A Poised Quill

Review: A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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I belong to that distinct minority who did not absolutely love this book.

~~I find myself conflicted. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had expected.~~ After sleeping on it, I can say with actuality that I did not enjoy this book like everyone else seemed to have done so. It was long and tedious for the most part. The sociopolitical commentary flew right over my head, made my eyes glaze over, and my attention wander. It wasn't a bad book per se, it just didn't...hold my interest. The Count's philosophical musings are pockets of wisdom, but it often felt like I needed to have quite a bit of a background on Russia's history to be able to understand half of what's written on this book. It also felt like reading a lengthy, pretentious, and pompous essay--one that feels like I was forced to read in class--instead of a story.

There were various nuances of the story I wish were focused on: the relationship of the characters, parenthood, and even the unique circumstances of a house arrest. But instead, I got a long-winded meditation that honestly, made me want to abandon the book multiple times. I didn't hate the book. I just don't think the amount of time I spent reading it and trying to understand it was really worth it.

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Review: The Shadow of the Wind

The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
My rating: 4.5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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What a whirlwind. This is probably one of the most elaborate reads of my life and it makes for one very beautiful book. I dove into Daniel Sempere and Julian Carax's stories not knowing what to expect from the plot or of the story line; the blurb didn't give away much. I didn't expect to be swept away completely. It is a very slow read--that I can comment on hence, the imperfect rating--but don't let that dissuade you. It's a long journey, and the unhurried pace Zafón set up for the me, the reader, allowed me to relish and soak in the flavours he established: the bitterness of longing and loneliness bled through each page, and that melancholy from all the intertwined characters gave a warm sweetness that spreads over your palate. It pulls you into a different layer of yearning that can only be drawn through masterful empathetic character writing. Wonderfully dark and delicious.

For a while, it also brought me back to my nights in Paris a few years ago (read about it here). It reminded me of the mystery, chill, and the gothic vibe that perpetually cloaks the City of Love even in these modern years. On the other hand, I may not be able to explore Barcelona now because of the pandemic, but it feels like I've lived vicariously already through Zafón's novel. It instilled in me, however, a renewed longing to see Barcelona and the rest of the world, and live my own mystery and adventure in a strange and foreign city.

They were right. This is the ultimate love letter to literature.
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A few of my favorite quotes from The Shadow of the Wind:

"Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you."

"Making money isn't hard in itself. What's hard is to earn it doing something worth devoting one's life to."

"You women listen more to your heart and less to the nonsense. That's why you live longer."

"What is really killing him is loneliness. Memories are worse than bullets."

"Time goes faster, the more hollow it is."

"There are no coincidences. We are puppets of our subconscious desires."

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Review: Smaller and Smaller Circles

Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Borrowing from the vocabulary of the great Stephen King, unputdownable.

This book provides a more than your raw and gritty crime fiction. This provides a shrewd look into institutions--both in our criminal justice system and in the Roman Catholic Church. It is laced in politics and for the first time in a long while, I didn't mind. In hindsight, I realized that you really couldn't write about Manila without getting political. This book served like a slap in the face of our political system and even the piousness of the Church. It's a juicy and interesting take on Philippine politics set in a whodunit. It's layered and multi-faceted. It gives the readers a glimpse at the affluence of the rich marred with corruption, and a jarring picture of poverty deeply rooted in even more corruption and social diseases.

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.9 stars
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I have considered DNF-ing this book numerous times halfway throughout. I'm so glad I didn't. The format takes a lot of time to get used to and the different tones adapted by the different characters constantly threw me off-balance. When I was just in the process of getting used to a character's specific way of speaking, a different tone and language will be adapted by the next character. During the first half, it was really difficult to follow. I can truly understand why a lot of readers didn't bother finishing this book. But I pushed through, because however difficult the format was, the story was so beautiful, and the characters were all so interesting.

The entire story revolved around the night of Willie Lincoln's internment, during which President Lincoln visited his son after the funeral. A war had just started, both in the world, and inside Abe Lincoln's heart. The turmoil and grief within President Lincoln was depicted holistically in the book; it was impossible to not get pulled in. Willie's arrival in the bardo became a source of excitement for the other "citizens" of the graveyard. During this night, characters from the graveyard got to tell their stories, and each story was as unique and heartbreaking as the next. I was rooting for Willie, but I was rooting more for Bevins, Vollman, and the Reverend. It was Willie's story, but it's as much as Bevin's and Vollman's stories too. While it revolves around historically facts of Willie's death, the entire book was wholly imaginative and unique, my mind refused to put it down.

I would have enjoyed this story much more if the format followed a more conventional type. But even with how it is written now, it was still beautiful and unforgettable.

