by Rachel Slade

5 out of 5 stars

I’m generally not a fan of non-fiction – as in I’ll rarely pick up a true story on my own volition.  So to have read not one, but two non-fiction books in the span of a couple months is pretty incredible (especially if you saw the contents of my to-read pile). However, I still can’t stop thinking about Into the Raging Sea– or recommending it to people, fiction and non-fiction lovers alike.

Journalist Rachel Slade brings to life the story of the ill-fated El Faro, which sunk off the coast of the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin in October 2015. Slade takes this story, with an ending, sadly, we already know, and manages to make it as gripping as any psychological thriller all while bringing to it the heart and soul of each and every one of the 33 souls lost on the ship.

Through hours of voice recordings from the ship’s “black box” to interviews from the family members of the ship’s crew and maritime experts, she weaves together a story that still brings me to tears. There are lessons to be learned here, including the devastating power and unpredictability of hurricanes as well as the cutthroat history of the shipping industry. While we’re still deep in hurricane season, this is a book not to be missed.

Available at Bermuda Bookstore.

Here are some more suggestions from the staff at the Bermuda Bookstore:

There’s a theme in book publishing this fall and it’s all about Greek mythology. First up is “Circe” by Madeline Miller, telling the story of the daughter born of the gods but who turns to the world of mortals for companionship. Passing down the Greek myths through many millennia means there are many interpretations. Stephen Fry’s “Mythos” brings together these stories in Fry’s entertaining and informative retelling.

Sarah J Maas has a new “Throne of Glass” book out at the end of October, but in the interim fans who can’t get enough of Maas can indulge in DC Icons Series and enjoy her take with “Catwoman: Soulstealer”. Other Icons in the series written by other sought-after YA authors include “Wonder Woman: Warbringer” by Leigh Bardugo and “Batman: Nightwalker” by Marie Lu.

New non-fiction currently burning up the charts includes “21 Lessons for the 21^stCentury” by Yuval Noah Harari, one of today’s most innovative thinkers exploring some of the world’s most pressing issues. And for Bruce Lee and martial arts fans fans “Bruce Lee” by Matthew Polly is an authoritative and most comprehensive account of the actor’s life that also features dozens of rarely seen photographs.

The post Book Review: Into the Raging Sea appeared first on RG Magazines.

Publisher: Macmillan Australia

3 out of 5 stars

It wasn’t until recently that I took note that some of my behaviors have been anxiety masking itself as bad habits. Procrastination, for one, has been a bug bear for years that I’ve regularly pushed aside as being a typical habit of deadline-driven creative. However, and maybe age has something to do with this, I’ve taken a hard look at some of these bad habits and realized that the more and more I was putting things off, the more anxious it would make me when I was rushed to get something done.

When I got down to it (and this is where anxiety creates a pretty vicious cycle) the anxiety I was having over producing work was basically stopping me in my tracks, and those fears I had built up in my head were keeping me from getting things done. So, my anxiety was causing my anxiety – I told you it got loopy!

I was intrigued by this book’s name, which references a Chinese proverb that states that before you can conquer a beast you must first make it beautiful. Sarah Wilson navigates through her journey with anxiety in this book. While I found some parts helpful, the structure is a bit chaotic and a little hard to follow.

There’s a lot of memoir thrown in, and while Wilson’s story is engaging, I found it difficult to wade through her story to find the tools she uses to manage her own anxiety. However, one of the things that did stand out for me is to view my anxiety as purposeful and accept that it is part of who I am. I’m learning to work with the fact that the fretting about the work I create is just part of the creative process. Instead of letting it get to my head and stressing me out more, accepting it and letting it be part of the process makes it all the more beautiful and unique to me.

This review was originally published in the Fall 2018 edition of RG Magazine.

The post Book Review: First, We Make the Beast Beautiful appeared first on RG Magazines.

3 out of 5 stars

There seems to be a trend in novels about psychotic female friendships this year. This is the second book I’ve reviewed in less than a month where the characters seem to cross a line into unacceptable behaviour that should quickly send them into frenemy territory. Maybe we need to start a trending hashtag #psychoticfemalefriendships and then really get some help for these people.

