I wish someone had told me that, I would have read it years ago!

But let me be more clear. The Phantom of the Opera might be considered a romance, if you consider unhealthy relationships romantic.*

I personally would classify it as a Mystery/Gothic novel. It kind if reminded me of Frankenstein, because of the dark plot, dramatic characters and the ugly misunderstood villain. Also the permanent sense that something is about to go very wrong.

Overall, I think it was a fun experience, even if it takes time to get to the fun parts. I also disliked all the characters, but I think that works well for this book. I was there just for the mystery and drama, anyway.

*I might be exaggerating a bit for the sake of comedy, but I do believe that this novel’s genre is not “Romance”.

The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of an opera house haunted by a mysterious man with a dead’s head. It is not clear to anyone whether the Opera Ghost is a real apparition or just a disfigured, wretched man who lives inside the opera. The narrator of the book, an investigator who apparently interviewed most of the characters, tells us that everything we are reading is real, and provides letters and transcriptions to tell the whole story (I found that really cool).

First we get to know Christine Daaé, a soprano singer who has been receiving lessons from an “Angel of music”. This Angel is such a great teacher that the first night Christine sings in a leading role ends in astonishing success. She sings so beautifully that one of her childhood friends, Raoul de Changy, who was listening in the public, suddenly recalls his undying love for her.

Raoul tries to get in touch with Christine after the show, and she rejects him. But he feels entitled to her love, so he keeps trying to be with her and follows her, and that’s when he discovers that she might be rejecting him because someone is forcing her.

Christine also sends Raoul mixed messages. Sometimes she accepts his romantic gestures, sometimes she ignores him. She is scared because her Angel of music is starting to sound really jealous. And at the same time, the Opera Ghost is getting angrier.

And I won’t say much about the ghost because it’s more fun if you read the book. But he’s an ugly ghost, not like in the musical/movie. And he’s not nice at all.

1. You are a fan of Gothic/horror novels: If you are into Gothic novels, I’m pretty sure you will like this one. If you’re a horror fan, you might find it a bit boring at first (there’s not a lot of action in the first 1/3 of the book), but it pays off at the end.
2. You like Frankenstein: I love Frankenstein and since I read it a couple of years ago I hadn’t found similar books, until this one. It has a similar atmosphere and characters (especially the ugly misunderstood villain). 
3. You want to read more classics to get the references: A few months ago I got Roseblood by A.G. Howard, a YA novel that is also a retelling of The Phantom. And I really wanted to read the original first so I could get all the references and enjoy it more!

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(Maybe.)

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood hits too close to home with a fictional story about a country moved by sexism, racism and radical conservative beliefs. I’m a big fan of speculative fiction and dystopian settings, so this book and I got along really well. Though it has a couple of slow chapters at the beginning, I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook* because of the permanent sense of dread. It also has really strong commentaries about ‘modern day society’ (even though the book came out in 1985).

*The audiobook is narrated by Claire Danes and she did a great job! If you visit the Amazon link you can listen to an online sample. (Audible also offers two free audiobooks if you get the 30 day trial – just remember to cancel your membership before 30 days! -)

The Handmaid’s Tale is the story of Offred (which literally means ‘Of Fred’, because she belongs to a guy called Fred). Offred lives in what used to be the United States, but it’s now called Gilead and is ruled by some fanatics who started a revolution and won. The Republic of Gilead blames women for the rising infertility problems and birth defects that affect the country. So they decide that the few fertile women that aren’t ‘rightfully wedded‘ must serve as concubines and bear children for the high class families. Non-married infertile women can either marry and be their husband’s servant, or serve as maids/slaves.**

During her stay at Fred’s house Offred is forced to be a handmaid, which means she’s a slave that does daily chores and also tries to get pregnant with her owner’s baby. She also struggles with her own feelings about the Republic of Gilead, since she remembers the old times when women were free. The flashbacks of her past are the scariest parts of this story. They show how easily people can turn against each other when they believe there won’t be repercussions. And they show how easy it is to turn a blind eye when bad things happen to other people.

Offred remembers and reflects about this stuff. She wonders if she’s the only one who hasn’t been brainwashed yet. She wonders if the neighbor’s handmaid is a true believer of Gilead, because she watches her so much. And she wonders if the resistance is real. 

* *Men also suffer in this new society because their rights are extremely limited. The are forced to work for the government and accept a certain religion. People in general is condemned to death for being a certain race or homosexual.  

