Theresa Smith's Blog, page 20
December 26, 2023
Book Review: The Sorrow Stone by Kári Gíslason
After committing an audacious act of revenge for her brother’s murder, Disa flees with her son through the fjords of Iceland. She has already endured the death of her loved ones. Now she must run to save her son, and her honour.
In a society where betrayals and revenge killings are rife, all Disa has is her pride and her courage. Will it be enough for her and her son to escape retribution?
Dramatic and urgent in its telling, The Sorrow Stone celebrates one woman’s quest, against the dramatic backdrop of the Icelandic countryside. In this gripping novel, the co-author of the bestselling Saga Land takes a sidelined figure from the Viking tales and finally puts her where she belongs – at the centre of the story.
Released March 2022
My Thoughts:This novel didn’t even come close to delivering for me. Some of this may be attributed to listening on audio rather than reading, as the structure of the novel was not very ‘listener friendly’. It flicks back and forth but doesn’t do so from chapter to chapter, but instead randomly within the chapters. I found myself quite often not knowing whether I was in the past or the present until a few paragraphs in. If you were reading it, I would expect there might have been chapter breaks to indicate this change in the story.
That aside, I just didn’t like this story at all. The characters were revolting. The women were snide and bitchy to each other all the time and the men just seemed to be in a constant state of wanting to fight or kill each other. Disa, the main character, was alternately incredibly naive and incredibly arrogant. I couldn’t figure out half the time if Disa was in love with her brother Gill or her husband (can’t remember his name) or both. Neither of them seemed to like Disa very much at all yet seemed obsessed with owning her. She didn’t seem to even like her brother half the time but then she would defer to him constantly and ended up avenging his death when he had been involved in killing her first boyfriend and also her husband. The entire family dynamic was strange. Disa herself was always aggressive and defensive, increasingly so as the novel wore on. I could not develop any character empathy towards her at all.
The promise of an atmospheric rendering of medieval Iceland fell flat as well. It just seemed like a depressing place that Disa regretted having to move to. I don’t know if my feelings about this book would differ if I’d read it instead of listening. I suspect not. I’ll put it down to a case of expectations not being met and leave it at that. I would hesitate to read anything further by this author as I think his chosen topic is Icelandic history and maybe that’s just not for me.
Book Review: The Sorrow Stone by Kári Gíslason
After committing an audacious act of revenge for her brother’s murder, Disa flees with her son through the fjords of Iceland. She has already endured the death of her loved ones. Now she must run to save her son, and her honour.
In a society where betrayals and revenge killings are rife, all Disa has is her pride and her courage. Will it be enough for her and her son to escape retribution?
Dramatic and urgent in its telling, The Sorrow Stone celebrates one woman’s quest, against the dramatic backdrop of the Icelandic countryside. In this gripping novel, the co-author of the bestselling Saga Land takes a sidelined figure from the Viking tales and finally puts her where she belongs – at the centre of the story.
Released March 2022
My Thoughts:This novel didn’t even come close to delivering for me. Some of this may be attributed to listening on audio rather than reading, as the structure of the novel was not very ‘listener friendly’. It flicks back and forth but doesn’t do so from chapter to chapter, but instead randomly within the chapters. I found myself quite often not knowing whether I was in the past or the present until a few paragraphs in. If you were reading it, I would expect there might have been chapter breaks to indicate this change in the story.
That aside, I just didn’t like this story at all. The characters were revolting. The women were snide and bitchy to each other all the time and the men just seemed to be in a constant state of wanting to fight or kill each other. Disa, the main character, was alternately incredibly naive and incredibly arrogant. I couldn’t figure out half the time if Disa was in love with her brother Gill or her husband (can’t remember his name) or both. Neither of them seemed to like Disa very much at all yet seemed obsessed with owning her. She didn’t seem to even like her brother half the time but then she would defer to him constantly and ended up avenging his death when he had been involved in killing her first boyfriend and also her husband. The entire family dynamic was strange. Disa herself was always aggressive and defensive, increasingly so as the novel wore on. I could not develop any character empathy towards her at all.
