Kaseys Korner

Beneath a Scarlet Sky

I've been sitting on this treasure since April 2018, the 10th to be exact, when I originally downloaded it. That's not exactly ancient in terms of what else is sitting unread on my Kindle but still I can't believe I didn't get around to it faster. Thank goodness for the Hollywood Motion Picture Industry for getting me in gear with the news they're producing a movie from the book. I'm that weird nerd girl who always likes to read the book before seeing the movie.

I've read a lot of historical fiction written during the WWII period but nothing specifically about how the war affected Italy and the Italians. I wasn't actually conscious of that fact until I read the authors foreward. He stated that the Italian people chose to "forget" the war & get back on with their lives, to the extent any person, let alone a country, could actually forget something so devastating. They chose not to relive it or give it any more voice/life than it had ~ truly a remarkable feat to accomplish in the face of all they endured and witnessed.

Now to Pino. Pino, Pino, Pino. A boy turned man who had me turned six ways sideways in my feelings about him. Sometimes you love a protagonist, sometimes you can't stand them, in the worst case scenario, you feel nothing whatsoever about them. Where Pino is concerned, I felt about every emotion possible. And let me just stop right there & say I have absolutely no business passing any sort of judgment about his actions and decision making processes AT ALL. I'm just commenting as one human being to another. I started out admiring him when Father Re tasked him with the job of escorting Jews on those harrowing walks to safety. I was revolted when he put on the Nazi Swastika. I mean, seriously?? How his neighbors, friends and all the other citizens of Milan didn't murder him on the spot, I have no idea. But then again, I've never lived in a war zone so maybe all manner of behaviors are suspect and the fear is too great to act on them. I thought he was both fearless and a coward all at the same time. Especially when it came to Anna's fate. He's had a long life to live with that decision and I'm sure he's paid his own self imposed penitence a zillion times over. I can see why he was reluctant to tell his story. It's a mixed bag of the good, bad & ugly. He had a joie de vivre that was contagious thru out the pages, perhaps it's been that spirit that's allowed him to prevail in life? He's also seemed the kind of person that always comes out on top, no matter what trials life threw his way. I finished the book last night and am still conflicted on how I feel about him. It's possible I'd have acted in exactly the same manner or not even as well, in the same situation. He survived. SO many others did not. 
Maybe he just did what he had to do to make that happen?? or maybe he was lucky? Whatever my feelings & whatever the case, it's an incredible story, an incredible way to be thrown into adulthood. 

The book stirred a curiosity about Nazi Officers (like General Leyers) ~ who was he really?? Were there others in positions of command that took action to help end the War & that the Allies let off the hook? It sounded like it. Did he help the Allies the whole time he was inflicting atrocities?? or was he just a master at manipulating the circumstances to make sure he survived too?? There again was the dichotomy. Nothing simply good or evil. I have more questions about Leyers because of the ending tho than I did during the book. Despite the information the author relays about his life after the war, it sounded like he was still a proud Nazi ~ proud to have been at the right hand of Hitler?? Why then did he get a "pass?" All the gold and a long life to boot?? 

The book is nothing if not a testament to life not being fair. But it's an excellent read. I've been thinking about it a lot today which says something in itself about it. If you have an interest in this period in history, by all means don't overlook 'Beneath a Scarlet Sky.'

The Moon Sister

** spoiler alert ** Any new books in 'The Seven Sisters' series are an automatic pre-order for me. It makes me wonder then, why, when I received 'The Moon Sister' back in February (upon its release) I didn't instantly read it??? Five months it sat in a stack on my sofa table but holy hallelujah, finally the cover has been cracked, the pages flipped and Tiggy's story is officially ensconced in my memory. 

