The Mother Act by Heidi Reimer

Around two decades ago, Sadie Jones decided to leave her husband and daughter, Judith, to focus on her career as an actress and a provocative feminist. She insists her experience is valid and important to shape the direction of life. 

After several years, she tried to reconcile with her estranged daughter. She sees her daughter's organized life as mundane and has never felt like she belonged in social circles. The story unfolds through the alternating viewpoints of Sadie and Judith, delving into the complexities of their mother-daughter relationships as they revisit the past, ultimately leaving Judith deeply affected. At the same time, both characters are unlikeable but understandable. You know what I mean? Hehe. They were nothing alike temperamentally but difficult the same. The ending appeals to me. It's clear that both parenthood and relationships require a considerable amount of time, sacrifice, and understanding. 4 ⭐️ 

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

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

The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher

I absolutely loved the main character's portrayal in the book! Florence Butterfield is such a remarkable lead, full of charisma and charm. Despite her age and disability, she's incredibly observant and insightful, and I couldn't get enough of her. The setting of Babbington Hall Residential Home and Assisted Living provided the perfect backdrop for the mysterious accidents and Flo's determination to solve the mystery. 

While it took me some time to get into the book at first, I soon found myself thoroughly enjoying the author's writing style. The friendship between Flo and Pinky, her seventy years of secret, and her life after divorce are delightful and add an extra layer of intrigue to the story. This book beautifully captures the essence of melancholy in a way that surprised and intrigued me. It's a slow-paced but poignant tale of desire and dread, centred on friendship, family and search for love that truly warmed my heart. 4.3 ⭐️

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

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

Table For Two by Amor Towles

I enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. The most obvious is that there are so many life lessons written in between these pages with assembles of outstanding characters. I think short stories are much harder to love than novels, but this proves otherwise. Not all good writers are good storytellers and vice versa. But Amor Towles excels at both. To sum up, it deserves a solid 4.5 ⭐️. Here are some of my thoughts.

1. The Line

- Pushkin and his wife were peasants as they moved from the countryside to Moscow during the 19th century. Pushkin ends up waiting in line to obtain the necessities for his household. He had been revealed as a man of considerable talent and turned society into a productive citizen. It's a thought-provoking satire and resonated with me.

2. The Ballad of Timothy Touchett

- Timothy was determined to be a novelist. He met Peter Pennybrook, a purveyor of used and rare editions. The twist with the job offer involving forging a signature was unexpected and intriguing.

3. Hasta Luego

- His flight was delayed, and Jerry had a brief encounter with an approachable man named Smith. When Smith's wife called anxiously asking for Jerry's help, he could have chosen to ignore her plea. However, he didn't. 

4. I Will Survive

- This story revolves around Peggy, who thinks her husband is having an affair. It is a bit cliche theme, but being told from a first-person point of view added another interesting layer to the marriage insight.

5. The Bootlegger

- Tommy and his wife are a concertgoer. He found an old man beside him, recording the concert. The event left a lasting impression on Tommy. 

6. The Didomenico Fragment

- Renaissance art was one of Percival Skinner's specialities. The DiDomenico fragment, a painting from 1475 that was in his family's possession, has attracted the interest of an agent.

7. Eve In Hollywood

- This novella follows Evelyn Ross, the inherent optimism and boldness lady who'd come out of nowhere. She became a good friend to young actress, Olivia. When Olivia is being blackmailed, she is determined to find the culprit with help from a friend. It gave off film noir vibes in the Golden Age of Hollywood!

 

This is my first time reading by the author but definitely not the last.

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

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

People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry

Lucie Blackman, 21 years old, had entered Japan as a tourist with her best friend, Louise Phillips. The two of them went to Tokyo to work off the debts that had become such a burden to Lucie. They were working as a hostess in a small nightclub because they could make money easily. One day, Lucie had gone out for a meeting with a man and never came back. After a while, the case was upgraded from a missing person inquiry to a criminal investigation.

After 23 days, Japanese authorities arrested Joji Obara, a Tokyo businessman who could have been involved in the disappearance of other foreign women. This is an absurd true-crime story about a serial rapist, manipulator, psychopath and evil man who, in the end, had no connection with the disappearance and dismemberment of Lucie. This is well written by RLP about his first-hand experiences as correspondence for a British newspaper, living in Tokyo. This story is full of heartaches and lies. And makes you question the failure of law and order. 

