Because paradise is a library
Travel books are comfort books. They’re there to take you on a journey–always appreciated–and show you new places. Or, old places you can’t get enough of. Here We Are… on Route 66 belongs to the latter category. I think I read a decent chunk of Route 66-related books, and I’m still coming back for more: there are so many attractions, so many cool places, and signs.
So if you’re wondering why I’m reviewing books at a slower pace, here’s your answer, and Truly, Darkly, Deeply is one of those novels caught up in the bottleneck. Is it a bad thing? Well. Not really, because the delay made me realize something: I couldn’t remember the plot anymore less than a month after shelving it. If you’re grimacing right now, I wouldn’t blame you–alarm bells and the likes.
Let me be as clear as possible here: Fu’s stronger point is her style. It’s beautiful, with a unique pacing and a rhythm that amazed me from start to finish. It’s lyrical, almost poetic, and yet precise. I mean, I can’t believe Peach Blossom Spring is her first novel: Fu proves to be a top-notch wordsmith already, achieving quality levels other authors can only dream of—yeah, even the more experienced ones.
Wow. And I mean, wow. And There He Kept Her is a straight five, no questions asked; it’s also going to be in my 2022 top ten list—yeah, it’s that good. Also, it's a debut. I'm sobbing here
The Downstairs Neighbours is a thriller I picked almost as an afterthought. I had no expectations going in and I ended up being surprised—in a good way! Cooper’s debut is a captivating read, featuring mystery and secrets in equal measure.
Covering recent historical events is not an easy feat. Both authors and readers might be emotionally biased about it, and that could affect the entire experience—that’s one reason why I’m careful when selecting such stories.
Full disclosure, I love this book. I went in with my regular expectations—good technique, engaging plot—and they got blown away by Moran’s storytelling.
The long and the short of If It Rains is, it blew me away. Complex story, complex characters, an unsympathetic MC, entwined subplots, and splendid growth arcs. What’s not to love?
The Summoning has been sitting on my TBR list for quite a while, and truth be told, I had great expectations about it. A captivating premise, an intriguing plot, and the first chapter read so promising: I mean, a fake medium who scams people in order to pay the hospital bills? Talk about dubious morality and shades of grey. I was hooked. Problem is, the rest of the book didn’t deliver.
Technically, The Helsingør Sewing Club is almost perfect. No grammar mistakes, no imperfections, good syntax—Gyland’s writing skills are superior to the average. The characters are interesting too, with a captivating mix of sympathetic vs. unsympathetic in both timelines; plus, Inger and Cecile have powerful personalities, and they read as flawless as they can be. My favorite part is the historical one, but that’s just a matter of personal tastes.