I absolutely loved her Spanish ancestors and reading about the music and art of Flamenco dancing. It was SO interesting, I found I required a visual!! ha. YouTube to the rescue. If you haven't ever seen a Flamenco dancer perform, like I hadn't, it's even more impressive after watching a few videos (or even better in person I bet!) It takes considerableexpertise to maneuver the ruffled trains on the dresses (how easily an unskilled dancer would get tangled up in them) all while concurrently keeping up a rapid pace of foot work. Thinking about Tiggy's tiny grandmother pounding out this energetic dance night after night was nothing short of incredulous. Maybe it seemed so realistic because Lucia was such a vivacious character ~ springing impossibly to life from introduction. Incredible the power of words to have that effect considering they're just ink printed on a flat surface of paper. 

Tiggy, in comparison, didn't possess any of her fiery personality or insatiable drive. Instead, she was like the calm in the swirling vortex of a hurricane. Had they been able to spend time together, I'm convinced she would have faded into the background in Lucias presence. I definitely got more out of the Granada timeline than the Scottish (present day) one, surprising as I would have guessed the opposite at the onset of reading. It was just stronger & the characters & culture more engrossing. 

One drawback of reading a series as the books are released, as opposed to binging on them all at once, are the memory lapses. At this point, it's been four years since I read the first book and I feel I need a refresher on the details of the first couple sisters. All the dropped hints about Pa Salt are a bit fuzzy too. I just know there's something shady about his death/disappearance that's been alluded to in every sisters story. 

The teeniest little complaint I have about the books is that I sometimes have trouble with the "tidy" romances at the end. Tiggy & Charlie were a perfect example but I remember thinking the same thing about Star as well. They just seem to bloom up from no where but aren't completely believable. I can't be the only one who feels that way?? As the books are journeys about the sisters tracing their biological roots, I don't feel wrapping with an awkward, undeveloped romance is necessary. I'd be happy leaving that part out ~ and everyone knows how much I like a romance, just not a "forced" one.

Definitely committed to finishing out the series tho now that I'm in so deep!

Everybody's Son

** spoiler alert ** This book tackled a lot of heavy topics; racism & privilege being uppermost in my mind but there was an element of addiction, interracial dating, nepotism, politics, teenage pregnancy, south vs north, etc., etc., all added in the mix. In fact, I can hardly think of one "hot button" topic that wasn't touched upon. I'm convinced they weren't all necessary to tell the story. 

Anton (the protagonist) suffered more than anyone else in the story, which made sense as he was the victim/pawn of everyone involved. Understandably, he had difficulties figuring out his true identity. It would have been hard enough being bi-racial and fatherless to boot, but then add in the disadvantages of living in the projects with a drug addicted Mother. But plucking him out of poverty and plopping him into the lap of luxury, didn't resolve his internal struggle even as he outwardly adapted and excelled in his enriched environment. It could have been a really compelling story if only it were better written & if it were easier to feel connected to the characters. Sadly, most of them I couldn't bring myself to care much about at all.

It was a little annoying that the author tried to convince us that Anton's Mother made "one" mistake, which is how he landed up in the Coleman household. Ummm, no. Weren't we told by Anton himself that she often left him alone? Just not for seven days but often enough he enjoyed it & was used to drugs, parties, etc. How he came to be adopted, also cemented how most working class people perceive the way justice works for the wealthy. So many tropes & then the cliche phrases ~ Georgia on my mind, blood is thicker than water, etc. I'm not saying all the societal issues are irrelevant (or even incorrect,) maybe the book just needed a better editor or way to present them? A few less issues would have been a relief for the reader & the remaining ones could have been fleshed out more fully rather than hopping from topic to topic. It will be interesting to discuss in book club & see if I'm alone in my feelings.

The Immortalists

I love the concept of this book, I've discussed the topic before with friends and my answer is always an emphatic "NO!" Not a "no thank you" or a polite "not today" but No, No, No!! as in NO WAY ~ I do NOT want to look into a crystal ball & see (or hear) the future and most especially, I do NOT want to know my death date. I think it's a GREAT discussion topic tho which is why I wanted to read the book. Hearing a death date for yourself as a child, wow, the impact on minds so impressionable & still forming, monumental . I kept wondering all the way thru, did they get accurate prophecies or self fulfilling ones?? In some cases it seems a stronger case for self fulfilling?? 

A phrase that kept repeating in the book was "words have power." All of us know that to be truth & it was certainly the case for the four Gold siblings. The words they heard a constant & underlying factor driving their lives. I would say 'The Immortalists' is a cautionary tale. One good for contemplation, discussion and reflection. Be careful and prepared if you go poking about in the realms of the unknown. It may have lifetime ramifications.

The Hobbit

When a book is SO incredible, such as The Hobbit, it feels far beyond me to review it adequately. I don't even think I'll make an attempt, it would be horribly inept & beyond my skill set. It's another of those books (and I've said this a LOT) that I can't believe I've only just now read. I would have been completely riveted by it as a child. In fact, I want a childhood "do-over!" I want someone to dole this book out to me nightly, bit by bit, leaving me breathless wondering what happens next. The downside might be elusive sleep or at the very least, some very vivid dreams. I can't imagine peaceful slumber with a childhood imagination. As an adult, it was equally riveting. I see it as one of those books you can read on face value alone (a thrilling adventure) or absorb the deeper messages embedded within it. It's definitely genius and I see why J.R.R. Tolkien has the acclaim he deserves. I recently read a blog post by George R.R. Martin (written at the preview to the movie 'Tolkien' ~ which is on my "want to see" list) that stated what an impact Tolkien had on him as the "Father" of the Fantasy genre that's so popular today. As I was reading, I thought I could see where he got some of his inspiration for GoT's. Maybe that's reaching??? But I definitely thought I glimpsed familiar elements that he, of course, massively expanded upon. 

Back to 'The Hobbit' ~ I'm a bit of a Bilbo Baggins myself, at least as an older adult. Not as much into adventure as I used to be but once I've been cajoled out of my comfort zone, I'm usually happy for the experience. I admit tho that I'm always thrilled to get back to my little hobbit hole with my tea, warm fire and a biscuit! Bilbo was an unexpected hero and a brilliant one. Absolutely everyone can relate to him in that he's not extraordinary at all. He makes you believe that in any "dicey" situation, you could draw upon the Bilbo Baggins within yourself and come out a winner. A truly wonderful story that I can't imagine anyone not loving.

Sapiens

I actually did not completely finished this book. I downloaded it to my Kindle from the local library and didn't get it finished before the due date expired. I also couldn't renew it (because there's such a long wait list for it) so I have it back on hold. 

I got about 3/4ths of the way thru it tho and I can honestly say I've never highlighted so much in any other book EVER. The entire book is just jammed packed with interesting insights on our history and it's all fascinating but sad too. To see how destructive we've been during our climb to Apex predator ~ wiping out so many species and plants without a thought or care of anything except ourselves. Makes you wonder if we deserve our position on the food chain and what will be left when we're done. 

I did not know there have been six different species of the Homo genus identified. I really had only heard of two and when I was much younger, I remember thinking we'd all evolved from one. To think of the changes brought about in our lives as we moved thru the stages of hunter/forager to farmers and now to the cognitive revolution stage and during which stage were we happiest and actually was life the best?? It gave me pause to ponder that it might not be now like I'd anticipated thinking. Definitely connectivity and loneliness were non factors in all the other stages, like they are now. Take the "survival factor" out of living and what is our purpose?? Thought provoking indeed. All these huge jumps during the Cognitive Revolution but we're floundering more than ever at the question of what the goal is of life.

The end of the book (which I skipped ahead & read) dealt with where our species is headed in the future and those contents are both scary and exciting. When the author said that future Sapiens might not even be able to be categorized as Sapiens anymore & will be even more different from us today than we are from the Neanderthals of yesterday, that'sinsane. Collective brains, brains inside computers, cyborgs ~ it sounds like the stuff of science fiction but the research is going on right now! Do I want to be alive to see what that looks like? I'm not really sure. I like aspects of it where health issues and defective genes can be corrected but some of it freaks me out a little. But then again, my phone almost knows what I'm thinking & sometimes that creeps me out.