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Chasing The Skies Across England

I first noticed the skies on that glorious first day in London. We were walking around Covent Garden, just off of a well-deserved buffet at Mr. Wu after a 16-hour flight. As we were strolling around the Piazza looking for the perfect red photobooth, I looked up to see the sky with nary a cloud in sight. London is notoriously known for its bleak weather. It's "grey-ness" and dreariness. But on that first day, it was the opposite. The skies spilled with my favorite color as if welcoming me home. It was a vast space of perfect seamless gradient blue blanketing the city, the color progressing from electric blue to a muted shade of cornflower. It was akin to staring at the ocean if it were hanging above you instead of beneath you. Back at Ludgate Hill, the cross-topped dome outline of St. Paul's Cathedral poised against the cobalt blue. The English baroque church stood pale and resplendent, with its stonework looking incredibly whitewashed by the afternoon sun.

Drifting Across England - St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral viewed from King Edward Street

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.8 stars
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To be honest, I dived into this book with the wrong mindset. During the first book, I was waiting for a noble and heroic twist to the story--something loud, grand, and thundering. Gradually, I realized this isn't always played out as such in real life. It’s usually a steady progress and manifolds from generation to generation. It's probably the reason why I didn't shed any tear on any tragedy the characters went through. That doesn't mean I didn't feel their pain, but it was subtler than resounding.

This book was not an easy read. A family saga told through four generations and gave me a glimpse of the relationship of Korea and Japan. Much like the author herself, before this book, I was not aware of the Japan Annexation of Korea. This book gave an insightful and educational tale of the state of Korea during World War II and the plights of Koreans in the hands of foreigners.

Dune by Frank Herbert
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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This felt like an absolute chore to read. :( The entire time I was reading it, I would catch myself considering on DNF-ing it. But I felt the need to give it multiple chances and to see it through. I did and I can now honestly, and without bias, say: Nope.

I've enjoyed the first part where their characters and world were introduced--the move to Arrakis and a glimpse of the Atreides dynamics. But the political turmoil being introduced on a very new political system (new in a first-time-reader's mind) became very hard to digest and follow. It became a headache to follow through who is betraying who, and the motives behind the betrayals.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
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I am blown away. A clever book within a book. It offers a retrospective study of the structures and elements of whodunits through the eyes of a publishing house's editor. It's a story and a study all in one volume. It is challenging enough to write one story, but to incorporate another within one is another thing. It shows grit and mastery.

Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, Volume I by Arthur Conan Doyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on my blog: A Poised Quill! :)
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It took me a few months to finish this, but I pushed on. It took a few pages to get used to. The late 19th century writing style is something I was previously unaccustomed to, hence the slow pace, but soon enough it grew on me. The gothic and gloomy vibe laced each novel and short story with deliciously dark undertones distinctive of Victorian England. I soon learned to love the long-winded and detailed narrations, all with the purpose of building up the feeling of suspense and anticipation of the big reveal.

What is it that I loved about Sherlock Holmes? Obviously, his practical application of logic is a gift I am entirely in awe of. But his sheer eccentricity amplifies that which he is best known for: his undeniable powers of observation and deduction. His relationship with the other characters in the novel provides his character with layers. I have yet to meet and read a more interesting sleuth as he. No disrespect to Christie's Poirot who remains one of the first detectives I've loved and is as formidable as Holmes, but Doyle's detective proves more layered and flawed in personality. One which I am more drawn to and makes an interesting read. Sherlock Holmes will remain as my favorite fictional detective.

A few of my favorites were The Final Problem and the stories under The Return of Sherlock Holmes. I will definitely be continuing with Volume II, but I need a bit of rest and space from Sherlock. I need a change of scene for a while before I accompany him and Watson again on their adventures.

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Strasbourg: A Doorway to Nostalgia

Prelude:

One of my favorite things to do when I was a little girl was read this book of fairy tale collections my dad had bought me. It was a book with a tale for each day of the year. No matter how many times I’ve finished and run through the book--whether religiously keeping up with the fairy tale of the day, or reading with total abandon finishing an entire month’s worth of stories in one night--I would always go back to it and re-read it. Being sickly and socially awkward, I didn’t have the patience for any other more ‘active’ play then, so reading became my most favorite thing to do. That fairy tale book survived a lot of relocation and house transfers. I still have it on my shelves. It contained most of my favorite stories from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, made alive only by the overactive imagination of 8-year old me. I casually browse through every once in a while when I miss my dad.

