'Speak your name and tell me, who shall cry over your headless body?' 'You will not last long enough to benefit from knowing my name. But if you must k'Speak your name and tell me, who shall cry over your headless body?' 'You will not last long enough to benefit from knowing my name. But if you must know, my mother named me 'Your Death.' - Abolghasem Ferdowsi, Shahnameh.
This! This is what I have been WAITING for! This is so cleverly crafted. It is layered with exquisite tension and heart-stopping romance explosive and I am here for it! I loved that we got Cyrus's back story perhaps my favourite part of the book, especially his story as a diviner. It adds layers to his character and the developing romance between Alizeh and Cyrus is so intimate and tangible I mean Mafi writes romance like no other. The slow burn and leaving the crumbs for book 4 (I mean who's complaining- although I need them to be RELEASED now). Where is Cyrus's brother, what was his father's real deal? Is his mother going to forgive him and love him again. Will he become a diviner again? SO MANY QUESTIONS. Also Hazan...more to him right? And are Alizeh's parent 'really, really' dead?. I'd rather have these books 800 pages long rather than 300 because I don't think I can wait long enough for book 4 but I can't wait to see Alizeh and Cyrus in their Queen and King era. Mafi strikes again leaving me obsessed with this and now another book hangover. Her writing, the characters, the romance, the angst, the kingdom's Chef's Kiss. 4.5* rounded up!
Quotes/ 'I've been waiting,' said Cyrus, 'for this to be over.' A spark of approval animated Rostam's eyes. 'And where have you waited, little one?' Quietly, he said, 'In the future.' 'Three hours of your life, lost.'
'You must not resist life when it becomes inconvenient to live. You cannot outrun fear. You should not ignore pain. You will not outlive death... But life cannot be experienced one emotion at a time. It is a tapestry of sensation, a braided rope of feeling. We must allow for reflection even when we suffer. We must reach for compassion even when we triump. If we spend your days waiting for your sorrows to end so that you might finally live... you will die an impatient man.'
'Master yourself so that you will never be mastered. Know yourself so that you might live with conviction. Live with conviction so that your steps never falter.' ... The master of self means never fear in the consequences of doing what is right.'.. When you suffer you can choose to endure, or you can choose to overcome.' Here even in the midst of your discomfort, there existed elements of relief, if only you had bothered to search.'
'Let us hope for the day when we might all remove our masks, and live in the light without fear.'
'He wanted to press his face against her neck, wanted to breathe in the fragrance of her skin, the perfume of the flowers he'd grown himself. He wanted to make her laugh. He wanted to hold her hand. He wanted to make her tea and walk with her through the seasons. He wanted to watch her conquer the earth.' ...more
Re-read as I don't think I was in the mood for this one so I need to re-read this one!Re-read as I don't think I was in the mood for this one so I need to re-read this one!...more
Like Wrong Place Wrong Time, this started out really slow for me but once certain things are unravelled then it really picks up and is just unputdowna Like Wrong Place Wrong Time, this started out really slow for me but once certain things are unravelled then it really picks up and is just unputdownable. It is really creative of the author to bend and blur different timelines and take us on a twisty ride. The characters are all so flawed so you can't help but relate and like them and consider what you would do in their shoes.
The plot revolves around Olivia, a 22-year-old who disappeared without a trace. During the investigation the DCI is provided with an ultimatum from a man to corrupt evidence to protect her family or risk losing her daughter forever by exposing the truth.
I wasn't the biggest fan of Julia's character but I loved the character arc's of Lewis, Emma, Mathew. So gripping and such a puzzle to find out what really happens to the girl who went missing. 4.5*...more
Nothing about this book is a secret. So why do I feel like I read a book written by a whistle-blower. In a eye-opening narrative (that lacks pacing inNothing about this book is a secret. So why do I feel like I read a book written by a whistle-blower. In a eye-opening narrative (that lacks pacing in parts) the author explores UPF in all its glory and highlights the impact it has on our bodies and on the planet. Will make me think twice when eating and reinforces just how important each and every contribution to the cause against UPF will impact generations to come. Policies need to change, inequality and poverty addressed and how doctors and medical professionals deal with obesity, mental health, weight all needs to be re-visited. Such a thought provoking, mind blowing read everyone needs to pick it up!
Quotes/
'Science is not a list of rules or facts, but a living argument.'
'And, at the same time as we've entered this unfamiliar food environment, we've also moved into a new, parallel ecosystem, one with its own arms races that are powered not by the flow of energy but by the flow of money. This is the new system of industrial food production. In this system we are the prey, the source of money that powers the system.'
'It damages human societies by displacing food cultures and driving inequality, poverty and early death, and that it damages the planet.'
'People with less money have higher rates of obesity.'
'We are ultra-processed people not just because of the food we eat. Most of the other products we buy are engineered to drive execs consumption; our phones and apps, our clothes, our social media, our games and television.'...more
After all that build up and what happened at the wedding, were not going to be told what Kit had done! Ummmm...okay! Side note I don't want to figure oAfter all that build up and what happened at the wedding, were not going to be told what Kit had done! Ummmm...okay! Side note I don't want to figure out what Kit might have done I WANT TO BE TOLD! ...more
Short but powerful. Brilliant trips and evidence proven to show how you can change your life with a strong morning routine by incorporating the SHINE Short but powerful. Brilliant trips and evidence proven to show how you can change your life with a strong morning routine by incorporating the SHINE routine in your life. I love the quote and how it breaks down each acronym and everything that goes with it. I will definitely it be using in my morning routine!...more
I always find myself thinking about my parents past and what they were like when they were younger. What they were like when they were my age or even I always find myself thinking about my parents past and what they were like when they were younger. What they were like when they were my age or even how life is so different for me compared to how it was for them. And I guess it is this that is the essence of the novel. Set during the pandemic and takes us back to the past of what reminded me of a mix of Hello Beautiful and 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It explores both youthful and married love, but also privilege, luck and happiness. I felt this book at the start has perfect pacing then it is slow and at the end really picks up. My favourite parts were the start, the bit with Uncle Wallace, the tennis (of course) Lara living again with her grandma and the final chapters. Her writing is beautiful and I have been WAITING to read Dutch House since I saw the beautiful cover in Waterstones (2019 yep that long ago) so can't wait to pick that up. 4.5*
Quotes/
'Live forever'
'Good marriages are never as interesting as bad affairs.' ...more
Loading...
