A Touch of Farmhouse Charm
Book
The rustic farmhouse interior design style has exploded with popularity in recent years. A Touch of...
100 Things to Draw with a Triangle: Start with a Shape, Doodle What You See
Book
What comes to mind when you think of a triangle? Depending on its size, it could be a pyramid, a...
The Curious Barista's Guide to Coffee
Book
The definitive guide to the extraordinary world of coffee from growing and roasting to brewing and...
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated A Fire Story in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Fies begins by illustrating how the couple awoke on the night of the fire, and how they began to frantically yet methodically pack up their belongings. He details the escape, the bewilderment they felt and the huge sense of loss. Later, he really emphasises how much a person grieves for the loss of their home and belongings. It's not the value that's important, it's the memories.
Throughout the book there are also several other people's experiences. Some were also in their home at the time of the fire, while others were on holiday abroad, watching the events unfold through social media. All of these accounts had one particular thing in common: they all mention how they did not expect to be gone from their homes forever. They thought they would be able to return soon, and did not plan on leaving everything behind for the final time.
This was a fantastic book. Fies included little comics illustrating "a day in the life" after the fire, where the little, seemingly insignificant things reminded them of their loss. He also follows up with the process of reconstructing their house - and outlines some of the difficulties they never expected to face.
The art was lovely, with enough detail to clearly illustrate the events. The dialogue was perfect and sounded completely authentic, and expressed the emotions well. 5 stars.
Mouse
Book
Despite its minuscule size, the mouse has a large presence in earth's animal kingdom and the human...
Clara and Mr. Tiffany
Book
Against the unforgettable backdrop of New York near the turn of the twentieth century, from the...
BUT, when I looked at it on Goodreads, one of the tags was “historical fiction”. Has it come to this now, that 1995 - the year I graduated from Uni - is seen as historical fiction?!
I’m feeling a bit old.
Anyway, I’ll hobble on to the review…
Diana and Aurelle live next door to one another in a wealthy neighbourhood, but have nothing to do with one another until Diana’s brother unexpectedly dies. Diana has had a poor relationship with her brother, but he was clearly their parent’s favourite. Diana is pushed away by her parents, and she ends up next door with Aurelle.
They become close friends, decide to study at the same college, and live together in Aurelle’s family house near the university campus. It’s an idyllic setting. Classrooms in woodland, near a lake. It sounds beautiful.
Aurelle starts to go off the rails, whilst Diana’s art really takes off.
And then it all goes terribly wrong with misunderstandings, envy and obsession.
I didn’t see the latter half of this book coming at all, and it was a real shock!
The whole book was fascinating, though. A prime example of young adults cut loose from the relative stability of their families and left to do whatever they want. And what these girls want to do, especially Aurelle, just isn’t good for them.
So if you like a ‘good’ toxic relationship in a story, then this will be for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Muse in Books
Jan 30, 2022
Book
The Muse
By Jessie Burton
⭐️⭐️
Seductive, exhilarating and suspenseful, The Muse is an unforgettable novel about aspiration and identity, love and obsession, authenticity and deception – a masterpiece from Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist.
A picture hides a thousand words . . .
On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad five years ago, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a potential she didn't know she had, she remains a mystery – no more so than when a lost masterpiece with a secret history is delivered to the gallery.
The truth about the painting lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. Into this fragile paradise come artist and revolutionary Isaac Robles and his half-sister Teresa, who immediately insinuate themselves into the Schloss family, with explosive and devastating consequences . . .
Oh it started so well and I was enjoying it but I just got so bored. I really wanted to enjoy this book but I couldn’t find anything to keep me hooked in! The characters were wushu washy and the story lost it appeal. Such a shame!
Murder at the Moulin Rouge (The Blackwell & Watson Time-Travel Mysteries #5)
Book
Paris, 1895. When a cancan dancer at the Moulin Rouge falls to her death from the top of one of...
Crime Mystery Time Travel
Murder by Invitation Only
10.0
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Book
Agatha Christie’s ever-capable housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, not only keeps the celebrated...