A cutie things to download and print: next month calendar planning
Hello everybody ! :-D
Since graphic design is one of my passions and hobbies ( and I also was a graphic designer and web designer for 10 years ), I thought it would be nice to give you some little gift from time to time.
Here is a free printable July 2023 calendar to help you keep track of the days passing by and your deadlines, appointments, your family and friends birthdays, projects and more!
You see it here in a medium/little size but the original jpg size ( in pixels ) is 1634 x 1264, so you can click on the image to enlarge and then download it.
You can save it on your computer and upload it as you screen desktop or print it and keep it on your work desk or hang it on the wall.
I wish you can enjoy it and if you have some suggestion about size, please tell me.
I'm asking you only a little favore : before downloading it, please leave me a little greeting in the comments, saying your name and which country do you come from :-)
If I see that at least 5 people have downloaded the freebie, I will gladly prepare another one for the month of August and for the next few months.
Thanks for stopping by, wishing you a good day and a Happy July!!!
Join me on FB
Friday, June 30, 2023
Monday, June 26, 2023
Book review : City of Silence by Kim Wright
by Kim Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
NOTE : _ I'm Italian, I hope I managed to explain everything clearly even if not in correct English _
4 stars, it means that I liked it, it caught my attention, but it's not among those I would read again in the future (as often happens with those I adore and I rate 5 stars).
WHAT I LIKED:
1_) I liked that although there were many characters on the line ( not only the detective group but many others ) that develop their own story, it's very easy to get involved in each character's life and events.
Some of those characters are pure invention, some other are real existed characters ( such as Queen Victoria, her granddaughters Ella and Alix, the oldest Tsar's son Nicky ( future Nicholas II ), a young revolutionary that will be known as Lenin ).
All stories and character's thoughts alternate from chapter to chapter, but I repeat:
it's very easy to follow everything, indeed the writing is flowing the events are reported in an orderly manner and with a certain suspense that makes you want to know more.
I also had a lot of fun searching Pinterest for photos of the Romanovs, lots of personal photos of their family, taken by themselves, since they loved photography and had their own cameras.
This took me longer to read the book, but also shows that the subject was captivating.
3_) The whole story takes place in St. Petersburg, when the young Alix goes to visit her sister Elizabeth (married to a Russian Grand Duke, the brother of the tzar Alexander III _ true facts) accompanied by her grandmother Queen Victoria (false).
Although there are no striking descriptions of the city in the book, you can breathe the imperial air of those times and the ferment of the revolution that was already peeping out.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
1_) As I told before some facts are true and some others not. Of course, after all it's a fiction, but I find that the author perhaps exaggerated a little with author's license ( Queen Victoria in Russia ??? It never happened, she disliked them, as it also is said in the book. I just can't even imagine her
at Romanovs court, bowing to the Tsar ).
There are two or three things that in my opinion are too exaggerated inventions, one of which I don't mention because it would be a spoiler, which even remains unexplained at the end, a fact that the true story tells us didn't happen, but which in the book, concerning one of the main characters, it should be clarified and should ended differently, instead it has an epilogue contrary to the true story and that I didn't like.
2_) I liked the whole book except two chapter ( the second one and one towards the end ) in which the group of detectives discuss the old cases and the boss comes up with all his theories about how to investigate ( not THIS CASE, but in general )... HEY ! HOW BORING ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I can accept a couple of pages about that, but a WHOLE ? ( 2 whole chapters )
If it doesn't concern the case of the book I'm reading: WHO CARES ?! )
Of course all opinions are subjective.
____
To conclude, I can say that I liked it quite enough. I was happy to have read a mystery with a different scenario than the usual, set during a fascinating and also so profoundly unfair and therefore dangerous at the same, time historical time.
I recommend it ( even if from other reviews I saw that people preferred the first and the second one in the series ).
Join me on FB
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Book review : The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
by Mary Ann Shaffer
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
It is an epistolary novel, set immediately after the end of the war and the protagonist collects a series of testimonies regarding the occupation on Guernsey Island and the life of its inhabitants. All singular characters among which the personality of Elizabeth McKenna emerges in particular.
Elizabeth is not present as a character, but everyone talks about her, her exuberance, her vitality, her courage, her intolerance towards abuses and injustices and everything, beautiful and ugly, that derives from her way of being .
The stories of the inhabitants are very unique and it is pleasant to read them, it seemed to me to have guests for tea and to hear them tell their anecdotes, some funny, some sad ... others that disgusted me a little and I would have sincerely preferred not to have details about it (roasted pig, killed cat, scabies on the head and some other rubbish ... we know that during the war it was like that, but the author could spare those description's details that made me sick ).
The real protagonist of the book is a young author who is contacted by one of the islanders, which leads to a close correspondence between her and all of them.
The novel, as I have already said, was pleasant and I rounded it up to 4 stars because although it is all a pure invention, behind all this there are years of research and true testimonies collected in the archives, so I consider this reading an enrichment.
BUT ... there is a big "but" to me:
__________ something was missing, something that kept me tied to the book.
I read this book to the end only because "I wanted to finish reading, hoping to find something that made it shine", but actually every time I stopped reading because I had other things to do... I was not sorry and every time I had free time to go on reading it, I found myself thinking about what I could choose as my next reading, which was more engaging.
____ THAT SAYS A LOT. THAT IS : NICE BOOK, BUT NOT ADDICTIVE ! ( Not to me anyway )
In the novel, the protagonist, a writer, after having collected many testimonies, does not know how to write a book that has a common thread and her publisher advises her to write it by revolving the story around Elizabeth.
Maybe in reality the author (not the protagonist of the book, but the real author) had the same problem, then she found a good way to report many events, but (in my opinion ) something that keeps one in suspense is missing.
