lunedì 31 dicembre 2012

Review: Being Henry David - Cal Armistead

Title: Being Henry David
Author: Cal Armistead
Pages: 270
My rating: 
Expected publication: 2013,03,01
Plot:
Seventeen-year-old "Hank" has found himself at Penn Station in New York Ciry with no memory of anything -who he is, where he came from, why he's running away. His only possession is a worn copy of Walden, by Herny David Thoureau. And so he becomes Henry David or "Hank" and takes first to the streets, and then to the only destination he can think of -Walden Pond in Concord, Massachussetts. Cal Armistead's remarkable debut novel is about a teen in search of himself. Hank begins to piece together recollections from his past. The obly way Hank can discover his present is to face up to the realities of his grievous memories. He must come to terms with the tragedy of his past, to stop running, and to find his way home.

My thought:
I really liked this book!
First of all, the main character (Henry David, Hank or Daniel.. He has lots of names!) is so sweet, tender and perfect to cuddle I fell in love with him!
We follow Henry David while he's looking for his identity: who is he? Where does he come from? Why did he run away? Slowly, he starts to rembember things from the past: he's more than good in playing the guitar; he can ran really fast and he has a sister. But this memory is painful and he tries so hard to remember something.
During his journey, he finds friends, such as Jack and Nessa, two brothers who run away from their violent father or Thomas, a Thoureau's expert and lover who accepts Hank in his house without questioning.
Page after page, we find out more about Henry David and his sorrowful past.
At the end, when he remembers his life, I cried a lot! And I really wanted to hug him!
Despite my high rating, I didn't quite liked the end, because it's short and doesn't explain all the things that needed to be explained. Just to tell, ehat about Jack? What about Tessa? And Hailey?! I really wanted to read about the reconciliation between Daniel and his family.. Though his meeting with his dad is really marvellous! *__*
I want to know about his future, his choices, his life aterward.. I don't like to imagine too much!!

domenica 30 dicembre 2012

Review: My dead friend Sarah - Rosch

Title: My dead friend Sarah
Author: Peter Rosch
Pages: 288
Rating:    

Plot:
Mere months into recovery, Max, an alcoholic with twisted control issues, meets Sarah - the same woman that for years he's habitually dreamt will die after a botched abduction. "Doing the next right thing", a popular AA phrase he's picked up in the rooms, means befriending Sarah long enough to warn her and hope she takes him seriously. But when Sarah fells in love with Max, his newly sober thinking drives him to choose his overly devoted wife, and abandons Sarah - even when it condemns her to death. When Sarah goes missing, the NYPD suspects Max's dream may have been a prpe-crime confession. The truth, all of it, lurks inside of Max, but only by drinking again does he recapture the nerve and clarity vital to free his wife, sponsor, and himself from a life imprisoned by lies.

My thought:
When I saw the cover of this book, I was so "Oh my god, that's something interesting!".. Then I read the plot, and found it so charming I asked for the book on Netgalley. I have to be honest: if it wasn't for NetGalley, I wouldn't have finished it. Or maybe it would have asked for too much time.
Problem is that everything is spoilered in the plot: there isn't much more in the book to entartain the reader.. The idea about dreaming that a girl was going to be kidnapped and killed and then actually meeting her is challenging, no doubt about that! But then? Reading the book and finding almost nothing.. It's appalling. The story starts in medias res when Sarah is nowhere to be found. We follow both Max and Sarah in first person, but there are two big problems: they are unreliable tellers because they can't help themslves in being liars and they tell the story without any respect to logic, ratio and temporal factors.
I quite enjoyed the first part, maybe because I was still hoping that something was going to happen.. Second part? So boring I risked to fall asleep many times.
I did and did not like the way the story is written: sometimes I found it interesting, other way, quite disturbing.
Plus, Max and Sarah are strange characters. I didn't feel anything towards them ans more often then not, I found them not so enjoyable!
I liked Rachel, a strong woman who doesn't want to leave his husband even if he's an alcoholic, a violent man who has cheated on her and who is an unmanageable liar..
I liked (till it began the real subject of the book) the fact that alcoholism is threated without shame but in plain sight! Then Rosch started to tell us about every single AA's encounter.. And I became sleepy!


venerdì 28 dicembre 2012

Review: Believing the lie - George

Title: Believing the lie
Author: Elizabeth George
Pages: 688
Rating:   

