Wulf C. Krueger

Rarely have I read a novel that has no redeeming qualities to at least alleviate the pain from its issues. “[b:The Inn Crowd 199289833 The Inn Crowd Melody Rush https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696535472l/199289833.SY75.jpg 203545632]” by [a:Melody Rush 23261624 Melody Rush https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1677183544p2/23261624.jpg] is such a rare exception.It starts with the title which is a painful pun on the inn, run by the heroine and her past as an in-girl (“Janey Dee”) and influencer.It continues right on the cover below the title: Can someone explain why neither Haden nor Sarah Jane have eyes? Did the money for the artist run out before the eyes were done? Did the artist know they had no talent for painting eyes? Did the poor artist maybe actually read the novel and wished they had no eyes afterwards?The story is also... challenged: Former social media influencer Sarah Jane Darby has accidentally live-streamed her then-boyfriend and herself when the former confronted her with her sex toys, accused her of cheating him by using those and dumped her. In their world, Sarah Jane's fans take his side and hate-comment on the video...Ever since, Sarah Jane has been hiding away at her late grandmother's declining inn which Sarah Jane inherited, having developed agoraphobia and never leaving the inn's grounds.Enter Haden, a sleazy “billionaire” working as an employee for some development company, who wants to buy the inn. Insta-love ensues - and that's my first major complaint: They've just met and immediately fall for each other. Just like a switch has been thrown. I never warmed to either Haden or Sarah Jane: He's a shallow flatterer whose foremost concern at any given point is either getting the inn or getting into Sarah Jane's bed.He's prone to deep thinking...»But [the “morning wood problem” is] getting harder each day—pun intended.«... and Haden is a very manly man who's extremely possessive as well...»And yet, my face is just as hot, my body every bit as tense as if someone had come after my property. My home.Most importantly, my woman.Whoever did this won't get away with it—not on my watch.«At that point, I was waiting for him to pound his chest and fetch a club.When a new guest arrives of whom both Sarah Jane and Haden are immediately suspicious, Sarah Jane doesn't do the obvious and turns said guest away; no, she actually welcomes them, lets them perform several acts of sabotage (including setting a fire) and even then lets them stay...Haden is unfazed by such trifles anyway: He points out that it was no accident and then barely hesitates before asking Sarah Jane out on a date...»“An accident doesn't shatter every single jar.” I frown at the wreckage.“True.” Haden hesitates before continuing, “Listen, I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in joining me for a day trip to the city. There's an art exhibit I've been wanting to see and thought it might be a good distraction for you.”«Haden also keeps deciding what's good or bad for Sarah Jane, what she needs to know and keeps important facts from her...»I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves before returning to Sarah Jane. I can't let her know what I just learned from Beatrice; it would only scare her and disrupt her delicate sense of safety at the inn. She doesn't need any more worry in her life.«Sarah Jane is extremely naïve: She basically believes everything Haden tells her and lets herself be led around and basically be cheated out of 50% of her inn by Haden.Worst of all, though, is the author's ineptness in writing: “she really does enjoy pleasing people's palettes with her food“Dear Melody, I think you were actually looking for the term “palates”. (Palettes are notoriously hard to please!)»“Here, here!” her supporters echo, raising their glasses in unison.«If only the author knew that the supporters actually want to stress the point in question and, thus, say “Hear, hear!”...Rush also writes with all the subtlety of a sledge hammer when writing about Sarah Jane's “angelic face” - and at the same time relegates her to second rank by usually writing two chapters in a row from Haden's point of view but only one from Sarah Jane's.The language used by Rush is simplistic: Short sentences with very simple sentence structure and all the linguistic skills and graces of a high school dropout - and that's not even taking “palettes” or “here, here” into account...For all this, there can be only one star out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

I vividly remember a rainy, cold, ugly day on holidays with my parents when I was probably around six years old. The only upside was: They were playing games with me and I was allowed to eat as many sweets as I wanted. This was outrageous, unheard of, and I could neither believe nor really trust in my luck - so I revelled in sweets till I was on a sugar high (and beyond...).This is what reading this novel felt like: Sugary bliss. Just like all those years ago, I finished it all in one sitting, and suffered for it. I came across this novella on my Goodreads feed because the reviewer DNFed during the epilogue citing the “nauseating sweetness” - and, yes, it can't be denied: There's hardly any drama, the plot is negligible - it's a sugary fairy tale, completely over the top; a happily-ever-after wasn't good enough for the author and so her epilogue...Oh, well, if you're in the mood for a sugary, spicy romance that's going to allow you to shut off large parts of your brain, look no further - but be sure to come prepared for too much sweetness in too short a novella...Still, three stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Despite the premise and the very positive review that put this novel on my reading list, sadly, large parts were a chore to read.The story starts with 40-year-old Daisy in an early-onset midlife crisis: Divorced and a single parent to her daughter Jess, she is unhappy with her life. So she starts doing teenager-style “challenges”, e. g. asking for a Pizza at Thorntons (which non-UK readers might not know is a confectionary store...).During her self-discovery mission, Daisy first meets and dates Ryan. When they break things off, Daisy is disillusioned and looks for solace with her friends - especially her new friend Kate... The plot is paper-thin and there's nothing original in it.Sadly, the writing is graceless, grating and annoying - the language is wooden, stiff, and lifeless. Full of “X said”, “Y replied”, “Z looked” and so on. Repetitive sentence constructions, dialogues repeated in indirect speech, excessive use of passive constructions - there's a lot wrong with the writing:»Daisy danced with Kate and Eve, and a couple of Kate's friends. They all seemed like a friendly bunch. Before this evening, Eve had explained to Kate why she wanted to get Daisy out of the house, and said that she wasn't looking to meet someone, just relax a bit. ‘Daisy's just lacking a bit of confidence. Her fifteen year marriage ended two years ago, and she hasn't dated at all. She doesn't think she's attractive, and she's worried about being rejected. She's also worried about giving men the wrong idea if she asks them out. I just want to get her mixing with people and having a good time, so she can relax a bit.'Kate said that she may be able to help. She had been there herself, and knew how it felt.«Pond also loves to use the same expressions over and over: “to let one's hair down”, “what are you like”, “Only if you're having one.” - everyone speaks similarly in this novel and everyone drinks. Especially Daisy—before a date, during the date, after the date. Wine plays such a prominent role in Daisy's life, I was worried she might meet the love of her life at an AA meeting.The dialogues themselves seem contrived, artificial and very, very old-fashioned:»Daisy grimaced. ‘Oh, I don't know. Maybe I could think about dipping my toe in the water.'‘It's more than your toe that needs dipping!'‘Eve! What are you like? Anyway, it's so many years since I went on a date, I wouldn't know what to do. When I was dating, it was a case of waiting for the guy to ask out the girl.'«Remember, this book was published in 2018 and most likely takes place in the present. Daisy is 40 and thus pretty much exactly my age. At that time, it was by no means unusual for everyone to ask everyone out.Throughout the entire narration, Daisy seems a lot older than she is supposed to be:»Daisy wondered whether the pang she felt was one of jealousy. She told herself it was a touch of indigestion.«We're also constantly told (in addition to being shown) how everyone feels:»As hungry as Kate was, she was trying to eat slowly to savour the wonderful flavours of the lasagne. ‘It has such a rich, full flavour.'«Yes, we get it. This could have been formulated so much nicer and more concisely, like this:»“This lasagne is delicious, so full of rich, full flavour,” Kate said, taking small bites to enjoy every mouthful.«At times, Pond just writes weirdly:»Ryan was watching Daisy. He said, ‘Thank you for coming out tonight. I'm really pleased you changed your mind.'«I've read and heard “Thank you for coming over”, “Thank you for joining me”, “going out with me”, etc. - you get the gist. But “coming out”? Also: He was “watching her”? How about this instead?»As Ryan gazed into Daisy's eyes, he whispered, “I'm ever so grateful that you agreed to join me this evening. You've made me the happiest man alive by changing your mind.”«Also, Pond cannot decide how to tell her story: An omniscient narrator? First-person narrative? She goes with the worst possible mix: Whenever a character is in dialogue, we also get thrown into their head and get their verbatim thoughts:»Hi, I just...' Cheryl came bursting through the door, and her face flushed crimson as she realised how bad her timing was. Daisy and Ryan. Wow.«And every single character does that... So annoying.The story is also way too long: The flashbacks to Daisy's ex-husband, Stephen, are completely useless in terms of the story. Just like her short-term love-interest, Ryan - this entire story part, the office stuff - it's just so trite, boring and meaningless, it should have been entirely cut out.Despite all this criticism, a decent love story about how Daisy met Kate lurks beneath it, desperately struggling to get told. That garners this novel a well-meaning two out of five stars.P.S.: From the author's notes at the end: »Thank you for reading my book. I really hope you enjoyed it. If you did, I would appreciate you leaving me a review. If you didn't, please can you never mention it again. Thanks.«No, just because you don't want to hear anything negative, I won't spare you a review, Sarah Pond.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

