Mel's bookshelf: all

Mel's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 25 Apr 2025 04:25:11 -0700 60 Mel's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Ubik 22590
Esta mordaz comedia metafísica de muerte y salvación (que podrá llevar un cómodo envase) es un tour de force de amenaza paranoica y comedia absurda, en la cual los muertos ofrecen consejos comerciales, compran su siguiente reencarnación y corren el riesgo continuo de volver a morir.]]> 288 Philip K. Dick 8498000831 Mel 0 to-read 4.11 1969 Ubik

author: Philip K. Dick
name: Mel
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1969
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)]]> 10664113 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B004XISI4A

In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance—beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone—a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.]]> 1125 George R.R. Martin Mel 0 currently-reading 4.33 2011 A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)

A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5)

author: George R.R. Martin
name: Mel
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> Fairy Tale 60177373 Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.

Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.�� And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.

A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.]]> 607 Stephen King 1668002175 Mel 4 4.05 2022

author: Stephen King
name: Mel
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
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]]> <![CDATA[The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, #4)]]> 9539
In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken?

In the Two Rivers, the Whitecloaks ride in pursuit of a man with golden eyes, and in pursuit of the Dragon Reborn.

In Cantorin, among the Sea Folk, High Lady Suroth plans the return of the Seanchan armies to the mainland.

In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve.

Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn.....]]> 1007 Robert Jordan 0812513738 Mel 0 4.27 1992 The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, #4)

The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, #4)

author: Robert Jordan
name: Mel
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gwendy's Button Box (The Button Box, #1)]]> 34430839
There are three ways up to Castle View from the town of Castle Rock: Route 117, Pleasant Road, and the Suicide Stairs. Every day in the summer of 1974 twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson has taken the stairs, which are held by strong (if time-rusted) iron bolts and zig-zag up the cliffside.

At the top of the stairs, Gwendy catches her breath and listens to the shouts of the kids on the playground. From a bit farther away comes the chink of an aluminum bat hitting a baseball as the Senior League kids practice for the Labor Day charity game.

One day, a stranger calls to Gwendy: "Hey, girl. Come on over here for a bit. We ought to palaver, you and me."

On a bench in the shade sits a man in black jeans, a black coat like for a suit, and a white shirt unbuttoned at the top. On his head is a small neat black hat. The time will come when Gwendy has nightmares about that hat...

Journey back to Castle Rock again in this chilling new novella by Stephen King, bestselling author of The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, and Richard Chizmar, award-winning author of A Long December.]]> 171 Stephen King 1587676109 Mel 0 to-read 3.86 2017 Gwendy's Button Box (The Button Box, #1)

Gwendy's Button Box (The Button Box, #1)

author: Stephen King
name: Mel
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/08
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]]> Slow Gods 221736683 From one of the most original and dazzling voices in speculative fiction comes an intergalactic tale of conspiracy, war and the fall of empires.

My name is Mawukana na-Vdnaze, and I am a very poor copy of myself.

In telling my story, there are certain things I should perhaps lie about. I should make myself a hero. Pretend I was not used by strangers and gods, did not leave people behind.

Here is one out there in deep-space, in the pilot's chair, I died. And then, I was reborn. I became something not quite human, something that could speak to the infinite dark. And I vowed to become the scourge of the world that wronged me.

This is the story of the supernova event that burned planets and felled civilizations. This is also the story of the many lives I've lived since I died for the first time.

Are you listening?

Discover this thrilling and breathtakingly imaginative space opera from the multi-award-winning Claire North, perfect for fans of Ann Leckie, Adrian Tchaikovsky and Arkady Martine.]]> Claire North 0356526178 Mel 0 to-read 5.00 2025 Slow Gods

author: Claire North
name: Mel
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Kleine Geschichte Taiwans (Beck Paperback 6551) (German Edition)]]> 208004721
Taiwan hat eine wechselvolle Geschichte, in denen sich Phasen der Zugehörigkeit zum chinesischen Festland mit Zeiten kolonialer Herrschaft ablösten. Den knapp 200 Jahren unter der Qing-Dynastie folgten von 1895 bis 1945 die Jahre unter japanischer Kolonialherrschaft. Als Folge des chinesischen Bürgerkriegs wurde Taiwan zum Rückzugsort der unterlegenen Kuomintang unter Tschiang-kai-schek. Lange Zeit sahen sich beide, Taiwan ebenso wie das kommunistische Regime auf dem Festland, als eigentliche Repräsentanten Chinas und erhoben Ansprüche auf das Gebiet des jeweils anderen. Inzwischen hat sich Taiwan immer mehr von Festlandchina entfernt, und ein Großteil der Bevölkerung sieht ihr Land trotz der vielschichtigen kulturellen und historischen Verflechtung als einen souveränen Staat. Gunter Schubert leuchtet die komplexe kulturelle, politische und nationale Identität Taiwans aus und macht so das schwierige Verhältnis der Inselrepublik zur Volksrepublik China auf knappem Raum verständlich.]]> 230 Gunter Schubert 3406813933 Mel 0 4.11 Kleine Geschichte Taiwans (Beck Paperback 6551) (German Edition)

Kleine Geschichte Taiwans (Beck Paperback 6551) (German Edition)

author: Gunter Schubert
name: Mel
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hobbit, or There and Back Again]]> 5907 Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).]]> 366 J.R.R. Tolkien Mel 0 4.29 1937 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Mel
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1937
rating: 0
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
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]]> The Emperor of Gladness 219848315 Ocean Vuong returns with a big-hearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive

One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to alter Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community at the brink.

Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Vuong’s writing �� formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness �� are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance.]]> 416 Ocean Vuong 059383187X Mel 0 to-read 4.33 2025 The Emperor of Gladness

author: Ocean Vuong
name: Mel
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/08
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]]> <![CDATA[Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)]]> 12574294
•New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars
•Biographies of the authors
•Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events
•Footnotes and endnotes
•Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work
•Comments by other famous authors
•Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations
•Bibliographies for further reading
•Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate
All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.

Oscar Wilde brings his enormous gifts for astute social observation and sparkling prose to The Picture of Dorian Gray, his dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. This dandy, who remains forever unchanged—petulant, hedonistic, vain, and amoral—while a painting of him ages and grows increasingly hideous with the years, has been horrifying, enchanting, obsessing, even corrupting readers for more than a hundred years.
Taking the reader in and out of London drawing rooms, to the heights of aestheticism, and to the depths of decadence, The Picture of Dorian Gray is not only a melodrama about moral corruption. Laced with bon mots and vivid depictions of upper-class refinement, it is also a fascinating look at the milieu of Wilde’s fin-de-siècle world and a manifesto of the creed “Art for Art’s Sake.��

The ever-quotable Wilde, who once delighted London with his scintillating plays, scandalized readers with this, his only novel. Upon publication, Dorian was condemned as dangerous, poisonous, stupid, vulgar, and immoral, and Wilde as a “driveling pedant.�� The novel, in fact, was used against Wilde at his much-publicized trials for “gross indecency,�� which led to his imprisonment and exile on the European continent. Even so, The Picture of Dorian Gray firmly established Wilde as one of the great voices of the Aesthetic movement, and endures as a classic that is as timeless as its hero.

Camille Cauti, Ph.D., is an editor and literary critic who lives in New York City. She is a specialist in the Catholic conversion trend among members of the avant-garde in London in the 1890s.]]> Oscar Wilde Mel 0 currently-reading 4.07 1890 Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

author: Oscar Wilde
name: Mel
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1890
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/03
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]]> Last Exit 57693437
Until their final, failed mission, when Sal was lost. When they all fell apart.

Ten years on, Ish, Ramon, and Sarah are happy and successful. Zelda is alone, always traveling, destroying rot throughout the US.

When it boils through the crack in the Liberty Bell, the rot gives Zelda proof that Sal is alive, trapped somewhere in the alts.

Zelda’s getting the band back together—plus Sal’s young cousin June, who has a knack none of them have ever seen before.

As relationships rekindle, the friends begin to believe they can find Sal and heal all the worlds. It’s not going to be easy, but they’ve faced worse before.

But things have changed, out there in the alts. And in everyone's hearts.

Fresh from winning the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Max Gladstone weaves elements of American myth--the muscle car, the open road, the white-hatted cowboy--into a deeply emotional tale where his characters must find their own truths if they are to survive.]]> 400 Max Gladstone 0765335735 Mel 0 did-not-finish 3.55 2022 Last Exit

author: Max Gladstone
name: Mel
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: did-not-finish
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I started reading the book twice and lost interest during the first 20 per cent.
]]> The Silence 53879204
Don DeLillo completed this novel just weeks before the advent of Covid-19. The Silence is the story of a different catastrophic event. Its resonances offer a mysterious solace.

It is Super Bowl Sunday in the year 2022. Five people, dinner, an apartment on the east side of Manhattan. The retired physics professor and her husband and her former student waiting for the couple who will join them from what becomes a dramatic flight from Paris. The conversation ranges from a survey telescope in North-central Chile to a favorite brand of bourbon to Einstein's 1912 Manuscript on the Special Theory of Relativity.

Then something happens and the digital connections that have transformed our lives are severed.

What follows is a dazzling and profoundly moving conversation about what makes us human. Never has the art of fiction been such an immediate guide to our navigation of a bewildering world. Never have DeLillo's prescience, imagination, and language been more illuminating and essential.]]> 117 Don DeLillo 1982164557 Mel 0 to-read 2.66 2020 The Silence

author: Don DeLillo
name: Mel
average rating: 2.66
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/03
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]]> The Woman Destroyed 141421 254 Simone de Beauvoir Mel 0 to-read 4.01 1967

author: Simone de Beauvoir
name: Mel
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1967
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/03
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]]> <![CDATA[Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle, #2)]]> 45978
Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns��

Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn't know whom he can trust.

Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle–one that might put Eragon in even graver danger.

Will the king's dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .]]> 704 Christopher Paolini 0375840400 Mel 3 currently-reading 4.04 2005 Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle, #2)

author: Christopher Paolini
name: Mel
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2005
rating: 3
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date added: 2024/12/13
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]]> <![CDATA[Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1)]]> 113436 An alternate cover edition for ISBN 9780375826696 can be found here.

One boy...
One dragon...
A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.]]> 503 Christopher Paolini 0375826696 Mel 3 3.96 2002 Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1)

author: Christopher Paolini
name: Mel
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
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]]> A Scanner Darkly 14817
The undercover narcotics agent who calls himself Bob Arctor is desperate to discover the ultimate source of supply. But to find any kind of lead he has to pose as a user and, inevitably, without realising what is happening, Arctor is soon as addicted as the junkies he works among...]]> 324 Philip K. Dick 057507681X Mel 4 4.04 1977 A Scanner Darkly

author: Philip K. Dick
name: Mel
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
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]]> A Lady for a Duke 57007967 A lush, sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Manda Collins!

When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.

Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.

As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.]]> 460 Alexis Hall 1538753758 Mel 0 did-not-finish 4.05 2022 A Lady for a Duke

author: Alexis Hall
name: Mel
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: did-not-finish
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]]> <![CDATA[Find Me (Call Me By Your Name, #2)]]> 125097386 Elio believes he has left behind his first love - but as an affair with an older man intensifies, his thoughts turn to the past and to Oliver.

Oliver, a college professor, husband and father, is preparing to leave New York. The imminent trip stirs up longing and regret, awakening an old desire and propelling him towards a decision that could change everything.

In Call Me By Your Name, we fell in love with Oliver and Elio. Find Me returns to these unforgettable characters, exploring how love can ripple out from the past and into the future.]]> 272 André Aciman 0571356508 Mel 0 to-read 3.20 2019 Find Me (Call Me By Your Name, #2)

author: André Aciman
name: Mel
average rating: 3.20
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/28
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]]> <![CDATA[The Trouble with Taiwan: History, the United States and a Rising China (Asian Arguments)]]> 44319204
Kerry Brown and Kalley Wu Tzu-hui reveal how the island's shifting fortunes have been shaped by centuries of conquest and by a cast of dynamic characters, by Cold War intrigue and the rise of its neighbour as a global power, explaining how this tiny island, caught between the agendas of two superpowers, is attempting to find its place in a rapidly changing world order.

The Trouble with Taiwan relates the story of a fascinating nation and culture, and how its disputed status speaks to a wider, global story about Chinese control and waning US influence.]]> 288 Kerry Brown 1786995220 Mel 0 on-hold-finish-later 3.51 The Trouble with Taiwan: History, the United States and a Rising China (Asian Arguments)

The Trouble with Taiwan: History, the United States and a Rising China (Asian Arguments)

author: Kerry Brown
name: Mel
average rating: 3.51
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #2)]]> 41433634
Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.

In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera.

Filled with white-knuckle chases and battles, impossible puzzles and riddles, acts of base cowardice and real bravery, not to mention murders and selfless sacrifices, Heroes is the story of what we mortals are truly capable of - at our worst and our very best.

Read by the author. Running time 15 hours.]]> 415 Stephen Fry 0241380375 Mel 0 on-hold-finish-later 4.32 2018 Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #2)

Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #2)

author: Stephen Fry
name: Mel
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Sandman, Vol. 7: Brief Lives]]> 25105 256 Neil Gaiman 1563891379 Mel 0 on-hold-finish-later 4.55 1993

author: Neil Gaiman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.55
book published: 1993
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: on-hold-finish-later
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]]> Underworld 11761
Underworld opens with a breathlessly graceful prologue set during the final game of the Giants-Dodgers pennant race in 1951. Written in what DeLillo calls "super-omniscience" the sentences sweep from young Cotter Martin as he jumps the gate to the press box, soars over the radio waves, runs out to the diamond, slides in on a fast ball, pops into the stands where J. Edgar Hoover is sitting with a drunken Jackie Gleason and a splenetic Frank Sinatra, and learns of the Soviet Union's second detonation of a nuclear bomb. It's an absolutely thrilling literary moment. When Bobby Thomson hits Branca's pitch into the outstretched hand of Cotter—the "shot heard around the world"—and Jackie Gleason pukes on Sinatra's shoes, the events of the next few decades are set in motion, all threaded together by the baseball as it passes from hand to hand.

"It's all falling indelibly into the past," writes DeLillo, a past that he carefully recalls and reconstructs with acute grace. Jump from Giants Stadium to the Nevada desert in 1992, where Nick Shay, who now owns the baseball, reunites with the artist Kara Sax. They had been brief and unlikely lovers 40 years before, and it is largely through the events, spinoffs, and coincidental encounters of their pasts that DeLillo filters the Cold War experience. He believes that "global events may alter how we live in the smallest ways," and as the book steps back in time to 1951, over the following 800-odd pages, we see just how those events alter lives. This reverse narrative allows the author to strip away the detritus of history and pop culture until we get to the story's pure elements: the bomb, the baseball, and the Bronx. In an epilogue as breathless and stunning as the prologue, DeLillo fast-forwards to a near future in which ruthless capitalism, the Internet, and a new, hushed faith have replaced the Cold War's blend of dread and euphoria.

Through fragments and interlaced stories—including those of highway killers, artists, celebrities, conspiracists, gangsters, nuns, and sundry others—DeLillo creates a fragile web of connected experience, a communal Zeitgeist that encompasses the messy whole of five decades of American life, wonderfully distilled.]]> 827 Don DeLillo 0330369954 Mel 0 on-hold-finish-later 3.95 1997 Underworld

author: Don DeLillo
name: Mel
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1997
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Heartstopper: Volume Five (Heartstopper, #5)]]> 53344030
Nick and Charlie are very much in love. They've finally said those three little words, and Charlie has almost persuaded his mum to let him sleep over at Nick's house ... But with Nick going off to university next year, is everything about to change?

