Velvet Was the Night | 
pickIn this atmospheric noir novel set in Mexico in the 1970s, Maite is a dissatisfied secretary who livens up her life with romance comics, lies, and the occasional petty theft, while Elvis is a member of the Hawks, hired thugs trained to violently disrupt student protests. As they both become embroiled in the search for a missing young woman, Maite and Elvis each seek escape through music and glimpses of beauty in a tedious and often violent world.
pickA story set in 60s and 70s political tumult in Mexico. The hawks, formed by America CIa, work against communist groups . Protagonist “Elvis” has had a tough life, works hard and loves music. Trying to make his way with some thuggish skirmishes, he catches eyes for Maite, one of the ladies he is suevelling. a plain Jane brought into this dangerous story over some pictures her neighbor took that she possesses. A bit long winded, the time/settinng
pickCan every book have a Spotify playlist please? And could you maybe put it in the FRONT SO PEOPLE SEE IT BEFORE THEY FINISH THE BOOK?!?!
bailedThe characters are not interesting and the pacing of the plot is dismal. I really wanted to read something set in Mexico City but not this one.
pickAt first I really didn‘t care much for the characters in Velvet was the Night but as the story progressed I found myself engrossed in this tale! A good historic fiction-ish mystery read.
so-soI really couldn't stand Maite. She was whiny, immature, and ignorant. I get that it was a way to explain the political climate of 1970's Mexico, but it was distracting and often boring. Elvis's POVs were better, his naivete was more forgivable. It picked up in the end. This was a cover buy, which was definitely misleading.
so-soI enjoyed a lot of this but i really wouldn‘t call it “good”
pickI loved this book! Learning about the Mexico‘s politics in 1970s (even if it was dramatized) was fascinating. I was endeared to the character Elvis and really enjoyed his character growth. And, while I didn‘t like the character Maite at all, I really enjoyed her story line. A fascinating read that I would recommend to everyone because it has a bit of everything: romance, adventure, and murder!
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(4.5/5)
I missed a book or two in this image and I can‘t figure out which ones 🧐. May is running away and I haven‘t even posted a wrap up of April. Not that I post much on here lately but I do like a good wrap up.
My faves in April would have to be Velvet was the Night, An Appetite for Miracles, and Unfamiliar just filled my little witchy needs.
Hope you all are reading some great books!
so-soI was hesitant going into this one because so many people bailed and didn't like it. While I did find it slow, overall, I was interested to see what happened, and the author does an amazing job of immersing the reader in her Mexican noir style. I just disliked Maite. She was extremely naive for someone in their 30s and not a very likable person.
so-soI was so close to bailing on this pulp fiction/noir novel, but I'm kinda glad I didn't. I found Maite dull, and Elvis slightly less dull, but what really held my attention was learning more about 1970s Mexico - the Hawks, student protests, corruption; the Mexican Dirty War. The atmosphere of the book is powerful. ⭐⭐⭐/5 from me! November #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville #AudioCommute
Today's #BARTandbook - I didn't finish it in time for #AuthorAMonth, but I'll finish it in a few more #AudioCommute sessions! I'm not loving it, and if I were reading it in print I might've DNF'd, but it makes for fun commute listening. #Audiobook #BookSpinBingo
pickI loved how music was a thru line for this book. The plot was a little slow but well described. A true noir mystery even tho the “turn” wasn‘t much of a surprise. Pic is from a concert I went to this week for ATEEZ.
Right under the wire yesterday for #AuthorAMonth
pickSet in Mexico in the 1970 during a time student protests, Maite, who is trying to ignore all of that gets caught in the middle when her neighbor goes missing. Mostly Maite just wants to read her comic books and listen to her records 🧡
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
#AuthorOfTheMonth @Soubhiville
#NoShameReadathon22 #Noir @Nessavamusic
A solid “meh.” This is my second Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I preferred Mexican Gothic though not by much. They both stayed just on the periphery of my interest.
