A Book Review: Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch (The Gentlemen Bastards Sequence #2)

So you have read a fantasy novel about mighty warriors, kings, queens, dragons and big wars. But have you read a fantasy novel about thieves and heists? If not, then I recommend to you a wonderful book titled The Lies of Locke Lamora. It is the first book to a series of novels written by Scott Lynch, a series known as The Gentlemen Bastards Sequence.

I read The Lies of Locke Lamora last week and I enjoyed every page of it. This week I read its sequel, titled: Red Seas Under Red Skies. As the book's title suggests, this story has something to do with the sea. In fact, Red Seas Under Red Skies differs considerably from its predecessor. Instead of rehashing the elements that gave success to The Lies of Locke Lamora, in this sequel, Scott Lynch explores a new avenue for his story. I admire Lynch's audacity for trying to write something new in a sequel. Firstly, let me provide a synopsis before I begin to share my thoughts about Red Seas Under Red Skies.

Synopsis:

In the exotic city of Tal Verrar sits the towering Sinspire, a luxurious gambling house buzzing with high class entertainments. In a decadent venue such as Sinspire you can find people burdened with wealth. Their burdens, however, are about to be relieved by Locke Lamora and Jean Tennan, con man extraordinaire, who stepped into Sinspire with an elaborate plan to reach their hands into its teeming vault of treasury.

Locke and Jean's plan came very close to fruition, but the duo's secret was discovered and subsequently came into the hands of a high power in Tal Verrar, who blackmailed Locke and Jean into taking a dangerous job. Before long, the Gentlemen Bastards find themselves on board a pirate ship, sailing on red seas under red skies.

My thoughts about this book:

Set in the crowding city of Camoor, The Lies of Locke Lamora began The Gentlemen Bastards Sequence with a revenge story. In the series' second installment, Red Seas Under Red Skies, Scott Lynch takes his readers away from the urban setting, embarking on a sprawling pirate adventure scouting the exotic towns and ocean ports among Sea of Brass.

That is right! Red Seas Under Red Skies is a fantasy pirate adventure. While this book still centres itself around a series of heists, featuring our beloved Locke and Jean pulling off games after games of cons, but the theme of a pirate adventure, one that rarely appears in fantasy novels, is utilized in this book to craft a unique and ripping yarn. In this book, Locke and Jean's journey on Sea of Brass gave readers a taste for the vastness of this fictional world.

In other words, Red Seas Under Red Skies sets its ambition high. Not only does it continue the excellent story that began in The Lies of Locke Lamora, but this sequel also attempts to expand the universe of which these characters dwell, in the process setting up the premises for future installments to this series.

Did this book succeed at what it attempted to do? How does its quality measure up against its predecessor?

I admire Red Seas under Red Skies for its scope and ambition. In this book, Scott Lynch tells an engaging story that is both excellent in its writing as well as its characterizations. The setting in Red Seas under Red Skies reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbeans movies. The worldbuilding in this book is detailed but not cumbersome. Locke and Jean's adventures on a pirate ship came vividly to life under Lynch's beautiful writings, while portrayals for sea towns and ports were depicted with vibrant descriptions that immerse its readers deeply into the exciting world of The Gentlemen Bastards.

Red Seas Under Red Skies excelled at its writings, characterizations, and worldbuilding. Despite these qualities, this book is not flawless. Personally, I prefer The Lies of Locke Lamora than this book. An uneven pacing of the story prevents this sequel from being as great as its predecessor. Red Seas Under Red Skies started off with exciting narratives in the first 150 pages. This book's first act let its readers re-live the excitements that flow in the veins of its predecessor. However, when the book reached its second act, the story's pace slumped, and the chapters moved slowly for the next 200 odd pages. When I was reading this book, boredom was setting in as the story reached its halfway mark. Fortunately, the story picked up its pace after the halfway mark, rapidly gaining momentum in the last 250 pages until the book concluded in a spectacular manner. In my opinion, the plummeting pace in the middle of the story stands as the greatest flaw in Red Seas under Red Skies, while an excellent start and a stunning conclusion pushed this book above the standard as one of the better novels in the fantasy genre.

