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Review: A Christmas Party by 

Georgette Heyer

2.5/5




As a Jane Austen fan, it is only natural that I should love Georgette Heyer. Both authors write of strong women in the regency era, each having their own adventures, and finding romance on their own terms. Both novels are full of wit, sparkling characters, and underlying feminist tones. I've read & reread about the practical Mary and the scandalous Lord Vidal in Devil's Cub; dreamy Phoebe and sardonic Lord Sylvester in Sylvester; and headstrong Frederica and cold Lord Alverstoke in Frederica. All these books have never failed to enthral me. 
So naturally, after having torn through Georgette Heyer's regency works, I turn to her mystery novels.

To say I was disappointed is a vast understatement.



The story begins in a Christmas party, where a vast array of colorful relatives are gathered. As most of these people do not get along with each other, quarrels are inevitable (and sometimes, even encouraged!). As tensions starts to rise, the patriarch of the family, Uncle Nat, is found stabbed in the back. As a man of considerable wealth, and a scrooge-like disposition, many are set to gain from his death...but who would be willing to murder for it?


While Heyer had some of the same elements of her regency works, such as a witty, but plain, heroine and a cynical hero, the story still fell flat for me. Unfortunately, I was able to guess who the murder was from the very first page. And if you know who killed the old coot...then what was the point of reading?



The mystery wasn't skillfully crafted, the pacing was slow, and there was lack of urgency in solving the mystery. Perhaps I'm being too harsh, but having read great mystery writers like Agatha Christie, I expect more out of my novels. Christie wasn't just a mystery writer, she was a keen observer of human behaviours, and as a result, her villains and victims were all realistic. This characters in these novels were not. 

It would be another while before I pick up another one of her mystery novels, but don't let that dissuade you from reading her regency novels. Now, those I will be rereading till the day I die.


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Taste of Persia by Naomi 

Duguid

I received this as an arc from Netgalley as an exchange for an honest review.





I grew up to the smells and tastes of my mother's kitchen. There, extraordinary spices would be used from far off places that I only dreamed of going. That was where the family gathered to exchange long-winding stories about their day, question the future, reminiscence over the past. There, my mother would knead the bread, my father would grill the meat, and the unfortunate task of chopping the onions always fell on me. Elaborate meals were created and celebrated at that kitchen.




Now, a 1000 miles away from my parents, away at Uni, I often settle for the simple. Frozen pizza, nuggets, burgers (if it's frozen, you know I've tried it!). Unfortunately, as a student, time is as rare a commodity as some of the spices in my mom's cupboard. 

But, if I found myself the time, and I cooked one of the recipes, and it brought me home.
Even if you're new to these recipes, it'll still bring you tremendous joy to create these foods (and even more joy to consume them!).




The pictures in the book were beautiful, and the recipes were well-crafted and easy to follow. Naomi Duguid also brings in interesting background context on each recipe, this book is both a cookbook and a traveller's guide to Persia.


Also a delightful addition for fans of Sabrina Ghayour's "Persiana" cookbook



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The paper princess

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The Paper Princess by Erin 

Watt

1.5/5

Disclaimer: I could understand why people like this book. I could understand the plethora (new word of the day!) of stellar reviews. It's a fun book. This book is the most pure form of escapism. I don't fault anyone for wanting to escape (especially after the crappy year 2016 was). Unfortunately, this book was NOT for me. 

I'm a Canadian, so I'm not a ranter by nature.

But, man, this book makes me want to rage.

The worst part? I was warned by all the other reviews on goodreads. They told me that I would dislike everything in the book, but still, I did not heed their warning. Maybe I'm masochistic? 

You know who else is masochistic? Ella Harper. She derives pleasure out of being humiliated and put-down by Reed Royal. It's like his hotness gives him the right to be cruel. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

The story starts out with recently orphaned Ella Harper. She does what she has do to survive. Can't blame a girl for that, and in the beginning, Ella was cool. She was tough, independent, and optimistic. Yeah, I ain't ashamed to say it, I cheered for her. But, her life is twisted upside down when she finds out that Callum Royal is her guardian. Turns out, her father, who had recently discovered he had a daughter, is Callum's best friend...and he's loaded. Just before he sets out to meet his long-lost daughter, he dies in a freak accident. So, now it's up to Callum to care for his friend's daughter, and with that in mind, he brings her back to his mansion, and to his 5 sons. None of the sons want her there, especially Reed Royal, and they'll do their best to make sure her stay isn't pleasant. But all Ella has to do is survive until she graduates high school...which turns out to be much harder than it sounds.



