en-US Sun, 20 Apr 2025 09:57:05 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 60438216
When Tanya Van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook were murdered during a trip to Seattle in the 1980s, detectives had few leads. The murder weapon was missing. No one witnessed any suspicious activity. And there was only a single handprint on the outside of the young couple¡¯s van. The detectives assumed Tanya and Jay were victims of a serial killer¡ªbut without any leads, the case seemed forever doomed.

In deep-freeze, long-term storage, biological evidence from the crime scenes sat waiting. Meanwhile, California resident CeCe Moore began her lifetime fascination with genetic genealogy. As DNA testing companies rapidly grew in popularity, she discovered another use for the technology: solving crimes. When Detective Jim Scharf decided to send the cold case¡¯s decades-old DNA to Parabon NanoLabs, he hoped he would bring closure to the Van Cuylenborg and Cook families. He didn't know that he and Moore would make history.

Anyone can submit a saliva sample to learn about their ancestry. But what happens after the results of these tests are uploaded to the internet? As lawyers, policymakers, and police officers fight over questions of consent and privacy, the implications of Scharf¡¯s case become ever clearer. Approximately 250,000 murders in the United States remain unsolved today. We have the tools to catch many of these killers¡ªbut what is the cost?]]> 384 Edward Humes 1524746274 Erika 4 true-crime 4.24 2022
author: Edward Humes
name: Erika
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: true-crime
review:

]]> 56297421 In this addictive and spectacularly imagined debut, a female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them¡ªsetting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary¡¯s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose¡ªselling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella¡¯s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband¡¯s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can¡¯t resist investigating, only to realize she¡¯s found a link to the unsolved ¡°apothecary murders¡± that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline¡¯s life collides with Nella¡¯s and Eliza¡¯s in a stunning twist of fate¡ªand not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating exploration of women rebelling against a man¡¯s world, the destructive force of revenge and the remarkable ways that women can save each other despite the barrier of time.]]> 500 Sarah Penner 1432885707 Erika 2 historical-fiction 3.76 2021
author: Sarah Penner
name: Erika
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: historical-fiction
review:
Surface level and melodramatic. At least it was a quick read.
]]> 58442179 A fact-based guide to plant-based eating, explaining why a diverse diet is the key to better health¡ªwith over 80 plant-packed recipes from the award-winning Gut Health Doctor and author of Love Your Gut

The secret to a healthy gut (and a healthier body and mind) is all in the microbes: the trillions of microorganisms that live in our digestive tract. These microbes thrive on fiber¡ªas many different types as they can get.

That¡¯s why Dr. Megan Rossi developed the Diversity Diet, a simple yet revolutionary way of eating that anyone can adopt to enjoy huge health benefits¡ªincreased energy, improved mood, and reduced risk of illness, to name a few. It¡¯s all about eating a wider variety of plant foods¡ªat least 30 different plants per week.

Each plant counts as one point, and How to Eat More Plants shows readers exactly how to get their ¡°Plant Points¡± with delicious fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, herbs, and more. A 28-day challenge, tailored meal plans, and over 80 mouthwatering recipes set readers on the path toward better health!

Publisher¡¯s Note: How to Eat More Plants was previously published in the UK under the title Eat More, Live Well.]]> 320 Megan Rossi 1615198784 Erika 0 currently-reading 3.96
author: Megan Rossi
name: Erika
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 405987 154 P?r Lagerkvist 0394702409 Erika 5 4.03 1956
author: P?r Lagerkvist
name: Erika
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1956
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves:
review:
Picked this up blindly while online browsing late at night. What an interesting meditation of religion and life's meaning and purpose. Beautiful prose. It's a tiny novella but it packs a punch.
]]> 52578297
When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

The books in the Midnight Library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren't always what she imagined they'd be, and soon her choices place the library and herself in extreme danger.

Before time runs out, she must answer the ultimate question: what is the best way to live?]]> 288 Matt Haig 0525559477 Erika 3 3.96 2020
author: Matt Haig
name: Erika
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 10769102 432 John William Polidori 1600109578 Erika 0 4.09 2011
author: John William Polidori
name: Erika
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: horror, supernatural, currently-reading
review:

]]> 151128386 0 Victor LaValle Erika 2 historical-fiction, horror
Underdeveloped characters, unresolved storylines... How can a book feel rushed but too long at the same time? Starting my year with a disappointing read.]]> 3.67 2023
author: Victor LaValle
name: Erika
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: historical-fiction, horror
review:
The author notes show he did his research for the book, which you can see on the first chapters when we're told how farm land was acquired by women and black people. Unfortunately, the interesting premise of the book is as good as you'll get.

Underdeveloped characters, unresolved storylines... How can a book feel rushed but too long at the same time? Starting my year with a disappointing read.
]]> 57099601 Megs Devonshire sets out to fulfill her younger brother George¡¯s last wish by uncovering the truth behind his favorite story. The answer provides hope and healing and a magical journey for anyone whose life has ever been changed by a book.

1950:?Margaret Devonshire (Megs) is a seventeen-year-old student of mathematics and physics at Oxford University. When her beloved eight-year-old brother asks Megs if Narnia is real, logical Megs tells him it¡¯s just a book for children, and certainly not true. Homebound due to his illness, and remaining fixated on his favorite books, George presses her to ask the author of the recently released novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a question: ¡°Where did Narnia come from?¡±

Despite her fear about approaching the famous author, who is a professor at her school, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with C. S. Lewis and his own brother Warnie, begging them for answers.

Rather than directly telling her where Narnia came from, Lewis encourages Megs to form her own conclusion as he slowly tells her the little-known stories from his own life that led to his inspiration. As she takes these stories home to George, the little boy travels farther in his imagination than he ever could in real life.

Lewis¡¯s answers will reveal to Megs and her family many truths that science and math cannot, and the gift she thought she was giving to her brother¡ªthe story behind Narnia¡ªturns out to be his gift to her, instead: hope.]]> 320 Patti Callahan Henry 0785251723 Erika 2 historical-fiction 4.31 2021
author: Patti Callahan Henry
name: Erika
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: historical-fiction
review:

]]> 71912405 483 Mary Beth Keane Erika 2 3.33 2023
author: Mary Beth Keane
name: Erika
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/28
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 60583431 What would you change if you could go back in time?

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a caf¨¦ which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the caf¨¦¡¯s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the caf¨¦, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .

Toshikazu Kawaguchi¡¯s beautiful, moving story ¨C translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot ¨C explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?]]> 293 Toshikazu Kawaguchi 1432899015 Erika 2 Learning that this was originally a screenplay made so much sense. Chapters felt disjointed from one another and the descriptions focused on visuals more than I would expect. The repeated explanation of the "rules" of time travel was tiring, and the way new rules that hadn't been mentioned earlier kept being added felt like a cope out.
I get it why some people loved it. It just wasn't for me.]]> 3.46 2015
author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
name: Erika
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/28
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves:
review:
A very on the nose tale of letting go of the past, facing the present and accepting we can't control the future.
Learning that this was originally a screenplay made so much sense. Chapters felt disjointed from one another and the descriptions focused on visuals more than I would expect. The repeated explanation of the "rules" of time travel was tiring, and the way new rules that hadn't been mentioned earlier kept being added felt like a cope out.
I get it why some people loved it. It just wasn't for me.
]]> 55102986
This colorful graphic novel features the philosophical and existential musings of a cat named Penny.

Told through a collection of stories, A Graphic Memoir wanders through her colorful imagination as she recalls her humble beginnings on the streets of New York and waxes poetic about the realities of her sheltered life living in an apartment with her owners.

Filled with ennui, angst, and vivid dreams, Penny proves that being a cat is more profound than we once thought. A unique blend of high art and humor, A Graphic Memoir perfectly portrays one cat's struggles between her animal instincts, her philosophical reflections, and the lush creature comforts of a life with human servants.

? DISTINCTIVE, BEAUTIFUL, AND Reading like a highbrow Garfield, this unique dose of sardonic wit and cat content combines humor and storytelling with Karl Stevens' very realistic illustration style. Fresh and imaginative, this graphic novel feels familiar and accessible, featuring one of the world's most beloved animals.
? IMPRESSIVE AND DECORATED Karl Stevens has written four graphic novels, and his comics have appeared regularly in the New Yorker, Village Voice , and Boston Phoenix . His work has been well received all around, and The Lodger was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.
? UNIQUE GIFT FOR CAT For cat lovers who have all the classic cat humor books, this is something new that's both unique but familiar, combining a new voice with stunning artwork in a fresh format. For anyone who wonders what their cat is thinking, this book is pitch-perfect, and the gorgeous artwork and package make it a delightful present.]]> 152 Karl Stevens 1452183058 Erika 2
I struggled to finish reading this because I couldn't shake the feeling that it was a total waste of my time. My recommendation is to read it in small bits. Pick it up, read four pages, forget about it for two weeks, repeat.]]> 3.85 2021
author: Karl Stevens
name: Erika
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/27
date added: 2024/10/27
shelves:
review:
This started with some semblance of a plot and some chronological events but soon it devolved into random scenes that led to an abrupt ending that had nothing to do with anything.

I struggled to finish reading this because I couldn't shake the feeling that it was a total waste of my time. My recommendation is to read it in small bits. Pick it up, read four pages, forget about it for two weeks, repeat.
]]> 149457317
One afternoon in November 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her house eerily quiet. Her mother is missing. Nothing else is out of place. There is no sign of struggle. Her mom's pocketbook remains in the front hall, in its usual spot.

So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime. What happened to Jane Larkin?

Investigators suspect Jane's husband. A criminal defense attorney, Dan Larkin would surely be an expert in outfoxing the police.

But no evidence is found linking him to a crime, and the case fades from the public's memory, a simmering, unresolved riddle. Jane's three children¡ªAlex, Jeff, and Miranda¡ªare left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother.

Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation is awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong?

A tale about family¡ªfamily secrets and vengeance, but also family love¡ª All That Is Mine I Carry With Me masterfully grapples with a primal When does loyalty reach its limit?]]> 499 William Landay Erika 2 It felt way too long. Characters seemed emotionally plain to me. Didn't connect with them much, and the change of narrator every section didn't help with that.]]> 3.37 2023
author: William Landay
name: Erika
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/19
date added: 2024/10/19
shelves:
review:
Nothing new under the sun. For someone that follows true crime stories, this is a basic and somewhat unsatisfactory case. More of a family drama than a mystery. The investigation of the case takes second place soon and instead we get pages and pages of family dysfunction.
It felt way too long. Characters seemed emotionally plain to me. Didn't connect with them much, and the change of narrator every section didn't help with that.
]]> 442554
Along the way they pick up a knight-turned-fool named Rhience, whose wit and audacity set many a puffed-up personality in its place. Before arriving at Lady Laudine¡¯s castle, the trio stops at Camelot, where they hear the story of the Storm Stone, a magical object deep in the forest that soon sweeps everyone into a web of love, betrayal, and more than a bit of magic.

Filled with broken promises, powerful enchantresses, unconventional sword fights, fierce and friendly lionesses, mysterious knights, and damsels in and out of distress, The Lioness and Her Knight proves itself as witty and adventuresome as the rest of Gerald Morris¡¯s tales from King Arthur¡¯s court.]]> 343 Gerald Morris 0618507728 Erika 3 I had a harder time finishing this book. It was longer than the previous ones, yes, but it was more than that. I didn't care much for most of the characters and there was no clear big quest. The characters just stumbled around into different side quests as the story progressed. It felt like several stories mashed into one, which made for a wonky pacing.
Not the best but also not the worst in the series.]]> 4.26 2005
author: Gerald Morris
name: Erika
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/20
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves:
review:
Rhience was all which Dinadan I had expected to be. He was the one refreshing character in the entire book. Luneta and Ywain felt too similar to other characters from previous books.
I had a harder time finishing this book. It was longer than the previous ones, yes, but it was more than that. I didn't care much for most of the characters and there was no clear big quest. The characters just stumbled around into different side quests as the story progressed. It felt like several stories mashed into one, which made for a wonky pacing.
Not the best but also not the worst in the series.
]]> 52733701 Las manos peque?as se encuadra en esa selecta n¨®mina a la que pertenecen t¨ªtulos como Los chicos terribles de Cocteau o El se?or de las moscas de William Golding, retratos sin complacencias de la infancia, conmovedores e inquietantes por igual, tan bruscos como l¨ªricos, a imagen y semejanza de esa etapa de la vida que Sartre denomin¨® ?la edad de la violencia?. Marina, de siete a?os, reci¨¦n ingresada en un orfanato tras la muerte accidental de sus padres, se convertir¨¢ para todas sus compa?eras en la admirada y la excluida, en la pauta que permitir¨¢ medir la vida que no se ha tenido y en el final del para¨ªso de la ingenuidad. Como en la vida, el dolor de amar lo que no se comprende se solapa al sufrimiento de no pertenecer al grupo, hasta que la imaginaci¨®n crea estrategias para sobreponerse a la realidad e inventa el juego. Un juego que s¨®lo podr¨¢ ser jugado seriamente, con la violencia con la que s¨®lo se juega en la infancia. Una breve e intensa novela que confirma el pron¨®stico de Rafael Chirbes en Letra Internacional: ?Para m¨ª Barba se ha vuelto un escritor imprescindible.?]]> 112 Andr¨¦s Barba 8433960482 Erika 0 currently-reading 3.49 2008
author: Andr¨¦s Barba
name: Erika
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/18
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 2326037 129 Polly M. Robertus 082342121X Erika 2 3.22 2008
author: Polly M. Robertus
name: Erika
average rating: 3.22
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/18
date added: 2024/08/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 36313498 Spanish 159 Cecilia Pisos 968494120X Erika 0 currently-reading 4.00 1998
author: Cecilia Pisos
name: Erika
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/08
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 54504153
One day, she could see...everything. What's a girl to do when hideous monsters appear no matter which way she turns?

And on top of that, nobody else can see them!
Obviously, there's only one thing that makes sense¡ªignore them.

Kinda hard to put theory into practice, though, when the ghosts know she's watching...]]> 146 Tomoki Izumi 1975317572 Erika 4 manga 3.80 2019
author: Tomoki Izumi
name: Erika
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/08
date added: 2024/08/08
shelves: manga
review:
Picking this up after watching the anime. The artwork is so good! The fan service is not my cup of tea but they don't push it too much so I look the other way and enjoy the story.
]]> 1496331 This selection of their folk tales was made and translated by Lucy Crane, and includes firm favourites such as 'Cinderella', 'Rapunzel', 'The Goose Girl', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Hansel and Gretel' and 'Snow White'.
It is illustrated throughout by Walter Crane's charming line drawings.

