Eve Koguce's Blog, page 6

My Love Story by Tina Turner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The words that came first to my mind when I started writing a review of Tina Turner’s autobiography “My Love Story” – simply the best. I know it’s incredibly lame and exactly what can be expected when discussing the queen of rock & roll. But Tina Turner was so extraordinary, with her volcanic energy that is truly unsurpassed among past, present, and possibly future singers, that the line from the iconic song doesn’t seem ill-fitting here.

“…the truth is, it didn’t matter if five people came, or five hundred, I always believed that the audience was entitled to the same wonderful show…”

When I read this, it struck me that this is probably the reason why so many people fell in love with Tina Turner’s songs when they saw her performing on stage. They felt that for her, it was important that they have a good time. She didn’t do it for the money or only because she couldn’t earn money in any other way. For her, singing was a natural part of who she was. Performing was how she expressed herself; it brought her pure joy and true satisfaction. Nothing else could replace it, and that’s why she accepted the hardships that her career as a performing singer had brought with it.

I already mentioned in my review of Mariah Carey’s memoir that I’ve never been a fan of any particular artist or band. Maybe it’s because I grew up without MTV. Well, I did watch it, but I was already in my late teens when it came to the households in my part of the world, and by that time, my heart had already belonged to books. Anyway, what I want to say is that I’m not an expert in celebrities’ lives, and almost everything I read in their biographies and memoirs is news to me. I didn’t know much about Tina Turner’s personal life and her marriages before I read this book. Similarly, I had only vague knowledge of Mariah Carey’s personal circumstances. So I believe I’m not biased in the impressions I got from reading both divas’ memoirs.

Tina Turner’s first husband was not a good man. He was violent, abusive, and made her go through hell. Beatings were an integral part of their family life. Still, in her memoir, Tina Turner writes, “Why, I wonder, didn’t Ike treat me better?.. If he had been kind to me, if he’d been caring and respectful, I would have wanted to stay.” She analyses why Ike Turner was aggressive, and while she in no way justifies him, she shares an honest portrayal of him with us readers.

Since I read the autobiographies of both mega stars back to back, I couldn’t escape making some comparisons. Mariah Carey’s first husband made her a star when she was barely twenty. He didn’t beat her or make her come up on stage and perform two days after she gave birth to a child (It was Ike Turner who did that to Tina Turner). He controlled her career and didn’t let her express her opinions about the music business during dinners with friends. While I don’t argue that this marriage had its issues and Mariah Carey had every right to feel unhappy, reading about a physically degrading, life-threatening relationship Tina Turner had the strength and courage to escape but not before going through much suffering made me see a stark difference between an unhappy and a truly abusive marriage.

For me, reading each superstar’s story about their rising to stardom is fascinating. Talent is rare, but success is even more so. Why did Tina Turner become a legend and some other girl with a big voice from a small town didn’t? I think that it happened partly because she wasn’t afraid to dream.
“…I had dreams, and they were big. I wanted to fill concert halls and arenas, like the Rolling Stones…”

Tina Turner had dreams, and they drove her forward. But she also had the courage to pursue them, persistence not to give up on them, and a sense of humour to smile at her failures and always move on.



View all my reviews
My Love Story

The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have mixed emotions after reading this book. I did enjoy it. Mariah Carey does what she promises at the beginning of her memoir: she tells her story as she has lived it. She shares, I believe, honestly, how different situations and different people in her life made her feel and what she was thinking when the events she describes happened. The narrative gets a little muddled up in places, and it isn’t clear if it was the author’s intention to leave the readers in the dark about some aspects or if it is the result of editorial interference.

“The Meaning of Mariah Carey” by Mariah Carey is a treat for all the singer's fans. I can’t call myself such – I’ve never been a true, die-hard fan of any band or singer – but some of her songs are indeed among my all-time favourite ones. It was somewhat embarrassing to find out from this memoir that these are her least favourite pieces. I hadn’t thought about it before from such a perspective, but after reading this book, I realised that, since my early teenage years, I obviously have a strong preference towards ‘adult contemporary’ music. Which is the genre Mariah Carey was trying to move away from since the beginning of her career. It was always met with strong opposition from her managers – and while she was married to a music business executive, from her husband.