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville
pickI love Moreno-Garcia‘s references, so I was excited for this month‘s #aam - but tho I think this book is solid, I didn‘t connect with it as much as I wanted to and I think that is because the author didn‘t lean in to the noir aspects as much as she could have. Things I liked: hearing more about living in Mexico City during the student riots, the references to another country‘s cultural touchstones like their noir and graphic novel traditions.
pickA great noir set in the political and social upheaval that was Mexico City in the 1970s. I quite liked it, which is exactly what I expected from Moreno-Garcia.
I fell slightly behind recently on updating here.
so-so#AAM This was ok. I was invested in the story, billed as #MexicanNoir but I definitely felt my mind wandering often. I‘m not sure the reader was the right choice, although I found her narration pleasant enough. I still think the cover is 5 stars!!! I‘d say #BorrowNotBuy
Low pick but a good choice for #Mexico #ReadingAmericas2023
pan6-9 Oct 22 (audiobook)
The note from the author at the end referred to this novel as ‘pulp fiction‘, which did make me revise my view. It was of its genre - focused on organised crime, violence and corruption. But the heroine was shallow and stupid, with few redeeming features. Elvis was somewhat better in that he had few choices. Less forgivable for me was the stodgy writing and stilted dialogue. An Obama recommendation I did not enjoy.
Visited Chicago to run the Chicago Marathon. Had to hit up an indie bookstore while there. Enjoyed a couple chapters with a beer on the river.
pan2.5 stars I REALLY disliked Maite. She was annoying and didn't like animals! Also, her dreamer mentality was irritating. As was her obsession with Secret Romance. I LOVE some books but I don't compare real life to them, because that's just unreasonable! I much preferred Elvis! I saw the "twist" coming miles away, so overall a disappointment especially as I enjoyed Mexican Gothic! The narrator was decent.
so-soI find Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s prose stiff and unemotional, and I struggled with that more in this book than Mexican Gothic… probably because the latter had so many things I love in it, and this didn‘t particularly! Maite isn‘t a terribly compelling protagonist, though I did feel for her. The story was interesting and kept me reading. The ending wasn‘t surprising; all the men are useless jerks or worse. (I guess Elvis is OK.)
#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView 📚
Thank you for the tag @EadieB 🌺
1. I picture a private eye in a fedora, and a blonde in a pencil skirt coming to his office for help. But I'm sure it has a much better definition.
2. I loved the tagged book.📚
#Two4Tuesday
1️⃣ Dark, twisty fiction with lots of shades of gray morality. Usually lots of mystery and not much “happy” outcomes.
2️⃣ I usually don‘t read this genre, but recently added the tagged book to my TBR.
Anyone who hasn‘t played, it‘s your turn!
pickI really really enjoyed this book on audio instead of a hard copy. I tried the hard copy twice and I struggled with pronouncing the names which led my mind astray. But I adored the audiobooks, it's got a great plot, interesting characters, and I give it five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟 This is a must listen for audiobook fans.
pickMaite and Elvis are put on a dangerous collision course after they begin investigating the disappearance of Maite‘s neighbor - a young, radical named Leonora.
Noir ✨ Subversive ✨ Shadowy
pickSeventies political fiction down in Mexico, based on a real horror story that was widespread in South America at the time. I listened to this one in one weekend, it was engaging and felt so real. Having notes from the author at the end was such a treat, bc the whole book was rly well researched, and I appreciated more details on the real world events!
so-soI don‘t think I actually liked this book. I listened to it at 2x speed which is usually an indication. Maite was so obsessed with her looks and seemed very childish for her age. I always like Morena-Garcia‘s books for the setting. It was an interesting perspective Mexico in the 70s.
#AwesomeApril
#pop22 - Latinx author
#thingsincommon
#NoShameReadathon - Noir
so-soWhile the setting, based around the real-life political climate of 1970‘s Mexico, proved interesting, the story took some effort for me to finish.
A tad cliche...An innocent woman (secretary by day and lover of romantic comics by night) becomes entangled in a search for her neighbor and some missing rolls of film that are highly coveted by various government factions.
In short, a somewhat predictable tale where not a lot happens.
