The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning…that’s the opening line in the book, and as the circus this book arrived to my life unannounced. I hadn’t heard of it until one day, at the bookstore the seller recommended it. The cover caught my attention almost immediately with the white and black tent...plus it was on sale ;). 

I devoured this book, like I haven’t in a while. To say this is a story of 2 magicians would be to bring the story down. Yes, there is magic in it, but for me it was the one made by Erin Morgenstern describing the whole making and happening of the circus. To read the book and feel the smell of candy apples, hot chocolate, to feel mesmerized by every single enchantment performed by Celia or Marco…to wish endlessly that you could visit the Ice Garden…that was the magic. 

The story begins in the 19th century, but jumps farther in the “future” and as you advance the two timelines finally join each other. I fell in love with every character, the twins, Tsukiko, even Alexander and Prospero. It has it’s dark moments, but that is perhaps what I liked the most, that is not a happy ever after story, is intricate, is complex, is sad, as live. But as life, it gives you passion, excitement and magic. Apparently this is Morgenstern first novel, so I can’t wait to see what she has in hand. I would dismiss comparisons to Harry Potter or Twilight, as I saw several critics did. I’ve read both series, and I didn’t feel any similarity in the thematic. Anyway, I hope people enjoy this book as much as I did, for it make me happy beyond my expectations for it. 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

I really liked this book, even though it took me a while to finish for such a small book. There is 2 reasons why it took my so long to finish the book, 1. I had 3 books from the library that I was supposed to finish before leaving for vacations, and since I owe this one, it went into standby; 2. The descriptions of the treatments are so well described from the point of view of the patients that sometimes I had to put the book down to breathe a little bit and remind myself it was just a book. 

I haven’t seen the movie, but I know the main character, McMurphy was given to Jack Nicholson, and after seeing him in the Shinning I have to say he has to be perfect for this character. McMurphy is taken into an asylum because he acted “insane” to escape forced labor, much better than prison, he thought. However he starts to realize that the asylum won’t be the vacation he was hoping for. The whole story is told by another character, Chief Bromden, a part native patient that as far as everyone is concerned is mute. The story starts with the arrival of McMurphy to the institution and follows his interactions with the other patients. The big issue with the center is that is ruled by Big Nurse, a woman that for years has controlled the patients however she wants, overruling even the doctors. 

Now, this is a story that is developed when psychiatric treatment as basically pills to bring down emotions, electroshock and finally lobotomies. With these arms in hand, Big Nurse can scare the patients into complete submission. Off course this works up until McMurphy enters the game. He starts a revolt, or an awakening of the patients. I enjoyed how the characters are so complementary to finally shine as a unit. Also, the way the influence of McMurphy gets them flourish and respond against the mistreatment they were getting.

Happy New Year!!!

I went away on a holiday, but I have a couple of new reviews. I am happy to tell you that last year I read 36 books! this is my very best in years, and considering it was the same year I was finishing my article and my masters thesis, I think congratulations are in order. Soon enough I will upload my comments on the last books I've read.

Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford

I was really disappointed with this book. I feel like BTB is really goon when it comes to writing books placed in the past, but when she tries to catch up with current times the story just looses strength. First of all, the whole M nickname…it was obvious who she was from the beginning, so I don’t see the point to keep her identity “hidden” for 3 quarters of the book. All the relationships happen in 2 pages! They all fall in love in a paragraph, sleep together immediately and suddenly they “know” they were meant to be. I am sorry, but I do not find this romantic, but just rushed. As for Birdie…why kill her husband? I mean, they were great together in past books, so what’s the point? Introduce a new rushed relationship with a nobody that just appeared for this book?. As long as JA story goes…I was happy to see him back, because I thought now the book is going to lift up again…no, once again, I was disappointed, everything is told in a paragraph, no development to what happened to Angharad, nor the daughter, the attacks are random and seemed unplanned, but then there is a sentence that says: it went according to plan…eh…what plan?. As always the description of the rooms and the clothes is really nice, and you can see BTB’s background as an interior designer, but the Harte women are supposed to be strong, well developed characters, as well as their partners. Nothing like this was true for the characters presented in this book…I would recommend stopping at Unexpected blessings for this saga if you don’t want to be utterly let down.

