho ~ 5 Comments

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As a huge fan of the Millennium Series by Stieg Larsson, I was very excited to read The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz. This fourth book didn’t turn out to be as good as the original three, but I didn’t really expect it to be with a different author. Either way, I was happy to see some of my favorite mystery novel characters come back in a new story!

In The Girl in the Spider’s Web, trouble strikes again for Mikael Blomkvist when his magazine starts to go downhill and another mysterious case lands in his lap. When it turns out that Lisbeth Salander, his previous partner of sorts, is involved in the case already, he decides to take it on. Once again, Blomkvist and Lisbeth work together to unearth an entire series of crimes that hide just below the surface.

Through this book we get more insight into Lisbeth’s background and her very troubled childhood. She is a very interesting character whose good intentions hide behind her tough exterior. She is a defender of women and children and I can’t help but root for her. She might just be one of my favorite characters because she is so intelligent (her computer hacking skills are beyond anything I can comprehend) and simultaneously such a badass (in a good way).

Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much character interaction and depth as in the first three. For example, while the first three had me gripping the books in anticipation, I wasn’t quite as engaged in this one. It’s also shorter than the original books; which may have had something to do with it.

While it didn’t hit the same mark as the original three, The Girl in the Spider’s Web a good book and I’m always happy to read a lively mystery novel.

INCONCEIVABLE! by Tegan Wren

~ SamanthaWho ~ 4 Comments

imageINCONCEIVABLE!  by Tegan Wren is a story about how love can bring two worlds together. Hatty, an American going to school in Europe, meets Prince John, the handsome and witty heir to the throne. As they begin to spend more time together, they quickly fall for one another (what a dream right?). Coming from different worlds, the pair has many hurdles to jump in order to be together that we see throughout the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but there were some areas that I was disappointed by as well.

There are difficulties in every relationship and I felt that some of the issues in this story were resolved too easily and quickly. On the other hand, one issue that wasn’t easily resolved was the couple’s inability to get pregnant. A serious and heartbreaking issue, Wren did a good job of getting inside the head of a woman in this situation. The feelings of frustration and failure that Hatty feels throughout the story are powerful and I was pulled in by her story.

Even though this book didn’t flow as well as I would have liked, it’s Wren’s debut novel and I did enjoy the plot and the focus on a royal family during modern times. I love keeping up with British royalty, including Kate and William and their darling children, and INCONCEIVABLE! is a fun story with similar themes.

A sweet book, INCONCEIVABLE! is a quick read about the ups and downs that come with any relationship.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

 

Fates and Furies: A Novel by Lauren Groff

~ SamanthaWho ~ 21 Comments

Fates and Furies

To be honest, I was expecting more from Fates and Furies: A Novel by Lauren Groff. Maybe I picked up the book with expectations that were too high, but the choppy writing and negative tone disappointed me. That isn’t to say that I didn’t like the book entirely, the story has many intriguing aspects including a look into the relationship of marriage.

Fates and Furies: A Novel is split into two halves, the first told from the view of Lancelot, known as Lotto, and the second from Mathilde. Meeting when they were each 22 years old, the pair marries two weeks later to the shock of their peers and families. While Lotto is a lover and has a charisma that people are drawn to, Mathilde is a loner who had a terribly sad childhood. Despite their differences, or possibly because of them, the couple fits together well and ends up outlasting other’s expectations of a divorce.

I was both frustrated and absorbed by the couple’s relationship. Lotto is arrogant and unaware while Mathilde is conniving and manipulative. It was clear from her section of the book that she plays on her husband’s weaknesses. Theirs is an interesting relationship because they love each other deeply, but each doesn’t feel that they deserve the love of the other.

I was intrigued by the sense of rawness throughout the story, of uncensored humanity, including the good, bad and the ugly. It was also interesting to experience scenes from the different perspectives of the husband and wife. The idea that people view and remember the same experiences so differently is one of the reasons why I chose to read this book in the first place.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the story and even when I finished, I didn’t feel like I was ever completely engaged. The story is choppy, skipping around from different perspectives and time periods, and while some characters interested me, others were dull and had me rushing through the pages.

Fates and Furies: A Novel is focused on one of the most fundamental relationships of all, marriage, and I felt sad after finishing it. I’m glad to have read it, but I don’t plan on picking up another one of Groff’s books anytime soon.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

~ SamanthaWho ~ 22 Comments

The Wrath and the DawnI didn’t realize that The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh is the first book of a series so I was very confused when I was winding down to the final pages and the story wasn’t wrapping up. Upon finishing the book, and reading a very frustrating finish, I freaked out, shouting to my roommate about the irritating ending. What a cliffhanger of an ending it was and now I can’t wait to read the next one. Ahdieh totally hooked me and the sequel doesn’t come out until May of 2016! Let the waiting begin…

I wasn’t sure about The Wrath and the Dawn at first. Do you ever read a book and get so sucked into the smoothly constructed writing that you forget you’re reading? This story wasn’t one of those for me. BUT, and that’s a big but, I really enjoyed the book anyway and was completely enthralled by the ongoing relationship between Shahrzad and the boy king Khalid. A conflicting relationship of hate and passion, honesty and secrets, it’s definitely intriguing.

This story begins with the marriage between Shahrzad and Khalid. A mysterious young man, the king has been marrying a new bride each day and has had them each executed at dawn of the following morning. After a dear friend marries, and dies, at the command of the king, Shahrzad volunteers to marry him. Defying all odds she lives through the first dawn and vows to get revenge for her lost friend. The closer she gets to Khalid, the more conflicted her mission becomes…

Ahdieh’s debut novel is a good one, and with themes from Arabian Nights and Aladdin, there are elements of fantasy as well.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

~ SamanthaWho ~ 23 Comments

A Song of Ice and FireThese books are dense, filled with many characters and crossing story lines, but I’m totally hooked. A Song of Ice and Fire (known some by as the A Game of Thrones series) by George R.R. Martin is one of my favorites. I’ll be honest; while reading the first book I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue. The size and complexity can be daunting and I had a hard time keeping up with the range of characters and how quickly the scenes switched between each, but as I’ve gotten more involved in the story, the more I enjoy it.

Martin has done an excellent job of creating a range of characters that readers love and hate, because a good story must have both. His complex plot twists completely blow me away and I find my jaw dropping at the way he can ruthlessly kill off characters without warning.

I have my favorites (Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Daenerys Targaryen) and on the other hand, the characters that I can’t stand including Cersei and Joffrey Lannister along with the sketchy Petyr Baelish.

Taking a turn away from the books, I also watch the TV series A Game of Thrones. While I prefer the books and the depth with which they go into, I do think that the show has done a good job bringing the story alive and spreading it to a wider audience.

If you have a chance to start A Song of Ice and Fire, I really recommend it. Even though it might not seem like it, the story moves beyond the confusion and definitely gets into the good stuff! When I read, and enjoy, a book over 1000 pages, you know it must be good!