Wulf C. Krueger

An interesting book, falling short of greatness for me.


I started reading this book with high expectations – interesting setting, highly praised on GoodReads. I really expected to love this book but it was not to be, unfortunately.

Maurice Hannigan, 84, sits in an old hotel at the bar and drinks to the people he loved most and who all have passed away before him, telling us about his relationship with them and, consequently, about his life. The son of an Irish farmer, he, too, sets out on this path and soon by far surpasses his parents and becomes a wealthy and well-respected man.

We learn about the Dollards, formerly major land owners and employing Maurice's mother and himself, whom he loved to hate for his entire life. He toasts to his brother Tony who died as a young man, his first child, Molly, his sister-in-law Noreen, his son, Kevin, a well-known journalist who has emigrated to the USA and, last but not least, his wife Sadie.

Griffin tells her story, Maurice's life, in long chapters most of which overlap with each other in narrated time. This gives her room to explore each relationship deeply and allows for concentrating on their respective unique aspects. Unfortunately, the overlap does cause some conflicts that are hard to handle gracefully. Let me give you an actual example:


“It was twenty-seven years later that I learned the origin of the coin from Emily at that special dinner she'd arranged. But even then she'd been holding back. And it wasn't until a year after that again that I found out the real consequence of its theft. And it was all because of Noreen, would you believe.”


I'm calling this, well, clumsy. You might consider it a narrative device, I don't like it, sorry.


In between each of those toasts we're getting a small glimpse into the current time and Maurice's state of mind which is – at the very least – bordering on depression. By his own admission, Maurice is sleeping very badly (“I've stopped sleeping, have I told you? Two hours, three if I'm lucky now and then I'm awake.”), feeling bad and guilty as well as being prone to pondering (“Staring at the ceiling, going over it again, this bloody decision”). He's tired and pretty much hopeless (“I feel tired and, if I'm honest, afraid.”) - all clinical symptoms of a depression.

Maurice even has people worrying about him (e. g. David, a social worker; Emily, the hotel's owner; Robert, his notary) but none of them seem to recognise that and help him.

Griffin ends the book as anyone past the first chapter will know – “when all is said”, Maurice tries to take his own life. I'm sure Griffin doesn't want to “promote” suicide as a way out of acute grief but a bestselling book ending like that does make me feel uncomfortable.



Putting that thought aside, I still didn't really warm to the book. I can't even put my finger on the exact reasons: Griffin's language is believable (if restricted to Maurice's vocabulary) and vivid. The story itself is plausible – everything in Maurice's life could have happened just like it is told. Maybe that's in fact part of my problem with the book – I felt myself nodding and registering the narrated facts but I was rarely touched by the story.

There were a few passages that really gripped me, especially since I'm a father and, obviously, a son myself (“fathers have a lot to answer for”), and made me swallow, e. g. this passage:


“But no, I mean, sorry for the father I've been. I know, really I do, that I could've been better. That I could've listened more, that I could've accepted you and all you've become with a little more grace.”


Boy, can I relate to that...



Unfortunately, this emotional engagement remains the exception for me in this book. Too rare and, in the end, too late.

To be able to really love a book, it needs to strike a chord within myself. I'm not an analytic reader, you won't catch me scientifically dissect a book. The books I've loved most so far are those that make me enthuse about them to my wife and children till they send me somewhere else (or leave themselves). There are books (you can find them in my “Favourites” shelf on GoodReads) that make my soul thrive and rejoice (or only mentioning their names brings tears to my eyes) and I cannot help but sing their praise.

I fully expected “When All Is Said” to be such a book but it felt too shallow, it never engaged me emotionally and, quite possibly, maybe it's all me, myself and I who's to blame for that.

I guess you'll have to find out yourself.

Thrilling, suspenseful – and completely over the top


No great quotation comes to the rescue in this case which could actually be good because “No Exit” promised to be a fast-paced thriller with a highly interesting premise: Darby, a college student takes refuge in a rest/service area during a blizzard. There she meets four other travellers who are stranded. When she finds a girl, Jay, in a van in the parking lot, she knows she's going to have an interesting night ahead of her...

“It was all really happening, right now, in vivid color, and a little girl's life was really on the line, and tonight's title match would be between a sleep-deprived art student and a human predator.”

This outset got my hopes up high – after several books that taxed capacity for prolonged complexity (especially during a holiday!) I just wanted some action-flick-look-alike of a book. And, admittedly, I got one. So, why only three stars out of five?

Well, worst of all: Pretty much every single plot twist was foreseeable. Early on I guessed at two completely different possible story lines but once the first “big revelation” about a certain relationship has occurred, it was rather obvious in which direction we were heading. Not that it was a completely bad idea but it has been used so often before, I was slightly disappointed.

My next gripe is with Darby, our “sleep-deprived art student”, herself: Not only is she fairly sporty, ingenious with improvised weapons, full of wild ideas (in the vein of “if I mix this, put something in the toaster and run fast enough...”), no, she is willing to sacrifice herself for a complete stranger. Oh, and she's really fast or so she thinks:

“She wondered — if he went for the .45 under his jacket, could she yank the Swiss Army knife from her pocket, retract the blade, and cross the room quickly enough to stab him in the throat with it?”

Riiight...

Which leads me to another huge issue: Especially towards the end of the book, Adams goes bat-shit insane with his story. While I'm absolutely willing to suspend my disbelief there are so many totally crazy things happening that I just can't help it and think it might have been better to just let the book end.

Last but not least, the gore: It was just as over the top at times as those crazy ideas I mentioned before. Yes, the perpetrator is a sadistic psychopath but there's no need to describe in gruesome detail how he kills a certain person.


It's sad so much went wrong with this book because at its core, it was a decent thriller and could have satisfied my needs for some shallow fast food entertainment. As it is, I'll have to “cheat” and read another thriller before moving on towards deeper waters again.

After the delight that “[b:Angels Flight 32502 Angels Flight (Harry Bosch, #6; Harry Bosch Universe, #8) Michael Connelly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440615586l/32502.SY75.jpg 2449470]” was, I was eager to delve into [a:Michael Connelly's 12470 Michael Connelly https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1539114448p2/12470.jpg] “[b:City of Bones 84777 City of Bones (Harry Bosch, #8; Harry Bosch Universe, #11) Michael Connelly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441057369l/84777.SY75.jpg 1128039]”, the eighth instalment in the Harry Bosch series. Although it did not quite live up to the intensely riveting and thrilling standards set by some of its predecessors, it still proved to be a very enjoyable read.»The point is, this doctor says it was just a kid, Harry. So could you humor us and go check out this humerus?”«From the onset, Connelly's writing style was as engaging as ever; as a result, the story was well-paced, providing a steady flow of intrigue and suspense that kept me turning the pages. However, I did find certain sections to be a bit lagging, lacking the heart-pounding intensity that I've come to expect from a Bosch novel.»Bosch almost laughed.“The department doesn't care about it. The department cares about the image, not the truth. And when the truth endangers the image, then fuck the truth.”“Well, I care, Harry. And so do you.”Bosch looked down at the card and nodded and put it in his pocket.“Okay, I'll call you.”«Harry remains a compelling character. Connelly continues to explore Bosch's complex personality, delving into his psychological makeup and personal life, which adds depth to the narrative. Bosch's unyielding determination and relentless pursuit of justice are admirable, making him a true master of his craft. However, I found his character development in this book to be somewhat stagnant compared to earlier instalments.»Don't go existential on me, Harry. The important thing is that it means something to you. And if it means something to you, then it is important to do what you can.«The supporting characters were well-developed and added colour to the story. Connelly does a fantastic job of creating multi-dimensional characters that feel real and authentic. However, some of the secondary characters felt underutilised, and I would have liked to see them play a more significant role in the plot, e. g. Julia whose storyline felt unfinished... »“By the way, I'm Julia Brasher. I'm new in the division.”- “Harry Bosch.”“I know. I've heard of you.”- “I deny everything.”«Ultimately, if you're a fan of the Harry Bosch series, this book is definitely worth a read. If you're new to Bosch, consider “[b:Angels Flight 32502 Angels Flight (Harry Bosch, #6; Harry Bosch Universe, #8) Michael Connelly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440615586l/32502.SY75.jpg 2449470]” instead.Four stars out of five.»“Somebody once told me that life was the pursuit of one thing. Redemption. The search for redemption.”“For what?”“For everything. Anything. We all want to be forgiven.”Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Phew… Once more, I was looking for a fun romance and despite recent disappointment, I chose to go with Christina Lauren’s “Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating”.