Perhaps she thought she had inserted it with a love story, but actually there is no pathos regarding this nor regarding the fate of the character everyone is talking about.
When I got halfway through the book, I had the thought of abandoning it.
I've read a few reviews: some enthusiastic, some really contemptuous... Here comes my review which is halfway there.
I find the contemptuous reviews of this book really bad and disrespectful, but I don't even feel like including it among the small reading jewels of that period.
( Sorry for any English errors, it's not my mother tongue :-) )
Join me on FB
di Mary Ann Shaffer
Si tratta di un romanzo epistolare, ambientato subito dopo la fine della guerra e la protagonista raccoglie una serie di testimonianze riguardanti l'occupazione dell'isola di Guernsey e la vita dei suoi abitanti. Sono tutti personaggi molto singolari, tra i quali emerge, in particolare, la personalità di Elizabeth McKenna.
Elisabeth non è presente come personaggio, ma tutti, o quasi, raccontano di lei, della sua esuberanza, della sua vitalità, del suo coraggio, della sua insofferenza verso i soprusi e le ingiustizie e di tutto ciò che, bello e brutto, ne deriva.
Le storie degli abitanti sono molto particolari ed è piacevole leggerle, mi è sembrato di avere ospiti per il tè e di sentirli raccontare i loro aneddoti, alcuni divertenti, altri tristi, altri ancora che mi hanno disgustata e sinceramente avrei preferito non avere dettagli in merito (maialino arrosto, gatto ucciso e scuoiato, scabbia sulla testa e qualche altra schifezza... sappiamo che durante la guerra era così, ma l'autrice poteva risparmiarsi questi dettagli che mi facevano venir da vomitare).
La vera protagonista del libro è una giovane autrice che viene contattata da uno degli isolani, il che porta a una fitta corrispondenza tra lei e tutti loro.
Il romanzo, come ho già detto, è stato piacevole e l'ho arrotondato a 4 stelle perché nonostante sia tutta una pura invenzione, dietro a tutto questo ci sono anni di ricerche e testimonianze vere raccolte negli archivi, quindi considero questa lettura un arricchimento.
MA ... c'è un grande "ma" per me:
__________ mancava qualcosa, qualcosa che mi teneva legata al libro.
Ho letto questo libro fino alla fine solo perché "volevo finire di leggere, sperando di trovare qualcosa che lo facesse brillare", ma in realtà ogni volta che dovevo interropmpere la lettura, perché avevo altro da fare... NONB MI TROVAVO DISPIACIUTA ( come accade con un libro che adori ) e ogni volta che avevo tempo libero per riprendere il romanzo, mi ritrovavo a pensare a cosa avrei potuto scegliere come lettura successiva, qualcosa che fosse più coinvolgente. QUESTO DICE MOLTO.CIOè : CARINO, MA NON AVVINCENTE.
Nel romanzo, la protagonista, scrittrice, dopo aver raccolto tante testimonianze, non sa come scrivere un libro che abbia un filo conduttore e il suo editore le consiglia di scriverlo facendo ruotare la storia attorno ad Elizabeth.
Forse nella realtà l'autrice ( non la protagonista del libro, ma la vera autrice ) ha avuto lo stesso problema, ha trovato un buon modo per riportare tanti eventi, ma manca quel qualcosa che tiene col fiato sospeso. Forse lei ha pensato di averlo inserito con una storia d'amore, ma in realtà non c'è pathos ne riguardo a questo ne riguardo alla sorte del personaggio di cui tutti parlano.
Quando sono arrivata a metà libro, ho avuto il pensiero di abbandonarlo.
Ho letto qualche recensione : alcune entusiastiche, altre veramente sprezzanti... Ecco ora è arrivata la mia recensione che si trova a metà strada.
Trovo veramente cattive ed irrispettose le recensioni sprezzanti su questo libro, ma non mi sento neppure di inserirlo tra i piccolo gioielli della lettura di quel periodo.
Saturday, June 03, 2023
Book review : The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap
by Susanne Dunlap
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a very difficult review to do !!
--- (warning: English is not my native language, you might find form and grammar errors)---
I gave a 3 star rating, but it could have been 4 stars, but until halfway through the book ( and also a little bit after halfway ) I was convinced that I would have given 2 stars and no more!
I really struggled to go on reading this novel !!!!!!!!!!!!
Where do I begin to explain all these mixed feelings to you?
1) The plot is solid, really captivating, perhaps one of the most original plots that have happened to me in recent years and that captivated me as soon as I read the back cover.
___THE PLOT__ The story takes place in 18th century imperial Vienna.
The protagonist is a young musician, whose life is suddenly turned upside down by the murder of her father, also a musician at the orchestra at Prince Nicholas Esterhazy’s court, his valuable violin missing, and the only clue to his death a strange gold pendant around his neck.
The body, found in a Hungarian gypsy camp, is brought back home by musician friends of the father, all part of the orchestra of Haydn, the famous Austrian composer ... everything is very weird and Theresa wants to find out the truth and she begins to uncover a trail of secrets,blackmail and extortion...
---> how you can see, all looks like an engrossing tale set against a charming period background and enriched with music and light romance.
------ WHAT WENT WRONG THEN ?
I liked the story, but unfortunately the author told it flatly and without emphasis, at least for the first half of the book, or maybe for almost three quarters of the book!
For the first 8/10 chapters, there were practically no dialogues, only a dozen very short sentences.
Example :
1st sentence : Open up!
2nd one: what happens?
3rd one: I don't know !
...hey ...8 (or maybe 10) chapters where the characters uttered only short sentences like that, scattered among what seemed like a daily newspaper report, really makes one want to throw the book out the window.
Luckily I was reading an ebook that I got for free from a friend!
I considered abandoning the book, but the plot promised well and I hoped it would improve, so I forced myself to keep going on with the reading.
