Wulf C. Krueger
I set out to read - and hopefully love - this because it came with high praise by most of my GoodReads friends and my daughter (who loves the film, though).Thus prepared, I set out on this literary journey and quickly got confused: Sophie gets cursed by the Witch from the Waste? Whatever for? And she just gets up, moves out without thinking and stumbles upon the eponymous [b:Howl's Moving Castle 6294 Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Moving Castle, #1) Diana Wynne Jones https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630502935l/6294.SX50.jpg 2001]? Huh?She accepts any crap coming her way because »Sophie was a failure anyway. It came of being the eldest.«?Sorry, what? Every ridiculous and absurd situation that goes on to arise can be summarised as Howl does near the very end of this book:»“I'm the eldest!” Sophie shrieked. “I'm a failure!”“Garbage!” Howl shouted. “You just never stop to think!”«Some of you might think me too old for this - but for one thing, I still love the Moomins for example. Plus: I can tell you right here and now that as a child I would have despised this even more strongly.The entire story is just too wild and fantastic for my taste. It's a glorified fairy tale, akin to other wild rides without much substance.Still, it's not entirely bad and, thus, it's still getting three stars out of five from me.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
I don't know how this book ever made it to my to-be-read pile. It's a clumsily written short novella about a woman, Sophie, and two men, Elliot and Roy (who only have eyes for Sophie's butt, breasts, etc.) who happen to enter a submerged alien base...The story itself reads like a truly bad b-movie but as if that wasn't bad enough, the writing style is repetitive (we keep reading the “three submariners” and other constantly repeating phrases and denominations) and clumsy.Furthermore, there are countless truly grating grammar issues (tense!), typos and other mistakes (“to” versus “too”) that made me think the author must be a non-native speaker (as am I)...The fight scenes were atrociously badly written, a crime against Phipps' readers! Long-winded, boring and, of course, also badly written.Stay away from this!One out of five stars because I can't award none.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
Mara inherits half of a house from her late mentor. When she visits said house, she meets Liam with whom she proceeds to live “[b:Under One Roof 59651557 Under One Roof (The STEMinist Novellas, #1) Ali Hazelwood https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637311353l/59651557.SY75.jpg 93935907]”. They have great first impressions of each other, then enmity ensues, the inevitable mutual crushes come up - and then both Mara and Liam who eat, play and talk together entirely forget to talk about said crushes...That alone would have been annoying enough but additionally, the story isn't very interestingly told either: Everything that happens beyond the interactions between Mara and Liam is boring and sometimes even their interactions are.Two out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
Some books are confusing and “[b:Book Lovers 58690308 Book Lovers Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638867089l/58690308.SY75.jpg 92341790]” by [a:Emily Henry 13905555 Emily Henry https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573928938p2/13905555.jpg] is definitely one of those: Literary agent Nora, a big city shark, meets big city editor Charlie and inevitably falls in love with him. In a rural small town of all places to which she retreated with her sister Libby to try and fix their strained relationship. For a romance, a rom-com, this is a good premise.Sadly, the execution was of varying quality: First of all, the characters are so-so at best. Nora, characterised as a workaholic and a “shark” dominated by bloodlust in favour of her authors, doesn't ever feel like a shark. From very early on we get to know that she's always trying to “fix” things around Libby. Everything Nora does is dominated by her almost obsessive and possessive behaviour towards Libby: Nora didn't pursue her dream career to make more money for Libby (and herself). Nora never goes beyond the first date because she's only interested in acquiring food for herself and Libby.So, while I did like Nora, this compulsive obsessive behaviour was way too much. »“My sister's the sweet one. If she pees outside, flower gardens burst up from it.”«Libby in turn feels like an “extra” (if this was a film): She married very young, has two children with a third on the way. She lets herself be “mom”-ed up by her domineering sister and quite likely fled into marriage just to get away from the overpowering influence Nora exerts over her.Libby is also entirely forgettable - if it wasn't for a late “twist” in the book, she would have been completely superfluous.Then there's Charlie. He seems like a good enough guy but his character mostly remains in the dark. He simply doesn't make enough of an impression to really get who he is.The story itself is also a mixed bag: Much drama in the past, some more in the present, a failing bookstore in a quaint little town, very few truly interesting characters and the overall “literary world” setting is hardly used at all: Nora and Charlie cooperatively edit the book of Nora's favourite client - why don't we get to know and read more about that book which actually has an impact on Nora's and Charlie's relationship?There's not much in terms of “book lovers” in there either: Yes, Nora and Charlie use the “same subtle gender-neutral cologne” very unsubtly called “BOOK” (yes, spelled in caps).Yes, they both enjoy the old-fashioned book store but their “love” for anything (but each other, thankfully) seems rather generic and superficial. This book works (or fails) regardless of either the protagonist's professions or their passions.All of this doesn't mean this is a bad book; it isn't. The writing is fine, there's humour and the way Nora's and Charlie's journey to each other begins did amuse me a lot...»Another message comes in. A page from the Bigfoot Christmas book, featuring a particularly egregious use of decking the halls, as well as a reference to a sex move called the Voracious Yeti, which doesn't sound remotely anatomically possible.«... especially since a Goodreads friend recently read and hilariously reviewed something like that! Also on the plus side: Nora and (albeit to a lesser degree) Charlie actually communicate and talk about the challenges for their relationship which is all too rare in romance:»“Maybe, for whatever reason, you just don't want to date right now,” I say, “and that's fine. People feel that way all the time. But if it's something else—if you're afraid you're too rigid, or whatever your exes might've thought about you—none of that's true. Maybe every day with you would be more or less the same, but so what? That actually sounds kind of great. “And maybe I'm misreading all of this, but I don't think I am, because I've never met anyone so much like me. And—if any part of all this is that you think, in the end, I'll want a golden retriever instead of a mean little cat, you're wrong.” “Everyone wants a golden retriever,” he says in a low voice. As ridiculous a statement as it is, he looks serious, concerned. I shake my head. “I don't.” Charlie's hands settle on the edge of the desk on either side of me, his gaze melting back into honey, caramel, maple. “Nora.” My heart trips at his rough, halting tone: the voice of a man letting someone down easy.«And, last but not least, there are some truths hidden in this book, the most important of which is put into a toddler's mouth:»Tala regales us with a tale that is either the nonsense ramblings of a toddler or a faithful retelling of a Kafka novel.«All in all, this garners three out of five stars from me.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
