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A poignant story of family history.
Akin was such a lovely surprise of a book. It’s a touching story of an elderly widower, Noah, and his estranged 12 year old great-nephew Michael, going on holiday together to Noah’s birthplace in France. Noah hasn’t been back to Nice since he left as a four year old during WWII and wants to go there for his 80th birthday. Noah and his wife were both science professors at a New York university, and had decided not to have children so that they could concentrate on their careers. So when Michael is dropped in to Noah’s life, it’s something of a shock. Noah rises to the challenge, no matter how reluctantly, because Michaels mother is serving a five year prison sentence, his father (Noah’s nephew) is dead of an overdose, and his maternal grandmother has recently died. Noah is a good person, whether he realises it or not.
I loved how both of the characters were written: Noah is not some feeble old man, he’s fit, mentally sharp and has a great sense of humour - something that’s needed with a pre-teen! Michael puts on a front of being worldly wise, wise cracking and untouchable, whilst hiding the scared 12 year old that he is. I loved how the two of them bounced off one another. To be fair, Noah is incredibly patient with him, considering that he hasn’t had much experience with 12 year olds!
The mystery element was fascinating, too. Noah has found some photos in his deceased sisters belongings which came from their mother. They’re quite abstract: the backs of heads, legs, parts of a building, and Noah starts to find out things that he’s not sure that he likes about his mother’s war.
This search was really interesting, as were the details about Noah’s famous photographer grandfather, Père Sonne.
This is such a lovely story that looks at what it is to be family - warts and all. I would highly recommend it. It’s wonderful.
I loved how both of the characters were written: Noah is not some feeble old man, he’s fit, mentally sharp and has a great sense of humour - something that’s needed with a pre-teen! Michael puts on a front of being worldly wise, wise cracking and untouchable, whilst hiding the scared 12 year old that he is. I loved how the two of them bounced off one another. To be fair, Noah is incredibly patient with him, considering that he hasn’t had much experience with 12 year olds!
The mystery element was fascinating, too. Noah has found some photos in his deceased sisters belongings which came from their mother. They’re quite abstract: the backs of heads, legs, parts of a building, and Noah starts to find out things that he’s not sure that he likes about his mother’s war.
This search was really interesting, as were the details about Noah’s famous photographer grandfather, Père Sonne.
This is such a lovely story that looks at what it is to be family - warts and all. I would highly recommend it. It’s wonderful.
The Sabotage Diaries: The True Story of a Daring Band of Allied Special Forces and Their Covert Operations in Nazi-Occupied Greece
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Based on the wartime diaries of Allied soldier and saboteur Tom Barnes, this account of thrilling...
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Gordon L. Rottman and Stephen Andrew
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The years 1943-1945 marked a reversal in the military fortunes of Germany, beginning with the huge...
The Matter of High Words: Naturalism, Normativity, and the Postwar Sage
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In a world of matter, how can we express what matters? When the explanations of the natural sciences...
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Distant Dead in Books
Jul 1, 2021
The protagonist in this novel is Stella, but there are multiple storylines going on in this book. Stella is a quite complicated character, she has a lot of things going on in her life. It does not help that while running from her past life she stumbles onto a murdered true-crime podcaster. And once again she gets involved with another investigation. The characters of this book are very interesting personalities, and I was very curious to know more about them. And there is a very wide variety of characters, so sometimes it can be a little difficult to remember who is who.
The beginning of the book was quite slow and confusing for me. This book carries two separate investigations, the one going on in 1940 during WWII, and another investigation happening at the present day. I would have liked more suspense in this book, the culprits were quite easy to guess, but I enjoyed the interactions between the characters while solving both of the crimes. I especially liked the investigation that happened in the 1940ies, I loved reading about that era and the description of West London was very intriguing and educational to me. Also, I really liked to see how different police work was compared to the present day, and I did feel annoyed with the police ignoring the obvious. 😀
The writing style of this book was very enjoyable and well researched. I liked the different settings and atmospheres as well. The chapters have medium length, but it did not leave me bored. As I mentioned before, the ending of the book was quite predictable, but I liked how this book was rounded up. Even though this book was part of the series, I was able to read it as a stand-alone.
So, to conclude, it was a cleverly written crime story, filled with a very wide variety of different and intriguing characters as well as the murder stories that were different but very entwined.
The beginning of the book was quite slow and confusing for me. This book carries two separate investigations, the one going on in 1940 during WWII, and another investigation happening at the present day. I would have liked more suspense in this book, the culprits were quite easy to guess, but I enjoyed the interactions between the characters while solving both of the crimes. I especially liked the investigation that happened in the 1940ies, I loved reading about that era and the description of West London was very intriguing and educational to me. Also, I really liked to see how different police work was compared to the present day, and I did feel annoyed with the police ignoring the obvious. 😀
The writing style of this book was very enjoyable and well researched. I liked the different settings and atmospheres as well. The chapters have medium length, but it did not leave me bored. As I mentioned before, the ending of the book was quite predictable, but I liked how this book was rounded up. Even though this book was part of the series, I was able to read it as a stand-alone.
