The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

From Goodreads: 
After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel insists the baby is a “gift from God,” and against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

This is another book that has had a lot of hype surround it, especially since the film adaptation starring Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander came out in September of 2016. Heck, even Oprah gave it her seal of approval when the book was first released.

But, does it live up to the hype? Yes. But also, no. 

The Light Between Oceans is an incredibly well-written book. M.L. Stedman has an incredible narrative voice. Parts of the dialogue were a bit hard to follow since it takes on the local Australian dialect, but that made it be all the more compelling, and almost forced me to pay attention more. Since this novel is more character-driven than plot-driven, we get to see what makes the characters tick; there are always some characters that instantly work, and some that need more time to convince you. I instantly fell in love with the character of Tom. Of the two, his story was more connecting, and I felt more sympathy for him than I did for Isabel, I think probably because we find out more and more about Tom's backstory, and his life before and during his service in World War I, and you come to understand why he does certain things than we do with Isabel; he's a man of honour who is torn between doing the right thing by the baby, but also doing right by his wife. I did have much sympathy for Isabel, yet I still found her to be completely frustrating at times, but I feel like that was intentional so we could feel the helplessness of their situation. 

I found the latter half of this book to be the part where things really heated up and I found I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Lucy and if she would eventually find her birth mother. Of the other characters, I liked Hannah, and I particularly liked her father Septimus, both of whom, have also known their fair shares of tragedy. While all the characters had their own tragedies, the two I found myself rooting the most for were Tom and Hannah (and to a less greater extent,the baby, who is innocent through all of this). I found the second half of this book to be the more interesting half. Not that the first half wasn't interesting. The first half was where we had the set-up, while the second half was where we get the pay-off. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I like the payoff better than the setup because that's where we get to see, well, the payoff of what the novel has been building up to, and the repercussions of said set-up are always more interesting to see, and makes the set-up more compelling in retrospect.

So does it live up to the hype? As I said, yes in some areas. It makes you care about certain characters and the outcomes of the characters. It's a book that draws you in right away with the themes of war, family and love, and the writing style is amazingly done. In those ways, it is multifaceted. That being said, I feel like I would have enjoyed this book a bit better if I hadn't known about all the hype surrounding it. Sometimes hype is helpful, and other times hype is a hindrance from fully enjoying a book. I didn't cry. I came close a few times, though. 

All in all, I liked The Light Between Oceans. As a character-driven novel, it works well, with meticulous writing style and good set-up and payoff between the first part and the second part. While I connected with some characters more than others, it is a believable and compelling story that I enjoyed reading. It was hard to put the book down. While I would have appreciated this book more without so much of the hype (some of that, though, comes from the movie), it was still overall an enjoyable book, that has real depth of emotion. However, while some of the characters were relatable, others were frustrating at times. In addition, it also had the tendency to be overly melodramatic at times, both of which subtracted from my overall enjoyment of the book.  For these reasons, I'm going to give The Light Between Oceans a 3.5/5. 

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

From Goodreads:
“Are you happy with your life?” 

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. 

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. 

Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.” 

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

Why did I wait so long to read this book? I bought this book in September of 2016, and only just read it. There was so much hype surrounding this book, and usually I try not to listen to hype. But in this case, I should have listened to the hype. This book is AMAZING. I brought it in the car for a two hour journey and was nearly finished within an hour and a half. I had to force myself to put the book down so I would have something to read on the return journey. 

This book starts out so normally, almost mundanely, but it very quickly throws you for a loop and gives you science fiction mixed with thriller, a bit of romance, and a lot of philosophical questions about our lives, reality and the possibility of multiverses. And I was hooked. Right away when the first loop is given, it's as if you're pushed into the deep end of a swimming pool without knowing the basics of how to adequately swim. While The Circle made me paranoid about who or what may be watching me, Dark Matter made me paranoid about there being more than one universe and that there are multiple copies of me.

