Hélène Louise's Blog, page 7
September 5, 2020
« Le premier Halloween de Brocéliande » au format papier !
Cette année, pour fêter l’automne qui s’avance à pas menus, je vous propose au format papier « Le premier Halloween de Brocéliande« , une nouvelle écrite l’année dernière. Ses thèmes avaient été choisi en collaboration avec mes abonnés sur Instagram, et l’expérience avait été très amusante et riche d’enseignements !
Pour vous procurer cette nouvelle, le plus sûr est de la pré-commander dès aujourd’hui. J’en ferai imprimer un petit nombre de sûreté, mais pour le lancement de ce tout nouveau format il est difficile d’avoir une idée de nombre de personnes intéressées, d’où le système de pré-commandes.
J’avais lu l’histoire en story le soir d’Halloween et proposé la nouvelle en lecture libre au format numérique, ici. Cette année, suite à de nombreuses demandes, j’ai décider de publier la nouvelle, comme un mini livre. J’ai dû beaucoup travailler, faire imprimer un si petit format n’est pas chose facile !
La nouvelle est au prix de 6 €, hors frais de port. Ceux-ci s’élèveront, par exemple, à 1,94 € (lettre verte) pour la France ou à 0,95 € (Europe) ou encore 1,61 € (reste du monde), grâce au tarif spécial promotion de la francophonie. N’hésitez pas si vous habiter hors de France !
C’est une histoire d’une trentaine de pages, pour un tout petit livre, un livret ! Une chouquette, une lecture d’une bouchée pour le soir d’Halloween, ou tout autre moment douillet. Ce n’est pas une histoire pour enfants, mais sans rien d’inadapté pour eux.
Pour pré-commander, veuillez m’envoyez un mail à l’adresse suivante : halloween.broceliande@gmail.com, je vous indiquerai la démarche à suivre. La pré-commande clôturera samedi 12 septembre à 22 heures.
L’envoi des commandes se fera début octobre 
June 19, 2020
Flyaway – Kathleen Jennings
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In a small Western Queensland town, a reserved young woman receives a note from one of her vanished brothers—a note that makes question her memories of their disappearance and her father’s departure.
A beguiling story that proves that gothic delights and uncanny family horror can live—and even thrive—under a burning sun, Flyaway introduces readers to Bettina Scott, whose search for the truth throws her into tales of eerie dogs, vanished schools, cursed monsters, and enchanted bottles.
In these pages Jennings assures you that gothic delights, uncanny family horror, and strange, unsettling prose can live—and even thrive—under a burning sun.
Holly Black describes as “half mystery, half fairy tale, all exquisitely rendered and full of teeth.” Flyaway enchants you with the sly, beautiful darkness of Karen Russell and a world utterly its own.
I have been interested by this book since a long time, to start with the wonderful cover (made by the author themselves), then by the presentation (all that I liked!) and to finish the blurb, as I have loved many Holly Black’s books.
Hum. Flyaway is clearly for me a « hit or a miss » and, if I didn’t really disliked this story, I didn’t find much to get my teeth into.
What I rather liked was the immersion in the characters’ world, even if I was disappointed by the lack of substance in their story, where much is hinted and nearly nothing is really explained. Coincidentally I was rereading at the same time two favourite books of mine, « We’re all completely fine » and « Harrisson Squared » by Daryl Gregory, and thought their stories infinitely superior, for very similar promises (or so I thought).
Then, I didn’t understand the necessity of such a long preamble for such a short story (short stories should be riveting in my opinion) especially as it seemed only there to expose the author’s style. If you think about skimming all the pretty sentences, there wouldn’t be much remaining of the story, which is always a irredeemable flaw for the reader I am. I’m not much of an admirer of stylistic effects, but you may make your own idea by reading the extracts below!
