Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 11:37 AM
To cheek this book on amazon go to this link https://amzn.to/31nYy1H
Synopsis:
Henry VIII has ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and England is full of informers. At the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control with the murder of Commissioner Robin Singleton. Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer, and his assistant are sent to investigate.
My Review:
"How men fear the chaos of the world, I thought, and the yawning eternity hereafter. So we build patterns to explain its terrible mysteries and reassure ourselves we are safe in this world and beyond."
Matthew Shardlake is a hunchback, a somewhat tormented soul who was denied the chance to be a priest because of his deformity. Instead, he became a lawyer and joined the reform movement that divided England from the Catholic Church.
As the book opens, he is called from his work to London, to visit the Vicar General under King Henry VIII, Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell informs him he’s sent another investigator, called a “Commissioner”, to investigate irregularities at a monastery on the south coast of England. That first Commissioner has been murdered, and so Cromwell offers to send Shardlake to replace him, and in addition, find out who killed the first commissioner. Shardlake collects his assistant, Mark Poer, and so the story begins.
The novel revolves around the investigation of Shardlake and how he gets the murderer. This is a simple historical detective story, but o
n the one hand,
the book is an interesting display of the issues of the time and how Thomas Cromwell acted, the death of Anne Boleyn and whether the destruction of the monasteries was just - all of which was fascinating to read alongside the fiction.
The book is also rich with detail and filled with many characters who all have a relationship somehow to the main plot. I also appreciate the style the author uses; though famous historical figures are involved and play roles, they are not central characters. London is described from the streets mostly, not just the palace. So this is a welcome perspective.
The strongest point of the novel for me is the character of Shardlake: a devoted man to the king’s cause, even idealistic at the time despite the reader’s abhorrence at some of his blind actions in the king’s name. Before the story ends, however, Sansom reigns in his character, thus setting him up beautifully for the rest of the series.
It was easy to feel as if I was back in the 1500s with Matthew. Often it’s the little details, the snippets of real history, the day-to-day events, the food and clothes, the poverty... CJ Sansom has a real talent for those, for bringing the reader into the story by making the setting so vividly real. For throwing out little clues that send the reader on false tracks, often along with Matthew, for keeping the events wide open to the end, and keeping the reader guessing who is behind things, and why of course.
My Rating:
✬✬✬✬✬
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 7:46 AM
Synopsis:
Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar's imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child.
As a boy, Nero's royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son's inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead.
While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina's machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero's determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become, an Emperor who became legendary.
With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boy's ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.
My Review:
“Ah, but who will bell the cat?” “I am not sure what you mean.” “It is a country saying. A council of mice met to decide what to do about the tomcat who was on the loose. They agreed the best plan was to attach a bell to his neck so they could hear him coming and hide. It was a fine plan—but it needed a mouse brave enough to risk his life jumping on the cat.”
The book starts out with Nero at three years old, when his crazy uncle Caligula tries to drown him. It progresses through the first few years of his reign. There will be at least one more book to continue his story. In this one, his mother, Agrippina, has been banished, and he lives with his aunt and uncle. His life there is relatively safe, but then his mother returns with the assumption of the throne by Claudius, and Nero finds himself, against his will, drawn into the intrigues of the royal court.
Nero is an interesting figure which is one of the many reasons his story is so fascinating. While he is often depicted as a disturbed individual, he was devoted to the arts and sponsored musicians and painters during his reign. It is impossible to know what Nero was like based on the few texts of his life and legacy. Perhaps he was as horrible as history paints him to be. But what if he wasn’t? George walks a fine line between those two possibilities, giving us readers a fresh look at Nero, a more sympathetic view even, and for the first time the reader looks at Nero as a person - a person who suffered many traumas as a child and was used for years as a pawn of other people who wanted power. She gave this formidable man a back-story filled with all the reasons why he became who he did.
Margaret George is a wonderful, extremely talented writer. When you read her books she takes you on a fantastic journey. Her fluid writing style and her vivid character development make for an excellent read. From the beginning of the book, you can tell that the author has done her research, and done it with very thorough detail. She has taken a historical figure and brought him to life through her free-flowing prose and draws you in with her attention to every detail.
To cheek this book on amazon go to this link https://amzn.to/3fUa2On
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 4:50 AM
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ |
Synopsis:
From London to Corsica to Paris--as a young woman pursues the truth about her late mother, two captivating love stories unfurl.