This is pure “comfort food” for me: [a:James Herriot's 18062 James Herriot https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1258249907p2/18062.jpg] memoirs are like a soothing, nurturing balm for the soul for me.Nestled within the pages of this book is not only the continuation of the endearing sagas I came to love from his previous work but also a wealth of humour, warmth, and genuine affection for both animals and humanity.»It was to a moribund horse, and Mr. Sidlow, describing the treatment to date, announced that he had been pushing raw onions up the horse's rectum; he couldn't understand why it was so uneasy on its legs. Siegfried had pointed out that if he were to insert a raw onion in Mr. Sidlow's rectum, he, Mr. Sidlow, would undoubtedly be uneasy on his legs.«What strikes me most about Herriot's writing is the effortlessly vivid way he captures the life of a country vet in Yorkshire. His narrative weaves intricate tales that both amuse and move, with a cast of characters that could only belong to the unique world he describes. From farmers set in their ways to a range of animals that bring to life the breathtaking canvas of the Yorkshire dales, Herriot's storytelling paints a picture so compelling it's as if the drystone walls and rolling hills leap from the pages.The anecdotes shared within the book seem almost too extraordinary to be true, yet it's the authenticity of Herriot's experiences that infuses his writing with such heartwarming appeal. Whether he's recounting midnight emergencies or the quirks and foibles of his four-legged patients, one can't help but be enchanted by the compassionate interplay between man and beast.»Yet what made him trail down that hillside every day in all weathers? Why had he filled the last years of those two old horses with peace and beauty? Why had he given them a final ease and comfort which he had withheld from himself?It could only be love.«Part of the book's allure also comes from Herriot's narrative tone, which is at once entirely self-deprecating and brimming with a gentle humour. He portrays his younger self with such candour, reflecting on the trials and tribulations of a novice vet that his experiences become wonderfully, and hilariously, relatable. The moments of exasperation, the triumphs over seemingly insurmountable challenges, and the lessons learned in the most unexpected of ways have a way of resonating with anyone who's ever pursued a passion or followed a calling.»A backhander on the side of the head drove me violently against Helen's shoulder and I was beginning to apologise when I saw that her twitching and frowning had come on again. But this time it spread and her whole face seemed to break up. She began to laugh, silently and helplessly.I had never seen a girl laugh like this. It was as though it was something she had wanted to do for a long time. She abandoned herself utterly to it, lying back with her head on the back of the seat, legs stretched out in front of her, arms dangling by her side. She took her time and waited until she had got it all out of her system before she turned to me.She put her hand on my arm. “Look,” she said faintly. “Next time, why don't we just go for a walk?”«While the humour is a constant thread — with escapades often leading to side-splitting laughter — there is a profound sense of respect that Herriot extends towards his profession. His depiction of the intimate relationship between humans and their animal companions serves as a tender reminder of the trust and responsibility placed in the hands of those who care for our non-human friends.»I tried to be cheerful. “Well, I don't think she'll die, and even if the quarter goes she'll make it up on the other three.” But there was the feeling of helplessness I always had when I could do little about something which mattered a great deal.«Yet, it's not merely the insightful look into veterinary life that captivated me, but also the rich portrayal of rural England in the 1930s. The social history wrapped within the book's humourous anecdotes paints an evocative image of the period. We're given a snapshot of a world that teeters on the threshold of change, and through Herriot's eyes, we can witness the shifts in society that herald the modern era whilst clinging to the timeless traditions that define Yorkshire and its people.»But the effort fell flat; the effect was entirely spoiled. He was polishing the glass with a dead hen.«In short, ‘It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet' is a splendid read that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with a love for animals or a fondness for the English countryside and its stories. Herriot's well-told stories are soaked in warmth, wisdom, and a touch of good old-fashioned humanity.I love them deeply. Five out of five stars.Also: »nincompoop« - how not to love that?!Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Als Kind habe ich nichts mehr geliebt als Detektivgeschichten und als ich auf “Die drei ???” stieß, war es um mich geschehen: Über Jahre habe ich jeden einzelnen Band gelesen, dann das Hörspiel auf Kassette genossen und weitere “Merch” (damals allerdings eher: Devotionalien) gekauft. Auf diese Weise entstand eine beachtliche Drei-Fragezeichen-Sammlung.Schon lange habe ich mich gefragt, ob diese Bücher wirklich so spannend, interessant und nett waren, wie ich sie in Erinnerung hatte. Nachdem ich gestern ein wirklich schlechtes Buch beendet hatte, beschloss ich, mir diese Frage durch eine gründliche Untersuchung zu beantworten - entweder ich würde mir eine weitere Kindheitserinnerung zerstören oder aber einen positiven Abschluss finden.Um es vorwegzunehmen: Ich habe das Gespensterschloss “in einem Rutsch” gelesen. Klar, mit 144 Seiten und ca. 37.000 Worten war das nicht schwer, aber es zeigt doch auch, wie gut mich die “geheime” Zentrale auf dem Schrottplatz, die getarnten Zugänge und Tunnel, unterhalten haben.»Die »Zentrale« war ein fast zehn Meter langer Camping-Anhänger, den Titus Jonas vor einem Jahr gebraucht erstanden hatte.«Natürlich darf man nicht zu viel erwarten: Die Geheimnisse dieses Buches sind für einen Erwachsenen schnell und einfach zu durchschauen. Der Erzählstil ist einfach, dafür aber sehr direkt, freundlich und empathisch. Die “Übersetzung aus dem Amerikanischen” ist zudem sehr bieder und fühlt sich heute leicht angestaubt an...»Titus Andronicus Jonas, was hast du diesmal wieder gekauft? Du bringst uns noch alle an den Bettelstab!««... aber auch das machte für mich einen gewissen Reiz der Lektüre aus: Wer spricht heute noch von “Räuberzivil” und wie viele aus den Generationen nach meiner Generation X kennen überhaupt das Wort noch?Sprache und Stil sind aber durchgängig ebenso stimmig wie stimmungsvoll:»Hoch oben am Hang, am Ende der engen, felsigen Schlucht, lag das Gebäude in düstere Schatten gehüllt.«Erfreulicherweise kommen auch Passagen vor, die auf einfach Art eine perfekt passende, aber kind-gerechte Spannung aufbauen:»Die überwältigende Empfindung panischer Angst, die Peter in der großen runden Halle der Schreckensburg gepackt hatte, war aber bestimmt von keinem Echo verursacht worden. Das wußte er.Nicht für ein Vermögen wäre er jetzt stehengeblieben.«Köstlich amüsiert habe ich mich zudem über all die inzwischen praktisch vergessenen Notwendigkeiten, die ich aber aus den Achtzigern noch gut kenne:»Während Bob den Film transportierte und eine neue Blitzbirne einsteckte, schlenderte Peter zum Fenster hinüber.«Natürlich, und auch das soll nicht ungesagt bleiben, ist ein Buch, dessen Erstveröffentlichung 1964 stattfand, auch immer ein “Kind seiner Zeit”: Die drei jungen Detektive sind ebenso weiß wie alle anderen Personen. Frauen oder Mädchen kommen allenfalls am Rande vor, beispielsweise als nervige Tante. Die Diversität, die wir heute zunehmend erleben; die Einzug hält in Literatur, Film und Fernsehen; diese Diversität ist nicht nur wichtig - wir alle wollen gesehen werden - sondern auch bereichernd und Triebfeder für Kreativität, Akzeptanz und Öffnung und ermöglicht es, auch vielleicht weniger konventionelle Konstellationen darzustellen. Das ist für mich der einzige kleine Kritikpunkt. Ansonsten kann ich allen, die sich auf einen Ausflug in die Kindheit begeben möchten, dieses Buch ans Herz legen.Drei von fünf Sternen.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

How do I review the novella of a (Goodreads) friend? “Never again” or “very, very carefully” immediately came to my mind when I pondered reading [a:Berengaria Di Rossi's 22206763 Berengaria Di Rossi https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] “[b:Distantly Falling Stars 60311549 Distantly Falling Stars Berengaria Di Rossi https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png 95082140]”. Especially since Berengaria with a down-to-earth attitude, sensible reviews and interesting reads as well as - obviously - an impeccable taste in (Goodreads) friends, has long earned my respect.So it was with a healthy portion of trepidation that I started reading this - and quickly started breathing freely because, thankfully, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this short novella.Seti, a “puny scribe” from ancient Egypt is forced on an expedition to recover some “distantly falling stars” in a race against (or possibly negotiating with) the Babylonians. There are some supernatural aspects which I usually don't like but these made sense in the setting of the novella and weren't too intrusive. The story itself was short and suspenseful - I wouldn't label it as a thriller, contrary to the blurb's description but it definitely quickly captured my interest and never lost it.This is made even easier by Berengaria's clear, concise, and unadorned writing style and a very clear idea of the intended direction of the story.I was also a bit worried about the “Bronze punk” part of the blurb but that was also completely unfounded: I found amusement in the inclusion of ships with turbines in ancient Egypt but since all of these devices felt like natural parts of the story and not - as they often do elsewhere - like forced extensions in order to make a story appeal more to modern readers, I wasn't bothered at all but rather entertained.Since this can be read for free on Wattpad, there's no reason not to give it a read!Five out of five stars for an unblemished delight of a story.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Martin Walker certainly knows his history and it shows in “A Grave in the Woods”. Bruno, beloved rural policeman in France’s Dordogne region, still in convalescence from his injury from the previous novel, is charged by his mayor with investigating a grave dating back to World War II.

