Wulf C. Krueger

I'm German. I've never watched an inauguration of an American president. The one of today's President Joe Biden was no exception even though I was hoping for something better than what had come before... (“It seems to me that I have been dreaming a horrid dream for four years, and now the nightmare is gone.”)Amanda Gorman's amazing poem hit the German news very quickly, though, and I got curious and looked it up, watched Gorman perform it at the inauguration. It hit me unexpectedly hard; so hard, in fact, I cried.Her presentation was so powerful, emotional, touching and uplifting; representative - to me - of all that is right and just about the United States.Gorman envisions a country “committed To all cultures, colors, characters, And conditions of man” and while, of course, she primarily addresses the USA, she also spoke to the world and of the world.If we, the peoples of the world, made into reality in our countries what Gorman wishes for her own one, if we truly and honestly, sought “harm to none, and harmony for all” - regardless of gender, skin colour, sexual orientation, etc. - then, yes, then “We will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.”Today, I was finally able to read the poem in its own ebook while simultaneously watching Gorman's recitation which lent the experience further depth. Try for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz4YuEvJ3y4 Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

»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

Blythe, mother to Violet and Sam, comes from two generations of dysfunctional families: Blythe's mother, Cecilia left her husband and her child when Blythe was eleven. Blythe only ever saw her mother twice later on and never in a positive way.Cecilia's mother Etta (»born on the very same day World War II began«) - Blythe's grandmother - suffered from a severe psychological disorder (possibly depression) that rendered her completely unable to care for herself and her family. In 1972, in her early thirties (roughly around the time Blythe must have been born), Etta took her own life.When Fox Connor met Blythe during their late teens he's immediately “smitten” and doesn't hide it. From the very beginning Fox knows he wants to start a family with Blythe because he »love[s] what a good mother [she]'ll be one day« whereas Blythe is sceptical about motherhood from the start.»She tried very hard to be the woman she was expected to be.A good wife. A good mother.Everything seemed like it would be just fine.«(About Etta, right after we get to know about Blythe's feelings...)Nevertheless, Blythe and Fox marry each other and, indeed, »Everything seemed like it would be just fine.«. Ok, so, Blythe's parents are absent from her wedding but that's just a tiny thing. A small crack at most, eh?Marriage at 25, set up for a happily ever after, pregnant with the first child, Violet, only a few years after (around 27) with Blythe »pretending I was perfect for you for years« (Fox being the “you”).And this is how it starts... Blythe desperately tries to get rid of her absent mother Cecilia who still looms in the back of her mind. Cecilia, who had no chance to be a mother, whose own mother, Etta, born on the brink of the worst breach of humanness of the 20th century, who must have waged her own war against herself. Neither Etta nor Cecilia had a chance. Regularly switching the perspective from Blythe's - who delivers her side of the story as our narrator - to Cecilia's and Etta's in the past, we witness how the past subtly and almost invisibly helped shape current-day Blythe. Blythe is haunted by her mother's spectre, trying to fulfill a role, wanting to be anyone but her mother while having »thoughts most mothers don't have«. Mirroring Etta, Blythe, too, develops small issues - like imagining a seven-months old Violet deliberately pushing her away.Those small issues erode Blythe; one small droplet after another they wash away Blythe's “substance” until a chasm, an abyss has been created that insurmountably separates Blythe from both her child and her husband.Obviously, having another child - Sam - must be the solution... And things surprisingly do seem to get slightly better. Until something happens to Sam...While at times we uncomfortably witness the issues of a mother who tries to be the best she can, from that point onward, things quickly erode. The short chapters make for a feeling of a fast pace even though Blythe's unravelling, her true descent into something we like to call “madness” because it makes things easier for us, in truth it's slow.Only late in the book, barely before a certain revealing and unusual switch of perspectives, I suspected the truth of the matter...It's an eerie story, Audrain tells us. All the more frightening for its plausibility and its implications about all of us. About you and me.There's just one thing that mars this great book and that, of all things, is its final sentence. The healing that had begun can only come to a screeching halt after this. That sentence almost invalidates what came before it and only serves the author and not the story. And yet: Five out of five stars. P.S.: Thanks for the recommendation, Marta! Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

Recently, I came across “Bridgerton” on Netflix and - much to the dismay of my family - I really enjoyed it. Now, what would be more sensible than to look for the “source material”?So I did and was somewhat mystified why, at the time of writing this, “The Duke and I” only features an average score of 3.87. Looking into this made it obvious that one scene from the Netflix series was based on something many reviewers considered a “rape scene”.Fully expecting this to be exaggerated, I started reading - and found myself enjoying things very much: The chemistry between Daphne and Simon that permeates the entire book and that has been transformed so nicely to the TV screen, the bantering, the family - everything was pretty much great.If you like romance (I certainly do! :) ), tinged with fictitious history (I do enjoy a good historical novel at times as well), you can hardly go wrong. Then came that scene...I don't want to dive into it in any detail or argue in any direction but, yes, that scene left a bitter taste. Especially since Daphne fluctuates between regret and justification of what she did.It did mar my enjoyment of this otherwise very amusing, quick and easy read to some extent.Everything that came after was slightly tainted even though Quinn makes things work between Daphne and Simon and at least this reader. Your mileage may vary.A slightly guilty-feeling four stars out of five. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

