Category: Reviews

/rɪˈvjuː/ noun. a report in a newspaper or magazine, or on the internet, television or radio, in which somebody gives their opinion of a book, play, film, product, etc.; the act of writing this kind of report

Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet by Jesse Itzler

Living with a SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet by Jesse Itzler
livingwithaseal

Jesse Itzler leads an interesting life. As a successful businessman and entrepreneur, his off-the-wall ideas for solving difficult situations and for stirring the pot have served him very well.

In this book, Living with a SEAL, he documents a month of training with a real life SEAL (who is called just “SEAL” throughout the book).

The workouts were insane, potentially life threatening, but Jesse achieved some astonishing results in a very short period of time. He also bonded with his trainer and learned, through daily interactions, that the sort of conditioning that it takes to make a killer like his SEAL, takes place mainly in the mind and such training can leave its marks on the psyche.

Jesse explains his motivation:“I don’t know if I was thinking about my mortality, or fretting over how many more peak years I had left, or anything like that. I think I was just thinking that now was as good a time as any to shake things up. You know, to break up that same routine.” loc 91, ebook.

SEAL thinks very carefully, bordering on obsessively, about safety and potential disaster scenarios for Jesse and his family. In this passage, he’s purchased an inflatable raft so that, if another 9/11 happens, that Jesse and crew could get out by taking the river.

Here’s what Jesse’s wife, Sara, thought of this: “I’m supposed to grab my son, strap a fifty-pound pack on my shoulders, carry four oars, walk a mile to the river, inflate this survival raft, and then paddle to New Jersey… in the middle of a national emergency?” There is dead silence in the room. … I think to myself, she has a point. Finally SEAL interjects. … “Sara, don’t EVER underestimate the power of adrenaline,” he says.” pg 961, ebook.

SEAL is a man who gets things done, sacrificing his own health to finish tasks that he’s started: “I found out SEAL once entered a race where you could either run for twenty-four or forty-eight hours. Shocker: SEAL signed up for the forty-eight-hour one. At around the twenty-three-hour mark, he’d run approximately 130 miles, but he’d also torn his quad. He asked the race officials if they could just clock him out at twenty-four hours. When he was told they couldn’t do that, he said, “ROGER THAT,” asked for a roll of tape, and wrapped his quad. He walked (limped) on a torn quad for the last twenty-four hours to finish the race and complete the entire forty-eight hours.” loc 1483, ebook.

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Amazing what people can accomplish when they set their minds to it. Personally, I would have stopped when I broke myself, but then, I suppose I wouldn’t make a very good SEAL.

The extreme exercise that SEAL demanded of Jesse had some surprising mindfulness benefits:“…with SEAL around, I’m learning how to be more present. It’s primarily because I have to. If I don’t, there is no way I will be able to finish the tasks at hand. I just go one step at a time. One rep at a time. And when I’m done, I worry about the next step or rep.” loc 1909

I was continually impressed by the physical displays of power and endurance from SEAL. But then, he’d have an interaction with Jesse or his family and I’d question the man’s paranoia levels and ability to function in society.

In this passage, he’s encouraging Sara to mix up the times that she goes to get the mail: “Sara, you need to mix up your pattern.” “Pattern?” “Yeah, your pattern. … The time you get the mail. That’s your pattern. It’s the same every day. It’s predictable.” “I get the mail after lunch,” she says, “That’s the most convenient time.”… “Exactly. You know that. And I know that. The mailman most definitely knows that. So I bet EVERYONE knows that.”… “Just do me a favor. Change up the pick up time.” loc 2161, ebook.

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Living with a SEAL is a lot of fun, but as I said, there are hints of a darker reality that SEAL has learned to endure. It is never graphic or spills over, but you can feel it boiling under the surface.

Recommended for runners, people who like to read memoirs, and those who are interested in the sheer power of the mind and body. Some read alikes: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall, Explorers of the Infinite: The Secret Spiritual Lives of Extreme Athletes–and What They Reveal About Near-Death Experiences, Psychic Communication, and Touching the Beyond by Maria Coffey, or if the extreme nature of these books are just too much, pick up Confessions of an Unlikely Runner: A Guide to Racing and Obstacle Courses for the Averagely Fit and Halfway Dedicated by Dana L. Ayers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Center Street Publishing for a free digital copy of this book!  And, thank you for reading.

