silverliningsandpages's reviews
379 reviews

A Ghost In The Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

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4.5

A Ghost in the Throat is a beguiling, fervent blend of auto-fiction, essay, investigation and translation.  In this innovative prose debut Doireann Ní Ghríofa entwines the experiences of two writers three centuries apart.

1700s

A Irish noblewoman, who discovers that her husband has been murdered, drinks handfuls of his blood and composes a remarkable poem of sorrow and fury.

Present day

A young mother comes dangerously close to tragedy.  She discovers Eibhlín Dubh’s poetry, and becomes fixated with the parallels in her own life.  Feeling a compulsive connection, she resolves to unearth and chart the rest of the poet’s life story and translate the poem.

I love the way this book is written, there’s a strange, otherworldly quality but it’s also full of busy, vibrant and frenzied thoughts that echoed with me.  Candid, relatable thoughts on education, knowledge, possessions, motherhood, domesticity, emotional labour and the gaping absence of women’s writings and records over the centuries.  I found the portrayal of women’s historical lack of agency and their place in the shadows pointedly sad, but a situation which the book goes a long way to challenge and rectify.  But it also highlights in many subtle ways the fine line between devotion and obsession, as well as the sacrifices and disadvantages women still face today. 

“This is a female text, which is also a caoineadh: a dirge and a drudge-song, an anthem of praise, a chant and a keen, a lament and an echo, a chorus and a hymn.  Join in.”

A magnetic work of fiery passion, love, rage, obsession, disappointment and self understanding, this is one I’ll read again!😍

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Before the Coffee Gets Cold has been compared with The Five People You Meet in Heaven, hence my posting them side by side.  They both have a touch of whimsy, bitter sweetness and regret, but ultimately are uplifting in dealing with missed opportunities.

The concepts are rather different though, and many of you bookstagrammers will know that Before the Coffee is about time travel.  A small back alley cafe in Tokyo offers customers the unique chance to travel back in time.  But it’s complicated - they must sit in a certain seat and return to the present before the coffee gets cold.

I love this premise which explores the question of what would you change if you could travel back in time?  Who would you want to meet, perhaps for the last time.  What would you decide to do??

I adore an emotional story that deals with unresolved issues and redemption.  However, there seemed to be something about the narrative flow that held me back in being captivated by this. The writing is quite repetitive with the style overly simple, and perhaps this is due to the translation?  Also, the novel is an adaption from a play; I can visualise such a production and imagine it being highly successful, but I’m giving the story in this format as a novel 3.5/5🌟 

Still very charming, thoughtful and gentle.  I also have the sequel so will come back and share thoughts on that.

The Ghostlights by Gráinne Murphy

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“Little lights curled in her peripheral vision.  She stiffened and drew in on herself in case it was some late-night walker with a torch and dubious intentions.  But no, she blinked and the lights vanished.  When Ethel was a child, her mother would lean in close and explain that when someone went missing, if their families saw pinpricks of lights dancing in the darkness outside the window, they knew they were lost. “Ghostlights” she would whisper, her breath sweet with gin.”

As with her debut, Where the Edge Is, Grainne Murphy has evoked in The Ghostlights a clear sense of rural Ireland, community and all the complexities of family life.  Her writing reminds me of Donal Ryan’s work: she skilfully portrays the gritty reality of grief, ageing,loneliness and resentment with a subtle, careful sprinkling of folklore. I admire how she has such a strong handle on Irish culture; the mannerisms, dialogue, black humour and traditions are very sharply observed.

This story unapologetically yet intimately portrays the messy dynamics of family life when the body of an elderly Danish gentleman is found in the village Lake four days after checking in to a B&B.  The mystery of who he was and his final act of suicide stir deep compassion within the village, and is the catalyst for some humility, self reflection and reconciliation. It’s a brave, thought provoking novel that digs deep.

Grainne Murphy is an author to watch. My mum enjoyed her debut Where the Edge Is so much that she bought several copies for friends!

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a page turner of a novel that blends mystery, ghost story, and a tale of love and grief, told from multiple perspectives.  It has an interesting take on the mystery, in that it examines the tensions between the men, their motivations and fears, but also considers the experience of their grief stricken partners. Emma Stonex writes an eerie, atmospheric story and it was just what I was in the mood for, but - no spoilers- I was ever so slightly disappointed in the last chapters.

A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson, charmed me so much that I considered immediately reading it all over again!