Plot:
Inspector Thoms Lynley is mysified when he's sent undercover to investigate the death of Ian Cresswell at the request of the man's uncle, the wealthy and influential Bernard Fairclough. The death has been ruled an accidental drowing, and nothing on the surface indicates otherwise. But when Linley enlists the help of his friends Simon and Deborah St. James, the trio's digging soon reveals that the Fiarclough clan is awash in secrets, lies, and movies.
Deborah's investigation of the prime suspect-Bernard's prodigal son Nicholas, a recovering drug addict leads her to Nicholasìs wife, a woman with whom she feels a kinship, a woman as fiercely protective as she is beautiful. Lynley and Simon delve for information from the rest of the family, including the victim's bitter ex-wife and the man he left her for, and Bernard himself. As the investigation escalates, the Fairclough family's veneer cracks, with deception and self-delusion threatening te destroy everyone from the Fairclough patriarch to Tim, the troubled son Ian left behind.

My thought:
Elizabeth George is a Goddes for the way she creates new worlds, outstanding characters and plots so hard to seep through.
So.. Why would give her only 3 stars?!
It was really hard to finish this book and everytime I had time to read, I spent it doing something else. I fell asleep after ten pages each time and it took me almost one month to read the word "end".
The plot is not a real plot: ok, we kinda have a murder to investigate.. But it only takes 1/4 of the whole story: we encounter too many characters and sub-plots, this time and everything gets really confused. There are also too many themes to deal with: pornography, pedophilia, sterility and so on.
Problem is, I think Mrs George lost herself dealing with too many pages in her books; first novels about Linley and Havers were way shorter then the last two or three, and they were perfect! Now -altough is always pleasant going through all Elizabeth's ideas, it's getting frustrating.
Furthermore when Linley and Havers: 1) work outside London plus 2) work detached, the lose their aura, they are the shadows of themselves and not so much enjoyable, that's it!!
Isabelle Ardery.. Oh, so unpleasant! Really, I think Elizabeth George was depicting a person she disliked, while creating this character!!
But the most annoying character over all is Deborah. Seriously!! Simon is an angel, forced to listen, understand, console Deborah and fix her mistakes.
After this story, If I were him, I would have asked for divorce ._.

Ok, I know I didn't make a good description of this book, but I would recommend it to all Elizabeth George, Linely and Havers' fan, because as usual, she writes as only great writers can do. Astonishing, really!


mercoledì 26 dicembre 2012

Review: When love comes to town - Lennon

Title: When love comes to town
Author: Tom Lennon
Pages: 175
Rating: 
Goodreads

Plot: Meet Neil Bryne -try-scorer on the rugby field, prizeiwinning student, one of the in-crowd at the disco, regular guy, gay. Presenting one face to the world and burying his true feelings in fantasy, Neil manages to keep his secret. But when fantasy isn't enough and he becomes caught up in the bizzarre subculture of Dublin's gay nightlife, the pretense must end. It is the time for truth. The conseguences are both hilaroius and painful. Told with honesty, humour and originality,"When love comes to town" brings a new type of hero to modern Irish fiction.

My thought:
There are two Neils: the one that has lots of friends, who enjoys going to the bars with them and who is happy and the other that is probably the loneliest person in the whole world. He can't share with his family and his friends a frightening secret: he's gay. When he decides to reveal it to his best friend, Neil discovers a new world in which he isn't the only gay boy in the world. and he meets lots og guys like him.
I really liked the first part of this book, because Neil is such a sweet boy.. He made me feel so protective! The second part losts part of its brilliance and it's a little bit confused.
Furthermore, some themes ought to be tretead in a less superficial way, such as Daphne's death due to AIDS..
I would have liked to read about Ian and Neil! 
Praises for this book: it feels real and is peopled by great characters.. As I said, Neil is a sweetheart! *_*
By the way, the title refers to a song by U2.. :)



Me, myself and I!



Hello there!
I'm Serena, not-so-new to the blog's world: I actually have another one in italian, my first language.. 
Problem is I read english books quite often and I wanted them to be rewiewed in their language! 
So I decided to create a second blog in which I could write down only in english and here I am!

Ok, truth to be told, I enjoy looking for new skins, themes and so on and furthermore, I need a space to use for NetGalley.. 
Anyone knows it? I think i fell in love with that service! *_* Publishers send to readers their books, often unpublished yet, to earn rewiews and popularity.. I asked for lots of books, and they sent me a lot of them!

Although I always rewiew them on Goodreads, aNobii and the other blog, I do in italian and it's little use for them.. Who in this wide world speak italian? Let's face it! No-one -.-

Ok, that's all falks! :D