But as I said IT WAS SO BORING ! Eventually halfway through the book twists and turns began, some clues appeared and dialogues were finally more interesting (even if, unfortunately, never passionate and full of pathos as it should be in a compelling novel).
By now I had entered the story and so managed to get to the end to see the mystery solved, the villain punished and good people save.
The writing is very simple, indeed I never needed to consult the English-Italian vocabulary ( the book was not available in my native language... I know my English is not so good, then please, forgive any error you find in my review ).
This reading is recommended for 12 years old and up, but since it talks about pedophilia and it describes gruesome death sentences... I'd say it's better from 15 years old and up.
I don't understand why some readers expected something more in-depth about the composer Haydn: it's an adventure-mystery-fiction novel (and not a biography of a famous musician) with just a hint of romanticism (I wasn't looking for that, so it turned out fine, but if you want to read about love, then you have to read a different book ).
Summary : if the setting fascinates you and if you are patient enough to face a flat "newspaper" style reading (at least for half of the book), and you are not interested in love stories, THEN READ IT!
... otherwise forget it.
Join me on FB
Monday, May 29, 2023
Book review : The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta von Trapp
by Maria Augusta von Trapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the book about Family Von Trapp's true story, the singing family story which inspired the 1965 well known musical film titled "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" directed by Robert Wise.
I loved this reading so much and actually the film is only about a very small part of everything the real Maria Von Trapp tells in her autobiographical book.
Maria tells us about 20 years of life and manages to do it in a simple, very smooth and often amusing way.
Her great faith in God (also witnessed in the film) gives a strong religious imprint to her family whole life and also to this book and this is something that probably not everyone might like or might be interested in, but I can assure you that you will not be bored on any page of this amazing memoir.
Everything we have seen in the film corresponds to the first pages of the book, then the story develops by telling events and anecdotes from the Von Trapp family's departure from Austria (to escape the Nazi regime they opposed to) up to the United States arrival, where they will face a thousand problems and experiences, performing as singers on tour from one state to another.
I started reading this book, because since my childhood my mom and I were (and still are) passionate about the musical film "The Sound of Music" and I was curious to know more about the history of this family.
The story reported in the book, after a brief introduction of how Maria arrives in the Von Trapp family (and we also saw it in the film), concerns the 10 years after the marriage, their travels in Austria and neighboring countries, the beautiful Austrian traditions and how the approach to music and singing occurred in a natural way. All of that was really fascinating!
Then the escape to the United States, their life in a new country, so different from their native country and from the European continent in so many aspects (material and emotional), but where they meet many new friends and who slowly manage to feel like their new and real forever home.
In this memoir Maria tells us, in a real witty way, all many adventures and problems they had to face even after their arrival in the United States.
It may seem absurd nowadays, where the western world is all uniformed to the same fashions and we all know the habits and customs of other countries and other continents, but 80 years ago Europe and the United States were two completely different worlds, in the city scenarios ... all 50,000 times bigger, modern and innovative, different in uses and customs and even in the way of speaking and I don't mean the differet language, but the difference in idioms, which still today makes it difficult to understand and express oneself in a foreign language.
It was really hard for them to get used to a completely different new world and start all over again, without money and without having been used to work (in Austria the commander Georg Von Trapp was a baron and he was rich).
The biggest obstacle was the war, which despite taking place in Europe, involving USA as well, also brought many serious practical difficulties in the United States.
The problems with the visa for the European fugitives (there was the risk that they were spies) and the consequent imprisonment, the ban on building and the use of materials except second-hand ones and therefore the difficulties in building a house, the rationing about food etc... being Italian I didn't know so much about American issues during the war years.
Very hard experiences at times, but which they, all together, have been able to change into something positive wich made their whole life truly extraordinary and so particular and different from the history of any other family.
I didn't expect to learn so much from this book : a history lesson about the 40s in USA and a lesson of resilience that left a big positive mark on my soul.
As I have already written, faith in God was a great and important component in their life journey, but the strength to react without ever giving up and the desire to improve and be self-sufficient in everything is a great merit of Mary and of all of them.
The book is written in a flowing and fun way to read, because Maria's character really was bizarre and likeable as everyone can see in the musical movie.
Maria made her gaffes and funny things came out of it, from all this emerges the portrait of a nice woman, but also a very strong and dominant person in everything, held in check (just a little) by her more calm husband Georg, who has made no small effort to get used to poverty and to the common society rules. Being an aristocrat, Georg Von Trapp considered shameful to work or even appear on stage, for the rest, however, he was a very good and man, very fond of his family and not so harsh as in the film).
While reading the book, I also looked for other articles on the web,to know more about the children in their adult life, the family house in Salzburg and the family houses built in America, Georg's death (described in every detail in the original English edition, but cut out in the Italian edition), the death of a daughter (the only one who died very young, while the others died between the ages of 80 and 97, while the youngest 2 children, born to Georg and Maria, are still alive ) and it was all so engaging!
After this first Maria's book I also read Von Trapp's daughter Agathe's memoirs, which can be considered a completion of this book.
You can read ONLINE FOR FREE the AGATHE'S MEMOIR HERE, just click Both books gave me so much serenity in reading them and the descriptions of a slice of life fascinated me from the first line to the last one!!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING !!! ( my favorite in the last years ! ) :-)
Questo libro racconta la vera storia della famiglia Von Trapp, la storia familiare che ha ispirato il famoso film musicale del 1965 intitolato "THE SOUND OF MUSIC" diretto da Robert Wise.
Ho adorato questa lettura così tanto e in realtà il film rappresenta solo una piccolissima parte di tutto ciò che la vera Maria Von Trapp racconta nel suo libro autobiografico.
