The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he's part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count.

Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow con-artists and thieves: the Gentleman Bastards.

Together their domain is the city of Camorr. Built of Elderglass by a race no-one remembers, it's a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the city.

But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa's power. A challenge from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. The Grey King is coming.

A man would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even such a master of the sword as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke Lamora ...

Paperback, 530 pages

Published February 1, 2007

 by Gollancz

4.5/5 stars

This book has been languishing on my shelf forever. Finally back in November it was our pic for our family book club. This group reads at a slow pace, but once I got hooked I had the last half finished in a matter of days.

Somewhat of a Robin Hood type story except they only steal are from the rich. Locke Lamora has his gang with him known as The Gentleman Bastard. What a twisted conniving and interesting bunch.

First introduced to Locke when he was a child, an orphan as are all of his gang members, the story weaves back-and-forth to current and his growing up years. Seeing the trouble he got into makes sense of how his adult years are what they are. There is a lot to take in at the beginning, between the world building and characters. The story, at the beginning jumps around a lot but once they start to weave together everything makes sense.  I think I read the last 40% in two days, that is saying something because this book is over 500 pages long.

I was kept guessing a lot and had to trust the author as he twisted and turned the story into an outcome that I did not see coming. This is the first book in a trilogy and I look forward to continuing this series. And did I mention that this is Scott Lynch‘s debut, I’d say he is off to a great start.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge and is booked # 4.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Nobel Prize–winning This classic of 20th-century literature chronicles the spiritual evolution of a man living in India at the time of the Buddha—a tale that has inspired generations of readers

Here is a fresh translation of the classic Herman Hesse novel, from Sherab Chödzin Kohn—a gifted translator and longtime student of Buddhism and Eastern philosophy. Kohn invites readers along Siddhartha’s spiritual journey—experiencing his highs and lows, loves and disappointments along the way. We first meet Siddhartha as a privileged brahmin’s son. Handsome, well-loved, and growing increasingly dissatisfied with the life expected of him, he then sets out on his journey, not realizing that he is fulfilling the prophesies proclaimed at his birth. Siddhartha blends in with the world, showing the reader the beauty and intricacies of the mind, nature, and his experiences on the path to enlightenment.

Sherab Chödzin Kohn’s flowing, poetic translation conveys the philosophical and spiritual nuances of Hesse’s text, paying special attention to the qualities of meditative experience. Also included is an extensive introduction by Paul W. Morris that discusses the impact Siddhartha has had on American culture.

Paperback, 144 pages

First published January 1, 1922

Published September 19, 2000 

by Shambhala

3/5 stars

This was our family book club pick over the summer.  It was a short interesting read.  Not usually my type of read but I went with the flow.

I guess this is more a spotlight then a review.  Lots of reviews on Goodreads

This book was part of my 2023 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Paperback, 294 pages

Published November 8, 2022 

by Tor Books

4/5 stars

This was another read for our Family Blessings Book Club. It's also a short and sweet review.

I want to say it’s YA fantasy but it’s just a fantasy novel that I think that YA readers would also enjoy. It is somewhat on the lighter side in terms of world building and fantastical elements. If there is such a genre, I would think this falls under cozy fantasy.

Legends and Lattes is a story of new beginnings, friendships, and life in a coffee shop. It was a quick read, it was a fun read, and it is the start of a new series. Book 2 Bookshops and Bonedust is releasing this fall.

This book was part of my 2023 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge - #50.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…

Hardcover, 325 pages

Published February 22, 2022 

by Feiwel & Friends

4/5 stars

Axie Oh is a new author for me, this her latest book is a YA retelling of a popular Korean legend, entitled The Tale of Shim Cheong. It's about a girl who travels into the spirit world to break a curse that threatens the lives of not just her family but her people.

Though fantasy is not really one of my go to genres. I do love a good retelling especially YA. I have yet to get my hands on the original, but I will keep searching as I am intrigued by this retelling.

Mina is an impulsive, strong willed teen. She is dedicated to her family, putting others before herself. This character driven story was colourful with its vivid setting and cast of characters. The storyline was intricate and since I have yet to real the original folktale I didn’t know what to expect.

This was a Family Book Club read, and we all really enjoyed the story. While some guessed the outcome I was in the dark till the end. Suffice to say this was a hit for all 3 of us.

This book was part of my 2023 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge - I had to buy the book because of the gorgeous cover.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us deeper into the Cosmere universe with a rollicking, riveting tale that will appeal to fans of The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea.

 Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published April 4, 2023 

by Tor Books

4.5/5 stars

Do you ever laid eyes on a book cover and just known that you had to read it? That's exactly what happened to me when I saw Tress of the Emerald Sea.  The cover was stunning, the author was well-known (though I had never read his work before), and 3 of my sons are fans.  I pre-ordered it immediately and it ended up becoming a family read.

The story follows Tress, a  young woman living on an island washing windows. She is in love with her good friend Charlie, but suddenly his father takes him away, never to be seen again. Tress embarks on a journey to seek out the Sorceress of the Midnight Sea to rescue her true love. What she doesn’t bargain for is stowing away on a ship and the many obstacles on the way.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Tress. I liked her fortitude, courage and stamina. There are other characters in this book that left their mark, Hook the rat, Sally, and Fort to name a few.  With a whimsical voice fans of Sanderson's previous novels will find easter eggs along the way along with a narrator familiar in the Cosmere books.

The blurb says that those that liked The Princess Bride will enjoy this book. Confession time I’ve never  read The Princess Bride or seen the movie so that doesn’t really mean much to me.  Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and look forward to the next 3 books in Sanderson's Secret Novels Series. 

It's worth noting that this Kickstarter project broke the record for the most funds Kickstarted in Publishing, with over $20M within just 72 hours and a total of over $41M in total. Impressive to say the least.

This book was part of my 2023 Reading Of My Shelf Challenge (#33).

The Home and the World by Rabindranath Tagore

Idealistic Nikhil, a wealthy Bengali landowner, encourages Bimala, his tradition-minded wife, to venture out into the world. Bimala's gradual political awakening leads to her attraction to charismatic Sandip, a revolutionary who stops at nothing — neither robbery nor murder — to achieve his ends. Their love triangle unfolds against the backdrop of the 1905 Partition of Bengal, during India's long fight for independence from British rule. This brilliantly poetic novel explores the psychology of its three protagonists, capturing the turmoil that results when personal relationships and family life are exposed to the chaos of social and political change.

Originally written in Bengali and published in 1916, The Home and the World is the vision of Rabindranath Tagore, Asia's first Nobel laureate. 

The novel reflects Tagore's own inner conflict between embracing modern ideas and rejecting Western domination. His vivid historical setting, realistically portrayed characters, and philosophical insights form a compelling drama of the clash between old and new, realism and idealism, and good and evil.

Paperback, 176 pages

Published May 16, 2018

 by Dover Publications

3/5 stars

The Home an The World is a poetic story originally published in 1916. It is part of our Family Blessings Book Club where our theme is ‘let’s read some classics.'

This is a story with many layers, there is the relationship between husband and wife as well as between wife and a revolutionary taking place in 1905.

This was another audio read for me. I grabbed the edition with 3 distinct voices. Coming in with 176 pages (or 8 hours for the audio) there aren’t any fillers but a direct story that I had to pay attention to. It’s definitely not my normal read and I probably wouldn’t have picked it otherwise but still it was enlightening and enjoyable.

This book was part of my 2022 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge

The Forgotten Highlander: An Incredible WWII Story of Survival in the Pacific by Alistair Urquhart

Alistair Urquhart was among the Gordon Highlanders captured by the Japanese in Singapore during World War II.

 He not only survived 750 days in the jungle working as a slave on the notorious “death railway” and the bridge on the River Kwai, but he was subsequently taken prisoner on one of the Japanese “hellships” which was later torpedoed, killing nearly everyone on board—but not Urquhart. He spent five days adrift on a raft in the South China Sea before being rescued by a Japanese whaling ship. He was then taken to Japan and forced to work in a mine near Nagasaki. Two months later he was struck by the blast from the atomic bomb—dropped just ten miles away. In late August 1945, now a barely-living skeleton, he was freed by the American Navy and was able to bathe for the first time in three and a half years.

This is the extraordinary story of a young man, conscripted at nineteen, who survived not just one but three separate encounters with death—encounters which killed nearly all his comrades. Silent for over fifty years, this is Urquhart’s extraordinary, moving, and inspirational tale as an ex-POW.

Paperback, 320 pages

First published March 4, 2010

 by Skyhorse

4/5 stars

This was a very difficult book to read.  When reading historical fiction as a novel it can be graphic and some of the elements toned down, therefore not portrayed accurately in terms of how bad things really were but in this book the author doesn't hold anything back when he describes his experiences during World War 2.