By Alice Oseman, winner of the YA Book Prize, Heartstopper encompasses all the small moments of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

Contains discussions around mental health and eating disorders, and sexual references.]]> 336 Alice Oseman 1444957651 Mel 0 4.47 2023 Heartstopper: Volume Five (Heartstopper, #5)

Heartstopper: Volume Five (Heartstopper, #5)

author: Alice Oseman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2024/10/28
date added: 2024/10/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Call Me By Your Name (Call Me By Your Name, #1)]]> 36336078 Call Me by Your Name is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliff-side mansion on the Italian Riviera. Unprepared for the consequences of their attraction, at first each feigns indifference. But during the restless summer weeks that follow, unrelenting buried currents of obsession and fear, fascination and desire, intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them. What grows from the depths of their spirits is a romance of scarcely six weeks' duration and an experience that marks them for a lifetime. For what the two discover on the Riviera and during a sultry evening in Rome is the one thing both already fear they may never truly find again: total intimacy.

The psychological maneuvers that accompany attraction have seldom been more shrewdly captured than in André Aciman's frank, unsentimental, heartrending elegy to human passion. Call Me by Your Name is clear-eyed, bare-knuckled, and ultimately unforgettable.]]> 248 André Aciman 1786495252 Mel 5 4.08 2007 Call Me By Your Name (Call Me By Your Name, #1)

Call Me By Your Name (Call Me By Your Name, #1)

author: André Aciman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/28
date added: 2024/10/28
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mercy of Gods (The Captive’s War #1)]]> 201930181
Caught up in academic intrigue and affairs of the heart, Dafyd Alkhor is pleased just to be an assistant to a brilliant scientist and his celebrated research team. Then the Carryx ships descend, decimating the human population and taking the best and brightest of Anjiin society away to serve on the Carryx homeworld, and Dafyd is swept along with them. They are dropped in the middle of a struggle they barely understand, set in a competition against the other captive species with extinction as the price of failure.

Only Dafyd and a handful of his companions see past the Darwinian contest to the deeper game that they must play to learning to understand �� and manipulate �� the Carryx themselves. With a noble but suicidal human rebellion on one hand and strange and murderous enemies on the other, the team pays a terrible price to become the trusted servants of their new rulers. Dafyd Alkhor is a simple man swept up in events that are beyond his control and more vast than his imagination. He will become the champion of humanity and its betrayer, the most hated man in history and the guardian of his people. This is where his story begins.]]> 422 James S.A. Corey 031652557X Mel 3 4.11 2024 The Mercy of Gods (The Captive’s War #1)

The Mercy of Gods (The Captive’s War #1)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Mel
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/28
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves:
review:

]]> Conversation Hearts 28147683
With nothing to do but endure the company of his unwanted guest, Levi and the assassin, Sinjin, spend some time bonding over HGTV, minibar beverages, Flannery O’Connor short stories, terrible Valentine’s candy, and the necessity of lying about their jobs.

Their evening takes an unexpected turn when they decide to indulge in their mutual attraction, and in the morning Levi doesn’t know if he's spent the night with a hired killer or a hydraulic engineer with a very specific fantasy. Either way, the two have enough chemistry—in and out of bed—that Levi isn’t sure one night with Sinjin will be enough.

And a message left in candy suggests the feeling is mutual.]]> 31 Avon Gale 1634770420 Mel 0
Merged review:

This was not my cuppa. It happens. I don't feel strongly enough to decide on a rating. *moves on*]]> 3.58 2016 Conversation Hearts

author: Avon Gale
name: Mel
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2017/05/06
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves:
review:
This was not my cuppa. It happens. I don't feel strongly enough to decide on a rating. *moves on*

Merged review:

This was not my cuppa. It happens. I don't feel strongly enough to decide on a rating. *moves on*
]]> Sweetwater 22010579 Wyoming Territory, 1870.

Elijah Carter is afflicted. Most of the townsfolk of South Pass City treat him as a simpleton because he’s deaf, but that’s not his only problem. Something in Elijah runs contrary to nature and to God. Something that Elijah desperately tries to keep hidden.

Harlan Crane, owner of the Empire saloon, knows Elijah for what he is—and for all the ungodly things he wants. But Crane isn’t the only one. Grady Mullins desires Elijah too, but unlike Crane, he refuses to push the kid.

When violence shatters Elijah’s world, he is caught between two very different men and two devastating revenge, and despair. In a boomtown teetering on the edge of a bust, Elijah must face what it means to be a man in control of his own destiny, and choose a course that might end his life . . . or truly begin it for the very first time.

Word 62,000; page 256]]> 240 Lisa Henry 162649150X Mel 1 did-not-finish *** DNF at 38% ***

I'm getting to think that just because an author writes one amazing book, doesn't mean all their books are good or at least readable :-( Not a realisation that is any fun, though...

Sweetwater... Okay, many loved this. I've seen all the high ratings... You can blame me then, though in this case, I feel it really is the book :-P

Here's why:

First reason: *Elijah is a dumb fuck, who isn't worth anything, especially not the love of his adoptive father. He therefore craves to be fucked and humiliated by Crane, which makes him feel so alive. Randomly insert glimpses into Grady, who we are to believe has the hots for Elijah. REPEAT FROM * Just have a look at my updates. I already thought it was repetitive at 24% of the book. At 38% I stopped reading, and in the meantime absolutely nothing new happened. REPEAT FROM *

Second reason: The narration style is a really, really bad choice, if you ask me. It's a third person narration, but so very close to Elijah. We are constantly told what he feels, what he thinks, what he does. REPEAT FROM * And that is the problem. WE ARE TOLD! Why am I not being shown his twisted feelings and urges for Crane? Why am I being told? Why am I not being shown that people treat him badly? I'm only being told... You get the picture right?

Third reason: If there was anything interesting happening between the REPEAT FROM *, this could still be an entertaining read. There isn't. Nada. Dull descriptions of everyday activities. Even the supposedly entertaining scenes are dull and boring.

Fourth reason: The world building... Descriptions were there, yes. It didn't get alive, however. Could I feel the dirty atmosphere in The Empire? Was I getting sick myself at the butchering scene. Nope. So very two-dimensional.

Fifth reason: Grady up until 38% is a shell. There's nothing to him. And again we are being told that he has the hots for Elijah, and that this is somehow more, that he is jealous. Why??? I don't feel it.

Now... the sex between Elijah and Crane... Beware: This is dub-con sex. People in RL would call it rape. It's still a bit hot. A bit. A bit.

Everything is a bit. Not enough. Or just too much of the same.

In case you were wondering, no, I do not recommend Sweetwater. 1 star

***

This book counts for my following reading challenges 2015:
- 100 books in total
- 20 books about a marginalised group
- 20 buddy reads]]> 3.75 2014

author: Lisa Henry
name: Mel
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2014
rating: 1
read at: 2015/01/31
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: did-not-finish
review:
*** DNF at 38% ***

I'm getting to think that just because an author writes one amazing book, doesn't mean all their books are good or at least readable :-( Not a realisation that is any fun, though...

Sweetwater... Okay, many loved this. I've seen all the high ratings... You can blame me then, though in this case, I feel it really is the book :-P

Here's why:

First reason: *Elijah is a dumb fuck, who isn't worth anything, especially not the love of his adoptive father. He therefore craves to be fucked and humiliated by Crane, which makes him feel so alive. Randomly insert glimpses into Grady, who we are to believe has the hots for Elijah. REPEAT FROM * Just have a look at my updates. I already thought it was repetitive at 24% of the book. At 38% I stopped reading, and in the meantime absolutely nothing new happened. REPEAT FROM *

Second reason: The narration style is a really, really bad choice, if you ask me. It's a third person narration, but so very close to Elijah. We are constantly told what he feels, what he thinks, what he does. REPEAT FROM * And that is the problem. WE ARE TOLD! Why am I not being shown his twisted feelings and urges for Crane? Why am I being told? Why am I not being shown that people treat him badly? I'm only being told... You get the picture right?

Third reason: If there was anything interesting happening between the REPEAT FROM *, this could still be an entertaining read. There isn't. Nada. Dull descriptions of everyday activities. Even the supposedly entertaining scenes are dull and boring.

Fourth reason: The world building... Descriptions were there, yes. It didn't get alive, however. Could I feel the dirty atmosphere in The Empire? Was I getting sick myself at the butchering scene. Nope. So very two-dimensional.

Fifth reason: Grady up until 38% is a shell. There's nothing to him. And again we are being told that he has the hots for Elijah, and that this is somehow more, that he is jealous. Why??? I don't feel it.

Now... the sex between Elijah and Crane... Beware: This is dub-con sex. People in RL would call it rape. It's still a bit hot. A bit. A bit.

Everything is a bit. Not enough. Or just too much of the same.

In case you were wondering, no, I do not recommend Sweetwater. 1 star

***

This book counts for my following reading challenges 2015:
- 100 books in total
- 20 books about a marginalised group
- 20 buddy reads
]]> <![CDATA[Eleventh Hour (The Carstairs Affairs, #1)]]> 30820566
Pursuing a ruthless enemy who wants to throw Europe back into the horrors of the Great War, Briers and Miles are helped and hindered by nosy landladies, water board officials, suave gentlemen representing foreign powers and their own increasing attraction to each other.

Will they catch their quarry? Will they find love? Could they hope for both?

The clock is ticking.]]> 248 Elin Gregory 1908312408 Mel 0 did-not-finish
Merged review:

not captivating enough for me]]> 4.07 2016 Eleventh Hour (The Carstairs Affairs, #1)

Eleventh Hour (The Carstairs Affairs, #1)

author: Elin Gregory
name: Mel
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: did-not-finish
review:
not captivating enough for me

Merged review:

not captivating enough for me
]]> <![CDATA[Secret Societies (Thomas Newton, #1)]]> 17609055
Soon enough, Thomas meets Margaret Clap, who runs one of the male brothels. Without a child of her own, “Mother Clap�� finds herself drawn to Thomas. She offers him a place in her house, but also a place in her heart.

Thomas’s homecoming is too brief. The Society for the Reformation of Manners, a group of Christian zealots, begins raiding the Molly houses. They plan to force the arrest, conviction, and execution of any man guilty of “crimes against nature.��

When Margaret Clap’s house is raided and Margaret herself is arrested, Thomas has to make the most difficult decision of his still young life, one that could destroy everyone around him in a desperate effort to save them.]]> 254 William Holden 1602828032 Mel 5 TRIGGER WARNINGS for book and review.

'Secret Societies' is the first part of the Thomas Newton series, and was nominated in the category 'Gay Erotica' for the Lambda Award in 2012. The same goes for the sequel, 'The Thief Taker', but in 2015.

Please note the category 'GAY EROTICA' , because it has been mistaken to be a romance by readers—before reading—who were quite disappointed about it and did not find what they were looking for. So, if romance is the only thing you want to read, please, move along.

I have a lot of thoughts that I have the need to talk about, because, wow... what a book. And there will be spoilers, I guess, at least minor ones.

'Secret Societies' is set in 18th Century London during the time of the sodomy trials, and it seems to me that it is amazingly well researched. Well, I think I've known it before, but I would NEVER want to live in the past. NEVER. So many details about the (day to day) horrors of earlier times are vividly described and explored, and I'd say in a way most honest and unsparing. I believe I've never read such an authentic description in a novel. I will be blunt here. We get a sophisticated insight into what happens to human waste and the lack of hygienic standards. Like it would have been then, it is omnipresent in the novel. The depiction of former prisons and penalties is most cruel and degrading. The plenty of sex is, while hot, crude, painful, and direct.

Told in first person narration, we follow the tragic life of Thomas Newton.

Deemed guilty by his father for the death of his mother in childbirth, his father never loved him. Events even lead to his father cold-bloodedly revoking him as his son, and murdering him on paper and giving him a new identity.

It is thus that Thomas Newton finds his way to London:

The city that lay before me called to me as if it were welcoming me with its mysteries. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to run into it, to hide within its embrace so that no one would ever find me. My fingers twitched with anticipation. My heart raced as the wild thoughts of the city's freedom provoked me.

For the first time in his life he feels free, finds a woman who takes him in as a son and loves him the way he is.

If it weren't for the Secret Society who tries (successfully) to rid human kind of all they deem negative and devilish. Slowly, little by little, Thomas, and his friends and lovers spiral down into darkness and despair. Persecuted by the Society no one is safe from them and their intrigue.

This downward development can interestingly also be found in the language.

I am generalising now, but in the beginning we have people articulating themselves in a very eloquent manner, like this:

If you don't mind me being so forthright, sir, you look a bit liquored already.

Even the dirty talk is still polite and sophisticated, while also, um, err, dirty ;-)

But the further we get into the book, the language seems to degrade in parts, too. While there is lots of cussing in the context of the trials and penalties, I felt that even the rest of the language got blunter:

He separated his lips to allow me access. I could taste my own ass upon his tongue. The flavours drove me mad with uncontrollable desire.

The same is also true for the erotic content.

But let's start at a more general evaluation.

There are plenty of sex and sexual situations in this book. It's erotica, duh! Every possible situation, or exaggerated or impossible situation, is used to express with sexuality. I'm not complaining, mind you :)

For the most part I found them to be pretty hot.

Despite this:

The moment of insertion was sharp, sudden, and painful. The way it had always been for me.

Lube? No. Not heard of. Again, this book doesn't romanticise the past one tiny bit. Not one.

But while the book starts with Thomas discovering his sexuality, it progresses to a darker, more desperate, and even punishing form near the end.

I need to mention another thing that struck me as... amazing actually.

I have never read about a more empowering way to use your body to gain something. It is most pragmatic, actually. There is a time in the book when Thomas sleeps with men for money. I am not using any usual terms like whoring or prostitution here, because they have a very negative touch, and this wouldn't fit the book.

See, I found this to be very refreshing. Thomas loves sex, people want to have sex with him and give him money for it. What's the deal?

Not only this, though...

Thomas does what is necessary. (Yes, I'm stealing this line from Milord here ;-P ) When threatened and forced, he does what he needs to do to survive and to rescue the only person who ever loved him.

I took several deep breaths to cleanse my body and mind. A sense of peace swept over me like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night. I'd done what I needed to in order to protect the people I loved.

So, two things I want to address in this context.

TRIGGER WARNING!

1. Thomas is forced to have sex with several people throughout the book.

On the streets on his first day in London, he is raped, by some kind of gang leader. He enjoys it. He says the man can have his ass anytime he wants if that makes him safe.

Thomas is deceived and led into a trap. His customer is into the dark and painful kind of sex. Thomas is brutally assaulted, but can escape.

He also lands in the hands of one of the gentlemen of the Society, who is secretly lusting after him. Thomas sees a chance in seducing the hated man and succeeds on several occasions.

Sooo... While I think it is pretty clear what is to think about the 2nd event I mentioned, I find it at least worth saying that in the other two, Thomas again uses his body as a means to an end and has no second thoughts about it.

2. Thomas is forced to (falsely) testify against other men.

This, actually, is a tricky one, because it confronts the reader with the question what we would have done in the same situation. If you have to choose between your own death and the death of your loved one, on the one hand, and the death of other people, on the other, what would you do?

How far would you go?

The book captures this brilliantly. The dilemma. The guilt. The condemnation.

You might have noticed that this book is not a light read. But a hot one ;-) For most of the part, at least.

Thomas has, in my opinion, no idea what love is. Even the love he feels for his adopted mother, feels slightly off. So, this might be the author's fault, to not be able to transport this well, or it is just as I said. Thomas has no concept about what love is, and therefore has not the means to voice it, either. He speaks of love to his mother and to the man he first fell for, but the words remain empty, without feeling and real emotion.

I think I did not enjoy every minute of this book, because, seriously, it is not for the faint-hearted. But I really, really liked it, and I think that it is extraordinary.

Stars, stars, stars... They are such a fickle thing... I find myself not knowing how to rate books more and more. I choose to give all 5 stars. Sometimes you need to write the review first, to really know what a special kind of book you have read.

Recommended for those who are not turned off by my review ;-)]]> 2.78 2012 Secret Societies (Thomas Newton, #1)

author: William Holden
name: Mel
average rating: 2.78
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2015/07/13
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: lambda-award, favourites-2015, genre-fiction, genre-historical
review:
TRIGGER WARNINGS for book and review.