I've long been a fan of [a:Louise Penny 194243 Louise Penny https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1591027995p2/194243.jpg]'s series about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Satisfyingly, Penny is more than capable of writing thrilling mysteries but additionally she has never been shy to address the major topics of our time (this book being no exception...).Then there is the almost mystical village of Three Pines in which most of the novels play out and which features some rather unique characters - from the gifted but struggling painter to the grumpy crazy poet, the “Asshole Saint” and everything in between.These factors still make me look forward to each new novel. Even after 16 prior books!»“And for your information,” she told Gabri when he'd shown up with gardening gloves and a trowel, “I like weed.” “Weeds, you mean,” he said. “Maybe,” said the old poet.«In this seventeenth instalment Gamache investigates the attempted murder of professor Abigail Robinson and the murder of Robinson's assistant, Debbie, on New Year's Eve. In this book's setting, the COVID-19 pandemic is, of course, mentioned (and actually features in a few details) but, thankfully, over. (And lest anyone worries: None of our friends have perished!)Robinson promotes an agenda of mandatory (!) euthanasia and eugenics and a friend of Gamache asks for him personally to protect the controversial professor during a speech. Being the grandfather of Idola - the child of his second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, and Gamache's daughter - who has trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and, first of all, a decent human being, Gamache is strongly opposed to Robinson's inhuman agenda.»It was Sunday afternoon. The next morning Armand Gamache had an appointment with the Premier of Québec. To show him the files. And to let him know, quietly, confidentially, that if there was any move to adopt mandatory euthanasia, or anything vaguely smelling of eugenics, those files would go public. It was, he knew, blackmail. But he and his conscience could live with that.«Like a recurring theme or even a mantra Penny uses the phrase “Ça va bien aller.” or its English translation “It's going to be fine.” throughout the book even though this is not actually certain this time around.Especially since a new side character, Haniya Daoud, who fled rape and torture in her native Sudan and went on to build a movement for social justice is introduced. At several important points in the book, Daoud - nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize - serves to add an additional point of view; and her views are often rather bleak...In this novel I also first learnt about Canadian scientist-gone-torturer, Ewen Cameron, who actually managed to torture patients using, drugs, poisons (!) and electro shocks until as late as 1964 without their prior knowledge or consent.So, there are, admittedly, a lot of issues that Penny is tackling in the aptly titled “[b:The Madness of Crowds 56269078 The Madness of Crowds (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #17) Louise Penny https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1621844032l/56269078.SY75.jpg 87659635]” but she does so extremely well and engagingly. As Penny mentions in her acknowledgements, she also reflects on “What happens to tip people over into madness?”.To any current fan of this series, this instalment is highly recommended as we return from the rather mediocre “[b:All the Devils Are Here 49127539 All the Devils Are Here (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #16) Louise Penny https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1582597966l/49127539.SY75.jpg 74580851]” and Paris to where this series belongs.Anyone who wants to get acquainted with the series should take a look at an earlier book, e. g. the excellent “[b:How the Light Gets In 17167084 How the Light Gets In (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #9) Louise Penny https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1364312402l/17167084.SY75.jpg 23594240]”.Five out of five stars.Oh, and I certainly enjoyed the last tongue-in-cheek sentence of the acknowledgements: »All this to say, if you didn't like the book, it's their fault.« Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

An isolated, hidden house in the woods, half a family murdered, a cancelled wedding, lots of suspense, a major personal loss...“[b:Hush Little Girl 56336058 Hush Little Girl (Detective Josie Quinn, #11) Lisa Regan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618340227l/56336058.SY75.jpg 87772449]” is one more mystery/thriller from Regan's production line - she writes three to four books in this series per year. Thus, it cannot really surprise anyone that while these books are fairly entertaining, they're all derived from the same formula.If, by now, you like Josie Quinn and her team you won't be disappointed by this instalment either. Apart from one rather disruptive (and overly drawn-out) change in Josie's personal life nothing ever really changes in this series either, though.For the entertaining but utterly forgettable book it is: Four out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

As I look back on reading in 2021 I find another mixed bag: Just like in 2020, my average rating was a mere 3.5 Goodreads tells me and that feels about right.The year started on a high and hopeful note when [a:Amanda Gorman 17342520 Amanda Gorman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1640521263p2/17342520.jpg] recited her poem “[b:The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country 56914101 The Hill We Climb An Inaugural Poem for the Country Amanda Gorman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612178266l/56914101.SX50.jpg 90207932]” at Biden's inauguration. If Gorman's ideas took hold, we'd really “raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.”The older I get the more difficult I find it to adapt to change. At the same time I realise a lack of adaption inevitably leads to obsolescence - in this case, my own.Thus, I was both challenged and delighted when my personal book of the year 2021, the unforgettable “[b:Girl, Woman, Other 41081373 Girl, Woman, Other Bernardine Evaristo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1542296262l/41081373.SY75.jpg 64185267]” by [a:Bernardine Evaristo 51051 Bernardine Evaristo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1267567621p2/51051.jpg], stormed against my own perceptions and prejudices and while not blowing them away, changing them. Helping me change.Also highly emotionally moving and absolutely brilliant was the revised and updated collection of the “New York Times” column collection by [a:Daniel Jones 7738970 Daniel Jones https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565645360p2/7738970.jpg]: “[b:Modern Love, Revised and Updated: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption 45864039 Modern Love, Revised and Updated True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption Daniel Jones https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566881908l/45864039.SY75.jpg 70465154]”Next to Evaristo's novel, this is one of the few books I cannot recommend highly enough. Another highlight was “[b:The Vanishing Half 51791252 The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577090827l/51791252.SX50_SY75.jpg 73423787]” by [a:Brit Bennett 10802967 Brit Bennett https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1588549491p2/10802967.jpg]: Two black twin sisters, one passing and living as white, the other as black, Bennett tells a story about family and relationships that still resonates with me...“[b:Junge Frau, am Fenster stehend, Abendlicht, blaues Kleid 56676337 Junge Frau, am Fenster stehend, Abendlicht, blaues Kleid Alena Schröder https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610724858l/56676337.SY75.jpg 76311105]” by [a:Alena Schröder 5624237 Alena Schröder https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - Schröder's fiction debut - and, as of now, translated from its (and my) native German to Dutch only, was a riveting tale of a family from the 1920s till the present day. Very impressive!With autumn came “[b:The Four Winds 53138081 The Four Winds Kristin Hannah https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594925043l/53138081.SY75.jpg 79888572]” by [a:Kristin Hannah 54493 Kristin Hannah https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1517255843p2/54493.jpg] which is, to me, a must-read and immediate entry to my favourite books of all time!Last but most definitely not least: “[b:Blaue Frau 58747947 Blaue Frau Antje Rávik Strubel https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628667844l/58747947.SY75.jpg 92478145]” by [a:Antje Rávik Strubel 19032690 Antje Rávik Strubel https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], winner of the German Book Prize 2021, which took me on a tour de force about a personal as well as European history. Sadly, this masterpiece has not yet been translated to other languages.All in all, a year with some extraordinary books! Happy new year 2022! Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