Next to me, Callum sighs. “I’m sorry about that. I thought I got through to them before—they’ve had time to prepare for it—but clearly they still need more time to absorb all this.”

All this? He means me. My presence in their home, my tie to their father that I never knew I had before today.

“I’m sure they’ll be more welcoming in the morning,” he says. It sounds like he’s trying to convince himself.

He sure as hell hasn’t convinced me. 



Good Points:
-Non-judgemental heroine ✓
(Ella does not judge. Even if someone did something that was kinda shady, she didn't care. To be fair, it was quite refreshing to read about a heroine that did not see herself as 'holier-than-thou')



-Fast-paced writing ✓
-First few chapters ✓
-Female Friendship ✓

Bad Points:

The Passive Heroine 

In the first few chapters, I was preparing myself for a tough heroine who doesn't take crap. I enjoyed that Ella, I cheered for that Ella. Unfortunately, as soon as she meets the Royals, passive Ella comes out. 

I drop my arms and walk into the cabin. Something about this guy...he issues a command and I obey. I fight it at first, sure. I always fight, but he always wins. 



No, Ella, just no. Reed decrees aren't law. His 'masculine' hotness does not mean that he has any control over you. Don't walk away from him, Ella, run!

But, sometimes, she has rare spurts of the 'ole tough Ella'. 

You haven't cornered the market on grief. You're not the only one who lost his mother. Oh poor Reed Royal," I mock, "he's turned into an asshole because he lost his mommy." 

While this may sound harsh to you...trust me, Reed deserved it and far worse. But just when I think tough Ella is here to stay, passive Ella comes back up again. 

The Casual Mentions of Rape 

The sexualization of underage girls is really creepy. When Ella first comes to live in the mansion, the Royal brothers think that the only reason their father brought her here is because he's sleeping with her. And they tell the whole school that. Of course, no one blames the 42 year old man for preying on a defenceless, and orphaned, 17 year old girl. It's all Ella's fault. 

And, to make her backstory even sadder, Ella mentions being groped at 12 years of age. 

"How bad could they really be, though? Five spoiled rich boys? Ha. I’ve dealt with a lot worse. Like my mom’s gangster boyfriend, Leo, who tried to feel me up when I was twelve, then taught me the right way to form a fist after I punched him in the gut and nearly broke my hand. He’d laughed and we were fast friends after that." 

Okay, theres one thing to humanize this pedophilloic piece of ape-turd, it's another thing to use molestations as a plot device. People who are molested do not just forget about it, it affects them for the rest of their life. If you want to read an book with realistic portrayals of abuse, read Rising Tides or Speak. 

And let's not forget the casual way the Royal brothers sexually harass Ella. And we're supposed to fall for these guys?

My heart stops. I don't like the feral look in his eyes. He stands in front of me. Then his smile widens and he slides one hand insides his pants to cup his junk.

"You're our sister now, right? So come on." He rubs himself. "Help a brother out."

I cant breathe. I'm...scared. 

So, this is one of the brothers. The one we're supposed to like. And where is Reed in all of this?

I shoot a glance at Reed, but he's leaning against the counter now, arms crossed. He looks amused. 



Good to know that Reed finds sexual assault amusing. RUN, ELLA, RUN.

But passive Ella does not care that Reed is a self-entitled psychopath. Nah, he's too hot for that. 


The plot 
...or lack of it. 
Nothing happens. The only thing that drives the plot is the cruel actions of Reed, such as getting the whole school to hate her. That's it. After all the crap Reed pulled, there should've been some major grovelling. Only then, would I have been satisfied. But no, a Royal NEVER grovels. He called her a slut for a majority of the book, but still passive Ella is in 'luv' with him. 




The Insta-Love 

He’s hot enough that my mouth dries up and tingles start dancing in places I’d like to think an asshole like him would never awaken. But another lesson I learned from my mom is that your body can like things that your head hates. Your head just has to be the one in charge. That was one of her “do as I say, not as I do” admonishments.

He’s a jerk and he wants to hurt you, I scream at my body. My nipples pucker despite my warning. 

This is their first meeting. THEIR FIRST MEETING.



And, is this book really a YA novel? It reads more like a new adult. 

The Stereotypical Mean Girl 

This plot device just wont die. 


