MALICE – HEATHER WALTER

STORYLINE, taken from Goodreads: A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” true love is more than a simple fairy tale.
Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.
You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after. Utter nonsense.
Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either. Until I met her.
Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse. But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world. Nonsense again.
Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I— I am the villain.

2. SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: I am an absolute sucker for re-doings of classical fairytales and with a villanous POV, I am instantly hooked! In Malice, we are thrown into the fantasy world of Briar, which consists of many fantasy characters – some that we possibly know already and others that are either newly made up or inspired by other fantasy worlds (for example Game of Thrones.) The novel does not consist of a lot of world-building, which actually made me relieved, because that’s exactly why I usually find fantasy books hard to follow: as a non-native, I have to study the new words and put in work to understand the explanations, which really takes away from my excitiment to read the story. However, Malice does not introduce a lot of new terms and is quite easy to follow, even more so because it consists of a lot of dialogue. This makes the story a page-turner from start to finish.

The most exciting element of this novel is MAGIC! The author very clearly explains the abilities that the characters possess and gives us scenes of them practising magic or learning new abilites. We get a lot of good storytelling about how all of this operates, which is a great treat for anybody into witch magic in particular. Once again, some of it is inspired by other fantasy worlds, but I wasn’t upset about the fact that the author incorporated some of the fantasy elements that we are familiar with from other pieces of literature or television – it was just equally exciting to find them to be part of this story, actually!

Malice has a fair share of witches that are supposed to practise good magic, some royal families and Malice (Alyce) herself, who is believed to be the villain of the story. Quite frankly, I could oppose this – I do not think that she is a true villain per se … Her character does develop as the story goes on and the story itself gets quiteeee darker than it was at the very start … However, when we are just introduced to her, she is more so an outcast who was born with special magical powers that do not allow her to do good magic than she is an actual villain. Other characters portray her as THE evil, but I think she just wishes to fit in. She also wishes to do good, but her abilities literally do not allow her to do so, even when she tries to practise good magic. Basically, she isn’t one of those “Maleficient” characters. She is … Snow White, if somebody gave her the power to do black magic.

More proof of the fact that Alyce simply isn’t your every-day villain is the fact that she ends up falling in love – and with none other than princess Aurora herself. We aaaall know the story of the “curse” and how Aurora’s true love is supposed to lift it with a kiss. But I love the perception of a lifted curse in this story in particular – that it is more of an inconvenience before anything else. Before reading Malice, a curse of a true love to me sounded as almost like a blessing. Not when it comes to the part of the cursed woman having to die if she doesn’t find her true love and NOT as a “the man will save the woman! Praise the man” perception, but as a way of thinking “hey, the person that lifted my curse is really my true love. Now I know.” Wouldn’t that save so much heartbreak in the real world, if we could instantly know whether or not we are losing time with someone who we love?

But Aurora changed my mindset about the conquest of true love as she searches for that in anybody, handling her curse as a a task for her, which (if completed) will ensure that she lives and eventually ends up ruling the kingdom. She will marry the person who lifts her curse, that is the command, but it would not be out of care or love. In a way, she is scared of loving the person who lifts her curse, as she explains that the curse brings pressure – by posibly knowing who your true love is, you are also expected to make that relationship work, no matter if the circumstances end up changing the situation for you, or whether or not the two people grow and change with time – possibly seperating from one another. In other words: the kiss of a true love might give you an answer, but it is in no way an actual promise that it will work out.

By magic and love connecting with one another, we overall get a good story in Malice. It’s a little bit predictable at times as it grows, so – if you want a complicated fantasy work, this might not be a book for you. If you are like me, on another hand, and enjoy the moments that allow you to scream “I KNEW IT!” – I would absolutely suggest this read. I found it very enjoyable. The only complaint that I want to make is that I wish Malice wrapped up on its own. Walter wrote its respectful sequel, which I believe wasn’t needed. Based on how this novel ends, I expect the sequel to be a lot darker and dive into more evil, which could be either be very fun to read or very draining. It’s a gamble, really.

3. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? I’m giving Malice 5 stars and recommending it to anybody who does enjoy the fantasy genre, but doesn’t expect or enjoy a lot of world building. Walter more so invests in her characters, as many of them (though not all, of course) develop in very interesting ways. And she gives us many treats when it comes to the practising of magic itself – that’s very exciting.

A MAN CALLED OVE – FREDRIK BACKMAN

STORYLINE, taken from Goodreads: A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

2. SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: When I first picked up Backman and read Anxious People, I immediately knew I’d want to read more of his works. His storytelling felt both honest and comforting, as if I was a little child listening to her grandfather’s life story. A Man Called Ove is much like that, especially since the main character actually is an older man, with whom we can travel through his life experiences.

Ove is quite old-fashioned and cynical. He believes that rules have to be followed. Traffic signs have to be respected, pavements cleaned, the neighborhood deserves peace and quiet. He is willing to fight anybody for disobeying the rules, and especially if it’s somebody who considers themselves highly – if they drive an expensive car or work in an important job. 

