The Thing About Prague: Review

Author: Rachael Weiss

Genre: Travel, non-fiction

Pages: 377

Originally published in: 2014

Prague. A popular European party capital, a thing of beauty in the heart of Europe, a city based between the east and the west, boasting stunning architecture and rich history. Whatever you think of Prague, you probably wouldn’t mind reading a bit more into it, would you now?

As a person that loves reading about travelling, about people who change their lives forever by moving to a completely different country (hell, I did exactly that when I decided to leave it all and study abroad!), I thought The Thing About Prague would be the perfect pre-summer read for me. Yes, I did enjoy it and I read it quite quickly. No, it is not the best piece of travel writing and I did end up giving it only two stars on Goodreads (this still means “it was okay” so it’s not like it was that bad). Anyway, here is what I liked and what I didn’t about The Thing About Prague.

First of all, the book is written by Rachael Weiss (not to be mistaken with the actress) – an Australian mid-level administrator, who one day decided to leave her job and her home and move to Prague to write. However, the expectations that come with this initial plot summary are not entirely met. For instance, this is not the story of a woman who suddenly leaves it all to go somewhere completely anew: she actually has some Czech blood in her veins and when she makes the move to Prague, she conveniently has her father’s old flat to stay in, lounging around it for a few months. Prague is not exactly unknown to her either since Rachael has already spent some time there earlier and wrote a book on it, too – Me, Myself and Prague.

Without being too picky, in the long run this plot setup should not be such an issue – after all we cannot have it all, and there are plenty of other book that are about people who move into completely new places that are not connected to their family tree. So, let’s get to the good parts.

Rachael’s writing is funny and engaging. I always find it interesting to read those kind of books because they are telling genuine everyday stories – nothing too dramatic, yet immensely entertaining. Let’s blame our love for gossiping on this one – overhearing someone else's conversation if you will. And some of her stories are pretty good and easy to relay to, especially if you are coming from or have lived in Eastern Europe! That is to say, her book reminded me how alike we are over there: from the old socialist buildings, to the way people are so laid back about their work they would need a whole week to do something that should only take them a day. Personally, I caught myself smiling when Rachael was saying how the workers that had to fix the pipes in the bathroom said they will only take a day or two. Coming from Eastern Europe, I can assure you: it is never a day or two. Always add a few days on top. Always.

Also if you are someone who lives abroad, you might find this book pretty enjoyable (regardless of the country you reside in). Sentences such as “when you are an expat, you have no choice but to defend your country” certainly point at what we all have in common. By the way, you will notice how Rachael and her friends always refer to themselves as expats and never as immigrants. Fancy. (N.B expat, short for an expatriated person: = a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country; immigrant = a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence).

Although I enjoyed reading The Thing About Prague, it did leave me feel a bit disappointed. I picked it up mainly because I wanted to read about Prague – you know, the city that is in the title of the book. To my disappointment, there was not much about the actual Prague – in terms of its aforementioned beautiful architecture and rich history, in terms of descriptions of places the locals go to eat/drink/party/shop/hang-around/anything. Instead, the book is mainly about Rachael trying to find a flat to buy (yes, to buy – not to rent) and to find a job, which, surprise, surprise!, is pretty hard for a person who only speaks English – not even a bit of Czech. A little mundane especially since she spends most of the time laying around in her dad’s flat – nothing wrong with this story, but not much of a travel writing? Also, she is very surprised to find out how expensive the nice flats by the river are … just because it is Central Europe does not mean that apartments are cheap as chips, you know?