Alternative Cover: /book/show/4...]]> 272 Jacob Grimm Erika 3 fantasy
All in all, it's nice to read it and know where some of the mainstream fairy tales come from, as a reference of how literature was back then or as a glimpse of German culture, but don't expect a masterpiece.]]> 3.63 1812
author: Jacob Grimm
name: Erika
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1812
rating: 3
read at: 2011/08/01
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: fantasy
review:
It's one of those times when you can't help feeling a bit too harsh when reviewing a classic. I know I shouldn't expect the best narrative from a book written 200 years back, specially when it's basically a compilation of folktales told by peasants and such. The other aspect I didn't like about the book is that some of the stories were too much alike and it made you feel you already knew what would happen (which in most cases was true). There's also the fact that almost every story has the same pattern in which something has to be done three times so it gets tiresome reading the same dialogue over and over and you end up skipping it; I take it this is an effect of these stories being created to be told, not written, making the repetition of verses in the story easier to remember. And the last critique I have is... well, most of the plot-lines don't make any sense, the most irrational excuses are used throughout all of the stories, leading to abrupt endings some times.

All in all, it's nice to read it and know where some of the mainstream fairy tales come from, as a reference of how literature was back then or as a glimpse of German culture, but don't expect a masterpiece.
]]> 60020980 192 Seiko Erisawa 1638585210 Erika 1 manga The art is very amateur looking, the characters are flat, very little backstory is given of the characters and the universe itself. Everything is inconclusive, and how the rules for this "between life and death" space worlds seem inconsistent.
Maybe I was expecting something more like Death Parade or Hell Girl, since I was under the impression it was a horror manga. Other reviewers have called it a paranormal slice of life, and they fit much better.
Don't waste your time on this if you're looking for a good plot.]]> 3.83 2020
author: Seiko Erisawa
name: Erika
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2024/08/03
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: manga
review:
I'm not usually this harsh with my ratings, but I'm struggling to find any positives to justify a higher score.
The art is very amateur looking, the characters are flat, very little backstory is given of the characters and the universe itself. Everything is inconclusive, and how the rules for this "between life and death" space worlds seem inconsistent.
Maybe I was expecting something more like Death Parade or Hell Girl, since I was under the impression it was a horror manga. Other reviewers have called it a paranormal slice of life, and they fit much better.
Don't waste your time on this if you're looking for a good plot.
]]> 40914165 An alternate cover edition for ISBN 978-1492671527 can be found here.

In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry.

The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.

Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.]]> 309 Kim Michele Richardson Erika 4 I enjoyed getting to know the different patrons that book woman interacted with, although most felt one dimensional and trite. When you stop to think about the plot, not much is unexpected. Important topics are brought up (discrimination, gender roles, poverty, government aid) but stays on the surface of them, which makes sense with the uplifting vibe of the story.
The rushed ending is my main critique. I wonder if the other books on the Troublesome Creek universe make up for that. I still felt cheated out of a chapter or epilogue to show how life turned out for the main character.]]> 4.17 2019
author: Kim Michele Richardson
name: Erika
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/31
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
review:
Read it for a book club, not my usual go to book but I was pleasantly surprised with it. It starts with a bang and you're hooked wanting to know what life will deal next for the main character.
I enjoyed getting to know the different patrons that book woman interacted with, although most felt one dimensional and trite. When you stop to think about the plot, not much is unexpected. Important topics are brought up (discrimination, gender roles, poverty, government aid) but stays on the surface of them, which makes sense with the uplifting vibe of the story.
The rushed ending is my main critique. I wonder if the other books on the Troublesome Creek universe make up for that. I still felt cheated out of a chapter or epilogue to show how life turned out for the main character.
]]> 63241104 In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America¡¯s finest writers.

In the spring of 2020, Lara¡¯s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.]]> 309 Ann Patchett 006332752X Erika 2 3.92 2023
author: Ann Patchett
name: Erika
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 1078079 245 Gerald Morris 0618190996 Erika 2 Everyone in the story was fed up with what was happening and as a reader I got the same feeling that it was all pointless and tiring. First of the books that doesn't make me laugh, too.]]> 4.02 2003
author: Gerald Morris
name: Erika
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2003
rating: 2
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves:
review:
I've been raving to everyone about how good this series is and it's sad to come across one book I almost didn't care for at all.
Everyone in the story was fed up with what was happening and as a reader I got the same feeling that it was all pointless and tiring. First of the books that doesn't make me laugh, too.
]]> 2636637 288 Paul Doherty 0786256672 Erika 0 currently-reading 5.00 1999
author: Paul Doherty
name: Erika
average rating: 5.00
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 775436 Parsifal is unlike anyone Piers has ever met. He doesn¡¯t behave ¡°knightly¡± at all. Slowly, Piers realizes that being a knight has nothing to do with shining armor and winning jousts. And, as their journey continues, they find that to achieve their quest they must learn more than knighthood: they must learn about themselves.
The tale of Parsifal has been told more than that of any other knight, but no one has ever told his story quite like Gerald Morris does in his fourth Arthurian novel, another tour de force of humor, action, magic, and, as always, true love.
]]> 232 Gerald Morris 0618055096 Erika 4 4.05 2001
author: Gerald Morris
name: Erika
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/05
date added: 2024/07/05
shelves:
review:

]]> 1103543 As the three unlikely companions return to Lynet¡¯s castle, they face surprising adventures, including encounters with the uncanny Squire Terence, his master, Sir Gawain, and the majestic sorceress Morgan. And somewhere along the way, Lynet discovers that people can be much more than they seem.]]> 224 Gerald Morris 0618196811 Erika 5 4.25 2000
author: Gerald Morris
name: Erika
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/07/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 920660
As the plot thickens, Sarah finds out more about the people she¡¯s met and befriended, as well as about herself. She begins to learn the true consequences of vengeance and what it really means to be a princess.]]> 310 Gerald Morris 0618378235 Erika 5 4.28 2004
author: Gerald Morris
name: Erika
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/29
date added: 2024/06/29
shelves:
review:

]]> 204239661 256 Deya Muniz 6313000277 Erika 3 4.17 2023
author: Deya Muniz
name: Erika
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/21
date added: 2024/06/21
shelves: graphic-novel, lgbt-literature
review:

]]> 775440 232 Gerald Morris 0395912113 Erika 5 epic-fantasy 4.21 1999
author: Gerald Morris
name: Erika
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/09
date added: 2024/06/09
shelves: epic-fantasy
review:
Picking up the second book of the series more than a decade after reading the first one. It delivered exactly what I remembered about it: lighthearted whimsy. Off to the next book I go!
]]> 15863900
The book is designed to offer helpful tips and practical advice to academic, public, and school librarians who want to better serve the multicultural groups in their communities. The contributors to the book are themselves practicing librarians and they share creative ideas for welcoming multicultural patrons into libraries and strategies for serving them more effectively. Librarians will find in these chapters tried and true tips and techniques for marketing and promotion, improving reference services for speakers of English as a second language, and enhancing programming that they can easily implement in their own libraries and communities.

The chapters are divided into the following categories for ease of 1) Getting Organized and Finding Partners, 2) Reaching Students, 3) Community Connections, 4) Applying Technology, 6) Outreach Initiatives, 6) Programming and Events, and 7) Reference Services.

Librarians of all types will be pleased to discover easy-to-implement suggestions for collaborative efforts, many rich and diverse programming ideas, strategies for improving reference services and library instruction to speakers of English as a second language, marketing and promotional tips designed to welcome multicultural patrons into the library, and much more.]]> 352 Carol Smallwood 0810887223 Erika 0 3.79 2012
author: Carol Smallwood
name: Erika
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/01
shelves: non-fiction, currently-reading
review:

]]> 45904 300 Barbara Wood 0751517224 Erika 0 currently-reading 3.71 1978
author: Barbara Wood
name: Erika
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1978
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/20
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 28053863
Una inmejorable forma de acercarnos al Jap¨®n m¨¢s ex¨®tico y remoto en un breve libro con el que inauguramos nuestra colecci¨®n de Miniaturas Quaterni, enfocada para todo tipo de lectores, amantes o no de la literatura oriental.]]> 93 Grace James 8494344994 Erika 2 japanese-literature expert on Japanese culture and folklore so I decided to give it a chance; it was inexpensive and short, anyway.
The writing is very simple, which is not surprising when you¡¯re reading old tales; however, at some points it seemed a bit too simplified and made to have a sort of fable-like structure, teachings at the end of the tales and all. Were these stories originally meant to have a teaching in such a plain way? I don¡¯t know that, but I know it felt odd to me.
While reading I got a nagging feeling that I had already read these tales and by the time I reached one about a Snow Lady I knew I had read this one, so I fetched Lafcadio Hearn¡¯s Kwaidan and surely enough there was the same tale in a larger version, titles Yuki-Onna. Hearn was born fourteen years before James so maybe their books were published at similar dates. I didn¡¯t check the other books I have by Hearn but I think I may find other such similar cases of identical stories. One can¡¯t say someone plagiarized someone when writing about folk tales so I won¡¯t, but I will say that I find Hearn¡¯s writing better and of a more authentic feeling nature.
I wish I had better things to say about this book but I don¡¯t. It¡¯s simple and basic and I would recommend it to young readers, readers taking a break from heavier books, or people interested but yet unacquainted with Japanese literature.]]> 3.62 1903
author: Grace James
name: Erika
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1903
rating: 2
read at: 2016/03/31
date added: 2024/05/14
shelves: japanese-literature
review:
Usually I have my reservations when writers take on tales from countries they are not native to, but this book¡¯s description stated that Grace James was an expert on Japanese culture and folklore so I decided to give it a chance; it was inexpensive and short, anyway.
The writing is very simple, which is not surprising when you¡¯re reading old tales; however, at some points it seemed a bit too simplified and made to have a sort of fable-like structure, teachings at the end of the tales and all. Were these stories originally meant to have a teaching in such a plain way? I don¡¯t know that, but I know it felt odd to me.
While reading I got a nagging feeling that I had already read these tales and by the time I reached one about a Snow Lady I knew I had read this one, so I fetched Lafcadio Hearn¡¯s Kwaidan and surely enough there was the same tale in a larger version, titles Yuki-Onna. Hearn was born fourteen years before James so maybe their books were published at similar dates. I didn¡¯t check the other books I have by Hearn but I think I may find other such similar cases of identical stories. One can¡¯t say someone plagiarized someone when writing about folk tales so I won¡¯t, but I will say that I find Hearn¡¯s writing better and of a more authentic feeling nature.
I wish I had better things to say about this book but I don¡¯t. It¡¯s simple and basic and I would recommend it to young readers, readers taking a break from heavier books, or people interested but yet unacquainted with Japanese literature.
]]> 58302082 To the table or to bed
You must come when you are bid

The number-one bestseller in Mexico in 1990, Like Water for Chocolate is a romantic, poignant tale, touched with bittersweet moments of magic and sensuality. Evocative of How to Make an American Quilt in structure, Tampopo in its celebration of food, and Heartburn in its irony and wit, it is a lively and funny tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico.

The narrator's great-aunt Tita is the youngest of three daughters born to Mama Elena, the tyrannical owner of De la Garza ranch. While still in her mother's womb, she wept so violently--as her mother chopped onions--that she caused Mama Elena to begin early labor, and Tita slipped out in the middle of the kitchen table, amid the spices and fixings for noodle soup. This early encounter with food soon became a way of life, and Tita grew up to be a master chef. Each chapter of the novel begins with one of Tita's recipes and her careful instructions for preparation.

In well-born Mexican families, tradition dictates that the youngest daughter not marry, but remain at home to care for her mother. Even though Tita has fallen in love, Mama Elena chooses not to make an exception, and instead, arranges for Tita's older sister to marry Tita's young man.

In order to punish Tita for her willfulness, Mama Elena forces her to bake the wedding cake. The bitter tears Tita weeps while stirring the batter provoke a remarkable reaction among the guests who eat the cake. It is then that it first becomes apparent that her culinary talents are unique.

Laura Esquivel's voice is direct, simple, and compelling. She has written a fresh and innovative novel, bringing her own inimitable strengths to a classic love story.
--jacket]]> 246 Laura Esquivel 0385420161 Erika 2 3.83 1989
author: Laura Esquivel
name: Erika
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1989
rating: 2
read at: 2024/04/28
date added: 2024/04/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 8147932
Publicados por primera vez en nuestro pa¨ªs en la colecci¨®n G¨®tica de Valdemar, los relatos reunidos en La habitaci¨®n de la torre, 13 cuentos de fantasmas, de E. F. Benson, invitan a un inquietante recorrido por una extensa galer¨ªa de espectros.

El verdadero aficionado a los exquisitos placeres del miedo, aquel que vender¨ªa su alma al diablo por un buen cuento de terror no debe perd¨¦rselo: E.F. Benson le sorprender¨¢.]]> 288 E.F. Benson 8477026246 Erika 4 horror 3.82 1912
author: E.F. Benson
name: Erika
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1912
rating: 4
read at: 2014/04/02
date added: 2024/02/17
shelves: horror
review:
This was my first encounter with E. F. Benson and it was a very enjoyable one. Gothic horror at its best: old mansions, scary towers, evil paintings, abandoned graveyards... But the stories were different from one another. It wasn't just ghosts, there were creatures, humanoids, elementals and probably other beings I can't recall at the moment. The explanation behind the supernatural events were diverse as well, sometimes it had to with religion, other times with metaphysics and sometimes there wasn't any explanation at all. Perhaps that last bit, some stories not having what I would consider a proper closure, is the reason why I can't give this book the highest rating.
]]> 11799644 208 Susan Hill 0099562979 Erika 5 3.50 1983
author: Susan Hill
name: Erika
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1983
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/14
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: horror, historical-fiction, supernatural
review:

]]> 1719876 166 Jonathan Aycliffe 0061052256 Erika 1 horror, supernatural 3.65 1996
author: Jonathan Aycliffe
name: Erika
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1996
rating: 1
read at: 2023/10/25
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: horror, supernatural
review:

]]> 25898777
The two discover tantalizing hints of who and what may have been laid to rest in the tomb, but the unforeseen circumstances force Asquith to give up his inquiries and leave the small village of Thornham behind. Asquith tries to put the frightening experiences behind him and focus on his new wife and family. But death and disappearances abound, and Richard Asquith soon has no choice but to confront the darkness that has followed him from that ancient church into his own home.

English novelist Jonathan Aycliffe has mastered the classic English ghost story, and A Shadow on the Wall , nominated in 2000 for the International Horror Guild Award, is sure to both mesmerize and haunt you.

Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.]]> 200 Jonathan Aycliffe 1597808571 Erika 5 3.60 2000
author: Jonathan Aycliffe
name: Erika
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/31
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: horror, supernatural, historical-fiction
review:

]]> 2767793
Who is the Hero of Ages?

