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Sensitivemuse (246 KP) rated Jar City in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
Jar City
Jar City
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What made this book enjoyable was how such an intricate web was spun throughout the novel giving the reader enough interest to keep reading. I was not sure what to expect from this book. Although I’ve heard good things about it I didn’t think I would be so engrossed and be flying through the pages to find out what will happen next.
I’m still not sure what to think of Erlandur as a character. Like most protagonists in series like these they usually have an underlying personal issue (whether it be health, or family for example) which he does have, but his personality I can’t really quite make out. He doesn’t seem to have much of one except he cares for his daughter and her well being even though they are estranged. He does have some sense of humor and wit but overall he appears to be driven by his work and hard working to solve the crime (we all need police like these don’t we?.)
I’m liking how his relationship with his daughter is turning out. It’s nice to see them slowly step away from their estrangement and it shows they do truly care for each other even though it’s done through yelling (most families are like that though, aren’t they?) It shows a lot of tough love, and I’m hoping the best for Eva Lind in the next books (I hope she appears as I’m slowly starting to like her more.)
What I enjoyed the most of this book was the plot like I mentioned earlier. It went from point A to point B but in such a dramatic motion it certainly kept you reading to find out what was going to happen next. The mood of the story also, was excellent. It was dark, dreary, melancholy, and although not suspenseful like the majority of the crime novels, it didn’t have to be. It made the setting suitable for the plot and made it more enjoyable.
One little thing I do have to add though, is the side story with the bride. I’m not sure why that was mentioned as it had little to do with the main story and it seemed like a filler. It wasn’t necessary as the plot itself was fine without it. I also enjoyed the ending of the book. It was sad, but you came to the realization it had to come to an ending like this.
As this is book #3 in its native language, it’s considered book #1 in its’ English translation. It seems all right and nothing seems to be lacking. Perhaps a bit of backstory might have helped but it was comprehensible to read. Greatly recommended! It’s a great break from the usual detective novels we have out there.
  
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Smashbomb (4683 KP) created a post in Smashbomb AMA

Jul 12, 2019  
AMA: SANDHYA MENON (AUTHOR)
ANSWERS
Author @Sandhya Menon has answered YOUR questions in Smashbomb's AMA.

On your FAQ, you mention you re-read Twilight. Do you enjoy re-reading any other books?
I re-read The Shining by Stephen King every autumn in preparation for the winter months! It’s the perfect creepy winter book, I think. I also tend to re-read Sophie Kinsella—I’m a diehard fan!

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Keep going. There’s definitely a seat for you at the table if you keep writing what you love and keep improving at your craft.

Do you base the characters in your books off of people you know?
My characters are always amalgams of people I know or have known, including me!

What magical creatures do you wish were real?
Fairies! I’ve wanted to be friends with Tinkerbell for a very long time now.
 
What is a genre you would love to write a book in but been too scared to touch and why?
I don’t think there’s any genre I’m afraid to touch, necessarily, but I do wonder if some genres I’d love to write in are a good fit for my brand of fiction. For instance, I’d love to write a few super-dark, twisty, atmospheric books, but I might have to write those under a pen name!
 
What plot device do you feel has been overly used in books?
I don’t think any plot device is overdone unless it’s harmful or bigoted in some fashion. Other than that, it’s all about the author’s unique voice and the spin only they can put on the tropes and devices we know and love (or love to hate)!
 
What do you believe is the most underrated franchise in literature that should get more readers?
Quite a few!
Most recently, I really wanted the book The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton to blow up and get its own movie and TV show and graphic novel and theme park and I’m still bitter that hasn’t happened (yet). I also really adore the Timber Wolves series by Tammy Blackwell and am sorely disappointed they haven’t caught on as much as I feel they deserve to! And I absolutely loved Damocles by S.G. Redling, but almost no one I know has read it, which makes me very sad.

Do you have a favourite character from your books and why?
Gosh, an author picking a favorite character is kind of like a parent picking a favorite child; almost no one could bring themselves to do that! I love all my characters for different reasons.

Which book did you have the most fun thinking up and writing?
I’m really super-excited about my upcoming contemporary fairy tale retelling series. The first book is called Of Curses and Kisses and has a sprinkling of Beauty and the Beast. It follows an Indian princess who must con a misanthropic British aristocrat into falling in love with her to avenge her family’s honor.
There’s no outright magic, but there’s a lot of “is the curse real or isn’t it” ambiguity that was so much fun to write. I dreamed the story three years ago and am so excited it’s finally going to be in bookstores soon!
I’m thrilled to say my UK publisher Hodder and Stoughton has picked it up, so Of Curses and Kisses will be available in the UK in February of 2020!