'Secret Societies' is the first part of the Thomas Newton series, and was nominated in the category 'Gay Erotica' for the Lambda Award in 2012. The same goes for the sequel, 'The Thief Taker', but in 2015.

Please note the category 'GAY EROTICA' , because it has been mistaken to be a romance by readers—before reading—who were quite disappointed about it and did not find what they were looking for. So, if romance is the only thing you want to read, please, move along.

I have a lot of thoughts that I have the need to talk about, because, wow... what a book. And there will be spoilers, I guess, at least minor ones.

'Secret Societies' is set in 18th Century London during the time of the sodomy trials, and it seems to me that it is amazingly well researched. Well, I think I've known it before, but I would NEVER want to live in the past. NEVER. So many details about the (day to day) horrors of earlier times are vividly described and explored, and I'd say in a way most honest and unsparing. I believe I've never read such an authentic description in a novel. I will be blunt here. We get a sophisticated insight into what happens to human waste and the lack of hygienic standards. Like it would have been then, it is omnipresent in the novel. The depiction of former prisons and penalties is most cruel and degrading. The plenty of sex is, while hot, crude, painful, and direct.

Told in first person narration, we follow the tragic life of Thomas Newton.

Deemed guilty by his father for the death of his mother in childbirth, his father never loved him. Events even lead to his father cold-bloodedly revoking him as his son, and murdering him on paper and giving him a new identity.

It is thus that Thomas Newton finds his way to London:

The city that lay before me called to me as if it were welcoming me with its mysteries. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to run into it, to hide within its embrace so that no one would ever find me. My fingers twitched with anticipation. My heart raced as the wild thoughts of the city's freedom provoked me.

For the first time in his life he feels free, finds a woman who takes him in as a son and loves him the way he is.

If it weren't for the Secret Society who tries (successfully) to rid human kind of all they deem negative and devilish. Slowly, little by little, Thomas, and his friends and lovers spiral down into darkness and despair. Persecuted by the Society no one is safe from them and their intrigue.

This downward development can interestingly also be found in the language.

I am generalising now, but in the beginning we have people articulating themselves in a very eloquent manner, like this:

If you don't mind me being so forthright, sir, you look a bit liquored already.

Even the dirty talk is still polite and sophisticated, while also, um, err, dirty ;-)

But the further we get into the book, the language seems to degrade in parts, too. While there is lots of cussing in the context of the trials and penalties, I felt that even the rest of the language got blunter:

He separated his lips to allow me access. I could taste my own ass upon his tongue. The flavours drove me mad with uncontrollable desire.

The same is also true for the erotic content.

But let's start at a more general evaluation.

There are plenty of sex and sexual situations in this book. It's erotica, duh! Every possible situation, or exaggerated or impossible situation, is used to express with sexuality. I'm not complaining, mind you :)

For the most part I found them to be pretty hot.

Despite this:

The moment of insertion was sharp, sudden, and painful. The way it had always been for me.

Lube? No. Not heard of. Again, this book doesn't romanticise the past one tiny bit. Not one.

But while the book starts with Thomas discovering his sexuality, it progresses to a darker, more desperate, and even punishing form near the end.

I need to mention another thing that struck me as... amazing actually.

I have never read about a more empowering way to use your body to gain something. It is most pragmatic, actually. There is a time in the book when Thomas sleeps with men for money. I am not using any usual terms like whoring or prostitution here, because they have a very negative touch, and this wouldn't fit the book.

See, I found this to be very refreshing. Thomas loves sex, people want to have sex with him and give him money for it. What's the deal?

Not only this, though...

Thomas does what is necessary. (Yes, I'm stealing this line from Milord here ;-P ) When threatened and forced, he does what he needs to do to survive and to rescue the only person who ever loved him.

I took several deep breaths to cleanse my body and mind. A sense of peace swept over me like a warm blanket on a cold winter's night. I'd done what I needed to in order to protect the people I loved.

So, two things I want to address in this context.

TRIGGER WARNING!

1. Thomas is forced to have sex with several people throughout the book.

On the streets on his first day in London, he is raped, by some kind of gang leader. He enjoys it. He says the man can have his ass anytime he wants if that makes him safe.

Thomas is deceived and led into a trap. His customer is into the dark and painful kind of sex. Thomas is brutally assaulted, but can escape.

He also lands in the hands of one of the gentlemen of the Society, who is secretly lusting after him. Thomas sees a chance in seducing the hated man and succeeds on several occasions.

Sooo... While I think it is pretty clear what is to think about the 2nd event I mentioned, I find it at least worth saying that in the other two, Thomas again uses his body as a means to an end and has no second thoughts about it.

2. Thomas is forced to (falsely) testify against other men.

This, actually, is a tricky one, because it confronts the reader with the question what we would have done in the same situation. If you have to choose between your own death and the death of your loved one, on the one hand, and the death of other people, on the other, what would you do?

How far would you go?

The book captures this brilliantly. The dilemma. The guilt. The condemnation.

You might have noticed that this book is not a light read. But a hot one ;-) For most of the part, at least.

Thomas has, in my opinion, no idea what love is. Even the love he feels for his adopted mother, feels slightly off. So, this might be the author's fault, to not be able to transport this well, or it is just as I said. Thomas has no concept about what love is, and therefore has not the means to voice it, either. He speaks of love to his mother and to the man he first fell for, but the words remain empty, without feeling and real emotion.

I think I did not enjoy every minute of this book, because, seriously, it is not for the faint-hearted. But I really, really liked it, and I think that it is extraordinary.

Stars, stars, stars... They are such a fickle thing... I find myself not knowing how to rate books more and more. I choose to give all 5 stars. Sometimes you need to write the review first, to really know what a special kind of book you have read.

Recommended for those who are not turned off by my review ;-)
]]> Handyman (Handyman #1) 4751268
Will Spencer is a player with a reputation for using and discarding lovers as easily as he earns big money on Wall Street. Handsome, sexy and openly gay, he’s used to having whatever—and whoever—he wants at the snap of his fingers.

And what he wants now is his new handyman, Jack Crawford. But Jack is skittish. One lingering touch, one stolen kiss could send the older man into full retreat. Where Will might have quickly moved on to a more ready-and-willing partner, he unexpectedly finds himself wanting to go slow. With just a little coaxing, he’s sure he can show Jack how good it could be between them.

Jack, a recent widower, never thought of himself as gay. Frightened years ago by an erotic encounter with his best friend, he focused firmly on his marriage. Now that his bed is empty, however, those deep sexual longings are rising dangerously close to the surface.

Their connection is deep, instant, and one that Jack tries to ignore. Yet friendship grows into an erotic journey that must cross a divide of different generations, backgrounds and worlds.

The prize is the one thing neither is sure he can handle—true love.]]> 191 Claire Thompson 1605041807 Mel 0
The writing style was not my thing. There were way too many long (inner) monologues instead of a real conversation. Well, I liked that they were often open with each other, but to tell the other one or two pages long what he is thinking instead of having a dialogue... Also, they were over-thinking everything and blabbing on about it in their heads. Exhausting...

There were several turns in the story that I found so annoying. It felt like they were added to press the story forward. Jack and Will couldn't find there way on their own terms but there were (unlikely) events thrown at them. I even thought for a second I couldn't finish the book, I was so annoyed. [spoilers removed]

The ending of the book was so abrupt. It definitely is 'just' a HFN ending, which isn't a problem in itself, but whoa, the end felt so rushed and left too much open for my taste. [spoilers removed]

When Jack and Will weren't over-thinking or acting stupid they were actually cool and I at least liked them together. Also, the plenty of sex scenes were well written.]]> 3.64 2008 Handyman (Handyman #1)

author: Claire Thompson
name: Mel
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at: 2014/03/11
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves:
review:
There were a lot of things in this book that I didn't like, at all.

The writing style was not my thing. There were way too many long (inner) monologues instead of a real conversation. Well, I liked that they were often open with each other, but to tell the other one or two pages long what he is thinking instead of having a dialogue... Also, they were over-thinking everything and blabbing on about it in their heads. Exhausting...

There were several turns in the story that I found so annoying. It felt like they were added to press the story forward. Jack and Will couldn't find there way on their own terms but there were (unlikely) events thrown at them. I even thought for a second I couldn't finish the book, I was so annoyed. [spoilers removed]

The ending of the book was so abrupt. It definitely is 'just' a HFN ending, which isn't a problem in itself, but whoa, the end felt so rushed and left too much open for my taste. [spoilers removed]

When Jack and Will weren't over-thinking or acting stupid they were actually cool and I at least liked them together. Also, the plenty of sex scenes were well written.
]]> <![CDATA[Scarlet and the White Wolf (Scarlet and the White Wolf, #1)]]> 3236813 221 Kirby Crow 193338980X Mel 5 favourites-2015, genre-sff Review for the whole series (well currently including up until book #4, but there is more to come)

I don't have words for how much I loved this whole series. I love fantasy, but so far most fantasy I've read was lacking in the romance department. So to find a series that combines both, and in such a great way, makes me super happy. So happy I'll just have to add it to my small collection of favourites.

I found these books, because I was reading an anthology by the author and really liked her style. She also uses language so beautifully that I simply had to look for more books by her. And I was not disappointed. I'm a new fan and will read everything she ever writes. Everything. And I can't fucking wait for the next books in the series.

I can't even decide whether I love the high fantasy setting more or the lovely, lovely romance between two most amazing guys, Scarlet (I love that name for a man, by the way) and Liall.

So I'll start by gushing over the world and how extraordinarily it comes to life. We have different races, politics and intrigue, magic and beliefs, and mysteries in the past and unknown futures. We have the most beautiful places that give so much rich atmosphere to everything that is happening and Liall's home country is really growing on me. Well, I could do without most of the people there ;-) but the country itself... wow!

I'm in love with both Scarlet and Liall. They are very different and have very different roles to play, too, and while I first fell hard for cute, stubborn, proud Scarlett, Liall captured my heart right after.

I think their relationship is most rewarding for a reader. It is really, really romantic, there is (sexual) tension between them, there is conflict to overcome that is never annoying—and I get annoyed very easily, believe me. I love their banter, their declarations of love, their hopes and fears, their passionate sex. I just love them.

I love how Scarlet, who has a less important position in the scheme of things, is never set aside or becomes just an attachment to Liall. He's got agency, a role to play, although he isn't in the best position to do just that.

So, this is the perfect book/series for me, and I really, really want to read more right away.

You can find the notes I took for each book separately here, and there is also a teaser from the first book, a text passage that I loved very much and made me smile so very much.

“So you thought you could slip past the Kasiri, did you? Whence comes such confidence?��

The pedlar stood and stripped the severed-leather laces from his hands before he angrily kicked them toward Liall with the toe of his boot. “I’m not confident. I have to get to the other side of this mountain and you won’t let me by. That’s all.��

“Ah, but I will�� for a price.��

“I don’t like your stinkin�� mucked price,�� he snapped. Behind him, Peysho chuckled, then prudently coughed and looked away.

Liall dropped his voice and moved a little closer to the irate youth. “The price, or me?��

The pedlar met his eyes unflinchingly but did not answer immediately, and Liall saw that he was struggling with his answer. He fought down a surge of irritation. Princes had knelt at his feet once. Who was this illiterate merchant to refuse him? Who did he think he was?

“Come now,�� he coaxed. “You will not injure my feelings. I am no charming prince, this I know. But still, am I an ogre?��

“No,�� the pedlar judged after a moment, studying him. “You’re a wolf.��

“And you do not like wolves?��

“I like wolves fine, so long as they stay clear of my path. Wolves and men don’t mix.��

Or men and men, Liall supposed he would have liked to say. Peysho had shooed the tribesmen off and taken himself away with them, leaving Liall with the pedlar, the campfire, and the soft-snowing night around them.

“What about wolves and pedlars?�� Liall asked softly, daring another step.

“I don’t…�� the pedlar began. He stopped and swallowed hard, looking up at Liall. There was no fear in his eyes. “I don’t see why you’re vexin�� yourself, is all.��

“Vexin��?�� Local dialects often threw Liall. He waited for the boy to explain.

“Why are you going to so much trouble on my account? I can’t be worth this much bother.��

Liall began to suspect that this one was not terribly experienced with the desires of men. “Are there no mirrors in Lysia? Give me your name,�� he urged.

“I…�� The boy closed his mouth. “Let me pass.��

Liall shook his head slowly. It made the pedlar angry again.

“Damn you, why not?��

“Because I’m not through vexin�� myself, I suppose.��

Notes Book 1:

- the writing is fantastic, as is the setting/world with it's races/cultures, magic, and entanglements

- the main characters Scarlet and Liall are both intriguing and lovable. I think I love young and forthright, stubborn Scarlet a little more—because cuuute—but Liall has already captured my heart, too.

- very slow-burning romance with an enemies-to-lovers theme that had me smile very much.

Notes Book 2:

- great development of characters, their love for each other, and the whole world and plot in the sequel

- beautiful language, vivid description of the voyage and Niall's home country

- OMG, such sweet and passionate love scenes

- believable struggle in the relationship, without it getting annoying, and the promise of a lot more to (over)come

- the new situation for Scarlet and Liall is a tricky one and I hope their relationship will not strain too much under it, but so far they got stronger through everything

- I hope Scarlet will not take the backseat too much, but I am confident the author will do right by him

Notes Book 3:

- everything cool I said about the first two books :D

- intriguing new secondary characters (loved the queen and Cestimir—I love him especially), (hated the bitch—what's her name?)

- Liall and Scarlet... sigh, they had some very lovely scenes together, but they needed to overcome a lot in this book, too, which was not always pleasurable to read, but... I still loved it. Maybe a little less drama would have been better for me, but it's all good. I love how they always make up and talk, and that's really mature!

- Liall might be surprised by turn of events in the end, but I wasn't, so I'm really looking forward to the next book; also Scarlet's future seems to be getting more and more interesting :D

Notes Book 4:

- *sigh* best ending ever

- I can't believe I have to wait for more books now :-/

- While the conflicts are not really solved, I loved how the story was paced, and I can't wait to find out more. I am so curious and excited for the next book.

- I love my guys. I love how they grow in their relationship. I even love how they struggle and hurt with each other. I love them. So much.

- I want the next book. Now.

Merged review:

Review for the whole series (well currently including up until book #4, but there is more to come)

I don't have words for how much I loved this whole series. I love fantasy, but so far most fantasy I've read was lacking in the romance department. So to find a series that combines both, and in such a great way, makes me super happy. So happy I'll just have to add it to my small collection of favourites.

I found these books, because I was reading an anthology by the author and really liked her style. She also uses language so beautifully that I simply had to look for more books by her. And I was not disappointed. I'm a new fan and will read everything she ever writes. Everything. And I can't fucking wait for the next books in the series.

I can't even decide whether I love the high fantasy setting more or the lovely, lovely romance between two most amazing guys, Scarlet (I love that name for a man, by the way) and Liall.

So I'll start by gushing over the world and how extraordinarily it comes to life. We have different races, politics and intrigue, magic and beliefs, and mysteries in the past and unknown futures. We have the most beautiful places that give so much rich atmosphere to everything that is happening and Liall's home country is really growing on me. Well, I could do without most of the people there ;-) but the country itself... wow!

I'm in love with both Scarlet and Liall. They are very different and have very different roles to play, too, and while I first fell hard for cute, stubborn, proud Scarlett, Liall captured my heart right after.

I think their relationship is most rewarding for a reader. It is really, really romantic, there is (sexual) tension between them, there is conflict to overcome that is never annoying—and I get annoyed very easily, believe me. I love their banter, their declarations of love, their hopes and fears, their passionate sex. I just love them.

I love how Scarlet, who has a less important position in the scheme of things, is never set aside or becomes just an attachment to Liall. He's got agency, a role to play, although he isn't in the best position to do just that.

So, this is the perfect book/series for me, and I really, really want to read more right away.

You can find the notes I took for each book separately here, and there is also a teaser from the first book, a text passage that I loved very much and made me smile so very much.

