"The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

Synopsis:
The Cuckoo's Calling is a 2013 crime fiction novel by J. K. Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

A brilliant mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide.

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.


You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

Review:
After reading the first page, I realized that I like J.K. Rowling's writing style.  Despite being out of my comfort zone (I'm not a fan of murder mysteries), I found this book to be well-written and engaging.  I rated it 5 stars on Goodreads because I couldn't think of anything at all I would have changed about the book (which doesn't happen very often).  I was a little concerned at first at the length of the book (455 pages) but I read it in just a few days because I found it so captivating and enjoyable.  Even though I am not one for remembering minute details, I liked that I was not able to guess whodunnit, but that could just be me.

I intend to read the rest of the books in the series, including the new book coming out in 2017, unless the others in the series aren't as enjoyable and well-written.  However, I have decided, based on how much I enjoyed this book, that I might actually try reading J.K. Rowling's "The Casual Vacancy" as well.  We'll see what 2017 brings.

Read on,
Paula

Year-end recap 2016

1.  Best book(s) I read in 2016: "Circus" by Claire Battershill, "The cuckoo's calling" by Robert Galbraith, "Jane Steele" by Lyndsay Faye, and "Poles apart" by Terry Fallis

2.  Most disappointing book of 2016: "The view from the cheap seats" by Neil Gaiman

3.  Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2016: "The cuckoo's calling" by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

4.  Books I recommended most to people in 2016: "Jane Steele" by Lyndsay Faye

5.  Best series I discovered in 2016: The Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

6.  Favourite new author(s) of 2016: Claire Battershill

7.  Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2016: "The cuckoo's calling" by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

8.  Book I most anticipated in 2016: "The Grain Brain whole life plan" by David Perlmutter

9.  Favourite cover of a book I read in 2016: 

10. Most memorable character in 2016: Cormoran Strike

11. Most beautifully written book of 2016: It's a tie between "Circus" by Claire Battershill and "What is not yours is not yours" by Helen Oyeyemi

12. Best book that was out of my comfort zone or was a new genre for me in 2016: "The cuckoo's calling" by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

13. Book that had the greatest impact on me in 2016: "Spark joy" by Marie Kondo

14. Book I can't believe I waited until 2016 to FINALLY read: "The song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller

15. Book I read in 2016 that would most likely be reread in 2017: "Circus" by Claire Battershill

16. Book that had a scene in it that had me reeling and dying to talk to someone about it? (A WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc.  No spoilers!): "The slow fix" by Ivan Coyote

Some fun stats:
Books completed: 46
Goodreads Reading Challenge goal: 40
Books by male authors: 17
Books by female authors: 28
Fiction: 21
Non-fiction: 25
Children's books: 9
YA books: 0
E-books: 3
Did not finish (DNF): 3
Re-reads: 0
Translated books: 0
Big fat books (more than 500 pages): 0

Read on,
Paula

"What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours" by Helen Oyeyemi

Synopsis:
The key to a house, the key to a heart, the key to a secret—Oyeyemi’s keys not only unlock elements of her characters’ lives, they promise further labyrinths on the other side. In “Books and Roses” one special key opens a library, a garden, and clues to at least two lovers’ fates. In “Is Your Blood as Red as This?” an unlikely key opens the heart of a student at a puppeteering school. “‘Sorry’ Doesn’t Sweeten Her Tea” involves a “house of locks,” where doors can be closed only with a key—with surprising, unobservable developments. And in “If a Book Is Locked There’s Probably a Good Reason for That Don't You Think,” a key keeps a mystical diary locked (for good reason). 

Oyeyemi’s tales span multiple times and landscapes as they tease boundaries between coexisting realities. Is a key a gate, a gift, or an invitation?

Review:
I read this book because Simon from The Readers podcast mentioned it on his Booktube (aka YouTube) review.  It's mid-December and I haven't quite completed my Goodreads 2016 Reading Challenge so I've been seeking out titles to help me accomplish that.  I'm glad I decided to actually read it because I enjoyed it very much.

The book is a collection of short stories.  Although they are all meant to have the theme of keys, there were a few where the key wasn't as obvious to me as in the others.  The stories are lightly interconnected; characters from other stories are mentioned but play no part in the story you're reading.  Simon mentions that they are fairy tale-like and there are some where this is more obvious, especially the one with the red cape and the "wolf".  However, none of them seem to me to be retellings of the "famous" (Western world) fairy tales.  They just require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief because of the tangled realities.

Because it is a book of short stories, I found it hard to follow the plot/story sometimes because of short, interrupted reading (a short lunch break, for example).  But I found the writing compelling, even in the weird stories that I didn't "get", enough to continue reading.