As I mentioned earlier in this review, the story seemed somewhat uneven, with some things left unsaid. While I respect the author’s possible unwillingness to share some specific moments of her life, I, as a reader, found it distracting. For example, Mariah Carey spares no words describing her childhood, with all the troubles her family had gone through – with the emphasis of what she personally had gone through as the result of these hardships. Which, again, is totally fine. It is her memoir after all. But due to that repeated emphasis, that, I presume, was meant to persuade readers about her point of view about her family members and their behaviour towards her, I felt I wasn’t seeing the whole picture.

The singer comes from a mixed-race family. While stressing the difficulties she herself had to undergo during her life because of her ancestry, the author doesn’t dwell much on what her parents had endured. She wasn’t close to any of her parents, and probably she never talked to them about it. It is understandable; yet, for me, it seemed crucial to understand her parents a little better to be able to sympathise with their children’s predicaments.

The most confusing moment of this book is a fast-forward from the author’s troubled childhood to living on her own in New York. During that very childhood, filled with traumatic events, she had gotten a chance to participate in a rather serious music/talent camp, where her mother, as far as I understood from the unclear context, had put quite an effort into placing her. I am not trying to be nasty here. The author claims that her mother never supported her dream of a career as a singer. Yet, even that single thing (and there were more) – going the extra mile so her daughter had an opportunity to be around like-minded people and display her talent – contradicts this statement.

In one chapter we read about a difficult childhood and then, in the next, the author, at the age of seventeen, lives in New York and already has a job as a back vocalist for some guys who aren’t new in the music business. How did Mariah Carey meet these people? Maybe, for some readers, it would seem irrelevant. But for me, it is a crucial moment. The small thing that changes one’s life forever. I would’ve certainly appreciated knowing more about that.

The author tells the story of her unhappy marriage to the man who made her a star. There is absolutely no doubt that Mariah Carey possesses a unique talent. Hers is one of the most powerful singing voices on the popular music scene. But, even though it’s sad to admit it, without that chance I mentioned in the previous paragraph, any magnificent talent can remain undiscovered, unappreciated, and unknown. It is enough to watch an episode of a popular talent discovery show. So many fabulous voices, so many apparent talents – and for most, participating in that show is the only moment of spotlight they get to experience in their lives.

Despite all the issues that I found confusing while reading, I am glad I have picked up and read this book. I love reading biographies and memoirs, for, even if their authors are biased toward the person whose life they document or stars themselves don’t share everything openly, these books offer an unprecedented insight into extraordinary lives – the ones lived in the way that millions dream about living, not really realising the other side of fame and fortune.




View all my reviews
The Meaning of Mariah Carey

The Kon-Tiki Expedition by Thor Heyerdahl

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Last year, I visited the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway. Despite having visited the Nordic capital many times since my very first visit back in 2001, for some reason I had never ventured to the so-called ‘museum island.’ I am glad that travelling with my family forced me to look for the entertainment opportunities my son could appreciate and we ended up spending time in this fabulous place.

The Kon-Tiki Museum is an impressive place. What I thought would be a brief walk-through visit turned into a few hours of browsing around the halls full of evidence of incredible adventures. We discussed what we had seen for a long time after we returned home from Oslo. And then, my husband found “The Kon-Tiki Expedition” by Thor Heyerdahl in our vast, combined library. He read it to our son before bedtime, and their laughter and excited exclamations piqued my curiosity. They told me during breakfast the next day about the adventures of the Kon-Tiki expedition members with such enthusiasm that I too wanted to read that book. Besides, my husband told me that my writing journey reminds him of Thor Heyerdahl and his determination to accomplish something he passionately believed in. Almost no one believed he could do it – cross the Pacific Ocean on a flimsy raft - my husband said, just like nobody thinks you can make it as a writer. You must read it, he concluded, because it is so incredibly inspiring.