Some of the actions that Ove does are frustrating. He acts as if nearly every single day is a battle to be won, but this story shows something that we tend to miss in characters like him: that he is honorable. He believes that what is right – is right. What is wrong – is wrong. There is no deviation from that. And he doesn’t only fight his own battles, but also the battles of those he loves.

Thus, this story, which at the beginning seems mostly depressing, becomes much more than that. It becomes a tale about friendship and true love. 

When we meet Ove’s wife, a lovely story about mutual admiration unravels. It’s love at first sight for Ove who meets this woman that seems to be the exact opposite from him. Full of color (both literally and metaphorically), a loud laughter and words that seem to have no end. People will wonder how come she ends up falling in love with him – a man who lacks the charm she has. But she sees him completely differently than how he feels about himself, and we even realize that he is quite alike to her father, which is a very fun thing to point out. Often, women fall for men who remind us of our fathers, which is definitely a very interesting psychological thing. 

Sonja and Ove prove to be soulmates who make compromises with one another, communicate well, and put each other above everything and everyone else. It’s refreshing and comforting.

We learn at the very beginning, before their story even unravels, that Sonja has sadly passed away. And it seems as if, even though Ove was always a cynical man, her death drains even more life out of him. Suddenly, he feels he has no purpose left.

But it’s not true. He ends up meeting a lovely new couple in the neighborhood who, with silly little tasks, at first seemingly give new purpose to him, and then with time – they end up being very important for his new outlook on life, which shows him that he can basically find happiness again, in some form, at least. They give him valuable new lessons about friendship, helping him make room for other feelings in his heart besides loss and grief. 

Life wasn’t kind or easy to Ove, and very often, when things unravel like that – it is hard to be hopeful, optimistic, quiet and peaceful. Instead, you want to fight a battle with life. But there is good around us, everywhere, and if we can allow ourselves to grab onto the good that is there – we can make a huge difference. 

Ove will always be cynical, but – that’s what makes him, him. He is also a man with principles. A man who would never leave his wife’s side, even after her death. A man who everyone can trust, because they know he never lies. A man who gets frustrated because something isn’t fair. A man who fights to make a difference. And, with all his “faults”, we end up understanding why it was so easy for Sonja to fall in love with a man like that, and why everyone gravitates toward him in hopes of making him their friend. 

What I love about this story is that Ove will never be the villain, even if he isn’t a very gentle or peaceful character. We tend to associate such characteristics with the good: being gentle and kind. When in reality, being good means loving the people who deserve it and taking no sh*t from everyone else. What matters is that “nonetheless” – this man has a very good heart. And that’s what I love about Backman’s characters in general: he never gives us a villain, just people who are kind of broken, but try their best to work with what they have.

And he presents these characters, and the lessons of their story, in a brilliant way.

Here are some quotes from the book that I loved:

“But sorrow is unreliable in that way. When people don’t share it there’s a good chance that it will drive them apart instead.”

“All people at root are time optimists. We always think there’s enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like ‘if’.”

“We fear it, yet most of us fear more than anything that it may take someone other than ourselves. For the greatest fear of death is always that it will pass us by. And leave us there alone.”

“She just smiled, said that she loved books more than anything, and started telling him excitedly what each of the ones in her lap was about. And Ove realised that he wanted to hear her talking about the things she loved for the rest of his life.”

“He went through life with his hands firmly shoved into his pockets. She danced.”

“Men are what they are because of what they do. Not what they say.”

All in all, with a cynical premise, the story turns out to be rather lovely and romantic.

3. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? Absolutely. I’m simply a huge fan of Backman – I love a life story that can make me laugh, reflect and cry.

MY LEAST FAVORITE 2023 READS

2022 was INCREDIBLE in terms of finding some great books. So much so that I absolutely had to write a post about my favorite reads. 2023, though, turned out to be a looooot more bleaaaak. I read less, took more time to finish books, and I had bad luck in finding good novels. Some of them I enjoyed, but most of them – not so much. Because of that, I decided to write a post about my LEAST favorite reads of this year, thus spicing this blog up a bit.

Let’s dive in!

1. MARILYN MONROE – CLAUDIA BEINERT, NADJA BEINERT

Everybody knows who Marilyn is and how difficut her life was, from the very beginning when rising to stardom, to the very end. She was a magnificent and troubled soul and I expected this novel to be magnificent. Instead, it drained all life out of an iconic woman. The writers tell us over and over again – this story is about Norma Jean. But it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like the story is about some random troubling child, one of a thousand, who has no connection to the woman I wanted to read about. It felt repetitive, boring, over explanatory at times, and then it ended almost 20 YEARS BEFORE her death, leaving 2 decades of her life uncovered. This was a letdown.

2. IF WE WERE VILLAINS – M.L.RIO

First things first, I have to point out the fact that I didn’t absolutely hate this book, I actually rated it with 4 stars on my Goodreads account. However, that rate was rounded up because I really enjoyed the ending. I mean, I actually enjoyed how the story resolved, not the fact that it was over. The first hundred pages of the book, though, are toooooo looooooong. Does anything interesting happen? No. It took me months to get through those pages, because I had no wish what-so-ever to pick up the book. Once it got interesting, I was into it and read it a lot faster. But, sorry, I want the book to capture me immediately, not a couple of months later.

