The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Title: The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho

Publisher: HarperTorch 1988

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 208

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Fantasy Projects Popsugar - One Million GR Ratings

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.

Such a pretentious novel. The reviews range from the most amazing book ever to the worst drivel. I am definitely on the drivel side. This reads less like an parable journey and more like a really bad self-help book. There are shades of Ayn Rand here that I just couldn’t get over. I could not stand this book at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist

Title: Let the Right One In

Author: John Lindqvist

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin 2008

Genre: Horror

Pages: 479

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror; Popsugar - Scandanavia; Horror

It is autumn 1981 when the inconceivable comes to Blackeberg, a suburb in Sweden. The body of a teenage boy is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Twelve-year-old Oskar is personally hoping that revenge has come at long last---revenge for the bullying he endures at school, day after day.

But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door---a girl who has never seen a Rubik’s Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night. . 

I have come to the conclusion that Scandinavian horror is just not for me. I was intrigued by the vampire story that this was billed as. And this was voted onto the NPR Top 100 Horror list. Once I got into the story, I just couldn’t really take it. This story is just too incredibly bleak. I struggled to get through all the terrible, dark things that happened in the book. This was definitely a no for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury by Marc Levy

Title: The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury

Author: Marc Levy Translated by: Chris Murray

Publisher: Amazon Crossing 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 278

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Modern Mrs. Darcy - Translation; Alphabet Soup - L

Alice Pendelbury believes everything in her life is pretty much in order—from her good friends to her burgeoning career. But even Alice has to admit it’s been an odd week. Not only has her belligerent neighbor, Mr. Daldry, suddenly become a surprisingly agreeable confidant, but he’s encouraging her to take seriously the fortune-teller who told her that only by traveling to Turkey can Alice meet the most important person in her life.

What’s more, the peculiarly insistent Mr. Daldry has even agreed to finance Alice’s trip—one that against all reason seems to be predestined. It’s on this journey, crazy from the outset and strangely irresistible, that Alice will find out that nothing in her life is real, that her past is not true, and that the six people she’s about to encounter will shape her future in ways she could never have dreamed.

I was very intrigued by this book and wanted to love it so much. Unfortunately it really fell flat for me. The story started well with the introduction of Alice and Mr. Daldry. I loved her encounter with the fortune teller and her parties with friends. But once the journey begins and Alice and Ethan arrive in Turkey, I just got so bored. The story became very predictable and the big twists just felt very flat. I didn’t love the last 1/2 of the book at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Exquisite Corpse by Penelope Bagieu

Title: Exquisite Corpse

Author: Penelope Bagieu

Publisher: First Second 2015

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 128

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel

Zoe isn't exactly the intellectual type, which is why she doesn't recognize world-famous author Thomas Rocher when she stumbles into his apartment...and into his life. It's also why she doesn't know that Rocher is supposed to be dead.

Turns out, Rocher faked his death years ago to escape his critics, and has been making a killing releasing his new work as "lost manuscripts," in cahoots with his editor/ex-wife Agathe. Neither of them would have invited a crass party girl like Zoe into their literary conspiracy of two, but now that she's there anyway. . . .

Zoe doesn't know Balzac from Batman, but she's going to have to wise up fast... because she's sitting on the literary scandal of the century!

Another one of those random library finds. I love just browsing the shelves looking for interesting titles. This one is a cute little story about an author and the two women in his life. I sped through this one in just a few minutes not wanting to wait to find out what happens to all our characters. I especially loved the twist ending. Such fun!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Title: Suite Francaise

Author: Irene Nemirovsky

Publisher: Vintage 2007

Genre: Historical fiction

Pages: 434

Rating:   4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction; Mount TBR; Fall into Reading

How I Got It: I own it

Beginning in Paris on the eve of the Nazi occupation in 1940. Suite Française tells the remarkable story of men and women thrown together in circumstances beyond their control. As Parisians flee the city, human folly surfaces in every imaginable way: a wealthy mother searches for sweets in a town without food; a couple is terrified at the thought of losing their jobs, even as their world begins to fall apart. Moving on to a provincial village now occupied by German soldiers, the locals must learn to coexist with the enemy—in their town, their homes, even in their hearts.When Irène Némirovsky began working on Suite Française, she was already a highly successful writer living in Paris. But she was also a Jew, and in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz, where she died. For sixty-four years, this novel remained hidden and unknown.

Wow!  A very powerful novel.  I started reading it thinking it was a modern novel writing about the past.  Of course I realized my mistake when I looked up the author on wikipedia.  I thought that the language and sentence structure was a bit strange for a recently written novel.  And it is...  because it was written during WWII and has been translated from the original French.  That explains it!

As to the story, I loved following the various families through the ordeal of the German occupation of France.  We get to see how various people reacted to the events of turmoil.  I can't imagine having to become refugees in your own country.  It seems inconceivable and yet people had to continue with their lives.  There are some villains (besides the Germans) and yet I can understand why they are how they are.  Overall it was a very interesting read.

When starting this book, I realized that I have read multiple fiction books set during WWII this month.  All three  (Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, The White Pearl, and Suite Francaise) were set in different places.  It was interesting to see how different locations affected lives during the war.