“So you thought you could slip past the Kasiri, did you? Whence comes such confidence?��

The pedlar stood and stripped the severed-leather laces from his hands before he angrily kicked them toward Liall with the toe of his boot. “I’m not confident. I have to get to the other side of this mountain and you won’t let me by. That’s all.��

“Ah, but I will�� for a price.��

“I don’t like your stinkin�� mucked price,�� he snapped. Behind him, Peysho chuckled, then prudently coughed and looked away.

Liall dropped his voice and moved a little closer to the irate youth. “The price, or me?��

The pedlar met his eyes unflinchingly but did not answer immediately, and Liall saw that he was struggling with his answer. He fought down a surge of irritation. Princes had knelt at his feet once. Who was this illiterate merchant to refuse him? Who did he think he was?

“Come now,�� he coaxed. “You will not injure my feelings. I am no charming prince, this I know. But still, am I an ogre?��

“No,�� the pedlar judged after a moment, studying him. “You’re a wolf.��

“And you do not like wolves?��

“I like wolves fine, so long as they stay clear of my path. Wolves and men don’t mix.��

Or men and men, Liall supposed he would have liked to say. Peysho had shooed the tribesmen off and taken himself away with them, leaving Liall with the pedlar, the campfire, and the soft-snowing night around them.

“What about wolves and pedlars?�� Liall asked softly, daring another step.

“I don’t…�� the pedlar began. He stopped and swallowed hard, looking up at Liall. There was no fear in his eyes. “I don’t see why you’re vexin�� yourself, is all.��

“Vexin��?�� Local dialects often threw Liall. He waited for the boy to explain.

“Why are you going to so much trouble on my account? I can’t be worth this much bother.��

Liall began to suspect that this one was not terribly experienced with the desires of men. “Are there no mirrors in Lysia? Give me your name,�� he urged.

“I…�� The boy closed his mouth. “Let me pass.��

Liall shook his head slowly. It made the pedlar angry again.

“Damn you, why not?��

“Because I’m not through vexin�� myself, I suppose.��

Notes Book 1:

- the writing is fantastic, as is the setting/world with it's races/cultures, magic, and entanglements

- the main characters Scarlet and Liall are both intriguing and lovable. I think I love young and forthright, stubborn Scarlet a little more—because cuuute—but Liall has already captured my heart, too.

- very slow-burning romance with an enemies-to-lovers theme that had me smile very much.

Notes Book 2:

- great development of characters, their love for each other, and the whole world and plot in the sequel

- beautiful language, vivid description of the voyage and Niall's home country

- OMG, such sweet and passionate love scenes

- believable struggle in the relationship, without it getting annoying, and the promise of a lot more to (over)come

- the new situation for Scarlet and Liall is a tricky one and I hope their relationship will not strain too much under it, but so far they got stronger through everything

- I hope Scarlet will not take the backseat too much, but I am confident the author will do right by him

Notes Book 3:

- everything cool I said about the first two books :D

- intriguing new secondary characters (loved the queen and Cestimir—I love him especially), (hated the bitch—what's her name?)

- Liall and Scarlet... sigh, they had some very lovely scenes together, but they needed to overcome a lot in this book, too, which was not always pleasurable to read, but... I still loved it. Maybe a little less drama would have been better for me, but it's all good. I love how they always make up and talk, and that's really mature!

- Liall might be surprised by turn of events in the end, but I wasn't, so I'm really looking forward to the next book; also Scarlet's future seems to be getting more and more interesting :D

Notes Book 4:

- *sigh* best ending ever

- I can't believe I have to wait for more books now :-/

- While the conflicts are not really solved, I loved how the story was paced, and I can't wait to find out more. I am so curious and excited for the next book.

- I love my guys. I love how they grow in their relationship. I even love how they struggle and hurt with each other. I love them. So much.

- I want the next book. Now.]]> 3.74 2006 Scarlet and the White Wolf (Scarlet and the White Wolf, #1)

Scarlet and the White Wolf (Scarlet and the White Wolf, #1)

author: Kirby Crow
name: Mel
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2015/08/24
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: favourites-2015, genre-sff
review:
Review for the whole series (well currently including up until book #4, but there is more to come)

I don't have words for how much I loved this whole series. I love fantasy, but so far most fantasy I've read was lacking in the romance department. So to find a series that combines both, and in such a great way, makes me super happy. So happy I'll just have to add it to my small collection of favourites.

I found these books, because I was reading an anthology by the author and really liked her style. She also uses language so beautifully that I simply had to look for more books by her. And I was not disappointed. I'm a new fan and will read everything she ever writes. Everything. And I can't fucking wait for the next books in the series.

I can't even decide whether I love the high fantasy setting more or the lovely, lovely romance between two most amazing guys, Scarlet (I love that name for a man, by the way) and Liall.

So I'll start by gushing over the world and how extraordinarily it comes to life. We have different races, politics and intrigue, magic and beliefs, and mysteries in the past and unknown futures. We have the most beautiful places that give so much rich atmosphere to everything that is happening and Liall's home country is really growing on me. Well, I could do without most of the people there ;-) but the country itself... wow!

I'm in love with both Scarlet and Liall. They are very different and have very different roles to play, too, and while I first fell hard for cute, stubborn, proud Scarlett, Liall captured my heart right after.

I think their relationship is most rewarding for a reader. It is really, really romantic, there is (sexual) tension between them, there is conflict to overcome that is never annoying—and I get annoyed very easily, believe me. I love their banter, their declarations of love, their hopes and fears, their passionate sex. I just love them.

I love how Scarlet, who has a less important position in the scheme of things, is never set aside or becomes just an attachment to Liall. He's got agency, a role to play, although he isn't in the best position to do just that.

So, this is the perfect book/series for me, and I really, really want to read more right away.

You can find the notes I took for each book separately here, and there is also a teaser from the first book, a text passage that I loved very much and made me smile so very much.

“So you thought you could slip past the Kasiri, did you? Whence comes such confidence?��

The pedlar stood and stripped the severed-leather laces from his hands before he angrily kicked them toward Liall with the toe of his boot. “I’m not confident. I have to get to the other side of this mountain and you won’t let me by. That’s all.��

“Ah, but I will�� for a price.��

“I don’t like your stinkin�� mucked price,�� he snapped. Behind him, Peysho chuckled, then prudently coughed and looked away.

Liall dropped his voice and moved a little closer to the irate youth. “The price, or me?��

The pedlar met his eyes unflinchingly but did not answer immediately, and Liall saw that he was struggling with his answer. He fought down a surge of irritation. Princes had knelt at his feet once. Who was this illiterate merchant to refuse him? Who did he think he was?

“Come now,�� he coaxed. “You will not injure my feelings. I am no charming prince, this I know. But still, am I an ogre?��

“No,�� the pedlar judged after a moment, studying him. “You’re a wolf.��

“And you do not like wolves?��

“I like wolves fine, so long as they stay clear of my path. Wolves and men don’t mix.��

Or men and men, Liall supposed he would have liked to say. Peysho had shooed the tribesmen off and taken himself away with them, leaving Liall with the pedlar, the campfire, and the soft-snowing night around them.

“What about wolves and pedlars?�� Liall asked softly, daring another step.

“I don’t…�� the pedlar began. He stopped and swallowed hard, looking up at Liall. There was no fear in his eyes. “I don’t see why you’re vexin�� yourself, is all.��

“Vexin��?�� Local dialects often threw Liall. He waited for the boy to explain.

“Why are you going to so much trouble on my account? I can’t be worth this much bother.��

Liall began to suspect that this one was not terribly experienced with the desires of men. “Are there no mirrors in Lysia? Give me your name,�� he urged.

“I…�� The boy closed his mouth. “Let me pass.��

Liall shook his head slowly. It made the pedlar angry again.

“Damn you, why not?��

“Because I’m not through vexin�� myself, I suppose.��

Notes Book 1:

- the writing is fantastic, as is the setting/world with it's races/cultures, magic, and entanglements

- the main characters Scarlet and Liall are both intriguing and lovable. I think I love young and forthright, stubborn Scarlet a little more—because cuuute—but Liall has already captured my heart, too.

- very slow-burning romance with an enemies-to-lovers theme that had me smile very much.

Notes Book 2:

- great development of characters, their love for each other, and the whole world and plot in the sequel

- beautiful language, vivid description of the voyage and Niall's home country

- OMG, such sweet and passionate love scenes

- believable struggle in the relationship, without it getting annoying, and the promise of a lot more to (over)come

- the new situation for Scarlet and Liall is a tricky one and I hope their relationship will not strain too much under it, but so far they got stronger through everything

- I hope Scarlet will not take the backseat too much, but I am confident the author will do right by him

Notes Book 3:

- everything cool I said about the first two books :D

- intriguing new secondary characters (loved the queen and Cestimir—I love him especially), (hated the bitch—what's her name?)

- Liall and Scarlet... sigh, they had some very lovely scenes together, but they needed to overcome a lot in this book, too, which was not always pleasurable to read, but... I still loved it. Maybe a little less drama would have been better for me, but it's all good. I love how they always make up and talk, and that's really mature!

- Liall might be surprised by turn of events in the end, but I wasn't, so I'm really looking forward to the next book; also Scarlet's future seems to be getting more and more interesting :D

Notes Book 4:

- *sigh* best ending ever

- I can't believe I have to wait for more books now :-/

- While the conflicts are not really solved, I loved how the story was paced, and I can't wait to find out more. I am so curious and excited for the next book.

- I love my guys. I love how they grow in their relationship. I even love how they struggle and hurt with each other. I love them. So much.

- I want the next book. Now.

Merged review:

Review for the whole series (well currently including up until book #4, but there is more to come)

I don't have words for how much I loved this whole series. I love fantasy, but so far most fantasy I've read was lacking in the romance department. So to find a series that combines both, and in such a great way, makes me super happy. So happy I'll just have to add it to my small collection of favourites.

I found these books, because I was reading an anthology by the author and really liked her style. She also uses language so beautifully that I simply had to look for more books by her. And I was not disappointed. I'm a new fan and will read everything she ever writes. Everything. And I can't fucking wait for the next books in the series.

I can't even decide whether I love the high fantasy setting more or the lovely, lovely romance between two most amazing guys, Scarlet (I love that name for a man, by the way) and Liall.

So I'll start by gushing over the world and how extraordinarily it comes to life. We have different races, politics and intrigue, magic and beliefs, and mysteries in the past and unknown futures. We have the most beautiful places that give so much rich atmosphere to everything that is happening and Liall's home country is really growing on me. Well, I could do without most of the people there ;-) but the country itself... wow!

I'm in love with both Scarlet and Liall. They are very different and have very different roles to play, too, and while I first fell hard for cute, stubborn, proud Scarlett, Liall captured my heart right after.

I think their relationship is most rewarding for a reader. It is really, really romantic, there is (sexual) tension between them, there is conflict to overcome that is never annoying—and I get annoyed very easily, believe me. I love their banter, their declarations of love, their hopes and fears, their passionate sex. I just love them.

I love how Scarlet, who has a less important position in the scheme of things, is never set aside or becomes just an attachment to Liall. He's got agency, a role to play, although he isn't in the best position to do just that.

So, this is the perfect book/series for me, and I really, really want to read more right away.

You can find the notes I took for each book separately here, and there is also a teaser from the first book, a text passage that I loved very much and made me smile so very much.

“So you thought you could slip past the Kasiri, did you? Whence comes such confidence?��

The pedlar stood and stripped the severed-leather laces from his hands before he angrily kicked them toward Liall with the toe of his boot. “I’m not confident. I have to get to the other side of this mountain and you won’t let me by. That’s all.��

“Ah, but I will�� for a price.��

“I don’t like your stinkin�� mucked price,�� he snapped. Behind him, Peysho chuckled, then prudently coughed and looked away.

Liall dropped his voice and moved a little closer to the irate youth. “The price, or me?��

The pedlar met his eyes unflinchingly but did not answer immediately, and Liall saw that he was struggling with his answer. He fought down a surge of irritation. Princes had knelt at his feet once. Who was this illiterate merchant to refuse him? Who did he think he was?

“Come now,�� he coaxed. “You will not injure my feelings. I am no charming prince, this I know. But still, am I an ogre?��

“No,�� the pedlar judged after a moment, studying him. “You’re a wolf.��

“And you do not like wolves?��

“I like wolves fine, so long as they stay clear of my path. Wolves and men don’t mix.��

Or men and men, Liall supposed he would have liked to say. Peysho had shooed the tribesmen off and taken himself away with them, leaving Liall with the pedlar, the campfire, and the soft-snowing night around them.

“What about wolves and pedlars?�� Liall asked softly, daring another step.

“I don’t…�� the pedlar began. He stopped and swallowed hard, looking up at Liall. There was no fear in his eyes. “I don’t see why you’re vexin�� yourself, is all.��

“Vexin��?�� Local dialects often threw Liall. He waited for the boy to explain.

“Why are you going to so much trouble on my account? I can’t be worth this much bother.��

Liall began to suspect that this one was not terribly experienced with the desires of men. “Are there no mirrors in Lysia? Give me your name,�� he urged.

“I…�� The boy closed his mouth. “Let me pass.��

Liall shook his head slowly. It made the pedlar angry again.

“Damn you, why not?��

“Because I’m not through vexin�� myself, I suppose.��

Notes Book 1:

- the writing is fantastic, as is the setting/world with it's races/cultures, magic, and entanglements

- the main characters Scarlet and Liall are both intriguing and lovable. I think I love young and forthright, stubborn Scarlet a little more—because cuuute—but Liall has already captured my heart, too.

- very slow-burning romance with an enemies-to-lovers theme that had me smile very much.

Notes Book 2:

- great development of characters, their love for each other, and the whole world and plot in the sequel

- beautiful language, vivid description of the voyage and Niall's home country

- OMG, such sweet and passionate love scenes

- believable struggle in the relationship, without it getting annoying, and the promise of a lot more to (over)come

- the new situation for Scarlet and Liall is a tricky one and I hope their relationship will not strain too much under it, but so far they got stronger through everything

- I hope Scarlet will not take the backseat too much, but I am confident the author will do right by him

Notes Book 3:

- everything cool I said about the first two books :D

- intriguing new secondary characters (loved the queen and Cestimir—I love him especially), (hated the bitch—what's her name?)

- Liall and Scarlet... sigh, they had some very lovely scenes together, but they needed to overcome a lot in this book, too, which was not always pleasurable to read, but... I still loved it. Maybe a little less drama would have been better for me, but it's all good. I love how they always make up and talk, and that's really mature!

- Liall might be surprised by turn of events in the end, but I wasn't, so I'm really looking forward to the next book; also Scarlet's future seems to be getting more and more interesting :D

Notes Book 4:

- *sigh* best ending ever

- I can't believe I have to wait for more books now :-/

- While the conflicts are not really solved, I loved how the story was paced, and I can't wait to find out more. I am so curious and excited for the next book.

- I love my guys. I love how they grow in their relationship. I even love how they struggle and hurt with each other. I love them. So much.

- I want the next book. Now.
]]> Feral Machines 8844577 78 Ginn Hale Mel 4 genre-sff
This is a quiet science fiction on a remote planet with only very few inhabitants. It has this far-away and secluded feel to it without getting boring and claustrophobic that you sometimes find in these stories.

The strengths of this novella lie in the atmospheric setting, the interesting and even endearing synthetics (creatures combined of living and mechanical forms), and the overcoming of loneliness and finding someone to share your life with.

I think the characters—synthetics and humans—are all well-crafted and three-dimensional, without spelling everything out for the reader, and the love story between Andrew and Thomas is tender and sweet.

As is to be expected from Ginn Hale, FERAL MACHINES is well written, and being one of her earlier works, you can see the potential that she’s by now come to fully use.

If you’re looking for a shortish and interesting science fiction, I’d say you found the right book and would recommend giving this a try.