3/5 stars
pickFinishing my March #bookspin before calling it a night. This got off to a slow start for me, but picked up speed about 1/3 of the way in. I enjoyed how Elvis‘s & Maite‘s storylines flowed. 3.5 ⭐️
pickCrap weather day so I baked my mom‘s coffee cake and finished this book. It‘s amazing 🖤by the same author as Mexican Gothic but NOTHING similar other than set in Mexico. It is so twist and turny and compulsive to read
pickAt some point, I realized I was really just reading a version of the comics Maite obsessed over, with a historic spin to it in novel form. I found it a fantastic mystery - one that isn‘t for everybody, but was for me. I will be exploring another Moreno-Garcia book soon. Also, the Spotify playlist and beautiful cover design add to its allure.
Saturday night
Will it live up to the hype?
pickHistorical-noir-romance, Mexico City during the Mexican Guerra Sucia. Pretty pulpy, but the plot clips along with a few good twists. Stock characters like the mobster-poet, dowdy secretary, glamorous photographer, student activists. Soundtrack for your reading pleasure=great accompanying Spotify playlist. 2021
so-soA bit of a disappointment. It might be my own lack of knowledge of Mexican political history but I mostly did not understand what was going on here. There were so many groups all seemed to be fighting but I don't know why? The writing was so surface level, no good descriptionS of people or places. After the richness of Mexican Gothic this fell a bit flat.
pickA little noir-like and depicts a specific time and place well for a period of Mexican History I didn‘t know about. Liked Elvis pretty well but the rest of them didn‘t really matter particularly Leonora bout she did tie everything in. I give this one 3.5 stars. It was well written.
pickGritty, atmospheric, & filled with subtle shades of grey, no black/white or right/wrong binaries in this one, the tagged book is a well-written & sophisticated noir set in 1970s Mexico City. It appears on a number of “best of” lists this year for good reason. If you pick it up thinking you‘re getting another Mexican Gothic, you‘ll be disappointed. If, however, you‘re looking for a mystery filled with political & social intrigue, this one is great.
pickNoir set in 1970s Mexico City. Maite is a bored secretary and Elvis is a hired thug, and both of them are looking for the same missing girl after a series of protests turn violent. Loved the musical cues and the atmospheric writing.
Next up as I continue working my way through the NYT 2021 list of 100 Notable Books. I‘m really enjoying this one so far…maybe even more than Mexican Gothic which I loved…maybe. I‘ll have to see what I think at the end.
pickOk well… that was in no way what I expected. And while it didn‘t … for me, represent a.. you know, velvety night, I loved it. I must love the way she writes or tells her stories or something. I just want to *eat* it. This, despite feeling that the audio narration was fine, but not amazing. I think I would have enjoyed it even more (& perhaps found it more velvety?) if I had eye-read it. 🤔 Doesn‘t matter, really. 5 stars.
#AVeryMerryReadathon
Reading (Velvet on audio).
I read somewhere that Moreno-Garcia‘s books all have a different vibe. I love that in an author when well done (eg Matt Ruff). I don‘t know what to think yet, & I‘m 75% done w the book. It‘s not…. Velvety, as promised? But I wonder if that‘s because of the narrator? She‘s… not velvety. 🤷🏽♀️ Anyone?
Also reading Stroud after having enjoyed his Niceville series🤓
& sent the #LMPBC book to @carlthecattt today! #groupw
pickThis was a slow read with a great ending. Political Mexico City, 1970. When Leonora goes missing after taking pictures during an attack on students, her neighbor, Maite, begins asking questions and diving deeper into her disappearance. Elvis, is put on surveillance to find Leonora. The story of Leonora‘s disappearance slowly unveils itself as the mystery unfolds. Bonus: The author created a Spotify playlist to accompany the book and times!
10-30-21: My 109th finished book of 2021! 1970s Mexico City. Maite is a secretary at a law firm who day dreams about having a life like one in her favorite comic Secret Romance. Elvis is an enforcer in a gang called The Hawks who fight political activists. When Maite‘s neighbor, Leonora, goes missing, Maite gets involved in trying to help find her, just like Elvis is trying to find her for his boss. A noir tale full of music references! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
10-30-21: It‘s a perfect day to be outside reading ☀️📖🌴
