Adeline

slight spoilers Historical fantasy with elements of gothic mystery, ecological horror, steampunk; following the passagers and crew travelling from Beijing to Moscow aboard the Great Trans-Siberian Express train, crossing a Wild alternative Siberia at the end of the 19th century. 
This was such an incredible read.  I just loved the slow burn plot combined with the eerie, fever dream like, atmosphere of the voyage. There was a feeling of inevitability reading the encroaching wilderness wanting to invade the train and its occupants. I also loved how the train company felt like an entity pulling the strings from the shadows, contrasting with the lands of Wild Siberia.  The weird gothic atmosphere reminded me of other books like What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher or The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean.  I really liked the characters, they were all compelling to read.  I also loved the descriptions of strange fauna and flora, reminiscent of Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer.  Pacing wise, I felt that some of the answers could have been revealed earlier, some side characters were swiped off screen a bit too quickly, the ending confrontation was a bit rushed. 

4.25 stars  Mystery told through mixed media (emails, chat transcripts, school online platforms) following the students of a newly created master in multimedia art from their first assignments to their final group project which takes a turn for the worst. 
Janice Hallett wrote yet another great puzzle box mystery ! In her usual style of mixed media, she crafted a fast paced, page turning mystery full of twists and compelling (with good and bad traits) characters. I also really liked the academic and art world setting.   The plot was clever and so many of the twists really surprised me, some in a positive way while others I was less interested in or I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough. It wasn't my favourite of her books (The Appeal and The mysterious case of the Alperton Angels are still on top) but I certainly preferred it to The Twyford Code which I didn't really gel with.  I won't get into any plot points as to avoid the many spoilers there is for this book.  Still I had a great time reading this and I'll be looking forward to read her next book as always. 

*slight spoilers  Gothic historical horror, it follows newlywed Beatriz who experiences strange occurrences as she just arrived at her husband's hacienda, and her only help might be in the figure of Andrès, a priest who hides a dark secret. 
This was such a great debut novel, very reminiscent of gothic novels like Rebecca, The Haunting of House Hill or Mexican Gothic.  I really appreciated how the authors interwove historical and cultural elements of Mexico in the 19th century, taking on themes of colonialism, racism, faith, traditions, sexism.  The gothic, literally chilling atmosphere of the hacienda house was perfectly rendered especially in Beatriz's point of view, and I loved how the entity slowly destroys her physically and psychologically.  I also loved how the house was a living and breathing space, full of emotions.  Some parts had too much repetition in some of the things said or done, the reveal on who was responsible didn't feel impactful enough and the aftermath of the big showdown being a bit too dragged out, so this wasn't a perfect read.  Still this was an incredibly strong debut and I'm looking forward to reading more of Isabel Cañas' books. 

Romantic litfic about two single and lonely people, Marnie (a copywriter) and Michael (a geography teacher) who meet each other during a hiking trip from coast to coast in England. 
I really liked this wholesome, gentle story.  There was some great themes that were really well written about  loneliness, relationships, loss, marriage, social expectations, nature etc. The writing especially the English countryside descriptions was lovely to read.  Both main characters were sweet and I loved their discussions, how they respected each other, listening to one another, etc loved how the hiking mirrored their relationship growth, though I wasn't completely swept away by their story, emotionally speaking.  The plot was straightforward and without much tension and yearning, especially the ending, which is my usual preferences, so this book made for a very charming and relaxing read if a bit too dull for my taste.  I'll probably check out this author's books in the future. 

Gothic horror fiction about a young woman, Anna, vacationing in a remote Tuscan villa with her rather unpleasant family, but as she is reluctant to spend time with them as she never fit in, strange things start to happen at the villa.
I absolutely loved this book and devoured it so quickly. The writing was so tense and page-turning,  you could sense the creepiness and the weirdness so well.  I loved Anna, her intelligence, her humour, her unapologetic and unhinged moments, just a greatly complex and compelling main character (her being queer is the cherry on top).  I loved how the author transcribed the atmosphere of Tuscany with its rich cultural history and beauty in everything. I particularly liked the inclusion of Italian that added up drama and tension.  I wasn't expecting some of the plot points but I loved how the authors challenged my expectations. Though I felt the resolution was a bit abrupt, it didn't impacted my overall enjoyment.  I'll definitely check out the author's other books. 