The promise of an atmospheric rendering of medieval Iceland fell flat as well. It just seemed like a depressing place that Disa regretted having to move to. I don’t know if my feelings about this book would differ if I’d read it instead of listening. I suspect not. I’ll put it down to a case of expectations not being met and leave it at that. I would hesitate to read anything further by this author as I think his chosen topic is Icelandic history and maybe that’s just not for me.
Book Review: A Million Things by Emily Spurr
Rae is ten years old, and she’s tough. She’s had to be: life with her mother has taught her the world is not her friend. Now suddenly her mum is gone and Rae is alone, except for her dog Splinter.
Rae can do a lot of things pretty well for a kid. She can take care of herself and Splints, stay under the radar at school and keep the front yard neat enough that the neighbours won’t get curious. But she is gnawed at by fear and sadness; haunted by the shadow of a terrible secret.
Lettie, who lives next door, might know more about Rae than she lets on. But she has her own reasons for keeping the world at arm’s length. When Rae finds out what they are, it seems like she and Lettie could help each other.
But how long can a friendship last when it’s based on secrets?
Tender, funny, heartbreaking—A Million Things is a story of grief and resilience, told with eloquent simplicity. In brave, spiky Rae, Emily Spurr has created a character you will never forget.
Published by Text Publishing Australia
Released March 2021
My Thoughts:After recently reading – and adoring – Beatrix and Fred, I immediately wanted to read more from Emily Spurr. Many people mentioned how much they loved A Million Things when I reviewed Beatrix and Fred, so that was my next stop. I listened to it on audio, and it was brilliant. An absolute masterpiece of a novel with excellent narration.
From the beginning of the novel, Rae is counting forward from something. Something she doesn’t want to admit, much less lay voice to. Readers can rapidly read between the lines and quickly deduce what it is. The tragedy of witnessing this child navigate her way past – not through, she doesn’t allow for that – her grief so that she can focus on survival and keeping things ticking over as normal as possible is probably one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever read.
Her dog Splints is her best friend and constant companion. This scruffy loyal dog becomes a character in his own right. A near tragedy towards the end had me struggling for composure and weeping constantly. An unexpected bonus of listening to your book rather than reading turns out to be that you don’t need to stop for tears!
And Lettie, who has her own struggles and who Rae accidentally befriends. This was such a gorgeous and life affirming relationship. Lettie’s struggles also gave me quite a bit of insight into hoarding and the emotional aspects of it.
A Million Things is as close to a perfect novel as you will ever get. It’s heavy though, thematically, so if you’re looking for something light and fluffy, not this. Deep and meaningful, most definitely. An absolutely brilliant novel and Emily Spurr has catapulted herself into my list of top authors.
December 19, 2023
Season’s Greetings…
Just popping in to wish everyone best wishes for the festive season. I’ll be taking a little break from posting until after Christmas. I have been reading – and listening – so there are certainly reviews to come, but end of year work and Christmas preparations are at the top of the to do list right now.
I hope that however you celebrate the coming festivities, that it’s filled with joy and love. See you on the other side and thanks so much for another great year of book chat.
Theresa xoDecember 10, 2023
Book Review: The Coast by Eleanor Limprecht
Alice is only nine years old in 1910 when she is sent to the feared Coast Hospital lazaret at Little Bay in Sydney, a veritable prison where more patients are admitted than will ever leave. She is told that she’s visiting her mother, who disappeared one day when Alice was two. Once there, Alice learns her mother is suffering from leprosy and that she has the same disease.
As she grows up, the secluded refuge of the lazaret becomes Alice’s entire world, her mother and the other patients and medical staff her only human contact. The patients have access to a private sandstone-edged beach, their own rowboat, a piano and a library of books, but Alice is tired of the smallness of her life and is thrilled by the thought of the outside world. It is only when Guy, a Yuwaalaraay man wounded in World War I, arrives at The Coast, that Alice begins to experience what she has yearned for, as they become friends and then something deeper.
Filled with vivid descriptions of the wild beauty of the sea cliffs and beaches surrounding the harsh isolation of the lazaret, and written in evocative prose, The Coast is meticulously researched historical fiction that holds a mirror to the present day. Heartbreaking and soul-lifting, it is a universal story of love, courage, sacrifice and resilience.