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey
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Incredibly scary and a perfect read for the month of October, Colin Dickey examines ghosts, haunted buildings, and other urban legends throughout the United States. But, it’s not just about ghost stories, he also delves into the true histories of everything from cemeteries to asylums.

When I picked up Ghostland I thought: how creepy can the US be, it hasn’t been around all that long, comparatively speaking. And I found out: really, really creepy.

You don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy this book. Here’s what the author had to say in the intro: “Even if you don’t believe in the paranormal, ghost stories and legends of haunted places are a vital, dynamic means of confronting the past and those who have gone before us. Ultimately, this book is about the relationship between place and story: how the two depend on each other and how they bring each other alive.” loc 23, ebook.

I learned a lot of quirky, historical details about the United States. For example, did you know that Spiritualists were a huge part of the suffrage movement?: “Early suffrage meetings were heavily populated with mediums and trance speakers; in some places it was difficult to find suffragists who weren’t also Spiritualists. Spiritualism had given many of these women practice and confidence in speaking to groups with authority; by allowing others (the dead) to speak through them, American women began to speak for themselves in greater numbers. Spiritualism was only one of many factors and social movements that drove women’s suffrage, but it was a vital and important one.” loc 961-978, ebook.

One night, my ride home from work was late and I found myself alone in the library with all of the lights off and it was so spooky. I felt like I was being watched and jumped at every little creak in the stacks.

In this passage, Dickey explains why: “Few things are more unsettling than being somewhere emptied out, after everyone else has left. If you’ve ever worked a closing shift, or as a security guard, you know the way a place can change after the doors are locked and the lights are dimmed, when the lighting so carefully designed to spotlight the latest gadgets goes slack, when the mood lighting gets moodier. It’s as though you don’t belong there.” loc 1250, ebook

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The most disturbing moments, for me, were the true history portions of the narrative: “Early madhouses were often revealed to be nightmares of abuse and neglect. Reports of incontinent patients hosed down with icy water, naked women chained haphazardly to the walls, fleas and rats rampant, and other horrors gradually prompted a desire for something more sanitary and humane.”loc 2205, ebook. Eeeek. Is it any wonder that these places are haunted?

Dickey includes a poem by Goethe in his examination of the “ruins” of Detroit: “Goethe wrote in 1827: “America, you have it better Than our old continent, You have no ruined castles And no ancient basalt. Your inner life remains untroubled By useless memory And futile strife.” That was then. Now, almost two hundred years later, we’ve started to catch up to old Europe. We have plenty of ruined castles now, plenty of wasted strife to call our own.” loc 3217, ebook. I would have disagreed with that sentiment but then I readGhostland. Now, I know better.

Recommended for folks who are looking for a spooky, non-fiction read for Halloween or any other time that you’re looking for a good scare. Pick this one up with a hot drink and a warm blanket… you’re going to need it. Some read alikes: Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah by Colm A. Kelleher (one of the scariest books I’ve ever read) or Mysteries and Monsters of the Sea by Fate Magazine (similar to Ghostland but nautically themed).

Thank you to Viking Publishing and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book for review purposes!  And, thank you for reading.

The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place: The Art of Being Messy by Jennifer McCartney

The Joy of Leaving Your Sh*t All Over the Place: The Art of Being Messy by Jennifer McCartney

I laughed, but I’m not proud of myself. This satire for fans or non-fans of the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō, takes no prisoners in its scathing examination of the minimalist movement. As it clearly states in the intro, this is not a self help book. As a librarian, I’d add that it is under the Dewey Decimal classification 818s (humor) rather than the 130s (self help), so that claim would be true.

First, let’s make one thing clear, I’ve loved ‘de-cluttering’ various rooms in my house and finding those objects that ‘spark joy.’ But, I couldn’t help but laugh at the process of it through the lens Jennifer McCartney provides.