(really great movie, though)

Overall, this book wasn't for me. It was very readable, kinda in the same way that reality TV is very watchable. Will I read the next book? Nah, unless I'm in desperate need for pure escapism.





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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo



5 stars

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“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.” 





I'm cynical about over-hyped things. My impossibly high expectations are incredibly hard to beat, and I'm usually left disappointed. Like the very first time I tried deep fried ice-cream after hearing about it for years. Sure, it was good, but it wasn't that good. 

Not only did The Six of Crows meet my expectation, it went beyond them.

Trying to search my brain to think any cons to this story, but everything was done masterfully:

Realistically flawed, and sympathetic characters ✓
Fast-paced plot ✓
Character development ✓
Hilarious-moments-where-I’m-actually-laughing-aloud-in-public (please don't think I'm crazy, fellow train-goers) ✓
Deep, quotable lines ✓ 
Imaginative world building ✓



The book starts out with Kaz Brekker. Also known as Dirtyhands, he was the enigmatic, ruthless leader of the Dregs, a city gang in Ketterdame. Due to his expertise in all things criminal, and his penchant for not getting caught, he is propositioned by the council of Ketterdame.

The mission Break out this scientist from the highest security prison in their world. 
This scientist holds the secrete to jurda parem , a highly addictive substance that is given to Grisha's, or witches, to accentuates their powers to impossible heights. 
The stakes? 30 million kruge. 
The risks Death. Life imprisonment. Torture 
The team: 




(I bet Kaz could could do that)


Kaz:
The leader. The plan-maker. The bastard of the barrel. He will lead his team to the Ice Court, but can they trust him? What is fact or fiction about Kaz...and is he as ruthless as they say?

“When everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing.” 







Inej:
The wraith. The acrobat. Dealing with a tragic past, she is now Kaz's spy. Can she face the challenges of the Ice Court? and the challenges of the future?

“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.” 


Jesper:
Sharp-shooter. Hired gun. Gambler. One of Kaz's most trusted crew, but will the high risks he takes be the end of him in the Ice Court?

“His heart was pounding, and adrenaline crackled through his body in delicious spikes.” 

Nina:
Grisha. Witch. Heartrender. A once devoted soldier to the Grisha cause, she is now a member of the Dregs. She seeks to set right the crimes of her past, but will her loyalty to the Grisha cause prove to be the teams doom?

“It's not natural for women to fight."
"It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.” 

Matthias:
Druskelle. WItchhunter. Wrongfully imprisoned for slave-trading, he is offered a deal by Kaz. Help them break into his home, the Ice Court, and he will be pardoned for his crimes. Can Matthias betray his home country? his fellow soldiers? Or will he betray his team, instead?

“The water hears and understands. The ice does not forgive.” 

Wylan:
Merchant's son. Engineer. The (willing!) hostage. A runaway from his life of luxury before Kaz picked him as his team. If his father does not pay the 30 million kruge, Wylan's life would be at the wrath of Kaz. But is there more to Wylan than just a merchants son? 

“Always hit where the mark isn't looking"

"Who's Mark?" asked Wylan.” 




“Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?"
"Knife to the throat?" asked Inej.
"Gun to the back?" said Jesper.
"Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina.
"You're all horrible," said Matthias.” 

Each character's past, motivations, fears, and hopes were explored throughly. Through flash backs, we are able to see the stories and events that shaped them. These teenagers, for they are my age (and I know that I would NOT be able to successfully break into anywhere. I can't even sneak into my sisters room unnoticed when she's asleep to get the phone charger) were capable. Not once did I think 'they're too immature to pull this off' or 'that was a stupid decision, they almost deserve to get caught.' It was a pleasure to see these misfits, once strangers to each other, develop loyalties and friendships. It was even more of a pleasure to see these character evolve and grow. 

(view spoiler)

The plot was fast-paced. It tore your hear out because everything that could go wrong...went wrong. You had to know what happened next, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I'll need to reread this book in the not too distant future, just to savour the words like wine, instead of guzzling them like cheap soda. This book is meant to be savoured, but unfortunately the temptation of finding out what happens to our favourite band of misfits proved to be too much.

The world-building was out of this world (hahaha, get it?). Heavily influenced by Eastern European culture, it was fascinating to read about the customs and traditions of that world. The world was described in great detail at the right places , but thankfully not too much detail (I'm looking at you, Lord of the Rings!). 



