Fiction and Crime

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

fast paced, witty and a very special main character, Evelyn reflects on her relentless rise to the top as an actress. Throughout the story, my relationship to Evelyn changed multiple times and often I could not relate to her or her decisions, nevertheless I loved her, her sarcastic-self and the storys she had to tell about all the men she loved or left.

James

Everett's new novel arrives so highly accoladed that the expectations are through the roof, which can be a disadvantage. Having never really read Twain, I kind of feel like "James" isn't for me and I disagree with other critics proclaiming that this retelling is fully enjoyable on its own. You might not have any troubles following the plot, but you will miss some of the more subtle hints and literary tricks. Having said that, I still had a great time reading it - Everett is a terrific storyteller, and he smoothly jumps between humour and the darker themes. Compared to his other novels that tend to be rather cynical in tone, with this one he really leans into a warmer, more human and ultimately life-affirming direction. For me, "James" works as a heartfelt adventure story that effortlessly tackles some very important topics (and I could not shake off Moon River for weeks).

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

A story about a lifelong friendship and the making of computer games.
I very much liked Zevin's previous novel "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" already, but in "Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow" she really upped her game (pun intended)!
I recommend it to everyone who's interested in the interconnectedness of relationships in a millennial setting.
P.S.: No knowledge of gaming, IT or computers whatsoever required! ;)

Collide

Summer Preston has to write her final thesis on ice hockey, of all things, and is confronted with the arrogant but irresistible team captain Aiden Crawford - a challenge that leaves neither of them able to give up.

"Collide" shines with authentic protagonists who breathe life into the story and captivate the reader from the very first page. Summer Preston is an ambitious young woman who, despite her dislike of ice hockey players, is forced to take a close look at the sport. Her development and how she overcomes her prejudices is inspiring and shows her strong will and determination to achieve her goals.

Aiden Crawford, the charismatic and self-confident captain of the ice hockey team, brings a refreshing dynamic to the story with his "golden retriever" attitude. Despite his initial arrogance, it's hard not to fall for him. He not only wins Summer's heart, also the reader's with his charm and friendliness.

The interactions between Summer and Aiden are characterized by the Grumpy x Sunshine and Haters to Lovers tropes. These contrasts provide plenty of tension and humorous moments. The slow rapprochement between the two characters, which develops over the course of their time together, is particularly successful. Summer succumbs to Aiden's charm over time, which underlines the authenticity of their relationship.

One minor criticism is that the scientific component, which is originally the main reason for their collaboration, is somewhat neglected. More insight into the research and testing could have added more depth to the tensions and the development of their relationship.

Overall, "Collide" is a sweet story without the typical third act drama. If you love hockey romances, you will definitely get your money's worth with this book. The perfect balance of romance, humor and authentic character development makes "Collide" a recommended reading experience.

The Midnight Library

This book is all about regrets. Do you also sometimes catch yourself thinking: "I wish I had done that differently"? Nora thinks that about almost every decision she's ever made. So after a suicide attempt, she finds herself in a space between life and death; in her case: the Midnight Library. There she can pick any book containing an alternative life.
Though sometimes a little too cheesy and conventional for my taste this book made me consider my own life choices and whether it really would be a good idea to make changes - even if I could!
No matter which of Matt Haig's books takes your fancy, you'll always be taken on an emotional journey full of original ideas and valuable life advice.

The Fraud

For some reason, Zadie Smith's writing style has never quite resonated with me until "The Fraud" came along. Set in Victorian London, the story revolves round the Tichborne Case and the many shapes and forms fraudulence may take, spanning decades of connections between people and events. Even though it is palpable how meticulously researched her endeavour is, Smith immerses the reader in history not through a lavish display of detail, but rather through the purposeful use of wit and irony (beautifully exemplified by Mrs Touchet's contempt for her lover's notorious literary rival, Charles). What I probably loved most about The Fraud is the way it treats its characters and history itself in a similar way: the aim is not to impose judgement concerning true or false and good or evil, but to interrogate the very foundations of these concepts. The protagonists are constantly moving between layered shades of grey, all frauds in one way or another, but the narrative handles them very tenderly, never portraying them as anything different than entirely loveable. "The Fraud" is a funny read that somehow manages to be deadly serious at the same time, effortlessly entwining many different subjects into a singularly delightful story.

Twisted Love

First things first: Please note, that the relationship in this book is kind of toxic and shouldn't be seen as a normal relationship narrative. This book contains trigger warnings, one can find in the book itself.
So Tik Tok made me buy it and I wasn't disappointed. Twisted Love is one of those books, you can't stop reading. Drama, secrets, hot main characters... To be honest best friend's sister - one could say enemies - to lovers is that kind of plot Ana Huang writes best. And damn, the main love interests background history is way to sad and cruel to be not romanticized. A romance of a lifetime.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea

Wouldn't you like to be here?'
We've all been waiting so bad for this sequel!
Finally TJ Klune invites readers back to Mr. Parnassus Orphanage for magical Children at Masyas Island and offers a welcome reunion with the beloved Characters.
It'll definitely make you happy! Klune continues to spin the heart-warming tale and this book is just as beautiful to read and as captivating as the first volume!
Who wouldn't love to be part of this magical family?