Nachdem die ersten Bände in - aus europäischer Sicht - weiter Ferne spielten und darunter die eigentliche Geschichte meist sehr litt und zudem sehr häufig Verharmlosung imperialistischer, kolonialistischer und auch rassistischer Vorgänge betrieben, ist dieser Band nun wohltuend anders: Hier kommt Tim zufällig einer Geldfälscherbande auf die Spur und verfolgt diese durch Europa bis nach Schottland.Weite Teile des Albums werden allerdings von der puren Verfolgung eingenommen, die zwar nett, aber - zumindest aus heutiger Perspektive - nicht wirklich besonders ist. Zur Einordnung: Ursprünglich erschien “[b:Die Schwarze Insel 3009609 Die Schwarze Insel (Tim und Struppi, #7) Hergé https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327847336l/3009609.SX50.jpg 125639]” von 1937 bis 1938 wie seinerzeit üblich in einer Zeitschrift. Eine bereits modifizierte Neuauflage erfolgte 1943 und eine letzte große Überarbeitung endete 1965 mit einer modernisierten und “aufgehübschten” Fassung. Diese bis heute meistverbreitete Version habe ich gelesen.1965 liegt aber heute bereits 57 Jahre zurück - und das merkt man. Dennoch gelingt es diesem Band, mich wieder ein wenig mehr an die Serie anzunähern, nachdem ich während der ersten fünf Bände bereits befürchtete, mir eine schöne Erinnerung zu zerstören.Der liebenswerte Humor (Schulze und Schultze in Handschellen) und die einfach nur netten “running gags” (Struppi und der Knochen) haben mich schmunzeln lassen.Drei von fünf Sternen.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
Finally! I'm free of this book! I used to really like this world and its rather unique inhabitants as well as the stories [a:Ben Aaronovitch 363130 Ben Aaronovitch https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1647526446p2/363130.jpg] so expertly told us.This time around, though, I was bored by the lacklustre story at the centre of “[b:Amongst Our Weapons 59628021 Amongst Our Weapons (Rivers of London, #9) Ben Aaronovitch https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1644713327l/59628021.SY75.jpg 93908917]”: An “Angel of Death” is killing the owners of some obscure rings with Lesley being on the hunt for said rings. Peter does his best to prevent further deaths.Through 80% of this instalment in the series, I only read it in bed because it served as a perfect sleeping drug. The abysmal pacing, being told about Beverly's pregnancy (mostly referred to as “the bulge” which felt derogatory even though it most certainly wasn't meant like that), quite a few encounters with the culprit but hardly any progress until the very end - it all made for a veritable snoozefest.Nightingale is mostly around and yet feels strangely absent - he doesn't have much of a role at all. Fortunately, there were a few redeeming moments: Peter refuses to lay a trap to just plain kill the culprit but looks for a better solution. Lesley plays a much better role than previously and - very importantly - the foxes are back. Not as prominently as they deserve but at least they're there and hilarious as ever.And, of course, Beverly's and Peter's twins are finally born! Still, “Amongst Our Weapons” read like Aaronovitch has lost any real intrinsic motivation to write these novels. He routinely wrote another entry which will, undoubtedly, sell well but his heart doesn't seem to be in it anymore.A sad two stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
»We are who we are not because of our birthright, but because of what we choose to do in this life. It cannot be boiled down to black and white. Not when there is so much in between. You cannot say something is moral or immoral without understanding the nuances behind it.”«From a world obviously different from ours (magic and magical beings exist there!) but closely related to ours, in [a:T.J. Klune 5073330 T.J. Klune https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1546275989p2/5073330.jpg]'s “[b:The House in the Cerulean Sea 45047384 The House in the Cerulean Sea T.J. Klune https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569514209l/45047384.SY75.jpg 62945242]” we are told a modern fairy tale about an orphanage and its inhabitants.Linus Baker, a caseworker of the “Department in Charge Of Magical Youth” is charged to investigate an orphanage under the wings of Arthur Parnassus who is overseeing the well-being of six especially dangerous orphaned children - one of them being the devil's child!What Linus discovers, though, is completely different from what he expected...First and foremost this is a book about kindness and love. There isn't much “action” because this is a book that lives from the loves it exudes: There is the “master” of the house, Arthur, who is much more of a teacher, a confessor, a father figure to his young charges. There is also the benevolent island sprite who is protecting the orphanage and all inhabitants of the island. An island that is lovingly depicted as a mixture of dense forest, blooming meadows and gardens (tended to by Thalia the gnome, one of the orphans).In stark contrast to that is “Mr. Baker” who is suspicious of the freedoms granted to the kids, who relies on his voluminous “Rules and Regulations” and a form of self-isolation that leads to a warped kind of objectivity.Mr. Baker, who is always formally dressed, is distant to the kids in the beginning because in contrast to the colourful sun-shiny island, he comes from the city which seems to be always grey (or even: black and white), rainy and adversarial.Mr. Baker's transformation into Linus the adventurer - that is what we're witnessing and the way Linus “heals” and finds a new life for himself while not forgetting about the children (and Arthur!) is the destination - just like in travel!»“Severed heads?” Linus asked in a strangled voice. Lucy sighed. “Just representations of my enemies. The Pope. Evangelicals who attend megachurches. You know, like normal people have.”«The way those children - who mostly have suffered terribly before - open up to Linus and slowly but inevitably grow on him and the way he, Linus, grows and allows himself to grow close to them, that is why this lovely “quiet” little book is indeed a gem.As a bonus, there's also some very nice and sweet LGBT* representation.Linus' interactions with “Extremely Upper Management” and the paths he chooses for his personal life as well as his calling are further helping the “message” of this book and, at the same time, disprove those zealous and self-righteous reviewers thinking this book robs anyone of their stories.Yes, Klune states this book was influenced by the horrible “residential school” system in Canada - but in a way that makes it very clear that he actually researched those schools and the atrocities committed in them (unsurprisingly administered by the Christian churches).Klune neither condones nor excuses this system that was wrong to its core. In contrast to it he writes of an orphanage that's more of a loving home than anything else.He does not take away anyone's own voice to describe or write about that system. He creates a different system (though one which is also wrong at its core!) in a different world and alludes at overcoming that inhumane system.When all is said and done, this is a wonderful, wholesome book about all kinds of love and that garners five out of five stars from me.“Thank you.” “For what?” “This. Everything. All this color.”Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