Released May 2022
My Thoughts:Eleanor Limprecht writes Australian historical fiction with such meticulous attention to detail, also choosing areas of history that many may know very little about. The laws within Australia at the beginning of the 20th century regarding people who were suffering from leprosy were harsh, condemning them to isolation and stigma, going so far as to even forcing a person to change their name to ‘save their family from the shame’. Evidence emerging that leprosy was not as contagious as previously believed was kept under the radar, leading to the continued persecution of sufferers for far too long.
The Coast is not only a story about those labelled as ‘lepers’. It’s also about the ways in which Australia, from colonial times through Federation, persecuted anyone who was different – culturally, racially, sexually, medically; the list could go on. The story is told from multiple perspectives, each character bearing their ‘difference’ and telling the story of who they are and how they came to be at the lazaret. It’s a sad story, a shameful part of history, but it’s told with such empathy and honesty, along with a sense of vivid purpose and atmospheric conjuring of the setting and the era.
I listened to this one and can highly recommend the audio version, it was beautifully narrated, with pitch perfect emotion. Another excellent historical fiction release by Eleanor Limprecht.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy. (I listened to the audio version but received a print version for review.)
Book Review: The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland
A murder made to look like an accident. A disgraced cop trying to forget his past.
Nash Rankin is a disgraced cop trying to escape his past – his career was destroyed when he chose to take justice into his own hands. Now he’s living a quiet life in a small town, caring for the local wildlife and trying to stay away from trouble.
Jesse Redpath has a new job in a new town: Satellite. The stormy weather that greets her first few days on the beat seems like a sign of what’s to come. A local has died in what looks like an accident, but Jessie isn’t so sure that the ‘accident’ wasn’t planned. All the evidence points to Nash, but Jesse’s not sure about that either.
Seems like Nash has enemies. And what looks like a close-knit community might just be a cover for dark secrets.
No amount of rain will wash this town clean.
The new Jesse Redpath crime thriller from the bestselling author of Canticle Creek.
Released December 2023
My Thoughts:The Wiregrass is the follow up to Canticle Creek, continuing on with the story of police officer, Jesse Redpath. I enjoyed Canticle Creek, a lot, it was a standout read for me, so when this one arrived, courtesy of the publisher – thank you – I was keen to dive in as soon as possible.
Hyland writes with such atmosphere when it comes to setting the scene. I grew up in rural Victoria, so the area and its climate and terrain are familiar to me and he pretty much nails it. When he writes of the dark and freezing cold, the penetrating icy wetness from bone chilling rain and howling wind, I know exactly what he’s conjuring. I can feel it; I’m taken straight back to all the Victorian winters I’ve ever experienced.
Jesse Redpath is a little bit on the rogue side in this novel. We don’t get to experience her doing much police work because she gets suspended almost immediately and from then on is operating solo on a combination of hunches and favours. The novel moves along at a rather slow pace for the first two thirds and then picks up with a racing pace for the remainder with a whole lot happening non-stop. Jesse is under attack multiple times, so many times, that it seems somewhat remarkable that she’s still able to get around and continue to pursue the bad guys with so much zeal and gunslinging. At times, I struggled with Jesse and felt she had been written too masculine. Even her thoughts at times didn’t always resonate with those of a woman.
I recently watched the TV series The Clearing, based on the true story of the Family, a cult who operated in regional Victoria from the 1960s to the 1980s, successfully flying under the radar for so long because of the extensive network of professionals it had under its influence, including police. The TV series was adapted from JP Pomare’s novel, In the Clearing. The reason I’m bringing this up is because the plot within The Wiregrass bore striking similarities to the TV series, The Clearing, in terms of the cult and its operations, location, extensive network, and its matriarch. I found it difficult to not draw comparisons. A case of bad timing, perhaps, but it clouded my overall opinion of The Wiregrass.
A solid follow up to Canticle Creek. Recommended if you’ve read and enjoyed the first.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
December 2, 2023
Book Review: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
A new mess.
A new mystery.
Molly the maid returns . . .
Molly Gray wears her Head Maid badge proudly for every shift at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows, sweeping up the guests’ secrets, silently restoring rooms to a state of perfection.
But when a renowned guest – a famous mystery writer – drops very dead in the grand tea room, Molly has an unusual clean-up on her hands.