______________________
Genre: science fiction, romance
Tags: m/m, lonely planet, synthetics]]> 4.12 Feral Machines

author: Ginn Hale
name: Mel
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/20
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: genre-sff
review:

This is a quiet science fiction on a remote planet with only very few inhabitants. It has this far-away and secluded feel to it without getting boring and claustrophobic that you sometimes find in these stories.

The strengths of this novella lie in the atmospheric setting, the interesting and even endearing synthetics (creatures combined of living and mechanical forms), and the overcoming of loneliness and finding someone to share your life with.

I think the characters—synthetics and humans—are all well-crafted and three-dimensional, without spelling everything out for the reader, and the love story between Andrew and Thomas is tender and sweet.

As is to be expected from Ginn Hale, FERAL MACHINES is well written, and being one of her earlier works, you can see the potential that she’s by now come to fully use.

If you’re looking for a shortish and interesting science fiction, I’d say you found the right book and would recommend giving this a try.

______________________
Genre: science fiction, romance
Tags: m/m, lonely planet, synthetics
]]> <![CDATA[The Warlord Wants Forever (Immortals After Dark, #0.5)]]> 6388558
She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen the jewel which commands her, giving him absolute power over her. While he possesses it, he can make her do anything, and he plans to in order for her to experience firsthand the agonizing, unending lust she'd purposely subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Wroth realizes he wants more from her and frees her, will she come.

Note: First published in the 2006 anthology, Playing Easy to Get.]]> 163 Kresley Cole Mel 0 4.04 2006 The Warlord Wants Forever (Immortals After Dark, #0.5)

The Warlord Wants Forever (Immortals After Dark, #0.5)

author: Kresley Cole
name: Mel
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Emperor's New Clothes: An Interstellar Heist (Royce Ree 1-5)]]> 19265310 An intrepid secret agent...
Agent Royce Ree was once the best covert intelligence operative in the Empire. But all he's been able to accomplish lately is screw-up after screw-up. Now, the Emperor has assigned the once-great agent a mission: Royce needs to pull off the biggest heist the Universe has ever seen, or it’s bye-bye cushy government job, hello cleaning toilets in a dive-bar on Baga-V.

A ludicrous mission...
With the Empire poised on the edge of chaos, everything depends on Royce's ability to steal another civilization's impeccable sense of style. To succeed, he needs help from the last person he’d ever ask--his aristocratic ex-husband.

One last chance...
Along with his career and the Emperor's dignity, Royce is about to get a chance to save a love he thought he'd lost forever...

“The Empire has survived wars, supernovae, democracy, and the collapse of a neighborhood universe.
Let us hope it survives the good intentions of Agent Royce Ree.��
�� Author unknown (personal communication to the Emperor).

Note: This book was previously published as "Royce Ree Omnibus, Volume 1", a compilation of 5 serial novellas. It is now published as a single, stand-alone novel.]]> 288 Aldous Mercer Mel 1 did-not-finish *** DNF at 37% ***

Okay, the idea is probably great, the characters have potential, as has their romance, there is some quirkiness here, too.

But... The narration about killed this for me.

It is so choppy. There is a new chapter every other page, and there is almost always a short gap in time and space. At the beginning of each chapter there is some log entry from a conversation, or whatever, with no real connection to the current scene. I just could not get into the flow. Exhausting.

There is absolutely no telling what is going on here, which would be great, if there was some more showing. I have no clue what I read, which could also be awesome, but I just can't connect to the story, what makes it even more challenging to read.

I'm out.]]> 3.67 2013 The Emperor's New Clothes: An Interstellar Heist (Royce Ree 1-5)

The Emperor's New Clothes: An Interstellar Heist (Royce Ree 1-5)

author: Aldous Mercer
name: Mel
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2013
rating: 1
read at: 2014/12/01
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: did-not-finish
review:
*** DNF at 37% ***

Okay, the idea is probably great, the characters have potential, as has their romance, there is some quirkiness here, too.

But... The narration about killed this for me.

It is so choppy. There is a new chapter every other page, and there is almost always a short gap in time and space. At the beginning of each chapter there is some log entry from a conversation, or whatever, with no real connection to the current scene. I just could not get into the flow. Exhausting.

There is absolutely no telling what is going on here, which would be great, if there was some more showing. I have no clue what I read, which could also be awesome, but I just can't connect to the story, what makes it even more challenging to read.

I'm out.
]]> <![CDATA[Fire & Water (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #3)]]> 52238914 I like my whiskey like I like my women: embroiled in a magical war

Ten years ago I fought for the Witch Queen of London in a mystical showdown against a King Arthur wannabe with a shaved head and a shotgun. Back then, the law did for him before he could do for us.

I don’t think we’ll get that lucky again.

As if the mother of all wizard battles wasn’t bad enough, fate or destiny or a god with a really messed-up sense of humor has dropped a weapon that could rewrite the universe right into the middle of London, and anybody with half a sniff of arcane power has rocked up to stake their claim on it. Last time this happened, the city went to pieces. This time, it might just go to Hell.

Also, still dating a vampire. Still got an alpha werewolf trying to get in my pants. Still sharing a flat with a woman made of animated marble—only now apparently there are two of her. But you know what they say: the more things change, the more they stay the same crap that’s been trying to kill you your entire life.

This book is approximately 96,000 words]]> 278 Alexis Hall 148805701X Mel 5
Lately, I haven't enjoyed reading so much, but it seems to me now that it was the books and not me since I enjoyed reading this newest installment of Kate Kane's story so so very much.

Basically everything about this was great. And I am liking where this is all going.

I wonder whether Kate will eventually dip into her darker fairy part or at least be able to be more in control about it. I love Elise and her interactions with her sisters and the inate objects. I hope to see more oft his in the future!!! And I definitely dig what happened in Kate's personal life in the end since it seemed very plausible to me. I am looking forward to the new developments here as well.

Now I need to find out when the next book is coming out. Please let it be soon.

Merged review:

This book was fucking fantastic.

Lately, I haven't enjoyed reading so much, but it seems to me now that it was the books and not me since I enjoyed reading this newest installment of Kate Kane's story so so very much.

Basically everything about this was great. And I am liking where this is all going.

I wonder whether Kate will eventually dip into her darker fairy part or at least be able to be more in control about it. I love Elise and her interactions with her sisters and the inate objects. I hope to see more oft his in the future!!! And I definitely dig what happened in Kate's personal life in the end since it seemed very plausible to me. I am looking forward to the new developments here as well.

Now I need to find out when the next book is coming out. Please let it be soon.]]> 4.18 2020 Fire & Water (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #3)

Fire & Water (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #3)

author: Alexis Hall
name: Mel
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2020/03/10
date added: 2024/06/27
shelves:
review:
This book was fucking fantastic.

Lately, I haven't enjoyed reading so much, but it seems to me now that it was the books and not me since I enjoyed reading this newest installment of Kate Kane's story so so very much.

Basically everything about this was great. And I am liking where this is all going.

I wonder whether Kate will eventually dip into her darker fairy part or at least be able to be more in control about it. I love Elise and her interactions with her sisters and the inate objects. I hope to see more oft his in the future!!! And I definitely dig what happened in Kate's personal life in the end since it seemed very plausible to me. I am looking forward to the new developments here as well.

Now I need to find out when the next book is coming out. Please let it be soon.

Merged review:

This book was fucking fantastic.

Lately, I haven't enjoyed reading so much, but it seems to me now that it was the books and not me since I enjoyed reading this newest installment of Kate Kane's story so so very much.

Basically everything about this was great. And I am liking where this is all going.

I wonder whether Kate will eventually dip into her darker fairy part or at least be able to be more in control about it. I love Elise and her interactions with her sisters and the inate objects. I hope to see more oft his in the future!!! And I definitely dig what happened in Kate's personal life in the end since it seemed very plausible to me. I am looking forward to the new developments here as well.

Now I need to find out when the next book is coming out. Please let it be soon.
]]> The Wandering Earth 35491680
Here is the first collection of his short fiction: eleven stories, including five Chinese Galaxy Award-winners, form a blazingly original ode to planet earth, its pasts and its futures.]]> 447 Liu Cixin 1784978515 Mel 0 on-hold-finish-later 4.18 2000 The Wandering Earth

author: Liu Cixin
name: Mel
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/25
shelves: on-hold-finish-later
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Waiting for the Flood (Spires, #2)]]> 89468474 People come as well as go.

Twelve years ago, Edwin Tully came to Oxford and fell in love with a boy named Marius. He was brilliant. An artist. It was going to be forever.

Two years ago, it ended.

Now Edwin lives alone in the house they used to share. He tends to damaged books and faded memories, trying to a build a future from the fragments of the past.

Then the weather turns, and the river spills into Edwin’s quiet world, bringing with it Adam Dacre from the Environment Agency. An unlikely knight, this stranger with roughened hands and worn wellingtons, but he offers Edwin the hope of something he thought he would never have again.

As the two men grow closer in their struggle against the rising waters, Edwin learns he can’t protect himself from everything—and sometimes he doesn't need to try.]]> 384 Alexis Hall 1728251354 Mel 4
I really like the additional content - I really like Marius, actually - and feel like Edwin's story got more value through it, too.

I do feel like the overstepping behaviour of Marius' mother didn't get challenged (enough?).

Still a very lovely story, even after so many rereads and relistens.

Story: 4 stars
Narration: 2 stars (the narrator's voice and his delivery is just way too soft for my taste)]]> 3.87 2015 Waiting for the Flood (Spires, #2)

author: Alexis Hall
name: Mel
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/23
date added: 2024/03/23
shelves:
review:
I got the new edition with Marius' story as the audiobook.

I really like the additional content - I really like Marius, actually - and feel like Edwin's story got more value through it, too.

I do feel like the overstepping behaviour of Marius' mother didn't get challenged (enough?).

Still a very lovely story, even after so many rereads and relistens.

Story: 4 stars
Narration: 2 stars (the narrator's voice and his delivery is just way too soft for my taste)
]]> <![CDATA[A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)]]> 13497 Crows will fight over a dead man's flesh, and kill each other for his eyes.

Bloodthirsty, treacherous and cunning, the Lannisters are in power on the Iron Throne in the name of the boy-king Tommen. The war in the Seven Kingdoms has burned itself out, but in its bitter aftermath new conflicts spark to life.

The Martells of Dorne and the Starks of Winterfell seek vengeance for their dead. Euron Crow's Eye, as black a pirate as ever raised a sail, returns from the smoking ruins of Valyria to claim the Iron Isles. From the icy north, where Others threaten the Wall, apprentice Maester Samwell Tarly brings a mysterious babe in arms to the Citadel.

Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory will go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel and the coldest hearts.]]> 1060 George R.R. Martin 055358202X Mel 2 4.16 2005 A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

author: George R.R. Martin
name: Mel
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2005
rating: 2
read at: 2024/03/10
date added: 2024/03/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)]]> 62291 An alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here

Here is the third volume in George R.R. Martin's magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. Together, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. And as opposing forces manoeuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others—a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords...]]> 1177 George R.R. Martin 055357342X Mel 2 4.54 2000 A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3)

author: George R.R. Martin
name: Mel
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2000
rating: 2
read at: 2024/03/01
date added: 2024/03/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)]]> 10572
It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Here is the second volume in George R.R. Martin magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R.R. Martin stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.]]> 1009 George R.R. Martin 0553381695 Mel 4 4.42 1998 A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)

author: George R.R. Martin
name: Mel
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/29
date added: 2024/03/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)]]> 13496
Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.]]> 835 George R.R. Martin 0553588486 Mel 4 4.44 1996 A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

author: George R.R. Martin
name: Mel
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/21
date added: 2024/03/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones]]> 17345242 If the past is prologue, then George R.R. Martin’s masterwork—the most inventive and entertaining fantasy saga of our time—warrants one hell of an introduction. At long last, it has arrived with THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE.

George R.R. Martin, in collaboration with Elio M. García, Jr. and Linda Antonsson, has written a comprehensive history of the Seven Kingdoms, featuring the epic battles, bitter rivalries, and daring rebellions that lead up to the events in the bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Collected within this volume is the accumulated knowledge, scholarly speculation, and inherited folk tales of maesters and septons, maegi and singers, including over 170 full-colour illustrations and maps, family trees for the Houses Stark, Lannister and Targaryen, and in-depth explanations of the history and culture of Westeros.

This is the definitive companion volume to George R.R. Martin’s dazzlingly conceived universe; THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE is indeed proof that the pen is mightier than a storm of swords.]]> 326 George R.R. Martin 0553805444 Mel 4 4.25 2014 The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones

The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones

author: George R.R. Martin
name: Mel
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/03/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)]]> 17333324
On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.]]> 386 Ann Leckie Mel 0 did-not-finish 3.98 2013 Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)

author: Ann Leckie
name: Mel
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/23
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> Project Hail Mary 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 Mel 4 4.49 2021 Project Hail Mary

author: Andy Weir
name: Mel
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/15
date added: 2023/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Prosperity (Prosperity, #1) 39348425 192 Alexis Hall 1912688832 Mel 5 4.22 2014

author: Alexis Hall
name: Mel
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2023/09/14
date added: 2023/09/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables & Reflections]]> 25106
The critically acclaimed THE SANDMAN: FABLES AND REFLECTIONS continues the fantastical epic of Morpheus, the King of Dreams, as he observes and interacts with an odd assortment of historical and fictional characters throughout time. Featuring tales of kings, explorers, spies, and werewolves, this book of myth and imagination delves into the dark dreams of Augustus Caesar, Marco Polo, Cain and Abel, Norton I, and Orpheus to illustrate the effects that these subconscious musings have had on the course of history and mankind.

A new edition of this title collecting issues #29-31, 38-40, 50 and SANDMAN SPECIAL #1 with recolored pages.]]> 264 Neil Gaiman 1563891069 Mel 0 4.44 1993 The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables & Reflections

The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables & Reflections

author: Neil Gaiman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at: 2023/09/12
date added: 2023/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sandman, Vol. 5: A Game of You]]> 25102 The Doll's House, who here finds herself a princess in a vivid dreamworld. collecting The Sandman #32��37]]> 192 Neil Gaiman 1563890933 Mel 0 4.43 1992 The Sandman, Vol. 5: A Game of You

author: Neil Gaiman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.43
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at: 2023/09/12
date added: 2023/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sandman, Vol. 4: Season of Mists]]> 25101
Collects THE SANDMAN #21-28.]]> 224 Neil Gaiman 1563890356 Mel 0 4.54 1990

author: Neil Gaiman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.54
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at: 2023/09/12
date added: 2023/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> God Emperor of Dune (Dune #4) 44439415
Millennia have passed on Arrakis, and the once-desert planet is green with life. Leto Atreides, the son of the world's savior, the Emperor Paul Muad'Dib, is still alive but far from human. To preserve humanity's future, he sacrificed his own by merging with a sandworm, granting him near immortality as God Emperor of Dune for the past thirty-five hundred years.

Leto's rule is not a benevolent one. His transformation has made not only his appearance but his morality inhuman. A rebellion, led by Siona, a member of the Atreides family, has risen to oppose the despot's rule. But Siona is unaware that Leto's vision of a Golden Path for humanity requires her to fulfill a destiny she never wanted--or could possibly conceive....

Includes an introduction by Brian Herbert]]> 587 Frank Herbert 0593098250 Mel 0 3.91 1981 God Emperor of Dune (Dune #4)

author: Frank Herbert
name: Mel
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at: 2023/09/12
date added: 2023/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> Die fetten Jahre 22921234 China in der nahen Zukunft: Dem alten Schriftsteller Lao Chen geht es wie vielen seiner Landsleute: Man wohnt in Happy Village-Siedlungen, trinkt Longjingtee-Latte bei Starbucks, das inzwischen Want Want heißt, und ist zufrieden. Das rauschhafte Leben im Land der Weltmacht Nummer eins könnte so schön sein, wären da nur nicht Laos Freunde, die sich einer Verschwörung auf der Spur wähnen und behaupten, ein ganzer Monat sei aus Chinas Geschichtsschreibung verschwunden�� Eine wahnwitzige Tour de Force, ein furioser Roman, der der Frage auf den Grund geht, wie golden die fetten Jahre einer Weltmacht sein können, solange sie sich ihrer Vergangenheit nicht stellt.]]> 304 Chan Koonchung 359619122X Mel 4 genre-sff, china, bbs review to come... 2.86 2009

author: Chan Koonchung
name: Mel
average rating: 2.86
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/06
date added: 2023/07/27
shelves: genre-sff, china, bbs
review:
review to come...
]]> <![CDATA[The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, #3)]]> 34897 The Dragon Reborn—the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny.

Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how—for no man has done it in three thousand years—Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how?

Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he?

Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem—how is he to escape the loss of his own humanity?

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed—if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news—that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits...

Ahead, for all of them, in the Heart of the Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon reborn....
]]> 624 Robert Jordan 0765305119 Mel 5 4.27 1991 The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, #3)

The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, #3)

author: Robert Jordan
name: Mel
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1991
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/26
date added: 2023/07/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, #2)]]> 233649
Rand cannot run for ever. With every passing day the Dark One grows in strength and strives to shatter his ancient prison, to break the Wheel, to bring an end to Time and sunder the weave of the Pattern.

And the Pattern demands the Dragon.]]> 705 Robert Jordan 0812517725 Mel 5 4.25 1990 The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, #2)

author: Robert Jordan
name: Mel
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/19
date added: 2023/06/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dead Country (The Craft Wars, #1)]]> 60784301
As she makes her way home to bury him, she finds a girl, as powerful and vulnerable and lost as she once was. Saving her from the raiders that haunt the area, twisted by a remnant of the God Wars, Tara changes the course of the world.

Max Gladstone's world of the Craft is a fantasy setting like no other. When Craftspeople rose up to kill the gods, they built corporate Concerns from their corpses and ushered in a world of rapacious capital. Those who work the Craft wield laws like knives and weave chains from starlight and soulstuff. Dead Country is the first book in the Craft Wars Trilogy, a tight sequence of novels that will bring the sprawling saga of the Craft to its end, and the perfect entry point for this incomparable world.]]> 239 Max Gladstone 0765395916 Mel 5 4.00 2023 Dead Country (The Craft Wars, #1)

author: Max Gladstone
name: Mel
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/19
date added: 2023/06/19
shelves:
review:

]]> Spare 62296528
For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.]]> 410 Prince Harry 0593593804 Mel 0 3.78 2023 Spare

author: Prince Harry
name: Mel
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2023/03/08
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves:
review:
Interesting. I listened to the audio narrated by Harry himself.
]]> Foundation (Foundation, #1) 29579 The first novel in Isaac Asimov's classic science-fiction masterpiece, the Foundation series

For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future--to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire--both scientists and scholars--and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls his sanctuary the Foundation.]]> 244 Isaac Asimov 0553803719 Mel 0 on-hold-finish-later 4.18 1951 Foundation (Foundation, #1)

author: Isaac Asimov
name: Mel
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1951
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: on-hold-finish-later
review:

]]> The Princess Diarist 26025989 The last book from beloved Hollywood icon Carrie Fisher, The Princess Diarist is an intimate, hilarious, and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.

When Carrie Fisher discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved--plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Before her passing, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon was indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford.

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher's intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time--and what developed behind the scenes. Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into one of Hollywood's most beloved stars.]]> 257 Carrie Fisher 0399173595 Mel 0 did-not-finish 3.70 2016

author: Carrie Fisher
name: Mel
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> White Noise 28251250
White Noise tells the story of Jack Gladney, his fourth wife, Babette, and four ultramodern offspring as they navigate the rocky passages of family life to the background babble of brand-name consumerism. When an industrial accident unleashes an "airborne toxic event," a lethal black chemical cloud floats over their lives. The menacing cloud is a more urgent and visible version of the "white noise" engulfing the Gladneys—radio transmissions, sirens, microwaves, ultrasonic appliances, and TV murmurings—pulsing with life, yet suggesting something ominous.

Part of the Penguin Orange Collection, a limited-run series of twelve influential and beloved American classics in a bold series design offering a modern take on the iconic Penguin paperback

Winner of the 2016 AIGA + Design Observer 50 Books | 50 Covers competition]]> 320 Don DeLillo 0143129554 Mel 5 Pretty amazing. 3.88 1985 White Noise

author: Don DeLillo
name: Mel
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1985
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/08
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves:
review:
Pretty amazing.
]]> <![CDATA[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]> 36402034 258 Philip K. Dick Mel 4
I mean, both book and Blade Runner the Movie are exquisite - didn't care for the sequel, tho - but I feel like they differ quite a lot. Content is different, but also the "message." In my opinion, the andys in the movie have a much better - humane - standing than in the book, for example. The book leaves a lot more open to the reader's moral interpretation, which I appreciate. The movie has no religious content, but Mercerism plays quite a huge role in the book.

Well, I really love the movie. It did some things really well, especially the mood and the showdown and conclusion with Roy. The book, on the other hand, falls a bit flat on the latter part (therefore my 4 star rating), but there's other things to be appreciated. The writing style, for one.

Anyhow, much recommended!]]> 4.16 1968 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

author: Philip K. Dick
name: Mel
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1968
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/17
date added: 2023/01/17
shelves:
review:
Read the book, watched the movie(s), read the book again...

I mean, both book and Blade Runner the Movie are exquisite - didn't care for the sequel, tho - but I feel like they differ quite a lot. Content is different, but also the "message." In my opinion, the andys in the movie have a much better - humane - standing than in the book, for example. The book leaves a lot more open to the reader's moral interpretation, which I appreciate. The movie has no religious content, but Mercerism plays quite a huge role in the book.

Well, I really love the movie. It did some things really well, especially the mood and the showdown and conclusion with Roy. The book, on the other hand, falls a bit flat on the latter part (therefore my 4 star rating), but there's other things to be appreciated. The writing style, for one.

Anyhow, much recommended!
]]> <![CDATA[Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said]]> 22584
When he finally found a man who would agree to counterfeiting such cards for him, that man turned out to be a police informer. And then Taverner found out not only what it was like to be a nobody but also to be hunted by the whole apparatus of society.

It was obvious that in some way Taverner had become the pea in in some sort of cosmic shell game—but how? And why?

Philip K. Dick takes the reader on a walking tour of solipsism's scariest margin in his latest novel about the age we are already half into.]]> 204 Philip K. Dick 1857983416 Mel 4
The resolution of the mystery is a bit hard to understand and believe, actually, but I had a great time reading this.]]> 3.93 1974 Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said

author: Philip K. Dick
name: Mel
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/05
date added: 2023/01/05
shelves:
review:
Devoured this.

The resolution of the mystery is a bit hard to understand and believe, actually, but I had a great time reading this.
]]> Memory's Legion 36130437
Contents:

Drive (2012)
The Butcher of Anderson Station (2011)
The Churn (2014)
Gods of Risk (2012)
The Vital Abyss (2015)
Strange Dogs (2017)
Auberon (2019)
The Sins of our Fathers (2022)

*does not include The Last Flight of the Cassandra]]> 423 James S.A. Corey Mel 0 4.33 2022 Memory's Legion

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Mel
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2022/12/31
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves:
review:
A mixed bag. I liked some stories and others less. They are a nice addition to the main books. I was particularly interested in Filip's story and thought it was done really well.
]]> 1984 61439040
Alternate cover edition can be found here.]]> 368 George Orwell 0452284236 Mel 0 4.21 1949 1984

author: George Orwell
name: Mel
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1949
rating: 0
read at: 2022/12/09
date added: 2022/12/09
shelves:
review:

]]> This Winter (Solitaire, #0.5) 27264289 A short story, based on characters from Solitaire �� praised as ‘The Catcher in the Rye for the digital age�� The Times

I used to think that difficult was better than boring, but I know better now ��

I’m not going to think about the past few months, about Charlie and me, and all of the sad. I’m going to block it all out. Just for today.

"Happy Christmas," I say.

The festive season isn't always happy for Tori and her brother Charlie. And this year's going to be harder than most.]]> 120 Alice Oseman 0008147884 Mel 0 4.08 2015 This Winter (Solitaire, #0.5)

author: Alice Oseman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/03
shelves:
review:

]]> Pansies (Spires #4) 31195675
It’s rough, though, going back to South Shields now that they all know he’s a fully paid-up pansy. It’s the last place he’s expecting to pull. But Fen’s gorgeous, with his pink-tipped hair and hipster glasses, full of the sort of courage Alfie’s never had. It should be a one-night thing, but Alfie’s never met anyone like Fen before.

Except he has. At school, when Alfie was everything he was supposed to be, and Fen was the stubborn little gay boy who wouldn’t keep his head down. And now it’s a proper mess: Fen might have slept with Alfie, but he’ll probably never forgive him, and Fen’s got all this other stuff going on anyway, with his mam and her flower shop and the life he left down south.

Alfie just wants to make it right. But how can he, when all they’ve got in common is the nowhere town they both ran away from.]]> 405 Alexis Hall 1626493073 Mel 5
I’m sorry but I’m weird with reviewing books by Alexis. I’m so full of love I get silly and swoony and gah�� (I fear this review is gonna be long. ) This book is perfect! Pansies is even better than Glitterland, my so-far favourite contemporary, and I’ll try to tell you why now.

It’s in the big and little things. And because I have difficulties talking about the big ones (consider me still speechless), I’m gonna start small. There are these nice little sentences and exchanges throughout the whole book that either make me smile like this one:

Mum always said there’s no such thing as a weed.��
“Um, what are weeds, then?��
“Flowers where you don’t expect them.��

Or sentences that hook into me, right into my heart, and blow me away with their truth and the connection I feel, because, like I always say, Alexis�� writing connects me to the world and to myself because I feel like I’m seen and that’s very precious to me.

Pansies is set in North-East England, and it’s incredible how very atmospheric it is. The roughness and vastness of it all, the sea and the harsh weather. The language. It’s omnipresent and feels like a huge loving wool blanket that is comfy in it’s simplicity and in its feeling of otherworldyness (this should be a word!). It’s like being in another place and time—which is another huge point that speaks in favour of this book. I got lost in it. I just was. There was no rush to finish, no waiting for the next book, no looking at the progress bar. That nearly never happens to me, and I think it was the first time with a contemporary book, since I have it easier to fall into another world by reading fantasy. I also don’t want to read another book ever again. I’m in this love-dazed mourning stage after you finished the loveliest thing. You just don’t want it to be over��

While Pansies covers a lot of heavy stuff—I will come to this soon—there are many hilarious scenes, too. There is this one DIY scene in which Alfie basically destroys everything. I laughed. So. Hard. I am sure I would have cried tears of laughter had I not been sitting in a public space.

Pansies actually takes on quite some heavy subjects. I think the content warning tags above might have given a clue already. But to me it didn’t feel too sad or like there was too much of it going on. Alfie and Fen both struggle with their own demons and past and it’s amazingly rewarding to see them overcome them and get better and find happiness together.

It’s fascinating how one can love one character (Alfie, from whose POV the book is written) so much and think he is a total arse at the same time. Gah. He’s really fucked up and says some really messed-up shit from time to time. But seeing where he grew up and seeing the reason for all of it, makes you just want to hug him better.

“It can be one of the most difficult things in the world, I think. To accept yourself.��

But that he does in the end; that he’s gay and still a man; that men can cry and wear what they want; that he can cook and take care of someone else; that he can accept himself even if his parents and other people don’t.

Being that Fen and Alfie share a difficult past, Fen isn’t at all pleased to see Alfie again and has a lot of understandable and confusing feelings to wade through. Their first meeting was kinda really unique and also kinda horrible.

“You’re wrong, Alfie Bell. You haven’t changed. Maybe you suck cock these days, but you’re still a coward and a bully, and that’s all you’ll ever be.��

Their story is a slow burning one; one that starts off rough and like you can’t see how they ever can be happy together, despite the strong connection they share. There is so much fun, though, too. So many smiles and laughter.

And did you see, that Fen calls him Alfie Bell? He does that so often—in a lot of nicer circumstances, too. It’s the sweetest thing. I mean, Alfie Bell and Fenimore�� Gah. That’s just�� Be still my heart�� Um, got carried away there, sorry.

I really love how we get glimpses from Fen, too, although the story is written from Alfie’s POV. Fen writes a few letters to his mom and there’s this one episode in it, sigh��

I think Alfie Bell has decided I’m his butterfly. And some part of me desperately wants to be. I would love to be held in his hands, sheltered and made precious, especially now, when I feel so very alone.

author: Alexis Hall
name: Mel
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2022/11/24
date added: 2022/11/24
shelves: favourites-2016, favourites, genre-contemporary, protagonists-queer, no-to-audio
review:
Yeah. So. *coughs* This book is everything. Go read it. Um, that is all.

I’m sorry but I’m weird with reviewing books by Alexis. I’m so full of love I get silly and swoony and gah�� (I fear this review is gonna be long. ) This book is perfect! Pansies is even better than Glitterland, my so-far favourite contemporary, and I’ll try to tell you why now.

It’s in the big and little things. And because I have difficulties talking about the big ones (consider me still speechless), I’m gonna start small. There are these nice little sentences and exchanges throughout the whole book that either make me smile like this one:

Mum always said there’s no such thing as a weed.��
“Um, what are weeds, then?��
“Flowers where you don’t expect them.��

“It can be one of the most difficult things in the world, I think. To accept yourself.��

“You’re wrong, Alfie Bell. You haven’t changed. Maybe you suck cock these days, but you’re still a coward and a bully, and that’s all you’ll ever be.��

I think Alfie Bell has decided I’m his butterfly. And some part of me desperately wants to be. I would love to be held in his hands, sheltered and made precious, especially now, when I feel so very alone.

Okay, what I think I’m trying to say is that this book is beautiful (I think they got this, Mel) and that it deals with sad stuff but is funny, too, and that it’s incredibly romantic and OH MY GOD, I didn’t even mention the sex, which is like, phew�� Hot and intimate and passionate and the places are�� definitely exciting. Heh :D

A few more things before I leave you. Finally.

The secondary characters are great! Real and lovely and weird and, and�� Alfie’s parents, though�� They make me sad. I�� I cried a little. *sniff*

I think, without going into any details, that their past and overcoming it was handled exceptionally well.

And, like is mandatory in the Spires series, there is food and a recipe. And, and�� The cover!!! All the hearty eyes. I think it’s perfect and really mirrors the vibe of the story as well.

Now do the thing and buy the book. I looooooooooooove Pansies and I hope you do, too.

____________________________________
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tags: M/M, Gay and Queer Character, Small Town, North-East England, Flower Shop, Identity, New Beginnings
Content Warnings: Former Bully/Victim Relationship, Mention of Past Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide (Off-Page), Bereavement, Homophobia, Biphobia, Internalised Homophobia
Rating: 5 stars, Favourite 2016, Favourite of All Time
Blog: Review for
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review. I have always been a fan of Alexis, loved every single book he has ever written, and am friends with him, too.

