Adeline

Dystopian horror mystery following the events of the first book, Annihilation, as John ‘Control' Rodriguez, the new director of Southern Reach, the agency tasked to study and contain the mysterious and malevolent nature landscape called Area X, takes up his post trying to understand what happened. So this second book in the series had certainly a different vibe from the first book. Even if the weird dreaded atmosphere was still perfectly rendered by the author, this was more reminiscent of Twin Peaks with a fever dream quality and flashes of weirdness with humour. The writing style was still as good as the previous novel, with some gorgeous prose. 
The main character was interesting though I wasn't completely invested into his story, though I did like his yearning for another character. I felt the pacing didn't work completely for me, especially the second part of the book. Still I really liked the first and last parts, and the ending too.  I'm looking forward to read the third book (and will probably check out the fourth that was recently released). 

Historical fiction reimagining the life of William Shakespeare's family, his wife and children, including the young Hamnet, deceased at a very young age and whose name will forever be associated with the play written by his father. 
I loooooved this so much. Like the previous novel I read of Maggie O'Farrell, her writing is so lush and atmospheric and the use of present tense gives her story a greater depth and intimacy.  I loved the characterisation of the Shakespeares particularly Agnes and I loved her relationship with her brother.  The title character actually doesn't appear much and is much more a pretense to talk about in his family but also themes of motherhood, grief and duty. There was some real emotional moments especially after Hamnet dies and how the family navigates through that trauma.  There are a couple of elements I wasn't a fan of in terms of execution (like how Hamnet became sick and died, I felt it was a bit rushed).  Still this was an incredible read and I'm looking forward to explore more of Maggie O'Farrell works. 

  Historical Horror mystery taking place in 1950's segregated Florida, it follows two African American siblings:  Gloria and her brother Robert who after defending her from a white boy, is being sent into a Boy only School that is said to be haunted by the ghosts. 
This was such a devastating but important read. I had read Due's first novel The Between, and for this read all her strengths as a storyteller were still present. With her sharp writing she has the ability to create a page turning story with great character development while perfectly recreating the historical atmosphere.  I felt so much sorrow, anxiety and empathy for the main characters, what would happen to them and their family/friends.  Not only the supernatural elements were interesting but they also served to enhanced the real life historical horrors experienced by Gloria and Robert (and their acquaintances) as African Americans who have to survive in an environment filled with violence and (systemic) racism towards them.  An incredible and powerful book that should be a required reading everywhere.  I'd recommend listening to the audiobook because the narrator (Joniece Abbott-Pratt) did such an incredible job portraying the character's emotions. 

Murder mystery with shades of gothic and literary fiction, follows Anna a retired ballerina who tends a garden attached to an ancient countryside mansion discovering the bones of a young woman, the consecutive mystery makes her cross path with Hitesh a newly arrived detective inspector from London. 
This will be a short review since I'm sick but I really loved this. The writing was lush and gorgeous, very literary and atmospheric. I liked the main characters and their relationship was hitting all the right places for me.  The mystery itself was interesting though I felt the pacing was a bit uneven. The themes addressed were also interesting and made for a more engaging read but sometimes I wished there were more subtly intertwined into the story.  Still this was a very good debut and I'll be looking forward to read future books by this author. 

Historic non-fiction book covering the trials and tribulations of 21 women throughout Ancient Rome's history from its birth to its fall. 
Being half Italian and having studied art history, Ancient  Rome was definitely an important part of my cultural background growing up and then on my academic journey. Even when I developed other obsessions and interests, I still have the same feelings when I visit the ruins or exhibitions on Ancient Rome. 
Still it was an enriching reading experience because as the author explained through the book, Roman women were often relegated to the background, as spectators or subjects rather than principal figures with their own agency. 

I absolutely loved this book, I personally enjoyed the author's writing style, it felt very modern with her sharp and humorous writing. I loved hearing about these different women, how they navigated life through the boundaries of a very patriarchal society. 
All the portraits were interesting and informative to read, though some I felt less drawn to, in regards to my own interests. 
But others I loved learning about, like Julia Balbilla or Julia Felix in Pompeii which made me want to reread Elodie Harper's The Wolf Den Trilogy. 
Several years ago I vacationed to Ravenna so reading about Galla Placidia made me remember how much I had loved that city and the gorgeous mosaic filled monuments. 
I do wish the book (I read the paperback) had come with illustrations, because I feel they always compliment history books like these, especially when the author described villas, neighbourhoods and cities. 
I can't wait to delve in other books by Emma Southon and reignite my ancient Roman obsession that was less pronounced these years. 