3. BILLY SUMMERS – STEPHEN KING

One has to respect Stephen King’s diversity and the irony of one of his works landing onto this year’s list, because he also landed on the list of my favorite reads last year. Pet Sematary was incredible, so much so that I wanted to buy basically anything else he wrote. And Billy Summers had potential, especially because it is very different – it isn’t a horror story, but a crime one, instead. Well … I’ll rather stick to his horror stories in the future. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen in this book, and it never did. The resolution was definitely well structured! But the 90% of the book? That was just a waiting game for me.

4. THE LYING LIFE OF ADULTS – ELENA FERRANTE

Elena is an incredibly popular author in Slovenia and it felt almost like a sin to never have read any of her work. And then I picked up this novel and it instead proved to be a sin to ever lay my eyes on it. The characters were horrendous. It is impossible to root for anybody. Ferrante’s writing style is odd, and her opinions? Questionnable. It felt as if I found myself in another Universe – I could nooot, for the life of me, relate to anything she was telling me. I actually didn’t even finish this, which is a rare occurrence in my reading experience. But I couldn’t finish this even if somebody paid me to.

5. SIX OF CROWS – LEIGH BARDUGO

Similarly as If we were villains, I did not hate this. It simply, mostly, confused me. I couldn’t get into the fantasy world that Leigh constructed because I didn’t understand half of the words she used. What the hell is a Grisha? A drüskelle? Or jurda parem? In the words of Michael Scott, why don’t you explain this to me like I’m five? Fine, there’s a glossary online (and maybe the book has it as well, I wasn’t even paying attention to that), but I’m not invested enough to be looking up words every three pages. The story wasn’t bad and I highly enjoyed the development of the “enemy to lovers” trope, plus almost all characters had great potential – they were interesting and captivating. I’d like to read the continuation of this series, actually. I just wish it was written in a less complicated manner, so my little brain could understand it better.

6. DUNE MESSIAH – FRANK HERBERT

Ah, this one actually hurts, because I loved Dune when I read it last year, it was great! But Dune Messiah … Is a lot harder to get into. I started it in August and, up to December, I managed to read about a 100 pages, no more. I still want to give it a chance – I want to get through the entire series, actually, because of the cultural effect it has had on the Sci-Fi world and the issues I have heard it raises in and out of itself. But, it’s going to be a long journey for me. Currently, Dune Messiah hasn’t given me anything.

And there you have it! I read 14 books altogether this year. 6 of them were relatively bleak, I reread two … And I gave 5 stars to two books by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six, Looking Glass by Andrew Mayne, Audrey Hepburn by Juliana Weinberg … And, this is an honorable mention – The craddle will fall by Mary Higgins, which I finished IN THREE DAYS!

The goal this year was to finish 30 books, which proved to be impossible, but I bought a loooooot of new books that I am VERY excited to read about in 2024 and then let you know whether or not I spent money in vain!

MY 2023 REREADS – TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD AND NORWEGIAN WOOD

Generally speaking, I do not like rereading books. I believe that every book has the biggest amount of charm the first time we read it and even with my bad memory, which will almost completely delete a storyline a year or two later, I simply do not have the desire to reread books. However, every rule, of course, has its exceptions. If I believe that a book is more than just an entertaining novel and I found interesting lessons in it, I will be more inclined to reread it. Similarly, if it is a timeless book that can give me a different perspective in different eras of my life, I will be more inclined to reread it. And here come Norwegian Wood and To Kill a Mockingbird. 

I was 14 years old when I read Norwegian Wood. I was 18 when I read To Kill a Mockingbird. Now I am 24 and, absolutely, I find myself in a completely different mindset when it comes to perceiving these novels. I loved both of these books when I read them for the first time and have since labeled them as some of my favorite books. However, I have never actually reviewed them. Until now. 

To Kill a Mockingbird is, absolutely, a timeless classic. It is appropriate for any age group, since it is written in quite a simple writing style, through the perspective of a child. Scout has an innocent mindset that simplifies all the issues that appear in the novel, but the author still never lies to us or presents anything in an ignorant way. We read about racism, generational trauma, and poverty – to name a few. 

Scout is raised by a single father, Atticus, and growing up alongside her older brother, Jem. Atticus is the star of this novel: a protective father who is also honest and smart. He raises his children to ask questions about things they do not understand and be part of the grown-up conversation, acting as a very progressive father figure. Yet he is rarely applauded for his progressive behaviour, exactly because it is progressive. Racist, conventional characters believe that Atticus should be different – that he should simplify matters to his children. Luckily, he stays true to himself, which is something we absolutely have to applaud, as readers. 