Added to the mix is Abby, an American archaeologist who retreats to Saint-Denis to evade her “crazy” crypto-currency ex-billionaire ex-husband turned hacker. (Yes, I kid you not.)

There’s also major flooding, which Bruno must manage and try to prevent further damage from.

While the broad historical excursions are certainly interesting, anything “mysterious” doesn’t take up much space here. We never get to the bottom of the mystery around Abby and her ex-husband or his shady international dealings. We never get to actually know why he tried to hack Bruno and the police.

We also never learn what happened to those bodies in the concealed grave. We can understand they were killed by the French Resistance, but all their background remains unclear. This is especially aggravating since Bruno and his friends very publicly bemoan the death of the two young women and the violence of men against women – but any real interest on the part of the author and his “cast” are reserved for the male body…

The flooding is the only part that’s actually described interestingly; its force is suspensefully depicted, and climate change is explained to be at its core, but none of that is why I read the Bruno novels. I used to read them for a kind policeman investigating local crime. That, though, has been pretty much completely absent for years now. Instead, we get complicated (not just complex) stories about international espionage and terrorism. In rural France…

Many of Bruno’s friends make an appearance here, and we get not one but two Asterix-style feasts. Sadly, though, this mostly reads like fan service instead of integral parts of the story. The inevitable recipes, usually presented through descriptions of Bruno’s cooking, appear in the unlikely guise of sometimes page-long commands (!) from others to Bruno.

As usual, the writing is fine and marks a return to a less “grandiose” style of prose that much better fits these novels. Still, “A Grave in the Woods” doesn’t lend itself to being read as a standalone novel, or as an introduction to the series, since it generously references earlier novels that any new reader would not understand.

We end where we started – Bruno is injured again and goes back to hospital, where, again, Florence is taking care of him.

While this latest instalment of “Bruno” is not as annoying as its predecessors, it feels completely inconsequential in the context of the world Walker created. There’s no real mystery, no true resolution to any of the topics, and no satisfaction from its ending.

Two generous stars out of five.

Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Die Protagonistin dieses Romans hat einen “Bullshit-Job”, lese ich im Klappentext und so mancher Rezension. Welcher Job das genau ist, bleibt allerdings unklar, denn die Protagonistin, die gleichzeitig Erzählerin ihrer eigenen Geschichte ist, bleibt vage, weitgehend desinteressiert und ihre Glaubwürdigkeit überaus fragwürdig.Obschon sie mit Ende 20 nicht mehr ganz jung ist, ist ihre wichtigste und intimste Beziehung diejenige zu “ihrem” Drucker in ihrem Büro. Mit ihm spricht sie permanent und so ausdauernd, dass es selbst ihren Kolleg_innen im Büro auffällt. Sie schmiegt sich auch gern mal an ihn, putzt und streichelt ihn... »Ich setze mich neben meinen Drucker. Das Gerät steht auf dem Tisch, an dem ich arbeite. Es ist ein typischer Büroapparat, eine sperrige und würfelförmige Maschine. Ich schmiege meine Wange an seine rechte Seite. Glatter, beruhigender Kunststoff. Er steht auf Stand-by. Meine Energie wird von dem Gerät absorbiert, die elektrischen Signale meines Nervensystems werden von ihm verstanden.«Und, na klar, dieser Wunder-Drucker, der übrigens Hobby-Philosoph ist (“rhythmische Arbeit [ist] hochgradig spirituell”), versteht sie auch noch und nennt sie seine “Partnerin” - denn der Drucker kommt im dritten von vier Kapiteln allen Ernstes zu Wort... Dabei stellt sich dann auch noch heraus, dass dieser Drucker auch noch allwissend und allgegenwärtig ist:»Ich spüre, wenn ein Tiefdruckgebiet im Anzug ist, ich erkenne Musik und Schallwellen, ich weiß, wann ein Mensch glücklich ist und wann nicht.«Als wäre dieser Bullshit nicht schon übel genug, so versucht die Protagonistin, ihren Kolleg_innen nach Möglichkeit auszuweichen, sie zu ignorieren. Während die Protagonistin ordentlich behandelt und mit Namen angesprochen wird, nennt sie ihre Mitarbeitenden nach deren jeweiligen Rollen im Unternehmen - Marketing, PR, HR, etc.Wann immer jemand auch nur mit ihr sprechen möchte, fasst sie das als Affront und Kampfansage auf...»Soll das ein Test sein? Ist das seine Rache dafür, dass ich die Zustellung des Pakets nicht gut überwacht habe? Es muss Rache sein. Der Kampf hat begonnen.«... und das liegt nicht am vermeintlichen “Bullshit-Job”, sondern - so meine Interpretation - an ihrer psychischen Gesundheit. Denn unsere Protagonistin will auch gar nicht anders - sie möchte “nur sein”. »Ich sehe mich nirgends in zehn Jahren, ich habe keine Zukunftsträume, ich habe kein Ziel außer der Wiedervereinigung mit meinem Gerät. Ich möchte mich nicht verbessern. Ich möchte nur sein.«Die bloße Existenz, so meint sie, müsse doch wohl reichen. Mit der realen Welt konfrontiert, nimmt sie üblicherweise schlicht reißaus - sei es, nach ihrer Freistellung, vor dem “blauen Zettel” an ihrer Tür (dessen Inhalt auch nie aufgeklärt wird) oder auch das Büro einer Zeitarbeitsfirma.Durch Auslassung verschweigt uns die Protagonistin zudem soviel, dass ich ihr kein Wort glaube und den Wert ihrer Erzählung, ja, den Wert dieses merkwürdigen Debüts in Frage stelle - alles bleibt vage, offen, undefiniert und Veldman, die Autorin, ergeht sich in banaler Schein-Kritik, zu deren Substantiierung sie nicht in der Lage scheint.Dafür wimmelt es geradezu von kruden Theorien... »Auch wenn der Baum zu Stücken, Schnipseln, Zellstoff reduziert wird, steckt irgendwo noch der Geist des Baumes im einzelnen Blatt Papier.«... und daher-fabulierten Selbst-Diagnosen...»Ich bin übrigens die einzige Mitarbeiterin, die freigestellt wurde, dabei bin ich nicht die einzige mit Burn-out.«Grotesk, dümmlich, prätentiös und aufgeblasen wie Luftballon - so ist dieser Roman, den ich nunmehr genussvoll durch Löschung zum Platzen bringe.Ein Stern von fünf.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