»I am the daughter of Black writers. I am descended from freedom fighters who broke their chains and changed the world. They call me. I carry them always.«(From “Gratitude”)I'm not sure what to say or write about this collection of [a:Amanda Gorman 17342520 Amanda Gorman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1640521263p2/17342520.jpg]'s poetry. Any words I could find would still fall short to describe how amazing and emotionally moving, intellectually brilliant, witty and intelligent this is.“This book, like a ship, is meant to be lived in.” Gorman writes and there's so much life in “[b:Call Us What We Carry 56805404 Call Us What We Carry Amanda Gorman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627672473l/56805404.SX50.jpg 88721681]”!When I started reading this collection, I thought it would be a quick read but after stumbling onto this “ship” with this misconception, from early on I found myself reading this carefully, slowly, maybe even reverently. Most often not more than one poem at a time.I long thought poetry had ceased being relevant since Shakespeare's sonnets but Gorman made me change my mind.The only poems I didn't love as much as the others were the “erasure poems” (with the very notable exception of “DC PUTSCH” which was amazing!). In those poems, Gorman creates poems out of documents from which she “erased” pieces to create something new.While the idea of that is something that appeals to me, the results didn't quite hit the spot as much as most of the other poems.Some poems include sections of prose, explanations, historical context and similar. Those brief “excursions” deepen the experience. Inspired by Rihanna and Rilke, Shakespeare and the “Ghostbusters” theme song, Homer and Terence and lots of others (cf. “Notes”) this is probably one of those books I'll never forget.All in all, this was a wonderful experience and I'm most certainly going to buy any further works of Amanda Gorman.My favourite poems in this collection:- “CALL US”- “WHAT WE CARRY”- “LIGHTHOUSE” - “THE MIRACLE OF MORNING” - “THE HILL WE CLIMB”- “MONOMYTH” - “ESSEX II”- “_ _ _ _ _ [GATED]”Five out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
This is one of the very few books I'm not finishing. Let me explain why: The problem with this one is that [a:Benjamín Labatut 5343297 Benjamín Labatut https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1601105305p2/5343297.jpg] introduces the history of an invention to us. Let's take the first story on “Prussian Blue” as an example:Labatut starts by shortly describing the invention itself and what lead to it. He then proceeds to tell us about the inventor(s) and how they relate to each other and the world. Labatut does this, and that's my first issue, at break-neck speed. He drops name after name after name and forms connections between them in rarely more than a single sentence. It's exhausting and not very illuminating.Much worse, though, whenever there's insufficient historical evidence Labatut chooses the most lurid and raciest possible explanation. For example Fritz Haber's (Haber played a most prominent role in chemical warfare) wife, Clara Immerwahr, did commit suicide - but the reasons are unclear. Immerwahr's marriage to Haber was unhappy on many levels and she may or may not have been against World War I - there are conflicting accounts.Labatut, though, decides to paint her as condemning Haber for perverting chemistry and killing herself about that.If there are two possible conclusions, it's always the sensationalist one Labatut chooses. Even in that first story, in which the author claims is only one fictionalised paragraph, there are a lot of instances in which Labatut takes great liberty at recounting the details of his subject.Last but not least, I do not like the ambivalent form: Labatut writes as if presenting established historicals facts but on the other hand takes literary freedom especially in later stories without clearly marking such occasions - what's true and what's his artistic license? Unless you take the time and actually research the subject matter yourself, you won't know. And you'll never know at which points Labatut overly simplifies the facts or goes on to embellish them.»The quantity of fiction grows throughout the book; whereas “Prussian Blue” contains only one fictional paragraph, I have taken greater liberties in the subsequent texts, while still trying to remain faithful to the scientific concepts discussed in each of them.«This book isn't really about scientific concepts, though, but about the societal and historical implications of those concepts and how they influenced their inventors and the world. That - without embellishments and fictionalised parts - could be a truly interesting read.The way this book is written, though, is just a wild, high-speed ride through selective and partly fictionalised history. That's not for me.One star out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
A highly metaphorical short story in which an elderly guy is being kind, is being treated kindly himself, gets hurt nevertheless, falls to his knees but gets up once more to reflect on his past and - my first and only guess - is sinking into dementia while considering how the eponymous worms may taste (when he's gone to his grave), effectively contemplating death.This is so short, devoid of substantial clues and highly abstract that I lack the patience to analyse it in any detail.I read this because [a:Paul Auster 296961 Paul Auster https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1554662932p2/296961.jpg] - whom I adore, almost worship - wrote it but even to yours truly this didn't really appeal.Three out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
This is going to be yet another difficult review. There's no doubt: “[b:Planetside 35657891 Planetside (Planetside #1) Michael Mammay https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1517430558l/35657891.SY75.jpg 57112738]” is suspenseful and exciting military science fiction. There's also no doubt there are plot holes, loose ends and an ending that's extremely problematic.Let's start at the beginning, though, at which Colonel Carl Butler, semi-retired of Space Command, is sent to the Cappa system by his superior and old acquaintance General Serata. This is where the trouble starts: [a:Michael Mammay 17022421 Michael Mammay https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508826297p2/17022421.jpg] keeps hinting at the tour(s?) of duty, Butler completed in Cappa but we never learn what happened, why Butler drinks habitually, how he lost his daughter on planet Cappy and so much more. We get to know that Butler is supposed to find out about the fate of the son of some SPACECOM hotshot but that's it.Early on in his investigation, Butler realises there's a lot of weird business going on both “planetside” on Cappa and on the Cappa Base in its orbit. Since Butler's primary “tactic” is to metaphorically bash in some doors if he can't think of any real plan (and he usually can't), he upsets a lot of people from different commands like Medical Command (MEDCOM) and some military intelligence service.While his methods are questionable, it's at least interesting to read. Sadly, General Serata's “spy” is non-lethally taken out of the picture early on and, thus, never gets used. The station's commander, Stirling, remains shady: He's accused of knowing about the central issue - but Butler never follows up on that. Stirling's second-in-command, Lex, suddenly knows a detail Butler never mentioned to her - and he remembers that dimly but also never acts upon that mystery.Mac, Butler's personal security detail, is an experienced soldier “worth his salt” and, thus, graced with an actual name. Most of the other soldiers remain nameless or get reduced to “G One” and “G Two”...Several assassination attempts are made against Butler and never get resolved. Yes, the action on the planet is interesting but, honestly, content-wise highly unoriginal - we've seen it a billion times on TV, read it in a billion trashy sci-fi novels. I rolled my eyes quite a few times.Also, the