I'll return & update whenever I get the book back to finish. Very worthwhile and extremely readable even for the non-scientifically minded.

Tea in the garden??

I LOVE Instagram!  So easy & much faster than writing a blog post so you might just start seeing my pics from there pop up here.  

'The Shadow of the Wind'

If you're a book lover, this book will speak your language. Not only is it about books, and lovers of books, writers of books and characters who put pen to paper for a living in any form but it's a story uniquely developed as a result of reading a book.

From the minute young Daniel enters the 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books,' and picks out the rarest find among all the books resting in peace there ~ '<i>The Shadow of the Wind</i>,' he becomes completely obsessed with it, and instantly every bibliophile on the planet is riveted. We empathize.
We've been there. Maybe not to the extent where the obsession becomes real, like in Daniels case, but perhaps only because we lacked opportunity. Curiosity and reading are intertwined partners. It's absolutely plausible & the consequences make a fantastic story!

A perfectly paced mystery, a requisite unfulfilled love story, a tangled compilation of good versus evil characters (all thoroughly fleshed out) and one wordsmith of an author gifted with the ability to create gothic style atmosphere of suspense and intrigue = 5 stars. I thought it was sheer perfection. The walking map at the end of the book (of the streets/places in Barcelona relevant to the story,) was also brilliant. I wish I could hop on a plane, book in hand, and leisurely stroll every "Calle" that Daniel traversed, ending up at 32 Avenida del Tibidabo. That street and the Aldaya residence conjured the most beautiful mental images. I'm still luxuriating in them. Carlos Ruiz Zafon penned a travelogue (<i>inadvertently or purposely</i>) with that addition to his beautiful story!

It was so interesting how Daniels and Julian's lives were written as parallels but with a critical intersection. I know that happens repeatedly in life but (at the moment) I can't think where I've seen it so flawlessly depicted before??

I've already added 'The Angel's Game' to my wtr list because I loved this book so much & want to read more from the author. I thought Barcelona was alluring as a destination after having a neighbor from there but after reading 'The Shadow of the Wind' it calls to me even more. This book & it's wonderfully blended elements went straight to the pinnacle of my favorite literature pile.

Lord of the Flies

** spoiler alert ** I feel sick and kind of desperate after finishing this. The distaste these dystopian novels leave behind is always nauseating and depressing. It's been a while since the last one, but this was particularly ugly (because it involved children) & a classic because of the way it nails human behavior despite protestations that we've evolved into civilized beings. I suspect it will be just as valid in another 100 years. I can't imagine we'll ever be able to overcome what's simmering latent (for most of us) in our natures.

When Ralph (while on the run) was asking himself "where did it all go wrong?" I was thinking the exact same thing. Landing on a deserted island seemed like it would be the ideal boyhood Utopia. Exploring, no rules, no adults to enforce rules, sun, sand, swimming, etc., etc. It was crazy it went so far sideways but then again not really if you've ever had any experience in a group situation. Groups always tend to naturally form hierarchy's no matter how they're brought together. Within the bounds of "civilized" society, they don't usually deteriorate to the extent this one did ~ it was so shocking the savagery these prepubescent boys were capable of and how quickly it emerged.

It was also apparent pretty early on there was going to be a power struggle between Ralph & Jack. Jack wasn't nearly as scary to me as Roger turned out to be. Roger was the 'henchman' that had a more satanic bent to his personality & was more than willing to carry out brutality & violence. If Jack hadn't had followers, I felt he would have (begrudgingly) caved to the group consensus that elected Ralph leader. I interpreted his courage to be only as big as his band of supporters. Could he alone have instill the fear necessary to compel the other boys to join him? I didn't think so. I was curious why Jack & his followers didn't seem as concerned with rescue as much as Ralph & Piggy's group?? They acted as if they relished the freedom a bit more and disintegrated into lawlessness quicker. But were they hiding behind the paint? Or did the paint give them courage? When they painted themselves, did they think (if they were rescued, and washed it off) they could pretend it was different boys altogether who behaved the way they did??