To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness¡ªthe lethal form of the ubiquitous mists¡ªis back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.

Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. Vin can't even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!]]> 572 Brandon Sanderson 0765316897 Erika 3 fantasy 4.54 2008
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Erika
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/18
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 68429
The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler¡ªthe man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years¡ªhas been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that triumph, is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young prot¨¦g¨¦, Vin, the former street urchin who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman she loves.

As Kelsier's prot¨¦g¨¦ and slayer of the Lord Ruler she is now venerated by a budding new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more worrying, the mists have begun behaving strangely since the Lord Ruler died, and seem to harbor a strange vaporous entity that haunts her.

Stopping assassins may keep Vin's Mistborn skills sharp, but it's the least of her problems. Luthadel, the largest city of the former empire, doesn't run itself, and Vin and the other members of Kelsier's crew, who lead the revolution, must learn a whole new set of practical and political skills to help. It certainly won't get easier with three armies - one of them composed of ferocious giants - now vying to conquer the city, and no sign of the Lord Ruler's hidden cache of atium, the rarest and most powerful allomantic metal.

As the siege of Luthadel tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.]]> 590 Brandon Sanderson 0765316889 Erika 3 fantasy 4.38 2007
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Erika
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2023/07/31
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 68428 What if the whole world were a dead, blasted wasteland?

Mistborn
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale-spinner and author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the prophesied hero failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises that begins with the book in your hands. Fantasy will never be the same again.]]> 541 Brandon Sanderson Erika 3 fantasy 4.48 2006
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Erika
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2023/07/10
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 777677 Book by Frank Weyers 96 Frank Weyers 3829029543 Erika 5 biography 3.95 1984
author: Frank Weyers
name: Erika
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at: 2011/09/30
date added: 2023/11/28
shelves: biography
review:
Amazing compilation of Dal¨ª's life story and works. It's full of anecdotes, photographs and additional timelines to help you understand what was happening in the world during every section of the artist's life and how that affected his creations. Detailed yet very understandable book. I loved it!
]]> 373115 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1983)

Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to "Mister," a brutal man who terrorizes her. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sister's letters from her and the rage she feels, combined with an example of love and independence provided by her close friend Shug, pushes her finally toward an awakening of her creative and loving self.]]> 290 Alice Walker 0151191549 Erika 4 4.15 1982
author: Alice Walker
name: Erika
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1982
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/01
date added: 2023/11/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 61220495 379 William Peter Blatty 0062094351 Erika 4 horror, supernatural 4.34 1971
author: William Peter Blatty
name: Erika
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1971
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/13
date added: 2023/11/26
shelves: horror, supernatural
review:

]]> 61317867 FRESH NIGHTMARES BROUGHT TO YOU BY HORROR MASTER JUNJI ITO.

Countless tombstones stand in rows, forming a bizarre town. What fate awaits a brother and sister after a traffic accident in this town of the dead? In another tale, a girl falls silent, her tongue transformed into a slug. Can a friend save her? Then, when a young man moves to a new town, he finds the house next door has only a single window. What does his grotesque neighbor want, calling out to him every evening from that lone window?]]> 344 Junji Ito 1974736040 Erika 5 4.22 1994
author: Junji Ito
name: Erika
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1994
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/13
date added: 2023/11/26
shelves: japanese-literature, horror, manga, supernatural
review:

]]> 16131061
In How to Write Short , Roy Peter Clark turns his attention to the art of painting a thousand pictures with just a few words. Short forms of writing have always existed-from ship logs and telegrams to prayers and haikus. But in this ever-changing Internet age, short-form writing has become an essential skill.

Clark covers how to write effective and powerful titles, headlines, essays, sales pitches, Tweets, letters, and even self-descriptions for online dating services. With examples from the long tradition of short-form writing in Western culture, How to Write Short guides writers to crafting brilliant prose, even in 140 characters.]]> 272 Roy Peter Clark 0316204358 Erika 5 literary-criticism 3.73 2013
author: Roy Peter Clark
name: Erika
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/26
date added: 2023/11/26
shelves: literary-criticism
review:

]]> 113222 175 Robert Bacal 007144453X Erika 5 communication 3.47 2004
author: Robert Bacal
name: Erika
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/26
date added: 2023/11/26
shelves: communication
review:

]]> 33670021 84 Kathryn Le Veque 1541347196 Erika 2 2.00 2016
author: Kathryn Le Veque
name: Erika
average rating: 2.00
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2023/11/26
date added: 2023/11/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 49087717 Behind You is an illustration series, a comic with no panels, where each piece is essentially a separate story. Each tale is one image and one piece of text; an unsuspecting victim with someone, or something, behind them. Entries range from the amusingly weird to the genuinely unsettling. Inspired by spooky films, books, myths, and internet tall tales, Behind You is full of scary set-ups but leaves lots of blanks for the reader to fill in with their own narrative.
Includes an Introduction by New York Times Best-Seller Joe Hill.]]> 152 Brian Coldrick 1631409530 Erika 3 graphic-novel 4.02 2017
author: Brian Coldrick
name: Erika
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/24
date added: 2023/11/24
shelves: graphic-novel
review:

]]> 3181036 160 Sheila Hunt 0658009117 Erika 0 4.33 2000
author: Sheila Hunt
name: Erika
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/05
shelves: currently-reading, greek-learning
review:

]]> 108186 0 Heinrich Hoffmann 3150089832 Erika 5 children-literature
Secondly, I think this book is of great cultural and psychological value, a small window to what people taught to their kids back in the 1800s. I immediately started thinking about the Grimm brother's fairy tales, which was published around thirty years before Struwwelpeter. And Daniel Paul Schreber's mental illness case came to mind too! His father (Moritz Schreber) was a physician, university teacher and children's health eminence; his methods were so radical and cruel that they're classified now as part of something called 'Poisonous Pedagogy'. This 'physician' was alive around the time Struwwelpeter was published (actually, his son was born two years before that, so I take it Papa Schreber read it to him quite gladly). It's amazing how it all comes together!

I'm not saying you should tell your kids they're gonna get their fingers cut off if they won't stop sucking them (which reminds me of Little Hans, a 5 year old that developed a serious phobia of horses after his mother told him he would get his penis cut off if he kept touching it. Oh, sweet Germany! Thank heavens Freud came into the picture...). Yet, I do think kids should be treated as beings capable of dialogging and understanding the dangers that come with some actions, even if the consequences are not very Disney-like.

Stop being so outraged, people. Maybe 150 years ahead in the future parents will be freaked out by Dr. Seuss books, who knows? ]]> 4.22 1845
author: Heinrich Hoffmann
name: Erika
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1845
rating: 5
read at: 2011/09/07
date added: 2023/07/21
shelves: children-literature
review:
Loved this book. Had been trying to get it for years and now I finally have! There's lots of reviews of people saying it's horrifying and cruel and with zero psychological value, and I couldn't disagree more! First of all, the stories ain't all that terrible and shouldn't be taken so literally. The author wasn't killing real kids, was he? And there's a lesson behind almost every story. For example, take the one about the girl playing with matches and getting burn. Isn't that a true thing? Doesn't that still happen nowadays? Maybe if parents told their kids the real consequences about their actions there might be less 'accidents'.

Secondly, I think this book is of great cultural and psychological value, a small window to what people taught to their kids back in the 1800s. I immediately started thinking about the Grimm brother's fairy tales, which was published around thirty years before Struwwelpeter. And Daniel Paul Schreber's mental illness case came to mind too! His father (Moritz Schreber) was a physician, university teacher and children's health eminence; his methods were so radical and cruel that they're classified now as part of something called 'Poisonous Pedagogy'. This 'physician' was alive around the time Struwwelpeter was published (actually, his son was born two years before that, so I take it Papa Schreber read it to him quite gladly). It's amazing how it all comes together!

I'm not saying you should tell your kids they're gonna get their fingers cut off if they won't stop sucking them (which reminds me of Little Hans, a 5 year old that developed a serious phobia of horses after his mother told him he would get his penis cut off if he kept touching it. Oh, sweet Germany! Thank heavens Freud came into the picture...). Yet, I do think kids should be treated as beings capable of dialogging and understanding the dangers that come with some actions, even if the consequences are not very Disney-like.

Stop being so outraged, people. Maybe 150 years ahead in the future parents will be freaked out by Dr. Seuss books, who knows?
]]> 32461553 245 Harold Slater Erika 0 currently-reading, history 4.50
author: Harold Slater
name: Erika
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/09
shelves: currently-reading, history
review:

]]> 39732256
Observations, feelings, needs, and requests - how to apply the four-step process of Nonviolent Communication to every dialogue we engage in
Overcoming the blocks to compassion - and opening to our natural desire to enrich the lives of those around us
How to use empathy to safely confront anger, fear, and other powerful emotions

Here is a definitive audio training workshop on Marshall Rosenberg's proven methods for "resolving the unresolvable" through Nonviolent Communication.]]> Marshall B. Rosenberg Erika 3 communication 4.27 1999
author: Marshall B. Rosenberg
name: Erika
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/31
date added: 2023/04/07
shelves: communication
review:

]]> 50878135 Rare Book 200 Claudia Gray 607548938X Erika 4 manga
The plot is very juvenile, which may not be for everyone. We follow the friendship of two kids that grow up in a struggling planet under the control of the Empire and their divergent paths after the rebellion begins. In a way it felt like this is what that terrible Han Solo movie tried to be but couldn't.

The art was great, really enjoyed seeing familiar faces from the original movies in manga style. The action scenes felt dynamic, something that doesn't always translate in manga.

I learned from other reviews that this is based on a novel. I don't doubt their word about it being superior (I remember reading Death Troopers years ago and it was great), but as someone that isn't a fan and who has a huge to-read list, I'd rather stick to the manga version than invest the time in the novel.

Very friendly to those that are not Star Wars fans. A good gift for teenagers and perhaps a way to invite them to transition to write stories. Bottom line, overall pleased with this reading experience.]]> 4.36 2018
author: Claudia Gray
name: Erika
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2020/08/17
date added: 2023/01/20
shelves: manga
review:
This is the first Star Wars manga I read and it surpassed my expectations. I'm not a hardcore fan by any means but had no problem following the storyline and understanding the universe.

The plot is very juvenile, which may not be for everyone. We follow the friendship of two kids that grow up in a struggling planet under the control of the Empire and their divergent paths after the rebellion begins. In a way it felt like this is what that terrible Han Solo movie tried to be but couldn't.

The art was great, really enjoyed seeing familiar faces from the original movies in manga style. The action scenes felt dynamic, something that doesn't always translate in manga.

I learned from other reviews that this is based on a novel. I don't doubt their word about it being superior (I remember reading Death Troopers years ago and it was great), but as someone that isn't a fan and who has a huge to-read list, I'd rather stick to the manga version than invest the time in the novel.

Very friendly to those that are not Star Wars fans. A good gift for teenagers and perhaps a way to invite them to transition to write stories. Bottom line, overall pleased with this reading experience.
]]> 54510771 200 Claudia Gray 607634816X Erika 2 manga, sci-fi
[spoilers removed]]]> 4.00 2019
author: Claudia Gray
name: Erika
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2020/12/13
date added: 2023/01/20
shelves: manga, sci-fi
review:
What a rushed ending. It felt like the previous volumes were building up to something bigger, a clever and emotional face off... and it just didn't deliver.

[spoilers removed]
]]> 49328181
In the wake of the obliteration of Alderaan, Thane's faith in the Empire is shaken, while the destruction of the Death Star that soon follows gives Ciena a reason to rededicate herself to the side she's chosen.

As their paths diverge, is love strong enough to overcome the distance growing between them?"]]> 200 Claudia Gray 6076340037 Erika 5 manga
]]> 4.17 2019
author: Claudia Gray
name: Erika
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2020/11/19
date added: 2023/01/20
shelves: manga
review:
Better than the previous volume, as well as than the next one. [spoilers removed] I would say it's the most mature volume of the three.


]]> 42869707 192 Kamome Shirahama 4065155975 Erika 4 manga 4.59 2019
author: Kamome Shirahama
name: Erika
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/01
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves: manga
review:

]]> 37752854 192 Kamome Shirahama 4065126819 Erika 4 manga 4.56 2018
author: Kamome Shirahama
name: Erika
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/01
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves: manga
review:

]]> 37752785 192 Kamome Shirahama 4065109302 Erika 4 manga 4.49 2018
author: Kamome Shirahama
name: Erika
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/01
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves: manga
review:

]]> 42264867 TRIAL BY FIRE

Join Coco as she continues her spellbinding journey of magic and discovery!

After traveling to the mystical township of Kalhn with her new master to buy a casting wand, a strange, masked witch transports Coco and her three sister apprentices to an eerily quiet city. But they soon find out that they're not alone, and they encounter a ferocious dragon! Do these fledgling witches have what it takes to defeat the fire-breathing beast, or will their plans and lives go up in flames?!]]> 190 Kamome Shirahama 1632368048 Erika 4 manga 4.45 2017
author: Kamome Shirahama
name: Erika
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/01
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves: manga
review:

]]> 57766404
Una storia familiare tenera e coinvolgente, che mostra come non esistano confini all¡¯amore di un genitore per il proprio figlio.]]> 136 Okura 8822622340 Erika 3 manga 4.17 2019
author: Okura
name: Erika
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/15
date added: 2022/10/17
shelves: manga
review:

]]> 59365995
After abruptly departing from a train in a small town, a couple encounters a ¡°weeping woman¡±¡ªa professional mourner¡ªsobbing inconsolably at a funeral. Mako changes afterward¡ªshe can¡¯t stop crying! In another tale, having decided to die together, a couple enters Aokigahara, the infamous suicide forest. What is the shocking otherworldly torrent that they discover there?

One of horror¡¯s greatest talents, Junji Ito beckons readers to join him in an experience of ultimate terror with four transcendently terrifying tales.]]> 210 Junji Ito 1974726444 Erika 5 manga, supernatural 3.96 2022
author: Junji Ito
name: Erika
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/10
date added: 2022/10/17
shelves: manga, supernatural
review:

]]> 3314369 391 Richard K. Morgan 0575084812 Erika 3 epic-fantasy, lgbt-literature
Strong start, inconsequential in the middle, kind of redeeming in the last part. The main characters (war veterans) are too decadent for my liking. The writing had some flaws, but I managed to overlook most of them except for the excessive swearing. I'm no prude, I can take badmouthed characters (it can be quite amusing when done right), but here it was used not only in the character's dialogues but in the narrative. It was overdone, like at least four times per page, and I'm not joking, I counted them. Apparently 'fucking' is the author's favorite adjective... 'fucking arrows', 'fucking humans', 'fucking way'... and so on.