As rumours and suspicion swirl in the hotel corridors, it’s clear there’s grime lurking beneath the gilt. And Molly knows that she alone holds the key to the mystery. But unlocking it means thinking about the past, about a dusty old house, and everything else she’s tidied away in her memory.
Because Molly knew the dead guest once upon a time – and she knows his secrets too.
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Released November 2023
My Thoughts:Molly the Maid is back, this time as Head Maid, with a whole new mystery to solve. Molly is as delightfully deadpan as ever, and as old favourites mingle with newbies, the stage is set from the first page for an involving and circular mystery that will in the end, only be solved by Molly’s ability to connect the dots, via her extensive experience with all things domestic.
We find out more about Molly in this one, her childhood and her beloved Gran, and also, a surprise at the end that is delightful for Molly and sets the stage for further stories, I hope. With an offer for a new career posed to Molly at the conclusion of this one, which direction will she choose to go? I think the series would be enjoyable either way.
Highly recommended but you’ll need to have read The Maid for context and full enjoyment.
Thanks to the publisher for the copy.
Book Review: Doll’s Eye by Leah Kaminsky
Sometimes there may be more to things than meets the eye.
Germany, 1933. Anna Winter returns home to find a note from her father, warning her of grave danger. She flees overnight, taking her precious doll collection with her, and sets sail for Australia. She lands a job at the Birdum Hotel and carves a new life, hiding her past from the world – until a chance encounter with an eccentric stranger, Alter Mayseh, changes everything.
Australia, 1938. A Yiddish poet fleeing persecution, Alter has seen the writing on the wall for his people. Armed with a letter of introduction from Albert Einstein, he manages his own escape from Europe and arrives in Australia in search of a safe place to call home. When fate leads him to Anna, he’s convinced he’s found his future with her. But a disturbing clue to her dark past threatens to unravel the delicate life she has built on top of the secrets left behind.
Shifting in time and place, Doll’s Eye weaves an intriguing story of love, loss and survival against a backdrop of war and displacement. Evocative and compelling, it brings into question the gap between what we see, and what we don’t.
Published by Penguin Books Australia
Released August 2023
My Thoughts:Four years ago, Leah Kaminsky released The Hollow Bones, to date, still one of the best novels I’ve ever read. Doll’s Eye is her latest release, and it once again tells a story of Nazism and science. It’s a cautionary tale, about the judgements we can make by only seeing what’s on the surface of a person, their history, and where they come from.
Once again, I have been informed by Leah of a horrifying scientific aspect of Nazism that I had no idea existed. It’s like a bottomless well, isn’t it, when you look behind the curtain. Told with chilling brevity, this novel moves back and forth through time seamlessly, revealing as it goes, the horror building, the truth being exposed, not just to the reader, but to the characters also.
Anna was a memorable character, her determination to leave her past that she was unwittingly pulled into as a child, her grief for her lost mother, father, and entire history, her love for her dolls and the maintenance and creation of them. Alter’s treatment of her, however he justified it, was wrong and not at all demonstrative of a man in love.
This is not a long novel, but therein is part of its power. Leah writes what is necessary, but with layers beneath for you to continue to turn over within your own mind, long after you’ve finished reading. The sense of time and place is strong and highly atmospheric. Another stunning release from Leah Kaminsky that I highly recommend to all.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
November 30, 2023
The Month That Was…
The countdown to Christmas is on!
Despite the festivity of Zeus, his behaviour of late has us thinking he’s doing his best to get onto the naughty list. There have been some ‘accidents’ inside that were not really accidents but seemed more like points being made, and he launched himself onto my bed in a move that really didn’t match up to the bung hips he usually sports. The bed is a banned area, for him, not me, but as you can see in the photographic evidence here, he didn’t seem to be taking that on board.
There is a possibility that he will get coal in his stocking if this mischief and nonsense prevails.
What I’ve been watching:
A very mixed bag this month. Where to start? This year is the 20th anniversary of Love Actually, so I’ve already done one watch of that. There will be more, including (hopefully) a trip to the cinema to see it on the big screen, re-released for its anniversary. I did go to the cinema this month, M and I saw Napolean, which was sweeping, epic, well cast, and very entertaining. I highly recommend it.