I don't know how scientifically accurate the science is, since I'm not a science person, but the writing style that Crouch selected for this book really fits. It adds to the chaos and confusion of the novel, and creates a well-rounded tension that weaves throughout the story. There were many times while I was reading this where I thought "what the hell am I reading?" but in the best possible way. He creates a very realistic portrayal of what the possible ramifications or implications of a multiverse would be like. As a result, it makes you feel very small and insignificant. This book makes you question reality. It's very similar to the movie Inception in that respect, and it's wonderful in the way that it is executed.

Dark Matter really makes you question your own life, your own reality, and the existence of just one singular universe, or if there is more than just one. It asks the big questions, leaves most of them mostly unanswered in favour of postulating theories. I absolutely adored this book and I'm going to give it 5/5. We need more books like this.

Cauchemar by Alexandra Grigorescu

From Goodreads:
An eerie and romantic Southern gothic drama ...

Gripping, fast-paced, gorgeously written, and with unforgettable characters, Cauchemar tells the story of 20-year-old Hannah, who finds herself living alone on the edge of a Louisianan swamp after her adopted mother and protector dies. Hannah falls in love with Callum, an easy-going boat captain and part-time musician, but after her mysterious birth mother, outcast as a witch and rumoured to commune with the dead, comes back into Hannah’s life, she must confront what she’s been hiding from — the deadly spirits that haunt the swamp, the dark secrets of her past, and the nascent gift she possesses.

This book could have gone in many different directions. It was written in a way that made you want to savour what you were reading and tread slowly, while also wanting to find out how it all works out in the end. It's wonderfully written, and takes so many twists and turns, you won't want to put it down once you're sucked into it. At first, I thought this would be just a Southern romance with a young woman and a man who is slightly older than her with more experience and learning how to cope with the demons of their lives. And I would have been happy with that, I love a good romance, especially when Southern food is involved. But Grigorescu really twisted it up and made it unpredictable, original, and unique. I don't think I have ever read a book quite like this one before and I have to give credit where credit is due. 

Ms. Grigorescu is a very gifted writer. Her prose is very simplistic and easy to follow, almost as if in a discussion with someone. It keeps you engaged and is never alienating, except when it needs to be. The magic realism in this novel is breathtaking at times. It is very believable what she puts in place here. I'm pretty sure we have all had the same thoughts that Hannah and Callum had in this book about nightmarish things. One thing I love is the title, which says it all. Cauchemar is French for nightmare and is used as a term semi-frequently in the book, taking on a double meaning within the book, which I found to be cleverly done (I won't give away what it is at risk of spoilers). While there are some uncomfortable moments, mostly to do with Hannah's pregnancy and what comes with it, I find Grigorescu did it quite well. 

The atmosphere in this book is both haunting and beautiful. The tension and the set-ups and the payoffs that this book has are just incredible. It's the perfect mix of supernatural and coming-of-age. Hannah learns a lot about herself as the novel progresses and comes into her own as a result. The theme of motherhood and familial ties is a really prevalent one, as is isolation, both self-inflicted and forced. It's done in such a unique and different way. I loved the setting for this book. While I have never been to Louisiana, myself, I can't really picture this book taking place anywhere else. All in all, I really enjoyed Cauchemar. I'm going to give it 4.5/5 stars, and I can't wait to see what else Ms. Grigorescu has up her sleeve. 

The Circle by Dave Eggers

From Goodreads:
When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. 

As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. 

Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in America - even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.

Irony of ironies: my review of this book will make you, the readers, go on Goodreads/Amazon (or come from Goodreads) to look it up and make comments on this book and the author, which is something that happens frequently to the main character. Also: This book reminds me of why I have covered the webcam on my laptop. 

Picture George Orwell's novel 1984. You got it? Totalitarianism? Knowing everything? Take that book and add the internet/security cameras/social media and everything else about the 21st century in the online world: needing instant gratification, using screens and technology to communicate instead of one on one conversations. That is what this book is. It does get a bit soap-boxy and preachy at times, and while there are things I wish had been omitted that the character of Mae does, I think for the most part, the scenes I am thinking about are necessary to further the plot and the overall message that the book is making. 