“[b:The Night She Disappeared 55922299 The Night She Disappeared Lisa Jewell https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628703473l/55922299.SY75.jpg 87068692]” by [a:Lisa Jewell 93504 Lisa Jewell https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1657723367p2/93504.jpg] was a truly suspenseful read! Tallulah, 19, mother to baby Noah, and her boyfriend Zach of the same age vanish without a trace. Left behind is Tallulah's mother Kim who takes care of Noah.In three narrated time strands we get to better understand what happened in the eponymous night - in one from Tallulah's point of view, in another from that of her mother Kim who cannot rest until her child is at least found and in the final strand we get to accompany mystery writer Sophie who literally unearths the key to the entire mystery...A mansion with a secret tunnel, a boarding school for “difficult” pupils, a new head teacher, an illustrious but shady prominent family - what could possibly go wrong in a novel with these ingredients!?And, in fact, almost nothing does: Every character feels real and convincing - up to and including the dog. The atmosphere shifts between village peace and harmony, the fore-boding and - in the present time - uninhabited mansion as well as Sophie's curiosity when she digs deeper into the mystery; they all work very well and made this book into one I didn't want to put down.There are a few loose ends, though, which I think would have been nice to get closure on - from the burnt odour in Sophie's cottage which we hear about several times but never get to the bottom of to the unresolved relationships issues between Sophie and Shaun to, last but not least, the strange behaviour of Megs, Zach's mother.All in all, a suspenseful mystery. Four out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

“People who believe in soulmates commonly accept that one will feel ‘complete' once they have found their soulmate, as it is partially in the perceived definition that two souls are meant to unite.”(Wikipedia contributors. (2023, May 17). Soulmate. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:12, June 8, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soulmate&oldid=1155215827)I don't believe in soulmates. I believe in compatibility; in growing together, in growing in parallel and, yes, in growing apart. In fact, I feel that looking for someone else to “complete” oneself is, in many ways, highly problematic: Is such an expectation of a soulmate even realistic? Is anyone “incomplete” until such a soulmate has somehow materialised?It is important to cultivate a sense of self-worth and fulfilment outside of a romantic relationship, and to recognize that a partner should complement, rather than complete, one's life.So, what even brought me to read a book that would, obviously, be about soulmates? The promise of a nerdy romance! Sadly, even that didn't really work out: Jess, our heroine, is a statistician but apart from earning her livelihood and at one important point in the novel, that hardly plays any role. River, her potential “soulmate”, is a geneticist - or so he says because that, too, is “established” by a lame Gregor Mendel pun... Thus, this is more of a romance novel with some light nods to the characters' professions rather than a ‘nerdy romance'. »He was most comfortable when facing the fume hood with his back to the room, just him and some tubes and billions and billions of paired-up nucleotides.«(Give me a computer any old day and I'll be out of your hair for any length of time!)The humour fluctuates between that of adolescents...»Listen to this tagline: ‘Your future is already inside you.' Wow.” She set the card down and leaned back, grinning. “‘Inside you'? Did anyone read that out loud first?”«(Keep in mind: Jess turns 30 during the narrated time, her best friend, Fizzy, is slightly older...)... and more subtle and witty, with a touch of irony...»She was flanked by an empty seat on each side, a little buffer zone to protect the other parents from the infection of singlehood.«What also annoyed me was the intense level of Jess insecurity, overthinking and the mental drama she creates at times...»If she could only make herself believe this result, learning to tolerate his face for the sake of science wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, would it?«Enough of the negative, though, and let's move to the positive aspects that made me finish this. First and foremost: I liked the realistic portrayal of Jess as a parent: She tries to do her best, fails, tries again, and does it better. Shockingly much of parenthood is trial and error and the results often aren't less than ideal and even much less than what one tried to achieve. You can read books, you can try to prepare, you can make plans - you might not make the same mistakes your parents made but you will mess up. You can only take responsibility for said messes and keep trying your best with all the love you can give. And a little help sometimes...»Pink? Purple? Polka dot? Knock yourself out, kid. Jess had never had the luxury of being frivolous before; it felt strange but also wonderful. She watched Juno finish her dinner and pull out the iPad again, humming as she added art supplies to her cart.Whoever said money couldn't buy happiness had never seen this.«That said, I really liked how River interacted with Juno: treating her as an equal, never condescending, always empathetic - his behaviour in this regard is a real highlight. (Although it's always easier when it's not your own child that you spend 24 hours a day with.)I also very much enjoyed the friendship between Jess and Fizzy. The chemistry those two had eclipsed that of Jess and River at times. I have a feeling that this might not be a coincidence...»And, finally, to each other we say: You are my best, and here you are my only. And look ... we just wrote a book about soulmates. Funny thing, that.«(From the acknowledgements.)The communication between Jess and River was both enjoyable and frustrating: Jess recognizes a lot of good in River - and doesn't tell him. Even after situations that would have caused other relationships to fail, but not theirs, Jess still can't express her growing feelings. On the other hand, River shows his feelings and communicates non-verbally quite successfully. However, he makes significant mistakes towards the end, which Jess is able to compensate for.All in all, this would have been a three-star reading experience for me, if it weren't for this one thing...»“I haven't been home in years, but I feel that way with you.”«I too have found my home in a person. Unexpected, atypical, and head over heels. That was almost a quarter of a century ago. It wasn't always easy. We have grown, and grown together, raised three children. I don't believe in soulmates. I believe in you, C., and I love you.Four stars out of five!Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

This is one for the fans of [a:Ben Aaronovitch 363130 Ben Aaronovitch https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1569267834p2/363130.jpg]'s “Rivers of London”. This novella firmly establishes Abigail as an important character in that reading universe.Abigail investigates the (temporary) disappearance of teenagers (including a friend of hers!) and in the course of said investigation finds a mysterious house in which something has been left over...Sadly, the entire House thing is just ok'ish: It made some sense but I didn't really like this part of the mystery. Amusingly, though, as central this detail should be, the “remainder” of the novella, is much more important to me and by far outweighs the mediocre House part.Abigail's friendship with Simon feels right and made her very likeable. Her interactions with the foxes (especially, of course, Indigo!) made me both grin and admire Abigail in equal parts for their cleverness, the mutual respect and general enjoyment.»‘Real talk, Abi,' says Sugar Niner. ‘The air went greasy and the Nightingale blew a hole in the pavement. I was bare prang and no mistake.' ‘Believe it, fam,' says Indigo.«Also, the resolution of it all was really truly satisfying and, thus, this is how Abigail became a favourite character of mine within the short span of a short story and a novella!Four out of five stars! Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

No time for a ‘proper' review, but this book was simply fantastic: A brilliant, stubborn, intelligent, and infinitely sympathetic police officer who investigates undiscovered murders from the past as well as current ones. Extremely empathetic to boot (the Thunderbird...). Convincing secondary characters, a clever story. Very, very suspenseful, well-written - practically everything about it was spot on.

