tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89526038886461435942024-02-22T08:24:42.074+01:00Pages & NeedlesPurzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-27192278209068114562013-02-04T06:39:00.005+01:002013-02-04T06:39:51.823+01:00Auslagerung deutscher RezensionenNachdem ich festgestellt habe, dass es auf die Dauer etwas unübersichtlich wird deutsche sowie englische Rezensionen auf dem gleichen Blog zu veröffentlichen, habe ich beschlossen meinen deutschen Rezensionen eine neue Heimat zu geben.<br />
<br />
Deshalb findet ihr meine deutschen Rezensionen ab sofort auf<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://buecherlust.blogspot.de/">http://buecherlust.blogspot.de/</a></b></span>.</div>
Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-66330418779612413582013-01-30T08:04:00.000+01:002013-01-30T08:04:36.774+01:00Review: Things Fall Apart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqGoBPJUqlYN92M12g6JBZ2ppxdskH9iDonjKEyaC_u5pZf22EuZ_CKAVL_OsJdZ1sEDhuFO2gwyvGcxuPML9w_-t3IGBmq8wlyw-OppYNgHGXDLrVQUhZkjAcWiSb70ksl_xzKuLwj1C/s1600/Things+Fall+Apart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqGoBPJUqlYN92M12g6JBZ2ppxdskH9iDonjKEyaC_u5pZf22EuZ_CKAVL_OsJdZ1sEDhuFO2gwyvGcxuPML9w_-t3IGBmq8wlyw-OppYNgHGXDLrVQUhZkjAcWiSb70ksl_xzKuLwj1C/s320/Things+Fall+Apart.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Title:</b> Things Fall Apart<br />
<b>Author:</b> Chinua Achebe<br />
<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 209<br />
<b>Original Publication:</b> 1958<br />
<br />
<b>Series:</b> African Trilogy<br />
1. <b><i>Things Fall Apart</i></b> (1958)<br />
2. <i>No Longer at Ease</i> (1960)<br />
3. <i>Arrow of God</i> (1964)<br />
<br />
<b>Setting:</b> Nigeria in the late 19th century<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4 of 5 stars<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="blurb">
<i>Things Fall Apart</i> tells two overlapping, intertwining stories, both of which center around Okonkwo, a “strong man” of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first of these stories traces Okonkwo's fall from grace with the tribal world in which he lives, and in its classical purity of line and economical beauty it provides us with a powerful fable about the immemorial conflict between the individual and society.<br />
The second story, which is as modern as the first is ancient, and which elevates the book to a tragic plane, concerns the clash of cultures and the destruction of Okonkwo's world through the arrival of aggressive, proselytizing European missionaries. These twin dramas are perfectly harmonized, and they are modulated by an awareness capable of encompassing at once the life of nature, human history, and the mysterious compulsions of the soul. <i>Things Fall Apart</i> is the most illuminating and permanent monument we have to the modern African experience as seen from within.</div>
<br />
This is one of those books that is considered a "classic". It is listed both on the 1001 Books You Should Read Before You Die-list and on Bloom's Western Canon. This always creates a certain wariness within me, because there is always the risk that such classics are written in such a stiff style with such a large amount of moral that it is a pain to read them.<br />
<br />
However, I was really surprised how easy this book was to read and how much I enjoyed it. Set in the late 19th century in a small village in Africa, it tells the story of Okonkwo. He once managed to rise from a poor family to become a influential member of his village. Woven into the story are rituals and customs of Nigerian people. We learn how they live their day-to-day life, how they celebrate weddings and what their annual festivals are. Another review of this book said that the reader was confronted with those customs without an explanation and that this made it difficult to understand. I tend to disagree with this opinion. I liked the way the author presented the African culture. It is always easy to understand the meaning of customs and festivals through the context. Of course their way of living is different from that of the modern world. More explanations would only have distracted from the customs. The author took the advice to "show not tell" and did a great job with it. Their life, customs and thinking might be different from ours, but by learning about it from Okonkwo's perspective, I at least was able to understand it.<br />
<br />
In addition to this the story has another layer. It shows the arrival of christian missionaries and how they influence the life and customs of the people. These scenes really touched my heart.<br />
<br />
In general there are different layers of storytelling and timeframes. The story changes from the present to the past and back. This is a bit confusing, especially at the beginning, but once one gets the hang of it and gets acquainted with the characters, it adds a nice touch to the story and prevents monotony.<br />
<br />
<br />
This is a classic that really deserves that name. It gives a vivid insight into African culture and tells a great story of the difficulties in life. Recommended reading for everyone.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0Nigeria9.081999 8.675277000000051-6.771011 -11.979019999999949 24.935009 29.329574000000051tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-17846094416442723142013-01-29T20:05:00.000+01:002013-01-30T07:04:23.978+01:00Rezension: Das letzte Lächeln<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfNNjoFMP5m7ttUbosp5W49KdBkxKFTEuwUOiVsDJaUj_HFwLZeFmHiRM9KqOx7Wr1P2cs5ce888x1dHLGwheNjbafyfxK86RE39IUFi0qut-RFcmLKN826o76OohVOoC_5RSGRQXjRiL/s1600/Das+letzte+L%C3%A4cheln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfNNjoFMP5m7ttUbosp5W49KdBkxKFTEuwUOiVsDJaUj_HFwLZeFmHiRM9KqOx7Wr1P2cs5ce888x1dHLGwheNjbafyfxK86RE39IUFi0qut-RFcmLKN826o76OohVOoC_5RSGRQXjRiL/s320/Das+letzte+L%C3%A4cheln.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<b>Autor:</b> Stefanie Mohr<br />
<b>Titel:</b> Das letzte Lächeln<br />
<b>Erscheinungsdatum:</b> 2009<br />
<b>Verlag:</b> emons<br />
<br />
Kategorie: Franken-Krimi<br />
Handlungsort: Nürnberg<br />
<br />
<b>Serienübersicht:</b><br />
1. Die vergessenen Schwestern (2005): 3 Sterne<b> </b><br />
2. <b>Das letzte Lächeln (2009)</b><br />
3. Die dunkle Seite des Sommers (2010): 4 Sterne<br />
4. Frauentormauer (2011): 4 Sterne<br />
5. Glasscherbenviertel (2012)<br />
<br />
<b>Bewertung:</b> 4 von 5 Sternen <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="blurb">
Die erfolgsorientierte Leiterin eines Discounters liegt erstochen in ihrer Filiale. Spuren zeigen, dass ihr eine Kette vom Hals gerissen wurde. Handelt es sich um einen missglückten Überfall? Gleichzeitig verschwindet ein junger Journalist, der mit der Ermordeten befreundet war. Ein Wohnmobil mit Fürther Kennzeichen, ein Goldschmied aus Schwabach und eine Fleischfabrik am Nürnberger Hafen lassen das Team um Kriminalhauptkommissar Hackenholt auf der Suche nach dem Mörder durch die fränkische Metropolregion jagen. "Das letzte Lächeln" ist der zweite Fall des in Nürnberg ermittelnden Hauptkommissars Frank Hackenholt.</div>
<br />
Der zweite Fall für Hackenholt und sein Team führt diese in den Einzelhandel, denn die Filialleiterin eines Sternmann-Diskounters wird tot in der Filiale aufgefunden. Erneut liefert Stefanie Mohr damit einen soliden Krimi mit regionalem Hintergrund ab. Ganz ohne auf Sensationen oder Verschwörungstheorien zurückgreifen zu müssen gelingt es ihr dem Buch einen Nürnberger Flair zu verpassen und das nicht nur aufgrund der fränkelnden Kollegin Saskia Baumann. Besonders schmunzeln musste ich bei einer kleinen Spitze bezüglich der Fahrkünste eines Autofahrers mit Kennzeichen "FÜ". Der Nürnberger wird wissen, was ich meine ...<br />
<br />
Trotz aller regionaler Bezüge ist die Geschichte allgemein genug gehalten, dass auch
Nicht-Nürnberger daran ihre Freude finden können. Stefanie Mohr schreibt
lebendig und lebensnah. Ihre Charaktere sind glaubhaft dargestellt und
es fällt nicht schwer sich in die Geschichte einzufühlen.<br />
<br />
Aber trotz der eindeutigen Bezüge zu Nürnberg ist das Buch vor allem eines: ein Krimi. Was diesen angeht zeigt Stefanie Mohr mal wieder ihr Geschick gekonnt Spuren zu legen, die vielleicht ans Ziel führen und vielleicht auch nicht. Ich zumindest war bis zum Schluss ahnungslos was den Täter angeht.<br />
<br />
Ein durchaus gelungener Nürnberg-Krimi.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0Nürnberg, Deutschland49.45203 11.07674999999994749.121604500000004 10.431302999999946 49.7824555 11.722196999999948tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-40673212219022729392013-01-23T18:37:00.004+01:002013-01-23T18:37:43.990+01:00Review: Scent of Magic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8S2FjKWg-ySztXvp2uJZnEFjeVtKxfWenA0jAJjvcD5vxk5Paiwkmck-UaVERyrgr8QU7WL3VdDrG9D10D4Mso0xalfKEHUNbBtukP4D1KnA-BkmpwmXRx2OZab3mFlzX4KabUD8N3BQK/s1600/Scent+of+Magic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8S2FjKWg-ySztXvp2uJZnEFjeVtKxfWenA0jAJjvcD5vxk5Paiwkmck-UaVERyrgr8QU7WL3VdDrG9D10D4Mso0xalfKEHUNbBtukP4D1KnA-BkmpwmXRx2OZab3mFlzX4KabUD8N3BQK/s320/Scent+of+Magic.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<b>Author:</b> Maria V. Snyder<br />