Here’s what she has to say about ‘life changing magic’: There’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve your station in life or making changes to things you’re unhappy with. I guess. But be wary of neat slogans and books that promise life-changing magic. The only real magic in the world is from unicorns and the high you get from poppers. pg 19

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I’ve never felt like a failure at the ‘tidying process’ but Jennifer’s book should appeal to those who do. Here’s her advice for how to ‘Be Free’: “Let go of caring, let go of guilt and feelings of failure. Breathe in good messy, breathe out boring tidy.” pg 28

In her book, Marie Kondo writes about thanking her small purse for its service at the end of every day. Jennifer has different ideas about the care and functionality of your handbag: “…you should always purchase the biggest purse you can carry. Here’s a good purse test: Can it fit a bottle of wine? No? Move on. Yes? Buy it.” pg 75

At times, Jennifer is downright dismissive of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing‘s teachings about every object having a “spirit” and she’s particularly vitriolic about the way Kondo rolls her socks. If that is going to bother you, you may want to skip this one.

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A humorous read alike: The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck: How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have with People You Don’t Like Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do by Sarah Knight. Warning: contains approximately a billion f-words.

Thanks for reading!

Spera, Volume 1 by Josh Tierney, Illustrated by Kyla Vanderklugt, Hwei Lin Lim, Emily Carroll, Olivier Pichard, Afu Chan, Rebecca Taylor

Spera, Volume 1 by Josh Tierney, Illustrated by Kyla Vanderklugt, Hwei Lin Lim, Emily Carroll, Olivier Pichard, Afu Chan, Rebecca Taylor

Spera is the story of two princesses, one who likes to sword fight and explore and another who likes to read and stay inside. One day, the tomboy princess, whose name is Pira, turns up in Lono’s (the reader) kingdom and says that her father the king is dead. They have to get away now to save Lono’s life. Where will two young princesses go to hide? A magical land called Spera. And so, the adventure begins.

I think that Spera tried to tell an engaging fairy tale with built in gender role options to educate impressionable young girls about who and what they can choose to be, but it didn’t quite work. Graphic novels need more than an interesting characterization idea- to engage reluctant readers, they need to tell a great story. Spera never gets there. The underlying message is sound- let children be who they are. Don’t point girls towards a book or boys towards a sword just because that’s their gender. But frankly, that’s it. The rest of the story, minus a run in with a creepy child, is kind of a non-starter.

Multiple authors contributed to this book so that’s a plus in my mind. Every chapter the reader gets a different artistic interpretation of Pira, Lono, and the fire spirit, Yonder. I gave Spera an extra star on Goodreads just for the artwork. As an adult, I found the variety enjoyable but I could see it being confusing for younger readers. They may not understand why the characters look so different every couple of pages.

If I was asked for a graphic novel recommendation for young girls that has fantasy elements, I’d skip Spera and point readers towards Princeless #1 by Jeremy Whitley.

Thanks for reading!

The Out of Body Experience: The History and Science of Astral Travel by Anthony Peake

The Out of Body Experience: The History and Science of Astral Travel by Anthony Peake

I found this to be a fascinating study into the various forms of out of body experiences and the science behind them. Unfortunately, the second half of the book that deals with quantum mechanics and multiple dimensions went over my head.

So, The Out of Body Experience may lend itself more towards engineers and mechanical-minded types rather than artists, but that’s ok. Engineers need interesting books to read too. 🙂

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Peake is very clear about the goals of this book: “In its pages I will review the evidence that such altered states of consciousness are subjectively real experiences; I will delve into the science by which consciousness can seemingly locate itself outside of the body and I will, finally, present my own hypotheses as to what may be happening when a person experiences such perceptions.” loc 98, ebook.

I felt like he accomplished all of that, but I was left with a sense of confusion/awe rather than clarity/awe. I had the same feeling when I tried to listen to a lecture by Amit Goswami. I knew enough to know that I had no idea what he was saying.

In this passage, he’s talking about shamanistic out of body experiences, something I do know a bit about: “Indeed, in my discussions with my shaman contacts, it became clear that what is encountered is a series of worlds full of archetypes pulled up from the deepest areas of the subconscious mind. However, what is of significance is that these beings seem to have motivations of their own, as if they have an existence independent of the shamanic traveller.” loc 261, ebook It is pretty trippy stuff.

Peake also tackled why remote viewers have trouble proving the validity of their experiences with verifiable facts in lab settings: “I am absolutely convinced that Ingo Swann believes he actually perceives information by remote viewing. In his books and articles he comes across as a genuine and honest individual, but the evidence seems to contradict this. … In my opinion he is remote reviewing, but not doing so in this dimension.” loc 1157, ebook.