yellow-skinned slit-eyed indigenous (!) population on planet Cappa is dumb, generally evil and anthropomorphic and, of course, subdued or pacified... The few “rebels” are supposed to be “dealt with”. After all, the silver that humanity wants to extract from the planet is much more important than indigenous life...None of that ever crosses Butler's mind, though. He thinks of his daughter (never bothering the Cappans are most likely to have children, too), his wife whom he asks Serata to take care of should things go south for Butler (what about the Cappans' wives?). No, Butler only worries about the exact range of his authority and why he was sent to Cappa.Even when Butler finally realises why exactly he was sent on his mission - namely because Butler has no scruples whatsoever and is willing to do “whatever it takes” (to secure the silver and protect the “secret” that both Butler and Serata realise will get out anyway) - he doesn't shy away. On the contrary: Butler makes up his mind, doesn't tell anyone what he's up to and ruthlessly commits crimes much worse than anything anyone else did. His only worry is “containment” - knowing full well that this is impossible.And that's exactly where the book ends. No aftermath, no remorse, not the slightest hint at what happens next - nothing.Butler orders a full evacuation of the planet by his own side and then proceeds to single-handedly wipe out the entire planet with its entire population. Butler willingly, knowingly commits genocide because he decides human lives are worth more than the indigenous life on Cappa.»That didn't make it right for us to attack them. But there was more than one right, and I always picked the right that helped our side.«A planet whom he and his ilk came to exploit, declaring war on its population, trying to “demilitarise” and politically “cleanse” - does that ring a bell? I cannot forget the pictures from Bucha (and, unfortunately, I saw the worst of them and “uncensored”...). Now imagine that on a planetary scale and you pretty much get what Butler does.»Find the truth. Stop a war« the cover ominously says. A version of the truth is found and the war is stopped, yes. I never expected it to end the way it did, though, and this ending deeply upsets and appals me. It also destroys any desire to read any books by an author who basically states “might makes right”.Yes, this is, fortunately, fiction but a kind of fiction that's based upon and plays to the advantage of xenophobia, racism, genocide and the like. We've had enough of that in our non-fictional history.Three stars for the literary work as such. One star for its ethics. That leads me to a guilty-feeling two stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
“[b:Bruno's Challenge & Other Dordogne Tales 58111445 Bruno's Challenge & Other Dordogne Tales Martin Walker https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621591774l/58111445.SY75.jpg 91079467]” consists of 14 short stories featuring rural French cop Bruno who has already “starred” in 14 previous books.The full-size novels (that I prefer) went on a downward spiral around book 10 and mostly picked up at book 14. So I was curious to see how this short story collection would hold up.This was especially true because only six of the collected stories are actually new - the other eight have previously been published.The eponymous “Bruno's Challenge” is one of those new stories and, sadly, a prime example of all that was wrong with the latest Bruno novels: Endless recipe descriptions, hardly any kind of story. 1 star.“Birthday Lunch” is an older story that I had already read: Another short story from the “Bruno universe”. Unfortunately, like the later novels, this one didn't have any appeal for me. A large part of it is basically simply a narrated recipe:“He beat the yolks and eggs together with a hundred fifty grams of sugar until they were creamy.”That really doesn't float my boat, sorry. The rest is just plain boring. Moving on. 1 star.Another republished story is “The Chocolate War”: This one deals with the market again and the ensuing eponymous “Chocolate War” that ends in a typical Bruno way. This is a very short read but it's a nice one at least. 3 stars.Another new one is “The Lost Boy” which is actually a pretty nice story. A “classic” Bruno who rescues not only the lost boy but also his father and their holidays. 4 stars. The new (at least I think it's new) “A Question of Chabrol” is extremely short as well as extremely weak and boring. It explores the etymology of the word “chabrol” and the associated custom. A typical Walker showing off his historical knowledge. No thanks, 1 star.Republished (not entirely sure here but I think I came across it before) “The Green Army” is ok‘ish at best. It features environmental crimes but still downplays ecological issues and is generally rather disappointing. 2 stars.“Dangerous Vacation” (new) is yet another ok'ish story but the very moralist ending is highly annoying. Philippe did nothing wrong (apart from misjudging his true love interest). Two adults having consensual fun - albeit with different expectations. 2 stars.Another “oldie” but, thankfully, a “goldie” (sorry!): “A Market Tale” is a nice and typical Bruno short story. It's a good sample for the early Bruno novels since it represents everything that's good about the series: Bruno is so wonderfully likeable, friendly and empathic. The market obviously plays as important a role as in many of the novels. There's a small conflict but Bruno congenially resolves it. I felt right at home with this short story. 5 stars.“Fifty Million Bubbles” is another new story about a wine contest and a related minor crime. Another good one. Minor crime, nice Bruno, some interesting but thankfully brief quick dips into history. 4 stars.I also already had the misfortune to read “Oystercatcher” before: This completely forgettable short story has Bruno in it but he's not even near his beloved Perigord. He's out to catch oyster thieves and for some bizarre reason Isabelle actively engages in this tiniest possible case as well. Just skip this. I only read it for completeness' sake. 1 star because there are words in this.“Mère Noël”, newly written, is another good one in which Bruno himself is slyly on the fine line between legality and a grey zone. 4 stars.“Boeuf Neanderthal” is a republished boring lesson on prehistoric food combined with cooking. Why? Because Bruno's friend, the mayor of St. Denis, has become president of SHAP, the “Société Historique et Archéologique du Périgord” and asks Bruno to prepare a prehistoric dinner. Who wants to read such crap? 1 star.“The Collaborator” is an interesting history lesson on collaboration and the Vichy regime. Not sure I agree with all the conclusions presented here but it's not too bad a story so: 3 stars.“Le Père Noël” (another old one) is yet another nice typical Bruno in which the latter goes on a “manhunt” - in typical Bruno manner, though. It has a lot of Christmas “vibes” and many of Bruno's friends (old and new) in it, it has another small crime and made me smile. Since all's well that ends well, this garners 5 stars.All in all, I got what I expected with this short story collection - which was not much, I have to admit. Only six new stories and eight old ones, their quality highly mixed... Arithmetically, we're at an average overall rating of 2.6 which, sadly, feels about right. Generously rounding that up: Three stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