<b>Title: </b>Scent of Magic <br />
<b>Pages:</b> 413<br />
<br />
<b>Publication date:</b><br />
- original: December 18, 2012<br />
- edition: December 20, 2012<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>MIRA<br />
<br />
<b>Series:</b> Avry of Kazan/Healer<br />
1. <i>Touch of Power</i> (3 stars)<br />
2. <b><i>Scent of Magic</i></b><br />
3. <i>Taste of Death</i> (December 2013)<br />
<br />
<b>Genre:</b> YA, Fantasy, Romance<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4 of 5 stars<br />
<br />
<br />
After her adventures in <i>Touch of Power</i> Avry now has to find a way to counter King Tohon's army of the dead. This is made even harder for her by the fact that she and Kerrick need to go on separate paths. Kerris is bound north to join Prince Ryne's forces and then to battle the wild tribes who threaten to invade the northern realms. Meanwhile Avry enlists in Estrid's army to try and make things right with her sister Noelle as well as to gather useful information for Ryne.<br />
<br />
<br />
I really like Maria V. Snyder's books. Her current series featuring Avry of Kazan is even more gripping than the previous books. Her world-building is very good. It is easy to picture the characters and places in one's mind. The world makes sense and little things may turn out to be important later on, all is interconnected. Just as a good fantasy-world should be.<br />
<br />
The author's vivid writing style manages to capture the reader's attention and it is really hard to lay the book down for more important things. This is especially hard between chapters because Maria V. Snyder has a knack for finishing chapters with a cliffhanger. Generally the narration flows well.<br />
<br />
Although I read the first book in the series a year ago and did not re-read it before starting <i>Scent of Magic</i> I didn't have any difficulties in getting back into the story. Some things had slipped my mind but the mention of those occurences brought the memory back quite quickly. Still this a book where one should have read the first installment at some point to get into the story and world. <br />
<br />
In this book Maria V. Snyder tried something new by introducing passages written from Kerrick's point-of-view. Considering that Kerrick and Avry are separated for most of the book and Kerrick's adventures and achievements will probably play a certain role in the next book that secondary perspective was probably necessary for the book. Apart from that it is a nice change to get a closer view at the love interest of the protagonist. Kerrick's passages were rather short in comparison of Avry's, but I found the length appropriate for him. Enough to give a feeling of his adventures and paint a mental image of his surroundings but not so much that the focus is distracted from Avry.<br />
<br />
The fact that Avry and Kerrick spend most of the book in different parts of the world also means that the romance aspect takes a secondary place in the book. While Kerrick and Avry are lovers and miss each other this doesn't make them unable to function on their own. They are still able to think of other things and concentrate on their tasks at hand. I really like this about Maria V. Snyder's books. The lovers still have a life apart from each other.<br />
<br />
Avry itself is a strong and believeable heroine. She can cope without being rescued by a man (well, there are moments when she gets help from a man, but she has to deal with a whole army, so a bit of help is excuseable). However, she doesn't reach her goals easily, either. She has to work to gain other people's trust and friendship and to succeed in her task.<br />
I especially liked her attitude and behaviour towards Tohon in this book. It showed real strength and character on her part. Also I was pleasantly surprised that there is no love triangle in this book. Shortly I feared that there might be one, but fortuneately this didn't happen.<br />
<br />
Not only is Avry a likeable and vivid main character, but the secondary characters are also well-developed. It is easy to form a mental image of them that instantly returns when they are mentioned or appear later on in the book.<br />
This holds true for old characters that already appeared in the previous book as well as new characters that are first introduced in this installment.<br />
<br />
In general I also liked the ending. However, there was a situation at the beginning of the last chapter where some things happend a bit too fast and coincidental for my liking. That seemed a bit forced and didn't fit the author's overal writing style and ability to make characters act rationally and believable. That scene could have done well with a bit more explanation or hints leading up to it. But this is only a minor grievance that doesn't really distract from the book as a whole.<br />
As most of Maria V. Snyder's books this ends with a cliffhanger that makes the reader wish to pick up the next book at once. Alas, the next book has not yet been published, so people who need to read the next book in a series instantly after finishing the earlier book should be warned of this.<br />
<br />
All in all this is a wonderful fantasy adventure with vivid and fluid narration that I can wholeheartedly recommend; especially for people who tend to get tired of lovesick main characters who can't think of anything else than their lover.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-35172127796024408282013-01-21T06:00:00.000+01:002013-01-21T06:00:04.869+01:00Rezension: Emma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9we_gEVFI2URj9BAqhCwetjdSb8JKTV1eLfJmPCdpCe5c3Hjtmk9YBy8rx3JAdLtUynfgCS8RdarWftT9uc540V9JBrUkgUfKdDow5_zhyphenhyphenvNyamLLc_sDgg5o903naGlyTGS3px5JPFD/s1600/Emma_de_audio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9we_gEVFI2URj9BAqhCwetjdSb8JKTV1eLfJmPCdpCe5c3Hjtmk9YBy8rx3JAdLtUynfgCS8RdarWftT9uc540V9JBrUkgUfKdDow5_zhyphenhyphenvNyamLLc_sDgg5o903naGlyTGS3px5JPFD/s1600/Emma_de_audio.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Autor:</b> Jane Austen<br />
<b>Titel:</b> Emma<br />
<b>Sprecherin:</b> Eva Mattes<br />
<br />
<b>Verlag:</b> argon<br />
<b>Erscheinungsdatum:</b> 07.10.2011<br />
<br />
<b>Länge:</b> 14 h <b><i>(ungekürzt)</i></b><br />
<br />
<b><i> </i>Bewertung:</b> 5 von 5 Sternen<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Emma</i> gehört zweifellos zu meinen Lieblingsbüchern. Die Titelheldin wächst in behüteten Verhältnissen im ausgehenden 19. Jahrhunder auf. In dem kleinen Örtchen Highbury nimmt ihre Familie eine hohe Stellung ein. Emma rühmt sich eines gewissen Talents als Kupplerin und Ehestifterin. Doch als sie Harriet Smith unter ihre Fittiche nimmt, beginnt Emmas Leben eine neue Wendung zu nehmen.<br />
<br />
Jane Austen schrieb einst, dass Emma wohl diejenige ihrer Heldinen sei, die am unbeliebtesten sein werde. Tatsächlich ist Emma vielen unsympathisch. Ich hingegen hielt Emma schon immer für eine wunderbare Figur. Natürlich hat sie einige negative Eigenschaften. Sie ist teils engebildet und überheblich. Aber sie hat auch ein gutes Herz und ist dazu fähig aus ihren Fehlern zu lernen. Im Verlauf des Buchs macht sie eine Wandlung durch und das ist einer der wichtigen Punkte bei Buchcharakteren. Insbesonders bei solchen Büchern wie diesem, die den Fokus weniger auf die Handlung als auf die Charaktere legen. <br />
<br />
Es gelingt Jane Austen auch in Emma wundervoll ein Portrait ihrer Zeit abzuliefern und wunderbare Charaktere zu skizzieren. Mr. Woodhouse mag zwar in vielem etwas schrullig sein, doch macht ihn das zweifellos zu einem sehr erinnerungswürdigem Charakter. Miss Bates besticht insbesondere durch ihre Realitätsnähe. Ich kenne meine eigene "Miss Bates" und kann daher sehr gut mit Emma mitfühlen, wenn sie gerade mal keine Lust hat bei Miss Bates zu sitzen und sich deren neueste Geschichte über Miss Fairfax anzuhören. Unübertroffen ist allerdings Mr. Knightley. Ich muss gestehen, dass er einer der Buchhelden ist, für den ich schwärme, insofern ist meine Meinung über ihn vielleicht nicht völlig unvoreingenommen. Aber Mr. Knightley ist einfach perfekt ohne dabei clichéehaft oder unrealistisch zu wirken (und so etwas kann man bei Buchcharakteren selten sagen). Er ist hilfsbereit ohne dabei eigennützig zu sein. Selbst für Miss Bates und Mr. Woodhouse hat er immer ein offenes Ohr und viel Geduld mit diesen. Und Emma muss sich gelegentlich auch einmal Mr. Knightleys Tadel anhören.<br />
Was die Charaktere angeht ist <i>Emma</i> zweifellos mein Lieblingsbuch von Jane Austen.<br />
<br />
Das Leben in Highbury wird von Jane Austen in allen seinen Facetten mit
Höhen und Tiefen dargestellt. Es wird eine Hochzeit gefeiert, die für
Emma gleichzeitig eine gravierende Veränderung bedeutet. Sie muss
zukünftig auf die ständige Anwesenheit ihrer Gouvernante und Freundin
Miss Taylor verzichten, die nun zu Mrs. Weston geworden ist. Es folgen
Kupplerei, abgelehnte Anträge, Flirtereien und Missverständnisse. Da ist einiges an Streit vorprogrammiert, doch es gibt auch viele lustige Szenen.<br />
<br />
Dem Argon-Verlag gebührt ein großes Lob dafür, dass er <i>Emma</i> als ungekürztes Hörbuch produziert hat. Die Sprecherin, Eva Mattes, fand ich etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, als ich sie das erste Mal gehört habe (das war bei <i>Sinn und Sinnlichkeit</i>, ebenfalls vom Argon-Verlag). Mittlerweile habe ich mich an ihre Stimme gewöhnt und finde sie für Jane Austens Romane sogar sehr passend (ob dies nun aber nur an der Gewöhnung liegt, kann ich nicht wirklich sagen).<br />
<br />
<i>Emma</i> kann ich nur vorbehaltlos empfehlen.<br />
<br />
Übrigens noch ein Film-Tipp hierzu: Die BBC hat das Buch 2009 in einer wunderbaren vierteiligen Mini-Serie verfilmt. Mit Romola Garai als Emma und Johnny Lee Miller als Mr. Knightley. <a href="http://www.imdb.de/title/tt1366312/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2">Seite der Serie auf imdb.de</a>Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-57556524286523265152013-01-20T16:54:00.001+01:002013-01-29T20:22:25.988+01:00Franken-KrimisEs gibt mittlerweile eine ganze Menge Krimis, die in und um Nürnberg spielen. Jedoch ist es gar nicht so einfach die diversen Krimis auch ausfindig zu machen. Im Folgenden daher eine Zusammenstellung an Franken-Krimis, die mir spontan eingefallen sind. Sortiert nach Autor und Serie/Chronologie.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Volker Backert</h2>
<h3>
</h3>
<ol>
<li>Das Haus vom Nikolaus (2010)</li>
<li>Todesfessel (2012) </li>
</ol>
<h2>
Lucas Bahl</h2>
<h3>
</h3>
<br />
<ol>
<li>Wenn der Berg ruft (2007)</li>
<li>Das Jakobs-Tarot (2009)</li>
<li>Spielzeugstadt (2010) - <a href="http://pages-needles.blogspot.de/2013/01/rezension-spielzeugstadt.html">Rezension</a></li>
</ol>
<h2>
Jan Beinßen</h2>
<h4>
Paul Flemming:</h4>
<ol>
<li>Dürers Mätresse (2005)</li>
<li>Sieben Zentimeter (Neuauflage: Pikante Sünden) (2006)</li>
<li>Hausers Bruder (2007)</li>
<li>Die Meisterdiebe von Nürnberg (2008)</li>
<li>Herz aus Stahl (2009)</li>
<li>Das Phantom im Opernhaus (2010)<br />6.5 Lebkuchen mit Bittermandel (Weihnachts-Kurzkrimi) (2011)</li>
<li>Die Paten vom Knoblauchsland (2012) - <a href="http://pages-needles.blogspot.de/2012/12/review-die-paten-vom-knoblauchsland.html">Rezension</a><br />7.5 Und wenn das vierte Lichtlein brennt ... (Weihnachts-Kurzkrimi) (2012) </li>
<li>Lokalderby (2013) </li>
</ol>
<h4>
Konrad Keller</h4>
Familienpakt (2012)<br />
<br />
<h2>
Veit Bronnenmeyer</h2>
<ol>
<li>Russische Seelen (2005)</li>
<li>Zerfall (2007)</li>
<li>Stadtgrenze (2009)</li>
<li>Gesünder sterben (2012) </li>
</ol>
<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDkd05oCwlcuE0r0b4xtkXxkEWdgfBLN27FreClNX57zazivMfPGM9aPpuclMRhstn3DDyn_nwJWGzDxYO4JNQKHU-WWUy8N2OvPIyPRLRT9gvNX1_dZtsKHofX-Pn2R-mh4CS6Gke27P/s1600/Mord+an+der+Kaiserburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDkd05oCwlcuE0r0b4xtkXxkEWdgfBLN27FreClNX57zazivMfPGM9aPpuclMRhstn3DDyn_nwJWGzDxYO4JNQKHU-WWUy8N2OvPIyPRLRT9gvNX1_dZtsKHofX-Pn2R-mh4CS6Gke27P/s200/Mord+an+der+Kaiserburg.jpg" width="128" /></a>
Petra Kirsch</h2>
<ol>
<li>Mord an der Kaiserburg (2010) - <a href="http://pages-needles.blogspot.de/2013/01/rezension-mord-der-kaiserburg.html">Rezension</a></li>
<li>Dürers Hände (2011)</li>
<li>Mord in der Noris (2012)</li>
</ol>
<h2>
Christian Klier</h2>
<ol>
<li>Klotz, der Tod und das Absurde (2010)</li>
<li>Klotz und der unbegabte Mörder (2012) </li>
</ol>
<h2>
Tessa Korber </h2>
<ol>
<li>Toter Winkel (2000)</li>
<li>Tiefe Schatten (2001)</li>
<li>Falsche Engel (2003)</li>
<li>Triste Töne (2003)</li>
<li>Kalte Herzen (2005)</li>
<li>Teurer Spaß (2007)</li>
</ol>
<h2>
Dirk Kruse</h2>
<ol>
<li>Tod im Augustinerhof (2008)</li>
<li>Requiem (2009)</li>
<li>Tod im Botanischen Garten (2012)</li>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfNNjoFMP5m7ttUbosp5W49KdBkxKFTEuwUOiVsDJaUj_HFwLZeFmHiRM9KqOx7Wr1P2cs5ce888x1dHLGwheNjbafyfxK86RE39IUFi0qut-RFcmLKN826o76OohVOoC_5RSGRQXjRiL/s1600/Das+letzte+L%25C3%25A4cheln.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfNNjoFMP5m7ttUbosp5W49KdBkxKFTEuwUOiVsDJaUj_HFwLZeFmHiRM9KqOx7Wr1P2cs5ce888x1dHLGwheNjbafyfxK86RE39IUFi0qut-RFcmLKN826o76OohVOoC_5RSGRQXjRiL/s200/Das+letzte+L%25C3%25A4cheln.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<h2>
Stefanie Mohr</h2>
<h3>
</h3>
<ol>
<li>Die vergessenen Schwestern (2005)</li>
<li>Das letzte Lächeln (2009) - <a href="http://pages-needles.blogspot.com/2013/01/rezension-das-letzte-lacheln.html">Rezension</a></li>
<li>Die dunkle Seite des Sommers (2010)</li>
<li>Frauentormauer (2011) - <a href="http://pages-needles.blogspot.de/2012/12/rezension-frauentormauer.html">Rezension</a></li>
<li>Glasscherbenviertel (2012)</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-3827883024613249152013-01-20T16:24:00.000+01:002013-01-20T16:46:36.441+01:00Rezension: Mord an der Kaiserburg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDkd05oCwlcuE0r0b4xtkXxkEWdgfBLN27FreClNX57zazivMfPGM9aPpuclMRhstn3DDyn_nwJWGzDxYO4JNQKHU-WWUy8N2OvPIyPRLRT9gvNX1_dZtsKHofX-Pn2R-mh4CS6Gke27P/s1600/Mord+an+der+Kaiserburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDkd05oCwlcuE0r0b4xtkXxkEWdgfBLN27FreClNX57zazivMfPGM9aPpuclMRhstn3DDyn_nwJWGzDxYO4JNQKHU-WWUy8N2OvPIyPRLRT9gvNX1_dZtsKHofX-Pn2R-mh4CS6Gke27P/s320/Mord+an+der+Kaiserburg.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<b>Autor:</b> Petra Kirsch<br />
<b>Titel:</b> Mord an der Kaiserburg<br />
<b>Veröffentlichungsdatum:</b> März 2010<br />
<b>Seiten:</b> 223<br />
<br />
<b>Serie:</b> Paula Steiner<i><b> </b></i><br />
1. <i><b>Mord an der Kaiserburg</b></i> (2010)<i> </i><br />
2. <i>Dürers Hände</i> (2011)<i> </i><br />
3.<i> Mord in der Noris</i> (2012) <br />
<ol>
</ol>
<b>Handlungsort:</b> Nürnberg<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Krimi, Franken-Krimi<br />
<br />
<b>Bewertung:</b> 2,5 von 5 Sternen<br />
<br />
<br />
Paula Steiner ist Hauptkommissarin bei der Nürnberger Polizei. Sie soll den Mord an einer Krankenschwester aufklären. Doch gerät dieser in den Hintergrund, als Paulas beste Freundin Röschen ermordet im Park aufgefunden wird. Weder hatte Röschen Feinde, noch scheint sonst ein Motiv für ihren Mord bestanden zu haben. Warum also musste Röschen sterben? Paula möchte der Sache nachgehen, doch der Fall wird ihrem Kollegen zugeteilt und dann ist da ja auch noch die tote Krankenschwester ...<br />
<br />
Ich hatte ziemlich hohe Erwartungen für diesen Krimi. Dabei kann ich nicht einmal sagen, woher diese hohen Erwartungen stammten, denn weder kannte ich die Autorin zuvor, noch hatte ich schon andere Meinungen darüber gelesen. Vielleicht ist es ja einfach die Tatsache, dass ich weibliche Ermittler/Protagonisten in Franken-Krimis bisher kaum (eigentlich sogar noch gar nicht) gesehen habe.<br />
Diesen hohen Erwartungen ist das Buch zumindest nicht gerecht geworden. Die Protagonistin hat es nicht geschafft mich einzufangen. Ich fand sie mehr als einmal unglaubwürdig und sogar etwas nervig. Ihre Handlungen waren für mich oft nicht nachvollziehbar.<br />
<br />
Dies führte dazu, dass mir bei dem Krimi insbesondere am Anfang der rote Faden der Geschichte gefehlt hat. Irgendwie ist alles nur so dahin geplätschert ohne ein merkliches Ziel zu haben.<br />
Erst nach der Hälfte des Buches hat sich die Ermittlerin entschieden zu ermitteln und hat die Geschichte dadurch zu einem roten Faden gefunden. Als dies dann endlich eingetreten ist, hat das Buch im weiteren Verlauf zumindest eine ganz gute Figur gemacht. Ich muss ihm zugestehen, dass die Auflösung ganz gut gemacht war und sich mir einige Zusammenhänge bis zum Schluss entzogen haben. Auf den Täter bin ich zumindest nicht gekommen.<br />
<br />
Alles in allem ist <i>Mord an der Kaiserburg</i> ein durchschnittlicher Franken-Krimi, der sich im Vergleich zu meinen anderen Leseerfahrungen in diesem Bereich bisher eher am unteren Ende des Durchschnitts aufhält. Insbesondere die Hackenholt-Romane von Stefanie Mohr sind im Vergleich hierzu besser.<br />
Trotzdem werde ich Petra Kirsch und ihrer Protagonistin Paula Steiner wahrscheinlich noch einmal eine Chance geben. Vielleicht zeigt sie in einem anderen Fall ja etwas mehr Engagement und vermag es dadurch auch besser mich an den Fall zu fesseln.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0Nürnberg, Deutschland49.45203 11.07674999999994749.121604500000004 10.431302999999946 49.7824555 11.722196999999948tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-3862214835266699922013-01-19T18:54:00.000+01:002013-01-19T18:54:30.462+01:00Challenge: Kampf den Buchreihen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lesegiraffe.blogspot.de/2012/11/meine-challenge-kampf-den-buchreihen.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUKzQ9hjpy7zmkgCo-fSKxFX9CocsRQ-X18eTd4CTeBOiJUZ5P2Ff4cABA3NKaM4AaG5mbpUHUXieTr9xo8aQVZy7hwo96iceevsG9mxFg7pR-XTLvNxIsCp1OZ5gxKfp35nolOAnJwvYR/s1600/Challenge+Buchreihen.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Lesegiraffe hat auf ihrem Blog eine wunderbare Challenge ins Leben gerufen. Diese hat den Zweck bereits begonnene oder sich auf den SuB befindliche Reihen in Angriff zu nehmen. Wenn man mein Goodreads-Regal mit dem passenden Titel "next in series" anschaut sieht man, dass ich eine solche Challenge dringend nötig habe. Das komplette Regal findet ihr am Ende dieses Eintrags. Aktuell befindet sich in diesem Regal 57 Bücher. Das heißt, dass ich momentan an 57 Reihen lese. Da kann es gewiss nicht schaden den Reihen den Kampf anzusagen und deren Anzahl zu verringern.
<br />
<br />
Inwieweit dies von Erfolg gekrönt sein wird, wird sich noch zeigen. Seit ich das Regal bei Goodreads angelegt habe (und mir vorgenommen habe die Anzahl dort zu verringern) haben sich bereits ein paar neue Bücher dort eingefunden. Meine letzten zwei Neuzugänge (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/367063.Crewel_World">Crewel World</a> und <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16059362-shadow-people">Shadow People</a>) kamen durch <a href="http://www.audiobookjukebox.com/">Audiobook Jukebox</a>'s Solid Gold Reviewer Programm ins Regal. Einem kostenlosen Hörbuch kann ich einfach nicht widerstehen.<br />
<br />
Mein "next in series"-Regal umfasst dabei übrigens noch nicht einmal die Bücher, die Teil einer Reihe sind, von der ich bisher aber noch keine Gelegenheit hatte mit Lesen anzufangen. Unter Einbeziehung dieser Bücher dürfte die Liste noch um einiges länger werden. Die systematische Auflistung gibt es dann sobald ich dazu komme meine angefangenen Reihen (und die noch nicht angefangenen aber irgendwo auf meinem Kindle rumschwirrenden) entsprechend aufzuschreiben.<br />
<br />
Hier der versprochene Blick auf die Bücher, die als nächstes in meinen Reihen dran sind:<br />
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Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-18426023386211036292013-01-19T17:19:00.001+01:002013-01-21T06:20:08.997+01:00Hörbuch Challenge 2013<center>
<a href="http://www.buchkolumne.de/2013/01/15/die-horbuch-challenge-2013-horen-geniesen-rezensieren/"><img src="http://www.buchkolumne.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/HBCBadge_durchsichtigklein.png" /></a></center>
<br />
Manchen Challenges kann man einfach nicht widerstehen. So die von Anne von der <a href="http://www.buchkolumne.de/">Buchkolumne</a>, Sandra von der <a href="http://www.buechernische-blog.de/">Büchernische</a> und dem <a href="http://www.argon-verlag.de/">Argon-Verlag </a>ins Leben gerufene Hörbuch Challenge 2013.<br />
<br />
Ziel der Challenge ist es im Jahr 2013 monatlich mindestens ein Hörbuch zu hören und zu rezensieren. Wer dies durchhält bekommt vom Argon-Verlag am Ende ein Hörbuch gestiftet. So etwas nenne ich eine absolut unwiderstehliche Challenge. Da mein jährlicher Hörbuch-Konsum die Zahl 12 bei weitem übersteigt dürfte das auch ein äußerst realistisches Ziel sein.<br />
<br />
Es trifft sich auch, dass ich gerade heute Morgen das Hörbuch <i>Goldener Sonntag</i> von Garth Nix beendet habe, welches dann wohl als nächstes der Rezension harrt.<br />
<br />
Der Argon-Verlag, der mir bereits zuvor positiv durch seine ungekürzten deutschen Produktionen von Jane Austens Büchern aufgefallen ist, ist damit übrigens noch etwas in meiner Gunst gestiegen.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Gehörte Hörbücher:</h2>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://pages-needles.blogspot.de/2013/01/rezension-emma.html">Emma</a> (21.01.2013) </li>
</ol>
Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-33213334290589063652013-01-19T16:49:00.000+01:002013-01-19T16:49:10.116+01:00Review: And Then You Dye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-ZCOkBOJIhw3Aa7nKNJyNmcjfiYZPIuIkLWb35T1y7L5KjlC3BwtQpx4GEGbFTqBfxNNnn-ZOtBITljt9U0HJDAAoGsatPc7sSjzk_zasDu0G6DYJAiWfhyphenhyphenP5moR160t64MA_U1MJ2lk/s1600/And+Then+You+Dye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-ZCOkBOJIhw3Aa7nKNJyNmcjfiYZPIuIkLWb35T1y7L5KjlC3BwtQpx4GEGbFTqBfxNNnn-ZOtBITljt9U0HJDAAoGsatPc7sSjzk_zasDu0G6DYJAiWfhyphenhyphenP5moR160t64MA_U1MJ2lk/s200/And+Then+You+Dye.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> And Then You Dye<br />
<b>Author:</b> Monica Ferris<br />
<b>Narrator:</b> Susan Boyce<br />
<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> AudioGO<br />
<b>Publication Date:</b> December 4, 2012<br />
<b>Lenth:</b> 7 hrs 30 min <i><b>(unabridged)</b></i><br />
<br />
<b>Series:</b> A Needlecraft Mystery, # 16<br />
<b>Setting:</b> Excelsior, Minnesota<i><b></b></i><br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 3 of 5 stars<br />
<br />
<i>And Then You Dye</i> is the latest installment in a series of cozy mysteries featuring Betsy Devonshire. Betsy runs a needlework shop in Excelsior, Minnesota. However, the work in her shop often gets interrupted by Betsy's sleuthing habits. This time she is asked to find the murderer of Hailey Brent. Hailey spun and dyed wool which Betsy sold in her shop ... until Hailey is found shot in her house.<br />
<br />
This is the first book by Monica Ferris that I read. It took me some time to get into the story and the narrator. While the story itself does not depend on knowing the first books in the series, I would probably have had an easier time in getting into the story had I known the first parts. I'm certain that most of the characters appearing here were introduced earlier in the series, which would have given them more depth and background.<br />
Considering this I was surprised at how fast I was drawn into the story. I might have needed two or three chapters, but after that I was really beginning to enjoy this cozy mystery. Betsy has a nice way of dealing with the case. She might ask around to get information, but she doesn't pry or overstep the border between legal and illegal actions. In spite of her sleuthing she recognizes the police as being the responsible body for apprehending the murderer. She rather sees herself as a person helping the police in gathering evidence and information that the police might not be able to get in their official capacity. This makes her a very amiable sleuth.<br />
<br />
The mystery itself was well-written, with appropriate hints dropped in the right places. While I actually guessed right as to who might be the murderer, I wasn't quite certain until the person was revealed. It has been a while since I read a mystery where I found the hints so well-placed in the story. Not too obvious but still there.<br />
Some small side-stories (like Godwin and his friend Rafael and their excursion into the world of coin collecting) provided a nice background to the story to give it life. Even though these parts did not actually belong to the mystery, I didn't find them superfluous and enjoyed them just as much as the rest of the book.<br />
<br />
Susan Boyce does a decent job on her narration. For the first few chapters I needed some time to get accustomed to her voice. One reason for this might be that before <i>And Then You Dye</i> I listened to an audiobook narrated by a male narrator and for some reason I always find it easier to listen to a male voice than a female one. However, Susan Boyce's voice soon felt comfortable to my ears and her narrating a book won't keep me from listening to it in the future.<br />
<br />
All in all this is a nice cozy mystery and I'll probably get the first fifteen books in the series as well (not all at once, but whenever I feel the need for some cozy entertainment), starting with the first.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0Excelsior, Minnesota 55331, Vereinigte Staaten44.9032963 -93.56634550000001144.8808023 -93.60668600000001 44.9257903 -93.526005000000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-46265770054277221402013-01-15T19:49:00.002+01:002013-01-15T19:49:54.309+01:00Review: Lolita<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByytlnCNAd5frq1PK4Pp_sU3YveRjrnM4hTcEZNixyjY8XTm9qbtitVR7pv4v5yg-4a732BhEQixs6wDK9OH_DZiTh_3gI48oTOHjJdzZ1cWADuW6vK7RY-MX_xjxz5aBzX-wjeWadYL8/s1600/Lolita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByytlnCNAd5frq1PK4Pp_sU3YveRjrnM4hTcEZNixyjY8XTm9qbtitVR7pv4v5yg-4a732BhEQixs6wDK9OH_DZiTh_3gI48oTOHjJdzZ1cWADuW6vK7RY-MX_xjxz5aBzX-wjeWadYL8/s320/Lolita.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Lolita<br />
<b>Author:</b> Vladimir Nabokov<br />
<br />
<b>Published</b> in 1955<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 331<br />
<br />
<b>Setting:</b> mainly USA; there is quite a bit of travel involved, so it's hard to make it more specific<br />
<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Classic Literature<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: </b>2 of 5 stars<br />
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I had quite high expectations for this book because it is listed both on the 1001 books you need to read before you die list and on Bloom's Western Canon. Both usually include high-quality literature and so far I've at least liked or seen something good about every book I've read from the lists. Not so this time.<br />
<br />
This was one of the few books I read in the last year (I actually read it this year, but the new year is still fresh enough that this statement has more meaning when I take my reading experiences of last year into account as well) where I struggled with finishing it. It started very slow, didn't manage to capture me and even repulsed me. I didn't really feel the need to go on or even to finish this book. I eventually did finish it, because I'm bad at not-finishing books. Once I started a book I usually finish it. Otherwise I couldn't really give an educated opinion about it. But the fact that I finished this doesn't make it a good book.<br />
<br />
The main character Humbert Humbert is a pedophile who "falls in love" with his landlady's minor daughter. He knows that he is sick and that what he is doing is wrong but he does it nonetheless. Reading about him (the book is actually written from his point-of-view) made me feel sick.<br />
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I have to give Nabokov his due in saying that I really liked the writing style and his way of expressing things. I could even have gotten around to seeing some merit in it should it have supposed to be a cautioning example. However, Nabokov said in the afterword explicitly that the book was not thought to have a "meaning" in the sense how it is taught in literature classes. If I accept his statement for truth I have to wonder why he wrote this book.<br />
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This is one of the few pieces of "literature" that I can't recommend to anybody else for reading and I'll things twice before I read another work by Nabokov.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-87244620994488220122013-01-15T19:16:00.003+01:002013-01-15T19:16:54.170+01:00Rezension: Spielzeugstadt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339788409l/15707217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 2em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339788409l/15707217.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<b>Titel:</b> Spielzeugstadt<br />
<b>Autor:</b> Lucas Bahl<br />
<b>Verlag:</b> emons<br />
<b>Seiten: </b>235 (ebook)<br />
<b>Veröffentlichungsdatum: </b>21.09.2010<br />
<br />
<b>Serieninformationen:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Der Berg ruft! (2007): 3 Sterne</li>
<li>Das Jakobs-Tarot (2009)</li>
<li><b>Spielzeugstadt</b> (2010)</li>
</ol>
<b>Handlungsort:</b><br />
Nürnberg, Erlangen und Umkreis<br />
<br />
<b>Bewertung: </b>3 von 5 Sternen<br />
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<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b><br />
Ein Nürnberger Unternehmen hat den großen Coup in der Spielwarenindustrie gelandet: den Roboter Byddi. Dieses Wunder an Plüsch und Elektronik wartet mit vielfältigen Funktionen auf, die dem Kind gefallen und auch den Eltern Nutzen bringen. Doch nun scheint die Erfolgsschiene des Unternehmens eine Durststrecke zu durchleben. Ein Byddi soll für den Tod eines Kindes verantwortlich sein und dann wird auch noch die Tochter des Firmenchefs entführt. Privatdetektiv Nero Kaiser und dessen Journalistenfreund Ernst Pier nehmen sich dem Fall an.<br />
<br />
Spielzeugstadt ist ein solider Lokalkrimi. Das Buch hat alle nötigen Elemente ohne jedoch mit herausragender Qualität aufwarten zu können.<br />
Der Handlungsbogen um den mordenden Byddi war für mich nur mäßig spannend, denn der Grund des Vorfalls hat sich für mich schon ziemlich früh erschlossen. Ein wenig mehr Interesse bot anfangs noch die Entführung des Mädchens, doch auch hier hat sich für mich schon einige Zeit vor Ende des Buches bzw. der offiziellen Auflösung gezeigt, was dahinter steckt.<br />
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Spezieller Lokalkolorit war in Spielzeugstadt nicht allzu viel zu finden. Es wurden ein Paar Orte in Nürnberg als Schauplätze/Wohnsitz gewählt und durch die in Erlangen wohnhaften Ermittler kam auch die Universitätsstadt zu einem Auftritt. Gelegentlich wurden ein paar interessante
Hintergrundinformationen zur Geschichte insbesondere hinsichtlich
Spielwarenherstellung und -messe in Nürnberg geliefert; das wirkte hier aber teilweise etwas gezwungen und steif. In anderen Lokalkrimis fand ich den Bezug aber teilweise besser hergestellt.<br />
<br />
Auch dem Ermittlerduo kann man eine gewisse Steifheit anlasten. Ich fand sie auch gerade so an der Grenze dazu flache Charaktere zu sein. Sie waren gerade so gut genug ausgearbeitet um ein wenig Tiefe zu bekommen, doch da hätte man mehr tun können. Ich finde es zum Beispiel jetzt, zwei Wochen nachdem ich das Buch gelesen habe, schwer mir die Charaktere bildlich ins Gedächtnis zu rufen. Das geht bei anderen besser.<br />
<br />
Alles in allem ein durchschnittliches Buch mit Handlungsort in Nürnberg. Es war nicht direkt eine Qual es zu lesen aber in seinen Bann hat es mich dennoch nicht gezogen. Wenn mir Das Jakobs-Tarot als bisher letzter Band der Reihe, den ich noch nicht gelesen habe, in die Hände fällt, werde ich das Buch bestimmt lesen, aber ich werde mir wohl kein Bein ausreißen um an das Buch zu kommen.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0Nürnberg, Deutschland49.45203 11.07674999999994749.121604500000004 10.431302999999946 49.7824555 11.722196999999948tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-77693126588786279812013-01-14T18:53:00.002+01:002013-01-15T19:20:19.279+01:00Review: Dark Magic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-DT67OIBX4mNjDS0qCtIYvquJfLnkESOp6zRSRFiKjrtAX8sScTORObks5rSYO-kOuOQ4OZhW3qx6v7DSYzE9MX-cV7vy4-S1SPTC4mkvaeQ_cqUBn_7jYRhGCwAz15yTSyd7KqGMVQh/s1600/Dark+Magic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-DT67OIBX4mNjDS0qCtIYvquJfLnkESOp6zRSRFiKjrtAX8sScTORObks5rSYO-kOuOQ4OZhW3qx6v7DSYzE9MX-cV7vy4-S1SPTC4mkvaeQ_cqUBn_7jYRhGCwAz15yTSyd7KqGMVQh/s200/Dark+Magic.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Author:</b> James Swain<br />
<b>Title:</b> Dark Magic<br />
<b>Narrator:</b> Stephen R. Thorne<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> AudioGO<br />
<b>Length:</b> 10 hrs 48 min <b><i>(unabridged)</i></b><br />
<b>Publication date:</b> Dec. 1, 2012<br />
<b>Setting:</b> Contemporary New York<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Thriller/Suspense, Paranormal<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4 of 5 stars<br />
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Peter Warlock is a well-known magician. His magic show regularly draws a large audience into his theatre, including his own fan club. What nobody knows is that Peter really has supernatural powers. Together with a group of six friends Peter holds weekly seances. During those meetings they communicate with the spirits and try to discover what the future holds in store. Peter's life in particular is getting chaotic when one day he sees something dreadful during one of the weekly seances: thousands of people dying, without apparent reason, in Times Square. Peter tries to figure out what will happen and how to stop it, but what can he alone accomplish? Should he contact the police to warn them? This would mean breaking one of the psychics' most elemental rules: Never reveal your powers to outsiders, especially not to officials.<br />
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This story gripped me from the start. Especially with a new author and/or new narrator I usually take some time to getting used to them. Not with Dark Magic. Stephen R. Thorne has a very nice voice that I enjoyed immensely listening to. It immediately formed a mental image of Peter in my mind that never left me during the book. I'll certainly not hesitate when I see another book narrated by Stephen R. Thorne.<br />
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Apart from the great narrator I also enjoyed the story itself. It is vividly and compellingly told without losing itself in side-plots. Instead it follows a red thread. Enough background to give you a mental image of the events/places/people but not so much that you lose focus of the story over it. Just as I like it.<br />
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In another review I read that the characters are flat and the way the psychics are portrayed is cliché. I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement. I liked the way Peter and his psychic friends are portrayed. This might be because I didn't read many similar books lately and found this take on things, even if it is traditional, very enjoyable. This is a kind of "magic" that I could actually believe to exist. Also the characters were well-developed in my opinion. Peter certainly has his strengths and weaknesses. I also didn't have any problems in picturing the secondary characters and liked many of them; even the FBI agent.<br />
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The only problem I had with this book was at the end (last two chapters). I would have prefered some things dealt with in a different way. I won't give any particulars here because that would be a bit too spoilery. However, the end didn't really diminish my enjoyment of the book in the whole. Just my personal preference. The end certainly leaves the possibility for a continuation in which those aspects might be covered again. <br />
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All in all I really enjoyed this audiobook. After doing a bit of research I realized that another book featuring Peter Warlock will appear this summer and I'll probably read (or listen to) that as well. Of course I would be all the more willing to get that if an audiobook narrated by Stephen R. Thorne was produced again. Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0New York City, New York, Vereinigte Staaten40.7143528 -74.005973140.3291728 -74.65142010000001 41.0995328 -73.3605261tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-71935113828721975032013-01-01T15:38:00.001+01:002013-01-01T15:38:25.497+01:00Review: The Hobbit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Author:</b> J.R.R. Tolkien<br />
<b>Title: </b>The Hobbit<br />
<b>Narrator:</b> Rob Inglis<br />
<b>Length:</b> 11 hrs <i><b>(unabridged)</b></i><br />
<b>Publisher:</b> HarperCollins<br />
<b>Release Date: </b>2005 (as audible edition)<br />
<b>Original Publication Date:</b> 1937<br />
<b>Genre: </b>Fantasy<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4 1/2 of 5 Stars<br />
<br />
It seems a bit redundant to give a summary to The Hobbit, but it feels wrong to start a review without having first given at least a short overview over the book's content, so here we go. Bilbo Baggins is a typical hobbit ... until the wizard Gandalf enters his home and sets a series of events in motion that will make Bilbo a very special hobbit. Gandalf invited a dozen dwarfs and made them believe that Bilbo is a master-thief who could help them in their current venture. Thus Bilbo sets out with the dwarfs. During their travels to the Lonely Mountain where they intend to retrieve their treasures from the dragon Smaug, they have to face numerous dangers.<br />
<br />
The Hobbit is a typical adventure story, intended for a younger audience (I'd say older children into the early teenage years). The heroes, i.e. Bilbo, the dwarfs and sometimes Gandalf, have to face difficulties on their way to reach their goal. The main focus lies on Bilbo. The fact that Bilbo is not, of course, a real master-thief, but only a Hobbit leads to some interesting and sometimes quite funny situations for our hero. It is always a pleasure to see how Bilbo manages to "save the day" without having to relay on strength (Hobbits usually aren't that good at fighting). Instead he manages to come up with good ideas.<br />
During the course of the book Bilbo grows as a character and he leaves the story as another person than when we first encountered him in the beginning.<br />
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I've first encountered this story by listening to the German audiobook. That is a wonderful dramatized production, but sadly it is also abridged (it fits on four CDs, so nearly half the book has been cut). After years of break from the story I decided to listen to the unabridged audiobook edition and I'm glad I did so. Rob Inglis is a wonderful narrator. He also narrates all three books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Thus I was already acquainted with his voice and was instantly drawn into Middle Earth. While I found Inglis' voice sometimes difficult to understand when I originally listened to his interpretation of the Lord of the Rings years ago, I really enjoyed his narration this time. He has a deep, calm voice that gives the impression of being told a story while sitting before a nice, warm hearthfire. Still he manages to give every character its distinct "voice". After listening to The Hobbit I count Inglis among my favourite authors and this has made me want to re-listen to The Lord of the Rings (of course narrated by Inglis).Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-54600197408658794182012-12-29T19:05:00.000+01:002012-12-29T19:17:57.847+01:00Rezension: Frauentormauer<div>
<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327479129l/10362789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 2em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327479129l/10362789.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<b>Autor:</b> Stefanie Mohr<br />
<b>Titel:</b> Frauentormauer<br />
<b>Erscheinungsdatum:</b> 28. Februar 2011<br />
<b>Verlag:</b> emons<br />
<br />
Kategorie: Franken-Krimi<br />
Handlungsort: Nürnberg (mit kleineren Abstechern in die nähere Umgebung)<br />
<br />
<b>Serienübersicht:
</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Die vergessenen Schwestern (2005): 3 Sterne</li>
<li>Das letzte Lächeln (2009)</li>
<li>Die dunkle Seite des Sommers (2010): 4 Sterne</li>
<li><b>Frauentormauer (2011)</b></li>
<li>Glasscherbenviertel (2012)</li>
</ol>
<br />
Bewertung: 4 von 5 Sternen<br />
<br />
Ein neuer Fall wartet auf Hackenholt und sein Team. Dieses Mal führt das Verbrechen die Kriminalisten ins Rotlicht-Milieu. Eine Prostituierte thailändischen Ursprungs wird tot in einem Laufhaus an der Frauentormauer aufgefunden. War einer der Freier der Frauen für ihren Tod verantwortlich? Oder etwa eine ihrer Kolleginnen? Aber vielleicht ist der Täter ja auch im privaten Umfgeld der Frau zu finden?<br />
Der Fall wird noch verzwickter, als es weitere Todesfälle gibt und zwei von Hackenholts Kollegen in eine Schießerei verwickelt werden. Daneben müssen der Kommissar und seine Freundin Sophie auch noch mit einem ganz privaten Fall fertig werden, denn sie werden mit einem vierbeinigen Findelkind konfrontiert.<br />
<br />
Stefanie Mohr liefert hier erneut einen sehr soliden Krimi mit Hackenholt als Ermittler ab.<br />
<br />
Der Fall ist spannend gestaltet. Die Ermittler verhalten sich durch und durch logisch. So vermeidet der Krimi es dem Leser das Gefühl zu vermitteln es mit extrem überzeuchneten Charakteren wie Über-Menschen oder völlig naiven Ermittlern zu tun zu haben. Dem Leser werden keine wichtigen Informationen vorenthalten und dennoch bleibt der Fall spannend bis zu Schluss.<br />
Die Charaktere sind durch und durch lebensecht und farbig gestaltet, sodass es leicht fällt sich diese vorzustellen und in sie hineinzuversetzen. Insbesondere Hackenholts Kollegin Christine Mur hat in diesem Band an Farbe gewonnen und hat mir sehr gefallen.<br />
Auch der für "Nürnberg-Krimis" typische Lokalkolorit fehlt nicht. Generell hält dieser sich hier jedoch genug in Grenzen um auch für Leser anderer Regionen interesant zu sein; trotzdem erkennt der Nürnberger "seine Stadt". Etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, selbst für Nürnberger, ist jedoch Murs fränkischer Dialekt. Dieser Dialekt ist zwar zweifellos für den Lokalkolorit förderlich, allerdings stößt er mir doch jedes Mal wieder unangenehm auf, da Dialekt auf dem Papier einfach schwer zu lesen ist (ist ja auch eigentlich nur zum Sprechen gedacht). Diese Passagen halten sich aber zum Glück in Grenzen, sodass sie nicht zu sehr stören.<br />
<br />
Alles in allem ein sehr zu empfehlender Krimi mit Handlungsort in Nrünberg und Umgebung.<br />
<br />
P. S.: Der Nürnberg-Kenner wird feststellen, dass auf dem Cover des Buches nicht die Frauntormauer abgebildet ist. Dort ist vielmehr der Henkersteg über die Pegnitz zu sehen.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0Frauentormauer, Nürnberg, Deutschland49.4474276 11.074242649.4422661 11.0643721 49.4525891 11.0841131tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-24149189755925096292012-12-20T07:46:00.000+01:002012-12-20T07:46:07.081+01:00Review: Slam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yD42CG3sVUeS7eoUVuZNTwXGEXjmzBgOph7M5qlrvwwgIQNNyociSC0YN1n4DFrA7E575-TtQapsKjHqWOw1PMrQMO4CSFH80x6p-kTP4hHO1LspWgH_qPR6fZMFbsfCnXGSrQ0gd3N4/s1600/Slam_audio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yD42CG3sVUeS7eoUVuZNTwXGEXjmzBgOph7M5qlrvwwgIQNNyociSC0YN1n4DFrA7E575-TtQapsKjHqWOw1PMrQMO4CSFH80x6p-kTP4hHO1LspWgH_qPR6fZMFbsfCnXGSrQ0gd3N4/s200/Slam_audio.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Title: Slam<br />
Author: Nick Hornby<br />
Narrator: Nicholas Hoult<br />
Length: 7 1/4 hours (6 CDs); <b>unabridged</b><br />
Publisher: Penguin Audio<br />
ISBN: 978-0-141-80791-1<br />
Publication Date: May 2010<br />
Original Publication Date: October 16, 2007<br />
Genre: Contemporary Fiction; Young Adult<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 3 of 5 stars<b> </b><br />
<br />
Sam has grown up in the knowledge that it is a bad idea to get a kid at 16. While his mother loves him and they have a good relationship, she also told him countless times that getting pregnant with him at such a young age has changed her future for the worse. Sam tries to avoid his mother's "mistake". He is going to go to college. In his free time he loves skateboarding. His greatest idol is Tony Hawk; Sam has read his book and knows it by heart. He even talks to a poster of Tony Hawk and to Sam Tony Hawk even answers with quotations from his book. Sam's life is rapidly changing when he meets Alicia and they begin a romantic relationship. Soon Sam is in danger of following in his mother's footsteps, but Tony Hawk doesn't leave Sam in the lurch. He shows Sam his future.<br />
<br />
I have to admit that I had a few problems with this book. The main problem was that I couldn't really emphasise with Sam. This might be due to the fact that I'm older than Sam and female. This doesn't make a great difference in fantasy novels, where the focus is not so much on the protagonists "inside". In this book it was making it hard to get into it.<br />
Apart from Sam I also found the rest of the characters flat and not good developed. Alicia's parents were particularly cliché, but his mother didn't have more depth, either.<br />
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The plot was also average. It was well enough but didn't offer a lot of surprises. The "future-dreams" purportedly sent by Tony Hawk were an interesting twist to the storyline but after the first one they became an old hat as well. <br />
<br />
Nicholas Hoult as the narrator did a good job at his narration, but again nothing outstanding. At the beginning I had a few problems with getting into his narration and I somehow found him an unfit narrator for this work. Somehow I couldn't imagine his voice alongside a 16-year old protagonist. This was especially difficult because the story is told from Sam's point-of-view as first-person narrator, not from a neutral third-person narrator.<br />
<br />
All in all I found this book average. There were no great faults, but it certainly didn't find its way to my heart and the possibility that I'll listen to the audiobook or read the book again is fairly slim.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0London, Vereinigtes Königreich51.5073346 -0.127683151.3492066 -0.4435401 51.6654626 0.1881739tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-45016150934748906992012-12-18T21:07:00.005+01:002012-12-18T21:32:09.820+01:00Review: Désirée - The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51nAi42jutfhYQQW21WlKEf6_e1S-qGnnZDzG0A2xFH-yvUH187HkJF6XSMLDinmQ4ah5f-Pphc_FjUlKqoU7_30-YdLVUzJPbA7prlgU25WdF8L_3eh0OQ4z_69asihGicCvf7vKsoQi/s1600/D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51nAi42jutfhYQQW21WlKEf6_e1S-qGnnZDzG0A2xFH-yvUH187HkJF6XSMLDinmQ4ah5f-Pphc_FjUlKqoU7_30-YdLVUzJPbA7prlgU25WdF8L_3eh0OQ4z_69asihGicCvf7vKsoQi/s200/D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9e.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> Désirée - The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First Love<br />
<b>Author:</b> Annemarie Selinko<br />
<b>Narrator:</b> Nicole Quinn<br />
<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> BlueBarnProductions (according to audible entry; however, the disclaimer at the end of the audiobook gives the impression that this audiobook was actually self-published by the narrator)<br />
<b>Length:</b> 26 hours <b>(unabridged)</b><br />
<br />
<b>Genre:</b> Historical Novel <br />
<b>Setting:</b> 19th century France with small portions of the book set in other countries, eg Sweden<br />
<b>Style:</b> Epilostary (told in Désirée's diary entries)<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4 of 5 stars<br />
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As the title suggests, this book tells the story of Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary, who later becomes Désirée Bernadotte and Queen of Sweden. She was born into a family of silk merchants and never had high aspirations. It was a coincidence that Désirée (who was then still known as Eugénie) met Joseph Bonaparte, the elder brother of <span lang="fr">Napoléon Bonaparte. She invited the brothers to her home for a dinner. Her family was indignant at Désirée's behavior. Napoléon was already a distinguished general, but the Bonapartes were a poor family of Corsican immigrants. Thus the Carlys did not want to have anything to do with them. But Napoléon's charme managed to capture the family and soon both brothers were regular guests at the Clary's. Désirée's sister Julie married Joseph and Désirée got engaged to Napoléon.</span><br />
<span lang="fr">But destiny would not have Désirée as Napoléon's wife. Before the marriage Napoléon left for Paris in order to convince the political leaders of France of his plans for France. In Paris Napoléon also meets </span>Joséphine de Beauharnais. While Désirée had a large dowry, Josephine has influence in Paris. Thus Napoléon dissolves his engagement with Désirée and marries Josephine instead. At first Désirée is devastated, but soon she finds a new love as well in General Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. Jean-Baptiste even becomes one of the Marshalls of France under Emperor Napoléon.<br />
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This novel details Désirées life from her teenage years until her fifties. It is presented in the form of Désirée's diary entries. I'm always a bit ambivalent about books written as a diary, because this can go terribly wrong. However, in this case it seems to have been the perfect choice. Désirée writes entries whenever something decisive happened in her life. This gives a vivid picture of the time and Désirée's life without getting boring with too much detail (a problem quite a few historical novels have). It is easy to empthise with Désirée and I enjoyed her story very much. I can easily understand why this books belongs in the category of bestsellers.<br />
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The audiobook production lives up the the story. The narrator, Nicole Quinn, has a calm voice that is is pleasant to listen to. However, I had one problem with the audiobook: There were quite a few sudden volume changes. This is especially bad when one listens in the car or with headphones.<br />
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All in all this is a very enjoyable novel and I'll probably listen to the audiobook again some time and might even look for other books by Selinko. I'm torn between four and five stars in this case but tend towards four.Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0Paris, Frankreich48.856614 2.352221900000017748.6894665 2.0294984000000178 49.0237615 2.6749454000000177tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-30210620021860950682012-12-11T06:36:00.001+01:002012-12-11T06:38:13.739+01:00Rezension: Das Geheimnis der roten Villa<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15715964" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Das Geheimnis der roten Villa" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1340302829m/15715964.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15715964">Das Geheimnis der roten Villa</a> von <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4066954">Cristina López Barrio</a><br />
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Meine Bewertung: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/352849742">2 von 5 Sternen</a><br />
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Auf den Frauen der Familie Laguna lastet ein Fluch, der es ihnen unmöglich macht in der Liebe glücklich zu werden. Vielmehr sind sie alle dazu verdammt wegen der Liebe zu leiden und nur uneheliche Mädchen zu gebähren, die den Fluch forttragen. Sollte ein Mann versuchen das Unglück der Frauen zu verhindern, so wird diesen ein tragisches Schicksal ereilen.<br />
Mit dieser Geschichte ist Clara Laguna aufgewachsen. Sie ist dennoch davon überzeugt, dass sie trotz des Fluches mit ihrem Liebsten glücklich werden kann.<br />
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Die Geschichte folgt mehreren Generationen an Laguna-Frauen. Die Prämisse des Buches verheißt gute Unterhaltung und der Schreibsstil der Autorin lässt das Buch angenehm "fließen". Auch an der Sprecherin des deutschen Hörbuchs habe ich nichts auszusetzen.<br />
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Was mich jedoch bald zu stören angefangen hat, ist die Tatsache, dass so gut wie jede der Protagonistinen absolut unsympathisch war. Nun könnte man das natürlich damit erklären, dass die Damen einfach alle an einem schweren Schicksal zu hadern haben und ihr Charakter sich daraus erklären lässt. Allerdings hätte jede auch ein anderes Leben führen und so einen besseren Charakter entwickeln können. Insofern sind die Damen mir nicht auf eine verständliche, im Rahmen des Plots nachvollziehbare Art unangenehm aufgefallen.<br />
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Diese unangenehmen Charaktere haben mich mehrmals dazu verleitet das Hörbuch einfach aufzugeben. Davon hat mich allein die Tatsache abgehalten, dass ich eine noch größere Abneigung dagegen habe ein Buch nicht zu beenden.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/352849742">Alle meine Rezensionen auf Goodreads</a>Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-36779839236573921572012-12-07T07:29:00.001+01:002012-12-07T07:37:04.566+01:00Review: Days of Blood & Starlight<br />
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1352839440l/16148327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1352839440l/16148327.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16148327">Days of Blood & Starlight</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/324620">Laini Taylor</a><br />
Series information: Second book in series<br />
Audiobook narrator: Khristine Hvam<br />
Length: 15 hrs, 17 min<br />
Publication date: November 8, 2012 (orig. November 6, 2012)<br />
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton<br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/380750174">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Days of Blood and Starlight is the second book in a trilogy and follows the events of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.<br />
After Karou has found out about her past life and that Akiva is responsible for the demise of her own race, the chimaera, Karou decided to leave Akiva. Now she is allied with the chimaera rebells and helps them by resurrecting their fallen. Meanwhile Akiva thinks that Karou is dead and plans his own rebellion against his father. In Prague, Zuzana is worried about her friend and tries to decipher an email sent by Karou that might help her find her friend.<br />
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I had some more troubles getting into this volume than I had with the first book. The book only grapped me once I had listened to about a third of it; but then it enfolded its whole charme and proved to be just as good as the first volume.<br />
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It is more than just a fantasy book or a romance novel. It is an intricately woven story of two worlds, two leaders bent on war and cruelty and a few people trying to bring peace to their world. It is a story about hate and politics, but it is also a story about friendship.<br />
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The unabridged audiobook is narrated again by Khristine Hvam, who already narrated the first book. I fell in love with her way of narrating in the first book and enoyed her interpretation of this second book just as much. She has a wonderful voice and I particularly liked how she gave life to Karou's friend Zuzana (whom I find a great character).<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/380750174">View all my reviews</a>Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-20057611557130334952012-12-06T20:49:00.000+01:002012-12-06T20:51:18.915+01:00Rezension: Lebendige Schatten<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15992572" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Lebendige Schatten" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346927976m/15992572.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15992572">Lebendige Schatten</a> von <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15873">Cornelia Funke</a><br />
Sprecher: Rainer Strecker<br />
Länge: 10h 5min <b>(ungekürzt)</b> <br />
Erscheinungsdatum: 6. September 2012<br />
Verlag: Oetinger Media <br />
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Meine Bewertung: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/264876563">4 von 5 Sternen</a><br />
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Ich war begeistert von Cornelia Funkes Tintenherz-Büchern. Von dem ersten Buch in der neuen Reihe mit Jacob Reckless war ich jedoch eher enttäuscht. Ich fand es ganz nett, jedoch hat etwas von dem Zauber gefehlt, der mit bei Funkes Tintenwelt so gefesselt hat. Jetzt habe ich auch das zweite Buch in der neuen Reihe als Hörbuch gehört und muss sagen, dass dieses mir besser gefällt als der erste Band.<br />
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Die Geschichte setzt dort ein, wo der erste Band aufgehört hat. Zwar ist es Jacob gelungen, seinen Bruder will von dem Feen-Fluch zu befreien, der ihm eine steinerne Haut beschehrt hatte, doch dafür ist nun Jacob verflucht. Die Motte der Fee sitzt auf seiner Brust und wenn sie ihn vier mal gebissen hat, bedeutet dies Jacobs Tod. Deswegen setzt Jacob alles daran eine Möglichkeit zu finden um den Fluch zu brechen. Doch alle Jacob bekannten Mittel schlagen fehl.<br />
Der einzige Hoffnungsschimmer, der ihm noch bleibt, besteht in einer magischen Armbrust, nämlich die Armbrust von Giesmund dem Hexenschlächter. Die Armbrust dieses Magiers soll ganz besondere Eigenschaften besitzen: Sie ist dazu in der Lage mit nur einem Schuss ganze Armeen zu vernichten. Doch wenn sie aus Liebe abgeschossen wird, so soll sie auch dazu in der Lage sein das Leben eines zum Tode verdammten zu retten.<br />
Also macht Jacob sich auf die Suche nach der Armbrust. An seiner Seite die Gestaltwandlerin Fuchs. Um die Armbrust zu finden müssen sie Giesmunds Hand, Herz und Kopf finden und mit seinem Körper wieder vereinen, wodurch Giesmunds Schloss erscheinen soll, in dem sich die Armbrust befindet. Erschwert wird ihre Suche dadurch, dass ein weiterer Schatzjäger auf der Suche danach ist, nämlich ein Goyle, der es sich in den Kopf gesetzt hat Jacob dieses Mal zu schlagen um so zu beweisen, dass er der bessere Schatzjäger ist.<br />
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Mit diesem Buch zeigt Cornelia Funke erneut wie viel Fantasie sie hat und wie magisch ihre Worte sein können. Die von ihr geschaffene Welt hinter den Spiegeln ähnelt zwar der unseren in erstaunlicher Weise, doch sind dort Märchenelemente verstreut und geradezu alltäglich. Trotz dieser Anleihen in der realen Welt und bei bekannten Märchen gelingt es Funke ihre ganz eigene Welt zu erschaffen mit lebhaften Charakteren. Von diesem zweiten Band der Serie habe ich jeden Satz genossen.<br />
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Wie die anderen Bücher von Cornelia Funke liest auch dieses Buch wieder Rainer Strecker und liefert dabei einen ausgezeichneten Job ab. Zwar lässt es sich nach mehreren Büchern nicht vermeiden, dass Strecker gelegentlich mal "Stimmen" aus anderen Bücher wieder verwendet, so hat meine Mutter zwischendrin bemerkt, dass einer der Goyles klingt wie der Natternkopf in der Tintenwelt, doch tut dies dem Buch keinen Abbruch und nimmt ihm auch nicht seine Individualität. Rainer Strecker gehört zweifellos zu den besten deutschen Hörbuchsprechern, die sich finden lassen.<br />
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Auf Cornelia Funkes Homepage wird auch schon ein dritter Teil der Serie angedeutet, auf den man nur gespannt sein kann. Der nächste Band wird dann wohl einen Einschlag von russischen Märchen haben.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/264876563">Meine Rezensionen auf Goodreads</a>Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-88249320940287088532012-12-06T06:53:00.001+01:002013-01-15T19:52:15.992+01:00Rezension: Die Paten vom Knoblauchsland<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13419150" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Die Paten vom Knoblauchsland" border="0" height="200" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354450671m/13419150.jpg" width="117" /></a> <br />
Titel: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13419150-die-paten-vom-knoblauchsland">Die Paten vom Knoblauchsland</a><br />
Serieninformationen: 7. Teil der Paul Flemming Reihe<br />
Handlungsort: Nürnberg (insbesondere auch Almoshof im Knoblauchsland)<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13419150"></a>Autor: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1369323">Jan Beinßen</a><br />
Verlag: <a href="http://www.arsvivendi.com/">ars vivendi</a><br />
Veröffentlichungsdatum: 24. April 2012 <br />
Länge: 223 Seiten <br />
ISBN: <span class="greyText"><span itemprop="isbn">9783869131139</span></span> <br />
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Meine Bewertung: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/265039781">4 von 5 Sternen</a><br />
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Paul Flemmings siebter Fall führt den Fotografen, wie der Titel schon vermuten lässt, ins Nürnberger Knoblauchsland. Der Bauernverband der Gegend hat ihm den Auftrag erteilt einen Kalender zu kreieren, der die reizvolleren Aspekte des Knoblauchslandes, nämlich seine weiblichen Bewohner, im ländlichen Ambiente zeigt. Doch Pauls Projekt gerät ins Stocken, als sein nächstes Fotomodel nicht auftaucht. Kurz darauf wird sie tot in einem Sonnenblumenfeld aufgefunden. Zwar bittet seinen frisch Angetraute, Oberstaatsanwältin Katinka Bloom, Paul darum sich aus dem Fall herauszuhalten und am besten auch das Kalenderprojekt aufzugeben, dennoch wird Paul in den Fall hineingezogen und nimmt seine Tätigkeit als Hobbyermittler wieder auf.<br />
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Ich war angenehm überrascht vom aktuellen Paul Flemming Krimi. Nachdem die letzten Bände mir teilweise etwas zu reißerisch und unglaubwürdig waren, ist Die Paten vom Knoblauchsland ein solider Krimi, der ganz ohne mysteriöse/berühmte Artefakte aus Nürnbergs Geschichte auskommt. Dennoch bleibt der bereits bekannte regionale Bezug erhalten und gibt dem Krimi die gewohnte Note. Auch war Flemmings "Ermittlertätigkeit" dieses Mal glaubwürdiger. Während die vorherigen Bände teilweise auch in der Auflösung zu durchsichtig waren, hat dieser Fall auch darin bessere Arbeit geleistet, indem die falschen Fährten geschickt gelegt wurden, sodass der echte Täter bis zum Ende verborgen blieb.<br />
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Untermalt ist der Kriminalfall von Pauls privaten Problemen. Erst seit kurzem ist er mit Katinka verheiratet, doch nach dem Ja-Wort steht die nächste Hürde vor ihm: Er muss sich von seinem Atelier am Weinmarkt trennen und zusammen mit Kati eine gemeinsame Wohnung finden, einrichten und darin einziehen. Da kommt es dem ans Junggesellen-Dasein gewohnten Paul ganz recht, dass keiner seiner Freunde Zeit hat, beim Kisten-Schleppen zu helfen. Auch wird das Paradis durch den Verdacht getrübt, dass Paul vertrauliche Ermittlungsinformationen an die Presse weitergibt.<br />
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Alles in allem einer der gelungeneren Bänder der Paul-Flemming-Reihe und für Krimi-Fans nur zu empfehlen. Die Nürnberger Bezüge sind in diesem Band nicht zu dominant, sodass gerade dieser Band auch für Nicht-Nürnberger lohnend sein dürfte.<br />
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<b>Andere Bände der Paul Flemming-Reihe:</b><br />
(die jeweils angegebenen Sterne spiegeln meine Einschätzung des jeweiligen Bandes kurz nach dem Lesen wieder)<b> </b><br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3224118-d-rers-m-tresse-paul-flemmings-erster-fall">Dürers Mätresse</a> (4 Sterne)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10332258-pikante-s-nden-paul-flemmings-zweiter-fall">Sieben Zentimeter (Neuauflage: Pikante Sünden)</a> (5 Sterne)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6771942-hausers-bruder-paul-flemmings-dritter-fall">Hausers Bruder</a> (3 Sterne)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6771940-die-meisterdiebe-von-n-rnberg">Die Meisterdiebe von Nürnberg</a> (3 Sterne)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6771931-herz-aus-stahl">Herz aus Stahl</a> (3 Sterne)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8597621-das-phantom-im-opernhaus">Das Phantom im Opernhaus</a> (4 Sterne)</li>
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<b> </b> Ein achter Band der Reihe ist für April 2013 geplant unter dem Titel <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16107064-lokalderby">Lokalderby</a>. <br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/265039781">Alle meine Rezensionen auf Goodreads</a>Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0Almoshof, Nürnberg, Deutschland49.4913889 11.061388949.481074899999996 11.041647900000001 49.5017029 11.0811299tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-42869828540687165992012-11-30T08:44:00.001+01:002012-12-07T07:43:14.141+01:00Review: Fearless<br />
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346927033l/9477896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346927033l/9477896.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15992572" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15992572">Fearless</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15873">Cornelia Funke</a><br />
Series Information: 2nd book featuring Jacob Reckless <br />
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Original Title: Lebendige Schatten<br />
Original Publication Date: September 6, 2012<br />
English Publication Date: April 2, 2013<br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/264876563">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I loved Cornelia Funke's Inkheart books and was a bit disappointed by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7823592-reckless">Reckless</a>, the first book in Funke's new series. I liked it but something seemed missing. I just finished the second book and liked it much more. The story continues where the first book left off. Jacob tries to find a way to counter the fairy curse that will kill him if he doesn't succeed. He is accompanied by the shapeshifter Fox. After every other measure Jacob knows of and tries fails to help against the curse, his last option is a magical crossbow. According to legend this crossbow can kill whole armies with one shot; but the legends also tell that the crossbow may save a person's life when it is used out of love. But to find the crossbow Jacob first has to find a hand, the heart and the head of an ancient sorcerer and reunite those with his body. His search is made even more difficult by the fact that another treasure-hunter wants to find the crossbow and is determined to beat Jacob.<br />
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In this book Cornelia Funke shows again how much imagination she has. The world she created behind the mirrors is loosely based on our own, but it is also a world where fairy tales are real and a part of everyday life. Although she draws from the real world and common fairy tales, this doesn't prevent Funke from creating her very own world with vivid characters. I enjoyed every sentence of this book.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/264876563">View all my reviews</a>Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-56959678309982203862012-11-25T20:18:00.001+01:002013-01-23T18:46:50.429+01:00Review: Glory in Death<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13499182" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Glory in Death" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330131221m/13499182.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13499182">Glory in Death</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17065">J.D. Robb</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/378037191">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Glory in Death is the second book of a series of futuristic mysteries featuring Eve Dallas. This time she has to find a serial killer who is preying on successful, strong women who are well-known in the media. As the number of victims rises, Eve is put under more and more pressure. In addition to this her relationship with Roarke also undergoes some struggles.<br />
This is a good average for a book. It was clearly written for entertainment, so I didn’t expect more and wasn’t disappointed. Eve is a character one can like and relate to, Roarke is a great love-interest for her (who doesn’t want a boyfriend who just takes you to a villa hundreds of miles away for a night to relax and forget about your job). I found the mystery part of the book a bit weak this time. It was mysterious enough in the beginning, but it soon became clear to me who might be the murderer and that really made me wonder at Eve not catching on to it sooner. The redeeming part to the mystery was Roarke saving the day at the end.<br />
And as a sidenote: I really liked the narrator of this audiobook.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/378037191">View all my reviews</a>Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-36428522835391742372012-11-22T06:52:00.001+01:002012-12-07T07:43:14.139+01:00Review: Kalter Mittwoch<br /> <a style='float: left; padding-right: 20px' href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15787333'><img alt='Kalter Mittwoch' border='0' src='http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344153448m/15787333.jpg'/></a><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15787333'>Kalter Mittwoch</a> by <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8347'>Garth Nix</a><br/><br /> My rating: <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/384401807'>4 of 5 stars</a><br /> <br/><br/><br /> This is the third volume in Garth Nix’ series about Arthur and his adventures. Arthur has already defeated Monday and Tuesday, which brought him two of the seven keys. Now he has to face Wednesday. Wednesday governs the large sea of the House that can even be expanded to reach into the human worlds. Arthur learns this the hard way when his hospital room is suddenly flooded. He and his friend Leaf are drawn into the world of the House, in the middle of the ocean, where they have only Arthur’s hospital bed to prevent them from drowning. But the bed won’t stay above water for long.<br />In comparison to Nix’ other series I’ve read, the Abhorsen books, this series is aimed at a younger audience. Having read it so far, however, I think that those books belong to those that can be read and enjoyed by all ages. Nix creates a vivid world with wonderful characters. They can be funny, scary, sympathetic or just plain disagreeable.<br />In this respect Drowned Wednesday didn’t disappoint. After having already read two books in the series that had the same basis: Arthur has to go into the House to find the ruler of the part of the House that is the current topic of the book. In this book Nix introduces a slightly varied background in this respect and I really enjoyed that. I also liked to see old characters return (especially Susi).<br />I listened to the German audiobook read by Oliver Rohrbeck. Rohrbeck is a great narrator and gives life to those books. As such those audiobooks are highly recommendable for Germans. The only downside of the audiobook is the fact that it is an abridged production. I got the audiobook from the library, which is the only reason I listened to this abridged production (I refuse to buy any abridged audiobooks). Considering that the books aren’t that long in the first place the abridgment is probably not as severe as in other books. Not having read the books before listening to the audiobook I can’t say whether the abridgment affects important parts of the books. At least there weren’t any abrupt changes or scenes where I thought there was something missing.<br />The books only exist as an English audiobook production, which as far as I can tell is unabridged, but not having listened to that, I can’t say anything on its quality.<br /> <br/><br/><br /> <a href='http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/384401807'>View all my reviews</a><br /> Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8952603888646143594.post-85699426385831451842012-11-11T10:14:00.000+01:002012-12-06T17:50:34.385+01:00Review: Bound for Eternity<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15747092" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Bound for Eternity" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342035807m/15747092.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15747092">Bound for Eternity</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/640674">Sarah Wisseman</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/449830392">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Bound for Eternity by Sarah Wisseman and narrated by Priscilla Holbrook, published by Iambik Audio in 2012 is one of the shorter audiobooks I have listened to in the recent past with only 6 ½ hours.<br />
It is the second part of a series of mystery novels whose protagonist is Lisa Donahue (the first book in the series, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1344974.The_Dead_Sea_Codex">The Dead Sea Codex</a>, isn't available as an audiobook; but I've seen it available for Kindle, so I might get that). In Bound for Eternity Lisa is curator at a museum for historical/archaeological artefacts. Normal work routine is interrupted when one of the museum employee’s is found dead in the building. As things progress it becomes more and more obvious that one of the other employee’s must be the murderer. While trying to plan the next exhibit Lisa notices that some artefacts are not where they are supposed to be and even begins to suspect that some of the items might be forgeries. Are both incidents connected?<br />
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When I first began to listen to the audiobook I wasn’t too thrilled by the narrator’s performance. She seemed to read without much fervour and intonation. However, I soon discovered that the narrator’s way of reading the book suited me surprisingly well. I never had any problems in staying with the story and had a vivid picture of it in front of my mental eye. The only thing that was a bit annoying was the fact that sometimes the volume changed a bit. It was no big leap, just a small change that I noticed because it often happened within a sentence. It was not so dramatic that I needed to adjust my player’s volume level, so it’s actually no great deal, but it does take the attention away from the story for a moment.<br />
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Usually I’m a bit dubious about books by new author’s I’ve never read before, especially when I didn’t “choose” the book myself but got it for free, in this case as a review copy. So I was favorably surprised when I soon began to really like the story. The solution of the mystery is not too obvious. It’s obvious that the author has experience in archeology and the way a museum works and while this often leads to too much detail and boring explanations, it is woven into the story without disturbing it but giving it a believable and vivid background. The characters were round and I liked the protagonist and her love interest.<br />
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All in all I can really recommend this audiobook for mystery friends and everyone who has some interest in archeology. I’ll certainly read Sarah Wisseman’s other books featuring Lisa Donahue and would really enjoy to have those as audiobook as well (as far as I can see only Bound for Eternity is available as audiobook at present).<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/449830392">View all my reviews</a>Purzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03933006108573464588noreply@blogger.com0