Wulf C. Krueger

»“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

»Der eigentliche Held, der alle anderen in den Schatten stellt, ist ganz sicher das Schloss Mysłocz, um das sich die authentischen Zaubereien ranken. Ein Monument der Unbeweglichkeit und des Schweigens, so taucht es aus der Nacht auf, aus dem Morast, erhebt sich aus dem Nebel, aus dem Wald, um Elegie zu verströmen oder Skandale zu entfesseln. Ganz zwanglos erhält der Raum des Romans eine Ordnung: verborgene Gemächer und unterirdische Gänge im feudalen Mysłocz, gemütlicher Speisesaal im verbürgerlichten Połyka, Gedränge und anrüchiges Durcheinander in den Etablissements von Warschau. Die Zeit drängt, dehnt sich aus oder verkürzt sich, wenn es darum geht, die zweifache Version eines Mordes vorzuführen.«Man soll seinen Helden nicht begegnen, denn man wird enttäuscht. Ebenso wenig sollte man wohl seinen glorifizierten Lieblingsbüchern wiederbegegnen...“[b:Die Besessenen 22079080 Die Besessenen Witold Gombrowicz https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422979161l/22079080.SY75.jpg 143611]” von [a:Witold Gombrowicz 9632 Witold Gombrowicz https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1655576009p2/9632.jpg] haben mich vor gut 30 Jahren geradezu überfallen und in ihren Bann gezogen - mein Bruder schenkte mir das Buch und mit meinen rund 17 Jahren war es mir unwiderstehlich: Ein düsteres, verfallendes Schloss umgeben von Wald und Moor, ein wahnsinniger Fürst, der letzte seines Geschlechts, ein merkwürdiges Handtuch, das bebt, würgt und zittert - zwei junge Liebende (in meinem damaligen Alter auch noch!), die sich so sehr ähneln, dass sie einander verabscheuen und doch nicht voneinander lassen können? Hinzu kam: “Die Besessenen” erschien im Original vom 4. Juni bis zum 31. August 1939 als Fortsetzungsroman gleichzeitig in zwei Tageszeitungen. Hitlers Überfall auf Polen am 1. September 1939 verhinderte die Vollendung. 1973 wurde es vom Autor wiederentdeckt. Das Ende jedoch blieb bis 1986 verschollen.Ja, es fühlt sich an, als wäre ich damals ein anderer gewesen - und vielleicht liegt es daran, dass “Die Besessenen” nach glühender Verehrung damals für mich heute nur noch interessant sind. Seit damals habe ich - wie besessen - alle deutschen Ausgaben des Romans gekauft und gern auch verschenkt.Es gibt nur eine Ausgabe, die ich nie gefunden habe: das eBook, das ich heute als einzige Buchform lese. Auch die noch lebenden Nachfahren Gombrowicz' bestätigten mir nur mit Bedauern, dass es schlicht keine deutsche eBook-Ausgabe gibt.Das wollte ich schon seit Jahren für mich selbst ändern und so kaufte ich kurzentschlossen antiquarisch die mir liebste Ausgabe (Übersetzung von Klaus Staemmler, dtv-Taschenbuch mit Kerze auf dem Cover), säbelte den Einband weg, jagte es durch einen guten Scanner und schuf mit erheblichem Aufwand mein eigenes eBook, das ich selbstverständlich auch gleich lesen mußte!Schnell nahm mich die etwas altmodische (kein Wunder, spielt doch die Handlung in 1938; dem Jahr, in dem Gombrowicz auch die Arbeit am Roman aufgenommen haben dürfte), aber doch großartige Sprache gefangen:»Aber der Mond schien bereits über der endlosen Ebene, aus der hier und da phantastische Baumsilhouetten ragten. In seinem blassen Schein zeigte sich weißliches Wasser, der Muchawiec schob träge seine Strömung durch die Ebene, kam kaum von der Stelle und bildete riesengroße Ausuferungen.«Majas und Leszczuks ungestüme, schwierige Hass-/Liebesgeschichte war immer noch schön zu lesen, auch wenn ich manche Grausamkeit (armes Eichhörnchen!) und Gewalt nicht mehr in Erinnerung hatte. Beider Erkenntnis, einander zu ähneln; geradezu zwei Teile, die zu einem großen Ganzen gehören, zu sein, ist interessant. Gleichzeitig davon angezogen und abgestoßen zu sein, macht einen Teil des Reizes aus und spielt eine entscheidende Rolle im Kern des Romans: Die Suche nach Identität.Maja fühlt sich noch der gehobenen Klasse der Gutsbesitzer angehörig - aber das elterliche Gut, verwaltet von ihrer Mutter, ist eine kleine, schlecht gehende Pension für Stadtmenschen, die Maja und ihre Mutter gleichzeitig als niederrangig verachten, auf die sie aber für ihren Lebensunterhalt angewiesen sind.»Warum hatte ich, dachte sie, die ich schließlich unter anderen Bedingungen und in weniger demokratischen Zeiten erzogen wurde, nie dieses absolute Überlegenheitsgefühl?«(Damals wie heute war es allerdings mit der polnischen Demokratie nicht allzu weit her...)Gleichzeitig aber will Maja bewußt mit diesen überkommenen Vorstellungen brechen und scheut doch davor zurück:»Sie fürchtete sich vor dem Schloss, vor ihrem Verlobten, am meisten aber vor sich selbst, vor den Gefahren, die in der Tiefe ihrer eigenen, allzu kühnen, allzu unruhigen, allzu glücksbegierigen Natur auf sie lauerten. Die altertümlichen, düsteren, der Vergangenheit zugehörigen Mauern schienen zu flüstern: Wehe dem, der leichtherzig dem flüchtigen Glück nachjagt!«Der alternde (vermeintlich?) abgeklärte Professor, dem die sich verändernde Welt fremd wird...»Der Professor empfand ein instinktives Misstrauen gegenüber Frauen wie Maja, die ihn durch Unabhängigkeit, vorzeitige Reife und eine Ungezwungenheit, die keine Hemmnisse kannte, entsetzten.«... der aber nicht an jedwede Besessenheit glauben mag und doch im Laufe der Handlung sozusagen vom Paulus zum Saulus wird; auch er sucht: Erst nach Schätzen, dann mehr und mehr nach Erkenntnis über die Natur der Besessenheit und den sehr irdischen Ursprüngen des Wahnsinns des Fürsten.Leszczuk sucht generell seinen Platz und taumelt von Ort zu Ort, bis er auf Maja trifft und dieser verfällt. (Wahrscheinlich trug auch das zu meiner Begeisterung bei: Ich selbst suchte meinen Platz, hatte meine erste große Liebe gefunden, glaubte manches und wusste nichts.)Der wahnsinnige alte Fürst sucht sich selbst und seinen Franio, seinen illegitimen Sohn, der unter mysteriösen Umständen aus einer verfluchten Kemenate des Schlosses verschwand...Cholawicki, des Fürsten boshafter und verschlagener Sekretär, dient als brutaler und widerwärtiger Gegenspieler, der aber gleichzeitig Majas Verlobter ist und auch diese zwei sind aneinander gefesselt.Gleichzeitig - und das habe ich erst jetzt verstanden - sind letztlich alle Handelnden “besessen”: Von sich, von der Gier nach Macht, Geld und Geltung, von einander, vom Schloss, vom Übersinnlichen und selbst das Schloss ist buchstäblich besessen - oder nicht?Vollständig wird diese Frage nicht geklärt - und das ist auch gut so, denn zumindest das spricht sowohl den Wulf von damals (“Es gibt mehr Ding' im Himmel und auf Erden, als Eure Schulweisheit sich träumt, Horatio.”) als auch den von heute (“Alles Existierende ist prinzipiell wissenschaftlich erklärbar, wobei unsere Fähigkeiten und Werkzeuge zur vollständigen Erklärung sich noch entwickeln; was sich dieser Erklärung entzieht, existiert folglich nicht.”) an und läßt allen Rezeptionen Raum.Letztlich, so spitzt es Gombrowicz im letzten Satz des Romans trefflich zu:»In dieser Welt voll Unklarheit und Rätsel, Dämmerung und Trübheit, Seltsamkeit und Irrtum gibt es nur eine untrügliche Wahrheit — die Wahrheit des Charakters!«Bei aller fehlenden Begeisterung kann ich nicht umhin, auch mich selbst zu den “Besessenen” zu zählen - vier von fünf Sternen für einen einzigartigen Roman.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