This first sentence of the blurb accurately sums up the essence of this entire novel:

“Just friends. Just friends. JUST FRIENDS. If they repeat it enough, maybe it’ll be true…”

“Hazel”, the same blurb goes on to tell us, “knows she’s a lot to take”. Absolutely, and Hazel does it so well, it leads to a string of boring, horrible, humiliating, and/or confusing double dates on which Josh and Hazel set each other up.

Through these ordeals, which they go through about nine times, they and the reader suffer, but Josh and Hazel realise only very late they were actually going out with each other. This reader, on the other hand, would have had the chance to learn through pain and DNF this… novel. (He didn’t.)

Josh — well, guess what: Josh was so memorable, I’ve already forgotten everything about him. I’ve made no annotations about him, I have no highlights that would showcase his character. Just nothing. I think that either speaks volumes about my memory, or about the blandness of the character. You get to be the judge of that.

There’s not much more to be said about this one: It was clichéd, adequately written, sometimes a bit slow, and at no point did it exceed mediocrity.

Hazel’s pregnancy before she and Josh even get together, how she handles that, as well as the ending, further soured my enjoyment.

Compared to the fresh, sensitive, and much more enjoyable “The Paradise Problem”, or the “raw, awesome honesty” reflected hilariously in “The Unhoneymooners”, “Josh and Hazel” feels simplistic, old-fashioned, and more shallow and bland.

The novel is still good enough for three stars out of five.

Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Yet another Bruno short story. This one deals with the market again and the ensuing eponymous “Chocolate War” that Bruno ends in a typical Bruno way.This is a very short read but it's a nice one at least. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

“There are men who are wolves inside, and want to eat up other people to fill their bellies. [...] You have fed each other, and you kept the wolf away. That is all we can do for each other in the world, to keep the wolf away.”

I don't like fairy tales. Not at all. Especially not Grimm's fairy tales. In fact, I dislike those so intensely for their cruelty and “rough justice” that I didn't read them to my kids and hated them as a kid. Sorry, Little Red Riding Hood, for more than 40 years (and counting!) I've been rooting for the Big Bad Wolf!

Thus, it was with some reservations when I started reading “Spinning Silver” which turned out to be a fantastic story, masterfully told.

A soft-hearted moneylender's daughter, Miryem, finds out she metaphorically has the ability to turn silver into gold which, in turn, becomes known to the king of winter. The king presses Miryem into his services and even kidnaps her.

The local duke's daughter, Irina, is married off to the country's tsar who is obsessed by a fire demon. Last but not least, there's Wanda and her brothers whose lives are intertwined by fate with those of Miryem and Irina.

Sounds complex and maybe complicated? Well, yes, it is. Pretty much every major character gets to tell a part of the story from a first-person perspective which lends credibility and depth to the narrative. Unfortunately, this is one of the two notable flaws of “Spinning Silver”: Perspectives are usually switched with the chapter, sometimes even within a chapter and we, the readers, don't get told but are “dumped” into the new point of view.

This makes things more dramatic at times but much more confusing as well. When I was even slightly tired (and who isn't sometimes?!) or sleepy (e. g. when reading in bed) I would sometimes wonder who was actually narrating at that moment. The positive effect is, from my point of view (sic!), by far outweighed by the potential confusion. I would have wished for the narrator's name in the chapter heading or whenever the perspective changed because the “confusion effect” would destroy the immersion.

Immersion, though, is a great factor of my enjoyment and despite my complaint “Spinning Silver” is one of those books between the lines and pages of which I could lose myself. While I read the words and absorbed the story, glorious pictures of green pastures during summer and snow-clad forests during harsh winters rose before my inner eye.

The story is so powerfully and yet gracefully and sensitively told, I felt like the narrated world got real and its inhabitants with their merits and flaws became fully fleshed-out human beings. As if that alone hadn't yet been enough, Novik employs a decent, mostly subtle and sometimes dry humour, often finely laced with irony:

“I was reasonably certain he wasn't going to try and devour my soul. My expectations for a husband had lowered.”

Each character, even the afore-mentioned husband, gets to develop “organically”: Rarely has careful character development felt as real as in “Spinning Silver”. You cannot help but believe the motivation of every single character and while some turns in the story are predictable, they are so delectably satisfying and wonderfully enjoyable.

Did I convince you to read this remarkable book yet? No, well maybe you want some “philosophical” depth to your books? Do not falter, “Spinning Silver” is for you!

While unobtrusive at it, this book deals with deep moral and philosophical matters – does the well-being of many outweigh the needs of few? May I even sacrifice one life to save many? Does the “greater good” allow for any means? The answers to those questions aren't simply provided, though:

“I say to you, here are the dangers. Some are more likely than others. Weigh them, put them all together, and you will know the cost. Then you must say, is this what you owe?”

Depending on your personal answers to those questions you might find yourself in a bit of a moral dilemma at times.

On the other hand, even those who prefer a more “hands-on” approach may find themselves at home in this story as it's perfectly summed up by one of our heroines:

“What did it matter that they didn't speak of kindness, here; they had done me a kindness with their hands. I knew which one of those I would choose.”



In spite of all this praise I must not fail to deliver one more issue that slightly marred my reading enjoyment: At times, “Spinning Silver” does feel a little “slow”. As mentioned before, the story is lavishly told, in great depth and detail and, for me at two points in the story, it ever so slightly drags on.

Then again, if a story is that good, the language so enjoyable and even the villains so relatable if not likeable, how can I find fault in something like this?

“Warm gold blushed through the whole length of it with the slightest push of my will, and the child gave a soft delighted tinkling sigh that made it feel more like magic than all the work I'd done in the treasury below.”



And, thus, my review ends...

“I had spun the silk and then I had knitted it with the finest needles in the vines and flowers of the duke's crest”

... and with equal care this story is spun. Reluctantly leaving the lines and pages I've rejoiced being lost between, I'm hastening towards Novik's “Uprooted” next – and you go read “Spinning Silver”, and, please, keep the wolf away.