The book was 391 pages long. In my impression, it's 300 pages of prologue and 91 pages of the actual story. I was under the idea this was a stand-alone book when I bought it, but now I learn a sequel is coming out this month. I'm unsure if I'll be getting it, it feels like there isn't much left to the story after this book. I mean, there's a cliffhanger at the end that hints 'the real thing' is yet to happen, but I'm okay with the story ending here. Guess I'll wait to read some reviews and then decide if it's worth a shot.

And if you're considering buying this book 'cause you saw it on a LGBT list or something, think again. The main character is gay, yes, but it's a secondary thing; you don't get more than three super short gay scenes (with no real justification, they're just there, adding nothing to the story). Other than that it's just discriminatory mentions of the main character's preferences. So if you're looking for some hot man-on-man action, go look somewhere else.]]> 3.73 2008
author: Richard K. Morgan
name: Erika
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2011/04/14
date added: 2022/06/10
shelves: epic-fantasy, lgbt-literature
review:
I got this book just 'cause I'm into fantasy books with gay main characters. Not the wisest decision.

Strong start, inconsequential in the middle, kind of redeeming in the last part. The main characters (war veterans) are too decadent for my liking. The writing had some flaws, but I managed to overlook most of them except for the excessive swearing. I'm no prude, I can take badmouthed characters (it can be quite amusing when done right), but here it was used not only in the character's dialogues but in the narrative. It was overdone, like at least four times per page, and I'm not joking, I counted them. Apparently 'fucking' is the author's favorite adjective... 'fucking arrows', 'fucking humans', 'fucking way'... and so on.

The book was 391 pages long. In my impression, it's 300 pages of prologue and 91 pages of the actual story. I was under the idea this was a stand-alone book when I bought it, but now I learn a sequel is coming out this month. I'm unsure if I'll be getting it, it feels like there isn't much left to the story after this book. I mean, there's a cliffhanger at the end that hints 'the real thing' is yet to happen, but I'm okay with the story ending here. Guess I'll wait to read some reviews and then decide if it's worth a shot.

And if you're considering buying this book 'cause you saw it on a LGBT list or something, think again. The main character is gay, yes, but it's a secondary thing; you don't get more than three super short gay scenes (with no real justification, they're just there, adding nothing to the story). Other than that it's just discriminatory mentions of the main character's preferences. So if you're looking for some hot man-on-man action, go look somewhere else.
]]> 40893782 A TOUCH OF MAGIC

In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch¡­until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she¡¯s never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody ¡°knows¡± might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem¡­]]> 204 Kamome Shirahama 163236770X Erika 5 manga 4.45 2017
author: Kamome Shirahama
name: Erika
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/31
date added: 2021/12/31
shelves: manga
review:
What a pleasant read! The story was well paced, the art is gorgeous and the plot looks promising. Probably the best manga I read this year. Really interested in reading the rest of the volumes.
]]> 109809 Soiled Doves tells of the grey world of prostitution and the women who participated in the oldest profession. Colorful, if not socially acceptable, these ladies of easy virtue were a definite part of the early West ¨C Wearing ruffled petticoats with fancy bows, they were glamorous and plain, good and bad and many were as wild as the land they came to tame.
Women like "Molly b' Dam", Mattie Silks, and "Chicago Joe" blended into the fabric of the American Frontier with an easy familiarity. Others, such as "Sorrel Mike", escaped through suicide, Lottie Johl chose marriage and the Chinese slave girls lived a life without hope.
Illustrated with rare photos, this strong book provides a touching insight into the lives of the ladies of the night.

]]> 173 Anne Seagraves 096190884X Erika 3 history The best part of the book was the chapter about Chinese girl trafficked and the story of how laws were created against it. Hard to romanticize slavery and turn these "soiled doves" into some type of Western heroines.
Newspaper clippings and photographs were the best part of this book, which says a lot about the quality of the writing.]]> 3.57 1994
author: Anne Seagraves
name: Erika
average rating: 3.57
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2021/12/18
date added: 2021/12/31
shelves: history
review:
I had more expectations for this book than I should have had. At a point all the stories started to merge, as formulaic as a Grimm fairytale. Family emigrates to the US, tragedy befalls them and innocent daughter ends up alone in the world, tries to do honest work but life pushes her into sex work; but no matter her profession, she's got a heart of gold and sacrifices herself for the community, sadly dying destitute.
The best part of the book was the chapter about Chinese girl trafficked and the story of how laws were created against it. Hard to romanticize slavery and turn these "soiled doves" into some type of Western heroines.
Newspaper clippings and photographs were the best part of this book, which says a lot about the quality of the writing.
]]> 38372711 ¡ª New York Times Book Review ?


FBI Special Agent Jeff Rinek had a gift for getting child predators to confess. All he had to do was share a piece of his soul . . .

In the Name of the Children gives an unflinching look at what it's like to fight a never-ending battle against an enemy far more insidious than the predators, lurking amongst us, who seek to harm our children.

During his 30-year career with the FBI, Jeff Rinek worked hundreds of investigations involving crimes against from stranger abduction to serial homicide to ritualized sexual abuse. Those who do this kind of work are required to plumb the depths of human depravity, to see things no one should ever have to see¡ªand once seen can never forget. There is no more important¡ªor more brutal¡ªjob in law enforcement, and few have been more successful than Rinek at solving these sort of cases.

Most famously, Rinek got Cary Stayner to confess to all four of the killings known as the Yosemite Park Murders, an accomplishment made more extraordinary by the fact that the FBI nearly pinned the crimes on the wrong suspects. Rinek's recounting of the confession and what he learned about Stayner provides perhaps the most revelatory look ever inside the psyche of a serial killer and a privileged glimpse into the art of interrogation.

In the Name of the Children takes readers into the trenches of real-time investigations where every second counts and any wrong decision or overlooked fact can have tragic repercussions. Rinek offers an insider's perspective of the actual case agents and street detectives who are the boots on the ground in this war at home. By placing us inside the heart and mind of a rigorously honest and remarkably self-reflective investigator, we will see with our own eyes what it takes¡ªand what it costs¡ªto try to keep our children safe and to bring to justice those who prey on society's most vulnerable victims.

With each chapter dedicated to a real case he worked, In the Name of the Children also explores the evolution of Rinek as a Special Agent¡ªwhose unorthodox, empathy-based approach to interviewing suspects made him extraordinarily successful in obtaining confessions¡ªand the toll it took to have such intimate contact with child molesters and murderers. Beyond exploring the devastating impact of these unthinkable crimes on the victims and their families, this book offers an unprecedented look at how investigators and their loved ones cope while living in the specter of so much suffering.]]> 300 Jeffrey L. Rinek 1946885282 Erika 5 true-crime 4.13 2018
author: Jeffrey L. Rinek
name: Erika
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2021/12/15
date added: 2021/12/31
shelves: true-crime
review:
Reading this book was a very similar experience to reading "Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit" by John Douglas. A good balance of FBI history, author's personal life and analysis of crime cases. Most of the cases are well known, being featured in several true crime podcasts. Still a book worth reading for anyone interested in the subject.
]]> 49092188
]]> 144 Odin Austin Shafer 6076342188 Erika 3 graphic-novel 4.14 2019
author: Odin Austin Shafer
name: Erika
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2021/04/30
date added: 2021/12/31
shelves: graphic-novel
review:
Not an easy read for those unfamiliar with the game lore. Art was nice, probably what I liked most about the whole thing. Promising enough, would be interested in reading the other volumes.
]]> 4267346 222 Carmen Rivera Izcoa 092915732X Erika 0 3.87 1996
author: Carmen Rivera Izcoa
name: Erika
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/12/22
shelves: currently-reading, latin-american
review:

]]> 6267683 196 Ariwara Narihira 8475090176 Erika 4 japanese-literature 3.81
author: Ariwara Narihira
name: Erika
average rating: 3.81
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2014/05/25
date added: 2021/05/23
shelves: japanese-literature
review:
I¡¯m always amazed by the way Japanese writers can compel so much emotion into simple-looking phrases. The writing formula of ¡®The Tales of Ise¡¯ is simple and even a bit archaic; many tales start with the same ¡®There once was a man¡­¡¯ line and the themes for the stories are repetitive. The narrative is not the main thing here, however, but the different poems applied to all these similar situations. There¡¯s so much wordplay that I¡¯m sad I couldn¡¯t appreciate but I do see the wit and craftsmanship that it must have taken to write something beautiful, brief and at the same time complex. The result is a calculated dose of pure emotion.
]]> 41146893 135 Amparo D¨¢vila 6071657008 Erika 0 4.07 2018
author: Amparo D¨¢vila
name: Erika
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/04/01
shelves: currently-reading, latin-american
review:

]]> 43205324 72 Alexandra Campos Hanon 607979487X Erika 0 4.33
author: Alexandra Campos Hanon
name: Erika
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/31
shelves: currently-reading, children-literature
review:

]]> 35895664
Este libro es una introducci¨®n al mundo de la mitolog¨ªa heroica, a trav¨¦s de una breve narraci¨®n sobre el origen, vida y muerte de algunas de sus figuras mas emblem¨¢ticas, podr¨¢s identificar las virtudes o debilidades que distinguen a estos personajes extraordinarios.]]> 47 Alexandra Campos Hanon 6079662434 Erika 3
I appreciate the author's choice of including the same amount of female and male characters and how they were distributed through the book. However, I think the men got a more favorable angle in general. How not a single defect was mentioned for Achilles other than his heel is so odd, given that the whole theme of the Iliad is Achilles' wrath. Orpheus and Perseus do not have any negative traits listed either.

On the women's side, things are a bit bleak. I know Greek myths aren't exceptionally kind towards women and I understand it must have been hard for the author to find the least gruesome options there are. Still, the description of the main characteristics of these women are not great. Galatea is only said to have the usual "virtues and defect of a woman", which is quite a problematic and sexist statement, implying that women are a certain way by default. Then we have Pandora's virtues listed as "beauty and seduction". Yikes. And I couldn't help notice that two of the women in the list were originally inanimate objects (Galatea being a statue and Pandora made out of earth) brought to life to be someone's wife. I don't mean to say that the author made this choice with any ulterior motives, only that more thought should have been given to the myths selected. I mean, Penelope was right there. I have no clue how she was not included.

Lastly, I also noticed that the men's defects were described with a more subdued language, using terms like "passionate" or "visceral" temperament; on the other hand, women were bluntly described as having a "violent temperament", and being vengeful, lying and deceiving.

It's an okay book, borderline boring but saved in the end by the cool illustrations. In my opinion, it felt like the author bit more than they could chew, trying to simplify and sanitize these myth, while turning them into some sort of educational tale of vices and virtues.]]> 4.41
author: Alexandra Campos Hanon
name: Erika
average rating: 4.41
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2021/03/31
date added: 2021/03/31
shelves: mythology, children-literature
review:
A brief, extremely sanitized version of ten Greek myths. There's a short introduction to what's the definition of gods, demigods and heroes in Greek mythology. Each personality gets their own two page spread, one big illustration, a page that details the highlights of their myth, and a the bottom there's a section that details the defects and virtues they had.

I appreciate the author's choice of including the same amount of female and male characters and how they were distributed through the book. However, I think the men got a more favorable angle in general. How not a single defect was mentioned for Achilles other than his heel is so odd, given that the whole theme of the Iliad is Achilles' wrath. Orpheus and Perseus do not have any negative traits listed either.

On the women's side, things are a bit bleak. I know Greek myths aren't exceptionally kind towards women and I understand it must have been hard for the author to find the least gruesome options there are. Still, the description of the main characteristics of these women are not great. Galatea is only said to have the usual "virtues and defect of a woman", which is quite a problematic and sexist statement, implying that women are a certain way by default. Then we have Pandora's virtues listed as "beauty and seduction". Yikes. And I couldn't help notice that two of the women in the list were originally inanimate objects (Galatea being a statue and Pandora made out of earth) brought to life to be someone's wife. I don't mean to say that the author made this choice with any ulterior motives, only that more thought should have been given to the myths selected. I mean, Penelope was right there. I have no clue how she was not included.

Lastly, I also noticed that the men's defects were described with a more subdued language, using terms like "passionate" or "visceral" temperament; on the other hand, women were bluntly described as having a "violent temperament", and being vengeful, lying and deceiving.

It's an okay book, borderline boring but saved in the end by the cool illustrations. In my opinion, it felt like the author bit more than they could chew, trying to simplify and sanitize these myth, while turning them into some sort of educational tale of vices and virtues.
]]> 50635663 186 Kore Yamazaki 6076345233 Erika 2 manga Twilight territory. [spoilers removed] Really not my cup of tea when it comes to romance.

The author has mentioned on her notes at the end of the volumes that she's basically winging the plot and making things up as she goes. It does feel that way. I couldn't be bothered to go fact check it but I think now that more information about Elias' past is revealed it doesn't entirely fit with all that has been mentioned in the beginning. I also think there's a few anachronisms now that the magus backstory is being explored. I'm aware this is no historical novel, of course, but I noticed it anyway and gives me the impression the author hasn't fleshed the story out very well. Probably one the volumes I enjoyed the least.]]> 3.88 2015
author: Kore Yamazaki
name: Erika
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2021/01/21
date added: 2021/02/15
shelves: manga
review:
The story has officially gone into Twilight territory. [spoilers removed] Really not my cup of tea when it comes to romance.

The author has mentioned on her notes at the end of the volumes that she's basically winging the plot and making things up as she goes. It does feel that way. I couldn't be bothered to go fact check it but I think now that more information about Elias' past is revealed it doesn't entirely fit with all that has been mentioned in the beginning. I also think there's a few anachronisms now that the magus backstory is being explored. I'm aware this is no historical novel, of course, but I noticed it anyway and gives me the impression the author hasn't fleshed the story out very well. Probably one the volumes I enjoyed the least.
]]> 48835903
La gente le teme a Macaria como se teme a los cometas o a los eclipses, sin saber bien por qu¨¦.

Si adem¨¢s supieran que puede ver m¨¢s all¨¢ de las fronteras de la vida, qui¨¦n sabe qu¨¦ pasar¨ªa.]]> 235 Alexandra Campos Hanon 6077467898 Erika 4 supernatural
The story takes place on a rural town where life isn't easy but still simple enough to move along undisturbed by the progress of the city. Superstition and gossip are the order of the day, and such bad habits are readily being passed on to the younger generations, making them quick to scorn whatever is foreign to them and ostracize anybody that diverges from the status quo. As the story develops, these views will be inspected and characters will have to make a decision to conform to the norm or question it.

The art is lovely. The style made me feel of a graphic novel or manga. I loved that it was black and white, it was fitting with the vibe of the story. I think a colored version would have made the art look too cartoony.