Literary speculative fiction about Iris, a young millennial woman from London who struggles with depression and an unfulfilled life, ultimately deciding to join a colony in outer space. 
Ok this book was...interesting. 
This felt very bleak look at existential dread mental health and depression, like a mix of two other books I read with similar themes, The Red Arrow by William Brewer and Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter. Yet it felt also like a reminder to really appreciate what you have in life and that sometimes ordinary, seemily boring, things are to be cherished. I liked the themes and feel that could be an interesting book to discuss in a book club. 
Seeing other reviews, people seem to detest the ending. 
Personally I don't mind the abrupt ending nor the lack of explanation about the space colony so to speak. I guess I thought it would be more sci-fi ? Basically this feels like a focused study of a young depressed millennial woman that just happen to go live in space. Like the sci-fi setting didn't add anything, and that part plot felt a bit bare. So maybe my expectations were wrong which kind of biased my reading experience. Overall I preferred the parts taking place in London.  Still I liked the character, and I especially adored her familial love for her half sister. Their relationship and scenes were really touching. Her struggling with her distant mother was also an very emotional element to read.  The writing was pretty good and atmospheric enough to keep me engaged and turning the pages.  Overall a bit too bleak for my taste (I also would advise looking up reviews and trigger warnings before reading this) and lacking interesting element in the space colony parts but not a bad reading experience overall. 

5 stars Psychological speculative mystery following Jane, a woman who has suddenly blackouts, premonitions and hallucinations, starts to see a psychiatrist, Dr Byrd, who tries to understand her mysterious condition. 
Oh this was such an incredible read. First of all the writing was gorgeous, with a slow burn, emotional literary style. The plot itself was super interesting and I really enjoyed how the author approached themes about mental health, psychology and psychiatry, science and research on the inner workings of the brain and its mysteries. To this the element of speculative fiction was perfectly blended into it.  I loved the two main characters and seing events from their point of view.  The yearning and angst in their relationship was absolutely delicious and I loved the ending.  I'm looking forward to read more of this author. 

4.5 stars  Dark fairytale novella, it follows Toadling a  human who grew up with water fairies, inheriting their powers. For years she successfully guarded a tower and its cursed inhabitant from curious travellers until one day a knight called Halim tries to solve the mystery of the curse.  My second Kingfisher book and oh I really really liked it, this was such a good twist on the Sleeping Beauty tale, like it was a sort of inverted version?  I loooove Toad and Halim, both endearing characters that you can't help but root for.  The main antagonist was truly cruel, though I thought the final confrontation was a bit too quickly solved.   The world building was original, I loved the blend of fantasy and real history, the dark, whimsical and gothic tones of the story.  The writing was evocative and sharp.  I loved how the author can create an atmosphere quickly and efficiently, make you feel for the characters in such a short novel. The ending had me sooo emotional! 🥹  I'll be sure to check out more of T. Kingfisher! 

4 stars  Cozy fantasy following Keila, a librabrian who flees back to her childhood home after a revolution erupts in the imperial city where she works, taking with her crates of books and her assistant a sentient spider plant named Caz.  This was a cute and charming little read. I had liked the authors previous fantasy  books, and here she also created a very interesting and original world.  I liked the characters and the romance subplot was cute though a bit boring.  The pacing and story were not completely perfect for me and some plot elements resolved a bit too quickly without any emotional impact or came too late into the story, it felt a bit too surface level. The magic was also interesting but lacked depth and exploration .  Overall I still preferred the other two books I read from her (Race The Sand and The Bone Maker), but this was a nice read overall. 

4.75 stars 
Horror thriller following Louise and her estranged brother Mark after the sudden death of their parents and their trying to sell their family home where strange things happen. 
Ooooh this was yet another banger read from Grady Hendrix, the third book I read from him and it was just as good as the previous ones. 
I loved the horror and spooky elements, the Chucky vibes with the use of dolls and puppets as sinister creatures that seriously made me scared, I won't be seeing these toys in the same light again (though before I must confess some did creeped me out). 
On the other hand the more realistic themes and plot elements like the estranged siblings, family secrets, gaslighting, generational trauma and were so well presented and executed, blending seamlessly into the more supernatural aspects of the story. 
Pacing wise it felt a bit draggy to me in the first part of the book, but the second part was so intense. 
The ending was perfect and emotional. 
Overall an incredible read and I'll be looking forward to discover more of Grady Hendrix's other books.