So, I have read it, and I am very happy that I have. I thought it would be a boring description of monotonous days at sea, written in the dry manner of a meticulous scientist. Instead, it turned out to be fast-paced, with more twists and turns than a fiction novel. I think the compelling manner in which the book is written reflects both the vivid personality of Thor Heyerdahl and his deep passion for his research subject. His enthusiasm about the expedition, which was considered by some as absolutely insane and by others pseudo-scientific, spills out from the pages. And you begin feeling the same way. Almost childishly excited about the whole thing, wishing with all your heart for the dangerous and reckless voyage to be a success.

It is a wasted effort to try reciting the plot. Six bearded guys on a raft built using some ancient sketches crossing the ocean in an attempt to prove that such journey is possible. This book is not about what happened to these six adventure seekers. Although the things that happened to them while they sailed across the waters of the Pacific are very interesting to read about. To me, this book is about the power of one person’s determination to achieve the unachievable. So many times the Kon-Tiki expedition was dangling on a thread. A less determined person would have dropped the idea. But Thor Heyerdahl wanted to prove his theories with such passion that it pulled other enthusiasts into his orbit. It was as if fate itself wanted him to succeed and began helping him at one point when it was clear that this man wouldn’t give up.

Meeting the deep-sea beasts no one knew existed, catching the exotic fish nobody had seen in the flesh, playing with sharks as if they were kittens - “The Kon-Tiki Expedition” is full of things most of us couldn’t have imagined before reading this book. Just like my husband had said when urged me to read it, it indeed has been a highly motivating and inspiring reading experience.



View all my reviews
The Kon-Tiki Expedition

Meant to Be by Melody Grace

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was a perfect comfort read I needed to take my mind off too many things I have to deal with at the moment. I enjoyed the sweet love story and the small-town setting. I am not a fan of books or movies with writers as main characters, but this time, it didn’t bother me.

“Meant to Be” by Melody Grace is the first book of the Sweetbriar Cove series. Sweetbriar Cove is a fictional seaside town located in a popular tourist area. Poppy Somerville runs to this picturesque spot to come to terms with the life-changing decision she has just made. She also hopes to finish writing her latest book here. It seems an ideal place to do that in peace and quiet before the summer season begins. As you can guess, it doesn’t go according to her plan. Poppy doesn’t have even a moment of peace once she arrives at her aunt’s cottage. She meets Cooper Nicholson who threatens to complicate her life even more – and not only by spoiling her sleep with loud construction works next door.

The book is on the steamy side. Still, apart from that, there are cute side characters youMeant to Be’ll be curious to learn more about (which you can do by reading the next books of the series), the comforting vibe of a small seaside town, tempting food descriptions and the overall feel-good vibe.

I have a two-book edition with the first and second instalments of the series on my Kindle, and when I’m in the mood for a tick-all-boxes romance story, I’ll read the next story set in charming Sweetbriar Cove.




View all my reviews

Let's Write a Six-Word Story or a Poem by M.A. Quigley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


In the middle of a self-inflicted break from writing, this book is exactly what I need to keep my creative spark crackling. “Let's Write a Six-Word Story or a Poem” by M.A. Quigley is a wonderful source of inspiration for everyone for whom words are the way of expressing themselves.

I like the method the author offers to make your imagination’s gear wheels move faster. Now, after looking at any random image I see on the web or in a magazine, the story about it builds up in my head. And I must say it is more exciting to look at the world this way.

We don’t see and perceive what surrounds us in the same way. The author shows us the diversity and power of human imagination by sharing people’s creative responses to the same pictures. It is incredible how varied our reactions are to the same things. A seemingly similar story can be told in a completely different manner by different people.

Whether you only think about trying to write something or writing has long become an integral part of your life, this book has something to expand creative horizons for everyone.



View all my reviews
Let's Write a Six-Word Story or a Poem

The 31 Days of May by Helen Aitchison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“The 31 Days of May” by Helen Aitchison is about grief and hope, the two sides of an intricate coin we call life. It is going to be challenging to share my impressions about this book without giving away any spoilers, but I will try.