Maria ci racconta 20 anni di vita e riesce a farlo in modo semplice, molto scorrevole e spesso divertente.
La sua grande fede in Dio (testimoniata anche nel film) dà una forte impronta religiosa a tutta la sua vita familiare e di conseguenza anche a questo suo “memoir”, cosa che probabilmente non a tutti potrebbe piacere o interessare, ma posso assicurarvi che non vi annoierete in nessuna pagina di questo straordinario libro di memorie.
Tutto quello che abbiamo visto nel film corrisponde alle prime pagine del libro, poi la storia si sviluppa raccontando vicende e aneddoti dalla partenza della famiglia Von Trapp dall'Austria (per sfuggire al regime nazista a cui si opponevano) fino all'arrivo negli Stati Uniti, dove affronteranno mille problemi ed esperienze, esibendosi come cantanti in tournée da uno stato all'altro.
Ho iniziato a leggere questo libro, perché sin dalla mia infanzia mia madre ed io eravamo (e siamo tuttora) fans appassionate del musical "Tutti insieme appassionatamente" ed ero curiosa di saperne di più sulla storia reale ( e non romanzata )di questa famiglia.
La storia riportata nel libro, dopo una breve introduzione di come Maria comincia a far parte della famiglia Von Trapp (e l'abbiamo vista anche nel film), riguarda i 10 anni dopo il matrimonio, i loro viaggi in Austria e nei paesi limitrofi, le tradizioni austriache e come l'avvicinamento alla musica e al canto sia avvenuto in modo naturale. Tutto ciò è stato davvero affascinante!
Poi la fuga negli Stati Uniti, la loro vita in un paese nuovo, così diverso dal loro paese d'origine e dal continente europeo sotto tanti aspetti (materiali ed emotivi), ma dove incontreranno tanti nuovi amici e dove piano piano riusciranno a sentirsi “davvero a casa loro “, facendone la loro nuova patria per sempre.
In questo libro di memorie Maria ci racconta, in maniera davvero simpatica, tutte le tante avventure e le difficoltà che hanno dovuto affrontare anche dopo il loro arrivo negli Stati Uniti.
Può sembrare assurdo oggigiorno, ora che il mondo occidentale è tutto uniformato alle stesse mode e tutti conosciamo usi e costumi di altri paesi e di altri continenti, ma 80 anni fa Europa e Stati Uniti erano due mondi completamente diversi, negli scenari cittadini e naturali... tutto 50.000 volte più grande, tutto più moderno e innovativo rispetto alla vecchio continente, profonda diversità in usi e costumi, diversità nel modo di esprimersi e non intendo la diversa lingua, ma la differenza di modo di pensare e concepire la vita, la differenza di idiomi, che ancora oggi rende difficile la comprensione e l'esprimersi in una lingua straniera.
È stato davvero difficile per loro abituarsi a un nuovo mondo completamente diverso da quello in cui erano nati e cresciuti e ricominciare tutto da capo, senza soldi e senza essere stati abituati a lavorare (in Austria, infatti, il comandante Georg Von Trapp era un barone ed era molto ricco).
L'ostacolo maggiore fu dato dalle conseguenze della guerra, che pur svolgendosi in Europa, coinvolgendo anche gli Stati Uniti, portò anche nel nuovo mondo non poche e serie difficoltà pratiche.
I problemi con il visto per i fuggitivi europei (c'era il rischio che si trattasse di spie) e la conseguente carcerazione, il divieto di realizzare nuove costruzioni e di utilizzare materiali nuovi (potevano essere usati solo quelli di seconda mano ) e quindi l'impossibilità di potersi costruire una casa, il razionamento del cibo ecc... essendo italiana non conoscevo nei particolari la vita degli Americani durante gli anni della guerra.
La famiglia Von Trapp visse dunque esperienze spesso molto dure anche durante gli anni in cui erano ormai famosi.
Grazie al sentimento profondo che li univa, tutti insieme, seppero trasformare il negativo in qualcosa di positivo e ciò rese tutta la loro vita davvero straordinaria e così particolare e diversa dalla storia di qualsiasi altra famiglia.
Ciò che non mi aspettavo da questo libro era di imparare una lezione di storia sugli anni '40 negli Stati Uniti e soprattutto una lezione di resilienza e tenacia, che ha lasciato un grande segno positivo nella mia anima.
Come ho già scritto, la fede in Dio è stata una grande e importante componente nel loro cammino di vita, ma la forza di reagire senza mai arrendersi e la voglia di migliorarsi ed essere autosufficienti in tutto è un grande merito di Maria e di tutta la Famiglia Von Trapp.
Il libro è scritto in modo scorrevole e divertente da leggere, perché Maria era fu realmente una persona bizzarra e simpatica così come rappresentata nel film musicale e la sua spontaneità fu proprio uno dei suoi punti di forza.
Maria ha fatto le sue gaffe e ne sono venute fuori cose buffe, emerge il ritratto di una donna simpatica, ma anche forte e dall'energia dominante su tutti, tenuta a freno (poco) dal più pacato marito Georg, che fece non pochi sforzi per abituarsi alla povertà e alle comuni regole della società. Essendo un aristocratico, Georg Von Trapp considerava vergognoso lavorare o anche solo apparire sul palco, per il resto, invece, era un uomo molto buono, molto affezionato alla sua famiglia e non così severo come rappresentato nel film.
Durante la lettura del libro ho cercato anche altri articoli sul web, per saperne di più sui bambini Von Trapp nella loro vita adulta ( dopo i 20 descritti nel libro ), la residenza di famiglia a Salisburgo e la fattoria costruita in America, la morte di Georg (descritta in ogni dettaglio nell'originale inglese edizione, ma tagliata nell'edizione italiana), la morte di una figlia (l'unica morta giovanissima, mentre gli altre sono morti tra gli 80 e i 97 anni, e due di loro sono ancora vivi) ed è stato tutto così coinvolgente!