1. You are a fan of dystopian novels: If you are into dystopian novels, or YA dystopias, but want to try something more adult, this one might be a great start. It is an easy read, a little more than 300 pages and the story always keeps you wanting to read more.
2. You want to get into speculative fiction: With this I mean books like 1984 and Brave New World, that describe how they imagine our future will be, but in an exaggerated way. (Like adding brainwashing, super strict governments or incredibly advanced technology).
3. You saw the trailer for the new Hulu series and want more: A few days ago Hulu published the trailer for their new Handmaid’s Tale series. And it looks really cool (and faithful to the book)!

Add to your library: 

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Then you should totally read Emma by Jane Austen!

Emma is a young, rich, clever and beautiful heroine. She is kinda spoiled and stubborn, and is always playing the matchmaker among her friends. And she actually does it well, at least until Harriet enters the picture. If you have ever watched a chick-flick movie about a popular girl giving a makeover to a less popular girl and trying to ‘control her‘ after, well, you know what happens next. 

Harriet’s love life is not as easy to arrange as Emma expected, but she won’t give up. Emma will insist on finding a worthy suitor for her friend and no one, not even her dear friend and adviser Mr. Knightley, will make her give up.

This novel is half comedy (with a bunch of satire), half romance and makes a great comfort read. Even if Emma is a little too obstinate sometimes, she’s charming and witty enough to be likable (or at least bearable).

1. You are a Jane Austen fan: If you read and loved Pride and Prejudice (or loved the movie), you should totally give Emma a try. A lot of people, myself included, actually liked Emma more than her other more than her other books.
2. You enjoy chick-flicks: For me, Emma is the ultimate ‘girly’ book. It has romance, friendship, comedy, witty comebacks, swoon-worthy guys, a heroine finding out what she wants, and more romance.
3. You like ‘comedies of manners’: You know, the kind of comedy that is satire in disguise, making fun of the exaggerated manners of certain social classes that often conclude in scandals. (And by scandal I mean marrying someone slightly less rich).
4. You enjoy historial period dramas like Downton Abbey: Just imagine that the characters in Emma are part of the Crawley family. Can you picture Lady Rose playing the matchmaker and trying to form couples everywhere? But at the same time, never finding the right man for her…? Well, that’s Emma Woodhouse! 

Do you like Jane Austen’s books? Which one is your favorite? I’ve read Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I’m taking recommendations on what to read next!

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If you said “Dystopia again?” then you are completely right! I love me some classic dystopian novels… The chosen one for this month was Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Fahrenheit 451 is about a guy called Guy whose job is to burn books. He lives in a dystopian version of the United States where EVERYTHING is extremely censored. Books are not allowed because they leave too much to the imagination and people would start getting ideas, and thinking!* So the government controls the only media available, television. (There’s no Internet on this fictional universe – talk about dystopia!).

Since everyone is so used to watch television all day and being told what to think, not a lot of people dare or even think about having books. But some of them still do, that’s why firemen go to their homes and burn them down. This guy Guy finds his job as a fireman really pleasurable, until he meets a teenager named Clarisse. She’s young and energetic and likes to question everything. When Clarisse questions him about his job, his life and whether he is happy doing what he does, something inside Guy changes. He discovers that his feelings are not his own, and that he has been thinking and living just as he was told. After that, Guy gets a wild idea that he can’t get out of his head. He wonders how it feels to read a book instead of burning it.

*Just as Gaston would say, huh? No one defends censorship like Gaston! 

1. You are a fan of dystopian novels: If you are into YA dystopian novels but want to try something more adult, this one might be a great start. It is a light read, a little more than 200 pages and it is really easy to get into. 
2. You are interested in Ray Bradbury: What I like the most about Bradbury’s style is that it almost feels like science-fiction… but it’s not! Most of his works are like this. His characters live in the future and they might have rockets or robots, but his stories won’t center on any of these. His books are about people, about feelings and thoughts, about problems he saw in society. If you would like a taste of his work you can read some of his short stories, I especially liked The Veldt.
3. You hate censorship: I think most of us hate censorship, especially when it comes to banning books! And I guess it would be interesting to read a novel that was inspired by a book burning threat in the United States!

Do you have a favorite dystopian novel? And… will you add Fahrenheit 451 to your TBR? I totally recommend Ray Bradbury’s books (and short stories!). Also, let me know in the comments if there is a classic novel that you would like to see reviewed.

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This time I chose 1984 by George Orwell. Because dystopian novels make my world go round…

In 1984 (supposedly in the near future) there’s a guy called Winston Smith whose work is to rewrite history. Imagine a world similar to The Hunger Games but without the games. They have the same totalitarian government that spies on people and controls them by fear. But instead of The Capitol and President Snow, 1984 has The Party and the Big Brother. This Big Brother is the supreme leader and everyone in Oceania (Hunger Games’ Panem) MUST love him. 