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Frankly, I always wondered about that too — why can’t remote viewers see whatever they want whenever they want or why are they sometimes completely wrong? The US military spent a pile of money developing a protocol that only works some of the time, but, the fact that it works at all blows my mind.

Peake presents the hypothesis that lucid dreaming and out of body experiences are two sides of the same coin: “The hypnagogic and hypnopompic states are really the same phenomenon that places consciousness in that liminal region between sleep and wakefulness. The only difference is in the circumstances. The hypnogogic state is experienced on going to sleep and the hypnopompic state is experienced on waking up. We define an OBE when a subject is unaware of their soma.” loc 1541-1558, ebook.

So, in layman’s terms I think he’s saying: out of body experiences happen when you’re awake, lucid dreaming happens when you’re asleep, but otherwise it is the same type of non-ordinary consciousness.

One more interesting fact, just one though, because otherwise my brain might explode:“Now, the fascinating thing about (the) electromagnetic spectrum is that the human eye can only see a very small section, the part we call ‘visible light’… If the electromagnetic spectrum were a roll of movie film that stretched for 2,500 miles (this is the distance between London and Jerusalem), the visible spectrum would be the size of one film frame, about three inches. This is just how little we human beings see of the real universe that is out there and yet most of us believe that ‘seeing is believing’! If we could see radio waves we would see a sky full of galaxies, not stars.” loc 2024, ebook.

Can you imagine — a sky full of galaxies? I can.

Recommended for the seriously scientific minded.

If you’re more into the history of the phenomena rather than the science, just stop reading before the second half of the book.

Some of the reads mentioned in here that you may want to pick up: Journeys Out of the Body by Robert A. Monroe,Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences by Penny Sartori, or for some general remote reviewing information: The Seventh Sense: The Secrets of Remote Viewing as Told by a “Psychic Spy” for the U.S. Military by Lyn Buchanan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Watkins Publishing for a free digital copy of this book for review purposes!  And, thank you for reading.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

I recently finished The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet for a second time and was again impressed by the author’s character building.

A small criticism I have is the lack of adventure in the tale. Becky Chambers does such a great job creating characters the reader cares about, but then does so little with them.

Still recommended for readers who enjoy light-hearted science fiction.

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Review from first read-through:
This is a charming, character driven, space opera-ish, science fiction novel about a crew, made of a bunch of different species, who man a ship that drills holes in space.

The focus of this story is on the relationships of the crew, their histories, and a big job that is going to take them to a distant part of space where very few have gone.

At first, I was concerned this book was going to be too heavy on the technology or psychics, but, have no fear readers, very little technical thinking is required in The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, which, after a few I’ve read lately, was just what I was looking for.

I loved the different species that Chambers imagined for this universe. From lizard-type aliens to a giant caterpillar with an otter head to a simian creature who shaves his blue fur into concentric shapes, there’s a lot of characters to keep track of but they’re so different that it’s not confusing. It is just plain fun.

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Even the AI of the ship, the Wayfarer, is a character named Lovelace: “There were other Lovelaces out there, of course. Her core software platform could be purchased through any AI dealer. There were probably dozens of versions of her traveling through the galaxy- maybe hundreds, who knew. But they weren’t her.” pg 58. Indeed.

The reader gets to learn about space travel and the various ports of call through the eyes of Rosemary, the newest member of the crew, who is carrying a dark secret about her past:

“Rosemary hurried after her crewmates, anxious to not get lost. … Getting lost wasn’t what scared her, exactly. It was more the prospect of getting mugged. Or harassed. Or stabbed. She’d seen a few people that definitely looked stabby.” pgs 109-110. “Looked stabby” made me giggle.

This bit had me laughing too. I had never taken the time to consider what might happen if a cold-blooded creature ate something that was freezing cold: “We’re grown-ups, we can have ice cream for lunch if we want.” “Let’s not,” Sissix said. “Right. I forgot,” Kizzy said, and laughed. “Ice cream makes her mouth go slack.” pg 140

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There are a few bits of life advice hidden in this story: “All you can do, Rosemary- all any of us can do- is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.” pg 232.

This last section contains my favorite line from the entire book: “She lived up there, in that vast expanse of color. Every day, she saw planets and comets and stellar nurseries right up close, plain as weather. Yes, there was something about being planetside that made it feel different. Perhaps stars were supposed to be viewed from the ground. pg 291-292.