CONSIGLIO A TUTTI VIVAMENTE DI LEGGERLO ! E se non lo trovate in negozio o negli shoipping online, potrete sicuramente trovare copie usate sul web :-)
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Book review : A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander
Lady Emily Mysteries book 2
by Tasha Alexander
My rating: ★★★★★
Absolutely wonderful reading !! I love it so much !
The read is easy and flowing ( I'm from Italy and I read it in English, not my mother tongue, so if I find it flowing, it really is ), the plot starts off interesting and after few chapters it becomes so addictive that when I was partway through the book I just couldn't put it down and as I got closer to the end I felt the suspense take over of me, I couldn't help to feel so thrilled by finally getting to find out "who, how and why".
England, 1891 - The season has just begun and all of good society is taken by the succession of social events, made even more interesting by the presence of Charles Berry, an enigmatic character who claims to be the predominant heir of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. His arrival in London coincides with a series of unexplained thefts of objects that belonged to the last French queen, culminating in a double, heinous crime.
Lady Emily Ashton ( our heroine ) finds herself at the center of the mystery and decides to solve the case, investigating the numerous characters involved, without knowing what risks await her in this difficult path and what lies behind the glittering facade of the London nobility. Forced to extricate herself from scandals and backbiting, however, she will be able to count on the support of her faithful friend and suitor Colin, more than ever determined to win her heart.
This is the second book in the LADY EMILY series, but it's not the second one to me, since I started from book 12 then continuing in random order because each adventure is perfectly enjoyable as a "stand alone" and even if the private stories of the characters have a beginning and a progress, the author is very skilled at describing the past's character in each book.
However, if you like to become attached to a series and intend to read more or all of the books, then I strongly recommend that you read them in order of publication, because the charm of these novels lies not just in the well-articulated mysteries, but also in the plot of private life of the main character (a modern and independent woman of the Victorian era, a lover of culture and eager to establish herself as a person, thanks to her skills and not as someone's wife in high society) and of the characters around her.
Some characters are constant in the series and others are recurring. Each main character is skillfully described in his way of being, in his vocal expressions and gestures, on how one is perceived by society and how one likes to fit into or detach from the society of the time.
The characters are believable and it's really easy to become attached to them and experience the pathos of what is about to happen with them.
The dialogues are realistic and brilliant, the places and the clothes well described, I was able to visualize every scene, while reading, just like watching a movie.
The mystery is well thought out and the author manages to shift suspicions from one character to another so much that until the end you really can't imagine the "real" culprit.
Even after the discovery of the culprit there is still one last dangerous situation to be resolved and I can say that the novel kept me in suspense until the end.
IMPORTANT : the book is a cozy-mystery because it has clean language, no sex or violence scenes, however the plot of this book, as well as that of the other books in the series, manages to remain original (not the usual murder on ship, at the manor, on the train ... I read many cozies, they are adorable but they all look a bit alike ), moreover it is a fictional historical mystery, but which cleverly intertwines with true history and at the end of the book it is very interesting to read the author's notes which tell the reader how the facts actually took place.
This book takes place in England, but many others in the series are set in other countries of which the author describes places, uses and customs and this is one of the reasons why the plots are able to diversify from the usual cozies.
5 stars well deserved and I can't wait to read the next one !
( A LITTLE NOTE _ as I often write in my posts: sorry for my bad english, but it's not my mother tongue, I'm from Italy )
Join me on FB
LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !
Lettura assolutamente meravigliosa!! Mi è piaciuto tantissimo !
La lettura è scorrevole e piacevole. La storia, che già inizia in maniera interessante, dopo pochi capitoli diventa talmente avvincente, che a metà lettura del libro non riuscivo più a staccarmene.
Avvicinandomi alla fine del giallo e quindi alla soluzione del mistero potevo sentire la suspense prendere il sopravvento su di me. Succede solo con i misteri ben scritti e davvero coinvolgenti, mi sentivo così elettrizzata al pensiero di scoprire " CHI, COME E PERCHE' " fosse dietro le quinte del delitto e delle false piste.
___ LA TRAMA ___
Inghilterra, 1891 - La stagione è appena iniziata e tutta la buona società è presa dal susseguirsi di eventi mondani, resi ancora più interessanti dalla presenza di Charles Berry, personaggio enigmatico che afferma di essere l'erede predominante di Maria Antonietta e Luigi XVI . Il suo arrivo a Londra coincide con una serie di furti inspiegabili di oggetti appartenuti all'ultima regina francese, culminati in un duplice, efferato delitto. Lady Emily Ashton (la nostra eroina) si ritrova al centro del mistero e decide di risolvere il caso, indagando sui numerosi personaggi coinvolti, senza sapere quali rischi la attendono in questo difficile percorso e cosa si nasconde dietro la scintillante facciata della nobiltà londinese. Costretta a districarsi tra scandali e maldicenze, potrà però contare sul sostegno del fedele amico e corteggiatore Colin, più che mai determinato a conquistare il suo cuore.
___ LA MIA OPINIONE ___
Questo è il secondo libro della serie LADY EMILY, ma non è il secondo per me, dato che ho iniziato dal libro 12 proseguendo poi in ordine casuale perché ogni avventura è perfettamente godibile come "stand alone" e anche se le storie private di i personaggi hanno un inizio e un progresso, l'autore è molto abile nel descrivere in ogni libro le vicende personali del passato concernenti i protagonisti, in tale maniere il lettore riesce a sentirsi perfettamente a suo agio nella storia pur non avendo letto i libri precedenti.