Earlier this year, I first stepped into Europe when we arrived in Paris. It was a surreal experience, hopping off the plane with a bag full of expectations. Paris was an urban artsy jungle: bigger, badder, and more flamboyant than I originally anticipated. Frenzied but a happy mess. However, nothing had prepared me for what followed when we visited northeast of France.

Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace Region. It straddles the border of France and Germany, which makes it an interesting blend of French and German influence. When we stepped out of the Gare de Strasbourg after a 2-hour train ride from Paris, what immediately hit me was the cold. The temperature during our visit was 4°C. I tightened the scarf around my neck and buttoned up my coat. The day had just begun and I could already hear my limbs creaking and stiffening from the cold.

Strasbourg, France

As we walked from the station to the Centre-République, I can already see the traces of German influence from the surroundings. Although, it was still predominantly Gallic with its old French elegance--mansard roofs, jutting dormer windows and faux-balconies. But as we drew nearer to Ponts-Couverts, everything gradually turned rustic. The cream colored buildings were replaced by ones with richer reddish-brown walls and roofs with bellcast eaves, white and delicate exterior window shutters were replaced with ones in timber. Romanesque in style, characteristics of 17th-century Germany. Houses that reminded me of The Elves and the Shoemaker, and towers that, oddly enough, reminded me of Rumpelstiltskin.

Setting the Scene: Back To Hogwarts

I approached the scarlet steam engine, my trolley trailing behind me. Dazed and overwhelmed at the sight of it. The last time I saw the Hogwarts Express was at the start of my 7th year many years ago.

© Bobbie Rebultan

The platform wasn't crowded yet; only the early and earnest few were around. My hands quivered, and a queasy feeling made its way from my stomach to my chest. I realized I was having a panic attack. Automatically, my senses keyed in to where my wand was tucked inside my coat pocket, ready whenever I need it. I took a deep breath and tried to slow my breathing. I took out my ticket, desperately clutching it with clammy hands, afraid I'd loose it along with the chance of a lifetime.

A Kiss of Paris

I hauled my heavy luggage out of Ourcq station, and up the Metro stairs. It was starting to rain. Fat drops pelting against my glasses with increasing intensity. I was bone-tired and unprepared. The 18-hour flight made my vision blurry, and all the sugar I've ingested made me fidgety. I looked towards Borgy already struggling with multiple bags. A soft-eyed gentleman making his way up the Metro offered me a hand with carrying my luggage, but I politely refused, not wanting to cause any trouble for anyone. I dashed across the pavement dragging my damp bags. The brown awning of Le Concorde gave us temporary shelter. We looked out at the empty avenue. Hardly any cars passed the street. Only a few people were around, a handful in parkas and coats bent over and, like us, running to the direction of restaurants' awnings, trying to escape the rain. Belatedly, I realized that this dreary day is the first real look I'm getting at Paris.

Canal de l'Ourcq Quayside at Paris France

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Magic, Londons, princes, a stubborn and strong-willed girl, and a nefarious plot with a confusing albeit cliché execution. It lacked.... something . I started the book as someone from afar, an audience watching things unfold, and I ended the book feeling exactly the same: just an audience and not part of the story. The story and characters all felt one-dimensional.

The setting and premise were what drew me to glance at this book in the first place. The reviews and ratings were what convinced me to pick it up. Sadly, I was not as roped in to the story as I hoped I would be. Everything was a dark matter-of-fact, and to be honest, a bit flat. Where Strange the Dreamer overflowed with emotion, this book lacked it. It lacked depth. It didn't feel immersive, which is such a total waste. I loved the world it built, but was disappointed with how shallow the book ran.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
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For a few minutes after reading the last page, I was speechless. Strange the Dreamer is so wonderfully and ingeniously crafted. The world Taylor created is a breath of fresh air from the desolation brought by the real world and by the era of post-apocalyptic dystopian novels. The world within this book is fantastical and rich. There is also a sense of other-worldliness at how she writes. And it isn't just purely whimsy, it has humor and mystery. The setting was built in rich detail and background. The story has great pacing within the three-quarters of the book, but it slowed down towards the remaining quarter when I was already on the edge of my seat itching for things to pick up. This is actually one of the reasons why I didn't give this book a perfect score. Towards the end, there were chapters dedicated to Lazlo and Sarai's discovery of each other in dreams. That is, discovery in a physical sense. Their 'getting to know' stage left a bad taste for me. Lazlo being Lazlo, the dreamer (and the romantic), gave way to what I can only call with a shudder as corny. It was too...contrived. The emotions ran heavy, cloying, and flamboyant, as opposed to the hard-edged but muted manifestation of Eril-Fane and Azareen's story. Lazlo and Sarai's meetings and relationship were built in dreams which didn't give me a sense of validity at all. Their love story seemed rushed and only to serve as the plot device of the book. But again, I have to give credit at how Taylor writes prose beautifully by way the book ended. (view spoiler on Goodreads!)