Nineteen Eighty-Four

Whoa. What a devastating read! A dystopia in the darkest sense of the word - without a happy ending whatsoever (that's how I interpret it at least).
A must-read classic.

You'll never think of rats the same way again!

The Thursday Murder Club

A lot of people seem to think that Agatha Christie is still the undefeated queen of crime fiction and to those people I always want to say: but where is the humour?! If you write cosy crime, surely the point is to be able to include a couple of jokes?
Since that is my point of view, I can't help but think, that Osman has possibly beaten her at her own game. This unlikely crew of sleuthing octogenerians trying to solve a string of murders in their posh retirement home made me cackle repeatedly. Of course it would be easier to solve crimes when your that age, just think how impertinent you can be! I'm taking one star off, just because the solution to the murders involved one soppy love story too many. Apart from that though, this is as delightful as cosy crime gets.

The Rachel Incident

This is a brilliant coming of age story that captures all the highs and lows friendship, dumb choices, ill-conceived romances, massive insecurity masked by over-confidence and alcohol. I raced through the never-ending drama of being in your twenties!
This is one for you if you love Dolly Alderton and Sally Rooney.

Fourth Wing

Fesselnd. Spannend. Eine atemberaubende Liebesgeschichte!

Um gleich eins vorwegzusagen: Wenn Sie dieses Buch "Fourth Wing Flammengeküsst" von Rebecca Yarros lesen wollen, dann sollten Sie sich drei Tage Urlaub nehmen, die Kinder und Partner/in ausquartieren oder sich selbst eine abgeschiedene Unterkunft suchen. Denn wenn Sie erst anfangen zu lesen, können Sie nicht mehr aufhören und jede Störung wird als Zumutung empfunden. So zumindest ist es mir ergangen... ;o)

Zur Handlung: Violet Sorrengail, die gebrechliche Tochter der kaltherzigen und gesetzestreuen Generalin Sorrengail wird gezwungen, am Auswahlverfahren der Drachenreiter teilzunehmen. Das ist in sofern ungünstig, da sich Violet ihr Leben lang auf ein Leben als Schriftgelehrte vorbereitet hatte. Ihr schwächlicher Körper bringt keine Sympathiepunkte in der Staffel und als Tochter der Generalin ist sie insbesondere durch die mit Rebellionsmalen gekennzeichneten Seperatisten-Kinder bedroht, einschließlich des gefährlichen und überaus attraktiven Geschwaderführers Xaden.
Aber selbst, wenn sie sich im Reiterquadranten des Basgiath War College behaupten kann, wird sich überhaupt ein Drache an sie binden? Oder wird sie als kleines Häufchen Elend in Flammen aufgehen?
Das Buch beinhaltet beides: nervenaufreibende Kämpfe zwischen glaubhaften Figuren und eine überaus romantische Liebesgeschichte. Die Spannung wird von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite durchweg aufrechterhalten und endet in einem überraschenden Ende, das Lust auf Teil 2 macht.

Zu guter Letzt gefiel mir natürlich auch das Buch an sich. Es kommt in einem goldenen Schutzumschlag mit schwarzer Schrift daher. Der Schnitt der Seiten ist mystisch in dunklem Blau und Gold bedruckt. Auf dem Vorsatz sind künstlerisch Karten des Kontinentes und des Basgiath War College gedruckt, die sowohl in der Illustration als auch für das Verfolgen der Handlung voll überzeugen. Eher zufällig habe ich dann noch den Schutzumschlag abgenommen und war völlig von dem schönen Einband beeindruckt. Was zu sehen ist, will ich hier nicht verraten. Nur so viel: das ist sicherlich eins der wenigen Bücher, die ich mir ins Regal stelle und in Kürze noch ein zweites Mal lesen werde.

Für die Geschichte hinter "Fourth Wing Flammengeküsst" von Rebecca Yarros, für die Beschreibung der Charaktere und Orte, den Plot und Spannungsbogen, auch für das Buch an sich würde ich glatt 6 Sterne geben, wenn das möglich wäre. Einzig die doch nicht seltenen Tipp- und Grammatikfehler störten mich persönlich etwas, wofür es einen Stern Abzug gibt. Wer das nicht mag, sollte auf die 2. Auflage warten, die es ganz bestimmt geben wird. Denn alles in allem ist "Fourth Wing" aus meiner Sicht ein absolut klasse Meisterwerk der Fantasy und ich warte jetzt schon hibbelig auf Band 2, der noch dieses Jahr erscheinen soll.

Unbedingt lesen!!!!!

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