Obara received a life sentence in prison for 30 years and is unlikely to walk free before 2030. How was that? I personally support the death penalty because I don't see why the government should be spending for their staycation after they have committed such filthy crimes. 

Real Americans by Rachel Khong

Three generations, three timelines, and three wounded hearts. It has engaging writing and delving deeply into each character's history and beliefs. It starts with May and her husband, who faced hardship in China's brutal civil war. They had a reason to hate their own country and fled to the U.S. Since then, they'd wanted to be American.

Her daughter, an ABC, American-born Chinese, also faced discrimination until she met Matthew, a white perfect and pharmaceutical heir. The conflict begins when their son, Nick, is born. It seems she couldn't trust her family's secrets for the sake of changing lives and fate. Nick became aware of watching his parents and grandmother falling apart despite feeling out of place himself.

This timely book shows how real people lived with early struggles, grappling with identity, trying to feel loved, ethical challenges and fighting for the inevitable future.

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

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

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#definitelybooks #donereading #realamericans by #rachelkhong #igbooks #igreads #emabaca #goodreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram #letsgetreading #malaysiamembaca 

Close To Death by Anthony Horowitz

I'm thrilled! Another 5 ⭐️ read. In this latest series, Anthony Horowitz's agent encouraged him to write the fifth book in the Hawthorne series. Daniel Hawthorne is a brilliant star in his book. She even suggested he write a case Hawthorne had solved 5 years earlier in his detective career. 

A murder of Riverview Close. Riverview Close is a gated community, a perfectly serene neighbourhood. Until Giles Kenworthy and his family moved into the area. He had a strained relationship with his neighbours due to his lack of empathy. Tragically, he was found dead one night with a crossbow bolt in his throat. With everyone in the area having a potential motive, suspicion looms over all residents.

The case came to an end when one of the neighbours wrote a letter admitting to the crime and then took his own life out of remorse. Hawthorne believed that this locked room mystery was anything but usual. John Dudley, his sidekick provides insight into their enigmatic characters from a different angle. The more Anthony learned about Hawthorne, the less he knew him. 

Featuring a dual timeline, a cleverly crafted plot, a tense atmosphere, and an abundance of red herrings, this book has secured a place as one of my top psychological thrillers this year.

The Covenant Of Water by Abraham Varghese

It's hard to believe, but this is my first 5-star book of the year. Phew. A 700+ page epic spanning 7 decades with three generations of incredible characters in South India. Shedding tears over a fictional character is completely valid.

The story starts with Mariamma, who was wed at the age of twelve to a forty-year-old man around 1900. In every generation of her husband's family, there is a pattern of death by drowning. This tragic fate seems to pass down to their children like a curse. Their marriage endured through thick and thin. Mariamma is such a strong main character who becomes a respected matriarch of the family. Throughout this epic emphasis is on strong hierarchies of caste system, colonization and the incredibly diverse culture of India.

Digby Kilgour enlisted in the Indian Medical Services hoping to develop as a surgeon and disembark in India, a different place from Glasgow. There is a lot going on in this story as different characters deal with the intertwining storylines and histories. The way the characters intersected in the story timeline left a strong impression on me. Mariamma jr bears an uncanny resemblance to her grandmother. She began her neurosurgical training and discovered her family-inherited disorder with distressing revelations hidden. In summation, it's a satisfying ending.

🍂 What defines a family isn't blood but the secrets they share.

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

Death In a Lonely Place by Stig Abell

Just a short distance from A Little Sky, where Jake Jackson resided, a five-year-old girl was kidnapped. The only trace left behind was a business card bearing the words NO TABOO. Chief Inspector Watson deduced that it was likely connected to a past case that Jake had investigated. NO TABOO denotes a group of crimes that have not been punished. Strangely, the girl was located safe and sound through an anonymous tip. 

Jake and Livia receive an invitation from Sam Martison, a notable billionaire, to a house party where they rub shoulders with wealthy and powerful guests known for their questionable reputation. Jake suspects they have ties to NO TABOO. Pretty much of a coincidences, huh?? The gathering like intentionally vague to me. Things were too exaggerated when they were getting ready to play a murder mystery game. The way the story was written was effective in creating a rich tapestry. I have a mixed love-hate reaction to this book as a result.

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

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