(I imagine Ketterdame like Prague)

Diversity:
Thank you Leigh Bardugo, for including a cast of characters that are as diverse as the world you created. Thank you for creating diverse characters that were not influenced by stereotypes, or were background noises. Thank you.

“A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.” 


Six of Crows was a great book. Scratch that, it was one of the best books I've read this year. Will I reread this? Hell yeah. But let me get the second book in my hands first. Screw savouring, that book I will devour.

Book Pairings 
The Demon King (World-building is similar)
Daughter of Smoke & Bone (although not my favourite book, the world-building was stunning)





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Radium Girls by Kate Moore

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3.5/5

I received an arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I am a huge fan of lawyer shows. The suave suits, the briefcases, the courtroom drama? What's not to like?

And, in every single one of these shows, there is always an episode dedicated to bringing justice to workers who have gotten sick due to big corporations using toxic materials in their factories.

Unfortunately, these dramas glosses over the real struggles these workers face to get adequate compensation.

This was quite a good book.

It tells the tragic (and true!) story of the struggles of factory workers to get adequate compensation for the terrible health problems they faced due to their exposure to radium. At times it is heart-breaking, sorrowful, and hard-to-read.

Throughout this book, we feel the girls pain. The aches, the progressing disease, the fight against the corporation. This book bears a stark reminder to the current unsafe work standards in underdeveloped countries that manufacture our clothes.

Rather than written as a story, it's written like a news article. While this may throw you off in the beginning, it allows for more historical accuracy.

Overall, this was a historically accurate book that was often devastating but never boring.

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Book Review:

The Thousandth Floor by Katherine McGee

2.5 foxes out of 5

Arc generously provided by Netgalley and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

This book is favorably compared to Gossip Girl.



I am not a fan of Gossip Girl. Usually, when I do watch it, I watch it only out of necessity. Like, when there’s nothing else on Netflix and I’m cleaning and I need something to distract me from the monotonous job. The pattern follows, I watched a little bit, get sucked into the overdramatic plotlines, watch obsessively for a day, then stop because I hate all the characters. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.
For this book, I come in preparing to hate all the characters, preparing to bang my head at their life choices, and getting a sense of schadenfreude at the misfortune the befalls them caused by said actions. Told in five POV, each chapter jumping into a new character, each one hiding secrets of their own. Many years in the future, in the city that never sleeps, the elite of society live on the top floors of the highest tower of NYC, with a thousand floors. This book explores the drama, the mysteries and the sinful pasts of the different people living the Tower, from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich.

Right from the start the prologue was intriguing. In 25 years, no one has fallen from the thousandth floor of the Tower, except today. No one knows why she had fallen, perhaps it was an accident, perhaps she jumped, or more sinister, perhaps she was pushed. And from there, the first chapter starts two months earlier, leading to this fateful ‘falling out’ (sorry for the pun).

For the remainder of the review I’ll be writing it in a way that would make Gossip Girl proud (and for maximum enjoyment, read it in her voice!)



Avery: Elite, beautiful, and living in the exclusive 1000th floor, A has it all. Or does she? Poor little rich girl suffering a broken heart…for her adopted brother. Tsk tsk, A , you better be careful because we all know how illicit affairs end.

Leda: Running from a hard past. But remember, L , the past always comes to catch up with you.

Rylin: Spotted! Partying and hard drugs? Poor, orphaned R isn’t so innocent after all.

Eris: Spoiled rich girl has it all…or does she? The problem with being Queen, E , is that your crown could always be taken away.

Wade: Hacker W can learn everyone’s secrets in seconds, but it seems like he has a few secrets of his one. Be careful W , nothing stays buried forever.

You know you love me,
XOXO
DearWilderness



The characters were indistinguishable from the rest, each one speaking and thinking like the other. The writing wasn’t special. I felt that the author told how we should feel rather than showed us, and as a result the characters felt short and I couldn’t bring myself to care. I would honestly say, though, that ALL the characters annoyed me. All. Of. Them. And all the drama that is caused is a direct correlation of their actions. Most of the times I wanted to reach through the book and SHAKE them.They were so very unlikable, but I wont put that as the con because I believe that was done on purpose.



The world-building was done well, even including the different drugs people of the future use.



Despite this, the cliff hanger at the end intrigued me enough to want to pick up the second book, and hopefully see some of the initial problems ironed out.