Sci-fi mystery where a billionaire is found murdered in his house in Canada and Ella a part time police constable tries to solve what happened.  So this was mixed read for me.  The concept was really interesting especially the time travel, techno thriller  elements and the link to indigenous culture. I liked the different flashbacks and flash forwards, especially regarding to the main character trying to solve the murder.  The beginning was promising but afterward the execution felt flat to me, the atmosphere lacked danger and mystery.  The characters including the narrator didn't feel compelling to read and their relationship to each other wasn't explored enough for me.  The conclusion and reveal were also underwhelming and unclear. 

Thriller following Cam, a new mother who goes back to work on a hot summer's day, a day that turns quickly into a nightmare as her easy going and unproblematic husband Luke is suspected of holding people hostage in central London.  So I impulsively started reading this after I received the book yesterday and finished under 24 hours 😃 This was certainly a page turning thriller which hooked me directly. There's a lot of twists and how the plot took a turn certainly took me by surprise after the first part. 
That being said I'm not sure how I feel about the pacing, it started fast then went into slower burn but the big revelations towards the end and the final showdown came a bit too quickly and felt rushed. I think a more balanced pace with a more drowned out resolution would have make me like this even more. 
I liked the characters and how the authors delved more into their feelings and thoughts.   However some details felt superfluous and some subplots I didn't care for.  Also the writing felt uneven, sometimes almost literary with some nice turns of phrases while other times not that great.  Overall a page turner thriller with a great premise and plot but something that fell flat for me. 

Literary fiction told through transcripts of interviews, it follows the life of Cara, a middle aged woman from the Domican Republic who ran from her abusive husband, immigrated decades ago in the US with her son and is forced back into the job market after being laid off. 
Tackling various themes from immigration and discrimination, patriarchy and motherhood to generational abuse and trauma, the writer did a great job transcribing the courageousness and life of an immigrant in the US. 
I really liked how she wrote her character's monologues, for whom English is a second language, and the mix of Spanish words into it was a nice touch.  The pacing wasn't perfect for me and it took me a bit to get into the story, especially because it was a telling not showing sort of story. Ironically I usually like mixed media but here it didn't add anything new to the story and I could have done without it.  The main character was complex and compelling to read about despite her flaws, I loved that she showed growth so that and her qualities made her a realistic human being. 
The ending was perfect for me, really emotional and hopeful. 
Overall a quick, endearing and empathetic read that shows the hard lives of immigrants especially women. 

Literary fiction following Cyrus an Iranian American writer, orphaned twice, obsessed with death, sober from alcohol and drugs, tries to find a new subject for writing and meets a dying artist in residence named Orkideh. 
What a gorgeous book this was ! First of all the writing was stunning, which didn't surprise me given that the author is a poet.  He tackles a variety of important thematics like death, life, faith, art etc and while some parts felt a bit clunky (not developed enough for me or didn't interest me), there was a real emotionality to his story, with so many moments that hit me hard. I loved the overall queerness and it had one of my favourite trope but I won't say anything else because of spoilers.  Various points of view and flashbacks are scattered throughout the book, some I liked more than others and I especially loved reading the ones with Roya, Cyrus' mother and Zee, Cyrus' best friend.  I did love the use of mixed media, and the ending was certainly interesting and unexpected.  Overall a gorgeous, by no means perfect but an emotionally truthful debut novel, I'm looking forward to read more from Kaveh Akbar. 

Short story collection following the strange inhabitants of a neighbourhood where various fantastical events happen.  This was a charming short read that I completed in one sitting. There are 40 bitesize stories that range from weird Ghibli-esque to speculative fiction and magical realism. 
Loosely connected, the vignettes follows our main unnamed narrator and several characters reappear throughout these stories. 
The author did a good job setting the story and surreal atmosphere in such a short space, though I wished some stories were explored more or longer and alternately some stories I didn't care for. 
Overall a quick read that should suit anyone who likes weird and magical stories. 

Mystery thriller with a smudge of auto fiction about the reevaluation of the disappearance of a young British university student, as told through various documents of interview transcripts and emails of her friends and family. 
This was a fun page turning mystery that had plenty of twists and turns.   As always I just love the mixed media for mystery books like this and I liked seeing the different points of view of the characters.  The autofiction part has the writer portraying himself in a fictional capacity was an interesting and original addition to the novel.  The characters themselves were complex with their own flaws and qualities that made them compelling to read on.  Despite the page turning effect that made me want to see what happened, the pacing was a problem for me. There was too much superfluous details in the characters' interviews, especially at the beginning, with too much telling (though it was because of the narrative style but I felt other mixed media books I read did that  better in that regard), with an ending I felt was too abrupt and a bit implausible. Some interesting plot elements and twists came way too late for me.  The writing was good but not incredible.  Overall, not a bad crime story but not my favourite mixed media mystery. 