His goodness and honesty brings us to a point of stopping and thinking about what we can do in our own lives to raise awareness and be good people ourselves. Connected to this question of “what can I do to be a better human being?” is a wonderful message about religion that is raised by one of the characters who talks about Atticus, making a point that being religious does not instantly make you a good human being. Sometimes religious people drill into our minds that we cannot be a good human being if we do not attend church or pray, which happens in this novel as well, ignoring the hypocrisy that might happen behind the door of a church. When everyone is a sinner, it is our heart that defines who we are and whether we are more of a good person or more of a bad one.

Thus, this novel raises many moral lessons. It can be a bit hard to read at times, as well, since it simply never lies to us. It shows us the world of the oppressed, and how very unfair life can be. At some point, Jem talks to Atticus about wanting to change the systems in court to make them more fair for the accused. He feels the heat of the unfair world, crying because he feels hurt. At that point, we can absolutely sympathize not only with Jem, but also Atticus, the black characters of this novel and anyone else who has been wronged in their life, whether it was a fictional or a real person. This novel has no shortage of such moments: often we can find ourselves clutching our chest, being on the brink of tearing up, because it does hurt that life has to be so unfair.

Having said that, the novel has no shortage of lovely elements, either. We can feel love for the wonderful sibling relationship that Scout and Jem have, which is such a classic one. They fight, but they also always have each other’s backs. Love for the respect these two children have for their father. Love for Atticus’ integrity and determination to attempt to do what is right. And love for this story as a whole, which makes it an absolutely neccessary read for anyone.

Norwegian Wood is different. Rereading the novel that shot Murakami into stardom, the novel that is supposedly a book that more or less any Japanese has read … I would like to start by saying I do not believe Norwegian Wood is appropriate for just any age group. Now I am actually appalled that I read this at 14. 

Described as Murakami’s most erotic novel, this book has no shortage of problematic elements and problematic characters – something that is a lot harder to untangle when you are a young reader. But let’s start by talking about what is good about this novel.

It is actually a very fair attempt to open the conversation about depression, in a very inconspicuous way. Depression is presented as something that can easily be perceived as many other things, before it grows and ruins a person’s life, which is an insanely realistic perspective. One of the characters that most openly struggles with this illness is Naoko, who at first “only” seems to struggle explaining her thoughts and feelings, being emotionally unstable, swinging to extreme mood swings and having the need to either isolate herself or push toward immense physical contact: being comforted, held, etc. At first we think that these behaviour patterns are her “quirks”, but it turns out that they are symptoms of illness. We misunderstand Naoko, the way many non-depressed people tend to misunderstand depressed people and depression itself, and the protagonist of this novel, Toru misunderstands her as well. With the portrayal of these two characters, Murakami indirectly educates us about depression, which is wonderfully ballsy for a novel that was published in 1987! 

Murakami is a gifted storyteller, his writing insanely wonderful. He gives us pieces of information that can be perceived in a million different ways and the conclusions to what he has given us are not always direct – we are allowed to understand it however we want to, which is something I respect. He is also insanely morbid at times, tough to read and he can make us very, very angry with some of the things he writes about. Let me introduce the protagonist of this novel, Toru.

Toru is actually one of those “I am a good guy” guys who aren’t actually good guys. Some of the things he says or does can make you throw this book into a wall. He gets bothersome. The same can be said about any other male character that appears in this novel and, call me crazy, but it seems like some of the objectification and sexualization of the female characters might be Murakami’s personal opinions. Which is bad. Don’t get me wrong – the female characters in this novel are absolutely interesting. They draw attention. They seem resilient and strong. But they’re also too obsessed with being “different”, special, and attracting attention. They can use sex as a form of feeling validated by the male who is having sex with them. Which is sad, to say the least. 

Speaking of sex, or rather eroticism itself, slap me and call me Judith, there is too much of it! Some of the sexual scenes are exploration of people’s youth, interests and capabilities. And these scenes are very welcome to appear! Many times, sex is actually connected to depression – either as a trigger or as a “temporary salvation”, which is fascinating, to some degree. On the other hand, some of the erotic scenes could have easily been cut out. They are simply unnecessary. In a story about depression, grief, loss, growth, youth – to name a few – we could absolutely use a little less conversations about porn flicks, masturbation and how a woman’s figure looks, whether or not she is naked. Look, seriously, I have nothing against representation of sex itself and I understand this, too, is part of youth, growth and exploration. But too much can be too much. 

(God I would now love to criticize the very least sex scene in this novel, which was insanely shocking and unnecessary, but I will not do it as it can spoil the ending. All I can say is I HATED IT. And I will always hate it.)

See, this novel occasionally pissed me off. But call me crazy, I appreciate that it did. I appreciate the fact that it has so much power that it can move me both positively or negatively. It’s what makes this novel one of my favorites, an absolute guilty pleasure, a book that I hate to love. And hand in hand, I would not recommend it to anyone. Does that make sense?