The Gentlemen Bastards Sequence is an excellent series. Scott Lynch's fictional world, one that resembles the late renaissance, is a beautiful and lively place, inhibited by memorable characters who will live on in your mind even after you close the books. This series began with a stunning debut novel called The Lies of Locke Lamora, and the story continued in its sequel, Red Sea Under Red Skies. While this sequel may not be as great as its predecessor due its uneven pace, but it is nevertheless, still a fine tale with an intriguing start and a spectacular conclusion. I highly recommend this series to fans of the grimdark fantasy genre, especially to those who are fond of novels written by authors such as Robin Hobb and Patrick Rothfuss.

P.S. I wish to compliment the cover for this book. It is as gorgeous as the cover for The Lies of Locke Lamora. 

A Book Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (The Gentlemen Bastards Sequence #1)

Take a look at the image sitting at left hand side of the screen. The image is the cover art for a book called The Lies of Locke Lamora. Don't you think it looks gorgeous?

The conventional wisdom says: Do not judge a book by its cover.

That is true. But some books tell stunning stories, stories that deserve to be covered in gorgeous artworks. This is the certainly the case for an enchanting story known as The Lies of Locke Lamora, and only a handsome book cover can do this novel justice.

I think it suffices to say, this novel is sitting high up on my ever-growing list of favorite books. But what is The Lies of Locke Lamora? Let me provide a short description: Try to imagine Catch Me if you Can (the movie) + grimdark fantasy, set in a fictional world resembling the late renaissance.

Does this interest you? If so, feel free to continue reading my non-spoiler review.

Synopsis:

Built on the ruins of a forgotten race, Camorr is an island city teeming with a rife populace and grand architectures. On the surface, the city is exuberant with trades. The street corners and its shadowed recesses, however, belong to the underworld crime bosses.

In Camorr, an orphan is usually destined to live a short and harsh life. Locke Lamora is an orphan, who, with his quick wit and talents for thieving, made a narrow escape from death and slavery at an young age to be apprenticed under Father Chains, a master thief.

Father Chains passed down the arts of thievery to a selected group of orphans, collectively known as The Gentlemen Bastards. Under his tutelage, Locke grew up and became a con man extraordinaire, leading The Gentlemen Bastards and pulling off case after case of ingenious cons. In Camorr, not a treasure vault, and not a wealthy noble, is immune from Locke's bite.

Under Locke's brilliant leadership, he knitted The Gentlemen Bastards into a close family, the wealth they “acquired” from unsuspecting nobles grew into a king's ransom. Meanwhile, to the eyes of Camorr's most dangerous crime boss, Locke and his brothers successfully passed themselves off as nothing more than petty thieves. The Gentlemen Bastards were having a great time, until an ambitious and dangerous individual, hiding in the shadows and cloaked all in gray, began pulling strings of devious plan, shaking Camorr' foundation.

My thoughts on this book:

We have seen the fantasy genre tell stories of great battles, national conflicts, political intrigues, dragons, wizards, and mighty heroes. But there aren't many fantasy stories about heists. In this regard, The Lies of Locke Lamora, the debut work for author Scott Lynch, stands out as a unique gem because it is a story about a heist and revenge. This story, flavored with occasional humor, also possesses a clever plot, and it is layered upon excellent worldbuilding and vivid characterization.

When it comes to the worldbuilding, Scott Lynch colored his fictional world, one that resembles the renaissance Venice, with rich and picturesque details. I like this fictional world, it is vast in scope and fascinating with its liveliness; from the buzzing city streets in Camorr, its renaissance inspired architectures, its fascinating culture, to the cloak-and-dagger atmosphere surrounding the city's criminal underworld, the world of Locke Lamora came springing to life under Scott Lynch's superb worldbuilding. This is a fictional world that will deeply capture a reader's imagination, worthy of multiple revisits.

The Lies of Locke Lamora features a multitude of characters. Locke and his best friend, Jean Tennan, play the roles of protagonists. Both Locke and Jean are likable and memorable characters, and Scott Lynch portrayed both of them with masterful skills.

Locke, cunning but fiercely loyal, possesses little martial prowess. This characteristic made Locke stand out from the galore of fantasy heroes who are usually great warriors. In a physical combat, Locke cannot fight to save his own life. However, Locke's virtue lies in his formidable power as a con man and a mummer. In sum, this book probably has more than 50 pages worth of sequences where Locke tried to con his way out of perilous situations and dangerous ordeals. Those breathtaking sequences, cleverly conceived and brilliantly written, are among of the most entertaining “action” scenes I have ever encountered in a book. I lost count of the times when I breathed sighs of relief when Locke successfully conned his way out of dangers.

