Hi everyone
I got three new books! So happy with these and I'm looking forward to reading them.
- Jonathan French: The True Bastards
- Patrick Rothfuss: The Narrow Road Between Desires
I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read any of these! Did you love them? Or maybe you have other recommendations based on these picks?
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
The Teller of Small Fortunes is the debut novel by Julie Leong.
I got my copy from Bol.
"Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling
between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells
"small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid
will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience
that big fortunes come with big consequences…
Even if it’s a
lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small
fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief
and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost
child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure,
and—of course—a slightly magical cat.
Tao sets down a new path
with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she
lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have
to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never
thought she could have."
I really enjoyed this book. It’s easy to read, filled with well-developed characters you can’t help but adore, and packed with adventure and heart.
Tao’s journey is both touching and exciting, and the world feels so vivid and charming!
The magic system is subtle, adding a whimsical touch. It’s the kind of magic that feels natural and cozy, like a gentle breeze rather than a storm.
The only odd part was the side quest for treasure that felt a bit out of the blue. It didn’t add much to the story, no real purpose or depth, just a strange detour that didn’t quite fit. But honestly, it was a minor hiccup in an otherwise delightful, sweet, and lighthearted read.
The Teller of Small Fortunes is cozy, charming, and full of warmth. It’s the kind of book that leaves you smiling, with characters who feel like old friends by the end. Julie Leong has won me over, whatever she writes next, I’ll be first in line to read it!
Have you read The Teller of Small Fortunes? Did you love it as much as I did? Or are you planning to pick it up? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy was mentioned in another book I recently read so I went searching for it on my e-reader.
"No gimmicks. No Hyperbole. No Magic Bullet. The Compound Effect is based on the principle that decisions shape your destiny. Little, everyday decisions will either take you to the life you desire or to disaster by default. Darren Hardy, publisher of Success Magazine, presents The Compound Effect, a distillation of the fundamental principles that have guided the most phenomenal achievements in business, relationships, and beyond. This easy-to-use, step-by-step operating system allows you to multiply your success, chart your progress, and achieve any desire. If you’re serious about living an extraordinary life, use the power of The Compound Effect to create the success you want."
Unfortunately, I really disliked this book.
First, the tone. Darren Hardy comes across as absolutely full of himself. The writing is riddled with hyperbole, as if he’s invented the wheel rather than presenting a basic, common-sense idea. The constant self-congratulation and over-the-top language made it painful to read. It felt like he was selling a revolution, when in reality, the core idea, small, consistent actions lead to big results, is nothing new.
This idea could have been explained in a single chapter, or even a long essay, without all the fluff and self-promotion.
Have you read The Compound Effect? Did you feel the same way, or did it resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
A Dance of Blades is the second book in the Shadowdance series, written by David Dalglish.
I read this on my e-reader.
"It's been five years since Haern faked his death to escape the tyranny of his father. He has become the Watcher, a vicious killer who knows no limits, and whose hatred of the thief guilds is unrivaled. But when the son of Alyssa Gemcroft, one of the three leaders of the powerful Trifect, is believed murdered, the slaughter begins anew. Mercenaries flood the streets, with one goal in find and kill the Watcher."
I rather enjoyed this book! Dalglish’s writing is easy to read, and the story is packed with action and fighting, it never slows down. The worldbuilding is solid, with a gritty fantasy vibe that keeps you engaged.
That said, there were a few things that frustrated me.
First, Alyssa Gemcroft. She felt completely off; boring, uninterested in anything in her own world, and naive. She lacked the depth and strength of the other characters, and I dreaded her chapters. For someone who’s supposed to be a powerful leader, she came across as weak and underdeveloped.
Second, the characters overall lack depth. Even Haern, the main protagonist, is one of the stupidest main characters I’ve ever read. His decisions often felt unbelievable and frustrating, which made it hard to root for him.
Despite its flaws, A Dance of Blades is still an entertaining read if you’re looking for fast-paced action and a dark, immersive world. Just don’t expect deep character arcs, this is pure, unapologetic action.