In other words, this isn’t a novel that is not going to be problematic at certain moments. And this isn’t a novel everyone would love, either. But it’s hard for me to explain it – even though it contains elements I would change, I appreciate the fact that it’s progressive … That it pushes you toward critical thinking. That it makes you angry at times. And uncomfortable. Because it also makes you ache for the characters, it makes you empathetic and hurt and loving. It’s all part of the journey. And will I reread it again some day? Probably. I might also come up with even more things I hate about it, but still end up rating it with 5 stars. 

So, there you have it, folks – the reviews of two novels I dared to reread. And now I’m off to continue reading If We Were Villains!

THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO – TAYLOR JENKINS REID

STORYLINE, taken from Goodreads: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

2. SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: What a book to open this year with! I have to say big thank you to one of my closest friends for giving me this absolutely binge-worthy read. This is a fantastic, thrilling novel, which presents a fictional Hollywood star’s biography. A talented, determinated main character is presented to us who wants to succeed and make a name for herself. We see the struggles she faces as she rises to fame. The questions that rise as she meets new people, as she is presented new projects and life opportunities … And the answers she receives each time she marries another man. Learning about herself and her sexuality, Evelyn Hugo becomes a woman that has her flaws, but is a character we can sympathize with, nonetheless. Understanding that all the choices she has made were made for certain reasons benefiting her and her career, we simply cannot be angry with Evelyn Hugo. Nor can we be angry with Taylor Jenkins Reid for her raw, truthful portrayal of this Hollywood character. Knowing that we are often very much inclined to put celebrities on a pedestal, ignoring the fact that they are only human, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has a very realistic tone. Is Evelyn Hugo perfect? No. She can be manipulative, selfish and irrational. She can also be charming, clever and inspirational. Is she an icon? Yes. But is she, also, only human? Yes.

One of the captivating elements of this novel are the media portrayals that show us how much the true narrative can be changed once an article is written about a certain topic. Throughout the timeline of Evelyn’s life, we are also given journalist articles about her life that are mostly manipulated, false and most likely even too dramatic. Evelyn’s life choices are judged by the people who know nothing about her, the people who watch her on television and have heard her name, who know who she is married to, what she is doing, but not who she is and who she loves. Similarly, this happens in real life. Media manipulates us into believing narratives about celebrities that 1) we have no right to know and 2) we have no way of knowing whether or not they are the truth. Similarly, only when Evelyn Hugo herself tells us the truth, do we get to truly know it.

What is the most important take from Evelyn Hugo? Perhaps that family comes first. Perhaps that no money, fame, recognition or awards can give you the safety and comfort that your loved ones can. And while it is, to some extent, comforting to receive validation from strangers recognizing Evelyn’s raw talent and sexyness, this validation becomes tiring, meaningless, as time goes on. As time goes on, everyone simply wants to be surrounded with the people we love: whether we are rich or poor, famous or not, a woman or a man … Craving for family is something we all can have in common.

Evelyn Hugo opens plenty of dimensions when it comes to sex and sexuality, giving us very interesting takes on these two topics. We have a very, very interesting portrayal of bisexuality. A bisexual person is gay to straight people, straight to the gay people. And it’s this quote that explains it perfectly: “I’m bisexual. Don’t ignore half of me so you can fit me into a box.” Which is an incredible thing to write down. We also have the portrayal of gay people who, in those times, had to hide their truths, pretending they do not love who they love, because they would be ruined for it. Which is just as an interesting, and heartbreaking, portrayal. Soaking in the heartbreak that the queer characters of this novel go through, I cannot say I was not moved.

Here are some other quotes regarding sex and sexuality that I absolutely loved:

“It really makes you think, doesn’t it? That people were so eager to believe we were swapping spouses but would have been scandalized to know we were monogamous and queer?”

“There’s a difference between sexuality and sex. I used sex to get what I wanted. Sex is just an act. Sexuality is a sincere expression of desire and pleasure.”

“People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is ‘you’re safe with me’- that’s intimacy.”

While the writer explores love and sex and desire and comfort, we learn that life is even more than that, life is also about finding numerous soul mates: best friends who became family, a lover who we can never forget … And it’s this message that brought tears to my eyes, that soul mates do exist in so many different forms. It doesn’t matter who we are or what this relationship is, it is simply something that was meant to be – getting to know certain people.

3. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? Absolutely. Reid is a very “quotable” writer; her style of writing is captivating, thought provoking and, in a way, educational. She constructed a truly binge-worthy read with lessons about sex and sexuality, fame and success, failure and fears.

♡♡♡♡♡/♡♡♡♡♡

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MY FAVORITE 2022 READS

As we were coming to the end of 2022, I started thinking about crafting a list of my favorite 2022 reads. I have to say I started the year super productively and I was quite optimistic that I would manage to reach my goal of reading 40 books. As the year progressed, though, life became a bit more active, thus giving me less time to read. Maybe I’m a bit disappointed to not have reached the goal, but I did manage to find so many great books in just one year, which is amazing on its own!

Let’s dive into my 5-stars rated 2022 reads!