May is twenty-four. She isn’t the most sociable person, and she struggles in some situations which to others seem mundane and not worth paying extra attention to. Still, May has a comfortable life, with a few people who love her and appreciate her the way she is, her studies and plans for her future dream career. When the tragedy hits, May isn’t prepared for the challenges it brings in addition to the devastating feeling of loss. She tries to continue as before, even though it is harder for her than for more outgoing people. But when a new tragedy follows, having not given her enough time to get over the previous one, May begins a precarious slide downhill.

"She realised now that sometimes it seems easier to let the depths take you when you’re already drowning rather than to swim hard against the tide and search for a life raft." May is ready to succumb to the depths her grief is sucking her into. Yet, she does it her own way. Even the black despair that seems to have consumed her cannot change who she is. And May is someone who must have a plan. She likes predictability and structure. So, she applies these things even in a situation that for others screams ‘impulsivity’ and ‘recklessness’.

And here, the laws of life, which are beyond our control, seem to step in. Before, being different felt like a burden to May, with her missing the opportunities for friendship and socialising. Now, her meticulousness might give her an opportunity to arrive at the stage when she is capable of wrapping her mind around the universal wisdom: "The only way to go when your arse is on the bottom is up."

Still, life gives as much as it takes away. Will May be strong enough to realise another axiom: "And love doesn’t end when a life does"?

“The 31 Days of May” has a lot to offer to every reader who appreciates stories about the intricacies of real life. It has likeable characters aplenty, the plotlines many of us can relate to, food for reflection and much more. For me personally, it was a special delight to read the scenes with a four-legged Alexander and learn about the tremendous role a fluffy ginger tabby charmer played in May’s story.



View all my reviews
The 31 Days of May

Queen of the Immortals by T.R. Hamby

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Are you ready for a wonderfully disturbing and spine-tingling reading experience – for some, probably to the extreme? If so, don’t hesitate to grab book two of the Banished series by T.R. Hamby after finishing book one.

“Queen of the Immortals” picks up right where book one “King of the Wicked” ended in a massive cliffhanger. The reader gets thrown back into the middle of the crisis from which the characters aren’t sure they would emerge untouched – and even alive.

Mel and Michael, the non-angelic Angels, stay true to their controversial nature of creatures who had lived for millennia. They are the strongest Angels Father has created. But their vulnerabilities borne from too-long and not-always-bright life experience put them in danger’s way regularly. They rebel against Father’s decisions, as well as against their deep desire to forgive each other for what they had done to each other and unite in the battle with evil Angels who threaten humans.

Nora and Gilla, two humans who had been fighting their inner demons after going through traumatic events, have become more than humans. Father – who isn’t the all-forgiving and kind God – fiddles with their fates as if playing a chess game. Nora and Gilla are now warriors. But is the mission God has pushed on them something they can actually handle?

In book two, new characters join the quest of neutralising evil Angels. We get to know Michael’s children and see more of his and Mel’s sisters. The geography of the plot changes from Rome to London, Swedish wilderness and also some Irish countryside.

The book contains graphic scenes of violence and explicit intimate scenes some readers might find disturbing. Also, religious people might find the portrayal of God and the handling of the topics of faith offensive.

One of the themes the book tackles – an open relationship – made me think about my own position on the subject. I contemplated why people choose to stay faithful to their life partners. Is the fear of condemnation the only reason or for some, it isn’t a choice but a natural behaviour stemming from their true wishes rather than the principles forced on them?

I am looking forward to reading the final instalment of the Banished series “Lord of Legions”.



View all my reviews
Queen of the Immortals

The Unexpected Queen by A.R. Kaufer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I like books that have the elusive quality of lulling you into the story. You can’t explain it with logic. The inexplicable pull is just there, and you fall under its spell. “The Unexpected Queen” by A.R. Kaufer had this quality for me. Once I started reading it, it felt as if gently rocking waves carried me away into the ocean and held me, swaying me gently.