Kate Darling's enigmatic mother--a once-famous ballerina--has passed away, leaving Kate bereft. When her grandmother falls ill and bequeaths to Kate a small portrait of a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Kate's mother, Kate uncovers a mystery that may upend everything she thought she knew.
Kate's journey to find the true identity of the woman in the portrait takes her to some of the world's most iconic and indulgent locales, revealing a love story that began in the wild 1920s and was disrupted by war and could now spark new love for Kate. Alternating between Kate's present-day hunt and voices from the past, THE BOOK OF LOST AND FOUND casts light on family secrets and love-both lost and found.
My Review:
“In many ways my life has been rather like a record of the lost and found. Perhaps all lives are like that.”
I love epic stories that go beyond generations, wars, distance, secrets and any other obstacle and The Book of Lost and Found is one of those, an excellent one at that. This is a story about the enduring quality of true love. No matter the events, war, misunderstanding, poverty, or distance, love endures all. It is also a story about the shortcomings of life and the necessity, sometimes, to accept it as it is.
It all starts when the young Kate Darling discovers an old photo of her supposed grandmother. She never knew her as her mother was adopted and never met her own mother, but something about her makes Kate want to know who she was and what happened to her all those years back. From that moment we follow Kate in her quest of discovery, a journey full of missed chances, secrets, hardships and sorrows but also love, passion, and courage.
The book alternates chapters from the past and the present, with different points of view. We learn about Kate’s grandmother’s story, a story I found fascinating. That woman went through hell and back and was still left standing. I found her courage admirable and even if I didn’t agree with all her choices; I respected them. I ended up being a genuine fan of that woman. .
This beautifully written book and deeply moving tale will capture your hearts from the first page, it will absorb you into its pages from the start. The characters seemed so real, which made this story even more moving and authentic. As soon as I met them I wanted to know everything about them. The scenes it invokes are vivid. The descriptions of the places Katie visit, makes you want to travel there. It is very descriptive and told from an artist’s eye.
It is just a delightful story. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There is enough mystery in the book and you’re left guessing what will happen next. This is an awesome, unforgettable experience! I loved every moment!
To cheek this book on amazon go to this link https://amzn.to/31cZplN
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 8:07 AM
Memory Lane Books
by
Natasa Djordjevic
- 5:37 AM
2014
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| ✬✬✬✬ “Farewell” is a sympathetic, semi-fictional chronicle of the struggles of a circle of well-to-do, urbane and politically active Turks, during the turbulent, often violent post-WWI transition from Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic, enlivened by the humanity and individuality of the principal characters. Even though it is a fiction- I enjoyed learning about the customs, food, and dress. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Excellent book. Loved the writing. The main characters were very interesting and obviously destined to be together. It was cute and fulfilling without being cheesy. |
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| ✬✬✬ This book is well written and the local detail is fantastic, the sights and scents of India and Afghanistan are well evoked, but I couldn’t entirely engage with this story, with the heroine and with the overall theme of a woman torn between two cultures. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ I was hooked right from page one and the story never lost my interest. I felt like I was right there with this young girl Harriet, while she was trying to get away from her father and her life in London. |
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| ✬✬✬ At times so very good you think this is awesome writing; at other times the writing is so pedestrian you have to plow through it. It was a pleasant read, but it did not offer as much excitement. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ I found this to be a nice easy read with characters that held my attention, and a story that was interesting enough to make me want to find out more about Artemisia and her life. I would have liked a more in-depth look at Artemisia and her husband, their relationship, and his relationship with his daughter. Although this was not a page-turner, it held my attention, and I cared about the people in the story. I enjoyed the descriptions and the interpretations of Artemisia’s paintings, Italy, and the art of the times. |
2015
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| ✬✬✬✬ This is an interesting and ambitious novel that gives a good sense of the time and place, Malaysia just before World War II and the Japanese invasion, but it did not entirely come together for me. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ Great insight into the complicated lives and politics which seemed to dominate the lives of the British aristocracy of that period in time. The author depicts a life of intrigue, politics, and struggles for survival. She portrays the role of women as just pawns to men’s power and wealth and how women struggled to maintain a semblance of dignity and to keep meaning to their lives. The author makes history come alive through the very realistic presentation of the characters which she has chosen for her novel. Philippa Gregory portrays her characters as genuine people who had complicated lives but still kept a grip on life. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ The story itself is simple and could be written in a few pages but it is the complexities of Roman society, the culture, language, social issues and politics that make these stories rich in detail with characters that are interesting, sympathetic, scandalous, and very human. |