Pros:
⎫ World-building
⎫ Creative Idea
⎫ Fast-paced
⎫ Entertaining
⎫ Ethnic Characters
⎫ Cliff Hanger

Cons
¬ Indistinguishable Characters
¬ Writing told us rather than showed us
¬ Book I felt was too long for this type of book (drama could only spur me to read so much)



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Book Review:

The Psychopath Test By Jon Ronson

3.9 foxes out of 5



"That's an incredibly depressing though." I said."that if you're in a room and at one end lies madness and at the other end lies sanity it is human nature to veer towards the madness end."


Have you ever looked at a person and thought 'man, that guy is a real psychopath.'? 
Although, often, they're don't lack the functional use of the amygdala which is trademark for psychopaths...they're just a**holes. 
But, what if you HAVE come in contact with a psychopath? Would you be able to tell, or would you fall prey to their calculated charm and manipulations. 
That exactly what Jon Ronson set out to do in the 'Pscychopath Test', he wanted to identify psychopaths. 

WARNING:
After this book you may get a little trigger happy. At the end of the day, I was sure that my mailman, my barista, the old lady next door, and my cat was a psychopath (although I think I was quite spot on with Mr. Whiskers...the furry bastard!)


As a 2nd year medical student (finger's crossed I don't fail out of medical school, which is quite likely considering the amount of time spend reading about psychopaths when I should've been reading about Myocardial Infarctions) with an interest in someday specializing in psychiatry...somethings didn't sit well with me but I will speak about that later. I was quite pleased that this book did not read like a psychiatry textbook, but rather Ronson brought humour into his work that allowed the writing to flow naturally. To be honest, I was surprised at how quickly I tore through this novel. 

WARNING NUMBER 2
Do not read this book in a public place. I, stupidly, read this on the train and kept sneaking *subtle* glances at the other passengers wondering which one is a crazed serial killer. This had the exact opposite effect, making me look like a paranoid loon. To be fair, this book can turn you into a paranoid loon. 

Ronson explored many aspects of the "madness industry" from psychiatrists, scientology, to capitalism. Through it all, he posed many important questions.

At what point does a normal human reactions become a psychiatric problem?
Are the most psychopaths found on top of the corporate ladder?
Will there ever be a cure for psychopaths?




The book gives us the Hare PCL-R checklist that is used in medical and legal settings to identify psychopaths. The most interesting part of this book is the interviews with the patients identified with psychopathic tendencies, and we are able to see the checklist being used. 

For instance, item 16 on the checklist was : Failure to accept responsibility for own actions.

"One time Bob interviewed a man who had impulsively killed another man over a bar tab.
'He only had himself to blame." the killer told Bob. 'Anybody could have seen I was in a rotten mood that night."

The total lack of empathy is characteristic for psychopaths. In fact, they study normal human interactions in order to fake empathy when speaking to other people. Without fear, empathy, or love...what could possibly hold back a person from committing the most heinous crimes possible?

Ronson did not just focus on serial killers. He also spoke about psychopaths whose brutality can be felt in the corporate world. 

"Serial Killers ruin families," shrugged Bob. "Corporate and political and religious psychopaths ruin economies. They ruin societies."

Through his interview with Al Dunlap, a psychopath who led the Sunbeam corporation in the 90's, we are able to see the effects that a callous company can have on it's workers. 

I did have some problems with the book. As a medical student in the UK, I have medical ethics hounded into my head everyday, and one of the things repeated to me daily is that patients cannot look at their own medical notes. Heck, if I search for MY OWN notes I could have my license revoked. It did not sit well that one of the inmates at Broadmoore had access to his own medical notes, and not only that, but he was able to sent them to Ronson. The author blamed it on some bureaucracy loophole, but it seemed like a flimsy excuse. He also was able to speak VIA EMAIL to a psychiatrist about the same patient. That just about breaks every confidentiality/legal law in the book. What self-respecting psychiatrist would speak to a JOURNALIST about a patient at their practice. Even if the patient did consent (although it was not mentioned) to having his information shared with a journalist, I don't think his consent would hold up. Since he's in a psychiatry hospital, he would have been deemed incompetent to give consent, thus it seems fishy that Ronson was able to get so much in-depth info about a patient.

Thus, this knocked my review back down a star.

But, despite this, in this book, Ronson took us on a incredible ride through the madness industry in what could've been a very morbid book if not for his trademark humour. 




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