Challenge: Kampf den Buchreihen

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.

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 (Crewel World und Shadow People) kamen durch Audiobook Jukebox's Solid Gold Reviewer Programm ins Regal. Einem kostenlosen Hörbuch kann ich einfach nicht widerstehen.

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.

Hier der versprochene Blick auf die Bücher, die als nächstes in meinen Reihen dran sind:

Hörbuch Challenge 2013

Manchen Challenges kann man einfach nicht widerstehen. So die von Anne von der Buchkolumne, Sandra von der Büchernische und dem Argon-Verlag ins Leben gerufene Hörbuch Challenge 2013.

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.

Es trifft sich auch, dass ich gerade heute Morgen das Hörbuch Goldener Sonntag von Garth Nix beendet habe, welches dann wohl als nächstes der Rezension harrt.

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.

Gehörte Hörbücher:

1. Emma (21.01.2013)

Review: And Then You Dye

Title: And Then You Dye
Author: Monica Ferris
Narrator: Susan Boyce

Publisher: AudioGO
Publication Date: December 4, 2012
Lenth: 7 hrs 30 min (unabridged)

Series: A Needlecraft Mystery, # 16
Setting: Excelsior, Minnesota

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

And Then You Dye 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.

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.
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.

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.
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.

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 And Then You Dye 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.

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.

Review: Lolita

Title: Lolita
Author: Vladimir Nabokov

Published in 1955
Pages: 331

Setting: mainly USA; there is quite a bit of travel involved, so it's hard to make it more specific

Genre: Classic Literature

Rating: 2 of 5 stars






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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rezension: Spielzeugstadt

Titel: Spielzeugstadt
Autor: Lucas Bahl
Verlag: emons
Seiten: 235 (ebook)
Veröffentlichungsdatum: 21.09.2010

Serieninformationen:

1. Der Berg ruft! (2007): 3 Sterne
2. Das Jakobs-Tarot (2009)
3. Spielzeugstadt (2010)

 Handlungsort:
Nürnberg, Erlangen und Umkreis

Bewertung:  3 von 5 Sternen




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.

Spielzeugstadt ist ein solider Lokalkrimi. Das Buch hat alle nötigen Elemente ohne jedoch mit herausragender Qualität aufwarten zu können.
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.

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.

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.

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.

Review: Dark Magic

Author: James Swain
Title: Dark Magic
Narrator: Stephen R. Thorne
Publisher: AudioGO
Length: 10 hrs 48 min (unabridged)
Publication date: Dec. 1, 2012
Setting: Contemporary New York
Genre: Thriller/Suspense, Paranormal

Rating: 4 of 5 stars


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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Review: The Hobbit

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Title: The Hobbit
Narrator: Rob Inglis
Length: 11 hrs (unabridged)
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 2005 (as audible edition)
Original Publication Date: 1937
Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4 1/2 of 5 Stars

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.

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.
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.

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).