I was mesmerised by Sera’s daily routine, and soon, I felt like I fell into her life’s pace, working at the stall at the market selling the unique fruit she had created and caring for the people who seemingly didn’t deserve her dedication.

When Sera sees Dankin for the first time, she has no idea that her established – even if unhappy – life is about to change forever. Moreover, in a way, she couldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams – or nightmares.

I appreciated that the characters didn’t always act in ways that would make readers like them or sympathise with them. I also liked that nineteen-year-old Sera didn’t behave like a mature woman. Her feelings and decisions were the ones of a young girl, fresh and naïve even though her life had taught her a few tough lessons. She made rushed decisions but was also capable of forgiveness. She fought against the choices that were forced on her but adapted to the consequences when she saw the good side of what happened to her.

The relationship between Sera and Dankin is a knot of controversies and sharp edges. And that is what makes it special.

The fantasy setting and elements were especially exciting since I have never read anything like this before. Well, except the picture book I loved as a child made for little fans of a legendary Disney animation movie. I won’t say anything about the plot since it would be impossible to evade spoilers. I did enjoy the ‘I didn’t expect that’ effect and don’t want to spoil the surprise for other readers.




View all my reviews
The Unexpected Queen

RECKLESS TRUST by Susan Cochran

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a head-spinning journey through the world of the rich and famous reading this book has been! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I am glad I already have the remaining two books of the series on my Kindle.

“Reckless Trust” by Susan Cochran ticks all the right boxes. Political intrigues that push people to do horrible things. Family secrets revealed after decades of staying buried under layers of lies. The shine and the beauty of the lifestyle of those who made it big in life.

Grace isn’t a regular adoptee. She didn’t have to go through the hardships of the foster care system we often see in tv series, movies, and books. She was adopted as an infant by a wealthy woman and had a wonderful life growing up. Grace is a lovely character, with all the naïve but likeable ideas to make a career without using her famous mom’s connections and influence.

A project at work leads Grace to take a DNA test. She cannot imagine how dramatically her life will change when she decides to contact her biological family.

The book is definitely a page-turner. As the story dug deeper into the characters’ pasts, I wanted to learn more. And it felt extremely satisfying when yet another secret that tickled my imagination was uncovered. I also enjoyed travelling with the characters between Washington DC, New York and the Bay Area, visiting formal dinners at the White House and the picturesque family ranch in rural California.

I appreciate that alongside the glamorous picture of what life is for those in the upper echelons, the author tackles acute social issues, such as a crime level rising and the dangers it poses to the less privileged.

I’m looking forward to learning what’s in store for Grace after the life-altering events of “Reckless Trust”.




View all my reviews
RECKLESS TRUST

Niagara Falling by Sheila Fowler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a perfect combination of sweet romance and tear-jerker this book is! “Niagara Falling” by Sheila Fowler was exactly what I needed to escape the everyday stress by immersing myself in the story.

I liked everything about this feel-good book. The main setting – a tourist spot Niagara Falls – is my kind of place, with its natural grandeur and tourists sometimes performing weird escapades. And you can’t really go wrong with putting New York City in the plot. The same goes for dogs. There are some wonderful dogs in the book who take cuteness to a different level. The main characters’ families are such that you want to be adopted by them right away.

The love story is beautiful, with just the right dose of serious issues, steam, and ‘I wish it happened to me’ moments.

Elie is young, pretty, and a little careless about her expenses. Her day job is helping tourists who come to see the legendary waterfall, but her dream is to become an actress. The author did a great job portraying Elie authentically, giving her the naivete of a young woman. I loved Elie’s ‘voice’ while reading.

Michael is a veterinarian who threw himself into helping pets and their owners after the loss of his wife.

When Elie and Michael meet, they cannot imagine where it would lead them. And so can’t we readers!

“Niagara Falling” is the kind of comfort read that will make the butterflies flutter in your stomach – in the most delicious way.




View all my reviews
Niagara Falling