On the other hand, Jean Tennan, Locke's fellow Gentlemen Bastards, is depicted as a loyal friend whose personality and skill sets complement Locke's own. Jean, who is more serene than Locke, is a skilled thief as well as a formidable fighter. He is the “tank” in their finely established organization. Jean has a heart-warming friendship with Locke, and he plays a pivotal role in this book.

Aside from Locke and Jean, the story also features support characters. All support characters are memorable and noteworthy. However, the support characters who stood out the most, are the other members in the Gentleman Bastards, namely the twin, Calo Sanza and Galdo Sanza, as well as a 12 year old boy called Bug. When I was reading this book, I found myself growing very fond of these characters as the pages moved. The antagonist in this book, whose identity I will not reveal in this review, is portrayed brilliantly as a cunning and dangerous individual. Let me just say, as the Gentlemen Bastards clashed course against their antagonist, it produced a intriguing tale bursting with surprises and twists that will keep you at the edge of your seat, furiously turning the pages until the story reaches the final page.

I wish to make a note about the style of narration found in this book. Scott Lynch employed an interesting method of storytelling. That is, every single chapter consists of two major parts. One part follows the plot that is taking place at the present time, where the second part describes the “flashbacks”, taking readers to the past and revealing how Locke and his fellow Gentlemen Bastards grew up. One might expect, such a storytelling method may cause confusions, or losing the sense for urgency in the transitions between chapters. But in The Lies of Locke Lamora, this method of storytelling worked exceedingly well. By telling a story this way, Scott Lynch not only mounted suspense and urgency for the main story, but he also provided background information without having to use a slow build up at the beginning of the book. In other words, Scott Lynch's story is fast-paced, but it is also rich with details. I admire the storytelling in this book, I think Scott Lynch told this story in a very clever and effective way.

The Lies of Locke Lamora received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Many readers and critics consider this book as one of the finest fantasy novels of the 21^th century. I heartily agree with all these positive assessments. This book marks the beginning of The Gentlemen Bastards Sequence, a series running at the length of 7 books. Having said this, The Lies of Locke Lamora can be read as a stand-alone novel because there is no loose plot left untied at its ending. The sequels, as I understood, embark readers on completely new episodes in Locke and Jean's adventures. This means, if you try this book and do not find it to your liking, then you won't feel obliged to reading the sequel. However, if you read this book, and like me, you become spellbound by the charms of this series, then you would have discovered a treasure grove. In other words, this is a win-win situation with little to loose. So if you haven't read The Lies of Locke Lamora, then what are you waiting for? It is time to dive in and experience the magic of Scott Lynch's brilliant novel. I especially recommend this book to fans of Robbin Hobbs and Patrick Rothfuss.

Until the next time, happy reading! I am off to read the sequel, titled Red Seas under Red Skies.

P.S. I have attached a link (below) to a stunning fan-made trailer for this book. I believe this trailer captured the vibe for The Lies of Locke Lamora accurately and beautifully. Enjoy!

A Book Review: The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #6)

In The Bands of Mourning, best-selling author Brandon Sanderson returns to the world of Mistborn with my favorite book in the series so far. Succeeding Shadows of Shelf, The Bands of Mourning is the second book in a trilogy featuring the adventures of Wax and Wayne, whose charms would surely spellbound Mistborn veterans as well as newcomers to this series.

Synopsis:

Long ago, Lord Ruler forged the Bands of Mourning, a legendary artifact that could grant its wearer spectacular powers.

As centuries passed, the Bands of Mourning was forgotten, its existence fading into fables and legends. Until the day when a kandra researcher brought to the great city of Elendel strange images. These images, showing depictions of an unknown language, appeared to speak of the mythical Bands itself.

As these images saw the light of day, Kandra council recruited Wax and Wayne on the mission to rediscover the Bands. The mission took them to the southern city of New Seran, where Wax would uncover a conspiracy plotted by his uncle Edwarn and a mysterious organization called The Set.

