Reading Theme of April, 2019

A skeleton in the closet

A cupboard full of skeletons

The saying "a skeleton in the closet" is said to have originated from one of Thomas Roscoe Rede Stebbing's (1836-1926) stories, in which a woman's lover is murdered by her husband, and she is forced to kiss the corpse which is being kept in a closet in the attic every night. When the saying is used today, it means a secret or memory that is dark and not easily forgotten.
This saying represents the reading theme of April this year. It was listed as No. 11 on my list of reading themes. This means I'll be reading a book which I interpret as fitting the theme. However, I will be suggesting some ways in which you can interpret the theme this month:

1. A book about dead things, such as ghosts
2. A book that follows a character with a dark secret
3. A book about murder, maybe a crime novel

Do you want to join in? Feel free to do so! Remember; it's up to each and one of us to interpret the theme and choose books based on it. No novel is too big or small. It's all for the sake of picking up new books and go on new adventures.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for some recommendations that could fit the theme, here's a small list:

• "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman
• "Agnes Cecilia" by Maria Gripe
• "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon
• "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver
• "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

Have fun!

Book reviews: Chanslös | Crash & Burn | I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Title: Chanslös (Devoid of Chance)
Author: Gail Carriger

Original title: Changeless
First published: 2010
Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy, Adult
Series: Parasolprotektoratet #2
Publisher: Styxx
Format: Hardback
Pages: 376
Finished: 04/03/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! Alexia Maccon, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears; leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.
But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. So even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can. She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

My thoughts: Well, this didn’t live up to my expectations…
Having read and loved “Soulless” a few years ago, I was looking forward to reading more of Carriger’s books. I realize now that I should have abandoned this series and maybe tried something else by her.

So was this book a disaster? No, it wasn’t. The main reasons I didn’t enjoy this book are quite clear. One is that I loved the first book… as a standalone. I knew from the moment I finished “Soulless” that it should’ve ended as a standalone. At least in my mind. On that front, I think the experience can vary a lot from reader to reader, so don’t let yourself be shunned by my preferences. Secondly, I felt that several characters that we got to see a lot in this book really got under my skin. At times, I just didn’t want to pick this book back up because these characters were just so annoying and it felt unmotivated to even keep them in the plot. They barely did anything or contributed in any way to either the progression of the plot or to the enjoyment of the reader. Thirdly, the book never had me hooked on the story. Honestly, most of what happened, exciting or not, was depicted in a way that to me seemed anticlimactic or even dull.

There are of course good aspects of the novel. For one, the writing really sticks out. It’s quirky, original, and sometimes very funny. It’s like a parody on itself, almost. However, I’d go so far as to say that this good aspect of the book is also one of its downsides. By having the writing always be over the top and dramatic, there’s no way to enhance critical points in the plot with extra explosive language, because it can’t get more dramatic than it already was. Therefore, it fell quite flat at several points.

I sound super negative. It’s not a super bad book; it just was not for me.

Rating: 2,5/5

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Title: Crash & Burn
Author: Abigail Roux
Original title: Crash & Burn
First published: 2015
Genre: Romance, Crime
Series: Cut & Run #9
Publisher: Riptide
Format: Paperback
Pages: 321
Finished: 13/03/2019
Summary: Spoiler alert! It’s been five years since Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett first worked together to solve the Tri-State murders, and time has been both harsh and kind. Engaged now, they face the challenge of planning a deeply uncertain future together. Zane is at the pinnacle of his career with one last mystery to solve, while Ty is at sea in a world where he’s no longer the tip of a spear. There’s just one more hurdle in the way of their happy ever after: a traitor from their inner circle who threatens to burn their world to the ground. Squeezed between the Vega cartel, an unknown mole, and too many alphabet agencies to count, Ty and Zane must gather all their strength and resources to beat the longest odds they’ve ever faced. To make it out alive, they’ll need help from every friend they’ve got. Even the friends who might betray their trust.

My thoughts: Last book of a long series, this one. Tbh, the “Cut & Run” series has been a guilty pleasure, but not necessarily one I’m too embarrassed about. The main characters, Ty and Zane, are special to me in the sea of fiction I surround myself with, and for that I’m thankful to both Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban (who co-wrote the first books in the series with Abigail).

The series as a whole has been really enjoyable and emotional, in my opinion. This last book didn’t quite cut it for me like I’d hoped, though. Things got a bit confusing, there were jumps in the timeline that seemed rushed and unnecessary, and too made scenes were made to be very dramatic and emotional for the absolute end to really stand out and make a special impact. It’s not the best book in the series, but it was worth reading. This will sound a bit strange with the context of a series labled as erotica and crime, but I feel content, and a bit sentimental, about now leaving the series behind, keeping it as a fond memory.
PS. I read this for the reading theme of March; "Borta bra, men hemma bäst"!

Rating: 3,5/5

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Title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Author: Ally Carter
Original title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
First published: 2006
Genre: YA, Mystery
Series: Gallagher Girls #1
Publisher: Orchard Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 309
Finished: 19/03/2019
Summary: The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school - that is, it would be if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies. Cammie Morgan is a second-generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year she's already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (one of which involves a piece of uncooked spaghetti). But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for a boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through town without his ever being the wiser - but can she have a relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's beginning her most dangerous mission - falling in love.

My thoughts: This didn’t leave much of an impression on me. It’s a quick and easy read that checks all the Mainstream Chick Lit Trope boxes. Parts of it stands out, like the spy school aspect, but not enough the book itself very special. All in all, I didn’t dislike it, but I also didn’t particularly enjoy it.

Rating: 2,75/5

Covers in the World: Gallagher Girls

English covers 1:

The original covers. Based on what I've read so far, these covers seem to fit the contents of the books, however they're not pleasing to my eyes. That's just my opinion, though; I've seen worse.

English covers 2:

My personal favourites, and I own the first two books in these editions. Fit the content and look good, especially together.

English covers 3:

I've gotten some critique for my harsh judgement when it comes to book covers; especially so because I hate covers with faces plastered all over the place. Sorry, but I'm right. This sucks.

English covers 4:

Happy, colourful, and fun. Fits the series!

English covers 5:

The covers I'll probably be buying for the rest of the series. Very similar to the covers I already have, but with a pastel twist. Pretty cute.

Indonesian covers 1:

Excuse me, does this series follow a fifteen year old spy or a ten year old school girl?

Indonesian covers 2:

Better than the other batch of covers Indonesia offered for this series. I'm personally not a fan of the cover art for these, but I won't bash them.

Czech covers:

Cool? I like. Would've liked to see more.

Polish covers:

If Indonesia went too young with their cover model, Poland went too old. The protagonist is fifteen, not 22?

Thai covers:

I love me some black and yellow. I'm a fan. I'm also sad they didn't continue translating the series.

Japanese covers:

This... this right here... could be... the ugliest covers... I've ever seen...?