Have you read A Dance of Blades or any other books in the Shadowdance series? Did you enjoy the action, or did the characters frustrate you too? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
After reading Philippa Perry's The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, I really wanted to read her most famous work, The Book You Want Everyone You Love to Read. I picked it up on my e-reader, hoping for insightful advice on relationships and life, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite land for me.
"Life is all about relationships and the quality
of those connections, whether that's with family, partners, friends,
colleagues or most importantly yourself. If you can get those
relationships on a functional and even keel, then the other tricky stuff
that life throws your way becomes easier to manage.
In this
warm, practical and witty book, No.1 Sunday Times bestselling
psychotherapist Philippa Perry shows you how to approach life's big
problems.
How do you find and keep love? What can you do to
manage conflict better? How can you get unstuck and cope with change and
loss? What does it mean to you to be content? Are other people just
annoying or are you the problem?
With a healthy dose of sanity, Philippa Perry's compassionate advice could help you become a happier, wiser person."
I didn’t gain much from this book. While the premise is promising, the execution felt lacking. There’s not much here that’s new or groundbreaking, most of the advice is common sense, and the writing style didn’t resonate with me.
Philippa Perry’s approach is less scientific and more conversational, almost like chatting with a well-meaning aunt. While that might work for some, I found the anecdotes and stories about others overwhelming and unnecessary. It felt like filler rather than substance, and I struggled to connect with the book as a result.
Have you read The Book You Want Everyone You Love to Read? Did it resonate with you, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
This is my review for Tasha Suri's Empire of Sand. I got my copy from Bol.com.
Empire of Sand is the first book in Suri's duology The Books of Ambha.
"Mehr is a girl trapped between two cultures. Her
father comes from the ruling classes of the empire, but her mother’s
people were outcasts, Amrithi nomads who worshipped the spirits of the
sands.
Caught one night performing these forbidden rites, Mehr is
brought to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, who try
to force her into their service by way of an arranged marriage. If she
fails in their bidding, the gods themselves may awaken and seek
vengeance…"
Unfortunately, Empire of Sand felt really mediocre, and I won’t be continuing this series.
The biggest issue for me was that I couldn’t connect with the story or the characters. I didn’t care what happened to them, what they did, or how they felt; I never became invested in their journey.
The magic and religion system also felt rather ridiculous at times. I found myself rolling my eyes more than once, especially when it came to Mehr’s heritage and this world’s lore. It just didn’t resonate with me.
That said, the writing itself was good, and the atmosphere was rich and immersive. Suri creates a vivid world, and I could feel the desert setting and its cultural tensions.
While Empire of Sand had some strong elements, it ultimately wasn’t for me. The pace dragged, and I didn’t care enough about the characters to keep going.
Still, I’m open to trying another book by Tasha Suri because her writing has promise, and I’m curious to see if her other works click better for me.
Have you read Empire of Sand or anything else by Tasha Suri? Did you feel differently, or did it fall flat for you too? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
February is finally over and honestly, it felt like double its actual length, just like January. The cold, grey, and rainy Belgian autumn and winter have a way of making time drag, but they also gave me plenty of cozy evenings (after my daughters were asleep) curled up on the couch with tea and a book. There’s something so very comforting about that, isn’t there?
Here's what I read in February:
- Greg Pizzoli: Worstje en zijn vrienden
- Sam Harris: The End of Faith
- Sarah Andersen: Adulthood Is a Myth
What did you read in February? Did you discover any gems last month? Or maybe you revisited an old favorite? I’d love to hear about your February reads!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
I wasn’t sure I’d like the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews at first; I thought it might be too romantic for my taste. But after seeing so many great reviews, I finally decided to give the first book, Magic Bites, a try on my e-reader.
"Kate Daniels is about to enter a world of gritty magic and dangerous mystery! Vampires, necromancers and mages abound on the city streets, with one kickass heroine in the middleFuture Atlanta is an interesting place to one moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters.Here skyscrapers topple under the onslaught of magic; the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst for knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds. Kate Daniels likes her sword a little too much, and she has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she's spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing, and remain safe, or to risk her life by pursuing his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy .."
