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BookInspector (124 KP) rated This is the House in Books

Sep 24, 2020

I would like to begin by saying that this book left me confused. When I began reading it, I was so bored that I was thinking I made a bad decision by starting reading it. Once I got to Raoul’s murder, that’s when I started changing my mind to the positive side. The whole book is written in very interesting manner. It has this mixture of ” French meets English “ style. The language used in the book is very refined, sophisticated but at the same time not difficult to read. It seems like the story was happening in old times but at the same time it felt really modern.

The characters in this book were really interesting and had personalities. All of them were really mysterious, it seemed that every each of them has a secret which they were trying to hide. The main character, Mr. Seal, feels like Sherlock Holmes in French environment to me, which is quite entertaining and amusing. What I really liked about the book was twists and turns. There were things constantly happening and it wasn’t dragged uselessly. It has a good ending which leaves you satisfied with how the story turned out. Even though the beginning of the book wasn’t quite interesting and went slow for me, it is quite good book, which takes you in as you continue reading it. And if you love crime, black magic, and romance in the same place, give it a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.

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ClareR (6054 KP) rated Miss Benson's Beetle in Books

Dec 5, 2020

Miss Benson’s Beetle is an absolute delight, and completely unexpected! I have other Rachel Joyce books on my bookshelf, but I haven’t read them yet (this will be remedied!), so I wasn’t expecting the quirky, moving book that I listened to on Audible.

It must have been very unusual for a woman in 1950 to up sticks and travel to the other side of the world, searching for a beetle that might not even exist. And the fact that she does this with no prior travel experience, not knowing the language at her destination, and with very basic equipment, made me feel that Margery Benson was even more courageous. I loved her companion, Enid Pretty, too - although I think Margery really struggles with her huge personality (despite her diminutive size) for a large part of the book. Enid is confident where Margery is unsure, loud where Margery is quiet - and she teaches Margery the importance of female friendship.

In the wings is an ex-prisoner of war who had been held captive by the Japanese. He suffers from PTSD and a tropical disease, and there is a feeling of constant unease that he will do something to harm Margery or Enid. I felt so sorry for him though. He really wasn’t in a good place mentally or physically throughout.

This book is a story of courage, trials and tribulations, tragedy, and joy in the small things in life (not just beetles!) and I loved it. It’s a book with a lot of laughter and a good helping of tears.