“[b:My Child is Missing 177529528 My Child is Missing (Detective Josie Quinn, #18) Lisa Regan https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1686850860l/177529528.SY75.jpg 183605300]” is [a:Lisa Regan's 6443334 Lisa Regan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1589563239p2/6443334.jpg] 18th novel about her Detective Josie Quinn and I've almost universally enjoyed reading every single one of them. Sadly, not so with this latest instalment which steadily ran its course without any highlights nor any major letdowns...Sure, these novels have always been somewhat formulaic: Josie used to drink too much because of her gruesome past (which gets mentioned in this novel every five pages...), fell in love with her colleague Noah (whom she shot at one point), adored her grandmother (who was shot at another point), found her long-lost identical twin sister (who is a famous TV journalist - but nobody ever noticed...), her best friend Misty, ex-stripper and final girlfriend of Josie's ex-husband who died as part of the afore-mentioned gruesome past, and Misty's son from said ex-husband, the entire murder of cops (seems like the most fitting collective noun for US cops these days) are a happy family - it's complicated and yet these novels are usually thrilling and suspenseful to read.Another nice touch to almost every other novel in this series used to be that someone from the extended team (be it a cop, a coroner, whomever) has a special role which lends the story authenticity and makes people much more relatable. Not so in this novel; unless - unlike me - you count the countless mentions of a certain deceased team member...Be warned - spoilers ahead!In this novel, though, everyone is still reeling from the death of their colleague Mettner, whose desk they've kept like it was the day he left - like a shrine to him. As if that wasn't enough, they bemoan his absence on every second page. They keep reminding each other about the pearls of wisdom he used to utter...»“Or he could break the case wide open,” Gretchen said.It was exactly something Mett would have said.«.... because, surely, no other cop would ever say a sentence like that!A suspect is found in the first hours of the investigation (and, thus, very early in the book) and since Josie and friends almost exclusively concentrate on him, it becomes very clear, said suspect is at least a very important part of the cases of missing children that's being investigated.Knowing that, it was just a matter of reading along while our heroes interrogate people (like a nutcase pair of parents or teenager's who blatantly lie despite knowing full well that they could help to solve multiple murders and to find a missing girl...), find proof and, ultimately, convict the perpetrator.The almost-obligatory twist at the end was unconvincingly written towards, crudely done and I was so thoroughly disinterested at that point, I simply shrugged and read on.And imagine my surprise when the book just ended at 85% - the remaining 15% were just advertising for and excerpts from Regan's other novels. While that was no real loss in this case, it borders on cheating the customer.Barely three out of five stars.P. S.: »Did the hunt for [the Woodsman] have you desperately turning the pages and did you gasp out loud at the incredible twist?«No, I just gasped due to disappointment. And I hate it when an author breaks the fourth wall.P. P. S.: »A TOTALLY UNPUTDOWNABLE CRIME AND MYSTERY THRILLER PACKED WITH NAIL-BITING SUSPENSE«To whomever writes such crap: I sincerely and honestly despise you.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Well, this much is clear: I wouldn't bother to save this novel in a fire. This book is a whole new kind of bad. It actually made me annoyed and, at times, angry.Sexualised violence, PTSD, cancer, sexism, general violence, stalking, abandonment, arson, insta-love, and forgiveness (for all of the afore-mentioned) - all in this one novel and badly done to boot.Before anything else - even being human - Cassie Hanwell is an extremely successful firefighter. No doubt in large part due to the fact that this profession in the USA is dominated by men. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 2020 only 9% of the firefighters were female.I couldn't easily find my native Germany's statistics but in the UK, the percentage of female firefighters is about 7%. So, I'm going to assume it's the same problem in the USA and in Europe.Thus, Cassie - like many women - has always had (and still has) to work harder and longer than her male colleagues. She has also experienced sexualised violence at the age of 16.Shockingly and shamefully, according to the US National Sexual Violence Resource Center, she has that in common with approximately one in five women in the United States has experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime. Additionally, 81% of women reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime. According to a report by the United Nations, globally, approximately one in three women experience physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner.Ten years later at an award ceremony in her honour, to everyone's surprise, when confronted with her attacker, 26-year-old Cassie thoroughly beats him up on stage. She's given the choice to apologise or be fired (let's not go into the question of whether any of that is realistic...) but comes up with a way out: Since her mother needs help with an eye issue, she's going to move to her into another state and take a job there - at an all-male fire station the male captain of which loudly complains about women in his profession...Prepared by her current female captain (“Don't ever be a girl! Be a robot instead!”), she moves and is confronted by a world I naïvely had hoped went extinct with the ‘90s. »l looked the sheet over. “So, to succeed in my new job, I basically need to be an asexual, androgynous, human robot that's dead to all physical and emotional sensation.”She sat back in her chair and nodded, like, Yep. Simple.I nodded.“Just be a machine,” she said. “A machine that eats fire.”«I will now go into spoilerish detail, so on platforms that support it, I'm going to use spoiler tags. On all others; beyond here be dragons!Cassie first moves in with her estranged mother, Diana, who walked out on her and Cassie's father on Cassie's 16th birthday, which also happened to be the date when she was raped...»I looked up to see Josie smiling at me. Then she reached out and tucked a wisp of hair behind my ear. “She believed you'd be okay,” she said again. “And she was right.”«Diana, it turns out, is an emotional manipulator who knows no boundaries and has no clue what happened to her daughter. Her “eye issue” also turns out to be a malignant, aggressive brain tumour which Diana neglects to mention till she cannot hide it any longer.Pretty much like her father, who never even tried to get Cassie help but resorted to teaching her basketball... In the present, he's a full-blown asshole when he “asks” her to help her mother:»“How could you say no to her?” he demanded. “She needs you.”“Can we talk about this later?” I asked.“It doesn't matter when we talk about it,” my dad said, rolling out his most authoritative voice. “You're going.”“I already said no.”“Change your mind.”“I'm not going to change my mind,” I said, like he was completely nuts.“She's your mother, and she needs you, and you're going.”“You're telling me to leave my job, my apartment, my life—everything?”“You're young. You'll make it work.”«But since mommy is going to teach Cassie forgiveness, daddy will be immediately forgiven for this and everything else.Let's stay with forgiveness, a central topic of this novel, for a moment: Yes, forgiveness can make sense. Most of all when we forgive ourselves. Or minor infractions by others. Mommy Diana, though, is trying to teach her adult daughter to forgive her rapist, a physically and emotionally violent criminal, and everyone else - all in the name of forgiveness and for forgiveness' sake. Even if you feel this is valid and fine: Said violent criminal who even confesses, gets away with a slap on the wrist. The same guy who stalked, threatened and even became physically violent against Cassie in fact gets back into her good graces:»In acknowledgment of his personal growth, I got him a T-shirt that says THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE.«Yea, right.Nothing is going to deter him or anyone else around to just do more of the same. While one's first duty is, undisputedly, to oneself, one has to keep the consequences of one's actions in mind. If one still stands by said action afterwards, that's fine. But in this novel there's no consideration for what might happen later.Let's move on: Having just arrived on duty, Cassie and a rookie, her love interest Owen, are being “initialised” by a ritual of duct-taping both of them half-naked to a post at night:»“Are you guys here to haze me?” I asked, lowering my arms.Tiny gave a little shrug. “We're supposed to duct-tape you to the basketball pole.”I nodded and relaxed out of my crouch. Fair enough. “Okay, then.”Tiny didn't step forward, so I waved him toward me.“Let's get it over with,” I said.[...]Next thing I knew, they had pressed us together, standing back to back against the basketball pole, running a roll of duct tape around us to keep us there. It was late summer and starting to get chilly.«Now, some of you might feel that this isn't so bad. Let's see, though: The way this plays out makes it pretty clear they suffer through it but at no point consent to this intentionally degrading and humiliating procedure. In fact, they're physically restrained.While it does not involve direct, immediate physical harm, it does involve subjecting individuals to discomfort and potential embarrassment. It's just plain disgusting and unworthy behaviour for any human being.But, hey, at least - and here we come to the issue of instant love which is about as attractive as instant coffee - both Cassie and Owen immediately fall in love with each other. Within a year, they will be engaged and about a year later married. The epilogue kindly informs us of the further adventures; two kids, lots of forgiveness and a happily-ever-after.This is, of course, helped by the fact that Cassie considers every single firefighter a hero and expects them always to be “the good ones”: Hyperbolising every firefighter into a hero is doing them a disservice as it creates unrealistic expectations and puts undue pressure on them. While firefighters are undoubtedly brave and selfless individuals who put their lives on the line to save others, they are also human beings who experience fear, stress, and trauma like everyone else. By portraying them as infallible heroes, we risk overlooking the mental and emotional toll that their job can take on them. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and shame when they are unable to live up to these unrealistic expectations.»Somebody who's supposed to be a hero.”«By acknowledging their humanity and vulnerability, we can create a more supportive environment that encourages them to seek help when they need it instead of trying to compartmentalise or other forms of self-abuse. This very novel shows us an example of that.»“Firefighters are supposed to be the good guys.”«This novel is not a romance but a misguided attempt at hero worship.Meanwhile, Owen asks Cassie to join him at a family celebration during which he magically “heals” all her issues with a kiss. Yes, I kid you not. PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder)? Just kiss it well!Of course, Owen has lots of issues himself: As a child he played a part in causing a huge fire which cost his paternal uncle's life. Plagued by guilt, Owen has never told anybody and became a fireman himself because daddy is “Big Robby”, a hotshot firefighter himself. Even though he, Owen, always wanted to become a cook! (Which, of course, in a reverse-Grisu move, he's going to become!)Due to their severe cases of mutual instant love, they don't have to talk or interact much either. There's no banter in this novel. There's no chance for chemistry to develop. They fall in love, jump into bed together (fade to black) and even before Owen gets discharged from the hospital after a life-threatening injury (Cassie of course saved his life!), he proposes to Cassie... (Using a “ring” made from the still-sticky foil of a yoghurt.)Worst of all, though: None of the above is reflected upon in the novel - the extreme sexism, bizarre initiation rituals, toxic masculinity - it's all just accepted as preordained. It's just like people saying “boys will be boys” after witnessing a boy harassing a girl. No, it's not that simple: We're not born as assholes but we become assholes. And whoever spouts irresponsible crap like the above is an immediate part of the problem.At least, though, it all magically works out for Cassie...»I even read a whole book on the psychology of post-traumatic growth, and how, in the wake of the terrible, traumatic, unfair, cruel, gaping wounds that life inflicts on us, we can become wiser and stronger than we were before.Am I wiser and stronger now?Without question. Even in the wake of it all.«... and she has even read a whole psychology book (gasp!) and is now a lifelong expert!One annoyed and angry star out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