I'll definitely be reading more books in this series. Highly recommended!

Well, I'm flabbergasted - and not in a good way. “Survive the Night” was supposed to be a quick mystery/thriller diversion which quickly turned out to be a roll-your-eyes and hit your head against some hard surface to distract yourself from the intellectual pain this book evokes.In Sager's newest work - and I mostly enjoyed his earlier ones - we meet Charlie. Charlie's best friend, Maddy, was murdered barely two months ago by a stranger. The “Campus Killer” who is still at large and - presumably - on the prowl to find their next victim.The killer's modus operandi is to grab their victims when they're alone and ideally at night. Since there were at least three known murders before Maddy's, everyone is alert, there are brochures about “re-taking the night” and, of course, Charlie is fully aware of all of that.Now, after the initial shock has worn off, Charlie decides to (more or less temporarily) move back to her grandmother. How to get from her campus to her place in Ohio, though?Wait a few weeks till Thanksgiving and drive home with her boyfriend? Take public transport?No, that's too obvious for dear clever Charlie and, thus, she smartly decides to take a ride with a complete stranger. A stranger who seems suspicious to her before she even enters his car. At night. Alone. For a multi-hour trip.What could possibly go wrong?!This is the premise of the story and it's completely ludicrous. Wait, though, because it's still getting “better”: Since the murder Charlie suffers from clinically-diagnosed hallucinations and, thus, got prescription meds against them.She doesn't like them, though, so she just throws them away and prefers to zone-out from reality from time to time. While on the road with the afore-mentioned suspicious stranger...Now, one might assume a young person to have at least enough brain to trust oneself more than a random stranger. Not so in Charlie's case: Josh, her suspicious stranger, is more trustworthy to her than herself. Duh.Even if we accept that without judging such foolishness, it remains a fact that Charlie always makes the worst and most idiotic of all possible choices. An example: While in the hands of Josh and knowing full well that something is horribly wrong, they meet a police officer. Charlie ponders asking for his help but ultimately decides against it because she doesn't want to endanger him...Charlie's ideas of trustworthiness are rather simplistic anway:»He's still catching snowflakes, for God's sake, his tongue hanging out like a dog's. That's not something killers do. Kids do that. Nice people do that.«Yes, riiiiight... Anyway, all the “twists” can be smelt from miles away, every new revelation made me roll my eyes and pretty much everything about this book is so infuriatingly bland that I'm still wondering if Sager really wrote this.To sum it up: If you're into reading how an extraordinarily intellectually-challenged young woman gets into a car with a suspicious stranger, only to proceed making all the wrong decisions and, accidentally, surviving the night; then, yes, go ahead, read this book and afterwards proudly proclaim together with me: “I survived this book!”One star because it's a book. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

I haven't read much by [a:Loreth Anne White 150272 Loreth Anne White https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1600924344p2/150272.jpg] yet: I have read two books of her “A Dark Lure” series and liked those well enough to keep an eye on White.Consequently, this book came as a bit of a “shock” because it's a complete departure from the narational lines established by those previous books.In “[b:Beneath Devil's Bridge 55542167 Beneath Devil's Bridge Loreth Anne White https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601696179l/55542167.SY75.jpg 86589894]” we read about an old case from 1997 which regains attention 24 years later due to a young true-crime podcaster, Trinity, who interviews the incarcerated murderer of Leena Rai, Clayton.As it seems to be all the rage these days, “Bridge” features time jumps between the original investigation of the murder in 1997 and Trinity's podcast - excerpts of which are used as a device - in 2021.Rachel, the leading detective in 1997, now retired from her Police Department, around 60, instigated by Trinity's podcast and the fact that suddenly the convicted murderer, the man who confessed everything and then decided to not ever talk about the case again; the fact that Clayton talks now, privately, makes Rachel “re-open” the case and moves to get to the truth - this time!»Yet beneath my love there lies a whisper of unarticulated disquiet, a silently mounting anxiety, something heaving and writhing below in my unconscious«“Bridge” is one of those books that have no obvious flaws - the premise is interesting, the story well told and the language adaequat, in some cases clever and imaginative (»an explosion of truth«). It's also a page-turner - on my Kindle I always keep the percentage to which I've read the book visible. The less I glance at this indicator, the more a book engrosses me. In this case, I noticed the indicator at 4%, 24%, 48% and around 94%. Twists and plot twists abound and yet the story is intrinsically plausible and sufficiently honest to enjoy oneself - and while not unpredictable, in some cases, I sat and pondered possibilities. »No matter how much we pretend otherwise—mothers, daughters, grandmothers—there is always a part of us deep down inside that remains the little girl we once were. Whether we are fifteen or forty or eighty, that little person still lurks beneath everything we do, or think, or try to become, or fight against. She's always there.«So why award only four stars out of five? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself - “Bridge” is entertaining enough and intelligent enough. And yet, some facets felt lacking - what's the deal about the therapist? He plays a central role and yet remains pretty bland as a character. The ex-cop's daughter - she, too, is centre stage and yet I struggled to remember her name...“Beneath Devil's Bridge” is a well-done, suspenseful who-dun-it that's very readable and enjoyable but lacks a bit of a soul. 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