*spoilers 4.25 stars  Literary fiction about an unnamed young  artist who has been hired to ghostwrite the memoir of a physicist and goes to Italy to search for him this scientist while also coming to term with a treatment that helped him overcome his severe depression. 
Sooo this was a truly dense book that deal with important themes like depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and mental health but also creativity and memories. It was not an easy read, very opaque with metaphysical ramblings and I'm not sure how accurate it was on its depiction of mental illness but I did like how life affirming it was in regards to depression (unlike THAT other book that I won't name but ifykyk) how the main character was able to heal from it. I also liked the metaphor of his depression as a mist, and how the writer wrote its inevitable wave coming for the character.  The writing style mirrored the themes with a very dense prose, with long sentences that made me feel like I was holding my breath. There was a dizzy like quality to it that felt like some psychedelic fever dream.  Told through the main character's memories of his life, as he goes and meet the subject of his ghostwriting, we see him at various stage of his life and how debilitating his depression was. Though his mental condition wasn't something I can relate to, I liked the character and his love for his wife was so wholesome.  Some of the memories felt more interesting to read, especially his childhood memories concerning an environmental crisis in his town that read like a dystopian novel, with a creepy and scary atmosphere.  The overall atmosphere felt too much suffocating for me at times so it was a longer reading process. Still, I feel this could be a great read for a book club, though I would look out for the trigger warnings before deciding to read it.  The pacing felt off and ending felt a bit too abrupt for me.  Because of the density of the prose and narration and the themes, this wasn't a perfect fit for me but still a thoughtful and engaging book especially for the hopeful character arc. 

Horror literary fiction written in the style of a memoir, it follows the life of Dorothy a renown food critic and gourmet, who also moonlights as a cannibalistic serial killer. 
I absolutely devoured this book, pun intended.  The author's style was lush and ferociously intelligent with a high sense of culture. The main character was decidedly an unhinged psychopath woman yet she had such a compelling voice and her love for (normal food) but also anything Italian was great to read about (as a half Italian foodie myself).  The different scenes involving food and murder made me feel at turns hungry and disgusted. The author did a great job mixing these two feelings in addition to showing the sexuality and sensuality of the character.  Some parts, especially those explaining a cultural or scientific fact, felt like some info dumping by the author, and it felt more like her voice than her character's, so this took me out of the fiction.  This was such an incredible debut and I'm looking forward to read more of Chelsea Summers' books. 

Gothic historical romantic fantasy taking place in 19th Mexico where estranged childhood friends, Nena and Nestor, find each other again while their country is attacked by Americans, pushed back by Anglo settlers and where people are getting mauled by horrific night creatures. 
What a great sophomore novel by Isabel Cañas!  Like her previous book, the author did a great job recreating the historical setting with a lush and vivid prose that gave the setting a gothic and creepy atmosphere. I loved the supernatural elements, the parallels between the vampiric creatures and the invading Anglo-Americans.  I really liked the main characters and their friendship and love story was deliciously angsty. The side characters weren't particularly compelling, except Beto, and I would have liked to see more of them and also the vampires.  The plot was engaging and a page turner though pacing wise I felt the final denouement was a bit too abrupt, as well as the resolution between Nestor and Nena. 
I will definitely be looking forward to read Isabel Cañas's next novel with her talent for writing historical gothic fiction. 

Locked room murder mystery about a amateur sleuth and his astrologue friend, who try to solve the decades old and infamous murders of an artist and his family members. 
So this was a very mixed read for me.  The murder mysteries themselves were interesting and pretty gruesome.  it was great to discover and learn about Japan in the 30s and 70s. The writing wasn't anything to write home about, though I don't know how the translation influenced that.  That being said I had problems with the pacing, too much info dumping, and the second part felt boring. The explanations given about the murders and big reveal didn't really impact me or made me gasp. I was left more baffled than anything else, like the hints didn't appear clear to me. The explanations felt like a cop out, brushed off and answered too quickly.  I didn't care for the characters, especially Kiyoshi, who came off as annoying more than eccentric. I wanted to hear more of the culprit too. 
Despite an interesting concept, the execution felt lacking for me. 