This was great escapist fun! This book read like the happy child of [a:Douglas Adams 4 Douglas Adams https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1616277702p2/4.jpg]' “[b:Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 386162 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) Douglas Adams https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559986152l/386162.SX50.jpg 3078186]” and [a:Martha Wells 87305 Martha Wells https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1397566224p2/87305.jpg]' “Murderbot” (in tone more than in spirit!) with a bit of [a:Ernest Cline 31712 Ernest Cline https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1310753539p2/31712.jpg]'s “[b:Ready Player One 9969571 Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1) Ernest Cline https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1500930947l/9969571.SY75.jpg 14863741]” mixed in for good measure!After so many “mixed reading results” so far this year, this was a much needed blast of fresh, contemporary air that expertly blew away any residue of blues. This is a fun, feel-good book, a book like a really good popcorn movie.This book is, in Scalzi's own words:»It's a pop song. It's meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you're done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face. I had fun writing this, and I needed to have fun writing this. We all need a pop song from time to time, particularly after a stretch of darkness.«I so enjoyed Jamie Gray, the lead character, who feels like an immensely nice person... Diversity comes naturally into play as well and, thus, a lively, colourful, powerful range of characters takes the stage that I'm sure I'm sorely going to miss.For now, I'm smiling and happy to have read this book right now.For all it is, I cannot help myself but award five out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
Vielleicht hätte es mir ja schon anhand des pompösen Titels klar sein müssen: “[b:Baskische Tragödie 55368387 Baskische Tragödie (Luc Verlain #4) Alexander Oetker https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600436970l/55368387.SY75.jpg 86377644]”! Da versucht sich ein ordentlicher Autor von Durchschnitts-Krimikost an etwas “Großem” - und scheitert grandios und - für den Leser - schmerzhaft.Waren die drei Vorgänger-Romane mit dem durchaus sympathischen Kommissar Luc Verlain handwerklich und inhaltlich ordentliche Massenware, die aber auch nicht vorgab, mehr zu sein, nimmt diese literarische Tragödie alle nur erdenklichen Fäden auf.Verlain, der schon längere Zeit mit ominösen Postkarten bedroht wird, tappt in diesem Band nun in wirklich jede erdenkliche Falle - die er aber natürlich längst als solche erkannt und unschädlich gemacht hat. Er muß schon ein wirkliches Genie sein, dieser Luc Verlain, der schon Jahre vorher weiß, wie genau und welcher ehemalige Gegner ihm wann auflauern wird... Aber so war er ja schon zu Beginn seiner Karriere: Eine einzige Begegnung mit einem Schurken reicht aus und schon...“rief Luc: »Er war es.« »Was?« Yacine sah ihn von der Seite überrascht an. Luc nickte. »Ich bin mir sicher.«”Auch sprachlich ist dieser Roman praktisch ein Totalausfall und liest sich, als habe ein Fünfjähriger mit dem entsprechenden aktiven Wortschatz hier erste literarische Übungen vollführt und nicht ein etablierter Autor und Journalist.Es geht schon sofort gut los:“Von Schritt zu Schritt wurde ihm komischer. Er spürte, wie sein kleines Herz immer doller schlug, wie es in seiner Brust zu rasen begann.”Lieber Alexander Oetker: Ihr Erzähler berichtet über einen kleinen Jungen, aber doch nicht in dessen Sprache!Auch ansonsten ist Oetker seine Sprachbeherrschung offenbar völlig abhanden gekommen...“Das Klingeln weckte ihn erst beim vierten oder fünften Mal. Er kannte es nicht, also erkannte er es nicht.”Entschuldigung? Was war das denn?Voller Kindergarten- (oder Privatsender-) Pathos strotzt dieser Roman nur so von albernen Formulierungen wie diesen:“Das passte zu ihm. Zu diesem Mann. Dem Teufel.”Es muß eben immer gleich der Mensch-gewordene Leibhaftige sein, dem man dann voll Melodramatik attestiert, sein “Gesicht [sei] eine Fratze geworden”, denn “all das [war] von einem finsteren Genie geplant worden”, ein “ganzes teuflisches Werk”!Aber unser Super-Schurke ist nicht nur der Teufel, nein, er ist auch “das Chamäleon, [b:der Mann ohne Eigenschaften 192195 Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften I Erstes und zweites Buch Robert Musil https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266492917l/192195.SY75.jpg 55827668]” ([a:Robert Musil 16747 Robert Musil https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1482379715p2/16747.jpg] läßt grüßen!), dem Oetker dafür aber eine Unmenge Eigenschaften zuschreibt.“Aber der Tag würde kommen, an dem er [den teuflischen Schurken] richten könnte.”, echt jetzt, Oetker? Auch die sprachlich so mühsam zusammen gezimmerte Geschichte als solches ist wirr, unglaubwürdig und verworren: Nicht nur, daß Luc mehrere schwere Verbrechen begeht, nein, selbst sein Widersacher setzt große Mengen reinen Kokains wider besseren Wissens für seinen abstrusen Racheplan aufs Spiel.Den Vogel aber nun wirklich vollkommen abzuschießen, gelingt Oetker, indem er seinem Helden geradezu mystische Kräfte, um nicht zu sagen “Superkräfte”, andichtet, denn wird Luc Verlain gefangen, so wird er zum Super-Huster!“Es war ein Rhythmus gewesen, dieses Husten, drei kurze Huster, dann drei lang gezogene, und zum Schluss wieder drei kurze, es klang wie ein Anfall und war doch die Nachricht, die sie nach Sekunden entschlüsselt hatte: S-O-S.”Um auch mal zum Oetker'schen Duktus zu greifen: Während großer Teile dieser urdeutschen Tragödie, die sich zogen wie die glüh-heissen Weiten der Sahara, war es geradezu eine Höllenqual dieses Buch zu lesen. Noch bei 80% erwog ich ernsthaft, dem entsetzlichen Grauen beherzt ein Ende zu setzen.Nicht einmal für Fans ist dieses Buch zu empfehlen. Insofern: Ein Stern von fünf.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
»All those years I thought that I had been running away from my past I had, in fact, been working my way steadily back to it.«This was not easy to read and even less so to review. In “[b:Memorial Drive 48613168 Memorial Drive A Daughter's Memoir Natasha Trethewey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572991814l/48613168.SY75.jpg 72583361]” Trethewey remembers her childhood, born 1966, in a still very much segregated Gulfport, Mississippi, USA. Her mother black and her father white this clearly was a challenge.Trethewey's father leaves the family and when her mother meets another man and, ultimately, marries him, things quickly escalate for young Trethewey who is routinely abused by her stepfather, Joel, who also beats his wife and terrorises the entire family.Joel eventually murders his then-ex wife.First and foremost, “Memorial Drive” is about remembering a loving mother and telling her story. When asked about what Trethewey would want to be a key takeaway from reading “Memorial Drive” she answered as follows:“If I was really honest, I would want for people to fall a little bit in love with her the way I love her. I want people to care so much about her life so that when you read it, despite knowing the outcome, you wish fiercely, fiercely for her survival. ”Trethewey succeeded at that for me.Four out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
