“I have been many things in life… But nothing has shaped my life as much as surviving the Pol Pot regime. I am a survivor of the Cambodian holocaust. That’s who I am.” (page 1) In this emotional retelling, Haing S. Ngor relives the brutal treatments he was exposed to…
When the rich decide to arrange a wedding, they go big and the DeBleu/Banks is definitely a grand wedding fiesta. A week-long celebration in a fancy spa hotel, surrounded by friends and family, who can all seemingly afford to quaff champagne like most people drink water. Of course, that doesn’t…
Bruges is probably best known for its abundance of luxurious chocolate shops and a wide selection of flavoured beers. With its cobbled streets, medieval buildings and a multitude of canals to explore it is not surprising that this gothic, Flemish city has grown in popularity in recent years. Whether you…
Four ladies, one chocolate shop: this is the place where secrets are told and calories are consumed. Chocolate Heaven it seems is the place to hang out. The only requirement is that you have a love for all things chocolate, whether that’s the small delicious bite-size choccies, a dreamy, gooey…
Hugues Viane lost his wife five years ago, five long lonely years ago. “He whiled away some of the time by reading magazines and old books, smoked a great deal and, lost in his memories, lingered at the window opening onto the grey weather outside.” (Page 17*) Since his beloveds…
Do you ever look at the lives of others, especially those broadcast all over social media, and wish you were them? They seem to have it all – the perfect life perhaps. These individuals happily promote their wonderful lifestyles – the clean living, the ideal bodies, the fact that they…
“Gabriel Berenson was murdered six years ago. He was forty-four years old. He was killed on the twenty-five of August – it was an unusually hot summer… The day he died was the hottest day of the year.” (page 7). Alicia Berenson was just thirty-three years old when she killed…
With multiple stories unfolding, Shadow is a novel that is going to keep you on your toes. It seems that Jakobs, an officer in the anti-terrorist police unit, has waited a lifetime to apprehend Verbeke, a one time colleague turned rogue. So when he was captured the Belgium police officer…
Alcohol is clearly not Astrid’s friend, in fact, it sounds like that it is the cause for her lack of friends. “Drink isn’t your friend. It’s your enemy. Your poison. Can’t you see what it is doing to you?” (page 5). The only problem is that, due to her lack…
What happens when the ‘hunters become the hunted’? But who are they? Yanni’s in the old town has been hit, but by what? This is the call received in the early hours of the morning but what does that mean for the people of the town? Who are the individuals…