Red Glove by Holly Black

I am happy to say I think I just found a new series that I would like to follow. I am perfectly aware that this is a young adult book, but boy did I enjoy it. Unlike the first book, White Cat, a lot of things happened in this book that left me honestly surprised, thing I did not see coming until the very end. Why I think I like the most of this series so fa, is that the story carries itself alone, even if you take the “magic” part out of the equation. Casel is back to school, and who but Lila is in there too. Unfortunately, the curse she is under has not fade away and this drives Casel to be unsure about whatever she says or does. In another turn of events, Philip is dead, but no one knows who did it. Everyone approaches Casel with an offer, from Zacharov to the Feds, and I will not say what he decides, but I was so not expecting his final decision. We learn about new workers, and some things explained past behaviors. I was a bit sad at the way it ended, but I understand it leaves a lot of possibilities for the next book. 

Just Rewards by Barbara Taylor Bradford

I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with this book. Although I really enjoyed the previous Harte’s saga books, this one was a bit weak. The description of characters in general was good, and BTB certainly knows how to put you in the scene with her descriptions of rooms and dresses. However, I feel that a lot of points were left flying. Characters as Angharad were barely described, and I think it had a lot of villain potential. Also, JA…I like him as a villain, in the other books, he was depicted pretty well, and his plans were explained carefully, as you would expect him to do if he was real…this time, all his moves seemed out of the blue, with no background, but hate. And then his “end” seemed to me like someone had no idea how to close that door, and just did it in a hurry. Once again, BTB makes a book easy to read, enjoyable in average as it carries you into England swiftly and I can only praise de way the scenario is done. But I am sad to think that a lot was said, but not much happened. 

White Cat by Holly Black

This is the first book that I’ve read from Holly Black, but I have to say I was happily surprised when I read it. The writing is engaging,  yet fast to read, it took me 3 days to read it, but in full honesty is not the only thing I have been reading and I have the lab (soon, vacations!!!). Anyway, even though the main character is a teenage boy, the author doesn’t fall in the “trend” of using as many terms as “kids these days” use to appeal this public, unlike what happens in the House of Night series (don’t get me wrong, I still read those books, but is getting less and less enjoyable). Back to White Cat.

The story is mainly about Cassel, a teenage boy born in a family of “workers” or people with magic powers. This is neither fairy magic, nor Harry Potter without wands. Basically, people can do things to other people ranging from giving them good luck to killing them just buy touching their skin your bare hands. Ironically he is the only one in his family to not be a worker. Also, he killed his childhood friend Lila. He is trying to forget about this, and trying to blend in his school, acting as normal as possible, until one night he wakes up in the roof of his school, no idea how he got there, and what is worst, no idea on how to get down. All he remembers is a white cat.

With this, Cassel is send out of the dorms on probation, and while staying with his family he starts realizing that his memories are not quite what he thought, and that maybe, just maybe he is not such a bad person after all.

The main character is easily lovable, he is nice, without being naive, and he is pretty “human” in his emotions, again, without falling in overreacting as most teenage heroes tend to do. One thing about this book though, is that a lot of critics I read kept saying that every time you thought something was going to happen, the story totally changed…not true for me. I don’t know if it is because I have read a couple of this type of series, but up to the end there weren’t a lot of surprises. Don’t get me wrong, you do get things that you didn’t except, and so far (keep in mind is the first book) everything that happens makes sense according to the own book mythology. 

I would say is a pretty good book, to disconnect from every day basis. The settings are well described, although they could be more embracing. I really enjoy a book that virtually transports you. This one is ¾ there.