“Politics doesn't have to be what people think it is. It can be something more.”When Barack Obama started his rise to power, I felt hopeful but sceptical as well: Would America, of all nations, really elect a Black man as its president? And who was that guy anyway? As a German, I had been vaguely aware of Obama but I knew next to nothing about him. That would change over time but do little to alleviate my scepticism: Even if this guy was for real, even if he truly believed what he said about change and equality - would this man stay true to his ideals? Would the power he was seeking corrupt him? The first surprise came when he was actually elected as the next President of the United States of America. I became a little more hopeful. That was a powerful sign for the better - the first Afro-American president. Obama didn't deliver on all his promises - Guantanamo Bay detention camp still exists today for example. And yet... Obama helped the world through a recession that could have been much worse. He made “Obamacare” reality. Obama helped further LGBT rights in America and all over the world.To me, personally, Barack Obama is an example for an honest, realistic but idealist politician. Thus, it was with some worry that I started reading the first part of his presidential memoirs, “A Promised Land”.Would I be disenchanted? Would Obama be honest? Had I been deluded about him? The answers to those questions are a resounding “No!”, “Yes!” and “No!” respectively.»Whatever vision I had for a more noble kind of politics, it would have to wait.«Obama tells us about his rise through the ranks and, to my relief, he might not always have acted as “cleanly” as I had hoped for but he mostly did. Obama is quite honest about it and he strives to be better.Throughout the entire 1.000 pages, Obama is not only honest about himself but fairly often self-deprecating and employing a dry humour:»I mean dumb choices in the wake of considerable deliberation: those times when you identify a real problem in your life, analyze it, and then with utter confidence come up with precisely the wrong answer.«From humble beginnings (»She [Michelle] reminded me that we had student loans, a mortgage, and credit card debt to think about.«), armed with the best intentions (»the best we can do is to try to align ourselves with what we feel is right and construct some meaning out of our confusion, and with grace and nerve play at each moment the hand that we're dealt.«) Obama rises to the daily challenges during his political career and always keeps that “moral compass” close at hand to try and do what feels right.Obama obviously knew what was at stake because »I know that the day I raise my right hand and take the oath to be president of the United States, the world will start looking at America differently.«. And many of us did. It was Obama who paved the way for “a skinny Black girl” (Amanda Goreman, at Biden's inauguration) to dream of becoming president. Even before Goreman recited that, Obama wrote: »I know that kids all around this country—Black kids, Hispanic kids, kids who don't fit in—they'll see themselves differently, too, their horizons lifted, their possibilities expanded. And that alone...that would be worth it.”«This book is testament to Obama's efforts, his successes as well as his failures. On the down side, it's long, often very “dry” and especially the deliberations about dealing with the financial crises were very extensive and, to me, too long. Most of the time, Obama is conciliatory towards his political opponents. At times, though, he is very outspoken about his feelings:»I wondered when exactly such a sizable portion of the American Right had become so frightened and insecure that they'd completely lost their minds.« Truth to be told, I'm not sure I'm going to read the next part of Obama's memoirs, though: These one-thousand pages were - at times - the hardest “literary nut” I had to crack and I barely made it through the book. If you - like me - appreciate what Obama stands for and what he accomplished and “just” want to know if he was acting truthfully and honestly then, yes, I fully believe so after reading this. That gives me hope. The fact that America went on to elect the orange menace into office was a setback that might yet be balanced by President Biden and, potentially, the first female Afro-American president. Let's hope together that Obama will keep playing a role in international politics because I truly believe we need more people like him, or, in Obama's own words: »So long as young men and women like that exist in every corner of this earth, I told myself, there is reason enough to hope.« Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

I read “[b:The Case of the Left-Handed Lady 606926 The Case of the Left-Handed Lady (Enola Holmes, #2) Nancy Springer https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348308364l/606926.SX50.jpg 593458]” to see if [a:Nancy Springer's 22547 Nancy Springer https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1506873907p2/22547.jpg] Enola Holmes series would improve with the second instalment.When I came upon »Chapter the First«, though, I had an inkling about how this review would read because just like the ridiculous chapter titles, this is The Case of Even More of the Same that Didn't Work for Me the First Time Either: Springer's writing style still resembles that of a middle-grade school teacher who wants to provide material for her pupils.She still taints the legacy of Holmes; here in a discussion with Mycroft who states...»The only rational way to reform her into some semblance of decent young womanhood!” interrupts the older brother with asperity. “You, of all people, should see the logic – ”«To which Springer let's Sherlock Holmes answer: “Logic is not everything.” and Mycroft rightly replies: “Certainly this is the first time I have ever heard you say so!”I haven't read Sherlock Holmes state something as untypical as that either.In Springer's universe, though, Mycroft is a slobbering idiot anyway:»“Nonsense!” At once the older brother puts a stop to such balderdash. “Preposterous! She is a female . Her intellect is inferior, she requires protection . . . there can be no comparison.”«The story itself is somewhat similar as well - this time it's the daughter (not son) of an aristocratic family who disappeared and Enola bumbling investigates. Neither the investigation nor its outcome were very interesting to read for me and don't get me started on “mesmerism”...Nevertheless, not all was bad in either novel so, if you liked the first instalment in this series, you're likely to enjoy this one just as much. Or, in my case, not that much.Again, a generous three stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

»“Um.” I try to think of how to explain it. Years of undying love, occasional jealousy, missed opportunities, bad timing, other relationships, building sexual tension, a fight and the silence afterward, and the pain of living life without him. “Our Airbnb's air-conditioning broke.”«Now, this was interesting. I had deliberately aimed low - I'm on holidays; in, at and around my pool. It's 31°C (roughly 88°F) and I wanted a nice fluffy romance and, yes, I got it. The quotation at the beginning (in which Poppy, our heroine, explains how the happily-ever-after began) pretty much perfectly sums up this nice little romance.»“Ready,” I confirm, and Alex Nilsen sweeps me up into his arms and carries me down a motherfucking mountain. No. I really could not have invented him.«If it had just been that, I'd have been satisfied: I smiled at the amusing banter, the interludes of Poppy's and Alex' ten years of holidays were nice - it was an allround feel-good book at this point. For the absence of any smut I'd have subtracted a star and that would have been the end of it.[a:Emily Henry 13905555 Emily Henry https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573928938p2/13905555.jpg], whose oeuvre I first sampled last year, reading “[b:Beach Read 52867387 Beach Read Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589881197l/52867387.SX50.jpg 67832247]” (and having felt underwhelmed by it), surprised me, though, by writing a travel-romance that actually celebrates home.Not “home” as in our birthplace; not “home” as in the place we live in or some region we're from (although all of those have their merits). [a:Ferdinand von Schirach 3048443 Ferdinand von Schirach https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1340958280p2/3048443.jpg], a German lawyer (of all people!), wrote in his glorious “[b:Kaffee und Zigaretten 44128391 Kaffee und Zigaretten Ferdinand von Schirach https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1551092142l/44128391.SY75.jpg 68620284]” »Heimat ist kein Ort, es ist unsere Erinnerung.« (“Home is not a place, it's our memories.”).Henry basically builds upon this idea: Both Poppy and Alex have known each other for more than a decade, have gone on holidays together for ten years and made the corresponding memories of and with each other. These memories also feel plausible because they're rarely the huge, momentous ones but mostly comprise the little things, e. g. a tipsy mistake like “too many wine”.They have fallen hard for each other during this time and are afraid of that, of the “what-ifs”. They found “home” in each other but shied away from it.I was once on a short visit to a Dutch woman. She invited me to her house and, well, I somehow felt like I had... arrived. I was at home. It's now twenty-two years later and I'm still at home. With her. Our adult children are out partying (vaccinated and all around responsibly) and hopefully finding home (this time the one we live in!).So this book kind-of hit close-to-home (sorry, couldn't resist!) and while light and fluffy, it has a slightly more nuanced undercurrent and I like it a lot for that. Emily Henry says it best in the “Behind the book” part at the end: »This is, ultimately, a book about home. [...] I hope this book carries you somewhere magical. I hope it lets you feel ocean breezes in your hair and smell spilled beer on a karaoke bar's floor. And then I hope it brings you back. That it brings you home, and fills you with ferocious gratitude for the people you love. Because, really, it's less about the places we go than the people we meet along the way. But most of all, it's about the ones who stay, who become home.«It did for me.Unexpected five out of five stars. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