Magic Bites is action-packed, fast-paced, and full of cutting humor; exactly the kind of fun, energetic read I didn’t know I needed. Kate Daniels is a fantastic protagonist: tough, sarcastic, and unapologetically herself. The worldbuilding is rich and immersive, with a post-magic-apocalyptic Atlanta that feels different and exciting. And the side characters added plenty of depth and fun to the story.
That said, the plot and writing style were a bit predictable. The "cutting remarks" and snappy dialogue started to feel repetitive after a few chapters; I could see the jokes coming before they happened. The story itself also felt a little thin at times, like it was more about setting up the world than delivering a tight, self-contained plot.
Still, those minor flaws didn’t ruin my enjoyment. The action, humor, and world were enough to keep me engaged, and I’m definitely curious to see where the series goes next.
Have you read Magic Bites or the Kate Daniels series? Did you love it or not? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
Jade City is the first book in The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee.
The original book has a gorgeous, simple cover but I read it on my e-reader. With a 4.08-star rating on Goodreads, I went in with high expectations. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t click for me.
"The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates
that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that
produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training
and heritage superhuman abilities.
The Green Bone clans of
honorable jade-wearing warriors once protected the island from foreign
invasion--but nowadays, in a bustling post-war metropolis full of fast
cars and foreign money, Green Bone families like the Kauls are primarily
involved in commerce, construction, and the everyday upkeep of the
districts under their protection.
When the simmering tension
between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in
the streets, the outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of
all Green Bones and the future of Kekon itself."
I really wanted to love Jade City, but I found it quite boring. The plot felt slow and uninspired, and the characters lacked depth, which made it hard to connect with the story. What frustrated me most, though, was the jarring mix of modern and traditional elements. The world of Kekon is supposed to feel like a modern metropolis (there are televisions, guns, and fast cars) but the characters fight with knives, and the jade magic has a very old-world, almost mythical vibe. This clash of tones made the setting feel inconsistent and confusing.
It’s clear that Fonda Lee put a lot of thought into the world and its magic system, but the execution didn’t resonate with me. The clan politics and family drama had potential, but the slow pacing and flat characterization made it hard to stay engaged. I wanted to care about the Kaul family and their struggles, but I never felt invested in their story.
In the end, Jade City isn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t for me.
Have you read Jade City or The Green Bone Saga? Did you love it, or did you struggle with it too? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
I saw this delightful book in the local library and I had to take it home with me.
It has a fantastic name 'Adulthood is a Myth' (that alone was enough to want to read it) and it's written by Sarah Andersen.
" These casually drawn, perfectly on-point comics by the hugely popular young Brooklyn-based artist Sarah Andersen are for the rest of us. They document the wasting of entire beautiful weekends on the internet, the unbearable agony of holding hands on the street with a gorgeous guy, and dreaming all day of getting home and back into pajamas. In other words, the horrors and awkwardnesses of young modern life. Oh and they are totally not autobiographical. At all."
While I enjoyed Adulthood Is a Myth, it wasn’t as special or funny as I’d hoped. The comics are definitely recognizable; Sarah Andersen nailed the struggles of adulthood, from procrastination to social anxiety to the eternal desire to just stay in pajamas. A lot of the comics made me smile as they were so recognizable. But here’s the thing: the book never made me laugh out loud. The humor is gentle and relatable, but it lacks that sharp, unexpected punch that would have taken it to the next level. It’s more of a chuckle than a belly laugh, which left me wanting a little more.
Have you read Adulthood Is a Myth? Did it make you laugh, or did you find it more cute than hilarious? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
I’ve been meaning to try Sam Harris’s work for a while, and I finally got around to reading The End of Faith. As an atheist, I was curious to see his take on religion, reason, and their role in the modern world.
"In The End of Faith, Sam Harris delivers a
startling analysis of the clash between reason and religion in the
modern world. He offers a vivid, historical tour of our willingness to
suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs—even when these beliefs
inspire the worst human atrocities. While warning against the
encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris draws on
insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern mysticism to deliver
a call for a truly modern foundation for ethics and spirituality that
is both secular and humanistic."
Unfortunately, The End of Faith wasn’t what I hoped for.
Like Harris, I believe religion can and has done great harm to individuals, families, and societies. But where we diverge is in his approach. Harris picks and chooses whatever suits his arguments best, often ignoring nuance in favor of simplistic, black-and-white conclusions.