Se però vi piace affezionarvi a una serie e intendete leggere più libri o tutti, allora vi consiglio vivamente di leggerli in ordine di pubblicazione ( sempre che in Italia decidano di proseguire con la traduzione, per questo mi considero fortunata nel poter leggere in lingua originale, purtroppo gli editori italiani spesso si limitano a tradurre solo qualche libro di una serie ).
Per ora in italiano ne sono disponibili solo 3 di questa serie :
Lady Emily serie di Tasha Alexander - libri in italiano :
Tra inganno e verità
La stagione dei veleni
Un valzer fatale
Spero per i lettori italiani che l'editore ne traduca altri, perchè il fascino di questi romanzi non risiede solo nei gialli ben articolati, bensì anche nella trama della vita privata della protagonista (una donna moderna e indipendente dell'epoca vittoriana, amante della cultura e desiderosa di affermarsi come persona, grazie alle sue doti e non come moglie di qualcuno dell'alta società, come usava allora) e dei personaggi che la circondano.
Alcuni personaggi sono costanti nella serie mentre altri sono ricorrenti. Ogni personaggio principale è abilmente descritto nel suo modo di essere, nelle sue espressioni vocali e nei suoi gesti, su come viene percepito dalla società e su come preferisce inserirsi o distaccarsi dalla società del tempo.
I personaggi sono credibili ed è davvero facile affezionarsi a loro e vivere il pathos di ciò che stanno vivendo o che sta per accadere.
I dialoghi sono realistici e brillanti, i luoghi e gli abiti ben descritti, ho potuto visualizzare ogni scena, durante la lettura, proprio come guardando un film.
Il mistero è ben congegnato e l'autore riesce a spostare i sospetti da un personaggio all'altro tanto che fino alla fine non si riesce davvero a immaginare il "vero" colpevole.
Anche dopo la scoperta del colpevole c'è ancora un'ultima pericolosa situazione da risolvere e posso dire che il romanzo mi ha tenuto con il fiato sospeso fino alla fine.
IMPORTANTE: il libro è "cozy mystery", ovvero un giallo accogliente perché ha un linguaggio pulito, nessuna scena di sesso o violenza, tuttavia la trama di questo libro, così come quella degli altri libri della serie, riesce a rimanere originale (non il solito omicidio di turno) sulla nave, al maniero, sul treno.
Ho letto tanti gialli, catalogati all'estero come "cozy mystery", sono adorabili ma si assomigliano tutti un po'tutti, mentre questo riesce a distinguersi dagli altri e ad essere davvero coinvolgente.
E' una "fiction storica", la storia e frutto della fantasia dell'autrice, ma è stata abilmente intrecciata con l'ambiente storico dell'epoca Vittoriana in Inghilterra.
Alla fine del libro è molto interessante leggere le note dell'autore che raccontano al lettore come si sono realmente svolti i fatti.
Questo libro è ambientato in Inghilterra, ma molti altri libri della serie sono ambientati in altri paesi di cui l'autore descrive luoghi, usi e costumi e questo è uno dei motivi per cui le trame riescono a diversificarsi dalle solite intime.
5 stelle meritate e non vedo l'ora di leggere il prossimo!
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
Book review : The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan
a Novel by Jennifer Ryan
My rating: ★★★★★
I LOVED IT from the very first page to the last one !!
The village of Chilbury in Kent is about to ring in some changes.
This is a delightful novel of wartime gumption and village spirit that will make your heart sing out.
Kent, 1940.
In the idyllic village of Chilbury change is afoot. Hearts are breaking as sons and husbands leave to fight, and when the Vicar decides to close the choir until the men return, all seems lost.
But coming together in song is just what the women of Chilbury need in these dark hours, and they are ready to sing. With a little fighting spirit and the arrival of a new musical resident, the charismatic Miss Primrose Trent, the choir is reborn.
Some see the choir as a chance to forget their troubles, others the chance to shine. Though for one villager, the choir is the perfect cover to destroy Chilbury’s new-found harmony.
Uplifting and profoundly moving, THE CHILBURY LADIES’ CHOIR explores how a village can endure the onslaught of war, how monumental history affects small lives and how survival is as much about friendship as it is about courage.
This book has completely met all my expectations: I was looking for an engaging novel with topics that weren't too superficial, but also that weren't too much dramatic and able to bring me good humor and chirfulness while reading it.
I really love historical fictions that still reflect reality and this novel is inspired by slices of real life during the Second World War.
I love this novel cause it's not only about characters, their personal vicissitudes, all the dramatic facts that unite them, the daily plots, secrets, dramas, joys and hopes, etc... but above all this book talks about the inner strength that some people manage to find within themselves in the toughest and most difficult moments and how others let themselves be transformed in a negative way by events.
The main and strongest message is that unity is strength, indeed being united we're able to overcome everything and helping each other is a way of acting that everyone should aspire to.
The story is told in the first person by the characters themselves, through their diary pages and their letters and it's incredible how a perfect description of each person, in all its different character facets, comes out.
While reading I felt like I was living for real in that village, in their houses, in the church with the choir, at farewell parties, etc... together with those people.
I felt like I was living next to those people whose stories I read.
The story involved me completely because the characters were truthful and fascinating in their positive and negative sides as well.
The tone of the whole book is light, sometimes even funny. Despite the stories of a time of war and dramatic events and losses follow one after the other, the common thread is the hope of getting out of the pain, of enhancing life in every moment not being afraid from other people judgments.
It was a really enjoyable read and it warmed my heart.
5 stars really well deserved and I can't wait to start reading another novel by the same author!
( Please forgive text errors, English it's not my mother tongue. Thanks to be indulgent :-) )
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !
____ L'HO ADORATO dalla prima all'ultima pagina!! Questo libro ha soddisfatto in pieno tutte le mie aspettative: cercavo un romanzo avvincente con argomenti non troppo superficiali, ma che non fossero drammatici e che mi desse buon umore e allegria durante la lettura.