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| ✬✬✬ A good start which is not followed in the second part of the book once it reaches Istanbul. A tragic end not expected but a lot hollows in between. There have been better love affairs in the time of war. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ The book traces history of Begum Hazrat Mahal - one of the wives of Wajid Ali Shah the ill-fated Nawab of Oudhfrom, from that of a young child to her imprisonment in Nepal. The character development is masterful, and the book has a steady pace. This is an good tribute to an extraordinary woman. |
2016
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| ✬✬✬✬ What a brave theme to develop in this story. I love how the friendly relationship between Miss Russel and Mr. Homes developed. The author did not build on Holmes character but set the stage for the Mary Russell books of the future. I enjoyed the book. It was a little tedious reading at times, but overall an interesting read. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ I loved the flawless flow between reality and fantasy. I loved the insight and satire about life in Soviet Russia. Historically, the fact he could not be published until 30 years after creation, is a statement of the author’s courage. I intend to read it again; I think it’s the kind of book you gain more from with sequential reads. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This is a good read. It’s fun, with all the detail and history you expect from a Steve Berry thriller. The pacing is excellent, if not a little forced at times. Overall, it’s a great read and makes for a solid book. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Such lovely historical novel, so entertaining. I couldn't put it down even for a moment. |
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| ✬✬✬ I had so many mixed feelings. It isn't bad but the way is written puts me off, so many questions were never answered, so many characters neglected. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ I liked the story; the plot kept me interested, though I thought it was a little slow at times. The characters were great - easy to identify with. The only thing that bothered me was that there were several occasions of modern language used that would not have been used in that time period. |
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| ✬✬✬ This book started with so much promise. But, it lost steam and became repetitious. Some characters blossomed and others just seemed to be glossed over. The book was all over the place. I was just bored and wanted it to be over. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ I enjoyed this book. It flowed nicely and was very interesting. I appreciated the descriptions of Constantinople, Athens, Scotland, and England and how the greater context of the Napoleonic Wars and the Golden Age of Greece were so much a part of the stories of these women. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ I experience that wonderful feeling of satisfaction that comes from completing another well-written novel. The characters are well developed; the dialogue flows and is totally believable. The background is well researched and just lovely! |
2017
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| ✬✬✬✬ I think this is a great introduction to the Borgia family, shining a great light on Lucrezia and showing us a fabulous insight into her family and the time period. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ Although I thoroughly enjoy historical fiction, I was a little surprised there was not more history put into this story. I felt it was more character analysis and I couldn’t get the feeling of the time as much as I have in her other works. I still enjoyed it, though. |
2018
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ One of my favorite books. I like the Highland setting and the characters are great. A nice romance that has funny parts where I laughed out loud at some dialogue. |
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| ✬✬ The characters do not inspire emotional attachment; the plot is sufficiently predictable to prevent reader interest, and the writing style is littered with a character’s thoughts. While not actively bad, The Aviary Gate is boring and instantly forgettable. I was disappointed. |
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| ✬✬ The writing, as always, was technically good, but the plot seemed to plod along. Some changes of heartfelt by secondary characters seemed rather sudden rather than well-developed progressions. This all while it bogged us down by the inner workings of the protagonists’ minds... which were not all that interesting. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ It was a fascinating, tragic/comic portrayal of post-war Paris and the difficulties returning veterans had trying to find work, mixed in with the ongoing saga of double swindles — the false monuments one carried out by Edouard and Albert and the graveyard swindle by Henri. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Another winner in the Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt. Thoroughly entertaining read. Although the 4th in the series, still a good book on its own. Love how it is related to the other books a visiting with old friends from Maiden Lane. |
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| ✬✬✬ This starts out great, then stalls after about half of the way through. The heroine is boring and there’s no chemistry between her and the hero. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This is a chick-lit/romance novel with a difference. I don’t want to say too much and give the plot away, but it is different, quirky and hilarious. It also had twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. Overall, a fun, well-written book . |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Filled with witty dialogue and a world of colorful costumes, I was completely bewitched. This book was a delightful ray of sunshine in a market too often drenched with poor story lines and uninteresting characters. |
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| ✬✬✬ I was so disappointed by this story in the Maiden Lane series. I’d been keeping my eye on the heroine, Artemis, in the previous novels and was looking forward to reading her story, and it started out well...but then it fell apart. Neither main characters’ actions make any sense. The whole thing was just super-frustrating. |