____________________________________
ETA: My first reread confirms: PANSIES is my favourite read of 2016 & my favourite contemporary romance. So so wonderful. I'm so in love with it. And the paperback is incredibly pretty and feels wonderful, too.
]]> <![CDATA[Der Mann, der durch das Jahrhundert fiel]]> 7992218 Ausgerechnet als Paul Wendland mit seinem Leben und seinen kuriosen Kunstprojekten in die Zukunft starten will, holt ihn die Vergangenheit In Worpswede drohen das Haus seines Großvaters und sein Erbe im Moor zu versinken. Die Reise zurück an den Ort der Kindheit zwischen mörderischem Teufelsmoor, norddeutschem Butterkuchen und traditionsumwitterter Künstlerkolonie nimmt eine verhängnisvolle Wendung ��
Mit seinem furiosen Romandebüt hat Moritz Rinke bereits unzählige Leser begeistert. Mit hinreißender Tragikomik erzählt er von unheimlichen Familiengeheimnissen, vom Künstlerleben, von Ruhm, Verführung und Vergänglichkeit, vom Lieben und Verlassenwerden und von einem Dorf im hohen Norden, das berühmt ist für seinen Himmel und das flache Land.]]> 482 Moritz Rinke 3462041908 Mel 0 did-not-finish 3.59 2010 Der Mann, der durch das Jahrhundert fiel

Der Mann, der durch das Jahrhundert fiel

author: Moritz Rinke
name: Mel
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/29
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Talisman (The Talisman, #1)]]> 59219
You are about to take a journey... a terrifying trip across America where young Jack Sawyer is searching for the Talisman, the only thing that can save his dying mother. His quest takes him into the menacing Territories where violence, surprise and the titanic struggle between good and evil reach across a mythic landscape... a journey into the dark heart of horror.]]> 656 Stephen King 0375507779 Mel 3
And I liked the Talisman. I mean, I read all 770 pages of it. That means something.

But I think this book didn't age well.

The challenges Jack faces on his road trip to the Talisman, mainly in the form of evil people, seemed rather lame to me and repetitive. Jack meets an evil guy who likes to oppress others. Jack is submitted to bad treatment. He then is able to flee. Rinse, repeat. I do not find that appealing to read about.

The book has recurring homophobic content. Homosexuality is more than once equalled to paedophilia, for example. Actually, it is written in such a manner, it makes me wonder about the author's own views on the subject at that time. The book is oldish...

I do like the idea of the other worlds - the territories - and how Jack is able to switch between them.

I sometimes did not understand Jack's choices, though. Why, of all people, did he seek out Richard, his enemy's son? Why didn't he switch back to the territories when he was held captive in that bar?

And Richard... Wow. What. A. Character. I did warm up to him after a long, long while, though, but...

I might have developed a dislike for the Deus Ex Machina device in a story to solve all problems at the showdown that the protagonist is not able to handle. Like the eagles in Lord of the Ring, for example. While the Talisman was built up as the magical all-saving device from the beginning of the story, I still found it unsatisfactory to read how it saved the day in the end for merely everything.

Despite all my complains, I did enjoy reading the book most of the time. Even though some things annoyed me.

]]> 4.13 1984 The Talisman (The Talisman, #1)

author: Stephen King
name: Mel
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1984
rating: 3
read at: 2022/09/29
date added: 2022/09/29
shelves:
review:
I heard this was going to be the Duffer brother's next project after Stranger Things, so I picked it up. I hadn't read Stephen King for ages, too, but really liked his books when I was a teen.

And I liked the Talisman. I mean, I read all 770 pages of it. That means something.

But I think this book didn't age well.

The challenges Jack faces on his road trip to the Talisman, mainly in the form of evil people, seemed rather lame to me and repetitive. Jack meets an evil guy who likes to oppress others. Jack is submitted to bad treatment. He then is able to flee. Rinse, repeat. I do not find that appealing to read about.

The book has recurring homophobic content. Homosexuality is more than once equalled to paedophilia, for example. Actually, it is written in such a manner, it makes me wonder about the author's own views on the subject at that time. The book is oldish...

I do like the idea of the other worlds - the territories - and how Jack is able to switch between them.

I sometimes did not understand Jack's choices, though. Why, of all people, did he seek out Richard, his enemy's son? Why didn't he switch back to the territories when he was held captive in that bar?

And Richard... Wow. What. A. Character. I did warm up to him after a long, long while, though, but...

I might have developed a dislike for the Deus Ex Machina device in a story to solve all problems at the showdown that the protagonist is not able to handle. Like the eagles in Lord of the Ring, for example. While the Talisman was built up as the magical all-saving device from the beginning of the story, I still found it unsatisfactory to read how it saved the day in the end for merely everything.

Despite all my complains, I did enjoy reading the book most of the time. Even though some things annoyed me.

]]> Slaughterhouse-Five 4981 Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.��

An instant bestseller, Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it.

Fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut's portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties.]]> 275 Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Mel 0 to-read
Absolutely annoyed with the writing of the "actual story." Repetitive, a seemingly endless stream of time jumps of a completely unrelatable main character. Ugh.

DNF]]> 4.10 1969 Slaughterhouse-Five

author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
name: Mel
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1969
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/25
shelves: to-read
review:
Loved the first chapter, the description of how the book within the book comes to life.

Absolutely annoyed with the writing of the "actual story." Repetitive, a seemingly endless stream of time jumps of a completely unrelatable main character. Ugh.

DNF
]]> Children of Dune (Dune #3) 44492286
The Children of Dune are twin siblings Leto and Ghanima Atreides, whose father, the Emperor Paul Muad'Dib, disappeared in the desert wastelands of Arrakis nine years ago. Like their father, the twins possess supernormal abilities--making them valuable to their manipulative aunt Alia, who rules the Empire in the name of House Atreides.

Facing treason and rebellion on two fronts, Alia's rule is not absolute. The displaced House Corrino is plotting to regain the throne while the fanatical Fremen are being provoked into open revolt by the enigmatic figure known only as The Preacher. Alia believes that by obtaining the secrets of the twins' prophetic visions, she can maintain control over her dynasty.

But Leto and Ghanima have their own plans for their visions--and their destinies....

Includes an introduction by Brian Herbert]]> 609 Frank Herbert 0593098242 Mel 0
Will continue at a later point, probably.]]> 3.96 1976 Children of Dune (Dune #3)

author: Frank Herbert
name: Mel
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1976
rating: 0
read at: 2022/08/24
date added: 2022/08/24
shelves:
review:
I think I liked the smaller scope of the first book more than this mega history posthuman scope. The focus on prescience and the leading the whole universe in a certain direction is not as relatable.

Will continue at a later point, probably.
]]> <![CDATA[Heartstopper: Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)]]> 40495957
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn't been too great, but at least he's not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He's heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months - but he's never had the opportunity to talk to him.

They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...]]> 288 Alice Oseman 152722533X Mel 0 4.43 2018 Heartstopper: Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)

Heartstopper: Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)

author: Alice Oseman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2022/08/17
date added: 2022/08/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heartstopper: Volume Two (Heartstopper, #2)]]> 43307358
But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family ... and himself.]]> 320 Alice Oseman 1444951408 Mel 0 4.52 2019 Heartstopper: Volume Two (Heartstopper, #2)

Heartstopper: Volume Two (Heartstopper, #2)

author: Alice Oseman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at: 2022/08/17
date added: 2022/08/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heartstopper: Volume Three (Heartstopper, #3)]]> 43449920
Meanwhile Tao and Elle will face their feelings for each other, Tara and Darcy share more about their relationship origin story, and the teachers supervising the trip seem�� rather close��?]]> 384 Alice Oseman Mel 0 4.55 2020 Heartstopper: Volume Three (Heartstopper, #3)

Heartstopper: Volume Three (Heartstopper, #3)

author: Alice Oseman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2022/08/17
date added: 2022/08/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heartstopper: Volume Four (Heartstopper, #4)]]> 56060300 Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. The bestselling LGBTQ+ graphic novel about life, love, and everything that happens in between: this is the fourth volume of HEARTSTOPPER, for fans of The Art of Being Normal, Holly Bourne and Love, Simon.

Charlie didn't think Nick could ever like him back, but now they're officially boyfriends. Charlie's beginning to feel ready to say those three little words: I love you.

Nick's been feeling the same, but he's got a lot on his mind - not least coming out to his dad, and the fact that Charlie might have an eating disorder.

As summer turns to autumn and a new school year begins, Charlie and Nick are about to learn a lot about what love means.

Heartstopper is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

This is the fourth volume of Heartstopper, which has now been optioned for television by See-Saw Films.]]> 384 Alice Oseman 1338617567 Mel 0 4.57 2021 Heartstopper: Volume Four (Heartstopper, #4)

Heartstopper: Volume Four (Heartstopper, #4)

author: Alice Oseman
name: Mel
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2022/08/17
date added: 2022/08/17
shelves:
review:

]]> The Paper Menagerie 39803561 32 Ken Liu Mel 0 4.58 2011

author: Ken Liu
name: Mel
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at: 2022/08/17
date added: 2022/08/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1)]]> 32109569 Alternate Cover Edition can be found here.

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.

Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.

The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad - very mad.]]> 383 Dennis E. Taylor Mel 0 to-listen-to 4.29 2016 We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1)

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse, #1)

author: Dennis E. Taylor
name: Mel
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/02
shelves: to-listen-to
review:

]]> Mao II 402 The New York Times), Don DeLillo presents an extraordinary new novel about words and images, novelists and terrorists, the mass mind and the arch-individualist. At the heart of the book is Bill Gray, a famous reclusive writer who escapes the failed novel he has been working on for many years and enters the world of political violence, a nightscape of Semtex explosives and hostages locked in basement rooms. Bill's dangerous passage leaves two people stranded: his brilliant, fixated assistant, Scott, and the strange young woman who is Scott's lover—and Bill's.]]> 241 Don DeLillo 0140152741 Mel 0 3.69 1991 Mao II

author: Don DeLillo
name: Mel
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at: 2022/07/22
date added: 2022/07/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Die Vermessung der Welt 35438365
Mit hintergründigem Humor schildert Daniel Kehlmann das Leben zweier Genies: Alexander von Humboldt und Carl Friedrich Gauß. Er beschreibt ihre Sehnsüchte und Schwächen, ihre Gratwanderung zwischen Lächerlichkeit und Größe, Scheitern und Erfolg. Ein philosophischer Abenteuerroman von seltener Phantasie, Kraft und Brillanz.

«Ein großes Buch, ein genialer Streich.» (Frankfurter Rundschau)

«Urkomisch und herzzerreißend.» (Time Magazine)

«Ein wahrhaft reicher und bahnbrechender Roman.» (Nouvel Observateur)

«Daniel Kehlmanns Roman über Gauß und den Naturforscher Alexander von Humboldt ist die leichthändig ineinander verwobene Doppelbiographie zweier großer Gelehrter, so unterhaltsam und humorvoll und auf schwerelose Weise tiefgründig und intelligent, wie man es hierzulande kaum für möglich hält.» (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)]]> 203 Daniel Kehlmann 3644000115 Mel 0 4.08 2005 Die Vermessung der Welt

author: Daniel Kehlmann
name: Mel
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at: 2022/07/22
date added: 2022/07/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Saga, Volume 2 17131869
Collects: Saga #7-12.]]> 144 Brian K. Vaughan 1607066920 Mel 0 4.49 2013

author: Brian K. Vaughan
name: Mel
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2022/07/01
date added: 2022/07/01
shelves:
review:

]]> Saga, Volume 1 15704307
Collects: Saga #1-6.]]> 160 Brian K. Vaughan 1607066017 Mel 0 4.16 2012

author: Brian K. Vaughan
name: Mel
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at: 2022/07/01
date added: 2022/07/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser: Von der Renaissance bis heute]]> 55118847 1 E.H. Gombrich Mel 0 3.67

Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser: Von der Renaissance bis heute

author: E.H. Gombrich
name: Mel
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2022/05/02
date added: 2022/05/02
shelves:
review:

]]> Dune Messiah (Dune #2) 44492285
Dune Messiah continues the story of Paul Atreides, better known--and feared--as the man christened Muad'Dib. As Emperor of the Known Universe, he possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremens, Paul faces the enmity of the political houses he displaced when he assumed the throne--and a conspiracy conducted within his own sphere of influence.

And even as House Atreides begins to crumble around him from the machinations of his enemies, the true threat to Paul comes to his lover, Chani, and the unborn heir to his family's dynasty...

Includes an introduction by Brian Herbert]]> 336 Frank Herbert 0593098234 Mel 0 3.89 1969 Dune Messiah (Dune #2)

author: Frank Herbert
name: Mel
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1969
rating: 0
read at: 2022/04/26
date added: 2022/04/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Dune (Dune, #1) 59536224 Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the "spice" melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for...

When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul's family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.]]> Frank Herbert Mel 4 4.01 1965 Dune (Dune, #1)

author: Frank Herbert
name: Mel
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1965
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/11
date added: 2022/04/11
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser: Von den Anfängen bis zum Mittelalter]]> 24927158
(5 CDs, 342 Minuten)]]> 0 E.H. Gombrich 3866100981 Mel 0 4.24 1936

Eine kurze Weltgeschichte für junge Leser: Von den Anfängen bis zum Mittelalter

author: E.H. Gombrich
name: Mel
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1936
rating: 0
read at: 2022/03/13
date added: 2022/03/13
shelves:
review:

]]> The Man in the High Castle 216363
This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to wake.]]> 259 Philip K. Dick 0679740678 Mel 2
Some great ideas but a not-so-stellar execution leave me quite disappointed.

It took me ages to finish the book. The stream-of-thought chapters from Mr. Tagomi's POV were barely readable. And that ending... so disappointing.]]> 3.64 1962 The Man in the High Castle

author: Philip K. Dick
name: Mel
average rating: 3.64
book published: 1962
rating: 2
read at: 2022/03/06
date added: 2022/03/06
shelves:
review:
Huh.

Some great ideas but a not-so-stellar execution leave me quite disappointed.

It took me ages to finish the book. The stream-of-thought chapters from Mr. Tagomi's POV were barely readable. And that ending... so disappointing.
]]> Tyll 36130507 Tyll, der neue Roman des Erfolgsautors Daniel Kehlmann �� er veröffentlichte u.a. Die Vermessung der Welt, Ruhm, F und Du hättest gehen sollen �� ist die Neuerfindung der mythischen Till-Eulenspiegel-Figur: ein großer Roman über eine aus den Fugen geratene Welt, über die Verwüstungen durch den Krieg und die Macht der Kunst. Ein Meisterwerk der Sprache, der Bilder und der Phantasie.

Tyll Ulenspiegel - Vagant und Schausteller, Entertainer und Provokateur - wird zu Beginn des 17. Jahrhunderts in einem Dorf geboren, in dem sein Vater, ein Müller, als Magier und Welterforscher schon bald mit der Kirche in Konflikt gerät. Tyll muss fliehen, die Bäckerstochter Nele begleitet ihn. Auf seinen Wegen durch das vom Dreißigjährigen Krieg verheerte Land begegnen sie vielen kleinen Leuten und einigen der sogenannten Großen: dem jungen Gelehrten und Schriftsteller Martin von Wolkenstein, der für sein Leben gern den Krieg kennenlernen möchte, dem melancholischen Henker Tilman und Pirmin, dem Jongleur, dem sprechenden Esel Origines, dem exilierten Königspaar Elizabeth und Friedrich von Böhmen, deren Ungeschick den Krieg einst ausgelöst hat, dem Arzt Paul Fleming, der den absonderlichen Plan verfolgt, Gedichte auf Deutsch zu schreiben, und nicht zuletzt dem fanatischen Jesuiten Tesimond und dem Weltweisen Athanasius Kircher, dessen größtes Geheimnis darin besteht, dass er seine aufsehenerregenden Versuchsergebnisse erschwindelt und erfunden hat. Ihre Schicksale verbinden sich zu einem Zeitgewebe, zum Epos vom Dreißigjährigen Krieg. Und um wen sollte es sich entfalten, wenn nicht um Tyll, jenen rätselhaften Gaukler, der eines Tages beschlossen hat, niemals zu sterben.]]> 474 Daniel Kehlmann 3498035673 Mel 4 Top audio book! 3.99 2017 Tyll

author: Daniel Kehlmann
name: Mel
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/27
date added: 2022/02/27
shelves:
review:
Top audio book!
]]> <![CDATA[Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous, #1)]]> 58377135 From the acclaimed author of Boyfriend Material comes a delightfully witty romance featuring a reserved duke who’s betrothed to one twin and hopelessly enamoured of the other.

Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has twin problems: literally.

It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, too many novels at an impressionable age have caused her to grow up…romantic. So romantic that a marriage of convenience will not do and after Valentine’s proposal she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on him again.

