Book reviews: Our Man in Havana | The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay | Malamander

Title: Our Man in Havana
Author: Graham Greene
Original title: Our Man in Havana
First published: 1958
Genre: Classic, Mystery
Series: --
Publisher: Vintage Classics
Format: Paperback
Pages: 225
Finished: 16/04/2020
Summary: Mr. Wormold, vacuum cleaner salesman in a city of powercuts, is, as always, short of money. His daughter, sixteen, followed everywhere by wolf whistles, is spending his money with a skill that amazes him, so when a mysterious Englishman offers him an extra income he's tempted. All he has to do is run agents, file reports: spy. But his fake reports have an alarming tendency to come true, and the web of lies he weaves around him starts to get more and more tangled.

My thoughts: This is the first book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, following the prompt to read a book that would make me smile. I'm glad to say that it managed to make me smile a little! One of the strong suits of this novel is without doubt the witty and quick dialogue, of which there is a lot. Mr. Wormold (a brilliant name) is a very confused man, but he's always doing his best, and that made me really like him a lot. He is introduced as a very average man who is easy to look past, and who was few friends and a staggering relationship to his daughter. All of this reminds me of "Stoner" by John Williams, one of my favourite books of all time that I just cannot shut up about.
However, "Our Man in Havana" is quite different from "Stoner". In fact, the similarities end there. This book is much more lighthearted and breezy to get through. I understand why it's described as a humorous book. Unfortunately I liked the first 100 pages more than the rest of the story. I think I would have liked it to stay more focused on how forgettable Mr, Wormold felt that he was and how that affected him in life. The way things went, I felt I missed out on how emotional things had the potential to be. And though I liked some characters a fair deal, there were several others that I cared very little for. There was also an adult man who was uncomfortably interested in Mr. Wormold's 16-17 year old daughter. (Spoiler alert, highlight white text to read: he thought it appropriate to marry her and that the best time of life to bear child was at the age of 17. no thank you, disgusting creep. luckily, everyone else in the book seemed to agree with me). Nevertheless, I believe this novel was never intended to be the moody but charming story I wished it would have been. And though it lacked moodiness, it did try as best as it could to charm me. It kind of worked!

I did highlight some quotes that I liked (there were a few more, but they'd spoil the plot):
"You lost the remembrance of pain by inflicting it."
"Please would you mind telling me how they are going to murder me? You see, it interests me personally."

Rating: 3,75/5

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Title: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay
Author: J.K. Rowling
Original title: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First published: 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Fantastic Beasts Screenplays #2
Publisher: Little, Brown
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Finished: 17/04/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert! The powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

My thoughts: This is the second book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, this time for the prompt of reading a book set somewhere I wish I could go. I of course, wish I could visit the wizarding world.
Unfortunately, this was not for me. I was impressed the first screenplay (and movie), which is something I cannot say about this second instalment. I was uninterested in the conflicts, I could not understand Queenie at all, I don't care for the romance between Newt and Tina, and we didn't even get to see that much of the beasts. Also, "The Crimes of Grindelwald"? More like "Grindelwald sits in a room and doesn't do much, basically just talks". Well, I guess it's plain enough now that I was not a fan.
Nevertheless, I like Newt and Jacob quite and bit, and some of the other characters as well. I do love Newt's beasts, too. And the book is beautiful for the illustrations inside. These are kind of redeeming factors.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: Malamander
Author: Thomas Taylor
Original title: Malamander
First published: 2019
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Middle grade
Series: Malamander #1
Publisher: Walker Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 302
Finished: 18/04/2020
Summary: Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger...

My thoughts: This is the third book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, now following the prompt of reading a book with a house on the cover.
I think this might be the best book I read during this Reading Rush. "Malamander" is cute, adventurous, mysterious, and all around a delightful read. Herbert has an incredibly precious personality. He's so genuine and good and kind. I love him. I wasn't all-the-way gripped by the plot itself, but it was still interesting enough to keep me going. I was pleasantly surprised that I like it as much as I do seeing as middle grade was never my strongest cup of tea. But this is really cute! I definitely want to continue reading the series once the second book comes out this year. I want to know more about Herbert!

Rating: 4,25/5

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