»Bosch leaned back against the tree and watched the driver open the door for her. Then he lit a cigarette and watched as the sleek black machine carried her out through the gate and left him alone with the dead.«This is the second Harry Bosch novel I read and it surpasses its already strong predecessor in many aspects.The story begins on Christmas night, when Harry discovers that a fellow officer, Calexico Moore, has apparently committed suicide in a seedy motel. Harry is suspicious of the circumstances and decides to investigate on his own, despite the orders from his superiors to stay away. He soon uncovers a web of corruption, drug trafficking, and murder that involves not only Moore, but also a mysterious drug lord, who is behind a new and deadly drug called Black Ice.The writing is much improved compared to the first Bosch novel: Connelly has refined his style and skill, and has created a more polished and engaging narrative. The writing is more rounded and even and also more vivid and descriptive. Connelly uses a variety of techniques, such as dialogue, action, flashback, and foreshadowing, to create a dynamic and suspenseful story. He also uses rich and realistic details to bring the setting and the characters to life.The pacing has also greatly improved: Gone are any unnecessary or boring parts; instead, there's a consistent and smooth flow of the story. The pacing is fast enough to keep the reader interested and excited, but not too fast to lose the coherence, cohesion, and logic of the plot. The pacing also balances well between the two levels of the story: the private and the professional. Connelly gives enough relevant context and background information to explain Harry's thoughts and actions, and to show how his personal life affects his work, and vice versa. The private and the professional levels are nicely intertwined and work brilliantly together, creating a more complex and realistic character for Harry, and a more satisfying and rewarding reading experience for the reader.I still love Bosch's integrity and loyalty: When his investigation makes him visit Mexico, he's warned of the local corruption and told not to trust any cop. And yet, Harry is cautious but trusts his instincts which, ultimately, lets him overcome his institution's inherent racism and xenophobia.»“Right,” Bosch said. “I get it. No matter what goes wrong, it's my ass. I got it. I also have a vest in my trunk. He can use yours. I like my own.”«One might criticise some of Harry's decisions, of course. Most importantly a certain a bold and brave choice at the very end of the novel but thinking about it, that decision was not only fully within Harry's character (which, in itself, would be insufficient to justify it) but it ultimately serves everyone involved and sees true justice done. It was a realistic and fitting conclusion to the story, as it reflected the complexity and ambiguity of the situation. Harry did not take the easy or conventional way out, but he followed his instincts and his conscience, even if it meant losing his reputation and his friends. I think that this decision made Harry a more interesting and admirable character, and also a more human one. Harry is not a perfect hero, but he is a true one.»Irving finally turned around to face him again.“You are right, Bosch. I really don't understand you. Why risk everything for nothing? You see? It raises my concerns about you all over again. You don't play for the team. You play for yourself.”Bosch looked steadily at Irving and didn't smile, though he wanted to. Irving had paid him a fine compliment, though the assistant chief would never realize it.«“The Black Ice” is a very clever and complex story which is told elegantly by Connelly. Once again, a small drawback is the age of this novel: Written in the 90s, there still are no mobile phones, typewriters are still in use, etc..Due to the dense and extremely coherent atmosphere, the wonderfully designed tension arc, and the balanced pacing, I was able to simply overlook it.Five out of five stars.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

After having watched the TV shows “Bosch” and “The Lincoln Lawyer”, both based on novels by [a:Michael Connelly 12470 Michael Connelly https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1539114448p2/12470.jpg], I decided it was high-time to read a Bosch novel. Titus Welliver's stellar performance as Bosch raised my expectations sky high...In the novels, Detective Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch is a homicide detective in Los Angeles, who was named after a painter and whose mother was killed when he was young. He has a daughter with his ex-wife, and follows his own code of ethics. He is a loner and a maverick, who often faces conflicts with his bosses and peers. He is also a Vietnam War veteran where he served as a “tunnel rat”, a soldier who explored and cleared the underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong.He is flawed, damaged, and sometimes reckless, but he is also loyal, brave, and compassionate. He has a strong sense of duty and honour, and he never gives up on a case. He is also very human, and he struggles with his personal relationships and his emotions. He is not perfect, but he is real.In this first novel, “[b:The Black Echo 32508 The Black Echo (Harry Bosch Universe, #1) Michael Connelly https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344265342l/32508.SY75.jpg 48262]”, this is a prominent feature right from the start because a murder victim is found in a drainage pipe which quickly leads to Bosch investigating a bank heist which was carried out through the sewers...“Echo” is an intelligent, well-written police procedural with a Bosch who could have jumped from the TV show back onto the pages of the novel: He's disillusioned, tired, annoyed and angry most of the time and despite all that cannot help but do what's right. He may stretch or break some rules along the way, but he always follows his conscience. I felt myself rooting for him all the way.At least in the beginning of the novel, the writing shows that this was Connelly's debut: It's somewhat wooden and feels slightly clumsy. »He became restless. He looked down into the green glass ashtray and saw that all the butts were unfiltered Camels. Was that Meadow's brand or his killer's? He got up and walked around the room. The faint smell of urine hit him again. He walked back into the bedroom. He opened the drawers of the bureau and stared at their contents once more. Nothing turned in his mind.«After about the first third, though, the writing consistently improves; livelier, more engaging, and more elegant. The pacing was a little slow in the beginning but picked up once Bosch had established rapport with the FBI. The more the story developed, the more fitting and even the pacing felt. From sedate pondering during observations to a wild chase through dark sewage tunnels, overall, Connelly did a great job.“Echo” also seemed a bit dated - when Harry claims dibs on using a typewriter or asks people to look things up for him on the only computer in the department, it is obvious that this novel was first published in 1992. Also, people using public payphones all the time reminded me of those bad old times. I'm glad the TV show pushed things forward in time. I also appreciated the supporting characters: Wish was a highly interesting partner and love interest. Lewis and Clarke, fittingly exploring what Bosch is doing, and trying to find something against him deliver comic relief and, ultimately, get their due... Last and least, Irvin Irving ist an interesting bureaucrat compared to Bosch's relentless pragmatism.The twists during the investigation were quite predictable but that didn't diminish my overall enjoyment of the story. Especially since the excellent ending precisely demonstrated what kind of person Bosch is...Four out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Ich sinniere nun schon ein paar Tage über dieses Buch und die Rezension, die es verdient. [a:Helga Bürster 11614100 Helga Bürster https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], so erfuhr ich aus dem Nachwort, hat die Geschichte ihrer Großeltern erzählt.Das hat selbstverständlich seinen individuellen Wert, aber es sind so viele Bücher und Geschichten über die persönlichen Schicksale von Zwangsarbeitern auf dem Land geschrieben worden. Auch solche, in denen solche verbotenen Beziehungen geschildert werden, habe ich gelesen - obschon selten Kinder entstanden und die meisten dieser Beziehung tragisch endeten...Ist also diese eine Geschichte so besonders, so anders oder so erzählenswert? Ist Bürster eine so große Schriftstellerin, dass mich ihre Geschichte besonders ansprechen oder gar bewegen würde (oder müsste)?Der Verlag schreibt:“Helga Bürster erzählt wunderbar leicht und dabei doch tief bewegend davon, wie ein Schicksal die Jahrzehnte überdauert, wie das Schweigen über die Vergangenheit eine Familie überschattet. Sie erzählt von vier Generationen starker Frauen – und davon, dass es für Versöhnung nie zu spät ist.”Ja, Bürster schreibt leicht, aber leider nicht besonders beeindruckend. Es lassen sich auch keine besonderen Erkenntnisse daraus ableiten:»Johanne hatte nie viel von Urnenbegräbnissen gehalten. Der klägliche Rest, der da in die Erde gesenkt wurde, das hatte nichts mehr mit dem Menschen zu tun. Leo hatte sie mit seinen schlichten Sätzen jedoch zum Umdenken gebracht. Also stellte sie auch für sich fest:»Es ist in Ordnung.«»Ja. Das ist es.««Es liest sich also leicht und schnell weg, dieses Büchlein. Allerdings wird das oft, fast mantra-artig, wiederholte “Mazur'sche Schweigen” hochstilisiert zu etwas ganz eigenem - das ist es aber nicht: In der jungen Bundesrepublik gab es viele, die aus gutem Grund schwiegen, wegsahen und die eigene Verstrickung oder zumindest das Mitläufertum unter den Teppich kehren wollten. Andere wiederum schämten sich und schwiegen deshalb.Es war also durchaus schon ein kollektives Schweigen, gegen das dann u. a. Ende der 60er aufbegehrt wurde - “Unter den Talaren der Muff von tausend Jahren” u. ä. Aber auch das individuelle Schweigen, wie es die Familie Mazur betrieb, ist nichts außergewöhnliches - zumindest meine Generation kennt dieses Schweigen noch, war “Empfänger” dieses Schweigens. Meine Großmutter (geboren 1901 in Bremen) hat auch Zeit ihres Lebens geschwiegen, weil sie sich schämte, nicht mehr getan zu haben (zumindest ist sie, wie Zeitzeugen mir zu berichten wußten, “anständig geblieben”). Im Gegensatz zu Bürster habe ich nie versucht, dieses Schweigen zu durchbrechen und die klaffenden Lücken mit Worten zu füllen. Das bedaure ich.Luzies Erbe ist also relativ dürr und sie selbst trägt in der Gegenwart nicht viel zur Aufklärung bei. In der Vergangenheit, in den letzten Kriegsjahren, begleiten wir sie, Jurek, ihre große Liebe, ihre Eltern und die Dorfgemeinschaft ein Stück weit und auch hier las ich viel, das ich wusste, kannte und schon häufig gelesen hatte.Auch von und über Jurek erfahren wir leider nicht viel - Johanne, Bürsters alter ego kommt zu spät: Jurek versinkt bereits in der Demenz und weiß nichts mehr zu berichten. Ja, als Leser versteht man grob, warum Jurek ging. Viele Fragen - auch, warum Luzie ihn einfach gehen ließ - bleiben offen.Ich verstehe, dass Bürster wohl nah an der “erlebten Wahrheit” bleiben wollte, um dem “Mazur'schen Schweigen” eine Wahrheit entgegenzusetzen. Dennoch meine ich, dass es sehr verdienstvoll gewesen wäre, im Rahmen der Fiktionalisierung ein paar Antworten zumindest aktiv “anzudenken” und zu erzählen. Die Geschichte hätte dies zugelassen.So bleibt es ein kurzes Schlaglicht auf die Familie Bürsters, ein Dorf bei Bremen und - ansatzweise - Schuld und Sühne. “Bewegen”, wie der Verlag es meint, oder gar mitreißen konnte mich die Geschichte leider nicht.Vielleicht muss aber auch jede Generation gegen die Unmenschlichkeit des Nationalsozialismus, gegen das Vergessen und für die Erinnerung - gegen das Schweigen - anschreiben. Vielleicht wird “[b:Luzies Erbe 46144253 Luzies Erbe Helga Bürster https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559651733l/46144253.SY75.jpg 71092080]” Früchte bei denen tragen, die noch nicht so viele Geschichten dieser Art gelesen haben. Der Geschichte - im mehrfachen Wortsinne -, der Autorin und diesem Buch wäre es zweifellos zu wünschen.Drei von fünf Sternen von mir.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

