Welcome back to another Recently Read post here on the blog! This one should have been posted back in May, but I decided I’d do a binge of 8 seasons of a TV series instead of actually sitting down to read a book–Oops!
I will admit that 2 out of these 3 books were a little harder to get into than I thought. Norse Mythology was surprisingly trickier, it being a collection of short stories as opposed to one long running story, and The Secret, well that’s a real mess with your head kinda book. Let’s get into it:
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
In 2006, a groundbreaking feature-length film revealed the great mystery of the universe – The Secret. Later that year, Rhonda Byrne followed with a book that became a worldwide bestseller.
The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers – men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.
I picked this one up on the recommendation of a colleague in work, she said that it will change my outlook on everything and that even celebrities are known to use The Secret to help them get what they want. I devoured the first 50-odd pages, taking everything in as if it were gospel. It didn’t take long for me to realize that it is not gospel, so much as just a frame of mind, or an outlook on life. I struggled to pick it up after this stage of the book, dipping in and out, picking it up here and there, but in the end I didn’t actually finish reading it. I think something like The Secret is a kind of book that you need to read yourself and take your own opinion from it. I dunno, maybe I just wasn’t in the right place when I decided to read this, maybe I’ll pick it up again somewhere down the line and my thoughts and feelings will have changed towards it.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok.
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassed manipulator.
Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelist arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.
Alas, another Did Not Finish book, but through no fault of the book, but my own. I have a love hate relationship with short stories. I love reading them, but not an entire collection. I tried to read this as if it were a regular novel, and even though all the characters were the same, the different stories in each ‘chapter’ didn’t appeal to me. I have gotten so used to reading longer prose, and chapter books, that dipping in and out of different stories every couple of pages becomes quite chore-some. I wouldn’t mind but I had just picked this up after re-watching the first Thor movie, and going to see Avengers Endgame, which has a strong connection to the Norse Gods, so I thought I’d devour this. I will in time return to this book and finish the other stories that I didn’t read, because those that I did read were very enjoyable.
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
All Stevie Bell wanted was to find the key to the Ellingham mystery, but instead she found her classmate dead. And while she solved that murder, the crimes of the past are still waiting in the dark. Just as Stevie feels she’s on the cusp of putting it together, her parents pull her out of Ellingham academy.
For her own safety they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Now that Stevie’s away from the school of topiaries and secret tunnels, and her strange and endearing friends, she begins to feel disconnected from the rest of the world. At least she won’t have to see David anymore. David, who she kissed. David, who lied to her about his identity—son of despised politician Edward King. Then King himself arrives at her house to offer a deal: He will bring Stevie back to Ellingham immediately. In return, she must play nice with David. King is in the midst of a campaign and can’t afford his son stirring up trouble. If Stevie’s at school, David will stay put.
The tantalizing riddles behind the Ellingham murders are still waiting to be unraveled, and Stevie knows she’s so close. But the path to the truth has more twists and turns than she can imagine—and moving forward involves hurting someone she cares for. In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel of the Truly Devious series, nothing is free, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.
The Vanishing Stair is the 2nd book in the Truly Devious Trilogy. I read Truly Devious back in March when HarperCollins Ireland kindly gifted me a copy of the paperback which had been just released at the time (read the micro-review on my Instagram: @dean.kealy). I recently then allowed a work colleague to borrow it, and she loved it so much that she sought out the sequel, The Vanishing Stair, from her local library, and also allowed me to borrow it. I hadn’t a clue it was out already and was overjoyed to find out. For this alone, I give author Maureen Johnson kudos. I’m not a fan of books in series. It’s very rare that a story told across multiple books captivates me, but this was one of them. (off the top of my head Harry Potter and E.R. Murray’s Nine Lives series are the only others to do so). Without spoiling The Vanishing Stair, its a good ol’ fashioned murder mystery who-dunnit. It continues the mystery from the first book as well as the original murders that took place in the 1930’s at the Ellingham Academy–so you’re getting two for the price of one! If you’re a fan of murder mysteries and thrillers I definitely recommend, as there are also references to detective legends such as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot!
With that, I give you my Recently Read June Edition, and I leave you asking: What books have you recently read? Have you read and/or will you read any of these? 🙂
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