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| ✬✬ The story was slow, the characters hard to distinguish from one another, and the structure didn't work at all. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ Writing is beautiful in this haunting novel, but not so beautiful that it ever distracts from the story itself. The book, based actual events, tells the story of a woman convicted of murder and sentenced to die in early nineteenth century Iceland, which had no jail to hold her, so she was sent to live with a farm family until her execution. The book revolves around her changing relationship with the family and the young preacher assigned to save her soul before she dies, and in the process, the reader learns the story of her life. The author had thoroughly researched the facts and filled in the details missing from the official record with this novelization that may not be accurate, but may well be largely true. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ A very inspiring novel with great insight into the meaning of life. However, the shallowness of the characters’ lives at the beginning almost kept me from reading the book—too much about their designer clothes, etc. |
2019
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| ✬✬ The first hundred pages the book was captivating and interesting but it was all downhill from there. While the writing is good, the main characters in this novel seem artificial and behave unlike any real people that one can relate to. I finished the book feeling that not only did I not understand any of the characters. |
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| ✬✬✬ Seems awkward in places, incomplete in others, but otherwise a fun, easy read. Entertaining and interesting enough to keep you going. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ This is my favorite book of the entire series. It is dark in some places, but the flashbacks into the past in where we learn so much about Voldemort or Tom Riddle are very interesting. The danger is everywhere. Everything seems to be at risk, and you don’t know what will happen next. This is definitely an excellent book. |
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| ✬✬ I was not impressed with this book. The narration was dry and not a lot of detail that would have brought the daily world and life of Isabella to life. I have read other historical fiction that was rich and transported you to that time and place. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ A thoroughly enjoyable read capturing some great stories of the Norse myths. Gaiman’s love and enthusiasm for these stories are clear throughout the narratives, and he does them justice. From the creation of the nine worlds to Ragnarok, these stories are sheer fun. I laughed out loud many times. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ What I appreciated about the Deathly Hallows is the confident plotting. The story flows, and it rewards and punishes the sins and omissions of the characters. I like the series — a lot. |
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| ✬✬✬ The language is complex, beautiful and - for younger readers, perhaps - difficult to understand. Although full of drama, there are no events; rather, it is an analysis of personal power, both within and without the family. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This book is beautifully written, and the story pulls you in from the first. A story of a young man, Thomas of Hookton, a man of questionable birth, who becomes an archer in the king’s army but it is about so much more. It is also a story of holy relics, revenge, and family. It does not shy away from the violence of the times or the cruelty of men. |
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| ✬✬✬ The characters didn’t seem like more grown-up versions of their younger selves. They seemed nothing like... anything I’d ever read. There seemed to be inconsistencies within the realm as well. It was just a bit of a confusing ride. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ This book is captivating from the very first sentence. J. K. Rowling is a very gifted writer and is descriptive enough to be able to transport you to her world without being so wordy that you lose interest. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ I would suggest this read to anyone who loves fantasy or Adventure. This book is only one of the incredible book series and worth the read for all ages. Although it is quite lengthy, the content will keep you captivated throughout the entire novel. |
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| ✬✬✬ I am afraid, this book did not work with me. I think the problem is the structure. It makes the book read like several smaller books - like novellas - and as a consequence of this, I could not identify with any of the characters. They disappeared. After a while, the “novellas” felt repetitive and their endings became predictable. It was obvious, there would be a change towards the end, but when it came, wasn’t exciting and wasn’t logical. |
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| ✬✬ It was an unusual book, predicated on the hope that readers would be interested in discovering what happens to each of the dysfunctional siblings as they become aware that the financial nest egg they each believed they would inherit would not come to fruition. The book was slow moving, and none of the characters were very interesting or admirable. The ending was a big disappointment. |
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| ✬✬✬✬✬ Order of the Phoenix follows in the footsteps of Goblet of Fire, where the series took a sharp turn and headed down a darker path. As Harry ages, the overall theme of each book keeps pace. J. K. Rowling continues to add to her large cast of characters, perhaps introducing one of the evilest villains of the entire series in Dolores Umbridge. Like all the books, this one is captivating, exciting, and almost impossible to set down. |
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| ✬✬✬✬ This fictional account about Cleopatra was well researched and included many details that few know. It is a work of fiction and to make a story, one has to take liberties. Overall, it was well done, given the many sources that provide conflicting opinions. |
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| ✬✬✬ While the story was well written, the character of Guinevere was so distracting it made reading this book difficult. The interesting characters were given nothing to do, and it forced readers to follow along with the heroine who is so unbelievably remote; it seems that she is unfortunate and uninterested in the world around her, making her very unsympathetic. |