What's left to be written about “[b:The Hobbit, or There and Back Again 5907 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again J.R.R. Tolkien https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546071216l/5907.SY75.jpg 1540236]”, one of the great masterpieces of classic fantasy, written by the “founding father” of high fantasy, [a:J.R.R. Tolkien 656983 J.R.R. Tolkien https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1622832627p2/656983.jpg]?“The Hobbit” was lauded by Tolkien's friend and fellow author C. S. Lewis, by poet W. H. Auden, celebrated for its influence on the entire fantasy genre.To me, it was the metaphorical door to new worlds... I own both several physical copies as well as several ebook editions. I have read “The Hobbit” in both English and German.The one edition I value the most is a German paperback by “DTV” from November 1974 with the title (mis-)translated as “Der kleine Hobbit” (“The Little Hobbit”).It has a ridiculous cover featuring a squint-eyed Smaug with butterfly wings and a tiny spider in front of him. It's probably the worst cover in “The Hobbit”'s publication history. This very book, though, is the one my mother read about 35 years ago while we were on holidays in the middle of nowhere in the Bavarian Forest. I asked her what she so concentratedly read and she showed me the cover - I was appalled! A children's book, obviously! And she even recommended it to me! To me! Someone who had OBVIOUSLY outgrown childhood at my advanced age of... ten!I harrumphed and condescendingly told her I had more serious things to do - like beheading the advancing army of stinging nettles with my stick-sword or fighting the fly amanita invasion!Only after my mother likened the house of our relatives which we were visiting to Elrond's home (which wasn't too far off the mark!), after her telling me about the dark depths of Mirkwood, only after all of that did I take her up on her offer and read “The Hobbit” for the first time.This is how I opened the doors to (high) fantasy for myself and Tolkien was followed by [a:Terry Brooks 9629 Terry Brooks https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1280785812p2/9629.jpg], [a:Robert Jordan 6252 Robert Jordan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1538507642p2/6252.jpg], [a:Joel Rosenberg 8593 Joel Rosenberg https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1307113706p2/8593.jpg] and many many others. I taught myself reading with Sherlock Holmes but I really started reading with “The Hobbit”.Since then I've read it many times for myself and always felt at home. When my children were old enough, I read “The Hobbit” to them every night and, to make it more “real”, I gave them laminated map print-outs from [a:Karen Wynn Fonstad 11590 Karen Wynn Fonstad https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1331319642p2/11590.jpg]'s wonderful “[b:The Atlas of Middle-Earth 22332141 The Atlas of Middle-Earth Karen Wynn Fonstad https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403205224l/22332141.SX50.jpg 1502479]” for every step of the journey. For easier collecting, all three got a binder. I read to them every night and when we were finished with “The Hobbit”, we moved on to “[b:The Lord of the Rings 33 The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566425108l/33.SX50.jpg 3462456]”. (Plus printed maps again, of course!)Sometimes, I was throat-sore, sometimes I read way past their bedtime but we had a wonderful time. I kept reading to them for many years. (If you wonder: The magic didn't “stick” fully - none of them are true readers but at least they still own their binders of maps...)Now my children are adults and I'm back to reading for myself. For me, it was time for a return to the magical world Tolkien created. It was time to return to the cherished memories of my late mother and those reading nights.For YOU, though, it is now time to pick up a copy of “The Hobbit” and create your own memories.Five out of five stars - and two asteroids to beat: 2991 Bilbo and 2675 Tolkien Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

Kennt Ihr noch diese wunderbare Kolumne “Was wurde eigentlich aus?” und dann folgte eine Idee oder ein Mensch? Auf dieses Buch bezogen, müßte jetzt ein knappes “Totgeschrieben!” folgen.Dann gibt's noch diesen merkwürdigen Beziehungsstatus “Es ist kompliziert” - und damit hätte ich die beiden Hauptprobleme, die ich mit diesem Buch habe, auf zwei kurze, knappe Punkte gebracht.Beginnen wir aber am Anfang: Wir befinden uns am Ende des 21. Jahrhunderts. Der Klima-Wandel hat Teile der Welt unbewohnbar gemacht, einige Inseln, etc. sind untergegangen. Die Menschheit ist beträchtlich geschrumpft, dafür aber der Klima-Wandel zumindest verlangsamt. Doch das ist nicht etwa das direkte Verdienst der Menschheit, sondern vielmehr dasjenige einer künstlichen Intelligenz namens Æther, die das Problem des Klima-Wandels durchdenken und lösen sollte. Das hat sie auch getan, eine unbequeme Lösung vorgeschlagen und dann lieber gleich etwas anderes gemacht...In diesem dystopischen Szenario treffen wir auf Galahad Singh, einen Quästor (Privatdetektiv hätte es auch getan, aber das war wohl zu einfach...), der im Auftrag des “Kiesel-Kaisers” (nur ein Deutscher kann sich diese Bezeichnung ausdenken) eine vermisste Programmiererin suchen soll. Dabei kommt Galahad, Erbe eines Industriemagnaten, einer globalen Verschwörung auf die Spur, schlägt sich mit Schwert-schwingenden Hologrammen, Deathern, Crashern, Körper-klauenden Monstern und Agenten, einer künstlichen Intelligenz, Todes-Schleifen und vielem mehr auseinander.Æther, Quästor, Deather, Crasher, Techno-Geschwafel - all das ist schlicht unnötig kompliziert und liest sich anstrengend. Erschwert wird dies durch sprachliche Perversionen wie geschriebenen “Dialekt”:»Is ne KI, Meister. Sicher is da gar nix.« oder auch »Die Analysemonitore sind alle fratze.«Super! Auch “schön”: Mal anglisiert der Autor und schreibt von “Stripper-Goggles” (blenden holografische Elemente aus. Bekleidung, Du Ferkel, trägt man noch!), dann aber auch gern wieder das eklig eingedeutschte “Unterseher”. Gleichfalls verunglimpft sich die Menschheit auch in über siebzig Jahren noch mit so originellen Schimpfworten wie “Hohlkopf” respektive “Schwammkopf” - einem Autor, der so tief in die Sci-Fi-Klamottenkiste greift, sollte doch besseres einfallen?!Über weite Strecken begleiten wir Galahad und seinen möglicherweise non-binären Love-Interest, Special Agent in Charge Fran Bittner, auf ausufernden Erkundungstouren, durch endlose Red-Herrings, buchstäblich über Felder, Auen und Rennpisten und überall hin - nur nicht an den wirklichen Ort des Geschehens.Auch neigt Galahad zu tollkühner Dummheit: Wohlwissend, daß es sich zwangsläufig um eine Falle handeln muß, läuft er buchstäblich sehenden Auges in selbige. Als er dann die Falle mit letzter Sicherheit erkennt, steckt er seinen Kopf noch tiefer in die Schlinge - und wird prompt - Deus ex machina - auf ebenso unwahrscheinliche Weise gerettet.Und weil nicht nur der Esel auf's Eis geht, wenn es ihm zu wohl wird, begibt sich unser Autor in die Sci-Fi-Geschichte und recycelt ungelenk Elemente aus “Dune”, “The Expanse” und weiteren Meilensteinen. Nicht so zwar, daß man ihm eines Plagiats bezichtigen könnte, aber doch gut erkennbar.Am recht abrupten Schluß gibt es noch den einen oder anderen “Twist”, die aber alle so vorhersehbar, teils abgeschmackt sind, daß sie es auch nicht mehr rausreißen können.Von all dem abgesehen: Was Æther sich da ausgedacht und umgesetzt hat, ist so brillant, daß in Wahrheit keine Regierung dieser Erde dagegen vorgehen würde. Im Gegenteil: Man würde stillschweigend wegsehen und - falls es doch rauskommt - die KI zum Sündenbock machen. Insofern ist schon die Prämisse problematisch.Außerdem: Eine superintelligente KI? Das kann nur auf eine Weise enden, nämlich so wie im heutigen XKCD:Drei von fünf Sternen für ein kompliziertes, anstrengendes, überlanges Buch.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendamMerged review:Kennt Ihr noch diese wunderbare Kolumne “Was wurde eigentlich aus?” und dann folgte eine Idee oder ein Mensch? Auf dieses Buch bezogen, müßte jetzt ein knappes “Totgeschrieben!” folgen.Dann gibt's noch diesen merkwürdigen Beziehungsstatus “Es ist kompliziert” - und damit hätte ich die beiden Hauptprobleme, die ich mit diesem Buch habe, auf zwei kurze, knappe Punkte gebracht.Beginnen wir aber am Anfang: Wir befinden uns am Ende des 21. Jahrhunderts. Der Klima-Wandel hat Teile der Welt unbewohnbar gemacht, einige Inseln, etc. sind untergegangen. Die Menschheit ist beträchtlich geschrumpft, dafür aber der Klima-Wandel zumindest verlangsamt. Doch das ist nicht etwa das direkte Verdienst der Menschheit, sondern vielmehr dasjenige einer künstlichen Intelligenz namens Æther, die das Problem des Klima-Wandels durchdenken und lösen sollte. Das hat sie auch getan, eine unbequeme Lösung vorgeschlagen und dann lieber gleich etwas anderes gemacht...In diesem dystopischen Szenario treffen wir auf Galahad Singh, einen Quästor (Privatdetektiv hätte es auch getan, aber das war wohl zu einfach...), der im Auftrag des “Kiesel-Kaisers” (nur ein Deutscher kann sich diese Bezeichnung ausdenken) eine vermisste Programmiererin suchen soll. Dabei kommt Galahad, Erbe eines Industriemagnaten, einer globalen Verschwörung auf die Spur, schlägt sich mit Schwert-schwingenden Hologrammen, Deathern, Crashern, Körper-klauenden Monstern und Agenten, einer künstlichen Intelligenz, Todes-Schleifen und vielem mehr auseinander.Æther, Quästor, Deather, Crasher, Techno-Geschwafel - all das ist schlicht unnötig kompliziert und liest sich anstrengend. Erschwert wird dies durch sprachliche Perversionen wie geschriebenen “Dialekt”:»Is ne KI, Meister. Sicher is da gar nix.« oder auch »Die Analysemonitore sind alle fratze.«Super! Auch “schön”: Mal anglisiert der Autor und schreibt von “Stripper-Goggles” (blenden holografische Elemente aus. Bekleidung, Du Ferkel, trägt man noch!), dann aber auch gern wieder das eklig eingedeutschte “Unterseher”. Gleichfalls verunglimpft sich die Menschheit auch in über siebzig Jahren noch mit so originellen Schimpfworten wie “Hohlkopf” respektive “Schwammkopf” - einem Autor, der so tief in die Sci-Fi-Klamottenkiste greift, sollte doch besseres einfallen?!Über weite Strecken begleiten wir Galahad und seinen möglicherweise non-binären Love-Interest, Special Agent in Charge Fran Bittner, auf ausufernden Erkundungstouren, durch endlose Red-Herrings, buchstäblich über Felder, Auen und Rennpisten und überall hin - nur nicht an den wirklichen Ort des Geschehens.Auch neigt Galahad zu tollkühner Dummheit: Wohlwissend, daß es sich zwangsläufig um eine Falle handeln muß, läuft er buchstäblich sehenden Auges in selbige. Als er dann die Falle mit letzter Sicherheit erkennt, steckt er seinen Kopf noch tiefer in die Schlinge - und wird prompt - Deus ex machina - auf ebenso unwahrscheinliche Weise gerettet.Und weil nicht nur der Esel auf's Eis geht, wenn es ihm zu wohl wird, begibt sich unser Autor in die Sci-Fi-Geschichte und recycelt ungelenk Elemente aus “Dune”, “The Expanse” und weiteren Meilensteinen. Nicht so zwar, daß man ihm eines Plagiats bezichtigen könnte, aber doch gut erkennbar.Am recht abrupten Schluß gibt es noch den einen oder anderen “Twist”, die aber alle so vorhersehbar, teils abgeschmackt sind, daß sie es auch nicht mehr rausreißen können.Von all dem abgesehen: Was Æther sich da ausgedacht und umgesetzt hat, ist so brillant, daß in Wahrheit keine Regierung dieser Erde dagegen vorgehen würde. Im Gegenteil: Man würde stillschweigend wegsehen und - falls es doch rauskommt - die KI zum Sündenbock machen. Insofern ist schon die Prämisse problematisch.Außerdem: Eine superintelligente KI? Das kann nur auf eine Weise enden, nämlich so wie im heutigen XKCD:Drei von fünf Sternen für ein kompliziertes, anstrengendes, überlanges Buch.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Read for completeness' sake only. It's so short you can read it in a minute or two - and after another five you'll have entirely forgotten about it.

