The Book of Hidden Things by Francesco Dimitri - [Book Review]

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Book Details:

Title : The Book of Hidden Things

Author : Francesco Dimitri

Genre : Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy thriller, Crime thriller

Length of the book : 385 pages

Publisher : Titan Books

Source: A library book

Blurb :

From "one of the most significant figures of the last generation of fantasy", comes Francesco Dimitri's debut novel in English, an enthralling and seductive fantasy following four old friends and the secrets they keep.

Four old school friends have a pact: to meet up every year in the small town in Puglia they grew up in. Art, the charismatic leader of the group and creator of the pact, insists that the agreement must remain unshakable and enduring. But this year, he never shows up.

A visit to his house increases the friends' worry; Art is farming marijuana. In Southern Italy doing that kind of thing can be very dangerous. They can't go to the Carabinieri so must make enquiries of their own. This is how they come across the rumours about Art; bizarre and unbelievable rumours that he miraculously cured the local mafia boss's daughter of terminal leukaemia. And among the chaos of his house, they find a document written by Art, The Book of Hidden Things, that promises to reveal dark secrets and wonders beyond anything previously known.

Francesco Dimitri's first novel written in English, following his career as one of the most significant fantasy writers in Italy, will entrance fans of Elena Ferrante, Neil Gaiman and Donna Tartt. Set in the beguiling and seductive landscape of Southern Italy, this story is about friendship and landscape, love and betrayal; above all it is about nature of mystery itself.

Purchase Link:

Amazon

My Review:

 It is not very often that I get a chance to pick up an interesting book from the library and finish it. I get a lot of review copies but I don't usually get time to read the books that I pick. I am glad that I chose this book and I really loved reading this.

'The Book of Hidden Things' is a fantasy story of 4 friends Tony, Fabio, Art, and Mauro. These friends from a small town Casalfranca in Italy, make a pact to meet every year. When Art doesn't show up this year, Tony, Fabio, and Mauro decide to check what happened to him. 

While they search for him, they learn mysterious information about Art, his life, his research, and things become more complicated and confusing. When Mauro gets fired by Art's ex-girlfriend, they all step back thinking about the risk they are taking to find Art. At last, Art shows up, reveals information about his research and forces them to trust him and take an important decision with their lives.

There are no words to explain how good this book is! The narration is very gripping and the mystery lingers till the end of the book and even after finishing the book. Characterization is simply superb. While Art is a unique character, Tony is a wonderful mate, Mauro, a responsible husband and friend who is guilty of leaving behind his favorite hobby of playing guitar and Fabio is a person with his insecurities and money problems. 

I could get a glimpse of Southern Italy, the weather, the scenery, and the cuisine as well through this book. The book cover and the name are apt. 

If you love mystery and fantasy, you will like this book. But, fantasy and mystery feel very real. 

My Rating: 5/5

About the Author:

Francesco Dimitri is an Italian magic realist author living in London, a business story-teller, and a lifetime searcher for wonder. He has written in many different forms (nonfiction, fiction, comics, cinema, digital media, essays, magazines) and worked for top business clients. In his quest for wonder he has shot documentaries about UFO cults, slept deep into the forests of Transylvania, conversed with mathematicians, artists, chefs, psychologists, stage magicians, and strangers in crowds.

Until next time,

Her : A Novel (Episode 1/3) by Shelby Lamb - [Book Review]

Book Details: 

Book Title: Her : A Novel (Episode 1/3)

Author: Shelby Lamb

Genre: Fiction, contemporary

Publisher: Kindle edition

Length of the book: 50 pages

Source: A free e-review copy from the author

Blurb:

Tinsley had always been a free spirit, until one side of her face and body got badly disfigured in an accident that killed her best friend. She’s always blamed herself for Becky’s death, as she had been the one behind the wheel. Now twenty-five, she’s down and out, most of her past friends are married or engaged, and she hardly leaves the house.

Then everything changes when she meets Jax.

Jax is sexy, tall, dark and handsome, and a dream all wrapped in one. He fills her with more hope than she'd ever imagined. But Tinsley is not used to feeling so close to someone and she’s going to need all of Becky’s help to be true to her heart.

 Luckily, Becky is all around. She’s in the trees, the grass, the earth. Becky is the only outside love Tinsley’s ever known, and she’s saying it's time to discover something new.

But can and should Tinsley really let go of her?

My Review:

This is my second book from the author. You can find my review of her book 'Something' here. 

This novel is the first part of the series. The story is about Tinsley, a young woman whose face is deformed after an accident which killed her friend Becky too. Tinsley is depressed and tired of people looking at her face and insulting her and hurting her in every way. She lost confident on herself slowly and started living in a shell even with her supportive parents. She meets handsome Jax but tries to run away to avoid heartbreak /insult later. But, Can she move away from Jax? Why does she see Becky everywhere even after her death? 