And finally, what really got on my nerves and I just have to talk about it: her ignorance when it comes to European regulations. Sounds like a weird thing to get annoyed about? Bare with me, I will explain! I do realise that she is Australian and very far away from European issues and politics, but she is being well too self-centred when it comes to things that exist for a reason. For instance, she keeps complaining about the European Union making her life very hard – the poor expat that has to do all this paperwork and get all those documents in order to live in the Czech Republic legally. How dare they change their visa regulations? How dare they have any regulations? Don’t they know she is just a woman who can’t be bothered to deal with passports? And then she even goes on to express her annoyance at the Czech joining Schengen because it means more regulations and paperwork for her – are you kidding me? No, seriously, has she not made her research? All this time she spend in Prague and she did not get to know any of the politics and the international relations going on in Europe? Yes, I am sure they wanted to be a part of the EU and Schengen just to f*ck up the poor expat and that is that. (It’s annoying because she never acknowledges that there just might be some reason for the Czech joining all those unions…)

I can say a lot more about my issues with this but I will stop here. Forgetting my rant for a moment, The Thing About Prague is not such a bad book and it does provide some good insight into an immigrant’s life in the Czech Republic. A chapter during the end that involves a scary fellow expat who sounds like a cannibal is especially good and helps make the book worth it. Take Rachael Weiss’ words with a pinch of salt – it is not a boring book but it does not say that much about actual Prague as one might wish. 

Would you be interested in reading The Thing About Prague? What good travel books have you read lately?

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Sweet Overload: The Diner in Carnaby

There are not a lot of things that can get me quite as excited as a plate full of pancakes (one day I will dedicate a post to the other things that get a place on this list). So, obviously I had The Diner on my list of places to visit for quite some time. Those yummy instagram photos of huge burgers, chili cheese fries, french toasts, and stacks of pancakes, had me infinitely scrolling down and down and down my feed, getting hungrier with the progression of the pics, and more and more jealous of the people who got to eat those sublime portions of American-style comfort food.

My love for pancakes met its match in The Diner Soho one very sunny Spring afternoon in May - just in time for their new menu (this post has been long overdue obvs). So here is what me and the Boy ended up having.

First off the drinks: I opted for a Snickers Milkshake because I love a good Snickers and this is my all time favourite chocolate bar hands down. On a similar note, have you ever tried a divine scoop of Snickers ice cream? You should.

What I got was a traditional milkshake glass full of this chocolate/Nutella/peanut butter concoction plus a shaker filled with even more of this lovely drink. Needless to say I needed my boyfriend's help to finish that one as the sweetness overload was something I could not handle, especially not when I mixed it with....

Just look at those pancakes! American, flufy, sweet, gorgeous, buttermilk pancakes topped with maple syrup and whipped butter! If you don't know how obsessed I am with pancakes smothered in maple syrup than you know nothing, Jon Snow, because this has to be my most favourite breakfast thing in the entire wide world. And The Diner ones? They tasted like pure heaven - divine softness meets gentle sweetness and they have a crazy party in my mouth (okay enough of this, you can imagine how great the whole experience was).

If those pancakes are wrong, I do not wanna be right

What about the Boy? He was going to have the same but decided to opt for the Cholla French Toast  with custard, honey butter and maple syrup instead. I tried it, too, and I thought it was good as well although not nearly as good as the pancakes. He enjoyed it at first but then found it way too sweet and heavy and did not end up finishing it. Ultimately,  he regretted he did not get the pancakes. Well. tough luck, my darrrling!

Is it time for a cheeky little outfit pic? Here is what I wore for our casual diner-date ;)

Leather jacket Betty Barclay/Top Maison Scotch/Jeans Pepe Jeans/Nike Sky Hi/ Bag Michael Kors

Final thoughts? We are definitely going back to The Diner and I am keen to make it a regular thing. The prices are pretty good especially considering we are in London. Will definitely go back to try the burgers and the famous chili cheese fries, but I do not know how I will handle the temptation not to order pancakes again. Well, I guess next time I can actually share them as a dessert treat with the Boy - surely we can handle both burgers and a stack of pancakes? Will keep you posted on that one!

Have you been to The Diner yet? What is your favourite American style comfort food? Do let me know in the comment section below :)

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Indiscretion: Review

Author: Hannah Fielding

Genre: Romance, fiction

Pages: 489

Originally published in: 2015

Who doesn’t love a bit of historical romance set in sunny Spain in the 1950s? I am definitely up for a bit of that, especially since I am going to Spain again later this summer… So, let’s get to it!