Non fiction about the most prolific art thief of all time, Stéphane Breitwieser who, along with his girlfriend, stole more than 200 art pieces from various European countries in the late 90s-early 2000s. 
I devoured this book, well written and researched this provided a thorough look at one of the most interesting crime I ever read.  Having studied art history, the subject was definitely of great interest to me.  I loved how the author narrated the different thefts and the aftermath, it felt tense and fast paced, it was like reading a thriller.  I liked the inclusion of some of the stolen artworks and I loved the little drawings of the infamous attic where all these precious pieces had been kept. The ending notes by the author also provided extremely interesting details on his work method to make this book.  I'll be definitely checking out more about this fascinating true crime and also check out the author's other book. 

Literary slice of life fiction with magical realism elements, it follows a young Native American woman named Tookie, a bookseller and ex-convict, who is haunted by the ghost of Flora, her most annoying customer.
The book takes place in the beginning of the Covid pandemic and also includes other events for 2020 like the murder of George Floyd.  The more realistic themes of racism, literature, relationships, police brutality, pandemic, cultural appropriation, indigenous identity was intertwined with the magical realism of the ghost haunting. I loved how it was a love letter to books and bookstores, the power of reading as a tool of liberation, respect (of self and others) and knowledge.  It was really interesting to learn about Native American cultures and Tookie navigated trough her identity, she also was such an endearing and sympathetic character to me.  I really liked the side characters who were all compelling. I also loved to see some queer rep too.  The writing felt a hit too chaotic, flip flopping emotions and stream of consciousness for me. The plot was not straightforward with the ghost story aspect getting out of focus afterwards and resolved a bit too quickly. Reading other reviews, it might be that it was a deliberate choice by the author who changed the story to reflect what was happening in real life while she was writing.  The end has a list of books including some mentioned and read by the characters, which I thought was an incredible idea and I'll peruse it later on.  Overall a very good novel with some great themes and a great main character, I'll surely check out Louise Erdrich's other books. 

Space opera with elements of cosmic horror and first contact, following a group of human colonists trying to find a new planet to live, stumbling upon other civilisations but triggering the arrival of an more ancient threat while passing through an old waystation . 
This was a really good book. I loved the world building, the different alien species. As the first book in a trilogy there was a lot of exposition but not too much info dumping which made for a fast paced story. The threat of an unknown enemy was well done, and I specifically loved the parts set in the waystation that really felt creepy in a very Alien way.  More plot centric than character driven , the different characters were all compelling and complex, though some points of view and their plot points I cared less about. The story was also straightforward and there wasn't much plot twists that could have upped the tension more.  A very good debut to a trilogy I'm looking forward to read the rest of the series. 

  Literary fiction following the lives of 3 women as they navigate the trials and tribulations of their lives identities, and relationships: Mei who tries so hard to fit in England trying hard to erase the heritage of her deceased Japanese mother; Yuki a young violinist who comes to London and falls in love with her teacher; Haruka, a sex worker coming from the countryside to live in Tokyo after the death of her mother. 
This was a stunning book and an incredible debut from Hanako Footman.  Her writing is gorgeously lush and evocative, showing the emotions of her character with a profound honesty and tenderness, while tackling various important themes of belonging, racism, misogyny, sexuality, family.  The author's dual ethnicity shines through her depiction of both countries painting the atmosphere of England and Japan with dreamy and detailed imagery. The first part I liked, but I wasn't invested completely. I have to confess the second half of the book really pulled me in emotionally, as Haruka enters the story and the plot evolves into one of my favourite tropes (that I won't mention to avoid spoilers).  Being a white Belgian Italian queer woman who has lived in Belgium all my life, i have a distant relationship to my father's country, and since my mastery of the Italian language isn't good, I kind of related to several moments in the books. 
Overall an incredible debut novel and I'm looking forward to read more work from Hanako Footman. 

Horror thriller following Charlie and Eve who recently moved into an old house in the mountains. One day, as Eve is alone, a stranger and his family asks to come inside the house that was his childhood home. 
I really liked this debut novel, there are some true creepy moments though it didn't felt super scary to me .  I loved the main character, her anxious and people pleasing personality made the tension higher as I didn't know how she would react. 
The world building was super interesting, I loved the lore being slowly built through interviews, codes, forum posts and news articles. Sometimes though I feel something was missing, like there were some elements I wished the author would delve into, with several loose threads.   The pacing felt a bit off especially at the beginning which dragged and I felt the ending a bit abrupt (though I didn't dislike what the author went for). 
Overall a very good debut novel and I'm looking forward to the next work by this new author. 

Absolutely devoured this weird little sci-fi novel(la?) that satires work culture while examining broader philosophical questions about humanity, life and death.
Through a series of staff reports from the crew of an interstellar ship, composed of humans and humanoids, we see how the discovery of weird objects on a remote planet will affect them. 