Just when I thought [a:Andy Weir 6540057 Andy Weir https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1382592903p2/6540057.jpg] was a “one-hit wonder” for his great and exciting “[b:The Martian 18007564 The Martian Andy Weir https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1413706054l/18007564.SY75.jpg 21825181]”, he comes along and writes something that completely blew away my mind.“Project Hail Mary” is spectacularly well done, features even more “scientific vibes” and despite being deeply rooted in science fiction, everything in this book feels (shockingly) plausible and believable.Earth is dying from climate change... Dr. Ryland Grace, a grumpy (ex-)scientist gone school teacher, is Earth's last line of defense and her last hope. As part of the crew of the interstellar spaceship “Hail Mary”, tasked with finding a solution for the afore-mentioned climate change issue, Grace ships out into space. How this came to be and Grace's exploits in space are narrated alternatingly (mostly) between chapters. First, we learn how Grace wakes up after an induced coma and then - by witnessing his memory coming back in flashbacks - the book tells the entire story in two parallel but ultimately converging storylines. Weir masterfully entwines the two storylines with each other and reveals piece by piece. He starts slow (»A teacher! I'm a schoolteacher! I remember it now!«), spins his story and material up to a riveting, amazing, fantastic middle part that dumbstruck me and comes furiously to a wonderful, brilliant, humane and alien ending.“Project Hail Mary” was compelling, funny, made me laugh out loud at some points and sob and/or cry at others. Its broad angle of humour from the amusingly simple...»I clench my teeth. I clench my fists. I clench my butt. I clench every part of me that I know how to clench. It gives me a feeling of control. I'm doing something by aggressively doing nothing.« ... to the subtle irony and sarcasm (examples omitted to avoid spoilers). Grace is discernibly human: He is childish, yet serious. Realistic, yet optimistic. A selfish nerd, and optimistic scientist. In other words, he's basically a good guy; nerdy, weird but a nice guy. Not as selfless maybe as he'd like (to imagine) at times... But maybe there's hope for Grace yet... Because he never loses his basic optimistic outlook (it may be impaired and buried at times) despite seemingly unbeatable odds and, ultimately, that's what I believe in, too. That despite our Earth starting to die from climate change, we will eventually prevail. »I bet they did work together. Maybe it's just the childish optimist in me, but humanity can be pretty impressive when we put our minds to it. After all, everyone worked together to build the Hail Mary. That was no easy feat.« Nor was it an easy feat to surpass “The Martian” and compose a masterpiece that's even better. And yet, Andy Weir did it.If you have even a tiny bit of a nerd inside you, if you like your science fiction somewhat plausible, if you're not turned off by science - if any of that applies, go and read this book. It's really, truly brilliant. Six out of five stars. ♩♫♪♪♫ Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

I actually read this a while ago - at the end of August. Deeply entrenched in executing my father's last will (which I still am), foregoing Goodreads and pretty much anything for weeks, my life felt like being “on-hold” (which it still does to some extent). I needed something light and fun and, well, it was pretty good...As with her previous works, [a:Abby Jimenez 18446724 Abby Jimenez https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1651706989p2/18446724.jpg] masterfully balances humour with heart, crafting a story that can make you laugh one moment and tug at your emotions the next. While it shares the same warmth and wit as [b:The Friend Zone 41945163 The Friend Zone (The Friend Zone, #1) Abby Jimenez https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553782196l/41945163.SY75.jpg 65437442], I would argue that [b:Life's Too Short 54377375 Life's Too Short (The Friend Zone, #3) Abby Jimenez https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593802541l/54377375.SY75.jpg 81319946] delves deeper into the complexities of living with uncertainty and the importance of embracing life's unpredictability.One of the moments that particularly stood out to me was when a character compared a small, toothless dog to “an angry potato with legs.” The humour in this scene was delightful:»He bit her when she picked him up.He didn't have any teeth. It didn't hurt, but it was the thought that counts. I was worried it would put her off, but she couldn't stop laughing. She said he was like an angry potato with legs.«Jimenez shines when portraying raw vulnerability. In a dialogue between two characters struggling with existential weight, one declares:»“I don't pretend to be happy. I just refuse to be sad.”«This line perfectly summarises the novel's poignant theme, making readers reflect on resilience and the conscious choice to cherish life's fleeting moments. Though Life's Too Short is packed with humour, it's the deeper emotional exploration that sets it apart and makes it not just a fun read, but a memorable one.Four stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix Tumblr