How much of the books did you write based on personal experiences vs purely fiction you thought up?
All of my books are based loosely on my own experiences with a heaping helping of fiction thrown into the mix! For instance, like Rishi in When Dimple Met Rishi, I struggled a lot with the arts (in my case, writing) not being a “real” or acceptable enough career path for my family. And like Dimple, I struggled with well-meaning adults who told me my biggest mission in life was finding and keeping a husband!
Like Twinkle in From Twinkle, with Love, I worried a lot that no one would be interested in the stories I wanted to tell with my pen (she wants to tell them with her camera). I looked at all the bestselling books or the books being taught to me, and none of the writers looked like me or had a name like mine. Twinkle faces something similar when she looks at the biggest, most successful movies and the often white, male directors who direct them.
And Sweetie’s struggle with her weight and fat-shaming in There’s Something about Sweetie came directly from my own experiences as a fat adult at various points in my life.
 Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
So many things! In high school, I read the short story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and for the first time truly understood how powerful an unreliable narrator could be. Reading Ellen Hopkins’ Crank back when it first came out was such an eye-opener for me about the flexibility of story structure.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I don’t! I’m one of those authors who believes that reviews are for other readers. I get my feedback from a trusted few sources who’ve been with me since the beginning.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Too many to count, honestly! I think all authors have a metaphorical trunk full of unfinished work and I’m no different. I have all of these folders on my computer with half-finished stories and novels I’m still very partial to. Sometimes bits and pieces of them make their way into my current books and that’s such a satisfying feeling!

Thanks to Sandhya and her great answers!
  
Early Years by Roxy Music
Early Years by Roxy Music
1989 | Rock
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"When you listen to a song a lot, it becomes more and more difficult for it to surprise you. But this song is perfectly structured in a way where it overtakes itself. It’s from Roxy Music’s self-titled album from 1972, and it starts out almost hokey, like it’s giving a nod to honky-tonk music. Then the guitar line comes in, and it’s like a fuck-you to the rest of the song. And then Bryan Ferry’s vocals completely change. It becomes so plaintive and emotional. It’s about this intrusion upon one’s own story, which I love. When the song inserts a new sonic quality upon itself, it jars me from whatever I’m doing. I spend so much time trying to remind myself to be present, and this song acts as an aural reminder to do that. I use it almost as a form of meditation. And it’s what I want from music to begin with: It renders me stupid and rudderless, and then it rebuilds an anchor out of notes and melody. It’s like a continual reminder to do that in my life. When I’m busy, listening to the same songs and artists over and over is a way of simplifying my life. I tend to wear the same clothing, everything becomes ritualized. Obviously there are so many new musicians that we can tune in to every day, but I also love finding a new appreciation for those who already exist. Because that’s what our world is: We build upon what’s already there. And I like unearthing as much as I like moving forward."

Source
  
Stronger Than Passion (Chesapeake Days #2) by Katherine McIntyre
Stronger Than Passion (Chesapeake Days #2) by Katherine McIntyre
Katherine McIntyre | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Nico messes up so bad!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Chesapeake Days series, but it can totally be read as a stand alone to book 1. Linc and Nate do pop up, but you don't need their story for this one to make sense. BUT! It was a bloody good read, and Nico is Linc's best friend.

After a less then stella first meeting, Nico and Hudson are at loggerheads. But being forced to collaborate on an event that will benefit both their businesses AND the town, they actually get to know each other and those snipes and barbs become less sharp and more flirty. Nico doesn't want a boyfriend, but that's all Hudson wants.

This is a proper enemies to lovers book and I loved it!

In book 1, this two, whenever they meet, have nasty comments to make to each other, but what I loved about this is, as they got to know each other, the meaning behind the barbs changed, and they become flirty, and it isn't too long before they realise they could be good for each other.

But they both carry some baggage: Nico's fear of relationships and falling in love (but that makes sense, once you get his whole story) and Hudson dealing with his male parental unit (you'll see why I do not want to call him a father) and things spiral for both of them.

Hudson messes up more than Nico, which surprised me, though. But when Nick DOES mess up, tis a doozy!

It's smexy and steamy, emotional and funny, and everything in between!

Both Nico and Hudson have a say, so we get it all. We get just how much Nico loves it when Hudson teases him. We get just when Hudson starts to see when Nico is much more than the business man he portrays. And while we have to wait far too bloody long, we do get an I love you!! Far too long I had to wait and I wasn't sure whether I would! So well played for keeping me on my toes, Ms McIntyre, well played.

So Jer, Nico's friend, still needs a story, but now I see Taran, Nico's brother, needs one cos something happened here that set all sorts of alarms off for me!

But I'm really not too fussed who's next, cos I'll read it, regardless!

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Go Set A Watchman
Go Set A Watchman
Harper Lee | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
3
6.0 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
What happened to the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird we were promised? (0 more)
I was very disappointed in this book. I read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school, and it became one of my favorite books of all time because it tackled many issues of the time through the eyes of a child and it gave us one of Gregory Peck's most memorable characters of all time, Atticus Finch.

This book doesn't even sound like a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird. The cozy atmosphere is not there. The town drama is not there. Atticus Finch is now a washed up body in the book. The old characters are not there, or at least, not mentioned that often. Even Scout, or her real name Jean Louise, became hateable (I know that's not word), and that upsets me because Scout was a really awesome character from the original book. How do you turn a curious child into a twat? I would love to know!

I'm so angry because how does someone set up an American classic for failure like this? I'm sorry, Harper Lee. I still love you for the original known as To Kill a Mockingbird, but Go Set a Watchman did not do justice, not by a long shot.
  
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