“Tangerine” is set in 1956 and follows the story of two women, Alice Shipley and Lucy Mason, inseparable friends in college before a tragic accident occurs, and their tenuous reunion in Tangiers, Morocco a year later.

The novel bounces back and forth between the two friends and there are moments where it’s not always easy to know who to trust with their account of their relationship. Lucy, in particular, has some interesting notions about where to draw the line between friendship and obsession.

The story begins with a body washing up, which sets the mood to keep you on your toes the whole time you’re reading, thinking that danger is lurking around the colourful souks that weave through the narrative of this book. The atmosphere is taut throughout and makes up for some of the plot line, which I had a few issues with. But overall this is an interesting look at how obsession can overtake a person, and the lengths some people will go to get what they want.

The details of life in Tangier during the country’s uprising, work nicely alongside some of the turns the novel takes, and contrast with the cooler more tranquil descriptions of the beginning of the women’s relationship at the idyllic Vermont college. This is a fast-paced novel with lots of twists and turns that will make for good poolside reading.

“Tangerine” is available from the Bermuda Bookstore for $23.00.

Here are some more suggestions from the staff at the Bermuda Bookstore:

If you’re looking for another good summer read, “The Summer Sail” by Wendy Francis not only fits the bill but also uses Bermuda as the backdrop to this story about a trio of college friends who reunite aboard a cruise ship.

“The Immortalists” by Chloe Benjamin asks the question, “Would you want to know the date of your own death and how would you spend your days if you did know?” The story follows four siblings, who, knowing their prophecies, live their lives through the lens of destiny and choice.

Next up in the Joe Pickett series, is “The Disappeared” by CJ Box, which follows Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett as he investigates the case of missing British executives from a high-end guest ranch, but is there a force that is trying to stop him from solving the case?

Anyone looking for more insight into the unraveling of Tiger Woods will find plenty to linger over with the biography “Tiger Woods” by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian. Billed as part myth, part Shakespear, part Jackie Collins, this book includes years of interviews with 250 people from every corner of Woods’ life.

Fans of Wilbur Smith will relish the autobiography “On Leopard Rock: A Life of Adventure”, as the author is known for his meticulously researched novels on his many worldwide expeditions.

The post “Tangerine” by Christine Mangnan appeared first on RG Magazines.

4 out of 5 stars

Like most recent psychological thrillers “The Woman in the Window” employs a pretty common trick – make the narrator unreliable. It feels a bit like an old party trick, and can be a little annoying – particularly when the use of self-medication also has the main character and the reader questioning what’s real and what’s not.

What makes this story stand out is that instead of despising the narrator as often happens, the woman in the window in this case, had so many layers that as the story unfolded you really started to care for her.

Dr Anna Fox is a psychiatrist that has agoraphobia. Trapped in her home and estranged from her husband and daughter, she spends her days drinking wine, watching black and white movies (like “Rear Window”, natch) and spying on her neighbours. When she thinks she sees something shocking happening in the house across the park from her, her life begins a downward spiral.

As with many thrillers the book begins slowly, keeping the reader trapped inside the home feeling claustrophobic and a little out of sorts alongside Anna. But as it speeds to its conclusion and more alarming information about Anna’s past, and her neighbour’s, is revealed, nothing is as it seems. There were moments later on in the book when more of her past story is revealed where I really felt for Anna and, while much of her woes are self-inflicted, she became a very human and touching character. This has been compared to books such as “Gone Girl” and “The Girl on the Train”, and if you’re fan of books where nothing is as it seems and you’re constantly left guessing – this will be one to keep you turning the pages late into the night.

“The Woman in the Window” is available from the Bermuda Bookstore for $21.00.

Here are some more suggestions from the staff at the Bermuda Bookstore:

Fans of Japanese literature will enjoy the recently translated “Seventeen” by Hideo Yokoyama. A fast-paced investigative thriller set amid the aftermath of an air disaster, and the office politics and power struggles that plague the newsroom that is united by this unimaginable horror.