1. PET SEMATARY – Stephen King

King’s vivid way of expressing himself, his courage to talk about death honestly and plainly, his understanding of human emotions and the development of the story all shocked me. Positively! He is, simply put, one of the best authors I have read. Pet Sematary is both beautiful and horrific … It teases us with what happens in the future: which character might meet a cruel ending, showing us how badly a past decision can impact the future. It’s frustrating in the most beautiful sense, because it’s simply impressive how much King dares to tell us, without, at all, spoiling the story. 

2. DUNE – Frank Herbert

Dune is always presented as the most “important” sci-fi work, the work that supposedly influenced and inspired a lot of sci-fi novels, one of them being Star Wars. Knowing this fact alone, it’s obvious that one has to read Dune. And does it deliver? It absolutely does. It is very easy to get into – though we are presented with completely new planets, new phrases, items, etc., it is all explained really well. Herbert did his research and took the time to construct a sci-fi world that does not exist, but feels as though it does.

3. IT ENDS WITH US – COLLEEN HOOVER
Hoover has reached an entirely new level of popularity in 2022, having been a romance writer for quite some time and having written quite a lot of books … Only with “It ends with us” did EVERYONE start talking about her. Not being a romance fan myself, I ignored her popularity at first. However, it became clear that this novel is not a “conventional” romance read and so I could enjoy it. Truly, this is a revolutionary in the genre, depicting an abusive relationship that, for the first time ever, is not glorified. Of course the abuser is the lover, too. However, the relationship is portrayed rather realistically and fairly, teaching us to be able to leave an abusive situation.

4. ANXIOUS PEOPLE – FREDRIK BACKMAN
In a way, Backman reminds me of Murakami. He is a bit less depressing, but equally bold when it comes to exploring the tough topics we have to talk about and equally of a skilled writer. He is wonderful. He allows us to view his mind, which seems rather brilliant – with some very clever and interesting views about life. Anxious People is presented as a story about a hostage situation, but in fact, it is so much more. It includes stories about grief, anxiety, depression, loneliness, frustrations, fears, partnership and family. Even so, it is not a heavy read. Backman also includes humor and irony, thus giving this story a very realistic feeling.

5. WIN – COBEN HARLAN
A truly refreshing crime read, filled with sarcastic and witty moments. The balance of information given by Harlan is perfect. Not a single chapter is either unbelievably dramatic or painfully boring. Instead, he builds anticipation in a very smart way and truly keeps our attention at a high. Win has to be his best work – I have read two or three of his previous novels, but they simply did not reach the same level of construction. He can do so much with this arrogant, yet aware main character in the future, as well. 

6. LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY – BONNIE GARMUS
It is hard to pick up a debut. Will I like the writer? Or will this be a horrible fest of unexplored possibilities and poorly executed ideas? It happens sometimes, it happens … But not with Garmus. Garmus presents a strong, female lead, who faces plenty of difficulties, yet always finds a way to overcome them. She is a very inspiring and motivational character, we have to root for her and be interested in her story. Garmus also delivers topics such as toxic masculinity, feminism, abuse, death. … But, at the same time, keeps a light tone of storytelling, with a very strong message of the novel: never back down, be true to yourself and accept what you’re capable of and what you can accomplish. 

7. DIANA – JULIE HEILAND
Everybody knows lady Di and the impact she has had on the entire world. Reading a novel about her life, written with her perspective, only makes you hurt for her and empathize with her even more. She will forever be a very important figure in time, paving the way to normalizing conversations about mental health in particular. Ahead of her time, in my humble opinion, she was bold and truthful to herself, turning out to be a truly remarkable person. 

8. WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING – DELIA OWENS 
In a way, this novel reminds me of “To kill a mockingbird” because Owens isn’t afraid of diving into prejudice, giving us an outcast as the main character, who has never belonged to the society and who finds herself being torn apart by it, time after time. Rising moral questions in this novel, the story gives us a lot more than just an entertaining read. It is actually a very thought-provoking piece, as we wonder what is right and what is wrong, and try to pave our way through the events that happen. I absolutely loved reading this. 

As you can tell, I dived into many genres this year and was quite lucky to find a lot of new favorite books!

PET SEMATARY – STEPHEN KING; “sometimes dead is better.”

STORYLINE, taken from Goodreads: When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son-and now an idyllic home. As a family, they’ve got it all…right down to the friendly cat. But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth-more terrifying than death itself-and hideously more powerful. The Creeds are going to learn that sometimes dead is better.

2. SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: Stephen King is one of those writers that are known as bestsellers and one of those writers that truly lamented themselves – numerous of his novels got developed into motion pictures and numerous of those motion pictures had the same global success. It is impossible to not give him credit for the work he has done. Even so, I never had the wish to read him. When I first heard of the name Stephen King, I knew he was writing in the kind of genre that I simply was not interested in. Years went by and I found another excuse not to read him, as I was certain that his writing style would not fit me, due to him being an older writer. Way too often I simply did not enjoy books of older writers, as odd as it seems to admit that. I think this has to do a bit with the fact that I am not a native speaker of English – even though I have great knowledge of the language itself, it’s really difficult for me to be reading writers that do not have a modern way of expressing themselves in this said language. Let’s call it how it is – I expected Stephen King’s writing style to be complicated and dull and that’s why I avoided him. Once my friend recommended Pet Sematary though, (thank you, Tina!) I was willing to give him a chance. And boy did he prove me wrong.