I went into this knowing nothing but the title and was somewhat dismayed by the premise of a pocket of survivors of humanity on a destroyed, toxic, dystopian Earth. Nevertheless, the characters seemed interesting enough - Sheriff Holston, Mayor Jahns, Deputy Marnes...And then Howey goes GRRM and kills them all off and leaves us in an even worse situation:»The silo was rotten to the core; an evil man was acting Mayor; a puppet stood where a good sheriff had been; and all the good men and women were gone.«Enter Jules, a gifted technician - who's sent off to face certain death next; or perhaps death is not so certain after all?The entire beginning was slow-paced and disillusioning: We get introduced to potentially interesting people who are promptly taken away. Most of their backstories are never told, many important facts omitted and only ever alluded to but never properly resolved.Sadly, the pacing is also very uneven: Initially, we accompany the characters at a leisurely pace, then things get rushed, literally, through the door. Immediately after, the pace slows down to a crawl but at least some suspense is building up - only to quickly and easily dissipate.This pattern repeats itself: We're watching the protagonists act, everything is moving quickly, then we “zoom in” on some (usually disastrous) detail and wade through endless descriptions of how those characters feel and how incredibly dark the darkness is.Unfortunately, the characters are neither very interesting, nor do they have depth but mostly appear as sketches of well-known archetypes. Thus, it's hard to root for or even like any of them. I for one only liked Jules for her unbreakable spirit and iron will but that's it. Her love interest is an unlikeable, opportunistic, weak individual. Jules' main adversary is a malicious follower who claims to be just carrying out orders and shirks any personal responsibility.Except for Jules herself, I didn't care about the fate of any of the characters. I also kept wondering where the story would go: Will Jules rescue her silo? Will she establish a better society?? (And how?) Will she choose to remain at the other location? What will happen to the people she encounters on her journey? Will we learn more about the backstory of the silo's origins? What will the future look like? None of these questions are ever answered or even alluded to. The ending also felt very rushed and so many unlikely things happened (particularly with one character who underwent a completely unbelievable transformation).So, characters without depth, a likeable heroine, uneven pacing, suspenseful page-turner parts, plot holes that could fit galaxies, a passionate rebellion and friendship, many stairs and much darkness, and lots of good intentions as can be deduced from the story and the epilogue:»This collected work is dedicated to anyone who dares dream of a better place.«For this uneven “ride” of a read: Three out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

I must have read a different book from most others... I've read an extraordinarily cheap science fiction thriller that feels very dated, e. g. when NASA officials threaten to fax a secret to the newspapers, when they present evidence on a cassette tape and that caters to admirers of body horror at best.Yes, it's a thrilling page turner but of the 90s variety; think of the old b-movies with body snatchers and smart scientists, a cowboy-infested US government and many more stereotypical characters and story elements. It's mostly disgusting with cheap thrills and the intellectual depth of a puddle.I finished it less than a day ago and, thankfully, the “story” is already fading into oblivion. I'll stick to more modern works of Gerritsen.One out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

This was an all-around bad book. Most of the story elements were pilfered from the abundance of old films mentioned here, e. g. “Rear Window”, “Witness To Murder”, and large parts from more recent films like “Copycat”.It also reminded me a lot of an old song by Tom Lehrer: Lobachevsky.It has basically no redeeming qualities. If you want more details, read on, but be warned: Spoilers ahead!The protagonist, Anna Fox, is an ex-psychologist who suffers from agoraphobia after both her husband and her child died after an accident. She drove the car and was the sole survivor. She still talks to both of them and pretends they're alive but live separately. Anna is on strong medication but takes those with lots and lots of wine which she's getting delivered in bulk. She doesn't quite see dead people yet but suffers from lots of side effects.One day Anna witnesses a murder and nobody believes her. As a reader, I didn't give a rat's ass: Anna is almost criminally stupid and very unlikeable. Just like I didn't care about any other member of the cast - the father who is supposed to be protective but acts like a violent lunatic; the wife who's just plain hostile; the “good cop” who tries to understand Anna but doesn't really do anything to help; his “bad cop” partner whose character seems to solely consist of being annoyed... They're all shallowly depicted caricatures.All the characters, especially our drunken heroine, make the worst possible choices all the time. Anna herself is also weirdly written in that she's supposed to be 38 but reads like she's beyond 60. I saw every single twist coming and was solely surprised by how cheap and primitive Finn resolves them. Apparently, he lacks any sense of subtlety and suspense building.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