“Perhaps stars were supposed to be viewed from the ground” is it. I have never traveled in space and may never get the chance to, but The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet transports you, if just for a short time, into worlds far beyond ours.

I highly recommend it for folks who enjoy light, character-driven science fiction as there is nothing too heavy or disturbing to be found here.

Thanks for reading!

Monstress by Marjorie Liu

Monstress by Marjorie Liu

I wasn’t impressed by the graphic novel, Monstress. The story is downright confusing until the end of each issue when the reader is given a history lesson (info dump) by a talking cat with multiple tails. Let me attempt a summary of just the beginning (it gets really complicated after that):

There’s a teen. There’s something special about her but we’re not sure what. She’s purchased by a religious cult with others of her kind. They’re shipped to a prison fortress and tortured- for what, who knows? Maika (the girl) knows that she has to get out of this horrible place, but her “power” is unreliable. There are a bunch of flashbacks to explain where Maika came from and it seems to be as awful as where she is now. Will she survive? Will she figure out what her power is and learn to control it? Will anybody tell me what the heck is going on? Who are these witch/nuns? And why does the fox girl have such big eyes?

I managed to get into the story towards the end, but I was completely turned off by the F-bombs peppered throughout the text. I mean, there’s a whole language to choose from, and that’s the best you can do? I’m not opposed to a few well-timed ones, but it turned into the go-to exclamation. Also, what’s up with the females who are drawn so un-lifelike that it looks like their balloon filled chests are going to float away at any moment? Now, to be fair, they weren’t ALL ridiculously drawn, but some were. I understand that this kind of depiction is a stylistic choice, but it’s not my cup of tea. In addition, there is some seriously disturbing and graphic violence in this. With the popularity of various Tarantino films, I know that this type of art has its audience. But, again, I am not in the audience.

The bad guys in this are really, really bad, like unbelievably so. I think graphic novels are more fun when there are grey areas. Torturing children doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for sympathy.

I wanted to like Monstress as it has a lot of things that I do enjoy: magic, steampunk, gods, fairy-type creatures. But, there was just so much more that I didn’t like, that it soured the experience for me. I understand that I’m in the minority here so if you’re a graphic novel aficionado you may want to give Monstress a read through anyway as many of my friends seemed to enjoy it.

Thanks for reading!

How to Relax by Thich Nhat Hanh

How to Relax by Thich Nhat Hanh

There are very few spiritual leaders who can communicate with the simplicity and succinctness of Thich Nhat Hanh.

As wise as the Dalai Lama is, I’ve only been able to really understand one of the books he’s written and I think that was because he had a co-author. It seems like he contemplates this stuff so much, you know, like it’s his job, that when he’s just trying to talk to a regular person about it, there’s a gap that can’t be crossed.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

That isn’t a problem in Thich’s Mindfulness Series.

Thich encourages the reader to find the quiet within. He says: “We already have calmness in us; we just need to know how to make it manifest.” pg 14, ebook.

How do we do this? Through focus, breathing, mindfulness, and relaxation.

One of Thich’s methods for connecting with inner peace that really resonated with me was that we should take “lazy days”: “A lazy day is a day for us to be without any scheduled activities. We just let the day unfold naturally, timelessly. … When we have unscheduled time, we tend to get bored, seek entertainment, or cast about for something to do. A lazy day is a chance to train ourselves not to be afraid of doing nothing. You might think that not doing anything is a waste of time. But that’s not true.” pg 32, ebook.

Not to brag, but I rather excel at “lazy days”.

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Anyone out there have a partner who snores? I do. Thich invites us to incorporate the snores into our relaxation practice.

“Sometimes you have to share a room with someone who snores. You may get irritated. But with mindfulness you can bring about compassion. You can lean on the sound of snoring in order to go to sleep. Listen and say that this brings you home to the here and now.” pg 42, ebook.

I think this could be a difficult exercise, but I’m willing to give it a try. 🙂

Ever tell yourself that relaxation/meditation is too hard? Thich addresses that concern too: “When you sit and watch television, you don’t make any effort. That’s why you can sit there for a long time. When you sit in meditation, if you struggle, you won’t be able to sit for very long. Please imitate the way you sit in your living room. Effortlessness is the key to success. pg 76 ebook.