Indiscretion is the story of a young girl – Alexandra de Falla. Half-English, half-Spanish, Alexandra has spent the first 20 years of her life between London and Kent, living with her aunt. Even though it is the 50s and a woman is expected to be focused on marrying well and settling down, Alexandra is quite modern – she is a successful young writer, with a book or two behind her back, and she has also recently rejected a marriage proposal. However, there is something missing from her life and when her father finally comes to visit her in England and invites her to see her estranged Spanish family, she immediately jumps on the offer. Alexandra yearns to learn more about her Spanish roots, hoping to learn more about herself and to find a sense of belonging in the hot country, but what she discovers there is very different from what she expected. A big family, controlled by a strong mother figure and contrived by an even stronger sense of tradition, a spiteful stepmother, a jealous stepsister, and one notoriously handsome cousin, prove to be more than a handful. Is Alexandra ready to live in a country where the heat of the weather is almost as strong as the heat of the people?

This was a vibrant, passionate land: the heat, the colours, the flamboyance of the people, the wild and mythical feel of the mountainous scenery, even the spectacular rise and setting of the sun.

The book is an easy read and a page turner. If you love your romantic novel, you are definitely in for a treat – Indiscretion provides this mix of forbidden love, complications, beautiful people and heated arguments that no such book is full without. As most of the story is based in hot Spain, Indiscretion also makes for the perfect summer read that is bound to put you in the holiday mood (personally, it definitely made me look forward to my time in Madrid even more). There are also a lot of long descriptive paragraphs that really set the mood and create a good sense of the region, setting each scene quite nicely. 

Bright purple bougainvillea cascaded down walls and honey-scented jasmine spilled out of windowboxes, their aroma mingling with the distinctive salty tang of the sea, invading Alexandra’s senses.

It is probably important to point out that the story is dominated by quite a lot of superstition, gypsy curses, and foreshadowing, but this is Spain in the middle of the century after all! It is here where the colourful history of the country shines through – a lot of the characters give some nice insight into the history of the region, peppered with a few local legends that are definitely quite interesting. Anyway, the "superstitious part" of the book was my least favourite as it did not make a lot of sense to me...

On to the characters, Alexandra is definitely written as this young, well-educated, sophisticated, intelligent, beautiful and modern woman (she is basically perfect?). Coming from the nicest parts of London, with a suitcase full of tailored Yves Saint Laurent pieces, she is this independent girl that might be fascinated with Spanish traditions, but is not completely prepared for living within their rule. I have to say I did have a few issues with her character. Even though she is constantly referred to as being highly intelligent and very forward-thinking and independent, she did not really come across as such as the book progressed. Granted it is only the 1950s, but this woman bursts out crying on so many occasions at some point in the second half of the book she started crying every time Salvador (the love interest) confronted her! This definitely got on my nerves *a lot* – she was almost this damsel in distress that constantly needed saving. Not to mention she was really unprepared for the real world, something that might be due to her sheltered upper-class upbringing, but still… Leading on a man, who was obviously pretty violent is not a smart move, Alexandra! Yes, she was supposed to be quite naïve, but this is not an excuse for some of her actions. Frankly, she was acting as an immature teenage girl obsessed with the hot guy at school (I cannot put it more plainly).

And what about the main stallion? Salvador might have been a character that appealed to me when I was a teenager – tall, dark stranger with strong arms, beautiful eyes, and sun-kissed tan… just an all-round sexy Spanish man. However, this man was acting so ridiculously with his crazy superstitions that even his hotness could not save him in my eyes! Not only this, but he was quite frankly leading our heroine on and she was falling for him with such an ease that it was almost pitiful. Yes, he is this mysterious, sexy man that a lot of women dream about – but is it a good idea to fall in love with him? Not so much. Frankly, I think if Alexandra was this smart, strong woman she believed to be, she should have just slept with him once or twice, and then went on with her life (okay, it is the 50s, so maybe she could have just flirted a little and left it to that – mind you, even that would be considered brave and careless at the time, so I might be asking a bit too much from her). My point is, Katy Perry sang Hot and Cold for a man like Salvador! Jumping all over you with passionate kisses and embraces at one moment, ignoring you and sleeping with other women (but never with you) in the next. (Alexandra thinks this means that he loves her but he is scared because of those aforementioned superstitions and curses – because apparently a man cannot just feel attracted to you without being deeply in love?). Next, please!