There seem to be two [a:Emily Henrys 13905555 Emily Henry https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573928938p2/13905555.jpg]: The first one writes straightforward, somewhat simple rom-com novels like “[b:Beach Read 52867387 Beach Read Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1589881197l/52867387.SX50.jpg 67832247]” or “[b:Book Lovers 58690308 Book Lovers Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638867089l/58690308.SY75.jpg 92341790]” which aren't outright bad but decidedly average in many ways. I read both, wrote a review and awarded three stars each and promptly forgot about them.The second Emily Henry writes much more nuanced and complex. With “[b:People We Meet on Vacation 54985743 People We Meet on Vacation Emily Henry https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1618913179l/54985743.SX50.jpg 67832306]” she created a novel about a decade of vacations that's, ultimately, about the concept of home. Now this Emily Henry, the one that I vastly prefer, wrote a novel about long-time friends and keeping up traditions that's in fact about change and personal growth.»Everything is changing. It has to. You can't stop time.«Harriet and Wyn were engaged, broke up months ago but never told anyone and now have to spend a week on holidays with their friends. Since this trip is the end of an era, everyone pretends nothing has ever changed and relies on their friends to play along. Which works astoundingly well, even though there are some tensions - until it all breaks apart.»A dangerous quiet, like one tiny peep might make the cracks spread, the house collapse.«I really enjoyed all the characters in this one: Especially Harriet and Wyn who are so obviously still in love with each other and yet so hurt they can hardly be in the same room without hurting each other as if by little pinpricks.For a long time, it seems like they can't be with each other, but also can't be without each other. This is also reflected in the short interlude chapters, which mostly revolve around Harriet's “Happy Places”. While I usually find such interludes distracting, here they felt perfectly fitting into the narrative of the “real life” that contrasts them.»My best friends taught me a new kind of quiet, the peaceful stillness of knowing one another so well you don't need to fill the space. And a new kind of loud: noise as a celebration, as the overflow of joy at being alive, here, now.«The way Henry shows how both Harriet and Wyn personally developed, changed, and grew while apart from each other was also very well done and allowed for both of them to carefully and cautiously come closer to each other and reacquaint with each other individually.»“Is there one that looks like us?” [Wyn] asks.They all do, I think. You are in all of my happiest places.You are where my mind goes when it needs to be soothed.«Thankfully, the other characters were similarly interesting and well-developed: Cleo who always seems to tread lightly and carefully - until she decidedly rejects strong suggestions and, thus, sets in motion a series of events both fracturing relationships while simultaneously revitalising them with greater resilience. Sabrina, who seems to be orchestrating, steering and, at times, manipulating people into doing what she deems best, is much less of a schemer at a closer look and much more of a good friend who is extremely afraid of losing her friends.»“I'm with Sabrina on this one,” Parth says.She holds the bottle up as she tries to cup a hand around her ear. “What's that? Is that just global warming I'm feeling, or has hell frozen over and Parth is actually agreeing with me on something?”“I'm agreeing with you,” Parth says, “because this time, you're right. It was bound to happen eventually.”«Every single person here is - in their own way - a mess. Complex, difficult, at times annoying, kind and brilliant, insecure and yet confident. In “Happy Place” Henry does more than just create a funny romance; she explores the complexities of love, friendship, and identity. She writes with humour, heart, and insight, creating characters that are relatable, flawed, and lovable.»“There doesn't need to be a winner and a loser. You just have to care how the other person feels. You have to care more about them than you do about being right.”«The setting of the Maine cottage is another highlight of the book. Henry does a great job of describing the beauty and tranquillity of the coastal scenery, as well as the cosy and nostalgic atmosphere of the cottage. You can almost smell the salty air, taste the cheese and wine, and feel the warmth of the sun. The cottage is more than just a place, it's a symbol of their friendship and their happy place.Finally, add the excellent pacing and good writing and you get a book that is hard to put down and easy to enjoy.And, of course, I loved how in the end “Happy Place” and “Real Life” converged.Five out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

This is the new low point of a once-great series. Once a series about Bruno investigating mysteries in rural France, and his friends, this has moved to international spy/tech fiction. This novel doesn't even have any real mystery anymore... The technological stuff isn't anything new or interesting, and the spy stuff is just completely over the top. As for the international setting, it involves France, the USA, Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, and others... I won't hold back any spoilers (marked on platforms supporting that), so proceed with caution.The story is extremely simplistic: A top-ranking intelligence official, Kerquelin, is attacked and Bruno is investigating. Sadly, it is obvious early on that the attack was staged. The reason for staging it is never revealed, though, and it hardly makes any sense anyway...Kerquelin had invited friends to the eponymous chateau (which is never under siege, though...) and Bruno is baby-sitting them on orders of the ever-present General Lannes with the help of a squad of soldiers. These friends are supposed to be ultra-rich and ultra-smart Silicon Valley pioneers and, indeed, they're techno-babbling initially and are made to look like a secret society but even they're seriously under-used.Towards the end, they're even entirely forgotten about and there's no closure on many loose threads.Not so present, in contrast to Lannes, are all our old “acquaintances” from the earlier novels - yes, they're all mentioned in passing but they play absolutely no role in this novel. At one point, some of them chastise Bruno for having thoroughly friend-zoned his potential love interest Florence but that's it.Also weird: Bruno, who rarely resists female advances, rejects both Marie-Do and Claire for reasons unknown and neglects to tell Florence about the absence of any romantic feelings on his part. This is all very unsatisfying (sic). Since it's clear that there's no (attempted) murder, Bruno is supposed to find out who is out to get those tech people but even that is mostly done by and, ultimately, achieved by the soldiers under his command.Lastly, and worst of all, there's a rushed, lacklustre, cheap ending that leaves a proper Bruno novel to be desired. The ending feels like Walker finally ran out of patience with his own uninspired writing and the (lack of a) story and gave up.»This feels more like mobile warfare, with snipers and drones and grenades. I'm still trying to adjust.«I shared that feeling but refused and failed to adjust. This is not what I read these novels for.The entire novel reads like Martin Walker had absolutely no interest in writing another Bruno novel but wanted to show off his oh-so-brilliant insight into global politics and technology. At the very least, he didn't manage to write a proper mystery.One sad star out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

»Books are life, they are brain food, they bring joy, and relief, and connection.«(From the ackowledgements)Finally, a good one again! This novel was much more fun than I had expected and it had two brilliant protagonists.Olive and Ethan hate each other - until they don't. (Or maybe they never hated each other but who wants to be a spoil-sport?). On the tropical island of Maui they try hard not to fall for each other but fail miserably. The good thing is: They do so by actually communicating (mostly) intelligently and honestly with each other. They start to trust each other. They support and encourage each other. They grow with each other. Before that happens, though, I really enjoyed their banter:»“I am totally out of my depth here.”“That's been my general impression so far. Be more specific.”«(Is that great art? No, but it's highly entertaining.)Trust needs a deeper level, though, than just amusing, silly banter. Don't get me wrong: The “tropical island”, “holiday”, “summer beach read” vibes are strong in this one and that's wonderful and hilarious. That Christina Lauren is able to deliver on more serious aspects, surprised and delighted me:»Soon, Ethan and I are swimming completely in sync, our feet kicking lazily behind us. He points to things he sees; I do the same. There are no words, no verbal jabs. There is no desire to smack him or poke his eyes out—there is only the confusing truth that holding his hand down here isn't just tolerable, it's nice.«There's an amazing and refreshing balance between the humour and the emotion in the book. There were moments of laughter and fun, but also moments of vulnerability and honesty. The tropical island setting was also a nice backdrop for Olive and Ethan romance, as it gave them a chance to relax and explore.It's nice and, yes, romantic; wholesome even. Maybe I've become soft but I like that and I like it when our heroine simply decides to go for honesty “under duress”... »Honesty has always seemed to work best for us: “I'm freaking out a little that you suggested we spend the day together, just us, and it doesn't make me want to rappel down the balcony.”«There are still a few scenes during which I would have liked to grab them and force them to talk straight but mostly they simply do just that and it's so satisfying! I think they both showed a lot of maturity and respect for each other, which made me root for them even more.When at home, Olive and Ethan even get their priorities right:»“Garlic chicken first, sex second.”«(Speaking of that second “course”: It could have been a bit more spicy and detailed. The sex scenes were a bit too vague and fade-to-black for my taste. I would have liked to see more of their passion and intimacy, especially after all the build-up and tension. It's a funny, clever, warm, nice novel with a brilliant Olive and Ethan so I'd argue we deserve better!)As mentioned, Olive and Ethan are wisely using their time to build trust... Until they don't; in the third-act breakup - but even that feels plausible: Thomas believes his brother and not his partner. Olive is understandably extremely annoyed and disappointed by that and pretty much walks out on Ethan whereas he formally ends their relationship. And, at the time, it made a whole lot of sense. »I know now that it's a waste of my time looking for reasons, or fate, or luck. But I've definitely come to embrace choices in the past month or so, and I'm going to have to figure out which one I'll make where Ethan is concerned—do I forgive him, or do I walk away?«It even helps Olive along because she fully recognises her feelings for Ethan - and for herself:»I feel more myself with him than without, and that happened so fast, it's dizzying.«Even while pining for Ethan, Olive remains strong and self-reliant:»“I don't have to do anything where Ethan Thomas is concerned.”«And, ultimately, Olive's final conflict - trust him again or leave him for good? - also plays out plausibly: She knows very well her trust might be misplaced and that it might be a good idea to leave him - but she doesn't want to leave and trusts herself (and partly him). She prioritises love while seeing its risks and it is entirely her clear-headed decision. That is courageous and, in my book, admirable.I liked how Olive didn't let Ethan or anyone else define her or make decisions for her. She had her own goals and dreams, and she pursued them with determination and confidence. She also had a lot of self-awareness and self-respect, and she didn't settle for less than she deserved. I applaud that.For this much mutual honesty and fun, courage and thoughtfulness; for this fresh breeze of self-reliance and respect - how could I award anything less than five out of five stars?»“Ethan,” I whisper, and dart my eyes around, feeling the pressure of everyone's attention on us, still. This moment is starting to feel like a reconciliation, and as much as my heart and lungs and lady parts are on board for that, I don't want to roll over the deeper issue here, which is that what he did by ignoring my truth wasn't okay. “You really hurt me. We had this rare, awesome honesty, and so when you thought I was lying, it was really hard.”«Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

