[Book] The Shakespeare Secret (JL Carrell)

I’ve been looking for Jennifer Lee Carrell’s Interred with Their Bones ever since I read a review of it in goodreads. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available in the Philippines back then (January 2008). When I realized that it was finally released here, it was 2009 and the book has a different title, The Shakespeare Secret. The book was renamed for British release and we got that title. (I think Interred With Their Bones is a good title, I wonder why they changed it.)

Anyway, The Shakespeare Secret revolves around Kate Stanley, a Shakespeare scholar who turned to theater directing. During one of her rehearsals for her play, Hamlet, she is visited by her old mentor, Rosalind Howard, who gave her a gift and a plea for help. Kate hesitated, and before they could talk about the gift and the message, Roz is murdered in the Globe Theater and the theater itself was burned. Kate is left with a clue to something she didn’t even know and a road that leads to danger.

As she tries to unlock more clues in her trail filled with Shakespearean riddles, Kate travels from UK to USA to find out about Shakespeare, his life, the identity of the writers of his plays and his lost plays. She meets people, both allies and enemies, plays games with death and danger, and slowly unlocks the mysteries surrounding Roz’s death and well, Shakespeare.

[Book] A Kiss from Maddalena (Christopher Castellani)

I normally skip romance novels and go straight to the thriller/mystery/fantasy ones when I visit bookstores. This one, however, caught my eye for some reason. It could be because of the red and light gold spine and cover or the intriguing title. Anyway, I picked it off the shelf and was intrigued. The setting of the story was in Italy around the time of World War II, specifically when German troops are attacking the Italian villages. Yes, I know I’m an addict. The first thing I thought of was Italy’s Hetalia, how uncool is that?

This book is Castellani’s debut novel. It is the story of two people, Vito and Maddalena. Vito Leone is about to turn eighteen and is nearly the last young man in the village (the rest were taken by soldiers to the battlefield). Before he leaves, he asks the young ladies for kisses, and he is most determined to receive a kiss from Maddalena Piccinelli, a beautiful girl from a rich family. Her family does not like him, her older sisters (who should be married first) snub him and thinks he’s a penniless fool. Her parents cannot accept him to be Maddalena’s suitor. However, Vito is decided to make the young woman fall for him and slowly, with his little actions of helping his mother and the ladies of the town, Maddalena sees the young man in a different and softer light.

However, their paths is obstructed by an American also desiring Maddalena’s hand. The war around them surges on, too, destroying their homes and forcing people to leave the town. Amidst the threat of being torn apart by war, Vito must prove his worth to the woman he loves and Maddalena must choose what her heart really desires.

I’m halfway done with the book at the moment. It is a little dragging at first, the events unfold a little too slowly. But I cannot deny that the book is engaging. You can’t help but read on, discover what Vito will do and how Maddalena reacts to him and vice versa. The every day occurrences in the village makes me appreciate how the people who aren’t soldiers live their life in the middle of war. The emphasis on Vito and his mother as well as the families in the village was poignant and realistic.

I was ready to put the book down the moment that I see any clues of a mushy historical romance novel. But “A Kiss from Maddalena” does not disappoint me. Yes, it is a romance novel but no, it is not. I read the events of how Vito slowly tried to win Maddalena and I witness their exchanges, their movements, etc. But they aren’t written in a way usual scenes in romance novels are written. The scenes are not out of place or offensive. They simply melded with the daily events of the story well. There are some things that are left inadequately described, inviting the readers to read between the lines. It’s not the usual love story that makes me cringe and I love it. The kiss, as the title implies, is more than what Vito was aiming for and the story shows us how Maddalena’s kiss, which she was reluctant to give, could be so meaningful.

Hello world!

Affascinante is my home for non-fandom things: books, music, thoughts. The entries here may also be reposted in my dreamwidth blog. All written here are my opinions and thoughts.