Brooklyn Crime Novel by Jonathan Lethem

Brooklyn is a borough of New York City. It is the home of iconic New York attractions like Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge and Prospect Park.

Brooklyn Crime Novel is a story about the dark side of Brooklyn that is synonymous with real-life crime. Petty theft, breaking and entering, drug use to name some of it. The narrative is well-presented ideas. Brief and funny in a way through small vignettes. After four decades, someone who used to live in the neighbourhood had written a novel about the time and place that they remember from their own coming-of-age.

It is a long read with a melancholy humour. Overall this was a fun, little slice-of-life story from a few quirky characters. Each vignette exists on its own, and there is no plot connecting them instead of creating a realistic depiction.

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online store

The Apple in the Dark by Clarice Lispector

 

Martim had committed a crime. He believes he killed his wife and has been on the run since then. He takes refuge in Vila Baixa owned by a woman named Vitoria who lives with her cousin, Ermelinda.

His temporary stay seemed fascinating and established a relationship between them. Everything was a soft prolongation but he finally was free, quiet and stable. There was so little time left for him to cover and start in a new way though. Little by little Martim was caught on his feelings, perception, anxiety and act. He had been held prisoner within the structure of his past.

I enjoy reading about antiheroes because their brain is not confined by strict moral values. Even though the character is bad I get mixed with the passion and emotional turmoil of the story's flow.

Seeing how he justifies and explains even the most terrible actions is so 'different' to me. I always find that Martim's motivations are very complex and it’s impossible to predict.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to hate them (yes, three of them) when you have access to their most private thoughts and know all the events that led them to be the way they are. This novel is a modern classic that offers a slow-paced symbolism of realism and escapism and was originally published in 1961.

Thanks to @times.reads and @putrifariza for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online stores 

The North Light by Hideo Yokoyama

I am a slow reader when it comes to a good story. It requires a lot of time and attention to gain a detailed understanding.

For someone who loves a thriller, the plot line of this book held my attention. The author's writing style is another reason for the high rating. I feel a connection between the characters. I expected something different with the ending - the combination of the whimsical but by the time I got to the end, my skeptical frown had long since given way to a grin of satisfaction. So I guess, this is my last book of 2023 that I proudly love and give 5 ⭐️ 😭😭 

Minoru Aose is an architect. A client has requested to build their new home. They requested the same design that featured The Best Design of the Year, the famous Y Residence. The owner of Y Residence is Touta Yoshino. The feeling of resistance to build a clone home overlapped with the disappearance of Yoshino's family without a trace. He believes his world and Yoshino's are intertwined. If someone were to able to solve the whole mystery, it's Aose. The whole point of the mystery is to learn more about atoning, Aose's childhood, a possible red herring and Bruno Taut, a German architect who took asylum in Japan in 1933. 

Thanks to @definitelybooks #pansing for the review copy. Opinions are my own 💙 

*Available at all major bookstores in Singapore and Malaysia and their online stores

I'm planning on reading other Hideo's work next year 🤞🤞