The Stationmaster's Cottage (Rivers End #1), by Phillipa Nefri ClarkA literary letdown of epic proportions: a painfully banal narrative filled with annoying characters, questionable dialogue, unending melodrama and a failed attempt at blending mystery and romance in the most abysmal way imaginable.This was a thoroughly, abysmally and disgustingly bad book. The worst book I've read in a very long time. I picked it up because it was shelved as Romance and Mystery, two genres that I usually enjoy and I was intrigued how this would play out.Little was I prepared for the almost unbearable banality of the “mystery” that turned out to be a silly family drama and the extreme levels of melodrama.»“How could you have done it?” Christie cried. “I will never forgive you. Never!”«(On a graveyard, towards a dead person, during a thunderstorm.)Basically, in the past Martha and Thomas were engaged but due to meddling by family and friends were never married. In the present, film and TV makeup artist Christie Ryan, Martha's great-niece, is also engaged. In her case to cliché “evil land developer” Derek who bullies her and becomes violent if he deems it necessary.The problem is: The past engagement drama is supposed to play out in 1967/1968. Martha and Thomas, each in their early twenties at the time, seem to be stuck in an earlier era:»“You need someone to curb your wild nature. Someone with a firm hand,” he whispered.Martha opened her eyes. “You can't tame the wind. Or the ocean, except in your paintings.” Her expression dared him to disagree.«Taming of the shrew? Yikes. Thomas behaves like that and Martha doesn't run...Christie is not much better in her interactions with her fiancé Derek.»Christie went numb. “Why don't you understand?”“I do understand. That's the problem, Chris. From the day we first met, I knew you needed a man who would guide you through life. You're too trusting and generous. I mean, those are admirable qualities, but it doesn't get you anywhere, and you'll end up being badly hurt.”But you're hurting me now! What did he want her to say? Apparently, nothing, as he was happy to continue.«That's pretty much the same Thomas said and Christie hardly ever ceases to find excuses for this kind of behaviour. Excuse me while I vomit.When Christie's grandmother, Dorothy the meddler, dies, Christie travels to River's End to attend the funeral alone because Derek prefers to visit a luxury resort alone instead of supporting Christie. Once there and somewhat settling in her newly-inherited cottage, the eponymous “Stationmaster's Cottage”, Christie finds and reads a lot of unopened letters from Thomas to Martha, her grandmother's diary and finds some revealing items and, like that, discovers what's behind the “mystery”. Those letters which we get to read in full as well, also read like they've fallen out of time. They're also just plain annoying and page-fillers.After half of the book I strongly considered DNF'ing but just couldn't bring myself to do it. That's when Martin, Thomas' grandson and Christie's new-found love-interest comes fully into play - and things go further downhill. Martin behaves arrogantly, patronisingly and is extremely and excessively dominant towards Christie whom he's interested in but collectively tries to punish for her major original sin:»If only she were not Dorothy's grandchild.«Christie feels that but nevertheless falls in love pretty much immediately and, just like that, picks up the next abusive guy:»Martin stopped. He half-smiled at his dog and Christie, still cuddling on the sand. “We need to talk. Walk with me.”It was a command, not an invitation. It took all of two seconds for Christie to get back to her feet and jog after him, Randall in tow.«(Randall being the real dog here...)I guess Christie likes him for his generosity towards her, though...»You only ever need to tell me what you want to, Christie. Just because I ask a question, doesn't mean you have to answer.”«The moment that broke the proverbial camel's back, though, came a bit later. Read carefully now and maybe, like me thrice, till you understand what the author of a novel published in 2017 (!) seems to find ok, if not condone:»“I'm not coming to your rescue anymore today. What are you going to do when I leave?”- “Lock the door.”“Lock the door. Didn't I ask you to do that last time I left?”Wide-eyed, Christie nodded. Martin slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close against his body, forcing her to look up at him.- “The day for a discussion about respect, and now, about putting yourself at risk, is getting close. Before you leave this door unlocked again, think about how much you value sitting down to eat dinner.”«I get the author probably thinks Martin is just being protective and internationally-travelled Christie, successful in her career, is a damsel in distress who needs rescuing. Excuse me, though: Threatening, even as a “joke”, physical violence? That's just a total deal breaker and completely unacceptable. At that point, Christie should have kicked Martin's pompous and overbearing arse out and locked him out forever.(To boot, that happens immediately after Christie had already been threatened and physically hurt by Derek...)Of course, everything gets resolved as if by magic and, within a few weeks, Christie moves from one abuser, Derek, to a new one, Martin, but at that point, the novel is so far beyond redemption that none of that really matters anymore.I'm just glad to get rid of this novel. One out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

»Der Wind bläst, wohin er will,bei Regen wird alles nass.Bretonisches Sprichwort«So eröffnet dieser zwölfte Band in Bannalecs Dupin-Reihe und schon in diesem Moment dachte ich, “Okay... Was will mir der Autor wohl damit sagen?”. Leider ging es auch weitgehend genau so weiter.Diesmal geht es um den Mord am Ex-Mann einer Freundin von Dupins frisch angetrauter Ehefrau Claire, einem Winzer. Dupin und Claire sind gerade in ihren Flitterwochen an der Loire, als sie in den Fall hineingezogen werden. Wobei “hineingezogen” in Dupins Fall fast wörtlich zu nehmen ist, denn Claire ist wild-entschlossen, den Mord gemeinsam mit Dupin und ihrer Freundin Cecile aufzuklären und zerrt den sich diesmal beinahe wehrenden Dupin mit hinein.Was sich entspinnt, ist eine wilde Hatz zwischen - im Wesentlichen - zwei Handlungsorten, die Dupin und Claire, manchmal mit der sehr blass bleibenden Cecile im Schlepptau, immer wieder aufsuchen. Dabei schleichen sie sich an der örtlichen Polizei vorbei, verstecken sich auch schon mal in Schränken oder Kellern und tun ansonsten kaum etwas.»Dupin war unzufrieden, weit würden sie so nicht kommen. Er fühlte sich, als müsste er mit einem wackeligen kleinen Flugzeug eine Mission zum Mond unternehmen. Aber war das nicht immer so zu Beginn eines Falls?«(Leider ist an diesem Punkt aber bereits die Hälfte des Buches vorbei.)Eine echte Ermittlung kann Dupin mangels Zuständigkeit nicht aufnehmen und hatte er sich in früheren ähnlich gelagerten Fällen meist mit der örtlichen Polizei verständigt, trifft er hier auf einen klischeehaften “bösen Bullen”, der ihn abblitzen lässt.Da Cecile und Claire auch schon einmal auf eigene Faust ermitteln, gibt es auch immer wieder Momente, in denen Dupin fragen muss “Worüber habt ihr noch gesprochen?” und durch diese indirekte Ermittlung geht viel verloren.Nolwenn und die anderen kommen zwar vor, aber nur am Rande und selbst die sich ergebenden Möglichkeiten, sie einzubeziehen, lässt Bannalec weitgehend ungenutzt verstreichen. Cecile, die Ex-Frau des ersten Opfers, kann ebenfalls nicht überzeugen - zumeist ist sie am Boden zerstört, aber in den richtigen Momenten erwacht plötzlich und unerwartet die knallharte Geschäftsfrau?Claire bleibt ebenfalls schemenhaft und wartet ungeduldig auf ein Wunder, das Dupin den Fall aufklären lässt. Zwischendurch verbreitet sie Hektik und versucht sich selbst an Verhören.Viele falsche Fährten und lose Enden (Was sollte das Portemonnaie? Warum die Bedrohung? Was sollte der nächtliche Besuch?) und eine lieblose Auflösung, die Dupin einfach so - Deus ex Machina - in den Schoß fällt, es bleibt leider nicht viel vom bisherigen Reiz der Reihe.Ja, die Beschreibungen der Landschaft sind immer noch schön und schaffen ein Urlaubsgefühl, aber was hilft mir all das, wenn die Geschichte dünner ist als ein Blatt Papier? Zumal Bannalec es auch etwas übertreibt und sehr pittoresk und blumig wird:»Die heiligen Produktionsstätten, vermutete Dupin. Wo der überaus köstliche Muscadet kreiert wurde, den sie bereits probiert hatten. Beinahe alle Fassaden waren mit wildem Wein bewachsen. Die Trauben schienen reif, prall prangten sie in solchen Mengen, dass man sich fragte, wie die grazilen Reben sie tragen konnten.«Alles in allem konnte mich dieser neueste Dupin leider nicht wirklich überzeugen. Buchstäblich schön erzählt, reichen die positiven Aspekte bei weitem nicht aus, um die Schwächen der Geschichte, das uninspirierte Ende und die völlig banale Nebenhandlung um zwei Spechte zu kompensieren.Wohlmeinende drei von fünf Sternen.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Once more, a novel that wasn't bad - but not really good either. The simplistic plot, the huge cast, jumping around in time, many different points of views and the many clichés don't help either.Let's start with a plot: A rich guy, Rhys, whose career was on a downward spiral was murdered. Since he created a rich-people settlement in rural Wales, pretty much everyone from the nearby village hated him and two police detectives, Ffion and Leo, investigate the murder. That's something we've read countless times. Nothing about the plot is new. Not a single aspect.As for the cast: We have the afore-mentioned village and every single villager has a reason to hate and kill our victim. From the postwoman up to and including Ffion herself. Then there are the other rich people who also all have pretty good reasons for offing the victim.Many of these people are also rather superficially presented: There's the sexy social media influencer, the laid-back boxer-gone-actor, the teenage mother, the juvenile offender, the tough-grim nature-loving hermit/witch-doctor, the husband left behind who wants his wife back and many others. Almost all of them weren't well-developed and distinctive enough to make me care much about them or their stories. (Ffion being an exception here...)All in all, we get to know at least 20 people and most of them get a chapter or two to present how Rhys wronged them and after about ten of these chapters I was starting to think this was going to be an “Orient Express” scenario. Rhys has pretty much no redeeming qualities and why someone didn't kill him much earlier mystified me more than the actual mystery...All these points of view are also mostly told going backwards in time. (Unless we jump forward but have to figure that out on our own...). The murder occurred during New Year's Eve and we're going backwards to June (maybe in the same year? Not sure...) and then again forwards to June (the following year)...Among all this jumping around in time and space, about every other chapter is actually about our detectives trying to figure things out but their actual work gets mostly lost in between all the other points of view and the resulting tons of red herrings. I had a hard time following the investigation amidst all the other elements.Since pretty much none of those people are very interesting and things move along so slowly, there's only one point in the novel at which things actually get dramatic and interesting and that's a certain scene at night, during a storm on the lake - that (and what ensued) was the one moment in the novel that things actually became a bit suspenseful at least. That we don't even get to know in the end what becomes of the culprit doesn't even really matter anymore at that point...All in all, this was seriously average but at least I now know another series I won't pursue any further.Three stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