Goth by Otsuichi
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Creepy, but still feels so....disconnected. The stories didn't draw me in. Most times it was just boring. This isn't as engaging as Battle RoyaleBattle Royale, nor as interesting as ConfessionsConfessions. I had high expectations for this book simply because I regard Japanese literature as uniquely crafted, but Goth just didn't work out for me. The characters were too devoid of emotions, which I know is the point of the novel, but it drew no sense of believability. Without it being believable, every story just sounded ridiculous. I guess the problem I had with this is how the chapters are just short stories of Morino and her classmate's interactions with killers. But these killers were not built with the same development as the main characters. These killer just seem so abrupt and absurd. I detected a sinister character development with the two main characters (more with the boy than with Morino, which is another source of disappointment), but even that was rushed. The rest of the characters were just treated as background noise. I would have enjoyed this book if it focused on one or two killers, and narrated the story around them.

The only reason I'm not giving this a one-star rating is because of the chapter entitled Memory/Twins. That was the only chapter that provided me with the right blend of horror, mystery, and emotion from the book. Despite the twists, the other stories were narrated with a monotonous feel, and I just wanted to get it over with.

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Review: Human Acts

Human Acts by Han Kang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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If I could rate this higher, I would.

It is set during different eras, and centers around the story of Dong-ho, a boy killed during the Gwangju Uprising in 1980 when Martial Law is still in effect in South Korea. This is rawness that goes straight to your core. Told through six point-of-views, the narrative echoes with pain, trauma, and guilt, effectively silencing my usual skittish thoughts. Dong-ho's soul and presence resonates all throughout the narrative. It is unsettling and riveting at the same time. Each chapter gives you different views of human suffering. Is cruelty and suffering all that makes one human? It bathes you with realization after realization of the weakness and tenacity of a human soul.

The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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Full disclosure: This is my first Nesbø book, and I've read that this book stands on its own. So no, I haven't read any of its predecessors on the Harry Hole series.

I genuinely tried to really love this book simply because many of my fellow readers sang praises to it. But it was a difficult tread from start to finish. Maybe I expected too much. For a 500-page crime/thriller, it lacked the suspense I was expecting. It only became remotely exciting towards the last part--when the confrontation happened. The only other thing I loved about this is how Nesbø built the character of the serial killer--thorough and definite. In the end, there is absolutely no doubt surrounding the killer's insanity.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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The Night Circus feels like a dream. The ambiance from start to finish was splendid. It started off pensive and whimsical, until it gradually progressed to a darker undertone. There's nothing graphic about the novel, but certain chapters left me feeling...derailed. The challenge was obscured and remained a confusion to me up until the end of the book, but I didn't mind. The mystery kept me tethered to the story.

Pines by Blake Crouch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
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I honestly don't know how I feel about this book yet. It's definitely a strong start towards a trilogy, but I was expecting....more. As Crouch noted, Pines is inspired by the 90's cult classic Twin Peaks. While I am not entirely familiar with Twin Peaks, I do notice the similarities of the thematic "creepy town" vibe. The novel is a combination of horror and science fiction, and makes for an enthralling and unique read. However, the first book lumbered along and it was incredibly frustrating not knowing anything at all. To be fair, the book ended on a definite note. You're certain that there's a sequel, but you get a sense of satisfaction at the way the first book ended. It can stand on its own.

Would I be continuing with the next books on the series? DEFINITELY, because I'm still expecting Wayward Pines to live up to the ~~good~~ great reviews.

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Review: Final Girls

Final Girls by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This review is also found on Goodreads! :)
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I AM STUNNED. 😨😨😨

This belongs to my Top Reads of 2017. Every chapter put me on edge. This book made me feel a range of emotions from start to finish. Admittedly, the most common was frustration. The book was frustrating most of the time because of the presence of Sam/Tina. Another source of frustration was Quincy's recklessness. I really done know if that recklessness comes with being a Final Girl, or is it recklessness that comes with being Quincy? Wherever it came from, it became a constant source of irritation for me.

This is one of those books that gives twists one after the other, without being too confusing, and without being too absurd. Just when you thought you had it figured out, it pulls you again to another direction and it will leave you reeling. It's one of those stories that makes you feel complacent one moment knowing you understand it, but then you realize you absolutely know nothing.

It's a horror/mystery and it did a mighty job at scaring and leaving me breathless from the twists. I am looking forward to re-reading this book and reconnecting all the clues to have a better grasp of the story and be amazed all over again with Sager's brilliance.

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