Gothic historical horror following a recently widowed woman, Elsie, as she moves 
in her late husband's country estate alongside her cousin in law and stumbles across some strange painted wooden figures. 

My first 2025 truly starts with an incredible book! The author created such a dark and compelling story, where the bleak and creepy atmosphere of the house is rendered.
The story is told through alternative segments of Elsie in the mid 19th century but in different settings, while we also learn about one of her husband's ancestors who lived in the house during the 17th century. 
The writing is gorgeous and evocative, slowly increasing the tension and the doom coming upon the characters but also perfectly rendering Elsie's mental state throughout the events. There were some gruesome moments though not particularly gory, it was more of a subtle psychological horror with a great use of sounds and imagery, particularly with the painted wooden panels. 

The ending while abrupt was properly horrifying to read. 
I'll be looking forward to read more books by Laura Purcell. 

4.25 stars.  Historical fiction taking place in 1960s England where Helen, an art therapist working in a psychiatric hospital, discovers with another colleague (who also her lover), a mute and recently cloistered adult man called William who exhibits great artistic talent. 
I really liked this book ! The author had an engaging style that read smoothly.  I really liked Helen as a main character, she has her own faults and qualities and I did love her character arc, especially in regards of her relationship status. She also acknowledged her own flaws and tries to do better, her growth as a person was great to see.  Throughout the novel we learn about William's past through a series of flashbacks that shows his life as a cloistered child until his discovery by Helen. His story was truly sad and you really felt for him, though some parts felt less interesting to me, I really liked how his character ended up at the end of the book.  The various subplots were also well written but I wished we spend less time on them especially Helen's relationship with her lover that was an absolute red flag.  I also wished the book delved more on the artistic side of William and the art therapy by Helen. I'm not familiar with psychiatry and its history, but it would have been interesting to see more of the patients and doctors.  I felt the 60s atmosphere was represented well enough but I do feel it could have been more pronounced and maybe less idealistic.  Also the big reveal about one of the characters felt a bit anticlimactic.  This was overall a very good story, though not perfect but really heartwarming. 

4 stars
Literary fiction following a young Turkish American college freshman as she navigates her first year at Harvard, meeting different people and visiting Europe while teaching summer classes. 
The writing was evocative and sharp, and I love how the authors approached various themes (academic or otherwise), especially relating to language and communication. She did a great job showing the life of a university student and showing the academic atmosphere, the different countries during the 90's era. I really liked the main character, Selin, her fantastical personality and smart insights, loved how her intelligence and curiosity was mixed with awkwardness and surrealist humour. I liked the side characters, though I didn't care for the love interest.  The author did a great job showing us her personality and life on a university campus.  I personally preferred the first part and felt the novel was a bit too long for my taste and the pacing uneven, so some parts I felt bored. Plus it felt more character centric than plot centric so it wasn't a page turner kind of book.  Still despite my reservations about this novel, I'm looking forward to read the sequel. 

This a review for the collection of short stories written by Daphne du Maurier and collected by Patrick McGrath, published by New York Review Books.  What an incredible collection this was, the author's writing has a clear and engaging prose. The stories varied from horror (psychological, environmental) to speculative fiction (with elements of science fiction and fantasy) with always an underlying sense of gothic mystery.  For each story, the plot was superbly constructed with the eerie atmosphere building up suspense until the incredible twist. There's a couple of stories that didn't fully compelled me though, as such is the case with collections.  Here are my personal rating for each story. 
Don't look now 4.75 The Birds 4.75 Escort 3.75 Split Second 5 Kiss me again, Stranger 4.5 Blue Lenses 5 La Sainte-Vierge 4.25 Indiscretion 4.25 Monte Verità 4.75
Overall a very strong collection that is worth checking out, and is truly suited for a winter reading. 

Dystopian novel taking place amongst the Anishinaabeg, an Indigenous Canadian community, in Northern Ontario as Evan and the rest of his community try to survive through a total blackout at the cusp of winter. 
I absolutely devoured this book !  This was a very enriching experience as I learned about one of the many First Nation community in North America, on how they were displaced by colonisation and had to adapt to survive.  Despite the slow burn start I did like how we were kept in the dark about why everything was happening, just like the characters, so there was an underlying tension throughout the story. I also loved the horror elements especially through the Evan's dreams.  Evan as a main character was so compelling to read and I really felt for him and his family and friends, their resilience was truly inspiring to read.  I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.