Regarding the writing, I will nitpick the constant change of point of views between characters, sometimes even within the same chapter, and the switch from first person to third. It could very well be a style choice by the author, I just found it confusing. I also dislike that when a character wouldn't answer the author would add a dialogue line that was just an ellipsis. Feels like unpolished writing.

Really satisfied with this book. I would recommend it to young and adult readers alike.]]> 4.56
author: Alexandra Campos Hanon
name: Erika
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/19
date added: 2021/01/20
shelves: supernatural
review:
This book was thoroughly enjoyable. The supernatural aspects managed to be whimsical without being childish, the light hearted moments never became goofy, and the sad events were insightful instead of downright dark.

The story takes place on a rural town where life isn't easy but still simple enough to move along undisturbed by the progress of the city. Superstition and gossip are the order of the day, and such bad habits are readily being passed on to the younger generations, making them quick to scorn whatever is foreign to them and ostracize anybody that diverges from the status quo. As the story develops, these views will be inspected and characters will have to make a decision to conform to the norm or question it.

The art is lovely. The style made me feel of a graphic novel or manga. I loved that it was black and white, it was fitting with the vibe of the story. I think a colored version would have made the art look too cartoony.

Regarding the writing, I will nitpick the constant change of point of views between characters, sometimes even within the same chapter, and the switch from first person to third. It could very well be a style choice by the author, I just found it confusing. I also dislike that when a character wouldn't answer the author would add a dialogue line that was just an ellipsis. Feels like unpolished writing.

Really satisfied with this book. I would recommend it to young and adult readers alike.
]]> 49328007 200 Kore Yamazaki 6076344113 Erika 3 manga
I was glad to see other characters point out to Chise that she has no self-worth and has become very dependent, but I think the author just brought these arguments up to shut them down to and prove Chise is truly in love with her master and justified in existing solely to please him. I hope I'm wrong but it really feels that way.

The villain was underwhelming, too. Most of us have already seen this trope, this super evil baddie that looks like a child and acts very blas¨¦ towards everything. Maybe some more backstory will help improve how generic this villain feels now.

I'll keep on reading the next volume and see if my interest on the series continues.]]> 4.18 2015
author: Kore Yamazaki
name: Erika
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/20
date added: 2021/01/20
shelves: manga
review:
As I had suspected, the wow factor of introducing new magical beings every ten pages is starting to fade. As other reviewers have pointed out, the plot feels aimless or, at best, terribly paced. Chise, the protagonist, is also not very likeable. She gives hard straight-out-of-a-fanfiction overpowered Mary Sue vibes, and her entire personality is looking for her owner's approval.

I was glad to see other characters point out to Chise that she has no self-worth and has become very dependent, but I think the author just brought these arguments up to shut them down to and prove Chise is truly in love with her master and justified in existing solely to please him. I hope I'm wrong but it really feels that way.

The villain was underwhelming, too. Most of us have already seen this trope, this super evil baddie that looks like a child and acts very blas¨¦ towards everything. Maybe some more backstory will help improve how generic this villain feels now.

I'll keep on reading the next volume and see if my interest on the series continues.
]]> 50876711 200 Kore Yamazaki 6076342676 Erika 4 manga 4.19 2014
author: Kore Yamazaki
name: Erika
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/19
date added: 2021/01/20
shelves: manga
review:
The real protagonist of this story is the world it takes place in. The lore feels very reminiscent of Harry Potter, it keeps you interested in all these new creatures that the protagonist comes across for the first time. However, that awe factor can only last so much, so I'm hoping the plot becomes more interesting soon. The references to the main characters getting married are still uncomfortable to read and I'm starting to think the author is really going to go all in on this "love story". I really, really hope it stays platonic or ambiguous. If it doesn't... well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
]]> 48616468

"Ella cumple deseos, pero a cambio exige un recuerdo".


?Qui¨¦n es Leteo? ?Cu¨¢l es el precio de un capricho? ?Cu¨¢nto estar¨ªas dispuesto a olvidar a cambio de hacer realidad tus sue?os? Estas son algunas de las preguntas que surgen a lo largo de esta historia que busca dimensionar el valor de la memoria.]]> 87 Alexandra Campos Hanon 6079849127 Erika 3
The reason I picked the book was the hint to the Greek myth of Lethe in the book's title. However, it wasn't explored much on the story, which is very linear and simple. You could even say it was reminiscent of the original Grimm fairy tales, somewhat formulaic and with a teaching that comes after a less than rosy ending. I also was reminded of "The NeverEnding Story" with the whole bargaining memories for wishes premise.

It is a perfectly okay story, but for some reason I wasn't taken by it. It all felt very bleak from the start, characters seemed generic to me, and as a reader I didn't have any reason to care for whatever happened to them, good or bad. The illustrations didn't help much on that regard either, they were fine but inconsequential. I can barely remember what they were like and it's only been a few days since I finished the book.

Perhaps the blurb oversells the story. Could also be I expected too much from a book aimed at young readers. End of the day, the book is short, easy to read and affordable. I would still recommend it for younger audiences, or to older readers if presented as a snack in between bigger meals.]]> 4.48 2019
author: Alexandra Campos Hanon
name: Erika
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2021/01/11
date added: 2021/01/17
shelves:
review:
Very short story, should be easy to finish if given to young people that aren't used to reading longer works. As an adult, I have to say I found it a tiny bit boring.

The reason I picked the book was the hint to the Greek myth of Lethe in the book's title. However, it wasn't explored much on the story, which is very linear and simple. You could even say it was reminiscent of the original Grimm fairy tales, somewhat formulaic and with a teaching that comes after a less than rosy ending. I also was reminded of "The NeverEnding Story" with the whole bargaining memories for wishes premise.

It is a perfectly okay story, but for some reason I wasn't taken by it. It all felt very bleak from the start, characters seemed generic to me, and as a reader I didn't have any reason to care for whatever happened to them, good or bad. The illustrations didn't help much on that regard either, they were fine but inconsequential. I can barely remember what they were like and it's only been a few days since I finished the book.

Perhaps the blurb oversells the story. Could also be I expected too much from a book aimed at young readers. End of the day, the book is short, easy to read and affordable. I would still recommend it for younger audiences, or to older readers if presented as a snack in between bigger meals.
]]> 1755825 181 Lynne Reid Banks 0385170513 Erika 4 children-literature
I enjoyed reading the story. I still found very compelling the premise of having a device that makes toys come alive. I also appreciated the author's approach to the responsibility behind giving life to an individual and having to care for them.

Yes, I did cringe whenever Little Bear was shown speaking botched English. Yes, it was uncomfortable to see him pictured as pretty much a spoiled warmonger. Was I surprised by it? Not really. Disney did the same on "Peter Pan", same as big musical productions like "Annie Get Your Gun" with Judy Garland.

Some people are pointing out this was published on 1980 and should have been less blatant about the racial stereotypes depicted due to changes in society by that time. However, the author was already 55 when the book was published, so it's not completely unfathomable that someone born on 1929 wasn't going to be super progressive regarding racial subjects. I don't know anything about the author other than her age, and this is her only book I've read, so I have no way of weighing if this bad depiction of Native Americans was the product of malicious intentions or just ignorance. Maybe picking up the sequels (which I had no idea existed!) would give more insight on that.

I wish the story had shown that Little Bear and Boone were a product of what little Omri knew about history and other cultures, and that when he went to look up more things at the library the way Little Bear and Boone behaved was updated to fit that. In a way, they would have been a product of Omri's ignorance and racist stereotypes taught to him through movies, and these would be cleared up as Omri educated himself and learned to appreciate those who are different to him. But, alas, that's just wishful thinking. The book is what it is, not what I wish it to be.

Bottom line, I think the book is enjoyable enough to be read, but if the one reading it is a young child it should come with a disclaimer of its inaccuracies and further discussion on diversity and respect.]]> 3.88 1980
author: Lynne Reid Banks
name: Erika
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/06
date added: 2021/01/17
shelves: children-literature
review:
Picked a second hand copy of this book after somehow stumbling on a reference to the 90s movie adaptation, which I watched many times when I was a kid.

I enjoyed reading the story. I still found very compelling the premise of having a device that makes toys come alive. I also appreciated the author's approach to the responsibility behind giving life to an individual and having to care for them.

Yes, I did cringe whenever Little Bear was shown speaking botched English. Yes, it was uncomfortable to see him pictured as pretty much a spoiled warmonger. Was I surprised by it? Not really. Disney did the same on "Peter Pan", same as big musical productions like "Annie Get Your Gun" with Judy Garland.

Some people are pointing out this was published on 1980 and should have been less blatant about the racial stereotypes depicted due to changes in society by that time. However, the author was already 55 when the book was published, so it's not completely unfathomable that someone born on 1929 wasn't going to be super progressive regarding racial subjects. I don't know anything about the author other than her age, and this is her only book I've read, so I have no way of weighing if this bad depiction of Native Americans was the product of malicious intentions or just ignorance. Maybe picking up the sequels (which I had no idea existed!) would give more insight on that.

I wish the story had shown that Little Bear and Boone were a product of what little Omri knew about history and other cultures, and that when he went to look up more things at the library the way Little Bear and Boone behaved was updated to fit that. In a way, they would have been a product of Omri's ignorance and racist stereotypes taught to him through movies, and these would be cleared up as Omri educated himself and learned to appreciate those who are different to him. But, alas, that's just wishful thinking. The book is what it is, not what I wish it to be.

Bottom line, I think the book is enjoyable enough to be read, but if the one reading it is a young child it should come with a disclaimer of its inaccuracies and further discussion on diversity and respect.
]]> 54847745 Cuentos del general, libro emblem¨¢tico de la narrativa mexicana del siglo XIX, queda confirmado por qu¨¦ Riva Palacio es considerado el precursor del cuento moderno y dignificador de la narraci¨®n breve como g¨¦nero art¨ªstico: son treinta y siete cuentos y f¨¢bulas de humor, iron¨ªa y s¨¢tira, en los que confluyen arm¨®nicamente la cr¨®nica, el cuadro de costumbres, el retrato social, la tradici¨®n, la leyenda, la farsa, la parodia y la narraci¨®n dram¨¢tica.

Sus personajes pertenecen a diversas ¨¦pocas y ambientes, y describe con claridad los ambientes y escenarios, como El nido de jilgueros o La visita de los marqueses, o bien, delinea con precisi¨®n las pasiones humanas, como en La bestia humana, sugiriendo una emoci¨®n que crea una cautivadora atm¨®sfera.

Algunos de los cuentos de la presente obra, nos hacen reflexionar y tomar conciencia sobre todo del tipo de relaciones que sostenemos con las personas con quienes convivimos diariamente, ya sea mediante dichos, frases, moralejas que resultan evidentes al t¨¦rmino de los cuentos, ya sea mediante dichos, frases, moralejas que resultan evidentes al t¨¦rmino de los cuentos, etc., mostr¨¢ndonos ante los dem¨¢s, simple y llanamente como lo que somos: seres humanos con fortalezas y debilidades, inherentes ¨¦stas a nuestra condici¨®n humana, pero tambi¨¦n con la capacidad de cambiar para aprender a vivir digna y honradamente entre nuestros semejantes y en contacto directo con todo lo que nos rodea...]]> 167 Vicente Riva Palacio Erika 0 0.0 1896
author: Vicente Riva Palacio
name: Erika
average rating: 0.0
book published: 1896
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/12/22
shelves: currently-reading, latin-american
review:

]]> 50876745 200 Kore Yamazaki 6076341319 Erika 3 manga
I've heard several positive comments about the story, so I'll give a few more volumes a try in hopes this doesn't turn into something too creepy. If it does, I'll be sure to leave a review about it (and edit this one to warn other readers) and move on to better things.]]> 4.19 2014
author: Kore Yamazaki
name: Erika
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2020/11/19
date added: 2020/12/19
shelves: manga
review:
Conflicted about this rating. I really enjoyed the world the author came up with, even if some of the terminology used sounds silly and the story is so far predictable. However, there's obviously the creepy problem of an ancient male buying a fifteen year old girl to be his slave/apprentice/bride. While reading I couldn't shake the voice in the back of my mind screaming "Grooming!" as the protagonist's relationship developed.

I've heard several positive comments about the story, so I'll give a few more volumes a try in hopes this doesn't turn into something too creepy. If it does, I'll be sure to leave a review about it (and edit this one to warn other readers) and move on to better things.
]]> 2714336 159 Sabine Baring-Gould 1566195152 Erika 0 currently-reading, folklore 3.60 1868
author: Sabine Baring-Gould
name: Erika
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1868
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/12/19
shelves: currently-reading, folklore
review:

]]> 16231346 240 Gene Luen Yang 1616550740 Erika 4
It's good, I admit. I was a bit bored with some of the side stories but I know they were needed to make certain points or comic relief. It also felt like things were happening too fast or that all the characters were acting very impulsively, but I can understand that in a comic you have no room for showing characters mulling over their decisions too long or to have their course of action develop through several episodes like on the animated series.

Other than that, this is a very good tie in for those that want more of the Avatar universe. The art is of extremely high quality and as a side bonus you get plenty of annotations by the writers and artists involved in the making of this comic.]]> 4.40 2013
author: Gene Luen Yang
name: Erika
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2019/08/16
date added: 2020/11/24
shelves:
review:
I got this Library Edition for my husband and after he finished binge reading it I was vehemently encouraged to read it myself.

It's good, I admit. I was a bit bored with some of the side stories but I know they were needed to make certain points or comic relief. It also felt like things were happening too fast or that all the characters were acting very impulsively, but I can understand that in a comic you have no room for showing characters mulling over their decisions too long or to have their course of action develop through several episodes like on the animated series.

Other than that, this is a very good tie in for those that want more of the Avatar universe. The art is of extremely high quality and as a side bonus you get plenty of annotations by the writers and artists involved in the making of this comic.
]]> 32738147 46 Pascuala Corona 6077453730 Erika 4
The illustrations are good, made exclusively with black, red and white shades. It isn't pretty in the usual way you would expect. Shapes are eerie, scenes are gloomy... but not in a gothic way, somehow it does ring Mexican to me, the way the drawings are made.

There's an audio you can download with the book that follows the Nahuatl text. I haven't checked it out yet but it's a nice detail.

This is a very short book. I finished while waiting for someone to pick me up and I had some minutes to spare after it. Sometimes I compare books to food and this would be a snack, something you don't usually have, with a peculiar flavor but not very lasting.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a few minutes to kill, regardless of their age.]]> 3.90
author: Pascuala Corona
name: Erika
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/10/24
date added: 2020/08/13
shelves: children-literature, supernatural, latin-american
review:
I haven't got much information behind the making of this book but it sounds interesting. This is a bilingual edition (Spanish and Nahuatl) but I am unsure which language is the original one. It's a short tale reminiscent of oral tradition in Mexico, which I'm familiar with because of some of my old relatives from rural areas. The story is one of a young prince bewitched by an evil hag, who now wishes to get married. Right away it reminded me of a story I read almost a year ago by Madam d'Aulnoy about a prince that was turned into a wild boar (referred as pig in English versions, I think). I guess folktales do have some unknown unconscious relation.