None of the questions are answered in this book. This book mostly helps us to understand Tinsley, her feelings, and her family. So, I felt the story didn't give a satisfactory feeling at the end and seemed like ended abruptly. It is justifiable to some extent as it is the first part of a series. The narration is great letting us know about what goes in Tinsley's mind in her perspective. I am not sure if the title is apt unless I complete reading the series. The book cover is very good and eye-catching.The story is contemporary and believable.

Overall, I liked the narration and layers of characters. I recommend this to readers who love contemporary fiction with good characterization.

PS: I have received this book from the author and this is my honest opinion on the book.

My Rating: 4/5

Purchase Link: Amazon (Read for free on Kindle now)

About the Author:

 Shelby Lamb is an author who loves exploring the weird and unsettling. She writes fiction from her own personal life experiences and from the depths of her imagination and the inspiration around her.

Sometimes music is her biggest writing inspiration, other times movies, art, and even fashion. Her favorite book is currently The Girl with No Shadow by Joanne Harris, who is one of her favorite authors after Elizabeth Wurtzel.

Until next time,

All that glitters by Liza Trevino - [Book Review]

Book Details:

Title: All That Glitters - A Tale of Sex, Drugs and Hollywood Dreams

Author: Liza Treviño

Genre: Women’s Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Koehler Books 

Published Date: March 1, 2017

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1633933083

ISBN-13: 978-1633933088

Book Links:

Goodreads * Amazon

Synopsis:

Alexandria Moreno—clever, sexy, ambitious and, at times, self-destructive. She blazes a path from Texas to Los Angeles at the dawn of the 1980s to make her dreams of becoming an A-list Hollywood film director come true. She and her best friend arrive in Los Angeles with little more than hope and the determination to make it big. Alex, a beauty as dark and mysterious as her scarred heart, stands at the bottom of the Hollywood mountain looking up, fighting for her chance to climb to the top. Will her quest to live fast and take no prisoners on her way to success destroy her in the end?

All That Glitters is a women’s fiction Jackie Collins-type saga that introduces a strong, driven Latina heroine at the center of a rags-to-riches story spanning a decade of action. Along the way, Alexandria walks the fine line separating ambition and self-destruction, and discovers that some sacrifices will cost her everything.

My Review:

The movie industry is a real enigma. Along with success , celebrity status and posh lifestyle, the actors go through a lot of abuse, bias, cheating and crushed relationships. First of all, it is so hard to be determined and achieve success and especially for a woman in direction category, it is not an ordinary feat. This is the story of Alex Morano who leaves her home town to Los Angeles with a determination to direct a movie. She has to do some odd jobs until she finds a job as personal secretary to Big D where she gets exposure to the actual work done behind the reels and get to network with stars and other crew. 

With her reckless behavior, hard work and determination, she surely stands out with her work. But, when she achieves everything that she wants to, how does she feel? Is the journey, learning and hardships worth to get the celebrity status? Why is she not happy even after winning an Oscar? You have to read her journey to know more and understand her feelings.

I don't have any negative point to say. The book is real with Alex's experiences and struggles that move us and empathize her. The writing style is casual and easy to follow.  The cover of the book is apt and the title is perfectly suited for the story.  The characterization is good. 

My Rating: 4.5/5

PS: I have received this ebook from the author through book r3vi3w tours and this is my honest opinion on the book.

Author Bio:

Liza Treviño hails from Texas, spending many of her formative years on the I-35 corridor of San Antonio, Austin and Dallas.  In pursuit of adventure and a Ph.D., Liza moved to Los Angeles where she compiled a collection of short-term, low-level Hollywood jobs like script girl, producer assistant and production assistant.  Her time as a Hollywood Jane-of-all-trades gave her an insider's view to a world most only see from the outside, providing the inspiration for creating a new breed of Latina heroine.

Catch Up with Liza Treviño on her Website

What early readers are saying:

"Treviño tells her story with wit, intelligence, and an undercurrent of sadness at the plight women face to make a name for themselves as human beings instead of strictly as women. Treviño may have cloaked her ideas in entertaining vignettes and snappy dialogue, but underneath is a bite that stays with you."

— Jonathan Marcantoni, author and publisher of La Casita Grande Press.

"Liza has a way of taking you with her as she tells this very compelling story. She draws readers in with her as she describes scenes and characters with colorful detail and vivid imagination. This story is a testament to it's title: it really glitters!"

—Reesha Goral, author, The Servant Boy

"With distant echoes of Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls in the background, Alexandria Moreno, the protagonist of All that Glitters, chases after the allure of Hollywood, all the time substituting pills, booze and sex for genuine happiness. It is only after she reaches success that she has an awakening leading her to realize the emptiness of her aspiration, and finally accepting true love. Kudos to Liza Treviño for giving us this unique image of the New Latina! I urge reading All that Glitters. You won’t regret it."

—Graciela Limón, author

Until next time,