Stephen King being dull? That is absolutely impossible. As if water could be dry. First 10 pages into the book, I was instantly drawn in. No, he isn’t dull. In fact, he has a very modern way of expressing himself and a very vivid way of explaining the surroundings and events in the novel. It is very easy to follow him, and enjoy him.

His strong suit would be the painting of characters’ emotions. If a character is scared, we will be scared with them. If they’re happy, if they’re sad, if they mourn … We feel all of these emotions WITH THEM. He seems to understand emotions, and human behavior itself, very well. All of the descriptions are completely spot on, but what he really impressed me with was the description of human grief. Especially because grief isn’t something we tend to discuss very often. And when we are in mourning, let’s be honest, it feels like us against the world. It feels as if the other people, who are not grieving, simply do not understand us. To have King depict the background of mourning as honestly as he does, is simply a beautiful experience for us as a reader.

Similarly, the way he talks about death is insanely impressive. Death is a very important topic, and element, in this novel. Firstly, because it adds to a lot of the horror in the novel, giving it its necessary darkness. Secondly, because it is an attempt to normalize the conversation about death and the fact that it is completely inevitable. None of us, in the real world, can outrun death, yet it is an element in our lives that we are very inclined to ignore. Sometimes, it scares us. And we find it unpleasant to discuss it. Other times, it feels like a waste of time to discuss it. But King normalizes the conversation about death. Look, it happens. And we have to deal with it. And, as unpleasant as it is, “sometimes dead is better.” That surely applies both to his novel and everyday life.

The way this novel develops is brilliant. Like a horror movie, it starts off lightly. It gives us the opportunity to get to know the characters, becoming comfortable with them. Through and through, though, King is developing anticipation and warning us to expect horror. He even teases us all the time, which is an insanely interesting, and even nerve-wracking experience. He dares to tell us: “This was the character’s last happy day.” Or: “This character will be dead in two weeks.” Truthfully, he is the perfect read for all us spoiler junkies who enjoy skimming through pages and reading the ending before we are there. He will give us all the spoilers we need, in perfect time, and it will be far more dramatic than if we searched for them ourselves.

Simply put, this has to be one of the creepiest and well-written books a reader can find. King builds the events in the novel perfectly. Even when it comes to the point where we can anticipate what happens next, as one does in a horror movie, we do not have any comfort in knowing what we know, at all. Stephen King wins. We’ll understand, and know, what he wants us to understand and know. He is in control, but we’re willing to let him have this control, since he is such an insanely talented writer.

3. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? I would and I have. I sent numerous messages to reader friends that this is a book they have to read. King is modern, fascinating, and I’m quite sure he has awoken love for horror in me, which I never had in the past.

♡♡♡♡♡/♡♡♡♡♡

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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY – BONNIE GARMUS; “Change is what we’re chemically designed to do.”

STORYLINE, taken from Goodreads: Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with–of all things–her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

2. SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: From the very beginning, Lessons in chemistry absolutely draws you in. I believe that certain writers have a special gift when it comes to storytelling and Garmus is definitely one of these gifted writers. While she presents relatively tough topics, connected to (toxic) masculinity, feminism, abuse and so on and so forth … She also has a very down-to-earth, simple tone of presentation.

Garmus is direct and doesn’t try to present fictional life in a perfected way. Which is admirable. The novel is placed in the early 1960s and follows a FEMALE chemist who wants to succeed, so it would have been unfair to paint life in any other way than a realistic style. It is very clear that our protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, will be facing a lot of issues in her life story, and it is fairly so.

Facing plenty of battles and obstacles in this novel, Elizabeth Zott turns out to be an incredible character. She never backs down. She is direct and always says exactly what she is thinking, even if her truth isn’t something the other characters in the novel want to hear. She is a true fighter, even a revolutionary for the times she lives in. She is determined to succeed, whatever it takes. She is determined to prove people wrong. She is determined to fight for the things she wants, and deserves. She is a truly inspiring character that one has to root for.

But, Elizabeth Zott is not the only star of this book, at all. Garnus gives a fair amount of attention to all the side characters, who are just as important to the story, and they do not bore us in any way. Some of them grow up and mature in front of us. Some of them meet the faith they deserved. Which is very satisfactory. And *one* of them is a wonderful dog who has his own thoughts and feelings and is a lovely character on its own – Six Thirty. Six Thirty is capable of loving, grieving, worrying and taking care (or trying to take care) of his humans. I’ve actually learnt that Garnus has a dog on her own, named 99, and I believe a big part of construction of Six Thirty has to be based on her love for her own little creature.

Garnus included more elements from her life: having grown up in the 1960s herself, working in technology, medicine and education, being a rower … It turns out that Elizabeth Zott, in many ways, is based on Garnus herself. This is why the novel has such a heartfelt feeling. It’s not just some story, it’s a story that the writer poured a lot of heart in.