Is this book dystopian? Or is it representative of a future dystopian world, where the totalitarian regime is not a fascist ruler, but rather a computer? It's very clear that Eggers drew inspiration from 1984. As this book progresses, we see the main character Mae slowly become more and more obsessed with the online world of the Circle and how it affects her. It's very clearly an allegory of how society views social media platforms today. Most people are followers instead of leaders, which Eggers shows with the character of Mae. Mae's character begins as one you think you will root for and hope comes out on top, and she does, in a way, but not in the way that is expected, which becomes more and more abundantly clear as the novel progresses. I always like it when books and writers do that. It's always interesting to have a protagonist that you are not supposed to root for or be completely sympathetic towards. There is a great twist in the epilogue that made the book all the more satisfying. Instead of having a stereotypical villain, who wants to further the totalitarian social media/search platform until there is absolutely no privacy or secrets, which you assume is someone like Bailey, there is no real villain? It will be especially interesting to see how Emma Watson portrays Mae in the upcoming film adaptation (which I believe was also written for the screen by Dave Eggers). Also, this begs the question, if the main protagonist is unreliable, are any of the characters reliable? The scariest part of this book is that this could actually happen with the rapid pace of growth within the internet and social media. Nothing is private anymore.

I see The Circle as a cautionary tale for today's society. While technology and rapid progressions may look utopian on the surface, that surface can give away to a dystopia. It almost reminds me of Ursula K. Leguin's marvelous short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" in which very few people are able to walk away from the dystopia that is hidden in the utopian-looking world. All in all, while a bit preachy in some areas, I liked this book and think it's an important message to give, especially in a society like today. I'm going to give The Circle 4/5, and I can't wait to see how they adapt this book into a movie.

By Gaslight by Steven Price

From Goodreads:
London, 1885. In a city of fog and darkness, the notorious thief Edward Shade exists only as a ghost, a fabled con, a thief of other men's futures -- a man of smoke. William Pinkerton is already famous, the son of a brutal detective, when he descends into the underworld of Victorian London in pursuit of a new lead. His father died without ever tracing Shade; William, still reeling from his loss, is determined to drag the thief out of the shadows. Adam Foole is a gentleman without a past, haunted by a love affair ten years gone. When he receives a letter from his lost beloved, he returns to London in search of her; what he learns of her fate, and its connection to the man known as Shade, will force him to confront a grief he thought long-buried. What follows is a fog-enshrouded hunt through sewers, opium dens, drawing rooms, and seance halls. Above all, it is the story of the most unlikely of bonds: between William Pinkerton, the greatest detective of his age, and Adam Foole, the one man who may hold the key to finding Edward Shade.

The first of 27 books on my TBR list (I may have gotten three more books) is read! 

I really wanted to take my time and savour this book as it was the first book post-semester (not counting reading week) that I read, but, predictably, I ended up devouring it almost in the course of a day. I started on Thursday, but only got 100 pages in and it's 731 pages not counting the author's note and the acknowledgements.

I super enjoyed this book. It has an absurd charm to it that is hard to describe. It was not quite what I expected, but it kept me guessing and doubting my guesses as to who Shade ended up being. Once it was revealed it was totally obvious, who else could it be without it being contrved?, of course it's you, but only added to the absurd charm. I could not put this book down. I needed to know what happened next. I really enjoyed the connection that the two main characters had, and it only intensified as the story progressed. Both know loss. Both are denying their grief. It's a really well-done message conveyed through nineteenth-century mystery and intrigue. 

Price's writing style is really tight and different. It is a bit odd that he doesn't use quotation marks when characters are saying things, but it only adds to the chaos and mystery. It forces you to pay attention. I really like how he adds history to the story. I don't know all that much about the Civil War, besides the basics, so it was interesting to see it through the lens of historical fiction. The writing style is organic and hooks you in almost instantly. The themes of familial relationships, grief, obsession and loss really stand out in a mystery akin to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, but Price deftly makes it work. While I did enjoy the 1885 scenes more than the "flashbacks" so I could see what would happen next, they are equally as important to see character motivations, and Price interweaves them well, and makes it work, and it easily justifies the 731 page count. 