Extracts:
« She tried to ignore it, not to find a pattern, but there were -feelings. Impressions of violet shadows and chill golden sunlight, the twisting nets of liquid day through brown water, the scudding lights of high clouds at dawn, the blazing of stars in blue night and beneath all that, echoes of darkness like centuries in rocks, and the promise of the unknown behind bleak hills. »
« The stories of Inglewell, like the tellers, are hybrids of tales from distant woods and forests. I cannot believe our silky oaks, and ironbarks, the shimmering brigalow are less handsome than those fabled groves, but the stories (even those, like us, half-made here) fit them uneasily. »
(I thank Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
The Angel of the Crows – Katherine Addison
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This is not the story you think it is. These are not the characters you think they are. This is not the book you are expecting.
In an alternate 1880s London, angels inhabit every public building, and vampires and werewolves walk the streets with human beings in a well-regulated truce. A fantastic utopia, except for a few things: Angels can Fall, and that Fall is like a nuclear bomb in both the physical and metaphysical worlds. And human beings remain human, with all their kindness and greed and passions and murderous intent.
Jack the Ripper stalks the streets of this London too. But this London has an Angel. The Angel of the Crows.
I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw who wrote it, as « The Goblin Emperor » was an extraordinary read and I also loved the series « Doctrine of labyrinths », wrote under the name of Sarah Monette, the other author’s publishing names. The fact that I was quite interested by the book’s themes also helped.
As usual in the author’s books, the story was very easy and confortable to read, with good dialogues, splendid characters and touches of mysteries about them. What I liked less maybe is the adaptation of the story of Jack the Ripper, and others Sherlock Holmes ones, I’d have preferred an original detective story. But fortunately the angel theme, thoroughly used and imagined, was quite enough to make for it!
To conclude a very good read, and I really hope that a sequel is to be expected, particularly as I’m not sure about some things about Watson and will love some personal development!
(I thank Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
March 28, 2020
Miss Charity – Marie-Aude Murail
Voici ma chronique écrite il y a dix ans !
Le livre qui m’a fait découvrir l’autrice
March 21, 2020
Vos animaux et le Covid 19
Selon l’OIE (Organisation mondiale de la santé animale), et l’ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité alimentaire, de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail), avec les données actuellement connues, les chiens et chats n’ont pas de rôle épidémiologique connu dans la dissémination du COVID-19.
Aucun animal ne doit être abandonné !
La vaccination, de même que les actes de médecine préventive, ne relèvent pas d’une situation d’urgence vital pour l’animal.
La vaccination des animaux domestiques doit donc être reportée pendant toute la période de confinement déterminée par le gouvernement afin de limiter les risques de contamination pour les équipes soignantes et les propriétaires par le Covid-19
Rappel : Téléphonez systématiquement à votre vétérinaire avant tout déplacement
De façon consensuelle, il est recommandé de ne pas laisser sortir les chats ni les chiens, afin de limiter les risques de leur contamination notamment par des parvovirus, conduisant à terme à rompre le confinement recommandé. Les propriétaires devront veiller à respecter des règles d’hygiène habituelles pour éviter d’introduire des virus dans le domicile, par exemple en ne laissant pas l’accès libre aux chaussures (qui peuvent être vecteurs de virus) pour les chiens et les chats.
Gardez vos animaux auprès de vous de manière à ce qu’ils ne soient pas en contact avec d’autres animaux (pour leur sécurité pendant cette période, où la vaccination doit être suspendue) et pour ne pas leur faire jouer un rôle – passif – dans la propagation du coronavirus (de manière inerte, comme le ferait un objet)
Dans le cas contraire, les sorties devront être les plus courtes possibles, en évitant tout contact avec d’autres animaux, et en veillant à ce que l’animal soit tenu en laisse et surveillé constamment, ce qui limitera considérablement le risque d’infection.
Gardez vos chats à la maison ou sortez-les en milieu clos sous surveillance / en laisse
A la levée du confinement, les propriétaires devront se rendre chez le vétérinaire qui analysera les conséquences sur la protection des animaux concernés, et proposera la solution la plus adaptée pour la maintenir ou le cas échéant la rétablir.
A la levée du confinement nous verrons avec vous ce qu’il convient de faire pour restaurer, si besoin, la couverture vaccinale de vos animaux.