Fans of Katie Fforde’s happy-ever-after romance novels will be thrilled to get their hands on her latest novel “A Secret Garden”. Set amongst the grounds of a beautiful manor house in the Cotswolds, Lorna and Philly think they may have found true love, but things are always more complicated than that!

Out now in paperback, Charlamagne Tha God’s “Black Privilege” and Kevin Hart’s “I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons”, gives plenty of advice in raw (particularly with Charlamagne Tha God, who is known for his controversial take on life), often funny and inspirational memoirs about how they became successes.

The fourth in the Red Queen series, “War Storm” follows on with the Reds and the Silver kingdoms at war and is the epic conclusion to the series.

The post “The Woman in the Window” by A. J. Finn appeared first on RG Magazines.

3 out of 5 stars

I had a lot of strong emotions reading this book. I was angry a lot of the time, and maybe for some that would warrant only one star. I mean, why would you want to be angry the entire time you’re reading a book? But just like the time I cried the entire time reading “The Light Between Oceans” (which also features moms and babies), I have a huge appetite for highly emotional books. So, if you don’t do well with emotionally charged topics (especially when children are involved), this probably isn’t a great choice. However, while I had some issues with this book, it was definitely an interesting story and particularly an interesting discussion on the perfection mothers either put on themselves or the things they feel like they are being judged on.

Merry and Sam live the perfect domesticated life in Sweden. They have a baby son named Conor, and Merry spends her days caring for her son and baking pies while her husband heads out to find work – you know the life all moms wish for (insert snarky face). But while the first scenes unfold like the gorgeous Swedish tableau of an Ikea commercial, it becomes clear that there are issues under the surface. When Merry’s childhood friend visits, the cracks start to show and the twisted nature of these people’s relationships is exposed.

There were a few holes in the story and I didn’t always feel like all of the details are fully fleshed out, particularly with the backstory. But along with controversial mothering choices, cheating husbands and backstabbing best friends, there’s all kinds of drama mixed in to this story. If you’re looking for a book that will create a lot of debate for your next book club or you’re like me and you have a tendency to throw your book across the room, this is the book for you.

“You Were made for This” will be published on June 19, 2018 and will be available for purchase at the Bermuda Bookstore.

Here are some more suggestions from the staff at the Bermuda Bookstore:

“Need to Know” by Karen Cleveland has been getting a lot of buzz in the bookstore these days. The thriller follows Vivian Miller, a dedicated CIA counterintelligence analyst assigned to uncover the leaders of Russian sleeper cells in the United States. Everything Vivian loves is threatened when she uncovers a secret dossier that will test her loyalty to her job.

Kristin Hannah is known for her take on historical fiction, and in her latest novel, “The Great Alone”, she takes readers to Alaska in the 70s – the last American frontier. The story follows the Allbright family after they move to wild and dangerous territory, from both man and nature.

“Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman has been winning over readers since it was published last summer, but it’s about to get a movie remake starring Reese Witherspoon, which means this is great time to get to know this out-of-the-ordinary heroine.

Discover the beautiful complexity, rich cultural traditions and bountiful contributions of some of today’s most powerful black women in “Black Girls Rock!: Celebrating the Power, Beauty, and Brilliance of Black Women” by Beverly Bond, the founder of the organization “Black Girls Rock!”. The book is packed with anecdotes, affirmations, and inspirational essays from contributors such as Kerry Washington, Tracee Ellis Ross, Iyanla Vanzant, Ava Duvernay, and many, many more.

The post “You Were Made for This” by Michelle Sacks appeared first on RG Magazines.

4 out of 5 stars

Getting the chance to review books means that on a regular basis you will end up reading something you would never have picked up on your own. “The Pictures” was very much that book for me. Billed as a noir crime novel, Bolton’s book is set in LA in the 30s, and features a glamorous cast of characters, with glimpses of stars such as Joan Crawford, Katherine Hepburn, Mae West and Groucho Marx.