In using historical and literary references (I caught Dickens a few times, H.G. Wells, and Wilkie Collins, among others, but those were the Big Three) in addition to Victorian England dialect, especially with the lower class, Price makes his novel all the more believable. I really enjoyed By Gaslight and I'm giving it 4.5/5 stars; it hooks you in and you won't want to put it down until you have finished it.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

From Goodreads
Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life...as only a dog could tell it.

I know, I know, I said it would be yesterday that I posted this. Sorry about the delay, my internet has been kind of wonky for the last day or so, and as of last night, is down completely until the new modem is dropped off later today (I'm writing this at school). 

I read this book for the first time in 2010 or around then, forgot about it, and then found it in a bookstore downtown back in January of this year. It doesn't take long to breeze through, the chapters are relatively short and easy to digest. 

I love the premise of this book. I love books that are told from the animal's point of view, as it shows humanity from a completely different perspective. It could help that I love dogs as well. Enzo is a matter-of-fact, but sweet narrator, and the narrative style that Garth Stein uses creates a familiarity in tone and atmosphere. We see everything from Enzo's point of view It's equal parts funny and heartbreaking, and you'll want to hug and cuddle the nearest dog you see upon finishing this book. 


Stein's writing style is very simplistic, but the content of this novel deals with very complex situations. While there were some minor quibbles I had regarding minor plot points (the zebra stuffy), overall, this book was fantastic. I love how the story is set up, the details, and the metaphors that Enzo makes relating racing to everyday life. While I am not a fan of racecar driving (or sports in particular), I found the metaphors to work and enjoyed them; it adds a spark to the book as a whole. Like Fifteen Dogs, this book looks at humanity through the eyes of a dog, which is something that I always enjoy. What does human nature and humanity look like to a non-human, and how do they reconcile with it?

There is a plot point about halfway through the book that changes things completely for Enzo's owner, Denny that only Enzo witnessed. It's interesting to see it through a dog's point of view see what could happen if a dog was the only witness to a crime. How would you question a dog in court? It's a really unique literary device and Stein does it well. While there are certain aspects of this book that I could do without, all in all, it's a really enjoyable and unique book.. 

I'm going to give The Art of Racing in the Rain a 4/5 and recommend it to any dog lover. 

Coming soon!

It's been awhile! I apologize. It's finals season at university which always has me feeling the crunch even if I have all of my assignments done ahead of schedule. This is more of an admin post more than anything to update people on my (very tentative) plan of action. My last two assignments before exams are due next Monday and Friday, but should not eat up too much of my time. Late last week I actually tidied my room and I went through and filed my books and set up a very basic system for cataloguing my TBR books (I'm literally just stickering the ones that I haven't read yet to remind myself that I need to read that book)

I have a TBR pile that's at least 23 books long (24 if you count the book I just started reading last week - I'm still less than 50 pages in, and it's a heavy tome of a book), so we won't be starved for content for the next little while - I have to remind myself of that the next time I'm in a bookstore. I am going to post a review of a book that I have recently re-read in the next 24 hours, so while I haven't actually read a book for outside of school in over a month, I will still be providing an update. Stay tuned for my review of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

As I mentioned, my TBR and currently reading pile is 25 books long (24 unread books and one book that is a work in progress). So you can keep your eyes peeled for reviews on the following (in no particular order, excluding the first one, which is the one I'm currently reading):

-By Gaslight by Stephen Price
-NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
-All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
-The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
-Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
-No One Gets Out Alive by Adam Nevill
-The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
-Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
-The Circle by Dave Eggers
-Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
-The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs
-This House is Haunted by John Boyne
-All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Matsai
-Nostalgia by M.G. Vassanji
-Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
-The Wonder by Emma Donoghue
-The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
-Little Big by John Crawley
-The Deep by Nick Cutter
-The Troop by Nick Cutter
-Little Heaven by Nick Cutter
-Cauchemar by Alexandra Grigoriscu
-The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
-Victoria by Daisy Godwin

Again, that's really not in any particular order after By Gaslight, which I'm hoping to get a rather large dent in once everything's been handed in later this week. I might do my own individual reading marathon once the dust has settled from this year, but I'll see.

Stay tuned and happy reading!