My thoughts about this book:

After reading my synopsis you must be thinking, so the story revolves around a group of heroes traveling from one city to another, racing against an evil nemesis on a quest to discover a powerful artifact. The Bands of Mourning sounds like a typical fantasy story, right?

Not quite.

While the premise for The Bands of Mourning may appear cliched on the surface, but there are several reasons why this book departs from the fantasy conventions. In my no-spoiler review, I shall endeavor to explain why The Bands of Mourning is among the most interesting fantasy novels in existence.

First of all, The Bands of Mourning is a genre-blending novel. In the space of 400 pages, this fast-paced book brings together the best of two genres, fantasy and detective fiction, into its storytelling. In other words, imagine this novel as Sherlock Holmes with superhuman powers. At the centre of the story lies a mystery, it drives the plot forward and along the way, our heroes encounter crimes of murder and robbery. Solving these crimes gradually brought the heroes to the truth.

This books' intrigues do not end at its good story. The worldbuilding in this book deserves mentioning. Up to date, Sanderson has written 6 Misborn novels. The original Mistborn trilogy took place 300 years before the story of Wax and Wayne. This means, The Bands of Mourning, as well as its predecessor Shadows of Self, belong to the 2^nd trilogy (Wax and Wayne trilogy) in the Mistborn universe. In Wax and Wayne trilogy, Sanderson did something revolutionary, something that is rarely seen in fantasy literature; he incorporated technological advancements into his fictional world. The world of Wax and Wayne resembles the late 19^th century, it is a world where magic and technology co-exist, a place and time when people have just discovered electricity, invented light bulbs, motor cars, firearms, and telegram. Meanwhile, magic also exists in the fabric of ordinary people's lives. To finish it off, Sanderson put a master stroke to his fictional world with a touch of spaghetti Western.

So there you have it, The Bands of Mourning (and its predecessor Shadows of Self) is a detective fiction story set in a fantasy world, a place resembling the late 19^th century Industrial revolution, where budding technology meets deeply rooted magic, and the story is decked out in a distinctive tone of spaghetti Western. Seriously, if you are a fan of fantasy fictions, how can you say no to this intriguing series?

The Bands of Mourning stands as the second book in Wax and Wayne trilogy. Sadly, we will have to wait for 2018 to read the concluding novel for this trilogy. Have no fear, however, for The Bands of Mourning does not end in a cliffhanger. This book has enough materials and a satisfying end, it can almost be treated as a stand-alone novel.

As the second book in the trilogy, I like The Bands of Mourning better than its predecessor, Shadows of Self. In this book, from the characters' dialogues to back stories, Sanderson explored the characters in great details. In comparison to Shadows of Self, Sanderson flashed out his characters with deeper developments in this book. This does mean The Bands of Mourning moves at a slower pace than its predecessor, but the slightly slower pace does not bother me at all, because I like the character development in this book. Shadows of Self introduced to me new characters such as Wax, Wayne, Steris, Melaan and Marasi. But I didn't really get to know them. In The Bands of Mourning, Sanderson's developed these characters in great depth, adding qualities and vividness to their portrayals. When I was reading this book, I felt as if I knew these characters. I grew fond of them and cared for them. When this book ended, I wanted to find out what fates await for them in the next installment. I think this is a sign of a successful novel.

Until now, I was never a huge fan of Mistborn series. I mean, I liked the original Mistborn trilogy, but I didn't love it. The 2^nd Mistborn trilogy kicked off with Shadows of Self, while it deepened my fondness for the Mistborn universe with its unique worldbuilding and a genre-blending story, but I still didn't love the series. Then The Bands of Mourning came along and kindled my love for this series. What can I say? The Bands of Mourning is a really good book. If you are interested in reading Mistborn series, I recommend starting from the original trilogy, with a book titled The Final Empire.

Until the next time, happy reading!

A Book Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Me Before You is a romance novel written by British novelist Jojo Moyes. This novel currently enjoys a very positive response from readers and critics alike (a quick glimpse at Goodreads shows the ladies make up the primary readership for this book). Despite romance novels not being my fort, I still read this book upon the recommendation from Goodreads. I read this book because I think life offers some of its best surprises when we try out new things.

Admittedly, I dived headlong into this book without knowing what to expect from it.

