_head_full_of_books_'s reviews
62 reviews

First off, thank you Raincoast Books and Flatiron books for my copy! 

It’s 1943 and WW2 is raging across Europe. Millions of lives are lost and many more will be lost before the war ends. At this time, the allies are doing all they can to fight on all fronts. A meeting between the Big 3 -  President Franklin Roosevelt,  Premier Joseph Stalin and Prime Minister Winston Churchill - a united front - will not only be a confidence booster to the Allied forces but will also send a strong message to the Nazis. It is with this goal, that FDR pushes for the in-person meeting of the Big 3. But a meeting like this does not come without its risks. Somehow the Nazis caught a scent of this and an assassination plot brews.

I wasn't aware of this conspiracy until I read the book and the authors explain in the book why it isn't so popular. The Nazi Conspiracy is a well research book. The authors have done a good job at taking this small piece of history and turning it into a narrative that not only focuses on the main event but also weaves in internal working of the Allied powers and the Nazis. As the events leading to the big meeting unfold we get a good understanding of the relationships between the Big 3 and the workings of each government (US, UK, USSR and Germany). I found the correspondence between the 3 heads insightful. 

The book jumps between different timelines, locations and players. While the story does have a good flow, I struggled a bit to keep track of all the parties involved. The placing of each party's POV could have been better. The cliffhangers at the end of each chapter kept me engaged and reading way past my bedtime.

I would highly recommend this page-turning political thriller to anyone who is curious about this conspiracy and the relationship between the Big 3. 

A modern take on Dicken's David Copperfield, Demon Copperhead is the story of Damon (nicknamed Demon Copperhead) who is a victim of the dysfunctional foster care system and growing opioid crisis. But there is something more to him than that identity - he is resilient and a survivor. 

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Damon who was thrown into foster care in early years of his life indeed was raised by the village. Here in the village, not everyone is looking out for you. But you watch your back and stand up for yourself. But at some point it becomes too much and you slip. This is the story of how you get up after that slippage.

Damon's voice is honest. He processes and describes emotions and situations just the way they are. There's no sugar coating; just like in life when truth hits you there's usually no cushioning around it. What I loved the most of Damon is that he is a flawed character which makes him more relatable. His behavior and response to life changing situations was understandable. If I were in his shoes, I would have acted the same. All the other characters are portrayed with the same depth. I found myself rooting for Damon and everyone in his entourage. Their story will stay with me forever. 

Kingsolver's writing is beautiful and engaging. Not only did she gave us well rounded characters, her descriptions of the surroundings and nature will have a movie playing in your head. This was my first by Barbara Kingsolver and it was a hit. Can't wait to read rest of her work. 

The Expanse series is set 100 years in the future where humans are inhabiting Mars, the Moon, asteroid belt and some of the satellites of other planets. As expected, Leviathan Wakes spends a lot of time on the world building - the mechanics of humans living across the solar system, the economy and politics. What shocked me was the still prevailing discrimination among humans. You would think we would outgrow it, but no.

We have 2 protagonists in book 1 - James Holden and detective Miller. James Holden is an idealist who is very annoying at times. Some unfortunate circumstances lead to Holden being in charge of his ship and crew. The crew is more versatile and made Holden's chapters more interesting. Detective Miller is a level-headed guy but obsessed with the girl he is searching for. By the time they meet a lot is gone wrong and now they must fix it. 

My brother introduced me to this series and has been nagging me to read it for months. I finally gave in and read book 1 AND book 2 last December. Finished book 3 in January. Needless to say, I am hooked. 

The world building is exquisitely done - detailed and well researched. The story is engaging and well written. Some of Holden's chapter were a drag which made me want to stop reading but the other POV kept on moving the story further. Once the ball got rolling, there was no stopping. The book can be read a standalone but I would highly recommend continuing the series. It is worth the read!