“I don't want more sense!” I said loudly, beating against the silence of the room. “Not if sense means I'll stop loving anyone. What is there besides people that's worth holding on to?”I read “[b:Spinning Silver 36896898 Spinning Silver Naomi Novik https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1513872748s/36896898.jpg 58657620]” first and liked it a lot. “Uprooted”, I'd heard, was even better and while it's certainly a great book, I'm not actually sure if “Spinning Silver”'s minor pacing flaw wouldn't have made this book even better. “Uprooted” tells the story of Agnieszka who lives in a small village near the Wood. Capital letter, because it's an evil wood! Evil as in, monsters roaming it and everyone going into it either staying there, never to be seen again, or coming out corrupted to the core. Fortunately, a Dragon (who is actually a wizard called Sarkan) lives nearby and protects the village and its inhabitants – albeit at a price because every ten years he takes a daughter from the village and this time it's Agnieszka. Afterwards, chaos ensues. A good, highly entertaining chaos with, admittedly, a lot of method behind it but a bit breathless. Where “Spinning Silver” was slow at times because Novik took time to tell her story slowly and with great care, “Uprooted” mostly rushes through the highly enjoyable story. It feels like the story practically broke free from Novik, as if it simply had to get out and be told without any delay: “The swelling heat of it filled me, burning bright, almost unbearable.”You don't leisurely read “Uprooted”; you feverishly turn the pages as fast as you can, you wolf it down in large chunks, not wasting any time with chewing carefully. You just want, no, need to get your fill of the story! Yes, it's that exciting. The excitement is so great, though, that it can become if not almost unbearable but slightly tiresome. I just wish Novik had paced her storytelling a bit – why not tell us more about Agnieszka's first months in Sarkan's tower after having been chosen? Why not tell us more about the wizards at the king's court, especially Alosha? What about Sigmund? The children? The princess? There are so many interesting and potentially lovable characters who make a – more or less – short appearance and are only ever mentioned again in passing. After all, pretty much all characters are so wonderfully human with their strengths, their weaknesses and everything that makes them so believable. The breakneck speed at which large parts of the story are told doesn't leave much room for pure literary enjoyment, it doesn't lend itself to thoughts about guilt and redemption as was the case in “Spinning Silver”. It doesn't leave enough room for losing oneself among the pages – the Wood is always lurking just around the corner and the reader never feels entirely safe; it's literally “one trap after another”. In spite of my criticism, I really, really enjoyed this book – it's a fairy tale gone (action) thriller in part and it has the same dry subtle humour that I loved about “Spinning Silver”... “but the thought of putting a knife into a man was something else, unimaginable. So I didn't imagine it. I only put the knife on the tray, and went upstairs.” ... and the same beautiful and relatable style: “Happiness was bubbling up through me, a bright stream laughing.”Ultimately, “Uprooted” is a book that leaves me hungering for more. Hopefully a bit more relaxed and laid-back next time, a bit more like “Spinning Silver”. In fact, since we're talking about modern fairy tales, let me make a wish: Dear Naomi Novik, creator of amazing literary worlds, first among the fair folk, gifted among authors, please write a book that combines “Uprooted”'s thrills with “Spinning Silver”'s depth and eternal praise be yours! P. S.: Naomi, what's that grudge against poor squirrels? “I stumbled over the torn and spoiled body of a rabbit or a squirrel, killed as far as I could see just for cruelty;” (Uprooted)“He had a small bow and arrow, and shot squirrels, and when he hit them, he came and looked at their little dead bodies with pleasure.” (Spinning Silver)