First and foremost, “[b:The Travelling Cat Chronicles 40961230 The Travelling Cat Chronicles Hiro Arikawa https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532711745l/40961230.SX50.jpg 50618763]” by [a:Hiro Arikawa 4823030 Hiro Arikawa https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1553387795p2/4823030.jpg] is a tranquil novel that narrates the tale of Satoru and his feline companion, Nana. While the main plot revolves around Satoru searching among his friends for someone who can care for Nana, we are enlightened through flashbacks about the origins of these friendships.»Yoshimine changed the subject.“What's your name?”“Satoru Miyawaki. Nice to meet you.”He didn't have to say anything like Let's hang out, for by this time they were already friends.«From primary school to university and beyond, the amiable and empathetic Satoru effortlessly forges friendships wherever he ventures. However, it is beyond doubt that the most profound and significant bond in his life is with Nana. They share a mutual trust and affection that transcends words and species. They also support each other through difficult times and enjoy each other's company.»Whenever he stayed overnight at Satoru's, sleeping on the futon beside his bed, he'd often be woken in the early hours by four feet clomping over him. Feeling the weight of a cat's paws pressing into your shoulders in the middle of the night—not much beats that.«As is often the case, in this splendidly serene yet vibrantly colourful narrative, the journey, the quest for Nana's new owner, and the unique experiences shared by Nana and Satoru take precedence. I also liked how the novel gradually reveals the reason for their road trip, and how it connects to Satoru's past and present. It is a bittersweet and moving twist that makes the reader appreciate their journey even more.Through five episodic chapters, we organically acquaint ourselves with Satoru as we witness his warm-hearted and understanding interactions with his friends. Each character is granted ample time and space to unfold, wherein every friend, every companion possesses a well-rounded nature, and the diverse and distinctive relationships with Satoru take centre stage.Intelligently and occasionally laced with sarcasm and irony, the present is commented upon by Nana, who comprehends every word, yet can only respond to a limited extent.»“Oh, look—it's eating. How sweet!”“So sweet!”Hey, you idiotic couple. How would you like it if somebody pointed at you while you were eating? And today happens to be a chicken-breast-and-gourmet-seafood blend.How come cat lovers spot me every time? Whenever we take a break, they swarm around me. Pretty amazing, if you think about it.If you guys were the ones who fed me, then I'd be as sweet to you as the quality of the food merited, but Satoru's the one who feeds me. So let me focus on my food. Okay?«However, Nana exhibits exceptional ability in communicating with the animals belonging to his potential new owners...Arikawa delivers a beautiful, poignant, and utterly cohesive narrative. However, I must confess that my freshwater pool now contains a substantial saline component. Despite occasionally tugging at the heartstrings, the “Chronicles” never become overly sentimental.I also enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter that fit the narration stylistically perfectly. Together, they create a magnificent piece of art. I think the book is a beautiful tribute to the power of friendship and love, and how they can overcome any obstacle or hardship.Five stars out of five!Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

This was my Schrödinger's reading experience: At the same time, this novel was what I expected - and it wasn't at all. And by simply reading, I influenced the outcome of the experiment! Thankfully, it all went down in a very good way.I smiled, grinned, and giggled my way through [a:Ali Hazelwood's 21098177 Ali Hazelwood https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1611084228p2/21098177.jpg] “[b:The Love Hypothesis 56732449 The Love Hypothesis Ali Hazelwood https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611937942l/56732449.SX50.jpg 88674377]” and even a bit more so with her “[b:Love on the Brain 59571699 Love on the Brain Ali Hazelwood https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657897729l/59571699.SY75.jpg 93021199]”. I almost feverishly waited for “[b:Love, Theoretically 61326735 Love, Theoretically Ali Hazelwood https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681476644l/61326735.SY75.jpg 96703712]” and while I found myself smiling at the very first sentence, for quite a bit of the novel, I didn't really get the same “vibes”.Elsie seemed so naïve (a Goodreads friend of mine put it less favourably as “dumb af”!) and I wasn't entirely sure about Jack either. And then I started to understand that Hazelwood didn't seem to aim for the nerdy, uplifting, carefree romance/romcom I was expecting. She actually seemed to take time to build up both protagonists. »Professionally, my life sucks a bit. Psychologically, I'm not, as some would say, “healthy.” Musically, I should hire a tuba to follow me around. But on the upside, I've been killing it in the lunch invite department.«Elsie has been manipulated, psychologically abused, and gaslighted from childhood on by pretty much everyone - starting with her mother, her brothers, her (fake-) boyfriend, her mentor - everyone but her best friend and the latter's hedgehog. (Who she's deeply suspicious of anyway, though!)Elsie is so injured and so insecure, that she hides her personality and instead applies a strategy she calls “APE” - “Assess” what the person she's interacting with expects from her, which “version” of her said person wants to interact with. Next comes the “Plan” phase during which Elsie quickly calculates success chances, tactics, etc. to best please her counterpart and then she “Enacts” the plan most likely to succeed.Elsie can “read” anyone and hide from anyone - but Jack. And Jack has a razor sharp bullshit detector when it comes to Elsie.No wonder she's constantly tired. Elsie is a chameleon, or a shapeshifter, or changeling, if you will. She bends till breaking point and even with her best friend she's not entirely honest.Just like Jack I found myself wondering: »What happened to you, Elsie?«Speaking of Jack: Jack lost his mother at such a young age, he doesn't even have memories of her. What he got was a stepmother who ordered him to stop calling her “Mom” in a difficult situation. His father was pretty much absent. Greg, Jack's brother, with his own issues is much of a confidant but not entirely either.So we have two seriously “damaged” people meeting each other - and Elsie has been “trained” to despise or even hate Jack.So, how do two people like that get together? Like hedgehogs, very carefully. (I am a dad so I'm allowed that joke!) In fact, they both hesitatingly agree on basic honesty and, like that, they grow together. Don't get me wrong: It isn't all mental health and hide-and-seek between those two. Elsie, when alone in her own head, is a brilliant theoretical physicist and has very clear (and amusing) ideas...»Experimentalists . . . well, they like to fuck around and find out. Build things and get their hands dirty. Like engineers. Or three-year-olds at the sandbox.«(As an engineer I obviously find that comparison ludicrous and despicable but that's theorists for you...)I also cannot help but root for any person who believably says:»I think I might be happy.Though due to a lack of hands-on experience, I cannot be sure.«As so often, there's also lots to relate to:»I love this. Just as much as I thought I hated him. And Jack's right: this is going fast—too fast, maybe. But I wonder if certain relationships are living proof of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle: their position and their velocity simply cannot both be measured at the same time, not even in theory.«How often have I battled “Heisenbugs”? And didn't my wife propose after a few weeks and didn't we get married less than three months after our first meeting? For once even the final “hiccup” between Elsie and Jack felt believable and, actually, right. It made sense on many levels and I felt a kind of pride in Elsie standing up for herself - at potentially huge cost to herself. Elsie felt like the most honest character Hazelwood has written so far. (And she's right about the star of 2001 being HAL; about Lars von Trier; just not about Bing!)»I'm a mess. A work in progress. I'm two steps forward and one step back. I hoard my cheese, and I can't efficiently load the dishwasher, and I'm going to struggle with the truth until the day I croak.«Also: An Adam and Olive cameo (and so nice!) and Bee is mentioned? I'm melting! I remain convinced we're pretty much all messes. Unique messes, messy messes, ugly messes, wonderful and horrible messes. First and foremost, though: Irresistibly human messes. I like that the novel celebrates that and shows how two messes can find love and happiness together.This is certainly no perfect romance novel but it was nuanced, intelligent, empathic and, ultimately, something Ali Hazelwood is hopefully very damn proud of. I can hardly wait to see where Hazelwood takes us next. However else could I honour that but with full five stars out of five?»I treasure my newfound feelings. Hoard them. Every once in a while I study them, turn them around, squint at them like they're a ripe piece of fruit, plucked from a mysterious tree that shouldn't even be growing in my yard. When I pop them in my mouth to swallow them whole, they taste at once bitter and delicious.«Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