The illustrations are good, made exclusively with black, red and white shades. It isn't pretty in the usual way you would expect. Shapes are eerie, scenes are gloomy... but not in a gothic way, somehow it does ring Mexican to me, the way the drawings are made.

There's an audio you can download with the book that follows the Nahuatl text. I haven't checked it out yet but it's a nice detail.

This is a very short book. I finished while waiting for someone to pick me up and I had some minutes to spare after it. Sometimes I compare books to food and this would be a snack, something you don't usually have, with a peculiar flavor but not very lasting.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a few minutes to kill, regardless of their age.
]]> 895898 221 Julio Cort¨¢zar 9580429596 Erika 3 latin-american
The protagonists are teenagers facing the world in the best way they can, which isn't an easy road to walk while dealing with such intense emotions and the limitations inherent to their status as a teenager in an adult dominated society.

Unrequited love, parental expectations, political activism, risky escapades, a shaky sense of self worth. All of that is presented in a realistic, most times blunt way. Not taking away from the literary abilities of the writers, on the contrary, I think they were effective in capturing the extremes of what being that young encompass. Tender love turns to hateful vulgarity in a blink, being lifted up a minute by delusional grandiosity but then thrown to the deepest low possible on the next. One day is a drought and the next a downpour.

Of the sixteen stories, I enjoyed half. It's not that I hated the other half, they just didn't connect with me on a personal level or left me with an uncomfortable feeling afterwards. Of those eight I liked, I can see most being successful with young readers and a good device for discussing the struggles young people face growing up without getting too much into their personal stories.

Before each story, a small section is dedicated to introduce the author. Details like the country of birth and where the author completed their studies were mentioned, followed by a list of book titles and prizes earned. After that is included an abstract from interviews or articles in which the author speaks about the art of writing, what influenced their style or their creative process, etc.

As a side note, I noticed that fifteen of authors featured are men, which isn't surprising for 1960s Latin America. Lately I've been taking up on short story compilations and I see more works by women, but still a smaller number in contrast with the amount of men writers.

Final verdict, I found this book enriching in its diversity. I came across names I had never heard of and whose work I'll now look into. I would recommend it to professionals that work with teenagers, young readers (preferably on their late teens and forward), and anyone interested in the teenage experience back in the 1960s.]]> 4.00 1992
author: Julio Cort¨¢zar
name: Erika
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2020/08/01
date added: 2020/08/01
shelves: latin-american
review:
This anthology compiles the works of sixteen authors from different Latin American countries, written back in the 1960s.

The protagonists are teenagers facing the world in the best way they can, which isn't an easy road to walk while dealing with such intense emotions and the limitations inherent to their status as a teenager in an adult dominated society.

Unrequited love, parental expectations, political activism, risky escapades, a shaky sense of self worth. All of that is presented in a realistic, most times blunt way. Not taking away from the literary abilities of the writers, on the contrary, I think they were effective in capturing the extremes of what being that young encompass. Tender love turns to hateful vulgarity in a blink, being lifted up a minute by delusional grandiosity but then thrown to the deepest low possible on the next. One day is a drought and the next a downpour.

Of the sixteen stories, I enjoyed half. It's not that I hated the other half, they just didn't connect with me on a personal level or left me with an uncomfortable feeling afterwards. Of those eight I liked, I can see most being successful with young readers and a good device for discussing the struggles young people face growing up without getting too much into their personal stories.

Before each story, a small section is dedicated to introduce the author. Details like the country of birth and where the author completed their studies were mentioned, followed by a list of book titles and prizes earned. After that is included an abstract from interviews or articles in which the author speaks about the art of writing, what influenced their style or their creative process, etc.

As a side note, I noticed that fifteen of authors featured are men, which isn't surprising for 1960s Latin America. Lately I've been taking up on short story compilations and I see more works by women, but still a smaller number in contrast with the amount of men writers.

Final verdict, I found this book enriching in its diversity. I came across names I had never heard of and whose work I'll now look into. I would recommend it to professionals that work with teenagers, young readers (preferably on their late teens and forward), and anyone interested in the teenage experience back in the 1960s.
]]> 2073296 167 Rius 9700506770 Erika 0 currently-reading, religion 4.11 1987
author: Rius
name: Erika
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/31
shelves: currently-reading, religion
review:

]]> 54696931
Como hoy los vagones el?ctricos, las bicicletas y los autom?viles, son terror y espanto de los medrosos peatones, en 1810 lo eran los coches, los caballos y los cargadores.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.]]> 108 Luis Gonz¨¢lez Obreg¨®n Erika 3 history
However, this is not a retelling of the historical events that took place that year after the fight begun. The insurgent movement is barely even mentioned through the book at all. What is presented is a sample of what life was like before such an important event broke out. Most information comes from local papers from the year 1810, accompanied with beautiful drawings and engravings.

We're told what the city streets looked like, boasting with dirty peasants walking and elegant carriages driving wealthy Spaniards around. Fashion of the time is described, as well as certain jobs that were already going extinct back in 1910.

Religion and politics were basically the same thing back then, so it's no surprise they both get a large part on the book, yet it's not in the way of conspiracies taking place to overthrow the Colonizer's power or anything like that. Napoleon was the big bogeyman for the Spaniards at the time, not some rebellious mestizos, and it shows on the constant and very publish efforts the church made during Holy Week to condemn any France sympathizers.

Many forms of art are touched upon, highlighting the name and work of the big names of the time. And lastly pastimes and sports in vogue at the time are mentioned.

The author has a jolly, tongue in cheek style that even after two hundred years is easy to read and brings the reader a chuckle or two. He does a good job of bringing 1810 Mexico back to life. The food, fabrics, the buildings... you can really picture it.

Not the most entertaining read for the common reader, yet I can see this as a valuable resource for people wanting to learn about the context of 1800s Mexico.
]]> 3.00
author: Luis Gonz¨¢lez Obreg¨®n
name: Erika
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2020/07/27
date added: 2020/07/27
shelves: history
review:
A hundred years had passed since the start of Mexico's Independence fight and as a an effort to both celebrate and reminisce this book was created.

However, this is not a retelling of the historical events that took place that year after the fight begun. The insurgent movement is barely even mentioned through the book at all. What is presented is a sample of what life was like before such an important event broke out. Most information comes from local papers from the year 1810, accompanied with beautiful drawings and engravings.

We're told what the city streets looked like, boasting with dirty peasants walking and elegant carriages driving wealthy Spaniards around. Fashion of the time is described, as well as certain jobs that were already going extinct back in 1910.

Religion and politics were basically the same thing back then, so it's no surprise they both get a large part on the book, yet it's not in the way of conspiracies taking place to overthrow the Colonizer's power or anything like that. Napoleon was the big bogeyman for the Spaniards at the time, not some rebellious mestizos, and it shows on the constant and very publish efforts the church made during Holy Week to condemn any France sympathizers.

Many forms of art are touched upon, highlighting the name and work of the big names of the time. And lastly pastimes and sports in vogue at the time are mentioned.

The author has a jolly, tongue in cheek style that even after two hundred years is easy to read and brings the reader a chuckle or two. He does a good job of bringing 1810 Mexico back to life. The food, fabrics, the buildings... you can really picture it.

Not the most entertaining read for the common reader, yet I can see this as a valuable resource for people wanting to learn about the context of 1800s Mexico.

]]> 21839296 285 Jos¨¦ Manuel de Prada Samper 8498412927 Erika 0 currently-reading, fantasy 3.55 1999
author: Jos¨¦ Manuel de Prada Samper
name: Erika
average rating: 3.55
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/07/27
shelves: currently-reading, fantasy
review:

]]> 45800437 24 Ana Maria Machado 6078622269 Erika 4
What I liked about this book was the joyful way the blackness of the main character was presented. Some books that talk about race tend to put a lot of emphasis on the struggle, the otherness that people of color face (which are all important and valid, of course), yet here it wasn't mentioned because it wasn't needed. Characters were unapologetically themselves, simple as that.

Illustrations are simple and straightforward, nothing flashy but they do a good job of accentuating the black beauty of the characters.

I noticed a few reviews from people reading the English version of the story mentioning being a bit taken aback from the use of the term "mulatto/a", which must be foreign to them and perhaps even considered offensive at first glance. However, this word is so commonplace in Latin American countries with a Colonial past and, from the way I've seen it used in the present and particularly in this book, is not meant to be derogatory at all. Same with "mestizo/a", it's just words that we make use of to define ourselves. However, we're all entitled to our opinions and feelings about words and that's fair.

A nice addition to a kid's library, no matter their heritage, since it's important to learn to celebrate one another from an early age.]]> 4.50 1995
author: Ana Maria Machado
name: Erika
average rating: 4.50
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at: 2020/07/26
date added: 2020/07/26
shelves: children-literature, latin-american
review:
A celebratory tale about race and heritage presented in a playful, uncomplicated way. The book was written back in the eighties by Brazilian author Ana Maria Machado and it stays relevant today.

What I liked about this book was the joyful way the blackness of the main character was presented. Some books that talk about race tend to put a lot of emphasis on the struggle, the otherness that people of color face (which are all important and valid, of course), yet here it wasn't mentioned because it wasn't needed. Characters were unapologetically themselves, simple as that.

Illustrations are simple and straightforward, nothing flashy but they do a good job of accentuating the black beauty of the characters.

I noticed a few reviews from people reading the English version of the story mentioning being a bit taken aback from the use of the term "mulatto/a", which must be foreign to them and perhaps even considered offensive at first glance. However, this word is so commonplace in Latin American countries with a Colonial past and, from the way I've seen it used in the present and particularly in this book, is not meant to be derogatory at all. Same with "mestizo/a", it's just words that we make use of to define ourselves. However, we're all entitled to our opinions and feelings about words and that's fair.

A nice addition to a kid's library, no matter their heritage, since it's important to learn to celebrate one another from an early age.
]]> 52614592 166 Akihito Tsukushi 6075487263 Erika 2 manga
Did we really need that much information dump from the get go? I think the map of the abyss was explained three times or something like that and characters haven't even gone inside of it. Same with the ranks of the explorers. Focusing so much in the world building had the characters looking bland in comparison.

The cutesy humor attempts I didn't care for and I continued to be put off by the blatant "fan service" (gratuitous nudity) of the twelve year old girl protagonist. Another critique I have is that the version I read (Spanish translation) felt like it was translated way too literally, making the dialogues seem unnatural.

I've watched the anime version and the story get better later on but if I had only read this volume and knew nothing more of it I would have dropped it without a doubt. ]]> 3.20 2013
author: Akihito Tsukushi
name: Erika
average rating: 3.20
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2020/07/25
date added: 2020/07/25
shelves: manga
review:
Making it through this volume was a struggle. Yes, the art is good, the concept is interesting... but goodness, it was a boring read.

Did we really need that much information dump from the get go? I think the map of the abyss was explained three times or something like that and characters haven't even gone inside of it. Same with the ranks of the explorers. Focusing so much in the world building had the characters looking bland in comparison.

The cutesy humor attempts I didn't care for and I continued to be put off by the blatant "fan service" (gratuitous nudity) of the twelve year old girl protagonist. Another critique I have is that the version I read (Spanish translation) felt like it was translated way too literally, making the dialogues seem unnatural.

I've watched the anime version and the story get better later on but if I had only read this volume and knew nothing more of it I would have dropped it without a doubt.
]]> 22458687 93 Lourdes Somohano 6078252518 Erika 4 history, non-fiction
The book covers three main subjects: the devil, hell and witches. Each subject is organized in a three step model. First the reader is given a brief rehash of what European conceptions were of each particular subject. After that, cases that were presented to the Inquisition in the New World are examined, showing particular discrepancies from the original European conceptions that Spanish rule tried to impose. Lastly, a connection is made to Mesoamerican myths and old practices to showcase how they shaped people's conception of the subject in question (the devil, hell, witches).

The author makes these connections without going too deep into social commentary, only touching on the role of masculinity in the closing section. However, I found it interesting that the cases of men making pacts with the devil heavily implied the desire to fulfill this macho expectation that still stands in Latin American cultures. Also at some point it felt like I was reading Freudian cases explaining how men had unresolved issues due to their actions (adultery, mostly) and their feelings (jealousy, anger, guilt) and reflected them on their bodies (sudden illnesses or impotency) and opted to blame women (usually past lovers) of bewitching them.

Incredibly easy to read book, no need to have any historical or religious background to grasp the premise presented by the author. Many sources were used in the making on the text, which gives the reader other places to go look into if the interest on following up on the subject arises. Only reason I'm not giving the highest rating is because the information is a bit repetitive in between sections but other than that, pretty pleased with this reading experience.]]> 4.12 2013
author: Lourdes Somohano
name: Erika
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2020/07/24
date added: 2020/07/24
shelves: history, non-fiction
review:
All witches are not made equal, so it makes sense to give New World witches their own space to shine.

The book covers three main subjects: the devil, hell and witches. Each subject is organized in a three step model. First the reader is given a brief rehash of what European conceptions were of each particular subject. After that, cases that were presented to the Inquisition in the New World are examined, showing particular discrepancies from the original European conceptions that Spanish rule tried to impose. Lastly, a connection is made to Mesoamerican myths and old practices to showcase how they shaped people's conception of the subject in question (the devil, hell, witches).

The author makes these connections without going too deep into social commentary, only touching on the role of masculinity in the closing section. However, I found it interesting that the cases of men making pacts with the devil heavily implied the desire to fulfill this macho expectation that still stands in Latin American cultures. Also at some point it felt like I was reading Freudian cases explaining how men had unresolved issues due to their actions (adultery, mostly) and their feelings (jealousy, anger, guilt) and reflected them on their bodies (sudden illnesses or impotency) and opted to blame women (usually past lovers) of bewitching them.

Incredibly easy to read book, no need to have any historical or religious background to grasp the premise presented by the author. Many sources were used in the making on the text, which gives the reader other places to go look into if the interest on following up on the subject arises. Only reason I'm not giving the highest rating is because the information is a bit repetitive in between sections but other than that, pretty pleased with this reading experience.
]]> 49502989 103 Roger Bartra 6070308441 Erika 2 history
The first section is dedicated to the life of Julia Pastrana. It's the most interesting part of the book and most likely the reason anyone would buy it, which the publishers must have been quite aware since they had her photo be the cover image.

The second section details how a group of Native Americans were paraded around Europe as curiosities, some times given exaggerated backstories, others romanticized as noble heroes, yet never seeing the real individuals for who they were.