“Because the lake's been lowered by drought, the farthest-reaching branches scrape the bottoms of the canoes, sounding like fingernails trying to scratch their way out of a coffin.” Wow, this was an unexpected pleasure! Coming from the background of having read too many difficult books lately, I chose this book because it sounded like an easy, light who-dun-it with an interesting premise. Two truths, one lie: a) I greatly enjoyed this book, b) it was an easy read, c) it kept me glued to my Kindle for hours. Of course, b) is the lie because this book was an excellent blend of who-dun-it, thriller, adventure and near-insanity. Emma, a young painter of 28 years, gets invited back to the reopening of an exclusive summer camp for “rich bitches”. The camp was originally closed 15 years ago when – during Emma's stay there – three of her fellow campers disappeared without a trace. Emma, traumatised by the disappearance and what happened afterwards, comes back to deal with a creative blockage and to finally find out what happened to her friends all those years ago. The book starts slowly; we get to know Emma and get used to the wonderful writing style Sager employs: “I've heard Randall boast to potential buyers that my surfaces are like Van Gogh's, with paint cresting as high as an inch off the canvas. I prefer to think I paint like nature, where true smoothness is a myth, especially in the woods. The chipped ridges of tree bark. The speckle of moss on rock. Several autumns' worth of leaves coating the ground. That's the nature I try to capture with my scrapes and bumps and whorls of paint.” We also learn what and, partly, why she paints and, thus, get a first glimpse at the shadows in Emma's life: Even after 15 years she still feels guilty about the disappearance of her friends and though neither kind nor extent of her guilt are clear at this point, we get a very good idea at the monstrous kind of feelings Emma harbours. “Fifteen years. That's how long it's been. It feels like a lifetime ago. It also feels like yesterday.”Thinking about that sentence, remembering the momentous events in my own life (first love, marriage, first child...), I found myself nodding agreement with that sentiment. In fact, it was quite often during the first half of the book that I found myself understanding our protagonist exceedingly, sometimes even shockingly, well. It's best not to talk too much about the plot because there are a few twists some of which I didn't really see coming – that might, of course, be me but I really enjoyed them all either way. The dense atmosphere of both the camp itself, the woods and the flooded valley helped greatly, of course, because just as my opening quote shows, the atmosphere is satisfyingly creepy at times and sinister, at least once even desperate. All of that combined with using both traditional elements of the “great outdoors” stories as well as having Emma use her phone sensibly really kept me interested and at my Kindle with very few breaks for coffee, etc. “I run my finger from the spot that probably-is-but-might-not-be the gazebo to the ragged triangles nearby. I assume those are rocks. Which means we need to make our way northeast until we reach them. After that, it looks to be a short walk north until I find the X. Our route now set, I open the compass app downloaded to my phone the morning I left for camp, rotating until it points northeast. Then I snag a handful of wildflowers and, with Miranda, Sasha, and Krystal in tow, march into the forest.” A truly enjoyable book with very few flaws. Recommended to any reader. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

I think the first of Neil Gaiman's novels I ever read was “Stardust” which I absolutely loved (whereas newer novels are more hit-and-miss for me, sadly). I was surprised to like it so much because it strongly felt like a fairy tale and I'm not exactly a fan of those. At its core, “Stardust” is a classic adventure tale, full of magic and wonder. The story follows the protagonist, Tristran Thorn, as he embarks on a journey to find a fallen star in order to win the heart of his beloved. Along the way, he encounters a host of fantastical characters, from witches and pirates to talking animals and ghosts. Each encounter brings new challenges and surprises, and I found myself fully immersed in Tristran's world, eagerly anticipating what lay around each new corner.What truly sets “Stardust” apart from other adventure stories, though, is Gaiman's masterful storytelling. His writing is both enchanting and evocative, painting vivid pictures of the world he has created. His characters are richly drawn, each with their own unique quirks and motivations. I particularly loved the character of Yvaine, the fallen star that Tristran seeks. Her transformation throughout the course of the story is both poignant and inspiring, and her interactions with Tristran are both touching and humorous.Another thing I loved about “Stardust” was its clever use of fairy tale tropes. Gaiman takes familiar elements of traditional fairy tales, such as the quest for a magical object or the presence of a wicked witch, and puts his own spin on them, subverting expectations and keeping the story fresh and surprising. This makes for a truly delightful reading experience, as each new twist and turn feels both unexpected and satisfying.Overall, I would highly recommend “Stardust” to anyone who loves a funny, emotional and slightly subversive adventure story. Five stars out of five!P. S.: The film is amusing but (as usual) by far inferior to the novel!Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

The Murderbot Diaries strangely appeal to me. As I'm still on my way to the full length novel, recently published, I'm wondering at the simple elegance and straightforwardness of the novellas.This second instalment in the series is, thankfully, pretty much more of the same in a very good way. We still get a good view of a “construct” that's basically a robot with human parts - and it shows: Murderbot feels slightly like it's a person on the autism scale.“I skimmed it but most of my attention was on getting through the crowd while pretending to be an ordinary augmented human, and not a terrifying murderbot. This involved not panicking when anybody accidentally made eye contact with me.”This time, Murderbot is literally and metaphorically on a journey: Having recently run away from its benefactor of the [b:first novella 32758901 All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) Martha Wells https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484171189l/32758901.SY75.jpg 53349516], Dr. Mensah, it's now literally on the way to dig into its own - murderous? - past. Metaphorically speaking, Murderbot is on a journey to find itself, to find out what it actually wants - if having a guardian is actually the same as having an owner and other questions.“On the way to this transit ring, alone on my empty cargo transport, I had had a chance to do a lot of thinking about why I had left Mensah, and what I wanted. I know, it was a surprise to me, too. But even I knew I couldn't spend the rest of my lifespan alone riding cargo transports and consuming media, as attractive as it sounded.”Fortunately, it finds a friend in ART, a Research Transport, with computing power beyond even its own comprehension. When Murderbot gets itself hired by a human “crew”, things quickly become complicated because lurking beneath waves of “non-caring” is a complicated being that has more in common with us humans than it likes to admit. Murderbot feels more compelled to help its humans by them asking it to than it ever was by its long-gone governor chip. And yet it's still the socially-impaired escapist media junky:“I wanted to just sink into my media downloads for a while and pretend I didn't exist.”Murderbot acts uncompromisingly human and is just as full of flaws as the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us, though, it transcends those flaws if it has to. If that doesn't give the rest of us nerds hope, what could?Suspenseful, intelligent, cool science fiction. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

That didn't quite hit the spot: An old derelict ship selected as a last-ditch effort to save humanity from an alien invasion. A fleet of semi-autonomous bots. A single outdated first-generation bot that saves the day.It slightly reminded me of Murderbot but, I'm sorry, it lacks the latter's innocence and... logical purity. These bots seem logical at first glance but have nothing better to do than emulate humans, citing pseudo-religious “Rites of Something”... »Bot 9 approached to speak the Rites of Decommissioning for it as it had the destroyed silkbot, only to find its activity light was still lit. “4340-H?” the bot enquired.«One would think, a vastly superior AI should know better.Nice enough but I'll stick with Murderbot.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram Merged review:That didn't quite hit the spot: An old derelict ship selected as a last-ditch effort to save humanity from an alien invasion. A fleet of semi-autonomous bots. A single outdated first-generation bot that saves the day.It slightly reminded me of Murderbot but, I'm sorry, it lacks the latter's innocence and... logical purity. These bots seem logical at first glance but have nothing better to do than emulate humans, citing pseudo-religious “Rites of Something”... »Bot 9 approached to speak the Rites of Decommissioning for it as it had the destroyed silkbot, only to find its activity light was still lit. “4340-H?” the bot enquired.«One would think, a vastly superior AI should know better.Nice enough but I'll stick with Murderbot.Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

Well, here's yet another great instalment in the “Murderbot Diaries” series. It starts exactly where the previous novella left off and this leads us to yet another exciting adventure.While it's, again, more of the same in a good way, this time we get to know even more about Murderbot's ethics and morality because he has to deal with a human-form or pet robot.Miki, the “pet”, in both its simple-minded innocence which borders naïveté (and sometimes crosses that fine line) drives Murderbot up the proverbial wall and, sometimes, almost derails him. “I signaled Miki I would be withdrawing for one minute. I needed to have an emotion in private.”Nevertheless, even in this case, Murderbot acts as we would expect him to...In the end, what still keeps this series engaging for me is what Murderbot expresses at some point:“Who knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas. (Yes, that was sarcasm.)”Onwards, to the next novella! Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