So, to conclude, it was a cleverly written crime story, filled with a very wide variety of different and intriguing characters as well as the murder stories that were different but very entwined.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) in Movies
Dec 9, 2020
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot is a fantasticly B-Movie style title, hiding a genuinely touching and quite beautiful character drama.
The film focuses on the life of Calvin Barr, an old man portrayed by Sam Elliott. He's a guy who's lonely, seen some shit in his time, and feeling his age until one day, he's approached by the government to hunt and kill the legendary Bigfoot, and put a stop to a potential world ending plague. Calvin is a bit of a legendary creature himself, having served in WWII, and is said to have killed Hitler himself before it was covered up, and his immunity to this killer plague makes him the perfect candidate.
This quirky other wordly narrative is quite a jarring contrast to the otherwise grounded drama that makes up the rest of the plot. Flashbacks tell of Calvin's life before the war, and how he met the woman he wanted to marry. It's essentially a love story, that veers into bonkers territory at the flick of a switch.
Somehow though, it all works really well. The screenplay is top notch and gives us some engaging characters with a great cast. Sam Elliott has the grizzled old man role down to a tee by now. Aidan Turner plays the younger Calvin, and the relationship between him and Caitlin Fitzgerald's character is believable and touching. Larry Miller also stars as Calvin's brother and the two of them also have decent chemistry.
This movie is overflowing with gorgeous shots. The last third especially is a visual feast, and it's all complimented by a wonderful score, courtesy of Joe Kraemer.
If you're looking for a schlocky bad-good film suggested by the title then you're in the wrong place. This is a charming and quirky character drama with sprinkles of a creature feature, and I can fully see why some might not get on with it, but for me, it just works.
The film focuses on the life of Calvin Barr, an old man portrayed by Sam Elliott. He's a guy who's lonely, seen some shit in his time, and feeling his age until one day, he's approached by the government to hunt and kill the legendary Bigfoot, and put a stop to a potential world ending plague. Calvin is a bit of a legendary creature himself, having served in WWII, and is said to have killed Hitler himself before it was covered up, and his immunity to this killer plague makes him the perfect candidate.
This quirky other wordly narrative is quite a jarring contrast to the otherwise grounded drama that makes up the rest of the plot. Flashbacks tell of Calvin's life before the war, and how he met the woman he wanted to marry. It's essentially a love story, that veers into bonkers territory at the flick of a switch.
Somehow though, it all works really well. The screenplay is top notch and gives us some engaging characters with a great cast. Sam Elliott has the grizzled old man role down to a tee by now. Aidan Turner plays the younger Calvin, and the relationship between him and Caitlin Fitzgerald's character is believable and touching. Larry Miller also stars as Calvin's brother and the two of them also have decent chemistry.
This movie is overflowing with gorgeous shots. The last third especially is a visual feast, and it's all complimented by a wonderful score, courtesy of Joe Kraemer.
If you're looking for a schlocky bad-good film suggested by the title then you're in the wrong place. This is a charming and quirky character drama with sprinkles of a creature feature, and I can fully see why some might not get on with it, but for me, it just works.
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Before the Crown in Books
Jun 14, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and Flora Harding for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Before the Crown is a beautiful historical novel which delves deep into the romance between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece, perhaps better known as Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
However, this is not a traditional romance and Harding does not hold back in laying out all the struggles Elizabeth and Philip faced. From the King and Queen's disapproval of the match for their daughter to the effects of public opinion on the relationship, Flora Harding covers it all.
Nor does this novel present the engagement as all hearts and flowers. Despite Elizabeth being attracted to Philip from a young age, this is initially a one-sided crush and a political arrangement for the couple. However, due to Flora Harding presenting her novel from the perspective of both Elizabeth and Philip, the reader is able to experience first hand the doubts, worries, longing and evolution of this infamous relationship.
I will be honest it is hard not to envision the Netflix series when you read this novel but it is by no means a copy cat situation. Harding provides such interesting insights into Philip's lifestyle and his family that it is hard not to pity the sacrifices that he makes in order to be with Elizabeth.
In 'The Crown' young Philip was a bit of a dirt bag and, although Harding's Prince is no angel, he is clearly fighting an uphill battle against the aristocracy's view of him. It is difficult not to sympathise.
I would have liked an author's note to know how much of the story is fact and how much is fiction or speculation. However, given the privacy of the Royal Family I imagine any factual insights are rare.
