Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Twenty Days of Turin in Books
Mar 15, 2018
It was well written, especially since its a translation, but parts of it felt disjointed and I found it hard to follow the uncovering of the Librarys secrets and the cause of the disturbing and brutal murders. There was well built tension in this and the white-as-a-sheet nun was pretty terrifying to imagine, but in general, I missed a whole lot of the horror in this.
Reading the translator's introduction (after I had finished the book) definitely helped me get it a bit more. Maybe if I had known more about Turins history to begin with, I could have connected to the story on a deeper level, but since I had no idea about Turins unrest in the 1970s, that whole subplot went completely over my head.
I hate giving such a little known book a very average review, I like supporting small time authors, but I cant say much about this author and his work when I have no idea what the hell went on. (OK, thats an over exaggeration, I half got it).
Kristin (149 KP) rated Hy Brazil (The Elven Wars, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Edward Harry has improved his lot in life, and he finds himself a position as secretary to a famous poet. Because of this, he is included when his employer travels, as he is to write down any and every thought Edmund Spenser has surrounding the beauty and majesty of the surrounding world. They make their way to Ireland, where Edward makes a friend in Calvagh, and together they choose to explore their surroundings. This leads them onto a journey neither thought possible, and they land in the Elven world of Hy Brazil, smack in the middle of civil unrest. Will they make it back to their own world? Or will they be stuck there forever, never to go home again?
I must start by saying the cover is absolutely beautiful, and that beauty continues within the words of the novel. The description and imagery used, especially once the duo makes it to Hy Brazil, is so rich it makes you believer you're actually seeing it with your own eyes. This story is a very interesting one, set back in the late 1500s, and the language used deftly sets you in that time period. All around, this story is one which sucks you in, and I definitely couldn't put it down once the pair crossed into the Elven realm.
4 1/2 stars
Empires of Coal: Fueling China's Entry into the Modern World Order, 1860-1920
Book
From 1868-1872, German geologist Ferdinand von Richthofen went on an expedition to China. His...
Outlaw Territories: Environments of Insecurity/Architectures of Counterinsurgency
Book
In Outlaw Territories, Felicity Scott traces the relation of architecture and urbanism to human...
Athene Palace: Hitler's New Order Comes to Rumania
R.G. Waldeck and Robert D. Kaplan
Book
On the day that Paris fell to the Nazis, R. G. Waldeck was checking into the swankiest hotel in...
Tourism, Conflict and Contested Heritage in Former Yugoslavia
Book
Described as 'cultural crossroads' or 'mosaic', 'powder keg', 'border', 'bridge' or Europe's...
Genus
Book
In the Britain of a few tomorrows time, physical perfection is commonplace and self improvement has...