As a single (aromantic asexual) white female, I wholeheartedly enjoyed the fluidity of gender relationships in this book.  This book talks indirectly about romantic relationships as if the ideal world already existed where the gender of who you love is irrelevant.  In a book where labels were not affixed, it made me realize that the labels for same-sex relationships are too harsh for what they represent.  Especially in this book where relationships are not always the focus of the story/plot.

The first story in the collection, "Books and Roses", was my absolute favourite.  I LOVED it.  I took a break after reading it just so I could contemplate the various threads and how they interwove.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fairy tales that aren't exactly fairy tales, light fantasy, and/or short stories in general.

Read on,
Paula

"The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan" by David Perlmutter

Synopsis:

With more than a million copies sold worldwide, Dr. Perlmutter's books have changed many lives.  Now, he's created a practical, comprehensive program that lowers the risk for brain ailments while yielding other benefits, such as weight loss, relief from chronic conditions, and total body rejuvenation.  Science-based and highly accessible, THE GRAIN BRAIN WHOLE LIFE PLAN expands upon the core advice from Dr. Perlmutter's previous works, and introduces new information about the advantages of eating more fat, fewer carbs, and nurturing the microbiome.  Including original recipes, tips and tricks for common challenges, meal plans, and advice on everything from sleep hygiene to stress management, exercise, supplements, and more, THE GRAIN BRAIN WHOLE LIFE PLAN shows how to live happily and healthily ever after.

Review:

I am rather biased because I first read Perlmutter's book, "Grain Brain" last year.  I own it and "The Grain Brain Cookbook".  I am very grateful to Hachette and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of his upcoming book, "The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan".

I am one of those generalized people that Dr. Perlmutter mentions in his introduction.  Going Primal/paleo/following the Grain Brain principles relieved my depression, almost-daily headaches, and frequent heartburn.  My brain is everything to me and the threat of Alzheimer's disease is the scariest possible future; I changed what I eat to thwart that likelihood.

The "Grain Brain Whole Life Plan" is a perfect balance for people who have never read his other books (giving an overview of his thesis) and people familiar with his work (adding new information).  I particularly enjoyed it because it motivated me to switch back to the Grain Brain lifestyle from paleo.

Aside from an abundance of references to his website, I liked the book a lot because (like his previous books) he discusses science-based research studies and what they mean in relation to how our bodies function on the small scale.

As a hobby chef, I found some of the provided recipes to be a little bit fancy for everyday people.  I live in a small town where some of the ingredients used would require a special trip to the city.  But then, I live in Canada so maybe things like jicama and juniper berries are more common in the U.S.  On the other hand, I'm excited to try roasted onion with balsamic vinegar in a salad!

Overall, I'm glad I read this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to be healthier.

Read on,

Paula

P.S. I received this book for free from the publisher for review consideration. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Year-end book recap 2015

1.  Best book(s) I read in 2015: "Ratscalibur" by Josh Lieb, "The readers of Broken Wheel recommend" by Katarina Bivald, "Stone mattress" by Margaret Atwood, and "Spinster" by Kate Bolick

2.  Most disappointing book of 2015: "Go set a watchman" by Harper Lee

3.  Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2015: "The time of your life" by Margaret Trudeau

4.  Books I recommended most to people in 2015: "Rising strong" by Brene Brown and "Big magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert

5.  Best series I discovered in 2015: Although it's not listed as such, "Ratscalibur" by Josh Lieb ends on a cliffhanger which could mean the beginning of a series.  I so hope this is the first in a series!!

6.  Favourite new author(s) of 2015: I look forward to seeing what else Erika Swyler and Katarina Bivald write in the future

7.  Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2015: None this year but "The Martian" by Andy Weir was close

8.  Book I most anticipated in 2015: "Go set a watchman" by Harper Lee

9.  Favourite cover of a book I read in 2015: "Ratscalibur" by Josh Lieb

10. Most memorable character in 2015: Owen Wedgwood from "Cinnamon and gunpowder" by Eli Brown

11. Most beautifully written book of 2015: "The book of speculation" by Erika Swyler

12. Best book that was out of my comfort zone or was a new genre for me in 2015: "The Yard" by Alex Grecian; the series have such interesting covers but I found this book more gory than I thought it would be and I'm disappointed that I don't think I can read the rest.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on me in 2015: It's a tie between "Big magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert and "Rising strong" by Brene Brown

14. Book I can't believe I waited until 2015 to FINALLY read: "The Penguin complete Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle

15. Book I read in 2015 that would most likely be reread in 2016: "Ratscalibur" by Josh Lieb

16. Book that had a scene in it that had me reeling and dying to talk to someone about it? (A WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc.  No spoilers!): "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Some fun stats:
Books completed: 50
Books by male authors: 28
Books by female authors: 22
Fiction: 21
Non-fiction: 19
Children's books: 10
YA books: 0
E-books: 2
Did not finish (DNF): 4
Re-reads: 0
Translated books: 1 (Swedish)
Big fat books (more than 500 pages): 0

Read on,
Paula