(Please note that Sartre consistently speaks of “man”. Ironically, [a:Simone de Beauvoir's 5548 Simone de Beauvoir https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1555042345p2/5548.jpg] partner of 51 years is unable or unwilling to include women in his language at least. Nevertheless, the essence of his will includes any gender.)»Man is nothing other than his own project. He exists only to the extent that he realizes himself, therefore he is nothing more than the sum of his actions, nothing more than his life.”«“[b:Existentialism is a Humanism 51985 Existentialism is a Humanism Jean-Paul Sartre https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328870158l/51985.SY75.jpg 2376452]” is originally a lecture by [a:Jean-Paul Sartre 1466 Jean-Paul Sartre https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1475567078p2/1466.jpg], first delivered in 1945, aimed to clarify misunderstandings about existentialism. He adeptly defends the philosophy against critiques of it promoting despair, amorality, and nihilism. The book is built on the existentialist premise that “existence precedes essence”.Or, in Sartre's own words:»We mean that man first exists: he materializes in the world, encounters himself, and only afterward defines himself. If man as existentialists conceive of him cannot be defined, it is because to begin with he is nothing. He will not be anything until later, and then he will be what he makes of himself. Thus, there is no human nature since there is no God to conceive of it. Man is not only that which he conceives himself to be, but that which he wills himself to be, and since he conceives of himself only after he exists, just as he wills himself to be after being thrown into existence, man is nothing other than what he makes of himself. This is the first principle of existentialism.«I've long wanted to read about existentialism since what little grasp of it I had (and still only have) appealed to me and interested me. (For those who are in the same position as I found myself, in a nutshell: Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasises individual freedom, choice, and existence, asserting that individuals are responsible for giving meaning to their lives through their actions and decisions. It contends that people must navigate the absurdities of life without reliance on predetermined norms, thereby creating their own values and defining their own essence. Thus: existence precedes essence)What makes this work particularly interesting is how Sartre uncomplicates (in very non-uncomplicated words and ideas, though) the existentialist stance that individuals are entirely responsible for their own actions. This notion initially appears daunting – suggesting isolation in our freedom and decisions. Yet, as Sartre explains, it is incredibly empowering. It posits that we are the architects of our own values and the authors of our lives. His assertion that “man is condemned to be free” resonated deeply with me, underscoring the weight of personal responsibility that accompanies our freedom.»man is free and there is no human nature in which I can place my trust.«And, yet, that freedom is not without reason: Sartre illustrates how our personal choices ripple across humanity, arguing that in choosing for ourselves, we also choose for all mankind. »What is more, to say that we invent values means neither more nor less than this: life has no meaning a priori. Life itself is nothing until it is lived, it is we who give it meaning, and value is nothing more than the meaning that we give it. You can see, then, that it is possible to create a human community.«“Existentialism Is a Humanism” also delves into the subject of despair, which Sartre describes as the acknowledgment that we rely only on ourselves and our will for action. This was an eye-opener to the liberating potential within existentialism, as it encourages one to act without hope – encouraging a direct confrontation with reality.»“No hope is necessary to undertake anything.”«The eloquence and intellectual clarity of Sartre's prose are undeniable. I, with little understanding of existentialism, found this book taxing to read. It's well-written, presents great ideas and dispels misunderstandings and accusations, and is thought-provoking. It does feel like a lecture, though, and it's not something one would read for pleasure.I think I will move on to Sartre's “[b:Nausea 298275 Nausea Jean-Paul Sartre https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1377674928l/298275.SY75.jpg 1319935]” and, sooner or later, to his “[b:Being and Nothingness 10033 Being and Nothingness Jean-Paul Sartre https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1329978583l/10033.SX50.jpg 973089]”.I don't feel “qualified” to star-rate this book but would recommend reading it to anyone with an open mind.»Existentialism is not so much an atheism in the sense that it would exhaust itself attempting to demonstrate the nonexistence of God; rather, it affirms that even if God were to exist, it would make no difference—that is our point of view. It is not that we believe that God exists, but we think that the real problem is not one of his existence; what man needs is to rediscover himself and to comprehend that nothing can save him from himself, not even valid proof of the existence of God. In this sense, existentialism is optimistic. It is a doctrine of action, and it is only in bad faith—in confusing their own despair with ours—that Christians are able to assert that we are “without hope.”«Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Ich erinnere mich noch genau, wie ich Gaston zum ersten Mal durch meinen Bruder kennenlernte, der eine beachtliche Sammlung der Comicbände besaß. Diese szenischen und oft anarchischen Abenteuer waren eine willkommene Abwechslung zu den eher konventionellen Geschichten, die meine Eltern bevorzugten. Als ich also “[b:Der ganze Gaston 25447961 Der ganze Gaston André Franquin https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677811802l/25447961.SY75.jpg 45212750]” von [a:André Franquin 261269 André Franquin https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1266299031p2/261269.jpg] in die Hände bekam, fühlte es sich an wie eine Reise zurück in diese Zeit.Gaston, diese chaotische, liebenswerte Figur, hat nichts an seinem Charme und geradezu unglaublichem Unterhaltungswert eingebüßt. Er bleibt der unorganisierte Erfinder und “Schlaffi” mit dem Herz am rechten Fleck, der ständig im Zentrum von Turbulenzen steht (die er zudem zumeist selbst verursacht hat). In vielen Momenten treibt Gaston seine Kolleg_innen, allen voran anfangs den völlig überforderten Redakteur Fantasio, später dann den beförderten Demel, in den Wahnsinn.Auch wenn Gastons Abenteuer oftmals in unvorhersehbaren Katastrophen münden, prägt ihn eine bemerkenswerte Kreativität und Innovationsfreude. Wie könnte ich die legendären „Eierkuchen à la Zeppelin” vergessen? Gastons Unschuld und sein Drang zu helfen, auch wenn er oft mehr Schaden als Gutes anrichtet, machen ihn so menschlich und liebenswürdig. Dies umso mehr, als seine Erfindungen nie bösartig (manchmal allerdings überaus schelmisch!) sind, sondern immer ein Zeichen seines unbeirrbaren Optimismus und seines Glaubens daran, die Welt zu verbessern.André Franquin verfolgt mit Gaston einen überaus menschlichen Ansatz mit viel anarchischem Humor, aber auch einer breiten Palette an Ideen - bis hin zu seinen auf den jeweiligen Strip abgestimmten Signaturen.“Gaston” war der Comic, den Franquin auch noch fortsetzte, als er den Comic “Spirou” aus Gründen seiner Depression abgeben musste. Gaston war für Franquin so wichtig, dass er verfügte, Gaston dürfe nach seinem Tod nicht fortgeführt werden. (Leider hat seine Tochter dies im Rahmen eines Vergleichs mit dem Verlag Dupuis aufgehoben.) Der Inbegriff der chaotischen (und trotzdem gewissermaßen systematischen) Kreativität, der Faulheit und Bequemlichkeit, seiner Erfindungsgabe und nicht zuletzt unerschütterlicher Tierliebe Gastons ist jedoch jenes zumindest für mich legendäre (und höchst erstrebenswerte!) Bild, das zudem gleichzeitig die Einstellung seiner Kolleg_innen zu Gaston beinahe perfekt widerspiegelt...Die vorliegende Sammlung umfasst nunmehr endlich alle jemals erschienenen Gaston-Strips in fünf Bänden auf 1200 denkwürdigen Seiten, die ich über die letzten Tage nach vielen Jahren “Abstinenz” im Sinne des Erwerbs höherer Weisheit rezipiert habe... ;-)Einzig weniger interessant in dieser Ausgabe fand ich die in jedem Band am Ende anzutreffenden Abschnitte “Auf den Spuren von Gaston”. Sie enthalten viel Text zur Entstehungsgeschichte, der bestimmt reizvoll und großartig ist, für mich aber nur den Fluss der rasanten Geschichten unterbricht. Doch die ebenfalls darin enthaltenen historischen Skizzen und Illustrationen sind ein wunderschöner Zusatz, der das Werk abrundet.Insgesamt ist “Der ganze Gaston” eine wunderbare Zeitkapsel voll (anarchischem) Humor und Wärme. Der zeit- und verschleißlose Charme Franquins einmaligen Werks hat die Jahrzehnte (erfunden bereits 1957!) tadellos überstanden und auf den rassistischen Charakter einer einzigen spezifischen Darstellung wird explizit hingewiesen und dieser eingeordnet. Außerdem war André Franquin auch als Comic-Zeichner immer engagiert - mit Greenpeace gegen den Walfang (Band 5, Seite 88) oder mit Amnesty International für die Menschenrechte (Band 5, Seite 151) und viele mehr.Wie also könnte ich diesem grandiosen Meisterwerk weniger als fünf von fünf Sternen verleihen? Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

While I'm writing this, it's the 4th of May 2024. It still feels weird to live in a world without Paul Auster in it. When I went to bed on the 30th of April, he was still there. On the morning of the 1st of May, when I opened the New York Times app on my phone, a black-and-white picture of Paul Auster gave it away. I had known he was fighting cancer but I thought he had time... Time for more novels - after all, his novels have been present in my life for decades, most of my life. Auster's novels were never easy to read but they were worth the effort. Why am I prefacing a review of “[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]” with that? First and foremost, I'm writing these reviews for myself. They add to my enjoyment of the novel discussed and they also serve as a reminder of them, and who I was when I read them. Of course, I'm also writing them for you, dear reader, and I love it when you like them (so, hit that button right now, what are you waiting for?) but that's a bonus.When looking for my next read, I first reached for a novel by Auster but I quickly realised, in my state of mind, I couldn't enjoy it. So I decided to continue my Harry Bosch binge-reading and that turned out to be an excellent idea because it put me into a reading frenzy!This time, Harry is called in to investigate the murder of a hotshot civil rights lawyer who was suing the LAPD for extreme police brutality against his client. Harry quickly discovers that the lawyer was right and his client completely innocent. Harry's own colleagues, though, among them his former partner and old friend, Frankie Sheehan, as well as his nemesis, John Chastain of the Internal Affairs Division (IAD), feature prominently among the cast of this absolute page turner.»[Bosch] “What? What am I doing?”[Chastain] “You're thinning us out. That way you have better control.”He waited for Bosch to reply but only got silence.“But eventually, if we're going to do this thing right, you are going to have to trust us.”After a pause, Bosch said, “I know that.”«Teamed up with Chastain and his entourage at first, later joined by Roy Lindell of the FBI (and the previous novel), Bosch is the same old “hard-boiled” detective he always was, but - also as always - with a spin. Bosch is still willing to learn and to adapt. He's alienated by computers at best but in contrast to many of his colleagues, he's not only willing to learn but he's not shy to ask for help:»Rider came around the desk and looked down at the printout.“It's a web page.”“Right. So how do we get to it and take a look?”“Let me get in there.”«(Kizmin Rider is a female colleague of Harry's.)Sadly, as good as the novel is in almost every aspect, the author's fledgling grasp of the then-emerging web technology is embarrassingly rendered. What Connelly writes about web pages, cookies, and other stuff is probably the worst technobabble I've ever read. Highly annoying if one knows better but good enough for everyone else.As usual, Connelly's other writing is smooth and wonderfully readable. The story itself is very engaging and represents a clear step-up from the previous novel, easily becoming one of the most suspenseful Bosch novels so far.Unfortunately, the ending came unexpectedly quickly: The story was fully wrapped-up but the way it ends is satisfying in its consequences, but it feels rushed with chances to redeem a major character lost, and a few threads not loose, but at least not neatly tied up as in every other Bosch novel so far. Nevertheless, I read till I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and - very uncharacteristically for me - I started reading again almost immediately after waking up without even checking in on my computer.A clear winner that garners 4.5 stars out of five from me, rounded up to five.P.S.: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6eG0lyAgR-/Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