Me Before You turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Despite this book's pink and “chick-lit”cover art, this novel is not what I expected it to be. I borrowed this book from my local library and I read it, from cover to cover, in 24 hours. I finished this book quickly because I could not put it down, and its story moved me deeply. After I finished this book, I decided to write a review for it.

Ten thousands of insightful reviews for this book, mostly written by ladies with brilliant minds, fill the corners of the internet. I do not think we should limit our exposure to a piece of literature based on our gender, but I am probably one of the very few male readers who is writing a review for this book, and I hope after you have read my review, you will find something that may interest you.

Synopsis:

In a small English country town, Louis Clark and Will Traynor are about to find out, what is it like to meet someone who will change you for all time.

Louis is 26 years old. She has a comfortable job at The Butter Bun Tea shop, and she has a boyfriend who she has been going out with for 7 years. Louis' life is surrounded by familiarities, and she feels comfortable about her life. But Louis' world is about to change dramatically. It began when Louis was made redundant at her work.

Louis' job search led her to apply for the position as a carer at the Traynor family. Her new job is taking care of Will Traynor, a character whose life is shrouded in mystery.

Will Traynor is 35 years old. Two years ago, a motorbike accident made him a quadriplegic, binding him to a wheelchair and stripped him of everything he had. Will's world is pitch black, and he has no desire to live.

When Louis and Will's worlds intertwine, their lives experienced a burst of color and neither of them will ever be the same again.

My thoughts about this book:

Me Before You is very well written. Jojo Moyes impressed me because she was able to spin a multifaceted, complex story but still made it very easy to read and follow. The story in this book is both captivating and fast-paced (I finished it in 24 hours). The characters are vividly portrayed and they feel real. When I was reading this book, I found these characters likable and relatable, and I could feel their hopes, joys and grief.

Many reviewers wrote that Me Before You made them cry, while I agree that the story is very moving, but this book is not bleak or depressing. Instead, I would describe Me Before You as bitter-sweet. When I was reading this book, I smiled at the story's witty, light-hearted moments. But I also felt the full emotional impact, as words on the pages revealed heart-wrenching moments in front of my eyes. I think Me Before You tells a story that will stay with you, and I miss the characters from this book. This is why I am adding this book to my list of favored stand alone novels.

Me Before You is not your typical romance novel. Yes, the book revolves around a love story, but it also encompasses a lot more than just a love story. For examples, the premise of this book is based on the controversial topic of euthanasia.

When it comes to euthanasia debate, I am still sitting on the fence. I have listened to a few academic debates about this topic (such as last year's debate pitting Peter Singer against Archbishop Fisher), but I still haven't made up my mind about which view to support.

Euthanasia, is ultimately a discussion about the human experience and relationship. I always found great irony that for a topic that really should be about the human experience/relationship, most of its arguments are constructed by asserting alleged data about the objective reality; such as quoting from numbers, stats, or religious dogma.

Me Before You, however, made me think about euthanasia from a new direction. In this book, Jojo Moyes did not advocate or promote one view over the other. Instead, she presented arguments both for and against euthanasia, and she does this by inviting her readers to explore this question from the character's viewpoints. Jojo Moyes explored euthanasia, a discussion about human experience/relationship, via a human story. This is a very good way at exploring the euthanasia debate.

When I finished reading this book, I remain sitting on the fence about euthanasia debate, but I did walk away with a new insight, that I should not judge pepole hastily because I will never know what it is like to be that person facing the exact circumstances. This also means there is no quick and easy answer to euthanasia debate, because the totality of human experience and relationship is so complex and dynamic that it would not do justice to squash all of it into a binary system of right or wrong, good or evil.

However, the main theme for Me Before You is not the euthanasia debate. From my interpretation, this story is communicating a meaningful message, about overcoming fears and be aspired to live a purposeful life despite having a past. I believe this is a message a lot of people can resonate with and find it useful.

Me Before You tells a moving story that will stay with you. This book made me smile, grieve, and hope. It made me rethink and care about many things, things that I have not considered carefully in the past. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good book to read.

P.S. Unlike most readers, this book didn't make me cry. But I confess the ending REALLY moved me, and when I finished the book my eyes were moist with tears.