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

“I had options, and I didn't have to decide right away. Which was good, because I still didn't know what I wanted. But maybe I had a place to be while I figured it out.”So, four novellas and I've devoured them. One short story and one novel (so far) to go. I haven't had this much fun with a book series since... Hitchhiker's Guide, I guess.Whereas the latter is (almost) purely humorous, though, “The Murderbot Diaries” deliver on several levels:- They most certainly are funny. Usually not the over-the-top thigh-slapper kind of funny but there's always a bit of melancholy around the corner. Or the humour is laced with mild regret.- While I have no clue who “NPR” is, I agree with him that “We are all a little bit Murderbot.”. At least we would like to be. Or maybe even strive to. Because Murderbot, in its ethics and morals, actually surpasses quite a few of us. (Unfortunately, if this applies to you, you won't notice...)(Or because it can just download from entertainment feeds without worrying and binge-watch stuff that sounds truly cool. ;-) )- Last but not least, Murderbot appeals to my inner nerd: A SecUnit! Super-human strength, reflexes, built-in weapons, travelling space (while binge-watching!), searching for meaning, for what it wants to do - who could resist?- It's exciting and you know what's going to happen when Murderbot simplay states “I shut my risk assessment module down.”Despite all the challenges it faces (battles, almost wiping itself out, etc.), the truly difficult situations are (seemingly) handled with ease: “I had a complex emotional reaction.”The novelty has worn off by now, of course, but the thrill of something new, exciting and wonderful has been replaced by recognition, trust in a positive outcome and a feeling like coming home.I wouldn't go as far as Ann Leckie (“I love Murderbot!”; although, re-reading the previous paragraph... ;) ) but Martha Wells and her Murderbot actually changed my mind about the entire Science Fiction genre (was: Staring elsewhere and hoping it goes away on its own; is: “Hm... Maybe there's more like this?”) and - as whoever knows me will attest to - changing my mind borders on the Herculean efforts... ;-)So, Murderbot, bring it on, I'm waiting for you!(Oh, and don't you Rothfuss me!) Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

This was very different from what I expected. I expected a regular trashy romance but what I actually got was some kind of teeny romance...I wrote quite a bit more, originally, but decided not to elaborate because I'd very likely do this book an injustice. 14-year-old me probably would have liked this. Thirty-one years later, I simply found a book I'm too old for. Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

»“I didn't know, Sylvia,” he said. “I hoped.”«I didn't know either but had hoped for a good Bosch novel and got even more than I expected.In [a:Michael Connelly 12470 Michael Connelly https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1539114448p2/12470.jpg]'s “[b:The Concrete Blonde 49350 The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch, #3; Harry Bosch Universe, #3) Michael Connelly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388241215l/49350.SY75.jpg 449511]” we're revisiting Harry's “white whale” case, which is, of course, “The Dollmaker”'s. Harry shot that guy in self-defence four years ago but it left an ugly stain on his already rather grey vest. Harry was de facto demoted and at the time of the “Concrete Blonde” he's being sued over that shooting when another body is found that has all the marks of a Dollmaker victim...What ensues from this point on is part courtroom drama but, to a much larger extent, a very suspenseful, exciting and smart police procedural which managed to fool me at every turn. As always, Harry investigates this at high stakes and takes great risk and, thus, we sometimes cross over into the realm of thrillers which is a very welcome aspect here.As implied by the opening quote (which is the final sentence of the novel), we get to know Bosch a lot better yet: His budding relationship with Sylvia from the last novel goes to full bloom here - and keeps evolving. It's unusual to read this much personal information in a non-”cosy” police procedural but it's just one more way in which this novel works brilliantly: By not only showing Harry's professional rough cop side but also his convictions and ethical values, he becomes much more of a believable, sensitive person.»The anchor christened the killer the Dollmaker. After that, the killer was called that by everybody, even the cops.But Bosch always hated that name. It said something about the victims as well as the killer. It depersonalized them, made it easier for the Dollmaker stories that were broadcast to be entertaining instead of horrifying.«Harry even knows his Nietzsche and sees and recognises the danger he's in of becoming as bad - or worse - than the people he's hunting. »‘Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you....'«That Harry is aware of this danger, though, as well as his “moral compass” prevent him from becoming a monster.»Bosch drove over to Central Division and found an open parking space at the front curb. For a while, he sat in his car looking at two trustees from the lockup washing the painted enamel mural that stretched along the front wall of the bunkerlike station. It was a depiction of a nirvana where black and white and brown children played together and smiled at friendly police officers. It was a depiction of a place where the children still had hope. In angry black spray paint along the bottom of the mural someone had written, “This is a damnable lie!”Bosch wondered whether someone from the neighborhood or a cop had done it.«Everyone keeps growing in this one - even Irving, now promoted, comes around and grows a personality beyond just gnashing his teeth to cow his detectives. He even starts respecting Bosch both as a cop and a human being. Shockingly, Irving even has a sense of humour...»“Somebody put a cigarette butt in my pot,” he said. “That yours, Harry?”«Some fresh blood, Hans “Hans Off” Rollenberger, is also around and Honey “Money” Chandler makes an appearance as one of Bosch's adversary's (albeit cut short by an event I wasn't prepared for after seeing the TV show...).Ultimately, I very much enjoyed this novel and will undoubtedly read on in this series.Five out of five stars.»Bosch drove over to Central Division and found an open parking space at the front curb. For a while, he sat in his car looking at two trustees from the lockup washing the painted enamel mural that stretched along the front wall of the bunkerlike station. It was a depiction of a nirvana where black and white and brown children played together and smiled at friendly police officers. It was a depiction of a place where the children still had hope. In angry black spray paint along the bottom of the mural someone had written, “This is a damnable lie!”Bosch wondered whether someone from the neighborhood or a cop had done it.«Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

“[b:The Great Alone 34912895 The Great Alone Kristin Hannah https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501852423l/34912895.SY75.jpg 56275107]” by [a:Kristin Hannah 54493 Kristin Hannah https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1517255843p2/54493.jpg] is a heart-wrenching and breathtaking novel that took me on an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. Once again, Kristin Hannah has written a remarkable story that is both hauntingly beautiful and unforgettable.My personal introduction to Hannah was her brilliant novel “[b:The Nightingale 21853621 The Nightingale Kristin Hannah https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598993363l/21853621.SY75.jpg 41125521]” (which is still my favourite book of hers) and both this novel as well as the later “[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]” firmly cemented her position as one of my favourite authors.The story follows the Allbright family as they move to the remote wilderness of Alaska in search of a better life. They are a family struggling with inner demons, and the isolation of Alaska proves to be both a refuge and a danger to them. I was fascinated by the way Hannah portrayed the beauty and the harshness of Alaska through her descriptions. She made me feel like I was right there, experiencing the cold, the snow, and the rugged landscape myself and I felt simultaneously drawn to and repulsed by it. The characters in the book are well-developed and multidimensional. I found myself relating to them and their struggles, particularly the protagonist, Leni Allbright. Her journey from a scared and lonely teenager to a strong and independent woman was both inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking. I also appreciated the way the author portrayed the relationship between Leni and her mother, Cora, as it was complicated, nuanced, and realistic.Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the way it tackled themes such as love, loss, resilience, and the importance of community. The author did an excellent job of exploring these themes through the characters' experiences and their interactions with one another.The one missing star is due to some lengths that I feel are strangely unique to “The Great Alone”. While the detailed descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness were mostly an asset, at some points of the story I was eager to move on with the plot. Also, the romance between Leni and Matthew seemed a bit drawn out. Overall, though, “The Great Alone” is a great novel that I would highly recommend to anyone. Fans of Kristin Hannah can rest assured that their expectations will certainly be met. Four out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