We all know them: Those relatives at family reunions who insist on telling “terrific jokes” that make us cringe. If you don't, let me put you into the right mood:»When asked if they would have sex with Bill Clinton, 86% of women in D.C. said, “Not again.”«Or this one: »3 men are stranded in a boat with 4 cigarettes and no way to light them. So they toss the 4th cigarette overboard, which makes the whole boat a cigarette lighter.«Ok, you're with me, right? Now imagine a book that's full of humour like this. A book that tries so hard to be funny that it actually becomes tiresome. I've tried “Discworld” before and found it lacking in all departments but “[b:Good Omens 26793697 Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch Terry Pratchett https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553714221l/26793697.SX50.jpg 94183624]” made even that look good.Some actual samples of the humour? Here's one about sperms:»And there were his fellow trainees—fellow sperms, to switch metaphors, all struggling forward in the knowledge that there could only ever be one Chairman of Industrial Holdings (Holdings) PLC, and that the job would probably go to the biggest prick.«Or this gem, bordering on xenophobia:»A man threw himself through the window, a knife between his teeth, a Kalashnikov automatic rifle in one hand, a grenade in the other. “I glaim gis oteg id der gaing og der—” he paused. He took the knife out of his mouth and began again. “I claim this hotel in the name of the pro-Turkish Liberation Faction!”«And nothing's better than combining a little climate change with nuclear weapons testing:»“I'm surprised there was any water left in the pond. I blame it on the lack of nuclear testing, myself. You used to get proper summers when I was a boy. It used to rain all the time.”«The assembled “dad jokes”, “politically incorrect jokes”, the juvenile humour - it just became too much and so I did not finish this steaming turd of a book.One out of five stars. Go and watch the TV series instead - that's actually pretty good! (Which tells you a lot about this book...)Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
This was supposed to be another “filler” till I found my “next big read” and it all started well enough.“Shoot to Kill” is an interesting short story featuring Kubu investigating the death of an informant among poachers. It had exactly the right “Kubu vibes” and was a quick and pleasant read. Had all the short stories been this good, the collection would have easily garnered four stars.“The Case of the Missing Tuba” was amusing. It lacked any real crime (and, sadly, it also lacked Kubu!) but it was still nice enough. (Despite featuring a manipulative ass-hat husband.)“The Con” has petty crime but it also has the main ingredient - Kubu! And a believable, likeable Kubu at that. His family also features prominently and I was truly amused and thought this short story collection was headed to four stars.Then came the “Parlor Game”, though. A confusing and utterly failed attempt at imitating [a:Edgar Allan Poe 4624490 Edgar Allan Poe https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1454522972p2/4624490.jpg]. This short story also lacked Kubu. Even worse, though: It was devoid of any logic. Or original ideas. Or decent human beings.“Parlor Game” could have been the product of a drunken stupor. Lastly, “Spirits” came along: Yet another short story extremely thin in terms of actual story. Much spirit/ghost/shaman/you-name-it rubbish and an ending that felt like Michael Stanley hadn't read anything that came before it... And that was already all! After about 85% of the entire book, an excerpt from “[b:Facets of Death 45688469 Facets of Death (Detective Kubu #7) Michael Stanley https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1569297401l/45688469.SY75.jpg 70448642]” followed. So we don't even actually get a book of Kubu short stories but lots of self-promotion.Considering all that and the highly unimaginative title, I think two stars out of five are still rather generous...Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
I just wanted a nice little romance to reset my brain. What I got was a weird mix of hippie crap (self-coupling my arse), commitment issues (Susie, Cleo, the kids, Mack; all suffer, none win).Cleo, a writer for “Women Today”, writes a column about finding what she calls her “flamingo”, meaning her “soul mate”, “forever love”, you name it.In an act of defiance - orchestrated by her editor, though - because she keeps finding (and promptly losing) sparrows instead of flamingos, Cleo goes on a trip to (brace yourselves!) “Salvation Island” to “self-couple” for a while in isolation and to ultimately “marry herself”.By chance, fate or, more realistically, a careless mistake by the owner of the “Otter Lodge” which her magazine rented for her, hectic Londoner Cleo meets “inconvenient American” Mack who intended to recover from a painful separation from his wife in the loneliness of his ancestral island home: Mack's grandmother used to live on Salvation Island.Thus set up, the two first make a truce (including a chalk demarcation line and a DMZ!) and, this is a romance after all, decide to have a holiday romance, a “micro-love” as they're going to call it.Integrated into the “Salvation Island” society by means of knitting (Cleo) and generally being manly and drinking (Mack), both try to make peace with their lives. They're just not very good at it, sadly.Mack is still strongly hung up on his wife Susie. Just like Mack on “Salvation Island” with Cleo, Susie has an affair. An office affair. With her boss, Robert. Separated from Mack for a year, Susie has been with Robert for months but pretty much the minute Mack tells her about Cleo, she wants him back. Cliché? No, not at all! Mack himself barely resists the urge to kiss Susie under a convenient mistletoe and when Susie kisses him (on Christmas Eve, of course!) the focus conveniently moves away just in time...Complicating matters, the two have two kids to whom Mack's entire life is devoted and for whom he's willing to sacrifice everything - even his own happiness. I've kept wanting to slap Mack, telling him that if he's so unhappy, he can try as he might; he won't be able to fool his kids and simply won't be able to be the father he wants to be for them.All the while, Cleo stays on the island, sitting in the sand (on a cushion, we don't want an inconvenient wet arse!), marries herself (which gives her feelings of being deeply profound for reasons entirely escaping me), cries a lot, pines after Mack and talks a lot about “micro-love”.Tragedy strikes the island, one life ending, one life beginning, Cleo finds her new self and, ultimately, during the big finale, Mack returns to suggest a thousand holiday romances for the two of them to which Cleo meltingly and enthusiastically agrees. Thus, conveniently never fully committing to each other, they're implied to have a thousand happily-ever-afters.I thought I had signed up for a “romantic comedy” but what I got was a bland, half-arsed story about shallow people with commitment issues. Is this something you'd like to read? Me neither.Two out of five stars because... it's not total garbage (just mostly).Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
Oh, well, another difficult review to write... I really did like this book and while writing this very sentence I'm still unsure what my final verdict will be.Evelyn Hugo, fictional Hollywood icon, is - to me - an immensely likeable person: Starting her career in the 1950s she works her way up to become a legend. That alone would already have made for an interesting read because I grew up on films from the Golden Age of Old Hollywood.When I first read the title I immediately thought of Elizabeth Taylor (eight marriages, seven husbands...) whose work in the film industry has indeed inspired Reid (as I just found out). Just like fictional Evelyn Taylor has been a staunch ally of the LGBTQ* community and an early HIV/AIDS activist.More than that, how could I not like a bisexual woman who lives through eight tumultous marriages? In a time, more than 20 years into the 21st century, during which still way too many countries, peoples and people do not accept love between consenting adults regardless of their sexual identity and preferences - how could I not like and endorse a book that succeeds at depicting queer relationships in a loving way?»That night, Celia and I slept nude, holding each other. We no longer pretended to touch by accident. And when I woke up in the morning with her hair in my face, I inhaled, loudly and proudly. Within those four walls, we were unashamed.