Amo molto i romanzi storici che riflettono la realtà e questo romanzo si ispira a frammenti di vita reale durante la seconda guerra mondiale.
___LA TRAMA___ il romanzo è ambientato in un villaggio della costa meridionale dell'Inghilterra nell'estate del 1940. La storia racconta la vita di alcuni personaggi del villaggio, le loro vicissitudini personali, i fatti drammatici che li uniscono, le trame, i segreti, i drammi, le gioie e le speranze che li accomunano e che si consumano ogni giorno, ma soprattutto questo libro parla della forza interiore che alcune persone riescono a trovare dentro di sé nei momenti più duri e difficili e di come altre si lasciano trasformare in modo negativo dagli eventi.
Il messaggio principale e più forte è che l'unione fa la forza, uniti si supera tutto e aiutarsi è un modo di agire a cui tutti dovrebbero aspirare.
La storia è raccontata in prima persona dai personaggi stessi, attraverso le loro pagine di diario e le loro lettere ed è incredibile come venga fuori una perfetta descrizione di ogni persona, in tutte le sue diverse sfaccettature caratteriali.
Leggendo mi sembrava di vivere davvero in quel villaggio, nelle loro case, in chiesa con il coro, alle feste di commiato, ecc... Mi sembrava di vivere proprio accanto a quelle persone di cui stavo leggendo.
La storia mi ha coinvolto completamente perché i personaggi riescono a farlo, personaggi veritieri e affascinanti sia nel bene che nel male.
Il tono di tutto il libro è leggero, a volte anche divertente. Nonostante le storie di un tempo di guerra e di vicende e perdite drammatiche si susseguono, il filo conduttore è la speranza di uscire dal dolore, di valorizzare la vita in ogni momento senza avere paura dei giudizi degli altri.
È stata una lettura davvero piacevole e mi ha scaldato il cuore.
5 stelle totalmente meritate e non vedo l'ora di iniziare a leggere un altro romanzo della stessa autrice!
-----> Mentre per la maggior parte delle volte leggo in lingua originale, non solo perchè non tradotti nella nostra lingua, ma anche perchè solitamente con la traduzione si perde un poco dello spirito originale del libro, questa volta ho letto il libro in italiano e devo dire che la traduttrice Mariagiulia Castagnone è stata bravissima, ha saputo mantenere intatto lo spirito e la sensibilità del romanzo.
___ LA COVER : come sempre preferisco la copertina straniera a quella scelta dall'editore italiano ...ma pazienza..
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
Book review : The Thief of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep
by Michelle Griep
My rating: ★★★★☆
Here I am... it's been 2 days since I finished reading this book, but I wanted to think carefully before writing a review ( well, I warn you that I'm Italian and I write in a foreign language, so forgive me if you find errors in the text).
There’s Often a Fine Line Between a Criminal and a Saint
Constable Jackson Forge intends to make the world safer, or at least the streets of Victorian London. But that’s Kit Turner’s domain, a swindler who runs a crew that acquires money the old-fashioned way—conning the rich to give to the poor. When a local cab driver goes missing, Jackson is tasked with finding the man, and the only way to do that is by enlisting Kit’s help. If Jackson doesn’t find the cabby, he’ll be fired. If Kit doesn’t help Jackson, he’ll arrest her for thievery. Yet neither of them realize those are the least of their problems.
Overall the plot is compelling and captivating, I was looking for a story where there was a mystery to be solved, where there were adventure and action and where there was a good love story.
I hate love stories for their own sake, I need something else to tease the mind, that's why I usually read mysteries, but usually the romantic part is barely mentioned and even if it's nice to stay warm in winter armchair, too much "armchair" gets boring, so I need action.
I can truly say that I found everything I was looking for in this book!
The descriptions are very detailed and I was able to imagine every place and every person as if I had seen it on the screen.
The action is fabulous, in my opinion Michelle Griep could write scripts for TV series or movies and she would be successful!
The romantic part has a pinch of spiciness without falling into the vulgar, but it is a constant presence that makes you dream of falling in love again and living a beautiful love story.
Why didn't I give 5 stars then?
Great question.
1st __ I found it a little difficult to read this book (as well as another beautiful story by Michelle Griep).
I state that I'm Italian, English is not my mother tongue, but I've been used to reading books written in English for a couple of years now and some novels I read them all in one go without problems, while I find it difficult to understand the jargon used by this author and often not even Google Translate can translate certain words and expressions into my language. I often found myself rereading the speech 2 or 3 times....it's nice that the author puts in a Victorian-style way of speaking...but too much is really annoying.
2nd__ there are too many too many names.
I'm used to reading Mysteries with different characters, but here there are just too many names, which maybe appear briefly and then reappear after many pages...it's really hard to remember who's who and what's in the story, even a couple are named of characters who have nothing to do with the story, but have had to do in the past with some of the characters in the book ... this thing together with the difficulty of language did not allow me to fully enjoy reading.
3rd __ maybe this is the thing that bothered me about it all : chapters 25 to 30 are a little bit boring.
A solution plan is assumed by the protagonists, but everything takes place in too long a time, which never leads to something concrete if not after 5 unbearable chapters.
I adore the story of physical and emotional attraction between the two protagonists who feel a feeling growing inside themselves that they had never known before, but the description of every thought, every look and every word is too long and repetitive and for a moment ( but just for a moment ) I also found the two characters unbearable.
I'll read the sequel to this book too, because the central part of the book is really amazing and made me want to live in that world with the two characters and share their adventures, (except a little bit boring 5 chapters, I read almost the whole book in few days), but being the book finished well and without any cliffhanger (thankfully) I think I will read it not immediately but later (even if I already have the book, ) and sure I'll read other books by Michelle Griep.