Basically, I did enjoy reading Indiscretion – it is a nice, long romantic novel full of passion and intrigues, and this is definitely something I like reading about. It is very girly and admittedly a bit clichéd, but it is quite entertaining as well and the well-researched region compensates for the flaws of the plot. Granted the main heroine annoyed me and I could not quite connect with her due to her dubious decisions and drama-queen attitude, but the story as a whole was still quite addicting and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a bit of historical romance. The richness of the descriptions successfully sends the reader on a journey through sunny, passionate Spain, and makes him want to learn more about this heated culture.  But for god's sake, girls, do not fall for the guy who keeps awakening your emotions and then leaves you with nothing but a hot paella and a cold bed!

Thanks to the lovely Hannah Fielding for sending me a copy of her book in an exchange of an honest review! I enjoyed reading it enormously and could not put it down until I finished it!

Now tell me, would you be interested in reading Indiscretion?

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Rise of the Iron Eagle by Roy A. Teel: Book Excerpt

Hello, my darlings! Hope you are having a good week. Today, I decided to try something new on the blog - something that could be perfect to take your mind off of work for a few short minutes during your coffee break. This is, an extract from a new suspenseful crime thriller.

Written by Roy A. Teel, Rise of the Iron Eagle is just the first book from the Iron Eagle crime novel series. Based in Los Angeles,  it's main characters are Sheriff's Homicide Detective Jim O'Brian and FBI Profiler Special Agent Steve Hoffman. Their newest case concerns a serial killer who is preying on other serial killers - some known by law enforcement, others well off radar. Sounds like somethng up your street? You can read the excerpt after the jump!

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Dead Money Run: Review (and a Look at the Series)

Author: J. Frank James

Genre: Crime Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Pages: 293

Originally published in: 2013

A fast-paced thriller packed with action, Dead Money Run follows Lou Malloy as he has just been released after spending 15 years in prison for stealing $15 million from an Indian casino. However, even after so many years, the money he stole still remain hidden somewhere – and only he knows where, making him a target for a plethora of shady characters. Not only does Lou need to keep his money (and his wellbeing), but also he strives to find the people responsible for his sister’s death. On this dangerous journey of a man who is both a chaser and a chased one, Lou strikes an unlikely ally in the face of young Hilary Kelly – herself an enigma with a few secrets up her sleeve, she joins Lou from early on in his mission to vengeance.

The writing is easy to follow as all the actions are described from Lou’s point of view, making the whole story pretty straight-forward. However, this also means that all the events are perceived through his prism only and this is exactly what the reader gets from the story. Put in this context, it is no surprising that this is not a complicated thriller full of twists, grand philosophical statements, or complex characters. This does work when you consider that everything is perceived through Malloy’s eyes and through his eyes only. So, you can hardly expect him to spend time thinking or paying attention of anything else but his current situation – which is dealing with mobsters and coming to terms with his sister’s death (the circumstances of which remain unclear for quite a while). Considering this, the novel has to be written in plain language – the language of Lou Malloy as he has just left prison and is spending his newly found freedom on the run.

The author, J. Frank James has an extensive background in law which undoubtedly helps in his writing ventures – and it is obvious when reading Dead Money Run that he knows what he is talking about (as it often happens, it is in the details). The authentic nature of the book is what makes it come to life – while going through the pages, it is easy for the reader to plainly see every action described as if it were before his eyes. Ultimately, it has the feeling of an action-packed crime movie – strongly reminding me of Noise, which had a similar structure.

I was kindly send the prequel to the book, too, which at only 52 pages, gives a good origins story to the character of Lou Malloy, so I recommend if you decide on reading Dead Money Run, you do familiarize yourself with Lou Malloy: The Run Begins, too. Truth is, this is just a part of a series, dedicated to Lou Malloy’s adventures, also consisting of Only Two Cats, Blue Cat in Paradise, Rainbow Games, Two Birds to Kill, Last Flamingo, and Finders, Keepers.