~ pour vos déplacements auprès de votre vétérinaire
pendant la période de confinement ~
N’oubliez pas de télécharger et d’imprimer l’attestation de déplacement dérogatoire en cochant la case :
« déplacements brefs, à proximité du domicile, liés à l’activité physique individuelle
des personnes, à l’exclusion de toute pratique sportive collective, et aux besoins
des animaux de compagnie. »
March 18, 2020
Petit cadeau pour aider à passer le temps…
Pour aider ceux qui doivent rester confinés chez eux, voici l’occasion de lire gratuitement « Vauvert », au format numérique.
Vous pourrez le télécharger gratuitement ici pendant 5 jours, du mercredi 18 mars 2020 au lundi 23 mars, 8 h, et le lire sur n’importe quel de vos appareils en téléchargeant l’application gratuite du site de lecture.
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J’ai choisi de vous offrir ce titre parce que c’est une histoire positive, gaie, qui plaît autant aux petits qu’aux grands. En lecture non accompagnée un bon lecteur pourra le lire dès l’âge de dix ans, mais ce sera également une très bonne lecture familiale, lue à haute voix !
J’espère que ce petit cadeau en cette période bouleversée et bouleversante vous fera plaisir, et que vous aimerez suivre les aventures de Mélissandre, qui a vécu confinée chez elle jusqu’à ses douze ans et va enfin découvrir une toute nouvelle vie.
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Mélissandre a deviné depuis longtemps que son confinement à la maison, en la seule compagnie de ses parents, n’était pas habituel.
Mais elle vient seulement d’apprendre que les manifestations extraordinaires qui accompagnent ses accès de colère sont peut-être uniques au monde.
Un ami de la famille lui propose alors de rejoindre Vauvert, une école mystérieuse, cachée aux yeux du monde et dont tous les élèves, comme Mélissandre, sont affligés d’une Particularité…
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Si vous souhaitez en savoir un peu plus, cliquez ici !
March 7, 2020
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton
Well.
If I understand perfectly the popularity of this book, and liked it for some aspects, it still is very disappointing for many points.
What I liked:
– The writing is good, with a strong atmosphere, and there’s no frustration in the beginning, the reader gets to understand the particularities of Aiden’s situation all in good time, that’s too say, rather early.
– The choice of making Aiden living, not only in his hosts’ bodies but in their minds, without any or very very few of their memories, but with their disposition, temperament and brains is rather awesome, and beautifully spun.
– The persona of the Plague Doctor is interesting and well used to create a strong sense of dread and hope mixed together. The footman’s one is just okay, a little bit over the top, though.
– The all hoops thing is interesting to ponder about, as this kind of theme always is.
What I didn’t like:
Firstly are the so numerous many logical flaws.
– When Aiden awakes in his first body, he only thinks that he’s suffering from a dramatic memory loss. He remembers absolutely nothing about him, just generalities as how to speak and eat and dress and so on. But when somebody hints that he should go home and all will be fine, he agrees, never wondering how he will live without knowing anything about his home, his job (he’s a doctor) his family, his anything!
In the same trend, when the Plague Doctor explains the whole thing, how he’ll have tolive eight times the same day in eight different bodies and explain the murder in the end and if he fails he’ll have to do it all over again, Aiden doesn’t ask The Question! Anybody would have asked, even as overwhelmed as Aiden is, « how many times do have I already done these eight days ? »! But no. The reader have to wait quite a long time before the Plague Doctor answers The Question (about thirty years; that’s so not a detail! For instance in « Groundhog Day » we have an indication by the character ability to play the piano in the end, it’s not irrelevant to know about the time, the real time, it’s fondamental for our brains!)
– There are a lot of violence in the story, during one day in one place, people disappear, are badly hurt, are murdered, and nobody seem to care, the show must go on, really?
The main coherence is very weak. The story, as told in the end, is interesting in itself. But the manner used by Aiden to solve it is, in my eyes, completely absurd. He does that, and say that, and ask that, but why? No explanation is never offered, no logical steps are never set out, he does all that randomly (well maybe not, maybe I’m just plain stupid :P), haphazardly, and it works!
I really liked the beginning, but the more I read, the more I felt lost and confused. I know that my memory at the first contact isn’t good, it never was, but one could hope that having the possibility to see the same day eight times, even the wrong order and from eight different points of view, will conduct to more enlightenment in the end of the book.