Sometimes confusing, sometimes not delving enough, it  reminded me of a crossover between The Office, Blade Runner and 2001 Space Odyssey. Definitely an interesting quirky little book to read in one setting. 

Literary ecological thriller following Birnam Wood, a gardening collective as they stumbled across a farm that could make their enterprise a real success, until they realise it is also zone of interest for a certain Robert Lemoine, a mysterious American billionaire. 

I really liked the themes in this book, about ecology, politics, capitalism, corruption, privilege, environment, etc 

The book felt very wordy as in no chapters and long sentence but the writing felt easy to read. 
This was a lot more political than I thought, and sometimes it felt too much, I think I would have preferred less dumps of political/social monologues/dialogues and more dispersed throughout the novel. 
Most of the characters had positive and negative sides (like a bit insufferable and a bit naive) so they were entertaining to read especially Robert Lemoine because he felt like a proper James Bond villain. 
Some of the other dialogues/descriptions felt too superfluous, so the pacing felt a bit off to me. 

I did like the plot, the different point of views showing each major events, the different twists and I literally gasped at the end of part 2 where shit really hit the fan. The last 30 pages were insane, especially the last 5 and I actually liked the ending the author went for. 

Historical mystery set in 50s Hollywood following the making of a movie on the semi mythical princess Salome, is played by newcomer Vera. Becoming the talk of town, she's also subject to the jealousy of another cast member, Nancy, who's desperate at making it as an actress. 
Just like her previous books this was gorgeously written in SMG usual lush prose, immediately transporting the reader into the past, whereas its 50s Hollywood or ancient Judea.   I love how the writer tackled themes of racism, colourism, misogyny, fate, jealousy, lust for power, celebrity culture, vapid Hollywood in the various points of view. 
I loved Vera as a character, her resilience and dignity, how she stood up for herself. Nancy was a properly nasty person and her awfulness was perfectly rendered throughout her point of view.  It was also great seeing minor characters offering their points of view, it felt very documentary like. 
The parts retelling Salome's story were interesting and well written (especially the parallels between her, Vera and Nancy) yet I don't think it added anything substantial to most of the story.  Aside from the pacing I had problems with, I felt the ending was a bit too rushed. I also didn't care about Vera's love story. 
Overall not my favourite book from SMG but this novel still shows her strengths as a storyteller. 

Historical fantasy following several characters from various cultures in an Al-Andalus inspired peninsula during the time surrounding the Reconquista.  I loved how GGK used historical events and real civilisations to talk about broader themes of religion, faith, destiny, culture, love, family etc. Being familiar with the history of Spain during Al-Andalus and the Reconquista eras, it was great to recognise many events and reading this while vacationing in Andalusia, amongst the areas that inspired this novel, felt like even more profound reading experience.  His writing is stunning with a gorgeous poetic prose perfectly recreating the atmosphere of an elegant medieval society. His characters were all compelling and complex people and I especially loved Jehane and Ammar.  I wasn't a fan of how some important events being told rather than shown, deaths about seemingly important secondary characters happening off screen.  I really liked the ending and I was happy seeing how some of the characters ended up though I would have liked to learn about the other side characters' fate. 
Overall a great historical fantasy with gorgeous writing and interesting characters, I will definitely be reading more of Guy Gavriel Kay's books. 

I don't know if I'll do a longer and more detailed review since I'll be on holiday but let me already say : I loved this book so much I absolutely inhaled it ! such a heartfelt office comedy that made me cry several times, the romantic subplot was cute but what really touched my heart was the main character. 

I just loved her awkwardness, selflessness, empathy, petty and unhinged moments, her relationships with her colleagues etc, she was such a complex and compelling character to read about. I also loved the author touched upon her Persian heritage. 

Overall an incredible novel and debut by this author, I'll be looking forward to reading her next books! 

Horror fiction following Holly who starts to work in an old movie theatre, desperately trying to be accepted by the other workers.  This was a truly weird book but I didn't dislike it.   Th atmosphere was manic, with a fever dream quality too it as the scenes went on faster and crazier, like watching a train wreck.  There was also a sense of filth to it with lots of gory and of bodily fluids moment that felt absolutely disgusting to read. The « visions/hallucinations » experienced by the main character added to that surreal atmosphere. I loved how the straightforward writing rendered the gruesome moments very vividly though I wished the other parts were more developed or at least more shown and not told. 
I like the idea that the movie theatre was somehow the setting/location for everything bad happening, like reproducing fiction in real life, a hellish setting.  All the movie references were a great homage to cinema especially the use of movie titles for each chapters that gave an idea of the content. 