If you can watch tv, you can meditate. It’s silly but it reminds me of that line from Dodgeball: “if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball”.

Highly recommended for anyone looking to introduce more relaxation into their lives and isn’t that everybody?

Some read alikes: Relax RX: A Self-Hypnosis Program for Health and Well-Being by Steven Gurgevich (very relaxing, all you have to do is listen), Guided Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn (simple and relaxing), or 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris (a regular guy teaches himself to meditate- a light hearted memoir).

Thanks for reading!

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

Lilliet Berne has secrets, many secrets hidden in her past and layered upon each other through time and circumstance. Now, she is a successful opera singer but, during a ball one night, a man brings a libretto to her attention that seems to be based on her life. Only a few people know the truth behind the secrets, which one would have made that truth public? Lilliet is going to find out and, along the way, the reader gets to experience the 18th century world from the American Midwest to the Paris Opera to Napoleon’s Imperial Court and beyond.

The Queen of the Night is a glittering, epic historical fiction, reminiscent of Margaret George’s style in that Chee weaves actual historical figures throughout his story. So, you’re learning as you’re entertaining yourself- two birds with one stone. I absolutely loved it.

Who is Lilliet? According to rumor: “I was innocent or I was the devil unleashed, I had nearly caused wars, I had kept them from happening. I was never in love, I had never loved, I was always in love. Each performance could be my last, each performance had been my last, the voice was true, the voice was a fraud. The voice, at least, was true.” pg 7, ebook.

Though true, the voice was not free from rumor either: “There’s a story told of my voice that says it was bought from a witch, the result of an occult surgery. … I never corrected this. … The real answer to where my voice came from is as ordinary as all of life. … I wanted to eat so I learned to sing.” pgs 65-66, ebook. But, as a public figure, Lilliet profited from being a spectacle on and off the stage. She encourages the stories because her notoriety brought her opera parts, connections, and money. Her true background, on the other hand, could ruin her.

The complexity of life in Paris: “Paris, which, when I looked close, was a vast 0péra-bouffe-féerie (opera with elements of comedy and magic in it)- and you did not know your role, I think, until it was too late, and the crowd was laughing at the joke you had uttered in all innocence.” pg 99, ebook. Chee explores many closed societies and the unwritten rules that are followed by them in The Queen of the Night. Among the many scenes examined are: the circus tent, the courtesan’s house, the opera, the French court, the Bohemian music culture, and the couture dressmaker. My favorite parts of this story were the glimpses into these forbidden or, in some cases, defunct cultures and learning the expected behaviors, way of dress, even the preferred perfumes. The fun is in the details.

The Queen of the Night is also a love story: “When love comes this way, the first dream of it feels like a prophecy that has come true. I had never known this feeling until now- he was my first. And so I let myself dream of him again and believe it could be the future.” pg 186, ebook. Swoon… “My theme here is love. Love and the gifts of love, love kept secret, love lost, love become hatred, war, a curse. Love become music. Love and those who died for love. Love- and, especially, first love. My first love, the one I could not keep and could never, will never, lose.” pg 215, ebook. Do you think he could have fit more “love” in there? 🙂

At one point, Lilliet says she feels like she has gotten “Fate’s attention”: “It is a peculiar thing to reach this conclusion, that a god has taken your life in hand. The sensation is not what people might imagine; it is not magic, nor is it a haunting, nor is it a miracle- there’s no storm of roses, no whistle that can put a raging ocean to sleep, no figure in the mirror besides your own.” pg 240, ebook. When I read that, I thought that Chee was going to break down the fourth wall. But, he didn’t. He kept the story flowing but I felt like he winked at me. “Where am I going to take Lilliet now?”, he seemed to say. I didn’t have any idea, but I was definitely along for the ride.

Recommended for readers who want a detailed, slightly (sometimes very) scandalous romp and mystery throughout the 18th century. If you’re into classical music, then it will be an even better fit. Some reads that you may want to explore after this one: The Dream Lover: A Novel of George Sand by Elizabeth Berg (same time period, same country), In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant (different time period and country, some similar themes), The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (for the circus parts), and Before Versailles: A Novel of Louis XIV by Karleen Koen (different time period, French court).

Thanks for reading!