Third section covers what the image and concept of the savage is used in modern times, mostly in the arts. I found this article to be the weakest of the whole, not because the argument was bad but more than the subject was too specialized on art movements and technical concepts for me to be able to enjoy it.

Last part is the shortest and features the story of a French man that pretended to be a savage man from Formosa (now Taiwan) and managed to fool the world with this persona, even publishing a book of nothing but made up rituals and social norms.

Not the most riveting read and little more than an advertisement for Bartra's other books El mito del salvaje and El salvaje en el espejo. If I had to recommend this to someone it would probably be someone looking for references on a paper or generally interested in anthropology. ]]> 4.00
author: Roger Bartra
name: Erika
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2020/07/20
date added: 2020/07/20
shelves: history
review:
The book is composed of four different texts on the subject of "savages", some being articles published in magazines and an introduction to someone's book.

The first section is dedicated to the life of Julia Pastrana. It's the most interesting part of the book and most likely the reason anyone would buy it, which the publishers must have been quite aware since they had her photo be the cover image.

The second section details how a group of Native Americans were paraded around Europe as curiosities, some times given exaggerated backstories, others romanticized as noble heroes, yet never seeing the real individuals for who they were.

Third section covers what the image and concept of the savage is used in modern times, mostly in the arts. I found this article to be the weakest of the whole, not because the argument was bad but more than the subject was too specialized on art movements and technical concepts for me to be able to enjoy it.

Last part is the shortest and features the story of a French man that pretended to be a savage man from Formosa (now Taiwan) and managed to fool the world with this persona, even publishing a book of nothing but made up rituals and social norms.

Not the most riveting read and little more than an advertisement for Bartra's other books El mito del salvaje and El salvaje en el espejo. If I had to recommend this to someone it would probably be someone looking for references on a paper or generally interested in anthropology.
]]> 13614740 136 Federico Garc¨ªa Lorca 9681500849 Erika 3 theatre
Not being a fan of poetry I wasn't too interested on the verses (which could be songs in the original play) included in several scenes. I think this story must be much more effective on scene than on paper in general.

I wish there had been more scenes, the overall story felt like it got by with just barely enough information to function. [spoilers removed] It felt to me there were hints of a bigger scheme taking place that weren't addressed. [spoilers removed]

Short and simple read. Feels a bit outdated and I can see how the language can be off putting to readers nowadays, but I see potential for a school play if the script is modernized. Anyway, I am willing to read more works by Garc¨ªa Lorca before I can make up my mind if his writing is for me or not.]]> 3.15 1932
author: Federico Garc¨ªa Lorca
name: Erika
average rating: 3.15
book published: 1932
rating: 3
read at: 2020/07/17
date added: 2020/07/17
shelves: theatre
review:
My family has had this book on our house since the mid seventies and I grew up seeing it around and finding it scary yet intriguing. I remember trying to read it back in my teen years when I got into reading but back then I found it boring and didn't understand much of the plot. Still can't say I found it riveting but at least I can appreciate the plot and the language better.

Not being a fan of poetry I wasn't too interested on the verses (which could be songs in the original play) included in several scenes. I think this story must be much more effective on scene than on paper in general.

I wish there had been more scenes, the overall story felt like it got by with just barely enough information to function. [spoilers removed] It felt to me there were hints of a bigger scheme taking place that weren't addressed. [spoilers removed]

Short and simple read. Feels a bit outdated and I can see how the language can be off putting to readers nowadays, but I see potential for a school play if the script is modernized. Anyway, I am willing to read more works by Garc¨ªa Lorca before I can make up my mind if his writing is for me or not.
]]> 32059849
En la cultura contempor¨¢nea, estas historias de fantasmas han encontrado una nueva forma de expresi¨®n gracias al cine, al manga y al anime. En esta novela gr¨¢fica, el escritor Sean Michael Wilson y la ilustradora Michiru Morikawa nos presentan seis terror¨ªficas historias sobrenaturales que contienen todo el sabor y la esencia de los mejores relatos de misterio de Jap¨®n.]]> 136 Sean Michael Wilson 8494464965 Erika 4 Kwaidan before I wasn't expecting anything other than satisfying my curiosity about how well adapted the tales were in illustrations, on one hand because I love spooky art and in the other because I was considering getting this as a gift for someone and wanted to see if it was good enough for that.

I liked the art style, it wasn't very spooky which actually rang true to the original tales, which are more eerie than downright scary. The text was nicely adapted. I didn't go back and compare it to the original text but it felt very close to the words Hearn used.

Only critique I have is that in some of the tales it felt like some of the panels could have used more text. One that already knows the story manages to connect the dots on their own but I think a new reader may be pushed back a little when asked to fill those blanks.

I would recommend this to teenagers, people that want a quick and easy read, and to those that already are familiar with Hearn's work and want to see someone's take on making them come alive.]]> 3.52 2007
author: Sean Michael Wilson
name: Erika
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2020/07/16
date added: 2020/07/16
shelves: japanese-literature, supernatural, manga
review:
Was really excited about this book (graphic novel? manga?) when I saw it listed on one of my usual bookstores website. Having already read Kwaidan before I wasn't expecting anything other than satisfying my curiosity about how well adapted the tales were in illustrations, on one hand because I love spooky art and in the other because I was considering getting this as a gift for someone and wanted to see if it was good enough for that.

I liked the art style, it wasn't very spooky which actually rang true to the original tales, which are more eerie than downright scary. The text was nicely adapted. I didn't go back and compare it to the original text but it felt very close to the words Hearn used.

Only critique I have is that in some of the tales it felt like some of the panels could have used more text. One that already knows the story manages to connect the dots on their own but I think a new reader may be pushed back a little when asked to fill those blanks.

I would recommend this to teenagers, people that want a quick and easy read, and to those that already are familiar with Hearn's work and want to see someone's take on making them come alive.
]]> 56174 129 Joan Estruch Tobella 8420449342 Erika 5 latin-american
The stories are really short, ranging from about four to ten pages, and are listed in alphabetical order, which seems to me very fair not to prioritize certain names over others that may not be as familiar to the reader. Out of the eleven stories compiled I only had heard the name of five of the authors and had read only one of the stories and didn't remember any of it to be honest.

I've struggled before with short stories anthologies because I read them all in one go and get too drained with the constant beginning and ending of stories. Therefore this time I decided to take my time and only read a story per day. I found this approach much more enjoyable and it's something I would recommend to people trying to start or to get back into reading.

The stories lean heavily into magic realism, which is a genre I have struggled with since my youth because I don't like in-betweens; either give me realism or go all the way into fantasy or at least science fiction. But age has made me fonder of the genre and I did enjoy the stories on this anthology.

At the beginning of every story there is a one page analysis breaking down the themes of each story. I would read them after I finished with a story and found them very helpful dispelling and actually making sense of the magical elements which I would consider nonsense in the past. This extra information on the stories is something that I also think could be great for new readers or students.

A section with the highlights of the backstory and most renown works by each author is provided. An effective detail since now I will go find some of those other books because I liked certain authors styles.

Great reading experience, I have no complains about it whatsoever. Wish there were more compilations like this one around! Only thing I can do now is to keep on hunting for the rest of the anthologies on the series.
]]> 3.97 2000
author: Joan Estruch Tobella
name: Erika
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2020/07/14
date added: 2020/07/14
shelves: latin-american
review:
I came across this book on a second hand bookstore while I was looking for works by Latin American writers, which I am not as familiar as I maybe should be. This anthology is no longer in print, I believe, so I was very lucky to find it. I have another book on this series of anthologies which I read back in my teens and had to track down a copy for years later on trying to get a hold of it again.

The stories are really short, ranging from about four to ten pages, and are listed in alphabetical order, which seems to me very fair not to prioritize certain names over others that may not be as familiar to the reader. Out of the eleven stories compiled I only had heard the name of five of the authors and had read only one of the stories and didn't remember any of it to be honest.

I've struggled before with short stories anthologies because I read them all in one go and get too drained with the constant beginning and ending of stories. Therefore this time I decided to take my time and only read a story per day. I found this approach much more enjoyable and it's something I would recommend to people trying to start or to get back into reading.

The stories lean heavily into magic realism, which is a genre I have struggled with since my youth because I don't like in-betweens; either give me realism or go all the way into fantasy or at least science fiction. But age has made me fonder of the genre and I did enjoy the stories on this anthology.

At the beginning of every story there is a one page analysis breaking down the themes of each story. I would read them after I finished with a story and found them very helpful dispelling and actually making sense of the magical elements which I would consider nonsense in the past. This extra information on the stories is something that I also think could be great for new readers or students.

A section with the highlights of the backstory and most renown works by each author is provided. An effective detail since now I will go find some of those other books because I liked certain authors styles.

Great reading experience, I have no complains about it whatsoever. Wish there were more compilations like this one around! Only thing I can do now is to keep on hunting for the rest of the anthologies on the series.

]]> 31452380 40 Esmeralda R¨ªos 6074611831 Erika 5
The book features Mayan myths, which I find lovely because there is wisdom in these pre-Hispanic tales and I think it's important to make them available to today's audiences.

Illustrations are simple but very beautiful. Not scary or somber looking at all, even if most of the pages depict Death (which is a skeleton) in her underground domain. I would consider this perfectly acceptable for children to read or to have it read to them. There's also a glossary at the end for the Mayan terms included in the story and some other words that kids may be unfamiliar with.

A great book to get if you have or work with kids, more so if they've had a loved one pass away or have started asking about the subject of death.]]> 4.58
author: Esmeralda R¨ªos
name: Erika
average rating: 4.58
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2020/07/09
date added: 2020/07/11
shelves: children-literature, latin-american
review:
Charming little book about accepting the inevitability of the life and death cycle and coming to terms with the departure of a loved one. There's also an underlying message about understanding and getting to know others who are different from us.

The book features Mayan myths, which I find lovely because there is wisdom in these pre-Hispanic tales and I think it's important to make them available to today's audiences.

Illustrations are simple but very beautiful. Not scary or somber looking at all, even if most of the pages depict Death (which is a skeleton) in her underground domain. I would consider this perfectly acceptable for children to read or to have it read to them. There's also a glossary at the end for the Mayan terms included in the story and some other words that kids may be unfamiliar with.

A great book to get if you have or work with kids, more so if they've had a loved one pass away or have started asking about the subject of death.
]]> 53869677 32 6074611793 Erika 4
I had heard a story time type retelling of the book before and I have to say I liked the reading experience much more. The subjects of children's fears and responsibility are in the story but not in an overtly in your face type of way, letting the reader have fun with the events in the tale while still being aware of what's at stake for the protagonist and reaching their own conclusions.

Fun, short and could work as a opener for getting children to talk about their fears of the unknown, duties at home, embarrassing situations and keeping secrets.]]> 3.71
author: HONORIO ROBLEDO Y ALFREDO DELGADO
name: Erika
average rating: 3.71
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2020/07/09
date added: 2020/07/11
shelves: children-literature, latin-american
review:
A fun little short story that showcases life in rural areas and the supernatural beliefs that are so common in Latin America. The illustrations are colorful and a bit reminiscent of the style of Mexican muralism. Perhaps I'm wrong with that comparison, all I know is that it sure gave me a 90s public school reading book vibe.

I had heard a story time type retelling of the book before and I have to say I liked the reading experience much more. The subjects of children's fears and responsibility are in the story but not in an overtly in your face type of way, letting the reader have fun with the events in the tale while still being aware of what's at stake for the protagonist and reaching their own conclusions.

Fun, short and could work as a opener for getting children to talk about their fears of the unknown, duties at home, embarrassing situations and keeping secrets.
]]> 1169073 174 Amos Tutuola 0802131050 Erika 0 3.77 1954
author: Amos Tutuola
name: Erika
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1954
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/03/31
shelves: currently-reading, supernatural
review:

]]> 52824035
Con¨®celos y ?atr¨¦vete a ser uno de ellos!]]> An¨ªbal Litvin Erika 3 children-literature
It is my belief that the message behind all these trivia facts is encouraging young readers to make a difference in this world, to follow their aspirations and see where they lead them, just like it was the case of the many people mentioned in the book. And because of the number of different subjects covered I think there's bound to be something that truly interest different boys and girls.]]> 3.00
author: An¨ªbal Litvin
name: Erika
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/06/26
date added: 2020/03/30
shelves: children-literature
review:
I got this book as a present for a young teen and decided to read it before giving it to him to make sure it was suitable for his age. In all honesty I wasn't looking forward to it because the previous book of this series was not to my liking (although the kid I gifted it to positively loved it). However, I found this book much more enjoyable than the previous one, in part because of the wider range of subjects touched (cinema, science, literature, sports, etc.) but it also felt more mature.

It is my belief that the message behind all these trivia facts is encouraging young readers to make a difference in this world, to follow their aspirations and see where they lead them, just like it was the case of the many people mentioned in the book. And because of the number of different subjects covered I think there's bound to be something that truly interest different boys and girls.
]]> 52781923
Llena de color y con un estilo que conmueve, Do?a B¨¢rbara es un yo acuso contra la injusticia y la corrupci¨®n y, al mismo tiempo, una propuesta para conciliar la naturaleza y el progreso para lograr una mejor vida para todos. Entretejida con este prop¨®sito, la trama muestra una intensa historia de amor y venganza al m¨¢s puro estilo rom¨¢ntico, pero desarrollada seg¨²n los principios de la corriente modernista. No en vano est¨¢ considerada y con raz¨®n, una de las grandes novelas de la literatura de nuestro continente.]]> 357 R¨®mulo Gallegos 970627880X Erika 2 latin-american
I didn't expect the language to be a big problem but it wasn't only that this book was written back in late 1920's but that the words were regional. Part of me wished I had picked up an English translation so the writing would have been made more simple for English readers, but I had to read this on the original language it was written on.

The character of Do?a Barbara was what interested me in this book. It struck me as very progressive to have a strong female character as the lead in a Latin American novel from the 1920's. However I was a bit disappointed when she was described as "butch" but it was still pretty impressive to see a woman in such a position of power over so many men. Sadly, she was portrayed in a very negative light, in contrast to other females on the book that were idealized for being pretty and staying home doing chores like cooking and cleaning.

The pacing of the book was good for the first couple of chapters, giving time to the different characters' stories. But halfway through the focus is mainly centered in Santos Luzardo and Marisela and a bunch of cattle. Lots of cattle talk, really. Chasing cattle, branding cattle, milking cattle, stealing cattle...

Now, characters. Do?a Barbara was the one I truly found likable and relatable. Marisela was bland; Santos Luzardo was one dimensional. Some of the ranch workers were alright, like Pajarote and some of Do?a Barbara's henchmen. All in all, there were way too many characters for the little purpose they served in the story, in my opinion.

I see this book as a window to a particular moment in time in Venezuela's history, a depiction of how traditions and beliefs started to change with the progress of technology and more access to education, as well as the intervention of foreigners.

I wasn't thrilled about this book but it was just okay enough for me not to hate it or drop it. ]]> 2.75 1929
author: R¨®mulo Gallegos
name: Erika
average rating: 2.75
book published: 1929
rating: 2
read at: 2019/08/09
date added: 2020/03/29
shelves: latin-american
review:
Decided to read this book after I found myself vicariously watching the Mexican TV serial adaptation through my mom. Realizing that I had never read anything by a Venezuelan author I went and bought the book.

I didn't expect the language to be a big problem but it wasn't only that this book was written back in late 1920's but that the words were regional. Part of me wished I had picked up an English translation so the writing would have been made more simple for English readers, but I had to read this on the original language it was written on.

The character of Do?a Barbara was what interested me in this book. It struck me as very progressive to have a strong female character as the lead in a Latin American novel from the 1920's. However I was a bit disappointed when she was described as "butch" but it was still pretty impressive to see a woman in such a position of power over so many men. Sadly, she was portrayed in a very negative light, in contrast to other females on the book that were idealized for being pretty and staying home doing chores like cooking and cleaning.

The pacing of the book was good for the first couple of chapters, giving time to the different characters' stories. But halfway through the focus is mainly centered in Santos Luzardo and Marisela and a bunch of cattle. Lots of cattle talk, really. Chasing cattle, branding cattle, milking cattle, stealing cattle...

Now, characters. Do?a Barbara was the one I truly found likable and relatable. Marisela was bland; Santos Luzardo was one dimensional. Some of the ranch workers were alright, like Pajarote and some of Do?a Barbara's henchmen. All in all, there were way too many characters for the little purpose they served in the story, in my opinion.

I see this book as a window to a particular moment in time in Venezuela's history, a depiction of how traditions and beliefs started to change with the progress of technology and more access to education, as well as the intervention of foreigners.

I wasn't thrilled about this book but it was just okay enough for me not to hate it or drop it.
]]> 34146912 Ring, which spawned blockbuster films on both sides of the Pacific, and thirteen years after Birthday, the seeming last word on iconic villain Sadako and her containment, internationally acclaimed master of horror and Shirley Jackson Award-winner Koji Suzuki makes his much awaited returned to the famed trilogy's mind-blowing story world with a new novel, S.

Takanori Ando, son of Spiral protagonist Mitsuo, works at a small CGI production company and hopes to become a filmmaker one day despite coming from a family of doctors, When he's tasked by his boss to examine a putatively live-streamed video of a suicide that's been floating around the internet, the aspiring director takes on more than he bargained for. His lover Akane, an orphan who grew up at a foster-care facility and is now a rookie high-school teacher, ends up watching the clip. She is pregnant, and she is...triggered.

Sinking hooks into our unconscious from its very first pages with its creepy imagery, and rewarding curious fans of the series with clever self-references, here is a fitting sequel to a tale renowned for its ongoing mutations.]]> 240 K¨­ji Suzuki 1945054638 Erika 1 Ring books but this one was supposed to be readable as a standalone installment and I had read positive opinions about the author in general so I went into it eagerly.

The story begins slowly with a thriller type of vibe. A quick succession of scenes unfold in a very cinematic way, which wasn't a bother at first but soon gave me the feeling that the author was making cuts to work around important plot points.

The main characters are incredibly bland and do not incite any empathy from the readers. Both Takanori and Akane just seem to be inconsequential pawns used by the author to advance the story. Takanori has a big revelation about his childhood his parents hid from him? Totally unfazed. Akane unlocks repressed memories from a traumatic experience? No shock whatsoever. The entire book is deprived of any emotion. The only thing I found more unrealistic than the characters reactions to extraordinary events were the conjectures they made regarding the plot out of the blue. A character may learn a certain fact and right away they make a huge leap from point A to point B and reach a conclusion that advances the plot but makes no sense to the reader.

A good part of the book consists of recaps of event that took place in the previous installments of the series, including a complete retelling of the first one. For a 240 page book this was a lot. To add to the tediousness of the information dump, the story mainly consists of characters inner thoughts piecing together information in an unrealistic fashion, as I stated before. Most scenes are Takanori in his room thinking, thinking while he walks or thinking while he waits to meet someone. Nothing happens most of the time.

I had a hard time liking or caring about Akane the most. She has no personality other than being in love with Takanori and being scared of things. I noticed that the author cut scenes short and skipped ahead in certain points in which important revelations were made by or told to Akane. The scenes in which she was on it was usual to have her be unconscious, asleep or distracted. Other female characters got the same disregarding treatment, like Takanori's mother, who was mentioned only to state she wasn't strong enough to be told important things happening; there's also the actress turned director lady that was only shown from afar, sometimes literally only being present because of the scent left by the nice perfume she wore. Pretty much any female in the story were there to be impregnated or killed off.

Last 40 pages or so of the book the story goes off the rails, suddenly turning into a sci-fi existentialist monologue made out of crazy information dump to which no one had any surprised reaction to.

It feel like nothing leads anywhere. There's no payout for the reader in any sense. [spoilers removed] And there's so many loose ends. [spoilers removed] There were times when I just wanted to throw the book on the floor and give up. [spoilers removed] I'm all up for strange, out there plots, but you have to build up to them. Otherwise it feels like your reading a thriller with supernatural elements and in the last chapter it turns out to be all because of the aliens infecting people's brains or something like that.

I was very disappointed in this book. I may give the first one of the series a try for nostalgia's sake and because I already know how it ends so I probably wouldn't feel cheated on as it happened here. Oh, also... "About the author" section at the end says Koji Suzuki is "often called the Stephen King of Japan". No. Nowhere close at all.]]> 3.39 2012
author: K¨­ji Suzuki
name: Erika
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2012
rating: 1
read at: 2020/03/25
date added: 2020/03/25
shelves: japanese-literature, sci-fi, supernatural
review:
Finding this book available at the library made me so happy. I had never read any of the Ring books but this one was supposed to be readable as a standalone installment and I had read positive opinions about the author in general so I went into it eagerly.

The story begins slowly with a thriller type of vibe. A quick succession of scenes unfold in a very cinematic way, which wasn't a bother at first but soon gave me the feeling that the author was making cuts to work around important plot points.

The main characters are incredibly bland and do not incite any empathy from the readers. Both Takanori and Akane just seem to be inconsequential pawns used by the author to advance the story. Takanori has a big revelation about his childhood his parents hid from him? Totally unfazed. Akane unlocks repressed memories from a traumatic experience? No shock whatsoever. The entire book is deprived of any emotion. The only thing I found more unrealistic than the characters reactions to extraordinary events were the conjectures they made regarding the plot out of the blue. A character may learn a certain fact and right away they make a huge leap from point A to point B and reach a conclusion that advances the plot but makes no sense to the reader.

A good part of the book consists of recaps of event that took place in the previous installments of the series, including a complete retelling of the first one. For a 240 page book this was a lot. To add to the tediousness of the information dump, the story mainly consists of characters inner thoughts piecing together information in an unrealistic fashion, as I stated before. Most scenes are Takanori in his room thinking, thinking while he walks or thinking while he waits to meet someone. Nothing happens most of the time.

I had a hard time liking or caring about Akane the most. She has no personality other than being in love with Takanori and being scared of things. I noticed that the author cut scenes short and skipped ahead in certain points in which important revelations were made by or told to Akane. The scenes in which she was on it was usual to have her be unconscious, asleep or distracted. Other female characters got the same disregarding treatment, like Takanori's mother, who was mentioned only to state she wasn't strong enough to be told important things happening; there's also the actress turned director lady that was only shown from afar, sometimes literally only being present because of the scent left by the nice perfume she wore. Pretty much any female in the story were there to be impregnated or killed off.

Last 40 pages or so of the book the story goes off the rails, suddenly turning into a sci-fi existentialist monologue made out of crazy information dump to which no one had any surprised reaction to.

It feel like nothing leads anywhere. There's no payout for the reader in any sense. [spoilers removed] And there's so many loose ends. [spoilers removed] There were times when I just wanted to throw the book on the floor and give up. [spoilers removed] I'm all up for strange, out there plots, but you have to build up to them. Otherwise it feels like your reading a thriller with supernatural elements and in the last chapter it turns out to be all because of the aliens infecting people's brains or something like that.

I was very disappointed in this book. I may give the first one of the series a try for nostalgia's sake and because I already know how it ends so I probably wouldn't feel cheated on as it happened here. Oh, also... "About the author" section at the end says Koji Suzuki is "often called the Stephen King of Japan". No. Nowhere close at all.
]]> 36747342
?Te basta con mirar una planta para que se muera? C¨®mo no matar tus plantas llega al rescate. ?Por qu¨¦ se marchita mi lengua de tigre si la riego a menudo? ?Por qu¨¦ mi ficus lira tiene las hojas ca¨ªdas? ?D¨®nde ponga la yuca?

Los consejos de este libro te ayudar¨¢n a crear en tu hogar un oasis de plantas radiantes y felices.]]> 145 Veronica Peerless 1465473785 Erika 4 lifestyle
The book walks the reader through the process of selecting a plant from a store, so no options for those who want to try their hand at growing seeds. There's good tips on what to look for so you can select a plant that is most likely to survive after your brought it home. Next comes a section on the basics of how to keep your plant healthy (light conditions, watering, drainage), how to face certain common mistakes (over-watering or not water enough) and then the proper way to transplant your plants when they overgrow their current pot. Last, there's a section on common pests and how to fight them.

After that the book gets into specific plants and their care, explaining how much light exposure is needed, how to detect if the plant is healthy by looking at their leaves, etc. In between these plant profiles a few "Top 5" sections are included, with titles such as "Top 5 plants for the bathroom", "Top 5 plants for your desk", "Top 5 plants for little light", and so on. I found these very helpful for a beginner that wants information on a particular situation or area and doesn't want to go reading through dozens of particular descriptions to find a plant that meets their need.

Only critique I could mention is that I didn't find some of the plants I own in the selection found in the book. But it's understandable that a book can't include every type of plant under the sun. All in all, I think it's a great option for people that haven't got much luck with keeping plants alive.]]> 4.10 2017
author: Veronica Peerless
name: Erika
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2020/03/11
date added: 2020/03/11
shelves: lifestyle
review:
Got this book from the library as an afterthought and didn't expect to learn much from it. I was pleasantly surprised to find it very helpful and I would seriously consider buying it if I were to really get into potted plants gardening.

The book walks the reader through the process of selecting a plant from a store, so no options for those who want to try their hand at growing seeds. There's good tips on what to look for so you can select a plant that is most likely to survive after your brought it home. Next comes a section on the basics of how to keep your plant healthy (light conditions, watering, drainage), how to face certain common mistakes (over-watering or not water enough) and then the proper way to transplant your plants when they overgrow their current pot. Last, there's a section on common pests and how to fight them.

After that the book gets into specific plants and their care, explaining how much light exposure is needed, how to detect if the plant is healthy by looking at their leaves, etc. In between these plant profiles a few "Top 5" sections are included, with titles such as "Top 5 plants for the bathroom", "Top 5 plants for your desk", "Top 5 plants for little light", and so on. I found these very helpful for a beginner that wants information on a particular situation or area and doesn't want to go reading through dozens of particular descriptions to find a plant that meets their need.

Only critique I could mention is that I didn't find some of the plants I own in the selection found in the book. But it's understandable that a book can't include every type of plant under the sun. All in all, I think it's a great option for people that haven't got much luck with keeping plants alive.
]]> 33979242
La historia nos sumerge en la lucha sin cuartel entre dos enemigos ac¨¦rrimos, cuya admiraci¨®n y fascinaci¨®n mutuas son un acicate para mantener una rivalidad innegociable. As¨ª pues, Kogor¨­ Akechi ¡ªel inmortal personaje de Rampo, un detective capaz de solucionar cualquier caso con su brillante interpretaci¨®n de la escena del crimen y un don para anticiparse al siguiente paso de sus rivales¡ª ha de enfrentarse a la p¨¦rfida y sensual madame Midorikawa, quintaesencia de la femme fatale, apodada ?Lagarto Negro? por el espectacular tatuaje que luce en un brazo. Midorikawa padece la necesidad enfermiza de coleccionar los objetos m¨¢s bellos del planeta, y cuando se propone conseguir la joya m¨¢s preciada de Jap¨®n, la fuerza que la empuja no es tanto el af¨¢n de satisfacer su deseo como la oportunidad de retar a Akechi y demostrarle que su inteligencia es superior a la de ¨¦l.

El duelo est¨¢ servido.]]> 192 Edogawa Rampo 8416237158 Erika 3 japanese-literature, thriller
Mysterious dark lady, top private detective, jewelry heist, intrusive over the top narrator... Reading Kurotokage feels pretty much like watching a 1940s film noir. I'll try to get my hands on the film adaptation next to see how closely to the source they stayed.

For a contemporary reader it can feel like a very naive. cliche book. Most twists and turns were predictable, yet the story was interesting enough to keep me reading and waiting to see if I was right with my assumptions.

A very easy to read book, short and to the point, which I consider a plus in detective type of stories. Characters were very simple, boarding on mere archetypes. I guess the main character would be the plot itself, the chase, the solving of the situation, rather than the characters involved.

It was an interesting experience to explore more of Edogawa Rampo's work and I'm happy with what I found. Not everything has to be an edgy, ero-guro mindscrew. I would recommend this book to a novice reader, a film noir fan or to an older person that can appreciate the nostalgic factor of the detective genre.]]> 3.58 1929
author: Edogawa Rampo
name: Erika
average rating: 3.58
book published: 1929
rating: 3
read at: 2020/03/10
date added: 2020/03/10
shelves: japanese-literature, thriller
review:
Having been only familiar with the freaky, perverse side of Edogawa Rampo, reading this book was a contrasting experience.

Mysterious dark lady, top private detective, jewelry heist, intrusive over the top narrator... Reading Kurotokage feels pretty much like watching a 1940s film noir. I'll try to get my hands on the film adaptation next to see how closely to the source they stayed.

For a contemporary reader it can feel like a very naive. cliche book. Most twists and turns were predictable, yet the story was interesting enough to keep me reading and waiting to see if I was right with my assumptions.

A very easy to read book, short and to the point, which I consider a plus in detective type of stories. Characters were very simple, boarding on mere archetypes. I guess the main character would be the plot itself, the chase, the solving of the situation, rather than the characters involved.

It was an interesting experience to explore more of Edogawa Rampo's work and I'm happy with what I found. Not everything has to be an edgy, ero-guro mindscrew. I would recommend this book to a novice reader, a film noir fan or to an older person that can appreciate the nostalgic factor of the detective genre.
]]>