“[b:The Perfect Couple 34840184 The Perfect Couple (Nantucket, #3) Elin Hilderbrand https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520361784l/34840184.SY75.jpg 56071748]” by [a:Elin Hilderbrand 88301 Elin Hilderbrand https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1365687944p2/88301.jpg] had all the makings of a gripping narrative—a murder mystery combined with romance, set against the picturesque backdrop of Nantucket. The story follows the wedding of Benji and Celeste, a supposedly perfect couple, but things take a darker turn when the maid of honour is found dead on the morning of the wedding. As the “mystery” unfolds, it's clear that Hilderbrand is more interested in exploring the petty dramas and secrets of the wealthy elite than crafting a compelling whodunit. The revelations, when they come, are bog-standard and boring, lacking any real tension or surprises.The romance was basically nonexistent as Celeste and her love interest simply fall in love at first glance. Yes, it happens, but as a story element, it's just lazy.Another problem were the characters themselves: Benji, for instance, emerged as an exceedingly annoying and shallow character. His emotional turmoil following the death on his wedding day only served to accentuate his self-centredness.»Benji is experiencing a host of very confusing emotions. He is upset, shocked, and horrified just like everyone else. And yet also mixed in there are anger and resentment. It's his wedding day! His parents have gone to enormous effort and expense to make this wedding unforgettable and now it's all for naught.«His response to Celeste the murder of Celeste's supposedly-best friend was selfish and shallow, and his treatment of Celeste was appalling.»She was lucky to be here, lucky she had a friend like you, she didn't deserve you, wasn't worthy of you, Celeste. And furthermore, she probably did this to herself! You told me once that she stockpiled pills and considered suicide, so what's to say that's not what this is? She orchestrated this to ruin our big day!«What a champ, right?His fiancée and soon-to-be wife, Celeste, is, to him, like an exotic creature Benji feels compelled to possess. And they first met at the zoo. »Celeste is like a rare butterfly that Benji was somehow able to capture. That comparison is, no doubt, inappropriate on many different levels, but that's how he thinks of her in his private mind where no one can judge him, that she's like an exotic bird or butterfly.«The portrayal of other characters, too, left much to be desired. Tag, the playboy, and Greer, the snobby housewife, were reductionist caricatures that failed to elicit any emotional engagement.Celeste herself is a calculating, opportunistic person who is more concerned with money and security than actual emotions.Merritt, her friend, is little more than a sounding board for Celeste's problems, and even that relationship feels strained and inauthentic.Celeste's inner monologue often revolved around whether a particular luxury item or location would be enough to replace love, and her dialogue was peppered with infantile statements about her own insecurities.»How will it work? Celeste asked Benji. M-M-Money, I m-m-mean. Once we're m-m-married? I'll put your name on my accounts, Benji said. We'll get you an ATM card, a checkbook. Once I turn thirty-five, I'll have access to the trust from my Garrison grandparents, so there will be that money as well. Celeste has wondered since then how much money is in the Garrison trust. A million dollars? Five million? Twenty million? What is the amount that takes the place of love? What about m-my salary? Celeste had asked. Keep it for yourself, Benji said.«One might argue that these character flaws are intentional and serve the broader purpose of Hilderbrand's social commentary. However, even if this were her intent, the execution falls woefully short of crafting a compelling and nuanced narrative. The incessant, somewhat trite observations and paper-thin plot developments were monotonous, testing my patience with each page.As if to punctuate the already dire state of the narrative, the denouement lacked any semblance of satisfaction, providing neither closure nor contemplation. The novel just falls over and silently dies.I'm left feeling like I've wasted precious reading time on a narrative that fails to engage on any level. Reading this novel felt like an exercise in endurance rather than enjoyment.One star out of five.Update Oct. 2024: Surprisingly, the Netflix mini series is a whole damn lot more entertaining. Avoid the book, do watch the series!Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

I tried really hard to like this but couldn't. In fact, I'm giving up at 62%... I liked “Legends of the First Empire” and that series' protagonists. I love Michael's Hadrian and Royce.“Nolyn”, though, is a different matter: We're 800 years after the events of “Legends” and some of the old heroes are still around which is one of the issues: All the human protagonists are, of course, long gone; but the elves are still around. Unreasonable lifespans of several thousand (!) years are poor, unconvincing and annoying storytelling devices.Yes, that was made clear in “Legends” and I was worried that might create a problem but it never mattered in that series. Now, Nyphron is still around but - before I DNF'ed - he doesn't appear. He's talked about but we don't get to “see” him.Also, an old nemesis from “Legends” is still around, still conspiring and plotting which is very annoying: Don't reuse old enemies; they had their time and place and 800 years later, they should simply be gone.The adult half-elf children of the heroes of old are, of course, still around but what they think, talk about and do ridicules, deconstructs and belittles their parents. It doesn't help that these children are neither very interesting (Nolyn) nor relatable (Sephryn). Up to 62% very little of consequence has actually happened: We get lots of info-dumps, much bemoaning, and that's pretty much it.I was bored, annoyed, disappointed, and actually avoided reading like the plague in order to not have to deal with this book and not have to write this review.I'm still going to read Michael's other books and - just like with all three books in “The Rise and Fall” - have backed them all on Kickstarter and will continue to do so but I'm going to be more lenient with myself about DNF'ing his books... One sad star out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

This was a very easy read: Science Fiction just done, not lengthily discussed or even dissected but a fun ride of merely 10.000 words.Elegant prose, witty dry humour and a fragment of a story that I would have been interested in reading a full-length novel about.Five stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

[a:Celeste Ng 164692 Celeste Ng https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1404857644p2/164692.jpg] hit me unexpectedly hard with her debut novel “[b:Everything I Never Told You 18693763 Everything I Never Told You Celeste Ng https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386795198l/18693763.SY75.jpg 26542311]”. I was blown away by that book and afraid I might not like this one as much.That fear was completely unfounded as I loved this book as much as its predecessor. Maybe a little more even since Ng has improved upon both her writing style (which I already liked the first time!) and her story.Again, we're thrown right into the “end game” and work our way backwards into the past, learning how what happens in the end, is pretty much inevitable from the very beginning...The most impressive, though, is Ng's “cast”: Mia, the artsy photographer, whose mysterious past still haunts her and let's her lead a nomadic lifestyle with her daughter Pearl.Mia is more of a silent observer, someone who watches and listens. Who won't judge but offer a shoulder to cry on and an arm to support others. ““Do what it takes,” Pauline had said to her as she had hugged her good-bye.”And Mia does it. Every single time. Almost completely altruistic in her behaviour towards others (with her daughter Pearl a notable exception), Mia is the linchpin upon which the entire novel rests - and it works tremendously well.“It turned out that despite their best intentions, her parents had prepared her exceptionally well for art school.”Pearl herself is - as one might imagine - not exactly the typical teenager albeit her school life is difficult at times, boys become a very distinct interest, well, and lots of other common issues. Nevertheless, due to her constant moving with her mother, Pearl had to learn to become independent early on and she has become truly empathetic.Finally, there are the Richardson's: Mrs. Elena Richardson, the matriarch of the family whose primary agenda is “playing by the rules” and “You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.”. She thinks of herself as progressive and supportive of those who are worse off than she is. In truth, though, she tries to build up favours with anyone she meets and those who play by her rules are rewarded and those who dare say no to Mrs. Richardson are either “discarded” or even punished for their non-conformity.Mr. Richardson is more or less an afterthought - he's, of course, successful in his job and supports his wife out of misplaced loyalty and self-imposed pressure.He does what his wife expects him to do and any kind of small doubt is quickly suppressed by what he considers his duty.The Richardson's have four children: Moody, the slightly brutish guy who has a crush on Pearl but doesn't dare approach her and who is both crushed and spiteful when Pearl cops off with his brother Trip.Trip is the good-looking type who gets all the girls - and loses interest in them just as quickly as he picked them up. Just Pearl is special...Lexie has it all figured out: Having known her boyfriend Brian for years, dating him for two, having “done the deed” with him recently, she already pictures her studies at Yale which accepted her, her triumphant return to her hometown as well as subsequent marriage, kids and a sheltered life in suburbia.Little does she know what awaits her only in the few months this book covers, much less of what's certain and what's not...Last but not least among the siblings, there's Izzy. The black sheep of the family. Isabelle Marie Richardson surely is a misfit in the Richardson family. She was born prematurely and due to the constant critical observation by her mother, has grown wary, sceptical and, paradoxically, to be free-spirited. She is one of the “crazy ones” in that glorious advertisement “Think Different” by Apple.Technically, there are the McCulloughs, Bebe Chow, a Chinese immigrant, their/her daughter May Ling-Mirabelle and others but while they're all interesting to read about, they have to take a back seat because the main cast needs all the room in this fine-spun, brilliantly-told narrative about freedom, loss and redemption.There's a lot to like even about the more antagonistic characters because Ng's tremendous talent at painting soulful character portraits full of empathy and understanding - deservedly or not - that every single person feels “real”, right and believable.Mia's story, the battle for custody, all of that is heart-rending already but the way especially the child generation acts among each other and towards the adults, are what leaves you breathless and engaged. You may anticipate at some points what's going to happen but that doesn't matter at all because of the fabulous writing, the impeccable style and the sheer talent that “Little Fires Everywhere” exudes.“Mia held her for a moment, buried her nose in the part of Pearl's hair. Every time she did this, she was comforted by how Pearl smelled exactly the same. She smelled, Mia thought suddenly, of home, as if home had never been a place, but had always been this little person whom she'd carried alongside her.”Ng is a force of nature when it comes to telling her stories: She starts slow and sometimes, things get slightly confusing but what started with a bang that should be hard to beat will slowly creep up on you, enclose you and finally sweep you away if you let it. It's a literary landslide and, again, paradoxically, you want to be in it.Or, to stay within the main motif of the book...““Rules existed for a reason: if you followed them, you would succeed; if you didn't, you might burn the world to the ground.””... and, yes, that may be true but as Mia puts it so fittingly...“Sometimes you need to scorch everything to the ground, and start over. After the burning the soil is richer, and new things can grow.”Please, please, more of this, dear Celeste Ng, and, of course, you, yes, YOU, go and read this book! Blog Facebook Twitter Instagram