Detective Jonathan Craine is a fixer for the Hollywood studios and he’s, to put it plainly, a real jerk. He helps to spin stories to ensure all of the studio’s contract stars appear to have a clean nose. Even a brutal murder is pinned on a homeless black man with no real evidence, and a big-named director, who commits suicide, is portrayed as a manic-depressive homosexual to keep people from sniffing around and connecting the stars – and the studio – to the sordid underworld that sits just below the glamorous facade. And while Craine’s moral compass points south throughout much of the novel there are moments that soften him over the course of the story. In particular is the death of his starlet wife, Celia, which still haunts him, and newcomer to the LAPD Detective Patrick O’Neill, who believes in getting to the bottom of these crimes.

Despite my hesitation about reading this genre, I very much enjoyed the story, and found myself desperate to speed through and find out the whodunit. While some of the writing is a bit stilted, particularly in the beginning, and not as fast-paced as the end of the novel, I found that less of a problem as the ending was worth it. I had some issues with the name-dropping of the famous stars I mentioned at the beginning, which I think was a way for Bolton to attempt to connect the story to the time period – but I really think it was a bit unnecessary. While the denouement isn’t a huge surprise (remember, this is a world filled with liars and cheats), I really enjoyed the story getting there and the characters – even Craine – had a special place in my heart at the end.

“The Pictures” can be purchased at the Bermuda Bookstore.

Here are some more suggestions from the staff at the Bermuda Bookstore:

“Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee follows a Korean family through the generations beginning in the early 1900s. This is an epic family saga that captures the essence of family bonds.

While books about World War II are plenty, “Munich” by Robert Harris focuses on two former friends who will cross paths as Hitler and Chamberlain are about to meet in Munich. “Munich” weaves together historical background with an intriguing and clever plot.

“When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing” by Daniel Pink gives some clear answers as to when to make those important life decisions based on research from psychology, biology and economics.

While “The Last Black Unicorn” by Tiffany Haddish has been on everyone’s radar, it’s still worth a mention if you’re looking for a feisty, brutally honest collection of  personal essays by this hilarious stand-up comedian.

The post “The Pictures” by Guy Bolton appeared first on RG Magazines.

Frank, the owner of a vinyl record shop in the late ‘80s, in a UK town at risk of gentrification, is insistent that he will never stock new-fangled CDs (or even cassette tapes, for that matter), even if they threaten to make vinyl obsolete, and he’s pretty happy being alone and never falling in love. But while Frank may swear off love and any new technology, he has a knack for finding the perfect music to help people get through life’s challenges (he uses Shalimar to save a marriage. I had to look that one up!). But Frank’s life gets complicated when a mysterious woman makes a dramatic entrance into his life, and she convinces him to meet her once a week for “music lessons”.

Frank’s story and his own music lessons from his eccentric mother, Peg, are spread throughout the book and were, honestly, my favourite parts.  Frank’s background story is complicated, and Peg’s descriptions of famous composers like Beethoven and Handel had me laughing out loud – she swears a lot and talks about their sex lives like some Hollywood gossip columnist. However, she also did a good job of screwing up Frank and contributed to his reclusive nature.

While it seems that everything is going to go wrong with this story as there are plenty of mishaps, this does have a very sweet ending. While I wouldn’t outright call this Chick Lit, if you are a music fan, this novel is a love letter to music and it’s ability to heal us.

The Music Shop, published by Doubleday, is on sale at The Bermuda Bookstore, Hamilton.

Check out these other popular titles suggested by the booksellers at the Bermuda Bookstore:

An intriguing novel about a Russian aristocrat sentenced to live out his life inside a luxury hotel, A Gentleman In Moscow, by Amor Towles, is the perfect antidote to escape reality.

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, couldn’t be more relevant to the world’s current situation. The National Book Award-winning author delves into topics on race, Barack Obama’s presidency and the “jarring” aftermath with the election of Donald Trump, in this book of essays.

Magpie Murders, by Anthony Horowitz, is The New York Times bestselling author’s fiendishly brilliant, riveting thriller that weaves a classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie into a chilling, ingeniously original modern-day mystery.

Fans of The Fault in Our Stars will be thrilled to get their hands on another John Green book. Turtles All the Way Down, as with most of Green’s novels, is a novel about resilience and the power of lifelong friendships that is sure to break your heart.

The post The Music Shop, by Rachel Joyce appeared first on RG Magazines.