I became aware of “[b:The Silent Quarry 54625389 The Silent Quarry (DI Winter Meadows, #1) Cheryl Rees-Price https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1595342259l/54625389.SY75.jpg 47840651]” by [a:Cheryl Rees-Price 11551642 Cheryl Rees-Price https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1470078988p2/11551642.jpg] through the review of my Goodreads friend Barry. If Barry rates a mystery, police procedural or thriller highly, chances are high I'm also going to enjoy it.I was intrigued by the novel's premise of a woman, Gwen Thomas, who survived a brutal attack as a teenager that killed her friend, but lost her memory of the event. When she starts to remember what happened, she becomes a target again. Tempted by Barry and having been looking for the next good read, I basically pounced upon it and finished it in a few hours as it's a bit on the short side of novels.I immediately related to DI Winter Meadows, a perceptive but reclusive detective (my wife calls me a hermit...), who tries to find the identity of the attacker before it's too late. Beyond Meadows' professional interest he's further motivated by his teenage-crush on Gwen and the mutual metaphorical sparks are still flying between the two of them...I really liked Meadows because he's empathic and kind. He's an interesting character with a lot of (as of yet mostly hidden) depth. I also liked his interactions with his colleagues and the locals. He has a good sense of humour and a sharp mind. His casual weed consumption put a big (and, of course, entirely innocent!) grin on my face.»He plucked a book from the shelf and opened it. The inside was hollow and held a small bag of cannabis, a grinder, tobacco, and extra-long rolling papers. He rolled a joint, plonked himself down in the armchair, and lit up.«I also enjoyed how compassionately, fairly and understandingly Meadows treated Edris. He saw Edris' potential and gave him a chance to prove himself which the latter immediately proved worthy of.Gwen Thomas was also a very interesting character: Rees-Price's depiction of Gwen felt very authentic and disarmingly honest. Gwen is disgusted with her marriage, her jerk of a cheating husband and yet she does all she can to help. Even if it puts her in danger and potentially comes at great cost to herself. I admired her courage and determination to face the truth.There were quite a few twists that, I have to admit, I saw coming but still enjoyed - except for one that left me feeling sad...Speaking of sad: There were a few rough edges; the interesting setting of Wales doesn't really play a role at all. Apart from the names of the villages, this could have played anywhere rural. Apart from Edris, all of Meadows' colleagues remain underdeveloped, indistinct and flat.There also are a few loose ends: What is Carl Perkins going to do? What is Ariana going to do about Edris? Nevertheless, this was an engaging, suspenseful, intelligent police procedural and certainly a good entrance into this series.Four out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

I haven't read this book and I won't because it has been thoroughly discredited and, thus, withdrawn by its original publisher. Sadly, the English translation hasn't (yet?) been dropped.

Of course, you don't have to take my word for it (I wouldn't if I were you) so I'm adding two links to the BBC about the book and its issues:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60204868
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60843577

Please stay away from this money-grab.

Last but not least, a short excerpt from the second article:

The new report into the book contradicted its findings, calling its work “amateurish”.

“There is not any serious evidence for this grave accusation,” the experts found.

In response, Dutch publishing house Ambo Anthos said the book would no longer be available and asked bookshops to return their stocks.

The publisher offered its “sincere apologies” to those offended by the book's content, while the granddaughter of Van den Bergh has called on HarperCollins to drop the English-language edition.

This was the worst disappointment in years... I loved “[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]” and was eagerly awaiting this second instalment. After all, a sequel to an instant classic? What could possibly go wrong?! Turns out the answer is “everything”: Wade Watts was an underdog; orphaned, hunted but optimistic and positive with a great group of friends. In this book, though, he has turned into a vengeful spoiled brat: »I gleefully zeroed out hundreds of trolls in this fashion. If someone talked shit about me, I found them and killed their avatar.« And that's not the only instance in which Wade is completely unrecognizable. Our young hero has turned into a complete idiot. Even his one-week-girlfriend Art3mis has understood what a douchebag Wade has become and left him.His friends are mostly avoiding him but Wade doesn't really act upon any of that - apart from stalking (!) Art3mis, invading the others' privacy, etc. etc. We get told all that during almost the entire first quarter of the book. There's pretty much just Wade summing up how badly he messed up. Even that isn't really well presented: This entire part is mostly just boring and partly disillusioning. Exactly the opposite of the light escapism of the first book. Even worse: It's the exact same premise as in the first book. In “[b:Ready Player Two 26082916 Ready Player Two (Ready Player One, #2) Ernest Cline https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594220208l/26082916.SY75.jpg 59016474]” we get to read about yet another easter egg hunt - it even uses the same website... Not only does this feel lazy on the author's part but very risky as well because you cannot simply use the same plot devices over and over - which is exactly what Cline tries, though. Plus: Whereas IOI was the big evil corporation, now Wade turned things around and... »GSS absorbed IOI and all of its assets, transforming us into an unstoppable megacorporation with a global monopoly on the world's most popular entertainment, education, and communications platform.« ... now GSS is not much better, “weed[ing] out” whatever they deem “unsavory”. I found my hope somewhat renewed when Cline introduced “L0hengrin” and her “L0w Five” as the spiritual successor of both Parzival and his “High Five” but apart from a few “guest appearances”, this entire (promising) angle remained unused. The entire book feels like a badly implemented game with tons of repeating “fetch item quests'': Wade and his entourage are running one errand after another. Due to the time-limit Cline has imposed upon our fallen heroes they basically have to rush through those quests as well and everything remains pretty bleak and bland. At no point was I ever excited or rooting for anyone at all. At some points, to use the author's own words from the book, “I felt no sense of victory, because I had no idea what had just happened.”. Even Art3mis who was very critical of Wade for a long time, suddenly comes around and practically jumps back into his arms without any obvious motivation or reason... Worst of all is the ending, though... A certain device gives Wade the key to (virtual) immortality and he revels in his new-found abilities in a way that's outright horrifying. Wade's hybris in these final moments seems to reflect the author's who probably wrote this book not as a labour of love (like the first book very obviously was) but as one of simple, basic greed. For an in-depth review of this book, read this one: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3432736506Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