Alistair Urquhart is only 18 when he steps into the war effect, eventually being sent to Singapore and captured by the Japanese.  He endures so much that  it was hard to read at times. I had to stop reading a couple times but I honestly felt I owed it to the author and the thousands of others to read this story and realise what they went through.  This is a part of the war that I was totally unfamiliar with, suffice to say that I will never watch the movie The Bridge of the River Kwai (a romancized version so far from the truth).  I learning about the Death Railway,  Hellfire Pass and the names of officers on par with concentration camp officers.

This book isn't for the faint of heart, its sad while maddening, heartbreaking while showing the resilience of the human spirit and while triumphant in the end it came with the cost of both physical and emotional scars - how could it not. It's a book that will stay with me.

This book was part of my 2022 Reaidng Off My Shelf Challenge (#8) and also the January selection for out Family Blessings Book Club.

Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez

Scarborough is a low-income, culturally diverse neighborhood east of Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America; like many inner city communities, it suffers under the weight of poverty, drugs, crime, and urban blight. Scarborough the novel employs a multitude of voices to tell the story of a tight-knit neighborhood under fire: among them, Victor, a black artist harassed by the police; Winsum, a West Indian restaurant owner struggling to keep it together; and Hina, a Muslim school worker who witnesses first-hand the impact of poverty on education.

And then there are the three kids who work to rise above a system that consistently fails them: Bing, a gay Filipino boy who lives under the shadow of his father's mental illness; Sylvie, Bing's best friend, a Native girl whose family struggles to find a permanent home to live in; and Laura, whose history of neglect by her mother is destined to repeat itself with her father.

Scarborough offers a raw yet empathetic glimpse into a troubled community that locates its dignity in unexpected places: a neighborhood that refuses to be undone.

Catherine Hernandez is a queer theatre practitioner and writer who has lived in Scarborough off and on for most of her life. Her plays Singkil and Kilt Pins were published by Playwrights Canada Press, and her children's book M is for Mustache: A Pride ABC Book was published by Flamingo Rampant. She is the Artistic Director of Sulong Theatre for women of color.

Kindle, 272 pages

Published May 22nd 2017

by Arsenal Pulp Press

2.5/5 stars

Scarborough was another read from our Family Blessings Book Club.  Picked by son #1, for various reasons, one being the close proximity from Toronto and some kind of connection through his MFA program.

Four of us read this and 3 kinda felt the same way I did.  That this was a hard book to read, it was a hard on a number of different levels.

1.  If I lived in Scarborough I would be offended that my hometown was portrayed in this manner.  Yes I get there are bad sections to every city but this comes across like the whole city is a mess.

2.  There were too many characters, just when I got them all straight the author throws in some more.  At first I attributed my confusion to my age but alas the younger crowd felt the same way - one even made up a spread sheet.

3. There were a number of POV which kinda reflects my previous point. Also I found some didn't really add to the story other than to portray the despair of the area. Some scenes repeated as told from a different POV.

I struggled to figure out what genre this book fits into.  Not literary or genre fiction other than maybe book club fiction (is that a thing?) because it would make for a lot of  discussions.

I am all for trying new avenues to read and I can't fault the author when I read outside my usual area.  But with this book I struggled to find the purpose of the story.  The ending left me frustrated and sad. 

Scarborough is a story with multiple stories lines, its raw and descriptive . As I understand there is a film in the making, I am curious to see how that turns out.

My copy was obtained through Scribd.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .

Working as a lady's companion, the orphaned heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Life begins to look very bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. Whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to his brooding estate, Manderley, on the Cornish Coast, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding Mrs Danvers . . .

Not since Jane Eyre has a heroine faced such difficulty with the Other Woman. An international bestseller that has never been out of print, Rebecca is the haunting story of a young woman consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.

  Paperback, 428 pages,

July 16, 2015 by Virago

first published Aug 1, 1936

4.5/5 stars

This book has been in my tbr pile for years.  Recently our Family Book Club drew this title out of the hat and we all hunkered down for a group read. A couple read the book and 2 did an alternate read and listen.  Our feelings were similar.

We enjoyed this read.  Written in 1936 it was labelled as a romance, maybe that is because of the female author and era.  There was romance in the sense of a newly married couple but the story was more mysterious.

Rebecca unfolds nicely, introducing both likeable and unlikable characters - of course some that draw suspicion to themselves, while others that were rather annoying.  Lots of red herrings, an eerie setting and that Gothic feel made this an enjoyable read.