A Universe from Nothing by Lawrence Krauss describes thru experimental observations and new theories that demonstrate not only can something arise from nothing, something will always arise from nothing. To sum up the past, present and expected future of the universe in mere 190 pages is a massive undertaking but nonetheless Krauss delivers the brief version of it. I am not going to pretend that I understood every concept here but it was still a thought provoking read. If a book furthers my understanding of the universe we live in and adds to my ever growing TBR other concept books I want to read, I call it a good read.

We start at how the universe came to be and how the discovery of the cosmic microwave radiation proved the Big Bang (something arising out of nothing). Krauss then walks us thru what is happening to our universe currently and what that means for our future. My favorite part was why he thinks now is the best time to be alive and have the ability to study our universe. Due to the expansion of the universe, the stars we see today would be far away for its light to reach us. The future is bleak and dark indeed.

If the science gets too much for you, Krauss's wry humor will keep you entertained. I found his explanations to be simple and precise but at times I did need my friend Google. If you are interested in learning about our universe and the how of it, I highly recommend this book.   

Colin Thubron's Shadow of the Silk Road takes us on a 7,000 miles journey from Xian, China to Antioch, Turkey. The author undertook this journey over a period of 8 months travelling by bus, truck, car, donkey cart and camel.

The Silk route has always intrigued me. It is one of the most ancient trade route which not only carried goods across the continent but is also responsible for the exchange of ideas, religions and inventions. The Silk route is not one single road but a network of arteries splitting and converging across Asia. This network enriched everything it passed thru. According to Thubron, no single person travelled from China to Turkey but silk was part of ancient Mediterranean life and Greek and Roman images were found in ancient China. Such was the reach of the road. 

Throughout the journey, Thubron intermingles with locals to understand their way of living, thoughts, religious and political views. He discovers the curiosity and eagerness of the young and the ruminations of the old. The antiquity of the ruins Thubron visits echoes the time gone by. There are no photographs in the book, which was shocking since its a travel book. But Thubron makes up for the lack of images with his artistic and lyrical writing that fuels your imagination. My favorite part of the book was history lessons that accompanied the places he travelled. This is a book to be savored across multiple days. There is so much information packed here. I loved Thubron's writing style so I bought his newest, Amur river: Between Russia and China. 

Occasionally there comes a book that makes you fall in love with books all over again. This is How You Lose the Time War is that book.

This is a story of 2 space and time travelling rivals, Red and Blue, who fall in love and must change the past to ensure their future. The synopsis gave me an impression of a long book with a lot of science in it. I was shocked by the length of the book. In mere 208 pages, the authors have artistically portrayed a beautiful story. The beginning is a bit confusing but things eventually fall in place. Red and Blue are agents of 2 very different space species. The story begins when Blue leaves a letter to Red titled - Burn before reading. As they travel space and time, they leave and find letters in the most unexpected forms. All the stars from me for how the authors have placed the letters. And again all the stars for the content of the letters. As their relationship deepens, you can't help getting emotional. If only I could write such letters .. 

I did not find the science complicated and the time travel part satisfied the nerd in me. 

This is top contender for my 2022 favorite and is a book I will read again and again. 

 Synopsis – Wallace Price was not a nice guy. He regarded work as the most important part of his life and never had any friends. He was not loved by his colleagues. It did not bother him while he was alive. But upon attending his own funeral as a ghost and seeing only 5 people there he is shocked. His reaper Mei is there to escort him to his ferryman, Hugo who will help him cross over. 

This was a unique book for me. I don’t think I have read books that focused so much on death, grief and after life. Death and grief are almost character like in this book. As Wallace digests that he is dead and reflects on his life we see him go thru the struggles of grief and realize the importance of love, empathy, and compassion. With the help of Hugo, Mei and Hugo’s grandfather (another ghost), Wallace tries to make right in whatever time he has. 

This book is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The heaviness of death does get you, but Klune masterfully blends it with humor and hope. With his diverse characters he brings different views to the table. 

I highly recommend this book but with a word of caution. Death in all forms (illness, murder & suicide) is discussed here. You need to be in the right frame of mind to pick this book. It left me pondering about my own life and the importance of love and kindness in this world.