So, this guy Winston has a pretty average job. He goes to the office everyday and receives a bunch of papers with the new truths out there. If the Party has decided that a certain event in history makes them look bad, or contradict themselves, they just ask Winston to erase that event from books and any kind of media. And from that moment, everyone must forget about that event, person or statement.

To make sure that everyone is behaving just like they should, the Big Brother has microphones and cameras literally EVERYWHERE. There’s no place to hide – just like in those awful reality shows amusingly called Big Brother. On top of that, 1984 has its own Peacekeepers, they are either spies or normal citizens, encouraged by the Big Brother to denounce suspicious activities (and by suspicious activities I mean expressing negative thoughts about the government and not loving the Big Brother).

Our protagonist Winston, by the way, is in terrible danger, since he actually hates the Big Brother and has the courage to write about it in his diary (blasphemy!). And it doesn’t stay just at ‘crimethink‘, because he’s lucky enough to meet Julia, another rebel hiding in plain sight. Both of them overcome their greatest fear and dare to speak aloud about their thoughts, something that could easily get them killed. 

1) YA readers that want to check out a classic. If you are a fan of dystopian series like The Hunger Games, Divergent or Delirium, 1984 might be the easiest and most enjoyable approach to classic literature. What is better is that 1984 probably influenced the authors of your favorite books. You might notice it because of the same kind of totalitarian government, the ban on individualism and how their own Big Brother always relies on the weakness of isolated people. 

Reading a classic might feel different from a YA novel because of the language. But don’t let this one intimidate you! 1984 is a light read with a bunch of familiar concepts and an entertaining plot. But most of all, it is a book that will make you think (which is funny, because the characters in the book were not allowed to do this).

2) Fans of other dystopian works. Like Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451. I think anyone who liked those novels should give 1984 a chance. The three of them are extremely different on their approaches to dystopia (either with fear, ignorance or apathy). But what brings them together is the certainty that something evil awaits. And that humankind will be condemned the day we stop thinking and making questions. (And that’s honestly really cool to read).

3) Anyone. 1984 was the first dystopian book I read, and the one that made me a fan of the genre. So I would say anyone could potentially like it. (But I guess it’s the same with any book…). If you find the plot interesting, if you want to read more classic books, if you want to read one of the most famous social critics or a theory about how our future will be, pick this up :). 

Are you a fan of dystopian novels? Which one is your favorite? And… will you add 1984 to your TBR? I swear it’s awesome! Thought my boyfriend insists that Brave New World is better…

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When I first got it I expected a female version of The Catcher in the Rye, because I knew it had to do with alienation. But this story is completely the opposite. Holden Caulfield is a cynical teenager fighting to be himself in a world of ‘phonies’ while The Bell Jar’s protagonist, Esther Greenwood, fights to fit-in and to meet everyone’s expectations. This is honestly the most realistic coming-of-age story I have read.

Esther seems to have it all, she’s talented, smart, successful and apparently wins every scholarship and prize she applies for. But she gradually notices that she has no interest in any of that. Or in anything at all, even though she tries.

I think those who have dealt with depression will recognize Esther’s feelings and understand her subsequent reactions. She slowly starts to recognize them herself, describing them as a bell jar over her head, keeping her from breathing fresh air.

The prose in this book is beautiful and sometimes poetic. Esther’s thoughts are relatable for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by society’s expectations.  This is not just about being a woman, or growing up in the early 60’s, it’s about the pressure of being raised to be successful, and finding oneself wondering Why.

Esther’s downward spiral starts this way, and it doesn’t stop until her own reasoning conduces her to plan her suicide.

This novel offers a great opportunity to enter the mind of someone dealing with a mental illness. And that’s why I think everyone should read it, either to understand how our friends or relatives might be feeling or to have the chance to read in someone else’s words what we might be experiencing.

I didn’t want to be caught in the meme of trigger warnings, but I truly recommend you approach the book with caution, as it might indeed trigger people dealing with depression.

I found myself enjoying the first few chapters but experiencing a feeling of dread towards the middle. Getting in the mind of a disturbed narrator is not an easy task, especially because the reader might start to think all that insanity makes sense. Good thing this is a short read. The paperback is under 250 pages and the prose is light enough to feel modern and easy to understand.

I just chose to read it in small doses and talk to someone after reading, that way I could discuss Esther’s feelings and how they related (or not) to mine.

By the end I was glad I kept reading it and would definitely re-read it in the future. This is one of those stories that will stay with me.

What are your thoughts on this book? Have you read something similar? I would love more recommendations

To fill your bookshelf:

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