It was a slow starter though, as I initially couldn’t warm to the austere and abrasive protagonist Rose who is visiting Japan to hear the reading of her estranged father’s will.  However, as the story develops and she allows flashes of her vulnerability to seep through her defences, the stunningly evocative writing becomes less distant. I found myself completely gripped by this intimate, emotional story of grief and second chance love.  I have a weakness for those themes! This is a deeply symbolic, hopeful portrait of nature’s healing powers but also a beguiling love song to Japan

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Against the Loveless World

A beautiful cover and perfect title for this novel. I think there’s a powerful,defiant story trying to get out of this one, but I’m not sure that the execution is entirely successful here.

On a positive note, Susan Abulhawa has constructed an interesting, multilayered protagonist in Nahr.  She knows what it is to be exploited and abused, and to be a Palestinian refugee.  She’s confined to an Israeli prison cell and tells her sad story of displacement with longing ferocity and fury.  

Mornings in Jenin by the same author was one of my favourite reads of 2020, but unfortunately this didn’t have the same emotional intensity and intimacy that I adored in the former.  Also, I think the pacing wasn’t quite right so it was a little challenging to get through to the end. 

All in all, I’m glad I read this one to give me a greater understanding of the humanitarian issues, but sadly it’s not a favourite.  

Memorial by Bryan Washington

challenging emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m not a sweary person (autocorrect wanted to say ‘sweaty person’ there 😂) but really don’t mind profanities in books if they are relevant or necessary to the story.  I initially was distracted by the frequency of the F word at the beginning of Memorial and found it offputting.  However, as the characters quickly developed into flawed, vivid, endearing and vulnerable people, I stopped noticing.  And when you immerse yourself in an affecting story like this, you realise the private battles the two protagonists are fighting, their anguish, and understand why it’s written in this way.  

It’s about Benson and Mike, two guys who have been together for a few years and have reached a crossroads in their relationship.  Mike discovers that his father is dying in Japan just as his mother comes to visit, and as he goes to his father to say goodbye, abandons Benson with his mother.  Both men contemplate their heritage, relationships and values, and book is very moving.  It’s a real lesson in understanding the many languages of love as well as an exploration of illness, grief, race, poverty and the challenges the LGBT community face. I finished this just a while ago, holding my breath!  I’m very glad I read this life affirming novel, and Bryan Washington is certainly a very talented, intuitive writer. 4/5 🌟

The Stranding by Kate Sawyer

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It’s a satisfying, brave ‘End of Days’ debut about a young teacher with a controlling partner who quits it all to work with whales in New Zealand.  When she arrives at the other side of the world, she is forced to pay attention to unfolding catastrophic global news, and when faced with death herself, climbs into the mouth of a beached whale with a stranger for survival.  The story is told in dual timeframes, starting with “After”, and “The Before” is delicately, masterfully weaved in.

What I like about this is that it’s not an epic, sweeping story, and there are no aggrandising heroics.  It’s really rather quiet but profound in that it focuses on finding resilience, second love, self-worth and meaning when all material things are stripped away. It has the sense of a parable that digs deep to reflect on the best of humanity, the people and things we carry in our hearts, the power of storytelling and a deep rooted appreciation of nature.  As with many ‘End of Days’ books, this is an ecological call to consider what we have and what we could lose.  

4/5 🌟 - a unique, memorable story told with warmth and optimism.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“In my mind are all the tides, their seasons, their ebbs and their flows. In my mind are all the halls, the endless procession of them, the intricate pathways.”

There is so much to relish in Piranesi: the labyrinthine world building, the classical, mythical essence, the protagonist’s childlike, compassionate nature and his insatiable desire for learning as well as the ecological aspect - this is a book of many delights!  I agree with the 83 million bookstagrammers who have read this that it’s story to enjoy without prior knowledge, so I’m not going to say much more.  I guessed a crucial part of the plot so some of the magic and momentum dissipated a bit for me in the second half, but nevertheless this is a clever, multi-layered book.  I’m glad I didn’t buy it and borrowed instead from my library, but would certainly consider a reread in future!

Absorbed by Kylie Whitehead

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

This is a  transgressive and bold thriller.  It’s a very intelligent debut about female insecurity, body horror and modern relationships.  The protagonist has given up writing her novel, and so afraid of losing her boyfriend, she absorbs him.  Literally. This is darkly humorous but very timely and thoughtful - the title is perfect on several levels! 4/5 🌟 

Thank you xxx for the review copy