Arabella’s twin brother, Mr. Bonaventure “Bonny�� Tarleton, has also grown up…romantic. And fully expects Valentine to ride out after Arabella and prove to her that he’s not the cold-hearted cad he seems to be.

Despite copious misgivings, Valentine finds himself on a pell-mell chase to Dover with Bonny by his side. Bonny is unreasonable, overdramatic, annoying, and…beautiful? And being with him makes Valentine question everything he thought he knew. About himself. About love. Even about which Tarleton he should be pursuing.]]> 363 Alexis Hall 1542036283 Mel 3 3.59 2022 Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous, #1)

Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous, #1)

author: Alexis Hall
name: Mel
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/01/31
date added: 2022/02/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #1)]]> 35074096
This stunning book features classical artwork inspired by the myths, as well as learned notes from the author. Each adventure is infused with Fry's distinctive wit, voice, and writing style. Connoisseurs of the Greek myths will appreciate this fresh-yet-reverential interpretation, while newcomers will feel welcome. Retellings brim with humor and emotion and offer rich cultural context

Celebrating the thrills, grandeur, and unabashed fun of the Greek myths, Mythos breathes life into ancient tales—from Pandora's box to Prometheus's fire.

This gorgeous volume invites you to explore a captivating world with the brilliant storyteller Stephen Fry as your guide.]]> 416 Stephen Fry 0718188721 Mel 4 4.27 2017 Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #1)

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold (Stephen Fry's Great Mythology, #1)

author: Stephen Fry
name: Mel
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/05
date added: 2022/02/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]]> 23692271 512 Yuval Noah Harari Mel 0 did-not-finish 4.33 2011

author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: Mel
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/02/09
shelves: did-not-finish
review:
I was expecting something else. This is simply not the book I wanted to read.
]]> <![CDATA[The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time #1)]]> 59463604
Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs-a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts- five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.]]> 53 Robert Jordan Mel 4 4.14 1990 The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time #1)

The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time #1)

author: Robert Jordan
name: Mel
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/09
date added: 2022/01/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9)]]> 28335699
In the dead system of Adro, Elvi Okoye leads a desperate scientific mission to understand what the gate builders were and what destroyed them, even if it means compromising herself and the half-alien children who bear the weight of her investigation. Through the wide-flung systems of humanity, Colonel Aliana Tanaka hunts for Duarte’s missing daughter. . . and the shattered emperor himself. And on the Rocinante, James Holden and his crew struggle to build a future for humanity out of the shards and ruins of all that has come before.

As nearly unimaginable forces prepare to annihilate all human life, Holden and a group of unlikely allies discover a last, desperate chance to unite all of humanity, with the promise of a vast galactic civilization free from wars, factions, lies, and secrets if they win.

But the price of victory may be worse than the cost of defeat.]]> 528 James S.A. Corey 0356510395 Mel 3
The last man standing...? I love that! I wish that the rest of the book would have been as satisfactory and as engaging.

3.5 stars]]> 4.48 2021 Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9)

author: James S.A. Corey
name: Mel
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/12/21
date added: 2021/12/22
shelves:
review:
Huh, I am not sure how I feel about this book and the ending of an overall amazing series. It was by no means bad, but I am slightly underwhelmed by both the end of the storyline of the characters and the resolution to the mystery of what killed the creators of the protomolecule.

The last man standing...? I love that! I wish that the rest of the book would have been as satisfactory and as engaging.

3.5 stars
]]> If I Had Your Face 52696537 If I Had Your Face plunges us into the mesmerising world of contemporary Seoul - a place where extreme plastic surgery is as routine as getting a haircut, where women compete for spots in secret 'room salons' to entertain wealthy businessmen after hours, where K-Pop stars are the object of all-consuming obsession and ruthless social hierarchies dictate your every move.

Navigating this cutthroat city are four young women balancing on the razor edge of survival: Kyuri, an exquisitely beautiful woman whose hard-won status at an exclusive 'room salon' is threatened by an impulsive mistake with a client; her flatmate, Miho, an orphan who wins a scholarship to a prestigious art school in New York, where her life becomes tragically enmeshed with the super-wealthy offspring of the Korean elite; Wonna, their neighbour, pregnant with a child that she and her husband have no idea how they will afford to raise in a fiercely competitive economy; and Ara, a hair stylist living down the hall, whose infatuation with a fresh-faced K-Pop star drives her to violent extremes.]]> 288 Frances Cha 0593129466 Mel 4
I appreciate the insight into contemporary South Korean society - especially told from the point of view of four women. I appreciate even more that the narrative is respectful and not judgemental of the choices these four women make and the lives they have chosen or had to choose.

Highly recommended.

The audio narration is very well done, too. The author even reads one of the four points of view herself.]]> 3.74 2020 If I Had Your Face

author: Frances Cha
name: Mel
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/02
date added: 2021/12/02
shelves:
review:
That was fascinating!

I appreciate the insight into contemporary South Korean society - especially told from the point of view of four women. I appreciate even more that the narrative is respectful and not judgemental of the choices these four women make and the lives they have chosen or had to choose.

Highly recommended.

The audio narration is very well done, too. The author even reads one of the four points of view herself.
]]> <![CDATA[Mort (Discworld, #4; Death, #1)]]> 386372
Death is the Grim Reaper of the Discworld, a black-robed skeleton with a scythe who ushers souls into the next world. He is also fond of cats and endlessly baffled by humanity. Soon Death is yearning to experience what humanity really has to offer, but to do that, he'll need to hire some help.

It's an offer Mort can't refuse. As Death's apprentice he'll have free board, use of the company horse—and being dead isn't compulsory. It's a dream job—until Mort falls in love with Death's daughter, Ysabell, and discovers that your boss can be a killer on your love life…]]> 243 Terry Pratchett 0061020680 Mel 0 did-not-finish 4.24 1987 Mort (Discworld, #4; Death, #1)

author: Terry Pratchett
name: Mel
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/11/01
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Die Känguru-Chroniken (Die Känguru-Chroniken, #1)]]> 6392654 "Heute?", frage ich. "Mal?", frage ich. "Ich muss immer bezahlen, weil du nie Geld mitnimmst."
"Tja", sagt das Känguru lächelnd. "So ist das in der Welt. Der eine hat den Beutel, der andere hat das Geld."

Ein Kleinkünstler, der nicht Kleinkünstler genannt werden will, und ein kommunistisches Känguru, das total auf Schnapspralinen steht. Marc-Uwe Kling erzählt vom Alltag und den revolutionären Eskapaden dieser wunderlichen WG.]]> 271 Marc-Uwe Kling Mel 5
***

Oh wow, das war zum Totlachen. Kann das Hörbuch auch nur empfehlen. Mir scheint, es macht die Experience noch besser. Habe direkt mit dem nächsten Teil angefangen.]]> 4.34 2009 Die Känguru-Chroniken (Die Känguru-Chroniken, #1)

Die Känguru-Chroniken (Die Känguru-Chroniken, #1)

author: Marc-Uwe Kling
name: Mel
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2021/10/19
date added: 2021/10/19
shelves:
review:
Update: Hab die Hörbücher inzwischen schon mehrfach durch. Immer wieder witzig!

***

Oh wow, das war zum Totlachen. Kann das Hörbuch auch nur empfehlen. Mir scheint, es macht die Experience noch besser. Habe direkt mit dem nächsten Teil angefangen.
]]> <![CDATA[City of Saints and Madmen (Ambergris, #1)]]> 35658721 City of Saints and Madmen, Jeff VanderMeer has reinvented the literature of the fantastic. You hold in your hands an invitation to a place unlike any you’ve ever visited–an invitation delivered by one of our most audacious and astonishing literary magicians.

City of elegance and squalor. Of religious fervor and wanton lusts. And everywhere, on the walls of courtyards and churches, an incandescent fungus of mysterious and ominous origin. In Ambergris, a would-be suitor discovers that a sunlit street can become a killing ground in the blink of an eye. An artist receives an invitation to a beheading–and finds himself enchanted. And a patient in a mental institution is convinced he’s made up a city called Ambergris, imagined its every last detail, and that he’s really from a place called Chicago.��

By turns sensuous and terrifying, filled with exotica and eroticism, this interwoven collection of stories, histories, and “eyewitness�� reports invokes a universe within a puzzlebox where you can lose–and find–yourself again.]]> 704 Jeff VanderMeer 1509848150 Mel 4 3.79 2002 City of Saints and Madmen (Ambergris, #1)

City of Saints and Madmen (Ambergris, #1)

author: Jeff VanderMeer
name: Mel
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2021/07/26
date added: 2021/10/01
shelves:
review:

]]> Blade Runner 35518511 157 Philip K. Dick 1473222699 Mel 4 4.10 1968

author: Philip K. Dick
name: Mel
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1968
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/11
date added: 2021/10/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Two Serpents Rise (Craft Sequence, #2)]]> 16059411 The new novel set in the addictive and compelling fantasy world of Three Parts Dead

Shadow demons plague the city reservoir, and Red King Consolidated has sent in Caleb Altemoc �� casual gambler and professional risk manager �� to cleanse the water for the sixteen million people of Dresediel Lex. At the scene of the crime, Caleb finds an alluring and clever cliff runner, crazy Mal, who easily outpaces him.

But Caleb has more than the demon infestation, Mal, or job security to worry about when he discovers that his father �� the last priest of the old gods and leader of the True Quechal terrorists �� has broken into his home and is wanted in connection to the attacks on the water supply.

From the beginning, Caleb and Mal are bound by lust, Craft, and chance, as both play a dangerous game where gods and people are pawns. They sleep on water, they dance in fire... and all the while the Twin Serpents slumbering beneath the earth are stirring, and they are hungry.]]> 347 Max Gladstone 0765333120 Mel 4
While I find the writing a little bit longish from time to time and can't always quite follow, there are other things I absolutely admire about it. The narrator, for example, describes characters and gives insights into their motives either by conversation or by showing us their reactions.
We are not part of their inner musings and I find that very well done here. It's important to me to understand the characters and their motivations and usually I find this lacking in other books when the point of view is not close to the character.

I'm looking forward to reading more books in this fascinating setting.]]> 3.85 2013 Two Serpents Rise (Craft Sequence, #2)

author: Max Gladstone
name: Mel
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/02
date added: 2021/09/02
shelves:
review:
I love this series so far because it's so different in style and universe from what I usually read. This book came with the benefit of a lesbian and a gay secondary character, too.

While I find the writing a little bit longish from time to time and can't always quite follow, there are other things I absolutely admire about it. The narrator, for example, describes characters and gives insights into their motives either by conversation or by showing us their reactions.
We are not part of their inner musings and I find that very well done here. It's important to me to understand the characters and their motivations and usually I find this lacking in other books when the point of view is not close to the character.

I'm looking forward to reading more books in this fascinating setting.
]]> <![CDATA[The Widow's House (The Dagger and the Coin, #4)]]> 18458800
Lord Regent Geder Palliako's war has led his nation and the priests of the spider goddess to victory after victory. No power has withstood him, except for the heart of the one woman he desires. As the violence builds and the cracks in his rule begin to show, he will risk everything to gain her love or else her destruction.

Clara Kalliam, the loyal traitor, is torn between the woman she once was and the woman she has become. With her sons on all sides of the conflict, her house cannot stand, but there is a power in choosing when and how to fall.

And in Porte Oliva, banker Cithrin bel Sarcour and Captain Marcus Wester learn the terrible truth that links this war to the fall of the dragons millennia before, and that to save the world, Cithrin must conquer it.]]> 495 Daniel Abraham 031620398X Mel 0 abandoned 4.06 2014 The Widow's House (The Dagger and the Coin, #4)

The Widow's House (The Dagger and the Coin, #4)

author: Daniel Abraham
name: Mel
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/07/26
shelves: abandoned
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Smoke & Ashes (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #4)]]> 55888408 I like my whiskey like I like my women: stretching a metaphor way too far.

A couple of years ago I screwed up so badly that everybody I remotely cared about wound up dead, nearly dead, or just plain betraying me. Some days, I’m sober enough to care.

My list of “things I really don’t need right now�� starts with a condescending octogenarian werewolf having a go at me for banging a Marchioness. As for where it ends, try the disembodied spirit of my ex-girlfriend stalking me in my dreams, a vindictive wizard-vampire from the first century on a vengeance crusade, being hired by the magical twin of my disanimated best friend and, oh yes, having to find the actual Holy Grail.

If I was a better person, I’d take this opportunity to put my life together. I’d find a way to fix everything I broke, save everybody I let down, and maybe pay a certain vampire back for leaving me to die. But I’m not a better person. I’m a hard-drinking half-faery train wreck on legs and if I hated myself less I might even say I liked it that way.]]> 307 Alexis Hall 1912688964 Mel 0 4.30 2020 Smoke & Ashes (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #4)

Smoke & Ashes (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator #4)

author: Alexis Hall
name: Mel
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at: 2021/07/26
date added: 2021/07/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Holding 32075392
The remote Irish village of Duneen has known little drama; and yet its inhabitants are troubled. Sergeant PJ Collins hasn't always been this overweight; mother of two Brid Riordan hasn't always been an alcoholic; and elegant Evelyn Ross hasn't always felt that her life was a total waste.

So when human remains are discovered on an old farm, suspected to be that of Tommy Burke - a former love of both Brid and Evelyn - the village's dark past begins to unravel. As the frustrated PJ struggles to solve a genuine case for the first time in his life, he unearths a community's worth of anger and resentments, secrets and regret.

Darkly comic, touching and at times profoundly sad. Graham Norton employs his acerbic wit to breathe life into a host of loveable characters, and explore - with searing honesty - the complexities and contradictions that make us human.]]> 320 Graham Norton Mel 0 However, in general I feel that the author tries too hard. His crafting of plot development is too obvious, for one. Like, something minor happens and you know right away that this small thing is needed to furthter the plot. The mystery was also moslty predictable.

But I really liked spending time in this village and with these flawed characters, so.

3.5 stars, I think]]> 4.06 2016 Holding

author: Graham Norton
name: Mel
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2021/07/15
date added: 2021/07/16
shelves:
review:
Good stuff in here. A depth in characters and their development I did not expect.
However, in general I feel that the author tries too hard. His crafting of plot development is too obvious, for one. Like, something minor happens and you know right away that this small thing is needed to furthter the plot. The mystery was also moslty predictable.

But I really liked spending time in this village and with these flawed characters, so.

3.5 stars, I think
]]> <![CDATA[Three Parts Dead (Craft Sequence, #1)]]> 13539191
Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.

Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith.

When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival.

Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.]]> 336 Max Gladstone 0765333104 Mel 5 3.94 2012 Three Parts Dead (Craft Sequence, #1)

author: Max Gladstone
name: Mel
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2021/07/09
date added: 2021/07/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Four Roads Cross (Craft Sequence, #5)]]> 26114222
As if that weren't enough, Cat and Raz, supporting characters from Three Parts Dead, are back too, fighting monster pirates; skeleton kings drink frozen cocktails, defying several principles of anatomy; jails, hospitals, and temples are broken into and out of; choirs of flame sing over Alt Coulumb; demons pose significant problems; a farmers' market proves more important to world affairs than seems likely; doctors of theology strike back; Monk-Technician Abelard performs several miracles; The Rats! play Walsh's Place; and dragons give almost-helpful counsel.]]> 416 Max Gladstone 0765379422 Mel 5 4.32 2016 Four Roads Cross (Craft Sequence, #5)

author: Max Gladstone
name: Mel
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2021/05/24
date added: 2021/05/24
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The May 4th Movement: Intellectual Revolution in Modern China (Harvard East Asian)]]> 1488924 Book by Chow Tse-tung Chow Tse-Tung 0674557514 Mel 0 4.09 1960

The May 4th Movement: Intellectual Revolution in Modern China (Harvard East Asian)

author: Chow Tse-Tung
name: Mel
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1960
rating: 0
read at: 2021/05/05
date added: 2021/05/05
shelves:
review:

]]>