Mini Book Reviews #3

Saturday, September 16, 2017
I think I'm finally getting my reading mojo back back a terrible August, I thought that I'd read so much on trains last month and while on holiday in Norway but I didn't although I did read these two books last month along with a few others - you can read my August wrap-up post if you want to find out what I finished last month or you can follow me on GoodReads for updates and ratings!
*City Of Circles by Jess Richards (384 pages - available now) - ★★☆☆☆, 2/5
On one of my regular scrolling sessions through Amazon, I noticed this book and I was instantly intrigued as the cover is gorgeous and the premise reminded me of The Night Circus which was one of my favourite books of last year. It follows Dana, a tightrope walker as she experiences a family tragedy that hangs over her as she is trying to move on, make new relationships and uncover the secrets of the place she was born, Matryoshka, known as the mysterious city of circles.

The book was initially fantastically atmospheric, dark and intriguing; also the travelling circus setting is amazing! The characters felt familiar and believable, it was entertaining on the whole and I liked the general mystery but I expected SO much more! The writing was, for me, overly descriptive to the point where I was skim reading paragraph after paragraph and I hated the romantic focus of the book as it wasn't romantic or tension filled, it was just frustrating and drawn out. I also wasn't overly happy with the ending and the reveal felt too predictable. I think part of my problem and disappointment with this book was my fault as I built it up so much and had high expectations. I would recommend it if it sounds like something you'd like.

*Karate Chop by Dorthe Nors (96 pages - available now) - ★★★☆☆, 3/5
Surprise book mail are some of the nicest packages to receive and this one intrigued me instantly as the cover is just so gorgeous and all of the reviews rave about how beautiful, fantastic and darkly funny the stories are so I couldn't wait to give it a go. It's a very short collection of fifteen stories, all of which are very raw, unusual or stark which is quite refreshing.

I think my favourite short stories from this collection include: Flight, She Frequented Cemeteries and The Wadden Sea, you can tell from the titles of the short stories that they aren't your typical or generic short stories. Before receiving this beautiful book, I hadn't heard of Dorthe Nors but I'll definitely be looking out for her work in the future as it was just so unusual, raw and different to what I'm usually reading or choosing.

Have you read either of these books? What are you currently reading or planning to read? 

14 comments

  1. Nice I'm looking for a new book to read maybe I will look into Karate Chop :)


    Kayla
    Sheer Beauty Blog

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is rare I read short stories as I never feel I can get my teeth into a story, but Karate Chop sounds intriguing x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah I really like the sound of city of cirles!! Such a shame it didn't live up to your expectations :( hate it when that happens!!
    Chantelle x
    The Girl In The Tartan Scarf

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's horrible when you get so over excited about a book and it disappoints you. I felt that about The Girl on the Train. I was incredibly let down by the ending.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've not read either of these books! So annoying about City of Circles being a bit of a disappointment x

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's such a shame that the circle of circles didn't live up to your expectations x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooh city of circles sounds interesting x

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have never read any of these before.i am reading Dark Places at the mo x

    ReplyDelete
  9. They sound so nice! And I still love the look of your blanket! :)

    Erin || MakeErinOver

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great book reviews they are always so informative , really good

    ReplyDelete
  11. I say this all the time but damn I need to read more!

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's such a shame when a book doesn't live up to your expectations! I need to start reading more again.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Always love to hear your thoughts on what you have read x

    ReplyDelete
  14. I haven't got anything on the go at the moment! Still into my podcasts x

    ReplyDelete

Please don’t leave any spam comments or links - thanks!

I’m no longer accepting any sponsored posts or freelance work at all and for the time being, I’m not accepting products to review so please don’t contact me about any of those, thank you! x