As for The Run Begins, it gives Lou a good introduction as it sees him as a young 18-year-old boy, with ambition in his eyes, but wrong decisions in his mind. How did Lou end up in prison for 15 years? In 52 pages, James manages to explain his motifs and what drove him to commit a crime that would mark his life forever.

If you want to find out more about J. Frank James, you can visit his website or follow him on Goodreads.

I was kindly sent Dead Money Run and The Run Begins in an exchange of my honest review from the lovely Kelsey from Book Publicity Services.

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May Lifestyle Favourites

May was a bit of a hectic month for me as I have been pretty busy at work, and not to mention at home, too, as me and the Boy are house-hunting at the moment, since we need to move out by the end of June. Needless to say, days are stressful! However, there are still a lot of things I enjoyed in May, and for every stressful day, there were two lovely ones. So, in a true blogger's fashion, here are my May lifestyle favourites!

Beauty

My Naked 3 palette has been my best friend ever since I picked it up last summer from Paris (from the Sephora on Champs-Élysées , right on my birthday, of course). My favourite palette hands down  - so versatile that it can work in every situation; great pigmentation, good value for money. Basically, I am not telling you anything new here, the Naked palettes have been praised by many. This May, I have used mine on every occasion so it is featured in my monthly favourites for a reason!

The Book (s)

I am going to mention two books: Markus Zusak's The Book Thief and Hannah Fielding's Indiscretion. Those two are definitely the books that I have enjoyed the most reading in the past month. I have already expressed in my review for The Book Thief why I enjoyed it, and later this week I am going to publish by thoughts on Indiscretion as well, so stay tuned.  Both books are page turners, though for quite different reasons. While The Book Thief is a gripping tale about life in Nazi Germany, Hannah Fielding's book tells a passionate story about a young woman whose life changes completely as she travels to Spain. I haven't read a romance novel in a while, so this was definitely a welcome distraction before bed and I cannot wait to tell you more about it!

The Food

Foodwise, this has been a month of extremes (as per usual). Although I am trying to stay healthy, there is still the occasional junk food, especially when you did not have time to go food shopping, so you absolutely needed to order Dominos/Pizza Hutt. Pictured above, we have a yummy sweet potato, avocado, quinoa and Bulgarian white cheese salad - my usual go to lunch meal. Right next to it is a lovely example of a greasy, yet totally delicious Pizza Hutt order, made late at night (the later, the better - am I right?).

The Drink

A massive fan of overpriced chains such as Starbucks and Costa, this May I have mostly spent my hard earned money in Nero. My drink of choice? This absolutely gorgeous Banana&Caramel Frappe which earns its place on my May favourites list due to its creamy sweetness and lovely aroma. However, Nero does have quite a nice selection, so I do try to spread it out a little and go for different flavours every time.

The Film

It seems like Converse were my shoes of choice, creeping up in a second pic in a row!

You might be aware that I am also a freelance journalist. As a culture writer for a London based website, I do get to go to press views of films before they were released to the public. This month two films stood out for me and lucky for you they are both going to be released in June, so you can go and watch them. First one is Slow West with my darling Michael Fassbender (full review of the film here), and second one is Spy with Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Rose Byrne and Jason Statham. While the former offers a refreshing spin on the western, the later is a laugh-out-loud comedy that is going to entertain you from start to finish. I can recommend both of those films - Slow West boast stunning cinematography and great performances, while Spy is the female-led action comedy of the year we all needed. 

It's your turn now: what did you enjoy the most in May?

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Weekly Inspiration: Pretty Mug Cakes

Is it weird to feel inspired by a cake in a mug?  Whatever your answer is, this week's inspirational post includes some dreamy looking cakes that are filling up some equally as dreamy teacups in a gorgeous dance of sweet softness and delicate china. 

This way for delicious, sugary bijoux... 

Do you like mug cakes? Personally, I do not use microwaves so I can only admire them from afar, but I have tried a few good ones! If you would like to try some of those, follow the links down bellow for recipes to most of them :)

Image sources: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen :)

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