“When you're older you'll come to realize that acts of kindness are few and far between in this world of ours.”                                      ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘ Ira Levin became a horror fiction pioneer by writing the infamous Rosemary’s Baby, in 1967. Actor Guy Woodhouse and his wife, Rosemary, move in to the Bramford building after a unique opportunity arose. A building that both wanted and never had any apartment available. Rosemary’s gets acquainted with Terry, a young woman that lives with the Castevets. One nights, when Guy and Rosemary approach the building after a night out, they find out that Terry committed suicide. By chance, they run into the Castevets that night and soon they develop a friendship. Rosemary eventually gets uncomfortable with the excessive and smothering friendship. Guy doesn’t feel the same, because Roman Castevet, considering Guy’s stagnated career, gives him tips and stories about his experience in the business. Once Guy’s c

"Quando fores mais velho irás aperceber-te que há poucos atos de bondade, e distantes entre si, neste nosso mundo."                                              ☘      Review in English      ☘ Como contribuição para o projeto d’A Outra Mafalda, “Lê se te atreves”, em que consistia ler livros de horror no passado mês de outubro, li Rosemary’s Baby, recomendação da Mafalda. Ira Levin escreveu o infame Rosemary’s Baby, pioneiro da literatura de horror, em 1967. Rosemary e Guy Woodhouse, ator, mudam-se para o prédio Bramford, em Manhattan. Conhecem os seus vizinhos, Minnie e Roman Castevet, que se tornam amigos do casal. Com casa nova, novos amigos vizinhos e a carreira de Guy estar a ser bem-sucedida, o casal planeia engravidar. Não é difícil chegar à conclusão de que algo mais se passa, e que tem a ver com o Diabo, talvez seja a capa fofinha. Talvez. Mas é isso mesmo, um livro sobre o oculto e o satanismo, em combinação com os valores da época, em que a mulher tinha apena

“If this isn’t hell, the devil is surely taking notes.”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   What an incredible mystery novel. The only reason I hadn’t read in one sitting was the fact that it requires a lot concentration. Stuart Turton is a travel journalist and The Seven (and ½ for US readers) of Evelyn Hardcastle was his debut novel. I won’t give any synopsis because the best way to enter Blackheath is by knowing nothing and be surprised with all the twists. All give you this though: several characters try to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle in Blackheath – Hardcastle’s property, where the action unfolds. This could be a typical Agatha Christie mystery crime novel, even though we can see the similarities with the crime master, in Turton’s writing, the author being a huge fan of hers. I can’t see any flaw in this book. I loved it all. The plot has an extraordinary complexity, without making it confusing.  According to the author in an interview, it took him 2 years to write th

“Death rarely changes how we feel about someone. Heightens it, more often than not.”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   This was a book that caught my attention by its popularity. In fact, it’s a difficult for a thriller to have a high rating. High expectations are a constant in a thriller reader, when it comes to creativity and its ability to make the heart race and the throat twisted in a knot. The Dry is Jane Harper’s first novel, an Australian author. Despite being her first novel, she won at least 10 literary awards. Aaron Falk returns to his hometown, after being chased out, to go to the funeral of his best friend from his teens, Luke Adler, and his family. It’s suspected that Luke murdered his family, killing himself after. Aaron, as a plea from Luke’s parents, starts his investigation on it, to prove Luke’s innocence.  While investigation, Aaron seems himself forced to confront his past with Luke, whatever led him to be chased out. All of this takes place in a little town a

“I don’t like to dwell on regrets. They tell you that you have not come to terms with what you’ve done.”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   I’ve received several opinions that this book was addictive and brilliantly written. However, to me, it wasn’t neither. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair is a thriller with a smidge of detective/crime novel, that won several literary awards, all of them well deserved. Something that you have to have in mind, while reading this book, is the situation revolving a romance that involves a 35-year-old man with a 15-year-old girl, where we need to make an informed and clear opinion on that. I strongly suggest read the book to the end, and then form an opinion. This leads to the question that divides worlds: how far is acceptable a relationship between an adult and a teenager (w/ 16/18 yo) with a conscious critical mind (young adult)? Well, here we meet Marcus Goldman, a writer that reach success with his first novel and finds himself with writ

“True love doesn’t always last,” I say. “It doesn’t always have to be for a lifetime”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   People you have to read Taylor Jenkins Reid!! That’s the bottom-line! That girl is a freaking genius in portraying human emotions. Emma and Jesse, high school sweethearts, leave hometown, get married and explore the world by traveling. Jesse, in a work trip, has an accident and he’s declared dead. The book begins with this: “I’m finishing having dinner with my family and fiancée, when my husband calls.” Yes, I’ve read this about 5 times to make sense of what I was reading, because I started this book without giving a look into the synopsis. Emma, being now a widow, decides to move back to her hometown to have a fresh start of life. Years later, she starts dating a friend from her adolescence, Sam. When her husband resurrects, not at the end of 3 days but 3 years, Emma’s engaged. And she’ll have to figure out who is her true love. Alright! I know! I know that this

“No one is likable from the inside out.”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   Who doesn’t know Colleen Hoover?! Readers say that she’s wonderful and, curious as I am, and loving thrillers as I do, I had to read Verity. I’ve read It Ends with Us and Confess, that I had different opinions (loved one, didn’t like the other). Truth be told, I don’t see myself liking Hoover’s books as a romantic or a drama writer, but the girl is good at thrillers! I’d seen that she worked with Tarryn Fischer (I haven’t read anything by her but Mud Vein is on the list) and considering the psychotic vibe of one of the characters, certainly that Fischer gave a hand, that gave me the more reasons to read something by Fischer. About the thriller: it’s very well constructed, such are the characters - fears, anxiety, malice, love etc. – it’s all very well characterized. The only downside is that’s predictable. Me and a fellow buddy reader (username: O Meu Reino da Noite ) only missed one aspect. Lowen Ashleigh