I think my mouth kept dropping open wider & wider as I read thru the book & my heart kept constricting tighter. The death of Simon (the only independent minded boy of the group) was a sickening example of mob mentality. I was SO disappointed in Ralph & Piggy ~ that even they, the more rule-driven, conformists of the group, could get caught up in the frenzy of the moment & then almost immediately try to distance themselves from it. No doubt I would do the latter myself if I participated in something so sordid. It just seemed to seal the deal that there's no hope for humanity to behave any differently if even these (more upstanding) boys could get so actively involved in something they would never consider under "normal" circumstances. Is the need to belong, and not be an outcast, the most powerful motivator of all? Is it a survival mechanism?? When Piggy died, it felt even worse. Simon's death empowered them, Piggy's death gave them free license. I shudder to think how Ralph would have died if he hadn't rolled his way onto the beach & to the feet of a rescuing Officer. I'm pretty sure I exhaled in relief that I didn't have to find out.

If I were one of those boys, I don't think I'd EVER be able to look any of the other boys in the eye again, knowing what transpired while they were stranded. After the rescue, I'd probably try to convince myself the whole experience was all a horrific nightmare. 

I'm giving 'Lord of the Flies' 4 stars, not because I truly loved it but because of the messages it contains and what it made me think about.

 

 

The Historian

** spoiler alert ** I almost passed on this book. It sounded amazing (it actually was amazing) but I saw so many negative ratings I wondered if I should invest my time. Thank God, on this occasion, I listened to some baser instinct & went forward with reading it. I can see where it could be a "love it or hate it" kind of book with not many people falling smack in the middle? I clearly landed in the first category. 

For me, because it was chock full of history, fascinating people & places, a reverence for books & learning, all bound together with a mystery involving the lore of Dracula, I stayed thoroughly engaged throughout all 700+ pages. For the record, the very idea of the existence of a being like Dracula scares the bejeezus out of me. In that sense, it was completely out of character that I even put a book involving that subject on my wtr list. I could never be as brave as any of the protagonists ~ lifting lids off sarcophagus's by candlelight, actively searching for Vlad Tepes despite all the mortalities and warnings they encountered along the way, etc., etc. The history of the life of Vlad III (separate from the vampire folklore) was quite interesting tho. He seemed a conundrum of a man. A born noble, highly educated, fearless leader all twisted up with this perversion about inflicting agony on people (think 'the Impaler.') 
I found all the excursions across Europe most enjoyable, especially when they entered Eastern Europe ~ places and countries I know very little about. The writing was so descriptive and atmospheric, I felt I was an actual third traveler, shadowing Paul & Helen on their journey's. 

A few things I found notable about the book:
1. It took me a while to realize I never knew the name of Pauls' daughter. I kept thinking I was forgetting it ~ until the very end, when I still didn't know it!
2. Not sure I liked the way Helen disappeared, only to re-appear at the "perfect" time. I could be quite upset with her (not for saving the day) but for misleading her family about being deceased. 
3. The description of Dracula's clothing & how he appeared to Dr. Rossi was Ah-MAY-zing!!! I could read about his jeweled fingers, white fur cloak, fine leather boots, etc., over & over again, as long as he didn't come for me. 
4. Oh, and Dr Rossi. The consummate academic. To not be terrified of the situation in which he found himself, retain his wits & actually journal the experience. Incredible!
5. The title. It could apply to practically every character in the book! I "think" it was supposed to be a reference toward Dracula (& who knew he was such a scholar) but it was definitely "multi-purpose."

After all the suspense, all the travels, all the historic details, the book ended with questions. There was the perception of everything being tidily resolved then along came another of those scary dragon books. What the hell?? Is Dracula impervious to silver bullets now?? or did he line up a Successor?? I'm so confused. & the flashback to Dracula landing at Sveti Georgi??? It was wonderful (extra) background filler but written like the daughter was seeing it from memory?? I'm still processing that, what it all means & how the author wanted us to interpret it. I think I'll be doing that for some time to come....