It must have been around 2014 when I was at Mannheim's (south-western Germany) Paradeplatz (the former parade grounds near Mannheim Palace). I was smoking and watching people when a young woman approached another nearby male smoker - only to be shouted at aggressively. I, in turn, shouted at the guy, went there and he left whereas I proceeded to offer the woman a cigarette which was what she had asked that other guy for.I asked her what that guy's problem had been. She looked at me curiously and told me to take a good look at her. Somewhat embarrassed I did - had I missed something about her?! I didn't notice anything - to me, she looked just like you and me.I apologised for obviously being daft to which she deadpan replied “I'm black”.Yes, I can be a bit on the naïve side but I honestly hadn't consciously noticed and I had hoped that especially in my country, Germany, with its history, in a major city and in modern times, the skin colour had ceased to be an issue. The conversation that ensued changed my mind about that for much, much worse.I'm grateful for making me aware of what I had hoped had gone with the bad old times.This book challenged my perceptions again. First of all by omitting most punctuation, almost universally using lowercase characters (apart from names!) and cleverly using formatting to transport content.I was truly annoyed at first but quickly got used to the style and when Evaristo used it to create ambiguity I started even liking it - to the point where I basically fell in love with the author's style.Nothing could have prepared me for the stories of her very diverse cast which simply blew me away. When I read in the blurb about this book being “Joyfully polyphonic and vibrantly contemporary” I immediately discounted that as marketing hogwash whereas it's probably the best and most concise description of its contents.Most of the cast are in some way related to each other - from Carole who tells us about her teacher “Fuckface King” whom we later get to know as Shirley and from whom we learn why she became the way she was to Morgan whose story broadened my mind with respect to gender.The intricately interwoven lives of those 12 people - girls, women, others - stand for the diversity of society as a whole and for lots of lives into which we are allowed some intimate insight on a level most of us wouldn't dare to ask.Lightly told in modern language but not once shallow, we pretty much witness discrimination, equality issues on many levels and coping strategies. Evaristo avoids judgement and instead tries to help her readers come to their own understanding - and fairly often succeeded when I found my own prejudices being challenged. At times, I felt ashamed of myself. Never judged, though, but rather challenged.Thankfully, despite its challenging stories and style, “Girl, Woman, Other” is also full of humour, e. g. when Amma finds herself living in a derelict building with very diverse and politically charged co-inhabitants: »the Marxists demanded they set up a Central Committee of the Workers' Republic of Freedomia, which was a bit rich, Amma thought, seeing as most of them had taken ‘a principled stand against the running dogs of capitalism' as an excuse to not work«If this wonderful book has a tiny flaw it's that it's - at one point - very slightly longer than it should have been. I was about to withhold one star for that reason but when I was finished, I felt I couldn't award less than a full five stars to a book that changed my mind. The dedication couldn't be more fitting:»For the sisters & the sistas & the sistahs & the sistren & the women & the womxn & the wimmin & the womyn & our brethren & our bredrin & our brothers & our bruvs & our men & our mandem & the LGBTQI+ members of the human family«Ultimately, I've read twelve simple, powerful, unforgettable stories that I cannot recommend highly enough to anyone with an open mind.Or, to use this books own words:»a five-star review has already been uploaded online from one usually savage pit-bull of a critic who's been uncharacteristically gushing: astonishing, moving, controversial, original« Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

I was actually wary of reading this - I don't generally enjoy short stories and, even worse, the latest instalment in this series, [b:False Value 45016688 False Value (Rivers of London, #8) Ben Aaronovitch https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564222811l/45016688.SY75.jpg 69684460], was a severe disappointment. Thus, I was happy to find out that these short stories feature the same dry humour and sarcasm that made especially the first books such a joy to read. »I've actually done controlled laboratory experiments that indicate that he can detect magical activity up to ten metres away, although false positives can be generated by cats, other dogs and the remote possibility of a sausage.«(About Toby, the supernatural police Wonder Dog) The writing is Aaronovitch at his best; in my favourite story “A Dedicated Follower of Fashion” his fantasy literally overflows, blooms and flowers and simply explodes in the best of ways: »I, on the other hand, found myself increasingly drawn to the cellar door. Especially when it started to flower. It started with a spray of cotton around the door frame, overlapping triangular leaves of white and navy-blue cotton that stuck to the bricks of the wall as if they'd been glued in place.« We also get to meet Abigail again whom I'd already found to be a very enjoyable addition and who proceeds to cement this position in “Favourite Uncle” by completely being herself. »Still I traded the make up at school and keep the case to house my specimen collection kit. And some of the Mac cosmetics that Bev gave me later.« With the “Moments” - short stories so short (and uninspired) they couldn't stand on their own - an unfortunate exception, all the stories are truly fun, sometimes relatable but always surprisingly enjoyable. This is not one of those collections of short stories to squeeze out another few cents out of us but pure, delightful Folly - with all the full authentic vibes. Five out of five stars! »Then the children's section had been moved upstairs and the poor little deity started to feel unloved. ‘Just one of those things,' I said. ‘But what am I supposed to do about it,' he asked. ‘Sacrifice a goat?' ‘About once a week somebody has to sit down and read it a book,' I said. ‘What kind of book?' ‘It's not the book that's important,' I said. ‘It's the reading.'« Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

Well, “[b:Finlay Donovan Is Killing It 53138099 Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (Finlay Donovan, #1) Elle Cosimano https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659447956l/53138099.SY75.jpg 79311104]” by [a:Elle Cosimano 5444060 Elle Cosimano https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1432140791p2/5444060.jpg] has certainly and clearly managed to kill any link to reality early on...Finlay Donovan, desparate housewife, mother of two, divorced from her serial-cheating husband and in a custody battle with him over their kids, who has probably swatted a fly or two at worst, accidentally murders a person, tries to hide that together with her children's nanny and goes on to stumble from one mess into the next.Ok, I knew I would likely have to suspend my disbelief a little more forcefully with this one than with other books but the premise didn't prepare me for the utter nonsense that this book consists of. Not only is Finlay an uncoordinated mess, massively behind at writing her book, drowning in bills and debt, no, she doesn't really get anything done but hopes things will magically resolve themselves somehow.And, in fact, in this book they actually simply do: Her nanny keeps pushing her in the right direction, the cops are stupid, the witnesses are blind and ruthless, hardened mobsters make rookie mistakes...Finlay herself is unbelievably and annoyingly naïve. Right when she realises she's in deep and the mafia is involved she has a brilliant idea...»Then I would do the most adult thing of all. I would throw the backpack full of cash at her and run before she had a chance to stop me. Possession was nine-tenths of the law. I wasn't sure whose law, or if the mafia even cared about the law. But math was math, no matter who was holding the calculator.«All of this could maybe have been funny or at least interesting but, basically, the story is moving slowly and sedately. At no point is there any real danger or even a feeling of real urgency. It's just meandering along without any real highlights nor any great lowlights.I was never completely bored but the “just one more chapter” (or even sentence!) drive was completely missing for me. Never did I feel engaged, worried for Finlay (whom I remained indifferent towards) or even Vero (the nanny, whom I actually liked better than Finlay). At every single stage of this “mystery” I knew that nothing truly bad would ever happen.Also, mystery? There simply is nothing mysterious here! (Apart, maybe, from the daftness of every single character!) The “twists” were mostly predictable and so strongly foreshadowed I found myself completely unsurprised.Pretty much the only redeeming quality of this book is that its story as a whole is just barely interesting enough to want to know how it ends - and even that is messed up because the publisher for reasons unknown obviously contracted the author for two books...Three out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam