Lucy Jones: Matrescence

 Hi everyone

I slowly read and thought about Lucy Jones' book Matrescence on my e-reader and I have some thoughts to share.

"A radical new examination of the transition into motherhood and how it affects the mind, brain and body.
During pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood, women undergo a far-reaching physiological, psychological and social metamorphosis. Other than during adolescence, there is no other time in a human's life with such dramatic change, yet science, medicine, and philosophy have neglected this life-altering transition. Its seismic effects go largely unrepresented across literature and the arts. Speaking about motherhood as anything other than a pastel-hued dream remains, for the most part, taboo.
In this ground-breaking, deeply personal investigation, acclaimed journalist and author Lucy Jones brings to light the emerging concept of 'matrescence'. Drawing on new research across various fields—neuroscience and evolutionary biology; psychoanalysis and existential therapy; sociology, economics and ecology—Jones shows how the changes in the maternal mind, brain, and body are far more profound, wild, and enduring than we have been led to believe. She reveals the dangerous consequences of our neglect of the maternal experience, and interrogates the patriarchal and capitalist systems that have created the untenable situation mothers face today.
Here is an urgent examination of the modern institution of motherhood that seeks to unshackle all parents from oppressive social norms. As it deepens our understanding of matrescence, it raises vital questions about motherhood and femininity; interdependence and individual identity; and our relationships with each other and the world."

First of all, given my background (a 7-year-old daughter, a 3-year-old daughter, a bachelor’s degree in Midwifery, a master’s in Health Sciences, and a career shift to accountancy) I approached this book with a mix of professional curiosity and personal experience. I’ve been through childbirth twice, witnessed it up close a hundred times, and met countless pregnant women, so I hoped for new insights or knowledge. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn anything new in terms of facts, scientific research, or hypotheses. That was a bit disappointing.

That said, Matrescence is a good personal story of growth, searching for answers, and listening to others. Lucy Jones shares her own journey through the chaos and transformation of motherhood, and her honesty and vulnerability make the book relatable and engaging. However, I found her perspective a bit too negative. While it’s absolutely vital to address the pressures and expectations of matrescence, I feel like there’s more to the story than what she presents.
Motherhood isn’t just struggle, it’s also joy, connection, and community. Jones doesn’t mention the support systems that many mothers do have access to, like neighbors, friends, or groups that can provide help and solidarity. She focuses heavily on the challenges, which are very real and important, but I wish she had balanced it with some of the beautiful, uplifting moments that are also part of matrescence.

Matrescence is a valuable contribution to the conversation about motherhood, and it highlights the urgent need to recognize and support the profound changes women go through. But for me, it felt incomplete. It’s not a book of answers, but it does spark important questions, and for that, I appreciate it.

Have you read Matrescence? Did you connect with Lucy Jones’ perspective, or did you feel the same way I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Peter Brown: The Wild Robot

 Hi everyone

The Wild Robot is Peter Brown's first book in The Wild Robot series. It's a delightful children's book. I got my copy from Bol.com.

"When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is—but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home—until, one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her."

This was a really heartwarming children’s book. It has a simple but engaging story, lovable characters, a bit of suspense, some hardship, and a few moral lessons woven in. The writing is easy to read, and I even had a few laughs along the way.
It’s the kind of book that warms your heart while still keeping you hooked; it's perfect for young readers or anyone who loves a sweet, uplifting story.

Have you read The Wild Robot? Did you enjoy it as much as I did, or did you connect with it differently? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Emma Newman: After Atlas

 Hi everyone

After Atlas is the second book in Emma Newman's Planetfall series. This is also my second time reading the series and just like before, After Atlas remains my least favorite in the series. I bought the entire Planetfall series from Bol.com.

"Govcorp detective Carlos Moreno was only a baby when Atlas left Earth to seek truth among the stars. But in that moment, the course of Carlos’s entire life changed. Atlas is what took his mother away; what made his father lose hope; what led Alejandro Casales, leader of the religious cult known as the Circle, to his door. And now, on the eve of the fortieth anniversary of Atlas’s departure, it’s got something to do why Casales was found dead in his hotel room—and why Carlos is the man in charge of the investigation.
To figure out who killed one of the most powerful men on Earth, Carlos is supposed to put aside his personal history. But the deeper he delves into the case, the more he realizes that escaping the past is not so easy. There’s more to Casales’s death than meets the eye, and something much more sinister to the legacy of Atlas than anyone realizes..."

There’s a lot to love in After Atlas, even if it’s my least favorite in the Planetfall series. The writing is great; it flows nicely and reads without hitches. There’s humor, a murder mystery that actually feels mysterious, and characters with real depth. I enjoyed every single one of them.
But at its core, After Atlas is essentially a murder mystery with a lot of questions attached to the murder and the victim. And I’m just not into police novels. That’s not to say it’s bad; it’s just not really my cup of tea. I loved the sci-fi elements much more.

What did annoy me was Carlos’ inner drama. The constant whining about being owned and the implications on his life felt unnecessary. We get it, Mrs. Newman, we can remember that fact without being reminded every chance we get.

But aside from that, After Atlas delivers wonderful worldbuilding, amazing characters, and a great plot. And that cliffhanger at the end? Perfect.

Have you read After Atlas? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Muriel Barbery: A Single Rose

 Hi everyone

I just finished my second Muriel Barbery book; A Single Rose. My edition was translated to Dutch and I got it from Bol.com.

"Rose has just turned forty when she gets a call from a lawyer asking her to come to Kyoto for the reading of her estranged father's will. And so for the first time in her life she finds herself in Japan, where Paul, her father's assistant, is waiting to greet her.
As Paul guides Rose along a mysterious itinerary designed by her deceased father, her bitterness and anger are soothed by the stones and the trees in the Zen gardens they move through. During their walks, Rose encounters acquaintances of her father--including a potter and poet, an old lady friend, his housekeeper and chauffeur--whose interactions help her to slowly begin to accept a part of herself that she has never before acknowledged.
As the reading of the will gets closer, Rose's father finally, posthumously, opens his heart to his daughter, offering her a poignant understanding of his love and a way to accept all she has lost."

Is this A Great Literary Novel? 
Definitely not.
Barbery obviously really, really wanted to write a Great Literary Novel. And unfortunately, it was sooo boring and forced.

Better luck next time, Muriel.

Have you read A Single Rose? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Brian McClellan: Blood of Empire

 Hi everyone

Blood of Empire is the third book in Brian McClellan's Gods of Blood and Powder series. I got my book from Bol.com.

"As the final battle approaches a sellsword, a spy, and a general must find unlikely and dangerous allies in order to turn the tides of war in this epic fantasy tale of magic and gunpowder by acclaimed author Brian McClellan.
The Dynize have unlocked the Landfall Godstone, and Michel Bravis is tasked with returning to Greenfire Depths to do whatever he can to prevent them from using its power; from sewing dissension among the enemy ranks to rallying the Palo population.
Ben Styke's invasion of Dynize is curtailed when a storm scatters his fleet. Coming ashore with just twenty lancers, he is forced to rely on brains rather than brawn - gaining new allies in a strange land on the cusp of its own internal violence.
Bereft of her sorcery and physically and emotionally broken, Lady Vlora Flint now marches on Landfall at the head of an Adran army seeking vengeance against those who have conspired against her. While allied politicians seek to undo her from within, she faces insurmountable odds and Dynize's greatest general."

I have loved this series. It’s impossible to name my favorite characters because there are so many; Ben, Celine, Ichtracia, Michel, Vlora, Bo, Etzi... Even most of the minor characters feel realistic and are a joy to read.

The action scenes are absolutely amazing; they’re not too long to get boring, and most importantly for me, the buildup to a battle isn’t endless. There’s humor, action, intrigue, politics, war, blood, love, and everything else you could want in an epic fantasy.

Blood of Empire was a fantastic conclusion to a series I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I will definitely read more of Brian McClellan’s books in the future. 

Have you read the Gods of Blood and Powder series? How did you like it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Wrap Up: November 2024

Hi everyone

Another month has come and gone. November is one of my least favorite months; it gets cold, wet, and dark here in Belgium. But there’s an upside: it’s perfect weather for cozy reading!

Here’s the list of books I finished, along with links to my reviews:

- Shelley Parker-Chan: She Who Became the Sun

- Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter: The Long War

- Ira Levin: Son of Rosemary

- Daniel Kahneman: Thinking Fast and Slow

What books did you read last month? Did you discover any new favorites or hidden gems? I’d love to hear about them!

Happy reading!
Helena

Daniel Kahneman: Thinking Fast and Slow

 Hi everyone

Finally! I finally finished Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.
The book is my husband's and he ditched the dustcover so I can only show you how it's now.

"In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behavior. The impact of loss aversion and overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the challenges of properly framing risks at work and at home, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning the next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems work together to shape our judgments and decisions.
Engaging the reader in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman reveals where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can tap into the benefits of slow thinking. He offers practical and enlightening insights into how choices are made in both our business and our personal lives—and how we can use different techniques to guard against the mental glitches that often get us into trouble. Thinking, Fast and Slow will transform the way you think about thinking."

This book was tedious, slow, and repetitive. And honestly? The man is full of himself.
So yeah, not a fan.

Have you read Thinking, Fast and Slow? Did you love it, or did you feel the same way I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Ira Levin: Son of Rosemary

 Hi everyone

I just finished Son of Rosemary by Ira Levin. This is supposed to be the sequel to Rosemary's Baby though it was written 30 years later. I got my copy from Bol.com.

"Ira Levin returns to the horror of his 1967 groundbreaking novel Rosemary’s Baby with this sequel set at the dawn of the new millennium. Thirty-three years ago, Rosemary gave birth to the Devil’s child while under the control of a coven of witches. Now the year is 1999, and humanity dreads the approaching twenty-first century, desperately in search of a saviour for this troubled world.
In New York City, Rosemary’s son Andy is believed to be that saviour. But is he the force of good his followers accept him to be? Or is he his father’s son? As the war between good and evil rages on unabated, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, in this shocking and darkly comic novel from the modern master of suspense."

This was awful.
I really don’t know why Ira Levin felt the need to write a sequel to Rosemary’s Baby, because this is absolutely horrible.

Rosemary’s naivety, which was charming or a sign of a rather simple mind in the first book, is now maddening and infuriating. Andy is sleazy; he really gives me the heebie-jeebies. And the incestuous tone throughout? Plain wrong and bile-inducing.
The overall plot was predictable, but the ending was the worst of all. Without the last five pages, I’d have given it two stars. But as it stands? One star.

Have you read Son of Rosemary? What are your thoughts? Did you hate it as much as I did, or did you find something to like?

Happy reading.
Helena

Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter: The Long War

 Hi everyone

This was my second time reading Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxters The Long War; the second book in The Long Earth series. You can find my first review here. 

“A generation after the events of The Long Earth, mankind has spread across the new worlds opened up by Stepping. Where Joshua and Lobsang once pioneered, now fleets of airships link the stepwise Americas with trade and culture. Mankind is shaping the Long Earth - but in turn the Long Earth is shaping mankind... A new 'America', called Valhalla, is emerging more than a million steps from Datum Earth, with core American values restated in the plentiful environment of the Long Earth - and Valhalla is growing restless under the control of the Datum government...
Meanwhile the Long Earth is suffused by the song of the trolls, graceful hive-mind humanoids. But the trolls are beginning to react to humanity's thoughtless exploitation... Joshua, now a married man, is summoned by Lobsang to deal with a gathering multiple crisis that threatens to plunge the Long Earth into a war unlike any mankind has waged before.”

My thoughts haven't changed; I still stand by my previous review. 

The storyline of the Chinese expedition should have been cut entirely. It was uninteresting, the characters were boring, and it didn’t add much to the overall plot of the book.

I really dislike Sally; maybe even more now that I have children of my own. I realize even more how she forces Joshua away from his son and wife and how manipulative she is. There’s no nuance to her character. She’s always harsh, hard, and uncaring toward others.

But I still love the setting; the idea of the Long Earths and I still love Joshua and his family, as well as Lobsang. Those elements keep me coming back to this series.

Have you read The Long War? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way about Sally and the Chinese expedition? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Shelley Parker-Chan: She Who Became the Sun

Hi everyone

I finished She Who Became the Sun, the first book in The Radiant Emperor duology by Shelley Parker-Chan. I read this on my e-reader.

"In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness…
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.
After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu uses the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness."

This was a medium-good book for me.

I didn’t really like the characters; they were very one-sided and unlikable. Ouyang, in particular, was very dramatic and kept thinking the same things over and over. Everything gets repeated so many times that it became frustrating.

But the story itself was really good. It’s a re-imagining of the rise of the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, something I know nothing about, so I can’t say how much is based on facts. Still, it was easy to read, the story engaged me, and I really wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next.
So, even though I didn’t connect with the characters and hated most of their actions, I liked the book because of the writing, the world, and the plot.

Have you read She Who Became the Sun? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading
Helena

Bookhaul

 Hi everyone

I got a new book!

Last July I read the first book in Joe Abercrombie's The Age of Madness series; A Little Hatred and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to get the second book in the series. I ordered it from Bol.com the day before yesterday and I received it today.

- Joe Abercrombie: The Trouble with Peace 

What books would you recommend buying or borrowing? I’m always looking for new suggestions, whether they’re fantasy, sci-fi, historical, or something completely different.

Happy reading
Helena 

Wrap Up: October 2024

 Hi everyone

Last month, October 2024, I read and finished 6 books.

Here's the list in chronological order along with links to the reviews I wrote for each:

- Shelby Van Pelt: Remarkably Bright Creatures

- Gretchen Rubin: Better Than Before

- Alice Hoffman: The Museum of Extraordinary Things

- Travis Baldree: Bookshops & Bonedust

- Devin Madson: We Ride the Storm

- Christian White: The Wife and the Widow

 And sadly there's one book I could not finish:

- R. F. Kuang: Babel

What did you read this month? Anything you loved, hated, or want to recommend? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Christian White: The Wife and the Widow

 Hi everyone

This is my review of The Wife and the Widow by Christian White. It's his second book but the first one I read. I read it on my e-reader.

"Set against the backdrop of an eerie island town in the dead of winter, The Wife and The Widow is an unsettling thriller told from two perspectives: Kate, a widow whose grief is compounded by what she learns about her dead husband’s secret life; and Abby, an island local whose world is turned upside when she’s forced to confront the evidence of her husband’s guilt. But nothing on this island is quite as it seems, and only when these women come together can they discover the whole story about the men in their lives."

I really enjoyed this.

The writing is easy and has a nice flow. The story is neither too slow nor too fast to follow, and I really wanted to find out how it all happened. The twist was great, and I didn’t see it coming, which is always a plus!

Once you realize the whole story, there’s quite a bit of the book left, and that was a bit of a bummer. There were also a few plot holes and questions about the efficiency of the police that left me scratching my head.

All in all, The Wife and the Widow is a quick, enjoyable murder mystery that sucked me in. Just don’t think too hard about the plot because it’s best enjoyed as a fun, fast-paced ride.

Have you read The Wife and the Widow? Did you enjoy it as much as I did, or did you spot the twist early? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading.
Helena