This was my first du Maurier book.  Her writing style was captivating with attention to detail, a well written story.  I look forward to reading more from her.

This book was part of my 2021 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge.

The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly

Set during Burma's military dictatorship of the mid—1990s, Karen Connelly’s exquisitely written and harshly realistic debut novel is a hymn to human resilience and love.

In the sealed-off world of a vast Burmese prison known as the cage, Teza languishes in solitary confinement seven years into a twenty-year sentence. Arrested in 1988 for his involvement in mass protests, he is the nation’s most celebrated songwriter whose resonant words and powerful voice pose an ongoing threat to the state. Forced to catch lizards to supplement his meager rations, Teza finds emotional and spiritual sustenance through memories and Buddhist meditation. The tiniest creatures and things–a burrowing ant, a copper-coloured spider, a fragment of newspaper within a cheroot filter–help to connect him to life beyond the prison walls.

Even in isolation, Teza has a profound influence on the people around him. His integrity and humour inspire Chit Naing, the senior jailer, to find the courage to follow his conscience despite the serious risks involved, while Teza’s very existence challenges the brutal authority of the junior jailer, perversely nicknamed Handsome. Sein Yun, a gem smuggler and prison fixer, is his most steady human contact, who finds delight in taking advantage of Teza by cleverly tempting him into Handsome's web with the most dangerous contraband of all: pen and paper.

Lastly, there's Little Brother, an orphan raised in the jail, imprisoned by his own deprivation. Making his home in a tiny, corrugated-metal shack, Little Brother stays alive by killing rats and selling them to the inmates. As the political prisoner and the young boy forge a cautious friendship, we learn that both are prisoners of different orders; only one of them dreams of escape and only one of them achieves it.

Barely able to speak, losing the battle of the flesh but winning the battle of the spirit, Teza knows he has the power to transfigure one small life, and to send a message of hope and resistance out of the cage.

Paperback, 448 pages

First published September 27, 2005

by Vintage Canada

4.5/5 stars

I read this book as part of our Family Blessing Book Club.  This family book club consists of myself and 3 adult sons. We come with a wide variety of tastes in books, which makes it fun but also a little scary when reading something one wouldn't normally pick up.  Such is the case here with The Lizard Cage.

This book lead to many discussions not just about the story but the writing as well.  Told in parts by prisoner Teza and also Little Brother, aka Free EL Salvador because of his t shirt.

At times this was a hard book to read, one can only imagine the treatment in a Burmese jail, here the author vividly created scenes that I find difficult to forget.  While I didn't understand the political climate this book had us googling and researching the real life events, also the author notes tells of her sources just making this story all the more powerful.  It's an emotional story to read with its injustices and corruption within the jail walls. Amidst all this are a couple characters that made a difference, that made this story and the journey well worth the reading experience. 

The Lizard Cage is a well written, authentic novel that is deserving of the many awards it has won.  For a debut Karen Connelly has set the bar high herself. 

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

'One death, in exchange for thousands of lives - it's simple arithmetic!'

A new translation of Dostoevsky's epic masterpiece, Crime and Punishment (1866). 

The impoverished student Raskolnikov decides to free himself from debt by killing an old moneylender, an act he sees as elevating himself above conventional morality. Like Napoleon he will assert his will and his crime will be justified by its elimination of 'vermin' for the sake of the greater good. 

But Raskolnikov is torn apart by fear, guilt, and a growing conscience under the influence of his love for Sonya. Meanwhile the police detective Porfiry is on his trial.

It is a powerfully psychological novel, in which the St Petersburg setting, Dostoevsky's own circumstances, and contemporary social problems all play their part. 

Kindle Edition, 544 pages

Published September 1st 2017 

by Oxford University Press (first published 1866)

3.5/5 stars

Sometimes it's good to read out of ones comfort zone.  Such is the case with Crime and Punishment. In my endeavour to read more classics our newly created Family Book Club started with this one.

I'll confess to struggling a few times just because I'm not used to the writing of that era. Plus it took me 3 tries before I found a translation and format to my liking.

Raskolnikov has done the unthinkable and the repercussions almost destroy him (or do they?).  I enjoyed reading what life was like, how they lived and just how society functioned in 1860's Russia. On one hand it's a slow paced story when compared to contemporary novels but the slow pacing worked to really get into Raskolnikov's head.

While I wouldn't have picked this book up myself, I'm glad I read it. Also happy to move another book off my TBR shelf to my READ one.