In TV, The Great British Bake Off is back! New episodes every Tuesday night, my ultimate comfort show and honestly, I look forward to it so much each week. I’m a season behind with The Crown so I’ve started to slowly make my way forward through it in light of the new season airing on Netflix. M, youngest son, and I all watched Scrublands, based on the novel by Chris Hammer. It was a very good adaptation, if you were a fan of The Dry movie, you’ll enjoy this. M and I also watched another literary adaptation, All The Light We Cannot See. I liked it more than M. I really should read the book now. And last but not least, Deadwater Fell, a Scottish crime drama. Wow. This is amazing. Really, really gripping. And incredibly sad. My pick for the month.
What I’ve been listening to:
Two memoirs and two fictions. The Silent Patient was my book club read for November. We meet next week to discuss. I thought it was a ridiculous book. Time will tell as to whether I am in the minority or not. One memoir was better than the other and Really Good, Actually was, well, really good, actually!
What I’ve been reading:
Four out of these five were review books with So Late in the Day my only read from my own library. An Unexpected Ally was the only ‘bad’ read out of this batch. I went into why in my review so won’t harp on again here. The other four reads were all excellent. I’ve yet to review Doll’s Eye, it’s been a mad week and I’ve just not had the chance yet, but it was a five-star read for me.
In other news:
My youngest son graduated high school and that’s a complete wrap on school for this family!
Until next month, good reading…
November 24, 2023
Book Review: Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here by Heather Rose
Born on the island of Tasmania, Heather Rose falls in love with nature, but a family tragedy at age twelve sets her on a course to explore life and all its mysteries.
Here is a wild barefoot girl keen for adventure, a seeker of truth initiated in ancient rituals, a fledgling writer who becomes one of Australia’s most acclaimed authors, a fierce mother whose body may falter at any moment.
Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here is a luminous, compelling and utterly surprising memoir by the bestselling author of Stella Prize-winner The Museum of Modern Love and Bruny. Heartbreaking and beautiful, this is a love story brimming with courage and joy against all odds, one that will bring wonder, light and comfort to all who read it.
Released November 2022
My Thoughts:Memoirs are such tricky books to review. They’re kind of tricky to read too, if I’m honest. I’m not always a fan of them and select them very carefully. This one was not what I was expecting, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Going in, I think I was prepared for a memoir on grief and writing, and to a certain extent, I got some of that. I was particularly interested in Heather’s journey through life as a sufferer of chronic pain with a debilitating condition, but she only really got into that in the last chapter, a pity, because I really enjoyed that chapter a lot and would have preferred more on that than what she did focus on.
I am not opposed to spirituality, nor am I completely sceptical of the paranormal. But I found the majority of this memoir hard going. From her twenties onwards, Heather seems to be constantly seeking something, at first, I thought it was to deal with grief, then I wondered if it was on account of her chronic condition, yet much of what she does seems to cause more suffering and put her body and mind under such extreme duress, that I got to the point where I began skipping forward. I just didn’t want to read about it anymore. A lot of it was just confusing. Much of it dumbfounding. And here is the trickiness I mentioned above: in being critical of this, I feel as though I am judging her on her life choices, and that’s not what I feel I have the right to do, with anyone. I will comment though, that I did feel uncomfortable with many things she chose to do. I simply don’t understand why someone who is not of a certain culture feels as though it is their right to participate in said cultures sacred and traditional rituals. It’s a form of white privilege that does not sit well with me.
Writing wise, this memoir is as lyrically beautiful as any of Heather Rose’s novels. She is so talented with words and evocation of time and place. I listened to this one, read by Heather herself, and apart from the spiritual parts – which were many and also confusing and incredibly drawn out – I didn’t mind it, particularly the later years. I understand why Heather may not have wanted to focus too much on her chronic pain, after all, this is not something any of us want to be defined by, the conditions we suffer and have to live with. The knowledge of it though, coming at the end, may have provided greater context for the spirituality stuff that preceded it if it had been more incorporated throughout. I honestly don’t know how she managed to put herself through all the things she did with the condition she has.
I neither recommend nor not recommend this one. It’s just one of those memoirs that you’ll either love or hate. I’m ambivalent, if truth be told. I definitely wouldn’t read it again and I certainly wouldn’t give it as a gift.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy. Even though I chose to listen to an audio version, I am appreciative of the copy that was sent to me.
