“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...

“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 chase...

“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...

“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 ...

“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 Noi...

“We are the dead."   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   After the first few chapters I had to put it down for a few weeks. It’s not a book to read lightly, it requires a lot of our attention and focus. When I picked the book up again, it was the best thing I’ve ever done. Orwell is a pseudonym for the author Eric Arthur Blair, a political essayist, English journalist and strong socialism supporter. There’s something to keep in mind: Orwell lived through the Great Wars, including the Spanish Civil War, where he fought against the fascism. He was a democratic socialist, that fought fiercely against totalitarianism. In fact, that is the whole point of 1984 – the totalitarianism and its way to convert the masses into renounce their liberty. I suggest, if you don’t know a bit about politics, that do a quick google search of socialism, totalitarianism, autocrats and capitalism (at least their definitions). In 1984, we see a world divided in 3 s...

“Nelson Mandela once said, 'If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.' He was so right. When you make the effort to speak someone else's language, even if it's just basic phrases here and there, you are saying to them, 'I understand that you have a culture and identity that exists beyond me. I see you as a human being”   ☘      Opinião em Português       ☘   What a book! What a Man! What a Mom! I listened the audiobook and it was amazing! For those who don’t know, Trevor Noah is a talk show host called the Daily Show, focused mainly in political humour. He’s also a stand-up comedian. Trevor Noah has a very well-placed voice, he’s eloquent and has a fantastic accent. He mixes humour into serious issues such as racism. Moreover, he has reasoned opinions since he has a great intellect and knows what he’s talking about. Trevor was born in 1984, in Johannes...

“People do go mad, you know, if you stop them from sleeping for long enough...”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   When I picked up this book, I wanted a quick and light reading and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a thriller that puts in question the supernatural, with a gloomy setting, which I love. Rowan Caine answers an employment ad to a nanny job, taking care of four children, very well paid. Rowan takes noticed of some weird and concerning situations. One of them is the fact that, in little time, several nannies started working there and left abruptly. The other is the children’s weird and quirky behaviour. Despite don’t having the stomach to watch terror movies, I can easily read terror books and feel the suspense building up in me. This book, however, failed to reach what I consider a great thriller. The writing is simple and straightforward yet too descriptive (I could easily sell that house and receive the commission based on the des...

“Muchos años después, frente al pelotón de fusilamiento, el coronel Aureliano Buendía había de recordar aquella tarde remota en que su padre lo llevó a conocer el hielo. Macondo era entonces una aldea de 20 casas de barro y cañabrava construidas a la orilla de un río de aguas diáfanas que se precipitaban por un lecho de piedras pulidas, blancas y enormes como huevos prehistóricos. El mundo era tan reciente, que muchas cosas carecían de nombre, y para mencionarlas había que señalarlas con el dedo".”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   One Hundred Years of Solitude always intimidate me for the fact that everyone told me to read it in the right time, and mightn’t even be able to read it at first but only at the second or third try. I’ve read it once, and I would read it all over again. My advice, before you enter the world of Macondo the Buendía family, is to keep an open mind and drop everything you know as possible, real or defined by our s...

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”   ☘      Opinião em Português       ☘   The newspaper “Journal des débats” published this Alexandre Dumas’ novel periodically, in 18 segments, starting in August 1844 and ending in January 1846. The Count of Monte Cristo became the most popular book in Europe. Dumas based this story on the real account od Pierre Picaud who was charged of treason by 3 friends that coveted his rich fiancée. When he got out, he started working with a cleric that, when he died, left Pierre all of his fortune. Pierre tricked one of his friends, faking his death, so that he can give out the names of his traitors. When he got what he wanted, he punished them all (fiancée included). After the revenge, Picaud was killed by the friend who told him the names. All the Bonapartist references, including the representation of some of the characters, is based on Dumas’ father, a general under Napoleon’s comma...

“I threw myself into that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn.”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   This series… GOD! The first book is based on a Beauty and The Beast retelling and the second book on another retelling (I won’t say what it is because it would be a perspicacious spoiler). I still the separation anxiety from the characters I met in this series. My throat still has a knot in it and my heart is still racing. All of this because it’s a story of overcoming life’s obstacles and personal growth, throughout of traumas, and what our peace really is, based on what we know. Standing between Young Adult and New Adult the fantasy genre that aims that public is highly underrated, misjudged and inferior by many readers. Even by High Fantasy readers. Every time that I read something that has a younger target audience (pre-teens, young adults, children), I am amazed by the way author pass through good values and emotio...

“Belonging’s two things. One who gives and one who accepts what’s given. You don’t belong to me because I can’t accept you. I can’t give you anything back.”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   This thriller tells the story of Frederick, obsessed with Miranda, an art student, decides to kidnap her. This book has a first-person narrative, through Frederick in the first part and in the second by Miranda’s point of view. I couldn’t help to compare the narrative and main character to Lolita’s, where we can’t trust what the narrator is telling us (excuses, facts, etc.) The autor puts our critical judgement to test by forcing us to accept or reject Frederick’s actions.  All what Fred wants is love?  There we see an irony where we can’t interpret an abduction as a love. Then comes the Miranda’s POV, through her diary.  When we start feeling sorry or any kind of sympathy for Fred, Miranda’s diary makes you change your mind. Fred’s ac...

“I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices and they led me somewhere else, led me to someone else. And my heart breaks for every single version of me that didn't end up with you.”   ☘      Opinião em Português      ☘   I made a promise to myself to read every published work by Taylor Jenkins Reid, after reading Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I have little interest in reading contemporary romance, except Reid. This author knows human emotion so well making us feel in our skin, our soul, what the character is feeling. She makes the most everyday chores/action seem interesting. Another aspect of Reid’s novels? The message that comes with it. Hannah, after being away for so many years trying to get a sense of her life, comes back to her hometown – Los Angeles – to live with her best friend, Gabby, and her best friends’ husband. To celebrate her return, they go on a night out with their ...