The book is heavily focused on American politics, and his critique of Islam, in particular, feels unbalanced and overly harsh. It’s not that I disagree with his concerns about extremism, but his oversimplifications left me frustrated and his preachy tone just made me mad.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful critique of religion, you might find this frustrating rather than enlightening.
Have you read The End of Faith or any of Harris’s other works? Did you agree with his arguments, or did you feel the same frustrations? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
I felt it was time to start another Robin Hobb series, and since I’m reading her books chronologically, I started The Rain Wild Chronicles with the first book; Dragon Keeper.
I got my copy from Bol (with a gorgeous cover as always).
You can read my other Robin Hobb reviews here.
"Guided by the great blue dragon Tintaglia, they
came from the sea: a Tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain
Wilds River, the first to make the perilous journey to the cocooning
grounds in generations. Many have died along the way. With its acid
waters and impenetrable forest, it is a hard place for any to survive.
People
are changed by the Rain Wilds, subtly or otherwise. One such is
Thymara. Born with black claws and other aberrations, she should have
been exposed at birth. But her father saved her and her mother has never
forgiven him. Like everyone else, Thymara is fascinated by the return
of dragons: it is as if they symbolise the return of hope to their
war-torn world. Leftrin, captain of the liveship Tarman, also has an
interest in the hatching; as does Bingtown newlywed, Alise Finbok, who
has made it her life's work to study all there is to know of dragons.
But
the creatures which emerge from the cocoons are a travesty of the
powerful, shining dragons of old. Stunted and deformed, they cannot fly;
some seem witless and bestial. Soon, they become a danger and a burden
to the Rain Wilders: something must be done. The dragons claim an
ancestral memory of a fabled Elderling city far upriver: perhaps there
the dragons will find their true home. But Kelsingra appears on no maps
and they cannot get there on their own: a band of dragon keepers,
hunters and chroniclers must attend them.
To be a dragon keeper
is a dangerous job: their charges are vicious and unpredictable, and
there are many unknown perils on the journey to a city which may not
even exist…"
There’s always something in Robin Hobb’s writing that compels me to keep reading, and in this case, it’s the promise of Kelsingra and the hope of learning more about the Elderlings. The worldbuilding is rich and immersive, and the premise; dragons returning to a world that has forgotten them, is intriguing. I’m curious to see where this journey leads, even if the execution in this book left me frustrated.
Unfortunately, Dragon Keeper lacks complexity. There’s almost no suspense or tension, and the plot crawls along at a snail’s pace. Even when the journey finally gets underway, it drags on far too long. The entire book revolves around a single storyline (with multiple POVs, yes), but reading about just one thing (the dragons and their keepers) gets boring quickly.
The characterization was not great. Some characters I hated with a passion (Sintara’s arrogance was insufferable), while others felt shallow and underdeveloped. Thymara, one of the main characters, felt surprisingly flat, and Alise was a bore. The dragons’ POVs added little depth, and the writing felt oddly childish or YA-ish ; very different from Hobb’s usual complex, layered characters.
This book would have been so much better if it were shorter and had more plotlines to keep things dynamic and engaging. As it stands, Dragon Keeper feels like a slow, meandering setup for something potentially (hopefully) greater. I’m still curious enough to continue the series but I hope the next book picks up the pace and gives us more depth.
Have you read Dragon Keeper? Did you feel the same way, or did it grab you more than it did me? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
Helena
Hi everyone
January felt so long, cold, dark, and a little depressing. But you know what? It was also the perfect time for cozy evenings filled with books and endless cups of tea. There’s something so comforting about curling up with a good story when the world outside feels gray.
Here's what I read last month:
- Benedict Jacka: An Inheritance of Magic
- Eowyn Ivey: To the Bright Edge of the World
- Fredrik Backman: A Man Called Ove
- Grant Snider: I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf
- Rebecca Thorne: Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
- Jonathan French: The Grey Bastards
- N. K. Jemisin: Emergency Skin
Did you discover any gems last month? Or maybe you revisited an old favorite? I’d love to hear about your January reads; let’s swap recommendations!
Happy reading!
Helena