In modern mysteries, there seems to be a tendency to switch perspectives, to have two timelines and sometimes there are jumps in time. Now imagine an author who tries to be so modern that they make their book feature several a) timelines, sometimes colliding with each other, b) chapters from alternating points of view (some unexplained for a long time), c) jumps in time, d) features a non-linear narrative, and, what annoys me the most, e) an unreliable narrator.In the beginning, I was determined to immerse myself in all of it and thought about how fascinating it is that Loreth Anne White commands a broad spectrum of narrative styles. With more time spent “in” the novel, it became too much, though: The constant switching between both narrated time and perspectives became annoying. The jumps in time became increasingly confusing and don't get me started on the colliding timelines that occur near the end.There were also a lot of red herrings and wilful obfuscation by the narrator who we have good reason to suspect is actually reliable for most of the book - until the whole perspective shifts. Even those twists, though, weren't very well executed and, in many cases, not very surprising. I guessed the most important twist long before it occurred and, thus, read what happened with great detachment. The entire mystery is also very complicated and the lengths to which a certain character goes to achieve their goals is both implausible and highly unrealistic. It's a slightly more subtle and less violent revenge fantasy than a Charles Bronson film. It didn't help either that I didn't like any single character at all. I rooted for none, despised most and was able to tolerate three characters.Three stars out of five.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Here we go again... “[b:Frozen Minds 54997395 Frozen Minds (DI Winter Meadows, #2) Cheryl Rees-Price https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597684747l/54997395.SY75.jpg 85620735]” is not bad; but, sadly, it's not good either. It's a convoluted story in which Rees-Price ventures onto thin ice; to write parts of the story from the explicit point of view, in some cases directly from the mind of a person with mental disabilities is problematic at least. I'm not sure I would call that attempt successful either.But the story itself is already too much: Complicated to the point of implausibility. While the motivations of the perpetrator(s) might hold at least some water, the execution of their plans amounts to trying to hold water with a sieve...Rees-Price undoubtedly means well in all she writes: From DI Winter Meadows who starts to become a team player...»Having transferred from London eighteen months earlier, he'd found it a little too quiet at first. Now he was used to taking cases usually dealt with by uniform, and when his department needed assistance, he was never short of help. There was no “them and us” in the valleys.«... to Blackwell who's gaining at least a rough sketch of a character, things do evolve somewhat, compared with the first instalment. Sadly, the same cannot be said of Rees-Price's talent as an author: Her characters are still very rough at the edges and lack nuances, subtlety, motivation and, in most cases, an actual perceptible character. Edris, for example, who was a young and hopeful newbie on the job, is now the caricature of a “young stud”. He is mostly busy ogling and flirting with same-age women and kissing Meadow's behind.»‘You've been right about everything else.' Edris grinned.«Poor Edris tends to tell everyone they put someone in their place. Repeatedly. With the exact same words, in the exact same context. Why am I mentioning such a detail? Because pretty much everything about Rees-Price's writing feels strained, effortful and cumbersome, almost clunky.I think most of her characters are shallow and stereotypical.Not just her choice of words, repetitions, but also Meadows' thoughts that are added verbatim to the narration in italics. That's either a serious lack of talent or laziness. Either way, I didn't like it.»‘Fine,' Jane snapped. ‘Do what you want, but please be aware that there are a number of confidential files on site containing sensitive information. I don't want you or your officers nosing in those files.'What was she hiding in them?«There are also lots of loose ends and plot holes - why is a certain person anxious during a police search when nothing ever comes of it? Unexplained.Why, ultimately, were certain choices made? Unexplained and not deductible either. Also: There were several points in the story during which it was absolutely clear to the reader what needed to be done and a hard-boiled ex-London cop doesn't? Excuse me...(Especially when what “needed to be done” would have amounted to just keep doing what they were doing instead of needlessly going elsewhere...) The mystery itself, albeit badly told and needlessly complicated, was rather simply structured. The exact same plot devices have been used over and over and over. There's absolutely nothing new. You feel like you've known the story and settings for a long time - just the character names have changed and the composition. It's sad because I liked the empathy that Rees-Price projects into Meadows (and even Blackwell, even though she's not good enough to write him well either) for the challenged residents of the home. I especially really liked how Meadows interacts with Kevin.And, yet, all in all, this felt like a waste of precious reading time. Bland literary fast food.Three stars out of five and, to finish with Kevin's words:»‘Bye bye, Winter Man.' Kevin grinned and climbed on the bus.«I will not continue reading this series.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

»“Will you play a game with me, Mia?”«

And that's exactly what they're doing. Extensively and intensively.

This one started out so well: Briana and Jacob, two ER doctors start off on the wrong foot but end up falling in love through letters and lunch dates in a closet. And, yes, in the beginning, it's fun, heart-warming and a very nice read.»I don't have any tattoos. I've always been too afraid to commit to something so permanent. But Jewel is amazing at what she does, so I thought she'd give me something profoundly beautiful, an everlasting imprint that I'd cherish. Something I never knew I needed to carry with me through life.She gave me a tiny lawn mower on my chest next to a small patch of shaved chest hair.«I was congratulating myself on choosing such a great light read and was thinking how nice it is to read about plausible adults (both are in their thirties and “feel” like that) and how easily Jimenez seems to pull that off. »When I knocked at almost eight o'clock, my anxiety was at a low hum. But when she opened the door, it quieted down and then disappeared with a blip.«Ok, the ever-present topics of (fasten your seatbelt!) divorce, organ failure and donation, anxiety, loss of an unborn child, infidelity, depression, suicide, and even more, could have been a bit of a red flag (hey, this is a light romcom!) but for the most part, I was reading enthusiastically.For about two thirds of the book, it would have earned five stars from me. Potentially even an un-manly squeal on top.I liked the chemistry and banter between Briana and Jacob, and I appreciated how they supported each other through their personal challenges. I also liked the secondary characters, especially Jacob's sister and the parrot. They added some humour and warmth to the story.After many pages of fake-dating, though, I was starting to get impatient. Both Briana and Jacob had completely and undeniably fallen in love and the happily-ever-after was easily within reach - if only they had talked to each other. Miscommunication is one thing but not talking about the elephant in the room at all can only work for some time. Especially when it's a bright red, heart-shaped elephant that has “I love you!” written all over it.Even the “one bed only” scene doesn't move the story forward...Down we were to four stars.Jimenez doesn't find a good breaking point for making things real, though. When she finally does, drama immediately follows. Our protagonists barely get a minute to enjoy themselves. I was hoping for a short, relatively harmless drama, though, even though I should have known better because there were still about 20% of the book left...I was about to DNF and at three stars.When the first drama was resolved, I turned the page to the next chapter and the most idiotic thing happened that caused yet another - and much more severe - drama. The two “ingredients” to said drama were also so much over-the-top that my remaining satisfaction turned into annoyance and I was seriously considering to DNF once again. Especially so since Jimenez made Briana pull out the most cliché “argument” ever:»Jacob was a man. And men do what men do.«That left me with two remaining stars. Thankfully, there was not enough book left for Jimenez to disappoint me any more and the ending was passable.All in all, this started out great, embarked on a long dry (sic) spell and died from drama.Two out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

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