[a:Jean-Luc Bannalec 5763576 Jean-Luc Bannalec https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] hat sich mit seinen Romanen um den eigenwilligen Kommissar Dupin eine treue Anhängerschaft erarbeitet. Der neueste Band, “[b:Bretonische Sehnsucht 199430207 Bretonische Sehnsucht Jean-Luc Bannalec https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1704883144l/199430207.SY75.jpg 203878083]”, setzt diese Tradition fort, doch leider nicht in der gewohnten Qualität. Als langjähriger Leser der Romane des Autors und Fan der bretonischen Atmosphäre, war meine Vorfreude groß. (Allerdings war ich von meiner Frau schon etwas “vorgewarnt” worden.) Dennoch muss ich gestehen, dass dieses Werk weit hinter meinen Erwartungen zurückblieb.Zu Beginn möchte ich die deutlich gesteigerte Esoterik in diesem Roman ansprechen, die die Sicht auf den Fall und mein Lesevergnügen ungemein trübte. Bannalec hat in seinen früheren Werken stets ein Gefühl für das Lokalkolorit bewiesen, doch diesmal treibt er es zu weit ins Mystische. »Sie haben Seelen, die Leuchttürme. Seelen, Persönlichkeiten und Gefühle. Wie wir Menschen.«Auch die Charaktere bleiben deutlich hinter dem zurück, was ich von Bannalec gewohnt bin: Die Insel-”Druidin”, die abergläubisch bis ins Mark ist und Dupin permanent vor Meerjungfrauen, Nixen und allen möglichen Monstern warnt; die Sängerinnengruppe “Sirenen”, die eine große Rolle zu spielen scheint, aber vollkommen blass und schemenhaft bleibt; ein geradezu absurd unglaubwürdiger Nebenstrang (Osmine...) - es kommt hier einfach kein Lesevergnügen auf.Selbst Kommissar Dupin, dessen Grantigkeit und unorthodoxes Denken ich schätze, scheint sich hier in esoterische und bedeutungsschwangere Gedankengänge zu verlieren. »Eine Insel der Metamorphosen, dachte Dupin. Vielzähliger und vielartiger Metamorphosen. Wer sich hier nicht alles verwandelte! Woraus die Frage resultierte: Wer sah in Wahrheit eigentlich wie aus?«Verglichen mit Bannalecs früheren Werken vermisse ich die Ausgewogenheit zwischen Spannung und Atmosphäre. Die Geschichte verliert sich zuweilen in unnötigen Ausschweifungen und hinterlässt dabei wichtige Plotpunkte vernachlässigt oder oberflächlich behandelt. Ein weiteres Ärgernis sind kleine Nachlässigkeiten im Text, die nicht dem Niveau eines stilistisch so versierten Autors entsprechen:»Die Verabredungen war bereits getroffen.«Ein simpler Tippfehler wie dieser mag unerheblich erscheinen, doch trägt er zum Gesamteindruck bei, dass hier nicht die nötige Sorgfalt aufgewandt wurde.All dies wäre noch verzeihlicher, wenn der Kriminalfall selbst mitreißend und glaubwürdig präsentiert worden wäre. Doch auch hier hapert es an der Ausführung, insbesondere was die Nebenhandlung um Meerjungfrauen betrifft. Bannalecs Versuch, das Lokale mit dem Mystischen zu verweben, wirkt hier besonders bemüht und hinterlässt den Leser kopfschüttelnd:»Meerjungfrauen dagegen sind gewöhnliche Frauen, die das Pech hatten, von einem bösen Geist verdammt zu werden. Unschuldig. Eine fatale Metamorphose.«Dieser Versuch eines tieferen, vielleicht poetischen Untertons wirkt in der Realität plump und unglaubwürdig.Doch selbst damit nicht genug: War Riwal schon in früheren Büchern gern mal etwas geschwätzig, wirkt er hier häufig überaus und langanhaltend belehrend:»»Als der allgemeine Wohlstand und Fortschritt in der Nachkriegszeit erheblich wuchsen und die Insel das erste Mal einen regelmäßigen Fährbetrieb erhielt, dachte man, die Landwirtschaft wäre nun überflüssig – ein fataler Fehler, wie sich herausstellte. Bis dahin hatten die Ouessantins sehr intensiv Landwirtschaft betrieben, seit Menschengedenken, genauer gesagt die Frauen, wie Sie ja wissen.«Riwal holte Luft. Dupin machte sich auf einen längeren Vortrag gefasst.«Ein bisschen Schwung und Handlungstempo hätte der Geschichte sicherlich gut getan. So erinnert “Bretonische Sehnsucht” eher an einen langen Spaziergang durch wunderschöne, aber zu oft gesehene Landschaften ohne nennenswerte Höhepunkte.Die im Übermaß vorhandenen esoterischen Einschläge sowie die vernachlässigten Plotpunkte bringen dieses Buch um den Charme und die Spannung der früheren Werke des Autors.Da reicht es leider nur für einen von fünf Sternen.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens tells the story of Kya Clark, a young girl growing up alone in the marshes of North Carolina. Abandoned by her family at a young age, Kya learns to survive on her own, relying on her wits and the natural world around her. The story follows Kya's journey as she navigates the complexities of relationships, love, and loss, all while grappling with the secrets and traumas of her past.What I loved most about this novel was the way Owens brought the marshes to life. Her descriptions of the landscape were so vivid that I felt like I was right there with Kya, wading through the marshes and feeling the mud between my toes (yuck!). Owens' writing truly transported me to another world, and I found myself completely immersed in Kya's story.But what truly made this novel stand out for me was the way Owens explored themes of isolation and belonging. Kya's loneliness and struggle to connect with others was palpable throughout the novel, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. The way Owens delved into the intricacies of human relationships and the ways in which our pasts shape us was both poignant and thought-provoking.I also appreciated the way Owens seamlessly wove together the different threads of the story: From Kya's coming-of-age journey to the mystery surrounding a local murder, every aspect of the novel felt like it belonged and added to the larger narrative. The twists and turns of the plot kept me glued to my Kindle's screen, eager to see how everything would unfold.Overall, “Where the Crawdads Sing” is a stunning novel that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and immersive read. Especially the almost-poetic descriptions of nature around Kya's home were breathtakingly beautiful. Owens' writing is masterful, and the characters and world she has created stayed with me for a long time.Five out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Ich muss gestehen, dass “[b:Der geheimnisvolle Stern 15764351 Der geheimnisvolle Stern (Tim und Struppi, #10) Hergé https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1342946442l/15764351.SX50.jpg 173095]” für mich einer der langweiligeren Bände in [a:Hergés 2802356 Hergé https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1595847562p2/2802356.jpg] Tim-und-Struppi-Reihe ist. Die Geschichte beginnt mit Tims Entdeckung eines neuen, bedrohlichen Sterns, der scheinbar die Zerstörung der Erde bedeutet. Diese Katastrophe bleibt jedoch aus, und das drohende Unheil reduziert sich auf ein großes Bruchstück, das ins Polarmeer stürzt. Hergé versucht, mit einem Wettrennen zwischen einer von einer Bank finanzierten Expedition und Tim, der für die Europäische Forschungsgemeinschaft antritt, die Spannung aufrechtzuerhalten. Leider bleibt die Handlung relativ flach und repetitiv. Der Lichtblick des Bandes ist jedoch der erste Auftritt des grundsätzlich (hier allerdings weniger) unterhaltsamen Kapitän Haddocks, der in zukünftigen Abenteuern eine wichtige Rolle spielen wird.Auch für diesen Band ist es wichtig, die historischen Hintergründe zu kennen: Das Album erschien 1942 nach bereits zweijähriger Besetzung Belgiens durch Nazi-Deutschland. Hergé blieb davon nicht unbeeinflusst: Im Original heißt der dort amerikanische Bankier “Blumenstein” und ist unverkennbar antisemitisch dargestellt. In späteren Ausgaben wurde daraus “Bohlwinkel” aus dem fiktiven “Sao Rico” - die Darstellung blieb unverändert...Alles in allem: Ein unterdurchschnittlicher Band, der aber zumindest mit einigen netten Ideen (z. B. explodierende Riesenpilze) aufwarten kann. Sollte der Verlag jemals eine Neuauflage in Betracht ziehen, würde ich mir ein erklärendes Vorwort wünschen, um jüngeren Lesern die nötige historische Einbettung zu geben.Drei von fünf Sternen - trotz besonderer Sympathien mit Struppi...Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Endlich wieder ein Kluftinger, den man gern liest!Die letzten beiden Kluftinger-Krimis fand ich nicht gut; der letzte, “[b:Affenhitze 60565109 Affenhitze Kluftingers neuer Fall (Kommissar Kluftinger, #12) Volker Klüpfel https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646639410l/60565109.SY75.jpg 95459128]”, war eine vollkommene Klamauk-Katastrophe mit Kluftinger als widerlichem, mobbendem alten weissen Mann. Danach sollte Schluss mit Kluftinger und seinen beiden aus der Zeit gefallenen Autoren für mich sein.Dann kam “Druckfrisch” mit Denis Scheck, der Regional-Krimis - oft zurecht - üblicherweise gar nicht mag, und ausgerechnet Scheck fand diesen neuen Band “Tierisch gut”. Und auch in diesem Fall hat er Recht: “[b:Lückenbüßer 210821812 Lückenbüßer Kluftinger ermittelt (Kommissar Kluftinger, #13) Volker Klüpfel https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1716885028l/210821812.SY75.jpg 217044822]” präsentiert uns einen Kluftinger, der, mittlerweile Interims-Polizeipräsident, plötzlich wieder denkt, seine Kolleg_innen (meist) anständig behandelt und von dem ich mich nicht mehr von Ekel erfüllt abwenden muss.In der kurzzeitig etwas zu sehr raumgreifenden Nebengeschichte treten Kluftinger und Langhammer bei den Lokalwahlen gegeneinander an. Kluftinger, der sich eigentlich nur als der titelgebende Lückenbüßer aufstellen ließ, läßt sich schnell vom Wahlkampffieber mit- und hinreißen. Als jedoch Langhammer... Aber das müsst Ihr bei Interesse schon selbst lesen. Und gut lesbar ist dieser Roman des Autoren-Duos, dessen wohl geistig gesündere Hälfte sich durchgesetzt hat, allemal: Der zu untersuchende Mord tritt zwar zeitweise ein wenig zu sehr in den Hintergrund und seine eher antiklimaktische Auflösung hat mich nicht vollständig überzeugt, aber endlich ist “Klufti” wieder unterhaltsam und man kann sich (weitgehend) ohne Fremdschämen im fiktiven Altusried wieder zuhause fühlen.Dabei gibt es wieder viele dieser typischen “Klufti-Momente”...»Unten angekommen, ließ er Leipert allerdings erst nach mehrmaliger Ermahnung, strengstes Stillschweigen zu wahren und niemandem gegenüber ein Sterbenswörtchen zu verlieren, ins Auto steigen. Wer konnte schon voraussehen, welche negativen Konsequenzen es haben würde, wenn der Journalist seine geheimen Pilzplätze verriet?»Ach so, ja, und bitt'schön nix wegen den Ermittlungen in die Zeitung!«, schob er noch halbherzig nach und verabschiedete sich.«... nicht zuletzt auch im Umgang mit seinem Arzt(-freund) Langhammer. Trotzdem grenzt es fast an Satire, wenn Langhammer über seine Angestellten spricht:»Aber in der Praxis habe ich ja meine Mädels.«»Weibliche Bodyguards?«»Meine Sprechstundenhilfen.«Kluftinger verstand nicht. »Was nützen die Ihnen denn?«»Das sind meine menschlichen Schutzschilde.«Dies zeigt, dass die Autoren zwar immer noch eine Menge Spaß mit ihren Figuren haben, der Humor aber treffsicherer und angenehmer dosiert wurde als in den letzten Büchern.Erfreulich fand ich auch, dass die Autoren ohne Scheu und fast “unverschleiert” den Neo-Nazis der AfD einen erzählerischen Tritt in die Weichteile verpassen. Merke: Wer Nazis wählt, ist ein Nazi.(Das gilt natürlich gleichermaßen auch für US-Amerikaner, die einen verurteilten Straftäter, Rassisten und Vergewaltiger anstatt einer kompetenten Frau zum Präsidenten wählen.)Wer die letzten Kluftinger-Krimis nicht mochte, die Vorgängerbände aber vielleicht doch zu schätzen wusste, kann beruhigt zu dieser Lektüre greifen. Einzig der Preis (eBook: EUR 20, Hardcover: EUR 25) trübt ein wenig das positive Bild - aber das ist der Verlag, Ullstein, und die unsägliche Buchpreisbindung.Vier von fünf Sternen.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Oh, well, I've tempted my reading luck with another classic - and didn't like the experience. “[b:My Man Jeeves and Other Early Jeeves Stories 12862238 My Man Jeeves and Other Early Jeeves Stories P.G. Wodehouse https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1374004224l/12862238.SY75.jpg 46242656]” is a collection of short stories by English humorist [a:P.G. Wodehouse 7963 P.G. Wodehouse https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1198684105p2/7963.jpg], first published in 1919. That alone should have been a red flag...The book contains eight stories in total, with four featuring Jeeves and four featuring other characters. This is the first and smallest gripe of mine: While Bertie Wooster and Jeeves were mostly tolerable, the other characters felt out of place and their inclusion in this collection mistaken.The stories are set in London and New York City, and they often involve misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and romantic entanglements. Typical “ingredients” for this rather slapstick-y kind of comedy. The stories themselves I found to be disappointing and frustrating. While I can appreciate the clever wordplay and humour in some of the stories, the overall tone and structure of the book left me feeling bored and unimpressed. Near the end, I quick-read some stories because, and that's my main issue, their structure is nearly always identical:In each story, a problem arises, Jeeves presents a plan, the plan works for a while, but then something goes wrong and the plan backfires. Jeeves then conceives a new plan, which sets things straight and everything works out in the end. While this formula may have been fresh and exciting when the stories were first published, it feels tired and predictable now, and it makes the book feel repetitive and monotonous.Furthermore, some of the stories in the book contain offensive language (N-word, in a very negative context to boot) and attitudes that are unacceptable by modern standards. The use of racial slurs and stereotypes is particularly troubling, and it detracts from any enjoyment that might be derived from the humour in these stories.I was also mildly annoyed by the excessive use of dated terms and language: Words like “chappies” and “Johnnies” may have been commonly used in the first half of the 20th century in British English but nowadays also contribute to the dated and out-of-touch feel of these stories for me at the very least. »“Well, I'll be popping. Toodle-oo!”- “Pip-pip!”«Overall, I found “My Man Jeeves and Other Early Jeeves Stories” to be a boring, disappointing, frustrating and at times annoying read. While I can appreciate the historical literary value of Wodehouse's writing, the issues I mentioned ultimately made this author and his work uninteresting to me at best.One out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