«I really enjoyed how unapologetic Evelyn is about the way she fights for what she wants and takes what she thinks should be hers.»I'm OK with the fact that sometimes doing the right thing gets ugly. And also, I have compassion for myself. I trust myself.«Whom I liked less, sadly, is Monique Grant, our current-day journalist who is tasked to write Evelyn's biography. She never materialises fully in the book: While Evelyn is rightly in the spotlight but Monique remains a bit like an unfinished draft: Yes, her story is told and finished but as a person she remains mostly in the shadows. Unlike Evelyn, she's denied the opportunity to really become a person.Also, like some other of my fellow reviewers, I felt this book lacked a bit of depth: It was a truly good read but while showing but not exploring violence inside a marriage, while showing true love but also leaving unexplored the deeper reasons why Evelyn is hesitant to come out, “[b:The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 32620332 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Taylor Jenkins Reid https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498169036l/32620332.SY75.jpg 46885151]” sadly fails at making a true “impact”.At times, I felt like this book has come too late - the social battles that were necessary and instrumental in allowing for public queer relationships have been fought and, thankfully, mostly won.What remains to be achieved is total, utter, complete equality and this book, sadly, does not truly further that cause. It rehashes what most of us have long known but it doesn't pose any new questions.While being very entertaining, it satisfies my need for really good entertainment but unlike some other books, it doesn't challenge my perceptions.I guess I have my answer: Four of of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam
From whatever point of view: This is a disgrace of a book. Let's look at the story itself first: Molly, usually referred to and sometimes self-referring as “Molly the Maid” (as if that's all she is), works as a maid in the Regency Grand Hotel. One day, when she's cleaning a suite she finds the body of Mr. Black, a rich “power magnate”, who stays at the hotel with his second wife, Giselle.While it becomes clear to the reader very quickly that something sinister beyond the murder is afoot, Molly doesn't recognise it and, thus, quickly becomes the prime suspect in the murder case.Trying to prove Molly's innocence Molly and a bunch of coworkers-cum-friends come up with a plan to entrap the true culprit...So, there's basically nothing new plot-wise. It is unoriginal and rather boring.What about the character's, though? We get to “meet” about 20 people - which is quite a lot but, thankfully, it's manageable.The problem here is, though: Most of them are stereotypes and never get a chance to evolve into something real. There's Mr. Preston, the fatherly good-natured doorman and his sharp lawyer daughter, Charlotte, who doesn't even know Molly but doesn't hesitate to post a $800,000 bail for her...Mr. Black, the corpse, we basically only get to know in passing from descriptions by Molly and his wife no. 2, Giselle Black. Giselle is depicted as a typical trophy wife - thirty-five years her husband's junior, not only is she neglected (and, of course, having an affair) but also being physically abused. Oh, and, of course, she's also taking drugs.Rodney, Giselle's illicit lover, is pretty much a diabolical enforcer. He's written so simplistically that we know immediately that he's going to be one of the “bad guys” when we first encounter him.There's also Juan Manuel, a Mexican dishwasher in the kitchen, involved in both the mystery and its resolution. There wasn't much character description left in Prose's severely limited repertoire so he has to be content with basically being a male version of Molly. In a world of latent racism, it's easy to match the Mexican with Molly...Speaking of whom: Molly... Now, that's where Prose really “shines”. As becomes obvious very quickly, Molly is neuroatypical/neurodivergent/on the autism spectrum - whatever you want to call it. Prose doesn't mention anything about that even once, though. Instead, she has Molly being called “weird”, “weirdo”, “freak”, “awkward”, “standoffish” by “friend” and “foe” alike.Molly's “weirdness” is mostly info-dumped on us but never called what it is - probably to avoid criticism for having written about something the author doesn't really know anything about. In her “Acknowledgments” Prose thanks everyone and their dogs and lists their respective roles - but, curiously, none of them seem to have any kind of professional experience with neuroatypical persons.Prose's characterisation of Molly reads a lot like plain old guesswork. She seems to have read up on Wikipedia on autism, assembled a list of possible issues and wrote a Molly who's exhibiting most of them at the same time. »My truth highlights and prioritizes my lens on the world; it focuses on what I see best and obscures what I fail to understand—or what I choose not to examine too closely.«That's still not all, though: Molly isn't even acting consistently with the way she's being characterised. She keeps acting out of character completely. From the ultimate innocent “noble savage”, at times she becomes a cunning conspirator, willfully lying by omission, smuggling a gun and even resorting to vigilantism.»“In my experience, there are times when a good person must do something that's not quite right, but it's still the right thing to do.”«Also, Molly doesn't even seem to know anything about her condition. She knows full well she's “different” but she cannot name it. While this might have rung true some decades ago, in this day and age, Molly would know why she is “weird”.Prose simply avoids identifying Molly's issues as neuroatypical in order to avoid being held responsible for an accurate, consistent and fair depiction. As it stands, Prose can always try and wiggle her way out of it by simply disavowing that she ever meant anything beyond what she calls Molly - “socially awkward”.Maybe she did some shallow “research” because - judging by her LinkedIn profile - Prose (or rather: Pronovost) has no prior professional experience with neuroatypical people.While obviously not applying it to herself, Prose knows full well what she's doing:»“Sometimes life isn't fair,” Charlotte adds. “And if there's one thing I've learned over years of practice, it's that there's no shortage of criminals out there who will prey on a person's difference for their personal gain.”«I consider that shameful and despicable.Last and, in fact, least: This book is full of “calendar wisdom” of questionable truthfulness:»The longer you live, the more you learn. People are a mystery that can never be solved. Life has a way of sorting itself out. Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.«One out of five stars and an especially strong recommendation to stay away from this if you're on the spectrum yourself.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram
»Forever is two immortal elves, sipping pink champagne by a burbling stream, then exploring the wild, gorgeous woods around them in everlasting harmony. Forever is set in New Zealand, not New Jersey.«It was around Christmas when I came across [a:Heather Havrilesky 397284 Heather Havrilesky https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1535559576p2/397284.jpg]'s essay “Marriage Requires Amnesia” (which is an adaptation from this book) in the New York Times.In it, Havrileski poignantly describes her 15-year marriage to Bill Sandoval. While reading it, I laughed out loud and I cried and sometimes all of it at the same time. Being in the 23rd year of my marriage myself, I felt both understood and like gaining a better understanding of my wife.»But we weren't married yet, so he still thought he could do whatever he wanted.«I couldn't wait to see “[b:Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage 58079443 Foreverland On the Divine Tedium of Marriage Heather Havrilesky https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627323359l/58079443.SY75.jpg 91022043]” released in early February because I was hoping for more of the same. And I got it - to some extent.Divided into four parts, “Foreverland” reads like the memoir of a relationship - starting at the tumultuous courtship between Heather and Bill, we learn a lot about Heather who tells us precisely who she is and what she craves at the age of 34:»I wanted a husband. One that looked nice. [...] with a solid career to match my own. I wanted a hunky, square-jawed, mature listener. [...] a nurturing daddy type who would hang on my every word. And I wanted an athlete. [...] an intellectual who was also a comedian, but with a nice ass. I wanted a cross between a therapist and a cowboy.«This is when she meets Bill, a professor. Who is, as we're going to learn, hot and incredibly patient and, on the other hand, »he is more or less exactly the same as a heap of laundry: smelly, inert, useless, almost sentient but not quite.« before he had his first coffee (which I can totally relate to!).Marriage, kids, the suburbs, pestilence and plague follow and are explored in-depth in this wonderfully liberating book. While Havrilesky is both exploring and explaining her marriage, she delivers an unapologetically honest account of both their struggles. A totally honest Havrilesky dispels the myths of “happily ever after” and marriages without issues.From the small annoyances...»A simple inquiry—“What are we going to do about dinner?”—incites an existential crisis, the 742nd of its kind since your wedding day.«... to completely questioning everything...»I wasn't sure I wanted to spend forever with anyone, least of all myself.«... this was a breath of fresh air. A much needed breeze to blow away the fairy tale depictions of love and marriage to create space for a more understanding and a more humane approach.At times, the book drew out a little - there was a lot of stuff about the kids around the 50% mark and rambling descriptions of life in the suburbs (which seem to be very similar in Western societies, even on different continents...) but at about 70% Havrilesky picks up the pace again and I was laughing tears. When my daughter (20) came along and I let her read some passages, she giggled and triumphantly shouted “That's YOU, DAD!”.And I cannot really deny it. In some aspects I'm Bill. If I were the type, I'd get myself a t-shirt saying “I'm Bill”. But, luckily, my wife is also a bit of a Heather. And so am I, too. And she can be a Bill at times.Maybe you're going to say, “But my marriage is perfect! My partner farts a scent of roses!”. Well, maybe I'm the odd one out - or maybe you are. Maybe Havrilesky gets it all wrong, I don't know (it's just that a lot of it makes sense to me!).At no point, though, does Havrilesky claim to present any universal truths about marriage. She doesn't fall prey to making one - her - marriage as a blueprint for all marriages. That's part of what I like a lot about this book. In fact, she states it clearly:»This book represents my personal attempt to understand why I signed myself up for the world's most impossible endurance challenge.«To me, Havrilesky very much succeeds at that while also rationalising feelings of doubt, “the darkness” as she puts it:»I wrote this book to explore that tedium, along with everything else that marriage brings: the feeling of safety, the creeping darkness, the raw fear and suspense of growing older together, the tiny repeating irritations, the rushes of love, the satisfactions of companionship, the unexpected rage of recognizing that your partner will probably never change. And in writing this book, I discovered new layers within my marriage and myself, haunting and chaotic, wretched and unlovable.«Thank you, Heather, for this book! And thank you to you, C., for being my “partner in crime” for all this time and, hopefully, for a long time to come.Four out of five stars for the book - and an extra one for courage and honesty!Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram
Josie Quinn No. 10. A swimming champion drowns, a firefighter sets his house on fire, some ordinary people try their hand at flying... It soon becomes clear that these are not just cases of truly bad judgement but that a half-crazed serial killer is on the loose in Denton.Sounds good? It is - for what it is. If you like Josie Quinn, you'll enjoy this instalment. If you don't, this won't make you change your mind. Since this is a pretty “decoupled” episode, you can enjoy this book even if you haven't ever read any of the previous books.Just be sure you know what you're getting - a suspenseful but bog-standard police procedural like many others out there. It just happens to be one of the sort I enjoy from time to time for its pure relaxation value.Four out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram
In diesem Band ist Tim auf der Suche nach dem namensgebenden Arumbaya-Fetisch und reist dafür nach Süd-Amerika, wo er zunächst auf dauer-putschende Militärs in zwei fiktiven Ländern stößt, um dann auf der Flucht auf die indigene Bevölkerung zu treffen.Immer gehetzt von zwei Kriminellen, die ebenfalls den Arumbaya-Fetisch an sich bringen wollen, findet er schlußendlich eine Werkstatt, in der der vermeintlich einzigartige Fetisch in großen Stückzahlen produziert wird.Eine eher langatmige Abenteuer-Geschichte mit sich wiederholenden Motiven. Wenigstens aber zumindest weniger rassistisch als die vorherigen Bände, obschon auch hier “black-facing” als Verkleidung genutzt wird und am Schluß buchstäblich ein paar “schwarze Teufel” einen kurzen “Auftritt” haben. Alles in allem: Vergleichsweise harmlos, aber eher langweilig.Drei von fünf Sternen.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram
What a curious coincidence! Immediately after finishing “[b:The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas 92625 The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas Ursula K. Le Guin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389866872l/92625.SX50.jpg 89324]” I picked up “[b:Traditions 25837403 Traditions Michael J. Sullivan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1435852504l/25837403.SY75.jpg 45700097]”.Written in Michael's world of Elan, it features Annie, a girl who's about to be sacrificed to a monster for the continued well-being of her village.Presented by her boyfriend with an opportunity to flee together, she rejects his plan but decides not to play by the age-old rules but to try and determine her own fate.Thus, she walks up to the lair of the monster and confronts it. The monster, an old, basically invalid dragon tries to talk her out of killing him by presenting the possible catastrophic consequences if it becomes known that the dragon “protecting” the village is gone. That all the sacrifices for a very long time have been for nought. In contrast to the people of Omelas, Annie decides not to play by the rules: She does not accept the potential consequences as a given. She does not sacrifice herself for the greater good.Instead, she changes the rules and when she leaves the cave, a new dawn is rising. Let's not accept rules just because they are rules. Let us question the rules, let us change them together instead of complacently accepting the torment of others.Let us also not become complicit as Le Guin in Omelas by stating “rules are rules”. We make the damn rules and, if need be, we can bend or even break them.Three out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram