Jump to content

Alexander's Literary Odyssey 2018


Alexander the Great

Recommended Posts

Currently Reading

 

Inferno, by Dan Brown

 

Read in 2018

 

1. Twilight of the Romanovs: A Photographic Odyssey Across Imperial Russia, by Philipp Blom & Veronica Buckley

2. Waarover ik praat als ik over hardlopen praat, by Haruki Murakami
3. Misery, by Stephen King 
4. The Bone Garden, by Tess Gerritsen 

5. Hanging Hill, by Mo Hayder
6. De voorspelling, by Paul Kustermans

7. The Silent Girl, by Tess Gerritsen 
8. All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr
9. A Column of Fire, by Ken Follett

10. Blue Monday, by Nicci French

11. Tuesday's Gone, by Nicci French 

12. Waiting for Wednesday, by Nicci French 

13. Thursday's Children, by Nicci French 

14. Friday On My Mind, by Nicci French
15. Saturday Requiem, by Nicci French
16. Sunday Morning Coming Down, by Nicci French

17. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

Edited by Alexander the Great
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you @Inver, @Athena and @chaliepud! I hope you guys have great (reading) years too!

 

Twilight of the Romanovs: A Photographic Odyssey Across Imperial Russia review

 

I've been fascinated by the history of Russia for a few years now.

 

This is a very interesting photobook. Each region of Russia gets a comprehensive introduction. The photos used vary greatly and cover many different topics/people. All of Russia is presented in this book and it's a great summary of what makes the country so intriguing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi everyone,

 

I will be posting my review of Haruki Murakami's Waarover ik praat als ik over hardlopen praat (English title: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running) soon. I just wanted to say - today is January 7th and I'm already on my third book of the years. It seems my reading mojo is back full force - I hadn't really lost it, but I've had some hard weeks where I sometimes would not read for a few days, which has only happened once in my life. 

 

It also seems I will be battling my TBR pile, as I am picking up books I own more and more often in between my library reads!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Waarover ik praat als ik over hardlopen praat review

(English title: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running)

 

This is a book for hardcore Murakami fans who want to read everything he's published, and for runners who also like to read or at least have an interest in writing. It's a collection of thoughts on running that Murakami's collected over the years.

 

Being a runner myself, I did recognise many elements. Running seems to come easily to him and he runs a marathon every year, has once even ran 100k. Murakami runs 10k every day. In that sense, I can't compare - I only do two runs a week and wouldn't be able to run a marathon. But still, many things rang true for me. It's made me think of running in a new light, which was interesting. The most important 'insight' was when he wrote how many people ask what he thinks about when running, imagining he comes up with great ideas for his novels or thinks about them when running - when in reality, when you're running, you don't really think of big important things. Very often, you can't quite say what you think about when you run. This is true for me too. Of course, when I'm dealing with something very important or close to me, I'll think about it. But in general, I don't come to grand discoveries. I just enjoy the feeling and relax when I run.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That sounds interesting, I have read a couple of books in which the main character did running. I found it interesting to read about even if running itself is not my sort of thing. My sister regularly runs, though I don't remember how far she runs nowadays.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/1/2018 at 9:35 AM, Athena said:

That sounds interesting, I have read a couple of books in which the main character did running. I found it interesting to read about even if running itself is not my sort of thing. My sister regularly runs, though I don't remember how far she runs nowadays.

 

Do you remember some of them? I'd be interested to read books like that. They're hard to find because 'running' will usually not be included as the key word if the character does running, but the novel isn't specifically about that. Something slightly odd, maybe, but reading about or seeing people in films or tv series run always makes me want to run. I had a very very bad run yesterday and I'd usually dread the next one, but I'm binge-watching Big Little Lies in which Jane is pictured running quite a few times, and it makes me impatient for my next run.

 

I just finished Misery, which is a book I own. The next one I've picked up, The Bone Garden, is also a book I own. Making progress with the books in my possession rather than forever getting lured into the Library Trap is exciting, but while there's no danger of running out of material soon with 400+ books in my collection of which I certainly haven't even read 100, I'm already worrying about what I'll do once I've read them all! 

 

Misery review

 

This is my third King novel - previously, I've read Under The Dome and It. Each of these novels have been vastly different, but they have one thing in common: they are unputdownable. This is a thriller, but there's so much more to it. I feel like there is a lot of symbolism. 

 

The focus is on two characters: writer Paul Sheldon and his captor, Annie Wilkes. I thought it was very interesting to see Annie deteriorate. Her depiction is masterfully done, her downwards spiral shown with very much attention to detail. Also intriguing to me was how Paul isn't depicted as the Good Guy - he's morally ambiguous and while as a reader I feel for his situation and root for him to get out of it, I definitely didn't always like him.

 

The novel had a great pace and kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time. I would definitely recommend this one - not the biggest, but definitely a great King novel indeed!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

Do you remember some of them? I'd be interested to read books like that. They're hard to find because 'running' will usually not be included as the key word if the character does running, but the novel isn't specifically about that. Something slightly odd, maybe, but reading about or seeing people in films or tv series run always makes me want to run. I had a very very bad run yesterday and I'd usually dread the next one, but I'm binge-watching Big Little Lies in which Jane is pictured running quite a few times, and it makes me impatient for my next run.

 

Sorry to hear you had a bad run. I think I remember it was I think in two Young-Adult books, but which ones exactly.. I'll have to take a look at my shelves and browse the books (got a couple of books in mind). It was not the main part of the story, but it was part of the main character and I enjoyed reading about it.

 

13 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

I just finished Misery, which is a book I own. The next one I've picked up, The Bone Garden, is also a book I own. Making progress with the books in my possession rather than forever getting lured into the Library Trap is exciting, but while there's no danger of running out of material soon with 400+ books in my collection of which I certainly haven't even read 100, I'm already worrying about what I'll do once I've read them all! 

 

Buy more books and go to the library more often again :D? I'd hate to run out of reading material too, so your worry makes sense to me :).

 

13 hours ago, Alexander the Great said:

Misery review

 

This is my third King novel - previously, I've read Under The Dome and It. Each of these novels have been vastly different, but they have one thing in common: they are unputdownable. This is a thriller, but there's so much more to it. I feel like there is a lot of symbolism. 

 

The focus is on two characters: writer Paul Sheldon and his captor, Annie Wilkes. I thought it was very interesting to see Annie deteriorate. Her depiction is masterfully done, her downwards spiral shown with very much attention to detail. Also intriguing to me was how Paul isn't depicted as the Good Guy - he's morally ambiguous and while as a reader I feel for his situation and root for him to get out of it, I definitely didn't always like him.

 

The novel had a great pace and kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time. I would definitely recommend this one - not the biggest, but definitely a great King novel indeed!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed Misery, nice review :).

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Athena The run after that one was good again :D Also, as you know, I did end up buying more books!

 

The Bone Garden review

 

The Bone Garden is part historical novel, part modern novel. The emphasis lies heavily on the historical part, though - 1830 Boston, to be exact. That's also where the majority of the story plays out, to the extent that the modern day chapters often felt irrelevant and very flimsy compared to the amazing historical parts. I feel like the novel could have done without the modern parts entirely.

 

In the historical chapters, we follow some truly fascinating characters. The pace of the story is well-set and it's a true pageturner. I couldn't stop reading and loved being sidetracked before getting the true reveal, which I had not seen coming. I'll definitely be reading more of Gerritsen's novels!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you @Little Pixie! I seem to have slipped a bit with the TBR pile - a library trip to return a book proved fatal, seeing as I returned with five more books...

 

I'm also behind on my reviews, for which I apologise sincerely!

 

Hanging Hill review

 

Previously, I've read two of Mo Hayder's Jack Caffery novels. They were quite intense and heavy, though, and I told myself I'd go back to them at a point where I would be in a better place to handle them. I want to try them again now, but haven't come around to it yet. Hanging Hill is a stand-alone novel by Mo Hayder.

 

I quite enjoyed this read. While the plot in this thriller is definitely important, there was also a lot of focus on a limited set of characters. Not a light-hearted read, but it isn't as grim and dark as the Jack Caffery novels. Two sisters share a complicated past that has driven a wedge between them and despite both living in Bath, they haven't talked to each other for years. Then a teenage girl is murdered and the consequences lead them to each other. 

 

The novel dragged a bit toward the end, but what an end! Made me feel slightly nauseous with fear for the characters. I've only had this feeling once before, with Box 21, though I admit it was much stronger there.

 

De voorspelling review

 

This is a Flemish novel for 12-year-olds. I remember at that age I read this one a lot. I've always had an interest in Russia and its history. This novel is set in 19th century Russia, when a notary and his daughter are forced to take in a Flemish officer, who is a count, under Napoleon after he is injured in battle. Rutger, the soldier, falls in love with Elena, the notary's daughter. They travel back to Flanders, where Elena meets his brother, Rafaël, and they fall in love at first sight. It has bitter consequences for everyone. 

 

This is a very short book, only 178 pages, so I read it in a day. As a 12-year-old, I loved this. As a 26-year-old, I can tell it's meant for young teenagers. The story felt very flimsy, but the characters were very complex and multi-faceted, which is rare in books for younger kids. I do wish I could read an "adult" version of it, because the story has a lot of potential.

 

The Silent Girl review

 

This is a Rizzoli & Isles novel by Tess Gerritsen. This story differs greatly from The Bone Garden by the same author. 

 

Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles work a case in Chinatown, with the help of Rizzoli's partner Barry Frost and of Johnny Tam, a rookie detective who hopes to make homicide. Having seen all but the last season of Rizzoli & Isles, it's interesting to read how different the characters and their lives are in the books. Focused mostly on the story/plot, this is a true pageturner. A complex case that never became too complicated, with surprising twists and a satisfying end. I'd recommend it to anyone for a quick relaxing read.

 

That makes seven books read in January 2018. I'm fairly sure that's a record since I started keeping track of the books I'm reading, which was back in 2009.

 

At the moment, I'm reading All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you on both counts, @Athena:)

 

All The Light We Cannot See review

 

What a read.

 

This novel set during WWII is predominantly about Werner, a clever orphaned German boy and Marie-Laure and blind, resilient French girl. He lives in Germany, in a mining town, then attends a special school and joins the army. She lives in Paris with her father, who works as the locksmith for the Museum of History. They have to flee to Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure's great uncle lives with his housekeeper. Saint-Malo is where Werner and Marie's paths eventually cross.

 

To me, the novel was gripping, gutting, gnawing. The writing style is quite detached, yet the characters get so close to the skin they get under, all the way to the heart. Chapters are very short, which moves the story along at a good pace. I do admit I expected there would be more time with the main characters together. I liked how the ending wrapped everything up, without throwing happy or satisfying endings all around. It felt very real.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Column of Fire review

 

A truly marvellous read.

 

Like its predecessors, The Pillars of the Earth and World Without EndA Column of Fire starts in Kingsbridge. We meet the core characters and through them learn of the changes the town and the country went through since the last novel. This time, however, the story spreads out across the globe as Follett takes us not only to London, but also to France, Spain, The Netherlands, New Spain - and at the end even aboard the Mayflower. 

 

Follett is a true master of the genre. He manages to tell a riveting story set in the 16th century, mixing fictional characters with historical ones. This book is a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to protect what they believe in, but also of the same ordinary people being flawed and very human. Nobody is perfect, but as Ned says at some point: "Imperfect people can still change the world for the better". I love how we get to spend entire lifetimes with them, going between the human emotions of love, romance, lust and grief to political intrigue, exquisitely written to make it easy to navigate these choppy waters along with the people you learn to care about deeply or despise entirely. No character is flat, though - even the villains aren't one-dimensional.