“I was fine, perfectly fine on my own, but I needed to keep Mummy happy, keep her calm so she would leave me in peace. A boyfriend—a husband?—might just do the trick. It wasn't that I needed anyone. I was, as I previously stated, perfectly fine.“Eleanor Oliphant most certainly is not fine. Unless, maybe, Honeyman has read [a:Louise Penny 194243 Louise Penny https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1257567070p2/194243.jpg]'s brilliant mysteries, among them “[b:Dead Cold 352922 Dead Cold (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #2) Louise Penny https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1408927983s/352922.jpg 343141]” (also published as “[b:A Fatal Grace 352921 A Fatal Grace (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #2) Louise Penny https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327918653s/352921.jpg 343141]”) and actually means FINE (she even uses this term in all-caps herself) which stands for “Fucked up, Insecure, Neurotic and Egotistical”. That's part of what Eleanor is. I've read this book is about loneliness and, yes, it certainly is but it's so much more – depression, childhood abuse and recovery. Eleanor goes to work, trying to avoid any non-essential contact with her co-workers or, in fact, any human being for that matter. She relies completely on her routines (“I sat down and watched television alone, like I do Every. Single. Night.”) and abhors any deviations. Whenever she starts to actually experience feelings, she drowns them in Vodka. Suddenly and by pure chance, Raymond enters her life and Eleanor realises there should be more in life than routine. This is not a romance, though. It's not a “funny” book as such either – even though it has plenty of humour. “After much reflection on the political and sociological aspects of the table, I have realized that I am completely uninterested in food. My preference is for fodder that is cheap, quick and simple to procure and prepare, whilst providing the requisite nutrients to enable a person to stay alive.” The humour is always laced with Eleanor's immense pain from which she is hiding; albeit not very successfully because you can't “escape or undo” your past, nor can you just shed it: “The past could neither be escaped nor undone. After all these weeks of delusion, I recognized, breathless, the pure, brutal truth of it. I felt despair and nausea mingled inside me, and then that familiar black, black mood came down fast.” We are all defined by our past; what was done to us by our parents, by siblings, other relatives or other people we love(d). Since none of us are perfect, it follows that everyone will at least make mistakes. I made and still make mistakes raising my kids. I'm just trying to make my mistakes with as much love as possible. Most of us can deal with what we experienced; some of us – yours truly included – just like Eleanor need help dealing with our past and we must learn to live with ourselves and our demons. This “universal brokenness” is probably the reason this book is deservedly as popular as it is: We can relate to Eleanor because we at least recognise a few of her “eccentricities”. The consistent way she narrates her own story, her complete, disarming honesty even at the expense of her own dignity at times, makes her human. The more Eleanor tells us about herself, the more she lets small remarks slip that are revealing with respect to her abusive “Mummy” and the one incident that forever changed her life. The further we get the bolder Eleanor becomes and she gets ready to face the truths she needs to confront to get better and once she has crossed the Rubicon, there's no holding her back: “I was ready. Bring out your dead.” Until that point, though, it's a struggle for Eleanor and it was sometimes a struggle for me because I so badly wanted her to get better and at one point, I realised I rooted so much for her I just had to have a happy ending or be crushed. How can someone survive a mother like Eleanor's? The conversations with her are written in a way that gave me the creeps; they start out relatively normal, harmless and even – in a few instances – positively... “You wouldn't understand, of course, but the bond between a mother and child, it's . . . how best to describe it . . . unbreakable. The two of us are linked forever, you see—same blood in my veins that's running through yours.” ... it already started sounding slightly weird here but it quickly escalates much further... “You grew inside me, your teeth and your tongue and your cervix are all made from my cells, my genes. Who knows what little surprises I left growing inside there for you, which codes I set running? Breast cancer? Alzheimer's? You'll just have to wait and see. You were fermenting inside me for all those months, nice and cozy, Eleanor. However hard you try to walk away from that fact, you can't, darling, you simply can't. It isn't possible to destroy a bond that strong.” Eleanor “fermented” inside her mother – what a horrible thought! And, yes, even such a deprecating bond cannot completely be destroyed. We just have to learn to live with it. That Eleanor is still a functioning – albeit damaged – human being after all that makes us admire her and her humanity. All the more so as we only learn the entire horrible truth bit by bit (“I was normal-sized and normal-faced (on one side, anyway).”): In her developing companionship with Raymond, Eleanor slowly realises there's more to life and seeing how she works her way back into a more “normal” life is moving and enjoyable. It's never kitschy or soppy because her honesty (and often: bluntness) is very refreshing. Especially due to the fact that she knows full well that she's not really fine: “You're a bit mental, aren't you?” she said, not in the least aggressively, but slurring her words somewhat. It was hardly the first time I'd heard this. “Yes,” I said, “yes, I suppose I am.” At other times I wanted to shout at her, e. g. when she decides a random good-looking guy will save her. By means of a partner, she intends to “reassemble”, to reinvent herself and make the “Eleanor pieces” fit – which can't ever work that way. You might not like Eleanor, maybe even loathe her for her constant denial, for her “weakness” or maybe you love her for her strength and her ultimate refusal to give up. Either way, you cannot be indifferent to her because she feels completely real. She could be your weird colleague, your rarely-seen neighbour. All of this combined with Honeyman's wonderful writing style, and the ending that is exactly as it should be, won this book a place among my favourites of all time. Only a few days ago I read “[b:Kaffee und Zigaretten 44128391 Kaffee und Zigaretten Ferdinand von Schirach https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551092142s/44128391.jpg 68620284]” by [a:Ferdinand von Schirach 3048443 Ferdinand von Schirach https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1340958280p2/3048443.jpg] who wrote in that book “We're looking for the books written for us.”. I couldn't agree more. P.S.: To my Maria: If you ever read this, SvF, please know that I'm deeply grateful for all your help and let me quote Eleanor herself: “I felt very calm. “Essentially, though, in all the ways that matter . . . I'm fine now. Fine,” I repeated, stressing the word because, at last, it was true.”