I couldn’t help thinking that the author was voluntarily muddling about to make the final revelations more stunning. It didn’t work for me.
– The author seems to believe in insta-friendship: Aiden spends one hour with Evelyne, he’s her bestie forever, she’s lovely, and kind, and considerate, she deserves the best. That for three or four hosts, then he began to forget a bit about his infatuation. In the same time he develops (in eight days only and in a few hours spent together, all in all) an other insta-friendship with Anna.
I never felt any real attachement between Aiden and Anna; the author insist, and insist, but their relation could never be more then a strong alliance in hard times.
How could Aiden’s friendship with Anna be dependable when he was able to develop the very same kind of friendship after a few hours with Evelyne, whom wasn’t even a real person? The author in the same time proves us that Aiden could develop an everlasting affection for a fraud and affirms that his affection for Anna is sufficiently valid to justify his attitude towards her, even when he finds out the truth about her?! To forgive her what she did without any doubt or reluctance?
How very very weird…
(To digress, the subject of the responsibility for ones acts one could be hold for, if all their memories were erased, is a fascinating one, and would maybe have deserved more development)
There is also one very unattractive flaw in this book: the fat-shaming.
One strong point about the narration is the very realistic way in which Aiden awakes and lives in the different bodies of his hosts. I understand how it could be strange, and awkward, and tiring for him to be in the body of an oldish obese man. But I was made very uncomfortable by the insistance of the author of lavishly describing the disgusting body of the host (nothing would be spared) and telling us is the same breath that the host is a bad person.
There is one a hint of empathy, when Aiden wonders how someone could get so obsessed and miserable about food, and the host is described very clever. But I can’t remember a real explanation about his supposed malignity. He’s disgustingly fat and so is his character: that’s the logic.
Grossophobie / fatphobia is disgusting, Stuart, not fat persons!!
The ending:
As expected I imagined some explanations (not for the murder, as explained earlier I didn’t feel that I had the clues for that) but about the reality behind the whole thing. I thought about a game (the text of presentation tries to make the reader believe it) or about a very innovative way of curing brain disorders. The author’s idea is great, and I liked it.
But, but… where is the end? The real ending? When the reader learns about the reality behind the scenes? How does it work? Are they in real bodies? or are they clones? androids? is it in fact a cerebral simulation or such?
No explanation is ever offered, what a very lazy author! Booooh!
I absolutely loathed such open endings: « Go and chose your own explanation, dear reader; I haven’t one ready to be honest, and no time to lose thinking about it, but please indulge yourself, your guess will be good as mine! »
He could at least made an effort, but no. Aiden and Anna just go away, in their bodies, Anna have spend 30 years in hers, still young, yep, Aiden just keeps the last he got as a host, he’s not interested about his real body of real life, and they just… walk away, riding in the sunset ^-^
To conclude a very original idea, good writing, a sense of atmosphere, but an execution somewhat wobbly, and personal flaws lurking about (pretty women are to be cherished and can’t, deep down in their heart, be really bad, plain ones who hide behind make-up are very possibly very bad, obese men are mean and despicable), and a very childish way not to concern himself with the rigours of coherence and logic.
March 5, 2020
Firewalkers – Adrian Tchaikovsky
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A very good novel in a young adult science-fiction after post apocalyptic scenery.
I appreciated that the post apocalyptic aspect wasn’t too much moralising, letting the place for the story to unfold and expand, as an inventive and rather creepy tale!
I also loved the three main characters, each one has a credible and nuance personality, without tiresome stereotype. The psychology was sane and believable.
A very good story, with characters in 3D a strong atmosphere – as in all the author’s books I’ve read so far.
A superb read!
Note : for now this book seems to be published (in May 2020) only as an ebook (rather too expansive, I wouldn’t have bought it) and a (very expansive too, the same) hard cover book – a signed limited edition. I hope that some accessible editions will be proposed in the future, it’d be a shame that this book which is, after all, a YA book, couldn’t be purchase and read by its supposed readers!
(I thank Netgalley and Solaris for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
February 13, 2020
A Conjuring of Assassins – Cate Glass
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A very good sequel to « An Illusion of Thieves », with a new fascinating adventure, good characters’ developments and a strong atmosphere.
The magic is well used to make a riveting story, without any abracadabra but instead a clever demonstration of the difficulties encountered by its users. Romy’s special fascinating (and so original!) magic, for instance, is as useful as chilling for its limitations.
The book is rather long and much detailed for a story which unfolds only in a few days, but it makes for a perfect immersion and a great reading experience. The twists and turns of the intrigue, political and personal, are quite riveting.
I also particularly appreciated the bonds between the Chimera’s members, their affection and trust. The musing of Romy about her past, her childhood for a small part but mostly about her last seven years spent as the Shadow Lord’s compagnon, friend, lover and slave, are very clever and wholesome. Many books use a master-slave relationship to built up a story (Cate Glass herself, with her Carol Berg’s pseudonym, have woven one of those, a fantastically coherent and touching one, in her Rai-Kirah Series) but usually with a sad lack for coherence and healthy psychology. Making a romance out of an abusive relationship, even if the master is « good », « not really in agreement with the situation », « had them-self suffered a lot », « had a difficult childhood », « have always wait for permission », « is so sexy and rich and perfect » etc. – is very wrong. In the Chimera series Romy fully realises that all what she had with this man was distorted by the situation. Even if she was consentant, and never forced, and respected for her intelligence and wit, she still was a slave, a courtesan, without any freedom. Her regrets are useless, and more, she understands, unwholesome. Their relation was never balanced and so, even for all their complicity and share interests, detrimental for her.
Just a last note to say that, contrary to most readers on Netgalley, I’m sorry to say that I vigorously dislike the books series’ covers. They seem very cheap, especially for such a publisher, and… bizarre. The colors aren’t harmonious, the silhouettes weird, and the whole movement of each cover makes me nearly nauseous… I’m not fan either of the typography, very seventies. If I hadn’t being informed about this book by the author’s blog (Carol Berg’s), I’m afraid that I would probably have been repelled by the cover and missed a very good read… Of course one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but still, it’s the first thing we see, the first contact, the first impression. And as the saying goes: no one as a second chance to make a first good impression!
(I thank Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
L’Affaire Protheroe – Agatha Christie
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Je relis petit à petit avec plaisir en VO les Agatha Christie que j’avais collectionné pendant mes années d’étudiante, mais à ma grande surprise mes impressions sont aujourd’hui très variées selon les titres. J’apprécie toujours autant l’habilité de l’intrigue, et la lecture est toujours un plaisir, mais la caractérisation des personnages – un point fort de l’autrice – n’est pas toujours du même niveau.
Ce roman est clairement l’un des meilleurs de ce côté-là. L’ambiance d’un petit village est particulièrement bien rendu, et j’ai adoré l’exposition externe de Miss Marple via le narrateur, qui est très sensible à son impitoyable intelligence et ne la sous-estime jamais (« elle a l’habitude d’avoir toujours raison, et c’est ce que les gens ne lui pardonnent pas »).
La narration est superbe. C’est Len Clement, le pasteur, qui raconte. C’est un homme complexe, qui accomplit son devoir avec beaucoup de conscience professionnelle et d’empathie, mais peut-être une foi défaillante, voire absente (rien n’est dit en ce sens, c’est une impression personnelle). Il porte un regard désabusé sur ses semblables mais vole toujours à leur aide, autant par devoir que par bonté… et aussi par curiosité. Il a un extraordinaire sens de l’humour, le fameux « dry humor » anglais, qui ne s’épargne pas, puisqu’il est régulièrement teinté d’auto-dérision. S’il se décrit volontiers comme un homme quelconque, un peu fade, le lecteur ne manque pas d’apprécier son esprit vif et organisé et d’être touché par ses faiblesses, dont la principale est sa très jeune, très belle et très originale épouse, Griselda. On retrouve ce couple dans d’autres (au moins un) romans de l’autrice, et leur relation est très intéressante, touchante et pudique sous la très british décontraction.
Un incontournable Agathie Christie !