 

I truly hope there will be more of this, an excellent read I would recommend to every reader out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9.1.2018 at 11:19 PM, Alexander the Great said:

Waarover ik praat als ik over hardlopen praat review

(English title: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running)

 

This is a book for hardcore Murakami fans who want to read everything he's published, and for runners who also like to read or at least have an interest in writing. It's a collection of thoughts on running that Murakami's collected over the years.

 

Being a runner myself, I did recognise many elements. Running seems to come easily to him and he runs a marathon every year, has once even ran 100k. Murakami runs 10k every day. In that sense, I can't compare - I only do two runs a week and wouldn't be able to run a marathon. But still, many things rang true for me. It's made me think of running in a new light, which was interesting. The most important 'insight' was when he wrote how many people ask what he thinks about when running, imagining he comes up with great ideas for his novels or thinks about them when running - when in reality, when you're running, you don't really think of big important things. Very often, you can't quite say what you think about when you run. This is true for me too. Of course, when I'm dealing with something very important or close to me, I'll think about it. But in general, I don't come to grand discoveries. I just enjoy the feeling and relax when I run.

 

I really need to read this book this year! And start jogging again... I'm glad you enjoyed it! :smile2:

 

On 14.1.2018 at 9:00 PM, Alexander the Great said:

Misery review

 

This is my third King novel - previously, I've read Under The Dome and It. Each of these novels have been vastly different, but they have one thing in common: they are unputdownable. This is a thriller, but there's so much more to it. I feel like there is a lot of symbolism. 

 

The focus is on two characters: writer Paul Sheldon and his captor, Annie Wilkes. I thought it was very interesting to see Annie deteriorate. Her depiction is masterfully done, her downwards spiral shown with very much attention to detail. Also intriguing to me was how Paul isn't depicted as the Good Guy - he's morally ambiguous and while as a reader I feel for his situation and root for him to get out of it, I definitely didn't always like him.

 

The novel had a great pace and kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time. I would definitely recommend this one - not the biggest, but definitely a great King novel indeed!

 

I'm really glad you liked this book, it's one of my favorites by King! :smile2: Have you seen the movie, by the way?  Kathy Bates is excellent as Annie Wilkes. Really scary stuff!! 

 

I wish you a very merry reading year in 2018, Alexander! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks @Athena and @frankie!

 

Blue Monday review

 

I read this book in 2012 and gave it a very low rating then as I didn't enjoy it at all.

 

I'm not entirely sure why I wanted to reread - I think it had to do with the protagonist being a psychologist and me wanting to read the other books in the series. Surprisingly, I'm glad I gave it another go. I almost didn't start, remembering my previous bad experience.

 

Reading my review from six years ago, I can't relate with it at all. But to be honest, at that point in my life, it's what I would have felt about it. So much has changed since then, I have changed so much as a person, and it's life a different person read this book again. I found it much more agreeable. Atypical, maybe - but I enjoyed the main character, the pace, the oddness of it much more.

 

I look forward to reading the rest of the Frieda Klein series and have started on Tuesday's Gone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, @bobblybear! I wish you the same :) I haven't seen the movie yet, but I sure will - I look forward to Kathy Bates' portrayal of Annie.

 

Tuesday's Gone review

 

Unexpectedly even better than its predecessor. I read this book in maybe three days, having had to work the majority of the day.

 

The same characters from Blue Monday return. Their experiences have changed them, but not altered their personalities completely. I like how the story is well-paced - not too slow, not to fast. How the plot keeps going on and how we gain insight into different people's points of view. At the same time, the personal lives of the main characters are more slowly built, making it very realistic.

 

I expect to finish Waiting for Wednesday soon!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thursday's Children review

 

In this book, we dive deeper into Frieda Klein's past. It was a very interesting journey, which brought a lot of insight into the main character of the series and why she is the way she is. The development of the other characters was very nicely built up as well.

 

Of all the books in the series so far, this was the most personal/psychological one, but I truly loved it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...