[a:Matthew Reilly's 83714 Matthew Reilly https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1309746050p2/83714.jpg] “[b:Seven Deadly Wonders 144791 Seven Deadly Wonders (Jack West Jr, #1) Matthew Reilly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388589227l/144791.SY75.jpg 1271370]” is akin to reading a 90s action B-movie. Unfortunately, the novel fails to deliver a compelling narrative, with both the plot and characters lacking believability. While Reilly attempts to blend high-octane action with historical mysteries, the result is a muddled execution that leaves much to be desired.From the outset, the characters come off as one-dimensional and unconvincing. They are supposedly a diverse group from various backgrounds, but this diversity is sadly superficial. This oversight detracts significantly from the novel, creating a sense of sameness that undermines the story's potential. For instance, Big Ears dangling precariously over a ledge is a moment ripe with tension but falls flat due to clichéd dialogue and character interactions:»Big Ears was dangling over the edge of Level 1 directly above her, helpless. ‘I can't get to her!'‘And I can!' another voice called.West.He never missed a step.Running full tilt, he just leapt off the edge of Level 1 and sailed in a high curving arc through the air toward the croc-lake below.«The plot is convoluted with numerous loose ends and implausible scenarios. The novel struggles to maintain a coherent storyline, often feeling episodic rather than a unified narrative. This lack of cohesion disrupts the reading experience and makes it difficult to remain invested in the characters' exploits. The plot includes a vividly gruesome yet ridiculous depiction of a Caesarean delivery performed during a volcanic eruption.»A gruesome yet urgent image: flanked by the encroaching lava and the steadily lowering ceiling, the two men perform a Caesarean delivery on the dead woman's body using West's Leatherman knife.«Reilly's attempts at infusing the story with historical conspiracies come across as overly extravagant and eye-roll-inducing. The portrayal of the Cult of Amun-Ra, linked to various historical and modern figures, borders on the absurd. This inclusion feels less like a testament to thorough research and more like desperate embellishment.»This Cult of Amun-Ra has endured to the present day, under many guises. For instance, the Knights of St John of Malta, and some sections of the Catholic Church.‘The Freemasons, too, have long attached great significance to the Great Pyramid—and are often accused of being a thinly-veiled reincarnation of the Cult of Amun-Ra. Indeed, one very famous Freemason, Napoleon Bonaparte, was initiated into the order's highest ranks inside the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid.«Ultimately, “Seven Deadly Wonders” reads like a cheap piece of bubble gum – initially somewhat fresh but quickly becoming bland and boring. The novel fails to deliver on its intriguing premise, leaving readers with a disappointing aftertaste. With its numerous flaws and lacklustre execution, this novel does not live up to the standards set by other works in the genre. If you're seeking a quality action-adventure read, you might want to look elsewhere. If you want an in-depth, detailed review, read https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1678820144 which absolutely nails it.One star out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Wow, this was bad, really bad. It starts with the reason for this novel's popularity: It consists of 98% pure violence porn: We get to witness how about 40 15-year-old classmates from junior high school brutally murder each other. Actually, they're more like slaughtering each other and through my reception of the text, I had the very unpleasant feeling of watching a violence-obsessed author act out his most revolting fantasies. Takami almost gleefully presents his sadistical ideas with excessive and gratuitous violence.While I presume the novel is meant to be a commentary on societal pressures and the dehumanising effects of violence, I felt that the graphic descriptions of bloodshed and gore were used purely for shock value and did little to further the plot or develop the characters.Speaking of which: The next percent is the characters displaying the character depth of a paramecium, a single-celled organism... Takami tries to give each of them a backstory but I struggled to keep track of them all and found that they blended together in my mind. The main characters, Shuya and Noriko, were somewhat more developed, but their “romance” felt forced and unconvincing. I never truly became invested in their story or cared about what happened to them. I also found the writing style to be uneven and clunky at times. While some passages were well-written and evocative, most were either very simplistically or even awkwardly phrased. The final 1% is made out of extremely naïve theories, e. g. “A bad person was simply born that way.” And that's the maximum level of “critical thought” this novel reaches...Despite not being the worst book I've ever come across, this revolting, violence-glorifying monstrosity still ranks among the top 5.Zero stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