__ I also want to add that although this book appears in Christian readings and I'm a Christian, in Italy we don't usually be so fanatical about religion, I didn't choose the novel based on that tag. In Italy we are not scandalized by a passionate kiss or by physical attraction or by the desire to have sex with a person ... it is clear that in this book, between the lines, this desire also appears and some reviews made me laugh where some girls were annoyed by the constant flirting... I found those reviews ridiculous.
I really liked the flirting and it gave the novel that part where we girls ( even 51 years old like me ) are able to dream which I miss in usual cozy mysteries.
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
Thursday, January 19, 2023
Book review : What Happens At Christmas by Victoria Alexander
by Victoria Alexander
Millworth Manor Series Book 1
My rating: ★★★★★
wowwww ! Brilliant !
Camille, Lady Lydingham, requests the pleasure of your company at a festive house party in the English countryside, as she endeavors to coax a marriage proposal from Prince Nikolai Pruzinsky of Greater Avalonia. Given the nature of the hostess’s eccentric relatives ,they will be played by a troupe of actors hired to impersonate a proper Victorian family. What a clever way to fool the prince! And gate-crashing, distractingly handsome first loves like Grayson Elliott are most unwelcome.
But nothing about Camille’s charade goes as planned. Tonight, at Millworth Manor, games will be played, motives will be revealed, the masks will come off, and hearts will be lost—and won—in the most romantic, magical season of all.
It has been so amusing and compelling, it was just like to watch a funny period set comedy-romance movie!
I loved this story from the first page to the last one, each character was so captivating and the dialogues were so perfectly written I was even able to imagine the expressions on characters faces and the tones of their voices.
The funny thing is that this is not my usual kind of reading, I usually read cozy mysteries, classic and golden age mysteries or sometimes, when I need something old classics for children.
I don't usually like love stories, I'm not a romance reader...I was just checking among books including the word "Christmas" in the title.
At one point I was attracted by the cover of this one, I read the plot and it sounded so interesting and intriguing at once that I couldn't resit to check more about it. So I read some of the reviews published, all so good that the risk was to be disappointed by reading it ( you know... when one has too much expetations... ) instead the book and the author were a real pleasant discovery to me.
I really needed a light and funny read and even if I will keep on reading mostly mysteries ( always my favs ), I'll definitely read other books in "Millworth Manor Series" and also others by this author.
I think it would be a brilliant comedy-romance to be played on the stage or to realize as big screen movie. I would definitely go to theather to watch it and I would watch it more than once on TV.
Last, but not least, this humorous novel also talk about forgiveness and how often each of us thinks we are the injured party by looking at things only from our own perspective, while we all should try more often to walk in other people's shoes.
I give 5 stars and I daresay it has been my best reading in 2022 ( I read it the week before Christmas ). Definitely highly recommended if you're looking for fun and a nice clean romance :-)
This novel is the 1st in a series, but is readable as a standalone.
NOTE : I'm an Italian old girl who use to read and now writing this post in a foreign language: please forgive me for all errors you may find in my text :-)
Join me on FB
Monday, January 16, 2023
Book review : 12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep
Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series
by Michelle Griep
My rating: ★★★★★
5 of 5 stars WELL DESERVED !
I LOVE IT !!
An amazing romantic mystery, I loved it from the very first page to the end !
When Clara Chapman receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas 1850 at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet compelled to attend—for if she remains the duration of the twelve-day celebration, she is promised a sum of five hundred pounds. That’s enough money to bring her brother back from America and reinstate their stolen family fortune. But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests—her former fiancé, Benjamin Lane.
Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on the unknown person who stole his honor. When he’s given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it—and is blindsided by the anger of the woman he left at the altar.
Brought together under mysterious circumstances for the 12 Days of Christmas, Clara and Ben discover that what they've been striving for isn't what ultimately matters. What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.
I'm not a writer and I don't pretend to do a professional review, so I'll just write my humble opinion as a passionate reader :-)
I admit that I choosed to read it because I was attracted by the cover and by the name "Dickens" and although I considered my Christmas reading marathon just ended with the previous read book, I decided to read the same one more Christmas story (I didn't want to postpone it until next Christmas) and I decided so well ! :-D
I read it in only 2 days because I couldn't put it down!
I really loved the 2 main characters, I loved their story and I adored their way of relating to each other, with care for each other and also with witty jokes from which transpires the pre-existing complicity between them and existing again in the present.
I liked the strangeness of the side characters, truly worthy of Dickens's pen, I liked the unexpected twists and turns and if you think that the ending could be taken for granted, well if you read the book (and I recommend it) you will also find unexpected surprises there.
The only predictable thing was the villain of the story, but I assure you that this does not spoil the novel because there are several mysteries to solve.
Great job Michelle Griep, this was the first book I read among yours, but I will read many more, starting today you can count me among your fans !
Worrying doesn’t stop the bad from happening.
It keeps you from enjoying the good.
NOTE : I'm an Italian old girl who use to read and now writing this post in a foreign language: please forgive me for the errors of form and grammar :-)
A Tale of Two Hearts by Michelle Griep
Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Book review : The Mosaic of Shadows by Tom Harper
The Mosaic of Shadows Demetrios Askiates Book #1) by Tom Harper GENRE : #Historical-action-mystery My rating: ★★...
-
The Twelve Saints of Christmas Heathcliff Lennox Mysteries Book #12 by Karen Baugh Menuhin GENRE: #Christmas-co... -
The Blighted Cliffs Reluctant Adventures of Lieutenant Martin Jerrold Book #1 by Edwin Thomas GENRE: #H... -
Hey everyone, and happy start of July! I'm so excited to share my latest creation with you: a brand new, downl...