Literary fiction following Faye, a writer on a teaching trip to Greece, her encounters with friends and strangers, each telling stories about themselves and their life. 
Overall I liked this book. The writing is dense and evocative, with a lot of gorgeous sentences that I would totally highlight if I was someone who annotated their books.  Each encounter felt like a little philosophical vignette where various themes like parenthood or marriage are discussed; each  conversation makes you confront it with your own opinions and ideas.  Some stories didn't really capture my attention or there was a certain distance with the characters' stories that made for a very disconnected reading, so I didn't feel really emotionally invested. Still, I powered through this surprisingly, mostly because of the gorgeous writing.  This book would be ideal for a book club, to discuss it with fellow readers. 

slight spoilers for the ending and themes Historical fiction taking place in the summer of 1518 in Strasbourg, where a mysterious dance plague is occurring. It follows pregnant Lisbet who lives with her mother-in-law and husband, beekeepers whose livehood is threatened and welcoming back her sister in law who returns from penance because of a crime no one will name.  What a stunning book this was. I loved the lush emotional writing, with the use of present tense that made the story more vivid and engaging.  Lisbet was a great main character, I loved her complexity and realness, her quiet strength, her empathy towards others despite their differences, her love for her friends and family. I love how devoted she was working with the bees and her relationship to the forest. The other characters were compelling though I would have loved to see their points of view too.  The plot itself was pretty straightforward and there was no twist, although I did expect more about the dancing plague then the few chapters scattered throughout about the dancers.  The historical setting was really well rendered and I loved how various themes of religion, grief, motherhood, female agency, mental illness, patriarchy, homophobia, misogyny were entwined into the plot.  The bittersweet ending was really emotional to read. I also recommend reading the afterwords, that explains the historical context and how the author's personal experience also influenced one plot point. 
Overall an incredible book and I'm looking forward to read more of this author's work. 

Humorous fast paced mystery thriller, it follows Lucy who comes back to her hometown, where everyone thinks she's responsible for the murder of her best friend Savvy several years earlier but can't remember what happened that day. She crosses paths with Ben, a podcaster who is investigating Savvy's death.  I loved the main character, she was so compelling to read with her dark morbid thoughts. I loved her humour, messed up and no-nonsense attitude.  The writing was sharp and straightforward with the short chapters so it made for a quick read. I love the mix between Lucy's point of view and excerpts of Ben's podcast.  The mystery itself was super interesting and there were plenty of good twists, though I didn't really care about some subplots and minor elements. 
Overall a fun thriller I raged through. 

Dystopian literary fiction following a woman named Candace, from her parents immigrating from China to her corporate job in New York until her survival in a post pandemic USA.  
I really liked this book. The gorgeous writing and introspective story made for a interesting take on the dystopian/pandemic theme.   I loved the comparison between the virus' effect of repeating movements like a zombie and our current society, living everyday the same, doing the same routines over and over like a robot.  Other themes like the hardships of immigrants, American work culture, mass production and capitalism were also explored in accurate details. 
The main character was compelling to read, and as a millennial myself I really liked how the author portrayed her, her positive and negative sides. 
I loved the flashbacks especially those in New York and it definitely made me want to go back to visit this city.  While I loved those parts, the present time telling of Candace travelling a group of survivors interested me less and I felt the ending was a bit abrupt. 
Interestingly this book was published in 2018, so reading it now, in a post Covid era, felt both like a premonition and a reminder of what the world went through during the pandemic and lockdown. 

Fantasy retelling (with shades of sci-fi) of the classic gothic horror story The Fall of the House of Usher, it follows the ex-soldier Alex Easton who goes to visit the Usher siblings, Roderick and Madeline, after receiving a letter from Madeline claiming she's dying. 
I absolutely loved this short novel. The author did an amazing job creating a creepy and unsettling atmosphere typical of gothic horror. I loved how the author expanded the novel with a fantasy twist in the world building but also the scientific precision in describing the characteristics and effects of fungi as a disease. The themes of gender identity and sexism in society and medical practice were explored too, adding another layer to the story.  I loved the non-binary/trans protagonist and I can't wait to read more of their adventures.  The side characters were also compelling especially Argus, Alex's personal servant , and the mycologist Eugenia Potter. 
 Reading the author's note at the end, T. Kingfisher mentions ‘Mexican Gothic' by Silvia Moreno Garcia, another gothic horror tale that uses the same themes and narrative elements. I absolutely loved that book too, so if you're interested in this type of story I totally recommend reading both novels. 
An incredibly original and well written retelling of a classic gothic horror, I'm looking forward to read more books by T. Kingfisher. 