[a:Gøhril Gabrielsens 2929181 Gøhril Gabrielsen https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] “[b:Die Einsamkeit der Seevögel 200830746 Die Einsamkeit der Seevögel Gøhril Gabrielsen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1698428044l/200830746.SX50_SY75.jpg 207530838]” verspricht in Titel und Klapptentext eine eindrucksvolle metaphorische Verbindung zwischen Natur und menschlicher Isolation, vermag diese jedoch kaum einzulösen. Der Roman greift mehrere gewichtige Themen auf, darunter sexualisierte Gewalt, Manipulation, die fragile Mutter-Kind-Beziehung, sowie ökologische Zerbrechlichkeit sowie diejenige der neuen Beziehung – und bleibt dabei doch oberflächlich und zerfahren. Bereits die Erzählweise ist teils überbordend und schwer zugänglich. Ein Eindruck, der durch Passagen wie die folgende verstärkt wird:»Die Nachricht verschwindet. Ich sehe die Wörter vor mir: Zerstückelt, in unkenntliche Ziffern und Zeichen zerlegt, steigen sie zwischen den Schneeflocken auf, gleiten durch eine Wolkenlücke und weiter in den Satellitenhimmel, finden ihren Stern, der die Nachricht mit einem Blinken wieder zur Erde sendet.«Die Naturbilder, die Gabrielsen heraufbeschwören möchte, wirken zwar bildreich, doch wie in diesem Beispiel oft schwülstig und weitaus mehr esoterisch als bedeutungsvoll. Statt mit sprachlicher Präzision zu überzeugen, verliert sich der Text im Nebel symbolischer Überladung, ohne klare Spuren für den Leser zu hinterlassen. Dabei hätte es durchaus Potential gegeben. Gabrielsen versucht sich an historischen Einsprengseln aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, jedoch fügen sich diese nicht organisch in die Gegenwartserzählung ein und fühlen sich „dahinfantasiert“ an. Die Vorstellung, wie Isolation und Naturgewalt den Verstand verzehren können, erinnert an Werke wie [a:Emily Brontës 4191 Emily Brontë https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1529578586p2/4191.jpg] “[b:Sturmhöhe 6670684 Sturmhöhe Emily Brontë https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327371684l/6670684.SX50.jpg 1565818]”: Die harschen Moorlandschaften und das erdrückende Gefühl der Einsamkeit dienen nicht nur als Schauplatz, sondern auch als Spiegel der psychischen Zustände der Charaktere. Während Gabrielsen dies eher bruchstückhaft inszeniert, liefert Brontë ein kohärentes Zusammenspiel zwischen Mensch und Natur, das die mentale Zerbrechlichkeit in Extremsituationen (obschon anderer Natur) weitaus greifbarer macht. Doch die emotionale Tiefe und Symbolkraft jener Geschichte wird von Gabrielsen nicht erreicht. Die vielfältigen, verstreuten und unverarbeiteten Ansätze Gabrielsens haben zumindest mich unbefriedigt zurückgelassen. Viel Potential hatte diese Novelle, aber leider wird es vollständig verschenkt. Schade!Einer von fünf Sternen.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

I read my first romance novel at the tender age of 43. I had realised I couldn't claim to read anything till I had tried romance at least once. It was fun, light, spicy, and provided a nice diversion. Since then, I've read a lot of the “big names” in romance and enjoyed a good lot of them.Along on my Goodreads feed comes “[b:When I'm With You 220225863 When I'm With You (Laws of You) Samantha Brinn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1728399272l/220225863.SY75.jpg 222416176]” with a mediocre cover by [a:Samantha Brinn 48996679 Samantha Brinn https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1710660675p2/48996679.jpg] — a name that was completely unfamiliar to me. On a whim, I decided to make it my next read, since I was looking for a pleasant diversion. What I got was a novel that actually plays in a completely different league than pretty much any other romance I've read so far.From page one to the very last one, I was captivated: Both Julie (30), a sharp-tongued, quick-witted, strong, fierce, meticulous lawyer, and Asher (31), a football quarterback (don't worry, I don't know what that means and still don't care) have their respective issues — and they both hide a lot; from themselves, the world and each other. Then Asher accidentally discovers one of Julie's secrets and reacts so spectacularly well that she joins him on a road trip to visit his family.What follows is an empathic, sensitive journey to the very core of their issues. There are the usual ingredients of a rom-com: banter, hilarious ideas, small mishaps. Step by step, though, Julie and Asher get to know each other and, shockingly, they communicate like the adults they are. Together, they find brilliant solutions to overcome their reservations, fears and inhibitions.»“I'm afraid you'll walk away once you hear what I have to say.”“I won't.” I'm starting to think there is nothing on earth that would make me walk away from this man. He could tell me he killed someone, and I would grab a shovel to help bury the body, law license be damned. “I swear I won't. You're safe with me too, you know. We can be safe with each other.” I feel the truth of those words more deeply than I have felt anything in my life. I want to be his safe place, because he is absolutely, undoubtedly mine.«It was such a joy to read their well-written, sensitively depicted story, I became worried about my usual gripes: A third-act breakup (usually badly handled, for nonsensical reasons, or just plain unnecessary), communication breakdowns (yes, people can be bad at that but don't make it a major plot device!), badly presented smut (intimacy is, obviously, an important aspect of adult life so handle it carefully) — in contemporary romance one usually encounters at least one of those.None of that is here: There is some drama but in the context of the story, every single part of it makes sense. There's no breakup but “organic growth” with each other, towards each other and independently of each other. It was glorious to read this till the last page — and I'm worried about my next read now because I'm pretty sure it won't reach this level of greatness...Yes, there is the usual one-bed-only part — but does it play out the usual way? Absolutely, yes, and absolutely not, no. Even in the small details, Brinn writes so sensitively and empathetically that I smiled, laughed, and cried and experienced everything in between. I have never rooted so intensively for any fictitious couple before.In a romance, I prefer an open bedroom door — and I got it here. The scenes of their growing intimacy were so tender, empathic, wholesome even, and deeply human — and all the more smoking hot for it.Not only are our protagonists well-written but the secondary characters - the families and friends - are beautifully depicted as well and I loved reading about the interactions between each and every one of them.A parent of three amazing adults myself, I also found myself deeply sympathising with these book parents.»You never know, as a parent, whether you're making the right decisions at the time, and sometimes you only figure it out years later. I'm sorry for that, Jules. I should have done it differently.«Maybe this is, in part, a wish fulfilment fantasy (“a man written by a woman” as the novel puts it) but either way: I sincerely wish for every single person out there to find this kind of love. (And am happy to report, my wife and I did 25 years ago.)Maybe you're thinking I'm not critical enough now but while the “perfect book” doesn't exist, this comes pretty close: The pacing is on-point. The usual tropes are skillfully avoided and, if they exist, handled with such almost unprecedented care and in a way that makes them feel entirely different. Maybe there's precisely one intimate scene too many but I for one can easily forgive that.I lost sleep over “When I'm with You” and it garners the easiest and most heart-felt five stars out of five in a very long time.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

What he says... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaHDBL7dVgs

A Marquise origin story! :-)

Anything for You: A Feminist Utopia Wrapped in Warmth and Wit. I just wish it wasn’t fiction.

“Anything for You” by Samantha Brinn is the third instalment of the “Laws of You” series and continues the story of Hallie, Julie, Molly, and, in this novel, Emma.