The message of the novel is clear: never back down and never be somebody you are not. Life is short, live it. Be fair to yourself. Be fair to what you are capable of and what you can accomplish.

I won’t spoil what Elizabeth Zott accomplishes, but I promise: you want to read this novel and find out. As it inspires us, it also makes us laugh out loud at what certain characters say, how they act or how ironic life turns out to be. If I were to write a book, it would contain the same amount of wit, sarcasm and absolute irony. Having said that, it is clear that I instantly had so much love for Garnus’ writing. 

So, while Lessons in chemistry presents “difficult” topics, it also presents inspiring characters (whether they inspire us to be more like them, or less), devastating events and hilarious moments. Lessons in chemistry is very fair to us: life isn’t easy, but it is worth the ride.

3. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? Yes. We need an empowering female character that is smart, resilient, hilarious. We need a character that never backs down. And overall, we need this story and the lessons it presents.

Now let me present my favorite part of this novel:
“Whenever you feel afraid, just remember. Courage is the root of change – and change is what we’re chemically designed to do. So when you wake up tomorrow, make this pledge. No more holding yourself back. No more subscribing to others’ opinions of what you can and cannot achieve. And no more allowing anyone to pigeonhole you into useless categories of sex, race, economic status, and religion. Do not allow your talents to lie dormant, ladies. Design your own future. When you go home today, ask yourself what YOU will change. And then get started.”

♡♡♡♡♡/♡♡♡♡♡

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it ends with us – colleen hoover; “Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.”

STORYLINE, taken from Goodreads: Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most. Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up – she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan – her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

2. SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: It’s been years since I sat down and took a romance novel into my hands, excited to read it. Lately, my go-to has been crime, fantasy and I have been flirting with sci-fi a bit as well, but … Romance? I left it behind. The reason why I made an exception for This is us is because it was immediately clear to me that this won’t be a typical romance book. This will be a way more difficult, and even interesting, read.

I was right. This is us is very emotional. The novel depicts an abusive relationship that starts normally, romantically, sweet … But as time goes on, we are presented very clear red flags in the main male lead, Ryle, who is stubborn, odd, and has many other issues that I will not get into. Getting to know him and Lily, the woman who loves him, we end up answering the question we always ask ourselves whenever we see anybody, in real life, in an abusive relationship: why is it so hard for them to leave?

I loved this novel so much because it gave me a fresh perspective. Whereas it has always been so easy for me to be judgmental of women staying in abusive relationships, this novel really touched my heart, my soul, my thoughts … This novel showed me how insanely wrong I have been in thinking that of course it is easy to leave an abuser. This is us teaches us: it is not easy.

It is not easy because this abusive relationship is not simply black and Hoover shows us that. She delievers an abusive relationship, which also consists of romantic, cheesy moments. Moments when the main character, Lily, loves the man who is hurting her, and we find ourselves loving him with her. He can be charming. He can be sweet. He is still an abuser.

Hoover is an insanely skilled writer. She writes the things we do not want to hear and then she writes the things we need to hear. All at the right timing. We find ourselves crying while reading this novel, then we find ourselves laughing. She tells us herself, in the author’s note, that she usually writes her books for the purpose of entertainment, not to inform or educate. But the purpose was different with It ends with us. She found it gruelling and hard to write. And, honestly, a lot of the times, it is gruelling and hard to read. But because she takes this novel so personally, it ends up being a beautifully written, vulnerable piece.

She is simply good at both: writing the hard, cold, much needed truth, but also light-weighted and humorous moments. And the conctruction of her characters, let me tell you, is done incredibly well. For example – one of my favorite characters of this novel is not even one of the main characters. Alyssa is a woman who is a best friend, a sister, a wife … But she is also so smart, funny, direct and all in all incredible: she gives an ode to what women nowadays are or strive to be. I was interested in Lily, Ryle and Atlas – Lily’s childhood love, and how their lives and stories are going to play out, but I was also interested in getting bits of Alyssa, and her husband Marshal, who are these wonderfully written characters that drag attention even though they aren’t the centre of it.

I love that this romance novel seems so realistic. It portrays characters that are capable of both the good and the bad, characters who make mistakes in their lives and either learn from them, or they don’t.

To me personally, Hoover causes a revolution in the romantic genre. Because – when in romance novels it’s so normal to use red flags as a starter to a great romantic relationship that will blossom and be the best thing that ever happened to the female lead … Hoover tells us this: sometimes, the red flags you witness in a person are not “charming” or “attention grabbing” – the way so many authors portray them as. They aren’t something you can fix.

3. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK? Yes. I’d go so far as to say that, in my opinion, it can be an incredibly important read for younger girls and women who are still learning and who are still receiving false portrayals of what a relationship is supposed to look like. Hoover says it best herself: “Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.” And this is something that we have to put more light, and stress, on. Toxic love is toxic love. Not romantic, not sweet, not a challenge you’re supposed to take on. It’s toxic love.

♡♡♡♡♡/♡♡♡♡♡

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