A Book Review: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

When we think of light, most of us are probably thinking about the “visible light”, a type of electromagnetic radiation detectable by our eyes. However, the visible light is only a small portion in the range of light/electromagnetic spectrum. From radio waves to gamma waves, the majority of electromagnetic radiations in our universe are traveling at wavelengths our eyes cannot detect.

Therefore, most of the light in the universe are invisible to our eyes!

With this scientific fact in hand, American author Anthony Doerr wrote All the Light We Cannot See, a historical fiction novel set in World War II. This novel won the 2015 Pulitzer Price for Fiction. The book's title is a metaphorical suggestion that there are still countless stories buried in World War II. Stories of ordinary children, for examples, are also a kind of light that we cannot see.

In this book, the “light that we cannot see” come from the stories of two young people, stories of a french girl and a German boy.

The French girl's name was Marie-Laure. She lived in Paris with her father, who was a skillful locksmith working at the Museum of Natural History. Blindness stripped Marie-Lurie of her eyesight when she reached six years of age. When Marie-Laure was 12, Nazi Germany invaded France and took over Paris. The father-daughter duo fled from Paris to a city by the sea, a city called Saint-Malo. In this walled city lived Maurie-Laure's great uncle. In their baggage, Marie-Larue and her father carried a priceless but dangerous jewel.

The German boy's name was Werner, who, with his younger sister, grew up in an orphanage. Werner and his sister became spellbound by a radio they discovered. Werner, inspired by the marvels he felt for the radio, self-taught and learned extraordinary technical knowledge, ultimately winning him a place in Hitler Youth. From there, a path opened in front of Werner and brought his life to intertwine with Marie-Laure's own.

I like All the Light We Cannot See. This novel moved me deeply, because its struck me with a beautiful story and its powerful imagery. I have always wondered what it was like to live in a time period as turbulent as World War II. This book's superb worldbuilding took me into this era with dynamic descriptions for smell, sight, hearing and touch. Every sentence in this novel is wonderfully written, and I thought there is a lyrical quality to Anthony Doerr's prose.

This book is wonderfully written, but it is also very easy to read. Anthony Doerr made excellent use of short chapter. Every chapter in this book counts between two to five pages at the maximum. This format increases the pace of the book by reducing the downtime in the story. Furthermore, Anthony Doerr closed every chapter brilliantly. I was really impressed by how well the author ended every chapter.

I do, however, have a small complaint about the writings in this book. That is, I thought the author over-described certain scenes and sometimes he went into too much detail. In other words, I would describe some places in this book as “adjective galore”. Having said this, I am pretty sure my complaint is a matter of personal taste. What doesn't work for me often works for someone else. I believe there are many readers out there who appreciate detailed descriptions in the writings of a book.

Good characterization often accompanies a good story. All the Light We Cannot See has a very strong characterization. Although the book features two major characters, Marie-Laure and Werner, but through their eyes, the story also took readers to explore the lives of other people surrounding Marie-Laure and Werner, for those people too, are ordinary individuals whose stories were buried under the big event of World War II, the light we cannot see, but finally meeting the readers as Marie-Laure and Werner's stories are being told.

My favorite aspect of this book is that every character feels realistic and natural. In All the Light We Cannot See, no character bears qualities of caricatures such as a hero or a villain. The author carefully depicted each character and exploring the circumstances they were in, and the choices they made, as real humans living in a hard time. The characters in this book showed depth because as readers, we understand how these stories could have been our own, if we had been placed under the same circumstances as them.

At this point, I need to mention that All the Light We Cannot See uses an unusual style of exposition to narrate its story, one that may take time for some readers to become familiar with. This book follows the stories of Marie-Laure and Werner, two individuals who only shared commonalities because their lives were impacted by the same major events. Their stories, however, do not unfold chronologically in this book. In fact, the narratives tend to jump back and forth on the time line. For example, one section of the book may took place in 1944, but the next section would suddenly flash back to 1941. Having said this, when I was reading this book, I did not loose track of the story because it is easy to follow. But I think would-be readers should be aware of it.

The merit for All the Light We Cannot See does not end at the good writings and its memorable characters. Personally, I think the true merit for this book is how its metaphorical meaning calls me to reflect on the way I interact with my surrounding. Perhaps I spent too much of my time focusing on only a small portion of what is out there; people and things that I may have caught glimpses of but have not seen.

All the Light We cannot See is a very good novel. I highly recommend this book.