In summary, 'Before the Crown' is a captivating read, exploring the sacrifices and struggles where we often blindly see prejudice, all against the backdrop of WWII Europe.
Before the Crown is a beautiful historical novel which delves deep into the romance between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece, perhaps better known as Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
However, this is not a traditional romance and Harding does not hold back in laying out all the struggles Elizabeth and Philip faced. From the King and Queen's disapproval of the match for their daughter to the effects of public opinion on the relationship, Flora Harding covers it all.
Nor does this novel present the engagement as all hearts and flowers. Despite Elizabeth being attracted to Philip from a young age, this is initially a one-sided crush and a political arrangement for the couple. However, due to Flora Harding presenting her novel from the perspective of both Elizabeth and Philip, the reader is able to experience first hand the doubts, worries, longing and evolution of this infamous relationship.
I will be honest it is hard not to envision the Netflix series when you read this novel but it is by no means a copy cat situation. Harding provides such interesting insights into Philip's lifestyle and his family that it is hard not to pity the sacrifices that he makes in order to be with Elizabeth.
In 'The Crown' young Philip was a bit of a dirt bag and, although Harding's Prince is no angel, he is clearly fighting an uphill battle against the aristocracy's view of him. It is difficult not to sympathise.
I would have liked an author's note to know how much of the story is fact and how much is fiction or speculation. However, given the privacy of the Royal Family I imagine any factual insights are rare.
In summary, 'Before the Crown' is a captivating read, exploring the sacrifices and struggles where we often blindly see prejudice, all against the backdrop of WWII Europe.
Miranda and the D-Day Caper
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Cosy Mystery
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Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Postmistress in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Genre: Fiction
Rating: DNF
(No Summary.)
The thing about reading is that you need to pick up the book, and be wrapped up in it. It needs to flow well. It must be readable. It must be understandable. Words create sentences and sentences create paragraphs, etc.
When I started reading The Postmistress, I felt like I’d jumped into the middle of a book, in the middle of a series, with no idea who was who or what was happening or even who the narrator was. The sentences didn’t make any sense. It was like reading sentences backwards. Have you ever tried that? Do it. Ok now that you’ve tried it, you know how I felt. It felt like a bunch of jumbled words.
The style was strange, there was weird punctuation that made what little clear sentences there were choppy and difficult to read. I kept reading the same phrase over and over and eventually giving up.
The point of view isn’t first person, nor is it third. And whatever person it was, it kept switching mid-chapter so I couldn't keep up. The dialogue felt out of place, like people from that time period shouldn’t be speaking like that (Or maybe I’m just not educated on WWII culture, which is more likely than not. I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt).
And by page 15 I still had no clue who was who or what was going on. I felt no desire to continue reading, and trying to decipher the paragraphs felt like a chore.
And honestly, reading should not be a chore. I won’t finish a book if I could be reading better things.
I’m sorry to be so negative, I hate writing negative reviews. But I could not read this book. I couldn’t tell you what the plot was or what the characters were like if I tried.
As always, please remember that this is my personal opinion. Never decide to read or not to read a book based on one person’s views.
This was the second stop for Katrina’s Borrow My ARC Tour at Bloody Bad. Check the other tour stops here for other reviews, or see Amazon.com reviews.
Genre: Fiction
Rating: DNF
(No Summary.)
The thing about reading is that you need to pick up the book, and be wrapped up in it. It needs to flow well. It must be readable. It must be understandable. Words create sentences and sentences create paragraphs, etc.
When I started reading The Postmistress, I felt like I’d jumped into the middle of a book, in the middle of a series, with no idea who was who or what was happening or even who the narrator was. The sentences didn’t make any sense. It was like reading sentences backwards. Have you ever tried that? Do it. Ok now that you’ve tried it, you know how I felt. It felt like a bunch of jumbled words.
The style was strange, there was weird punctuation that made what little clear sentences there were choppy and difficult to read. I kept reading the same phrase over and over and eventually giving up.
The point of view isn’t first person, nor is it third. And whatever person it was, it kept switching mid-chapter so I couldn't keep up. The dialogue felt out of place, like people from that time period shouldn’t be speaking like that (Or maybe I’m just not educated on WWII culture, which is more likely than not. I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt).
And by page 15 I still had no clue who was who or what was going on. I felt no desire to continue reading, and trying to decipher the paragraphs felt like a chore.
And honestly, reading should not be a chore. I won’t finish a book if I could be reading better things.
I’m sorry to be so negative, I hate writing negative reviews. But I could not read this book. I couldn’t tell you what the plot was or what the characters were like if I tried.
As always, please remember that this is my personal opinion. Never decide to read or not to read a book based on one person’s views.
This was the second stop for Katrina’s Borrow My ARC Tour at Bloody Bad. Check the other tour stops here for other reviews, or see Amazon.com reviews.