Gory horror novel with dark humour, this follows Abby, whose mother-in-law died recently from suicide after she and her husband moved into her home. Abby suspects her mother-in-law's ghost haunts her husband, putting him into a deep depression but is also trying to destroy her dreams of having a child and her job as a caretaker.  This book truly was weird and like, like a fever dream.  I loved the lush and dreamy but dark writing that perfectly renders Abby's mental state.  Abby felt very unhinged in her stream of consciousness with very fantastical, murderous and morbid rambling, but she made for a compelling character to read, like watching a train wreck. I did like seeing flashbacks of her past and her relationship with Ralph.  I did love the different styles of narration, in addition to the main character's first pov, there was also parts where the story was told like a movie or a play, it added to the weird atmosphere.  I expected more horror/paranormal moments involving the house and Abby's mother in law and husband are the beginning. The subplot involving Abby's workplace, I didn't particularly care for as well as some passages that didn't add much to the plot. The last 50 pages though were insane. 

Literary sci-fi mystery, following a forensic biologist called Pepper, whose life is changed when her biological mother, a famous but mysterious painter known for her paintings rumoured to access other universes, suddenly disappears. 
I mostly liked this book, especially the plot but also the use of alternative worlds to talk about themes of choices and consequences but also, motherhood, relationships, happiness felt original. The author's writing was really good, sharp and engaging.  The plot itself was also interesting but I felt the execution was lacking.  The main character's lack of self esteem and references to alternative versions of herself was an interesting characteristic yet sometimes of her actions and thoughts felt a bit repetitive. I did like her relationships with her adoptive mothers and with her husband especially their nerding over historical and scientific knowledge.  I felt the mixed of genres could have been smother, and I think I would have preferred to see more sci-fi, more exploration on the way the paintings work and also the character's scientific knowledge (that came a bit at the beginning and then very late into the book), 
I struggled with the pacing, especially because I felt some plot parts could have been more developed and others felt superfluous. Also the beginning was too slow and at one point as the story started to become more interesting, the pace picked up way too fast.
A good debut book with an original plot that despite a lack in its final execution, shows promise for her future books. 

Historical fiction following the intense relationship between two very different girls, Marie Antoine and Sadie Arnett, as they grow up in 19th century Montreal.  This book read as something decadent, kitsch, baroque, witty, dark.  I wasn't expecting this from the summary but as soon as I started reading this book, it was clear that this read like a feminist and queer pastiche of a Victorian novel, reimagining France in the 18th century at the cusp of Revolution by transposing the action a century later in another country. The main characters were analogous to queen Marie Antoinette, the infamous Marquis de Sade, revolutionaries like George Danton and Maximilien de  Robespierre. The different side characters were also adapted from real life historical figures and I really liked recognising all these details referring to historical figures, events and customs as it made for an engaging read. 
I also loved how the author addressed themes of female desire, empowerment, independence, queerness, sexuality, gender identity, non conformity, literature as activism, revolution, privilege, working class conditions, etc etc 
A couple of things I wasn't a fan of though:  the book felt a bit too long, some part felt superfluous and I didn't care about some  paragraphs about some of the side characters (like Sadie's family or Marie's father). Because of the tone of the book, I felt shortening its length would have made it more digestible. Also some characters were flip flopping their emotions a bit too fast. For some parts I wished the themes were better integrated into the story, as the dialogue and the character's thoughts felt like mouthpieces to the themes. 
Overall I liked this book for the themes it presented especially the queer feminist twist on historical events.  

Literary fiction with a dash of academia and sapphicness, it follows Karina, Louisa and Preston, art students in a prestigious art school and Robert a has-been artist. The four point of views shows as they evolve into the dark and twisted world of art in 2011 America with recession and Occupy Wall Street as the backdrop.  This novel did a great job showing how artists think and work on their art, the complexity of the art world in all of its facets with its different actors from artists to gallerists, collectors to activists.  
The writing was lush and evocative, with some really melancholic and sensual passages and most the plot kept me interested.  Other themes were also explored like the influence of money in the art industry, the difficulties of establishing a career in art, art as a political tool, the hypocrisy of activism, the newly found prevalence of Internet in relation to art. 
Regarding the main characters, I really liked reading about Karina and Louisa especially  the push and pull of their relationship, each with their own flaws and strengths. I particularly love seeing the yearning beneath Karina, the confidence inside of Louisa.
I wasn't a fan of several plot points, founding some resolved too quickly while others could have been explored more and I truly didn't care about Preston and his arc to be honest. Regarding Robert's arc, I largely preferred his story during the second part of the book but wished it was given more attention. 
Overall this novel showed a very good exploration of the work of artists and commerce of art.