The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

The Russian Concubine started out quite interestingly for me then somehow got a bit slow for my taste in the middle then started to pick up the pace again in the last third of the book.

The plot was quite interesting. A mother and daughter who escaped from the Russian bolsheviks and ended up in an international settlement in China. Nice to have gained insights about China during the days of Chiang Kai Shek, Sun Yat-sen and Mao Tse-tung.

Lydia, the daughter is fiery and eventually fell in love with a Chinese communist boy who has been trying to protect her whenever he can.

The title was a bit misleading though. The main character, is no concubine. There was a mention of a concubine after some 200 pages in the book but I don’t know why or how the author decided on it, go figure.

Anyhow, I ended up really liking this story more when there was only a third left in the story. I was already thinking about putting it on-hold but I’m glad that I went on. Moreover, I’m happy that the end is a beginning of another story, I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.

Quotable Quotes:

“The sight of you brings joy to my heart and makes my blood thunder in my veins. I know not how long I will be allowed to stand here. So there are words I must say. That you are the moon and the stars to me, and the air I breathe. To love you is to live. So if I die…. I will still live in you.”

Rating: 4/5 stars

WWW Wednesday 11-Dec-2019

Hello there! Welcome to WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words. I didn’t really have the time to read as much as I usually could the past couple of weeks but I’m somehow back to it now so here we go. Just answer the three W questions:

1. What did you recently finish reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished:

The Princess and the Penis was a hilarious read. I’ve read it while on lunch break alone. This was a cute and silly read that made me giggle and smile like an idiot for a good half an hour!

I’ve completely forgotten that I have a copy of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes if not for a friend’s reading update on Goodreads. So I’ve decided to start on it a few days ago. I tried to read a few pages in between my work and glad to be able to finish it. It was captivating but heartbreaking as well.

I was also able to finish Cream, a short story by Haruki Murakami. A beautiful and refreshing story.

Currently Reading:

I haven’t gotten far from A Dance with Dragons and I don’t think I still have enough time to finish it before the year ends because I’ve just started with The Russian Concubine and A Christmas Carol. I have both on my Kindle so I can possibly read in between my work again or while commuting.

Up Next:

Not sure what to read next as I am having a really busy time at work (and even after work) these days so it’s not very easy to find time to read but my eyes are on Out by Natsuo Kirino and The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark. I’d be glad to hear some suggestions, though, so feel free!

Some book reviews I’ve managed the previous weeks:

Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata

The Princess and the Penis by R.J. Silver

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

I’d be glad to know what you’re reading, what you’ve just finished and what you plan to read next so drop a link so I can check them out or share them on the comments section.

Until next time, homo sapiens!

WWW Wednesday (20-Nov-2019)

Hello there! Welcome to WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words. I didn’t really have the time to read as much as I usually could the past couple of weeks but I’m somehow back to it now so here we go. Just answer the three W questions:

1. What did you recently finish reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Recently Finished:

A Monster Calls is a very emotional story and so vivid in pain and suffering that will break your heart. It just broke mine a thousand times.

Currently Reading:

 

I haven’t gone far with A Dance with Dragons but I’m delighted to read the first few chapters that featured Tyrion, Daenerys and Jon Snow.

I’ve also started The Forgotten Highlander by Alistair Urquhart, a 19-year-old soldier in the Gordon Highlanders who was captured by the Japanese in Singapore. This sparks a great interest on my part quite a lot so I hope it won’t disappoint.

Up Next:

I’m still very inclined to read this next so I won’t be checking other books for the meantime.

Also, I was able to write a few reviews about the books I’ve finished reading a few months back and you can check them here:

 

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin 

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Therese Raquin by Emile Zola

The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

I’d be glad to know what you’re reading, what you’ve just finished and what you plan to read next so drop a link so I can check them out or share them on the comments section.

Until next time, homo sapiens!

WWW Wednesday (23-Oct-2019)

Hello there! Welcome to WWW Wednesday, hosted by Sam from Taking On A World of Words. Just answer the three W questions:

1. What did you recently finish reading?
2. What are you currently reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

You can leave a link of your post in the comments section so I and other readers can check it out.

Recently Finished:

I’ve finished Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant and I liked it. I think it was the right choice as an introduction to Anne Tyler’s works for me. I’m looking forward to more.

Currently Reading:

I’ve finally started with A Dance with Dragons and what a delight to start with Tyrion’s chapter! I’ve also started with A Monster Calls during my coffee break yesterday. Both books started quite good.

Up Next:

I’m still not sure what to read next since A Dance with Dragons is a lengthy read and I don’t have much time to read these days. I am considering The Russian Concubine, though.

By the way, I have also recently reviewed Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. You can check it out here. I’m always late with my reviews but I’ll add them here from now on whenever I get to write something.

 

How about you? What’s on your WWW this week? Drop a link on the comment box, I’d be very delighted to read them all!

Happy reading, homo sapiens! 🙂