These four female protagonists are best friends (or “found family” as they regard each other) and share a law practice. They’re all strong, capable, empathetic women in their late twenties or early thirties with distinct personalities and well-established backgrounds. They basically read a little too well to be true but that’s part of my enjoyment of these novels, and we’ll get to that in a moment.

Beyond that, they’re part of a group of friends and partners most of whom appear in every novel. While I usually much prefer small cameo appearances, this different approach works brilliantly here: While Brinn’s focus is clearly on the respective protagonists, she effortlessly succeeds in adding the established couples to the mix and enhancing the overall story and atmosphere without diluting the main story.

In this novel, part of the side story is about Hallie getting married to her partner from the first novel. Perfectly in keeping with both the style and the outlook, Brinn allows her heroes to shed traditions that do not suit them. She does so without pathos or a missionary zeal, but rather in the spirit of genuine acceptance and a freely chosen togetherness built on respect and understanding. This is evident, for example, in how the clothing of Hallie's friends is handled for her wedding.

»Hallie didn’t care about the colors or anything—she just wanted us each to wear something we loved that looked like us.«

While the first two novels centred on Hallie and Julie respectively, this one is about Emma and Jeremy. Jeremy, a former hockey player, now running a charitable sports organisation, has fallen in love with Emma at least eight years before the events of this novel. Emma has pretty much felt the same about him for a similarly long time. So, what’s the problem?

»They are the best people in the world, and I didn’t feel worthy of them. I still don’t.«

First of all, Emma and Jeremy are both introverts, which immediately endeared them to me. Complicating matters, eight years ago, they had a one-night stand that ended with Jeremy fleeing and Emma in disarray over her feelings. Since then, despite seeing each other in their shared friend group all the time, they’ve hardly spoken to each other beyond a few words and “secret” moments of tender kindness that both are confused about but feel unable to address.

»Emma matches me stride for stride, and our synchronicity is soothing.«

“Anything for You” is the story of them overcoming their inhibitions and, inevitably, slowly building a relationship despite their respective challenges. Brinn writes with exceptional sensitivity and warmth about her protagonists. She has a remarkable ability to bring out the nuances of different characters and to make them come vividly to life as you read. Added to this is a deep, humane sense of humour and an unmistakably liberal-progressive outlook, which I find very appealing. These are her great strengths, which have captivated me ever since reading her first book.

»“I was twenty-two years old, Jeremy. I wasn’t a kid, and I wanted to sleep with you. Virginity is a patriarchal construct to make women ashamed of sex, and nothing we did was shameful. It’s Gloria Steinem’s world, baby, and we’re just living in it.«

Sadly, even more than 50 years (!) after she wrote it, we’re not (yet!) in Steinem’s world (which you can read more about in Steinem’s brilliant “What It Would Be Like if Women Win" (cf. media URL)). With which we come back to my earlier statement about our protagonists feeling too good to be true.

The world depicted in this novel as well as the entire series is very much Gloria Steinem’s: a world transformed by gender equality, where traditional power structures are dismantled, and women’s values shape society. Steinem describes a future in which caregiving and collaboration are prioritized, workplaces accommodate family needs, and institutions no longer uphold male dominance. Rather than simply reversing gender roles, Steinem envisioned a more balanced and humane society where individuals are free from rigid, oppressive expectations. As a man, I would love to live in Steinem’s world.

»“Ems,” I whine. “I’m telling you my biggest truths here. Can’t you just tell me what to do?”

She looks unimpressed. “You told me you’re unhappy in your job. Welcome to being a person in the world. We’re so happy to have you. Take some time, Jeremy. Think about what makes you happy. What you used to love about going to work. Start there, and you’ll figure it out. You can talk to me about it whenever you want. I love hearing you talk, and I always want to help, but this isn’t a decision I can make for you.”«

I cannot think of any better utopia for all of us, regardless of gender. I am all too aware that I have contributed to inequality myself—and, regrettably, sometimes still do. But for my wife, my adult children, and all of us, I deeply wish for a world like this. I wouldn’t label myself as “woke,” as I don’t think it’s a useful self-description. Rather, I would simply like to be seen that way, and I try my best to live up to it.

Brinn’s books offer me a glimpse into such a utopian world, opening up perspectives that were largely unfamiliar in my upbringing, and only partially accessible to me as a young(er) man. The fact that I sometimes question the realism of these characters reveals just how far we still have to go. I wish—especially for my children—that I had recognised this decades ago.

»“You are enough, just the way you are. Now go. Drink. Shower. Comfortable clothes.” Jeremy doesn’t say anything else. He just follows my instructions and downs the drink in one swallow then heads to the shower. And when he disappears up the stairs, I pull out my phone and call in the troops.«

At the same time, these remarkable books also provide a brief escape from the real world. In the past, my refuge was video games; today, it is books. But it is more than mere escapism—it is a longing for a more just world for all of us, and I hope to see it realised in my lifetime. Despite the frustrating, disheartening, and infuriating setbacks, such as the recent re-election of the orange criminal and the sycophantic allegiance of his “tech-bro” enablers, I remain convinced that these are temporary relapses.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not comparing Brinn to Steinem. However, I do admire Brinn’s ability to create a kinder, fairer world in her books. We all stand on the shoulders of giants, and I have great admiration for anyone who contributes to that vision.

Viewed in this light, the minor weaknesses in Brinn’s books regarding grammar and punctuation are easily forgiven—though, of course, a more thorough edit would be welcome.

»I stare at Emma, fascinated by all of her layers. I wonder if there will ever be a day I stop learning new things about her. I doubt it. I hope not.«

I’m citing this one last because beyond its simplicity, it reminded me of a quote by Max Frisch from his diaries:

»It is remarkable that we are least able to say what the person we love is truly like. We simply love them. This, in fact, is the essence of love—the wondrous nature of love—that it keeps us in the suspension of the living, in the willingness to follow a person through all their possible transformations.

[...]

Our belief that we truly know the other marks the end of love—every time. But perhaps cause and effect are different from what we are tempted to assume. It is not that our love ends because we have come to know the other; rather, the reverse is true: because our love ends, because its strength is exhausted, the person becomes ‘complete’ in our eyes. They must be. We can no longer go on! We withdraw our willingness to embrace further transformations. We deny them the essential right of all living beings—to remain unfathomable—and at the same time, we are bewildered and disappointed that our relationship no longer feels alive.«

Above all else, this is, in my humble opinion, one of the most crucial aspects of lasting relationships. For my wife and me, at least, it has been working for more than 25 years and counting. I love you, C., and am eternally grateful that we’re both open to change with each other.

Five stars out of five.

Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam

I don't like novellas. They're mostly too short to make any kind of impact and simply aren't enough of a “bite”. At best, they're like chewing gum.So it was out of pure curiosity that I decided to read “[b:Dashing All the Way 221764632 Dashing All the Way Chelsea Curto https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1732141858l/221764632.SY75.jpg 228758912]”, a novella by [a:Chelsea Curto 20681411 Chelsea Curto https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1656107823p2/20681411.jpg], after it got heartily endorsed by [a:Samantha Brinn 48996679 Samantha Brinn https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1710660675p2/48996679.jpg] (whom you should know as an author for her great “[b:When I'm With You 220225863 When I'm With You (Laws of You) Samantha Brinn https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1728399272l/220225863.SY75.jpg 222416176]”).The story is simple: Being told what she cannot do by her now-ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, Margo moves to accomplish just that, and, in the process, falls for his father, Finn—just in time for Christmas.What follows is the warm-hearted, sometimes raw, and always honest tale of how a one-night stand evolves into something very different over the course of two weeks. It is nicely told, well-paced, and very, very steamy.Nothing feels out of place, everything makes sense, there's just enough story to satisfy my reading needs, and an amusing inevitable ending. What more could I wish for?Five stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

[a:Sara Madderson's 20040776 Sara Madderson https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1635331274p2/20040776.jpg] “[b:A Very London Christmas 59577126 A Very London Christmas Sara Madderson https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1636456859l/59577126.SY75.jpg 93828303]” certainly attempts to wrap readers in a festive embrace, complete with sparkling lights and — sometimes — cosy corners of London. However, as enchanting as the premise might sound, the execution left me cold. While marketed as a heartwarming seasonal read, it's more akin to a tin of biscuits that looks promising but offers only the plainest, already-crumbling, and dry selection once opened.The most glaring issue is the utter superficiality of the characters and plot. Operating on a schematic level, the people populating Madderson's London feel less like real individuals and more like archetypes hastily thrown together. Additionally, there's a complete lack of innovation here. Every twist, from misunderstandings to the eventual conclusion, feels plucked from genre clichés. That said, I reluctantly admit a few redeeming qualities. I appreciated the absence of the typical third-act breakup — a trope overused to death in romances. Madderson avoided it, which felt refreshing amidst the otherwise predictable fare.Still, these positives can't outweigh just how hollow the reading experience is. While serviceable as a bit of forgettable fluff, “A Very London Christmas” fails to either uplift or inspire. Two out of five stars feels fair.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam