Schweigeminute by Siegfried Lenz My rating: 4 of 5 stars About a week ago my computer crashed; blue screen, sad-face emoji and everything (apparently Microsoft added a sad-face emoji to soften the blow or whatever). Once my little laptop regained consciousness, I had the great idea to start a new bookmark folder containing links to German TV channels. Recently I have been on a German TV and book trip again, after I realized that I have neglected those language skills long enough and a friend asked me to practice her German with me. It would only be fair to brush up to make sure that what I told her was…
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Cursed Pirate Girl, Vol. 1
Cursed Pirate Girl Volume 1 by Jeremy A. Bastian My rating: 5 of 5 stars I got the first volume of Cursed Pirate Girl as a Christmas gift and I finally took the time to read it. I snuggled up on the couch, ready to dive into this adventure story about a pirate girl and before I knew it, I had finished the book. It was a great read that grabbed hold of me and didn’t let go even after I had finished. I want to know more. I want to read more. Unfortunately, under our current circumstances with comic bookstores and libraries temporarily shut down, I have to ignore…
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The Sorensen Low Self-Esteem Recovery Program
The Sorensen Low Self-Esteem Recovery Program: Your Guide to a Life Free from Fear and Anxiety by Marilyn Sorensen My rating: 1 of 5 stars I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have two pet peeves when it comes to non-fiction works. One, back up your work with the appropriate research. Don’t just say “studies have shown…” that is neither professional nor convincing. Two, don’t belittle others in your field of work. Turns out the author of this book did both and then some. In chapter one the author begins introducing low self-esteem, but not in a very scientific…
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White Raven
White Raven by J.L. Weil My rating: 1 of 5 stars I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I don’t even know where to start. I have been having a lot of free time on my hands lately and thought I will work myself through the ever-growing list of NetGalley books. I can’t remember why I requested this story in the first place, because reading the synopsis I can’t really find anything that would personally interest me in the story. I’m not trying to be rude; it just didn’t seem like my cup of tea. Before I started reading I…
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The Bone Houses
The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones My rating: 5 of 5 stars It feels like I read this one a lifetime ago. So much has changed since then, but one thing stays the same, my opinion of this book. It was a great read. I am a sucker for horror, tasteful, spine-tingling, goosebumps-on-the-back-of-your-neck horror. And this was just that. I have been mulling over this review for a while, quite simply because I don’t know how to elaborate on the fact that this was just a perfect story. I really have nothing to suggest to make it more interesting or gripping. The characters were well developed, had depth and held…
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Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners
Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese Oneill My rating: 5 of 5 stars Once every so often I bring home a book from the library that my darling husband finds interesting enough to “borrow” from me and I won’t see it again until he has finished it. During his perusal he would get so excited about sharing what he has read that sometimes I cover my ears and shout “spoiler alert”. Yup, we are an old, married couple alright. Anyway, I’m not quite sure how I came about borrowing this book from my library, but I am happy I did. I appreciate a thoroughly…
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The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller My rating: 1 of 5 stars I read this book in early February of this year and I have been dreading writing a review ever since for two reasons. For one, according to the reviews and ratings of it mine is a very unpopular opinion. Secondly, I’m not sure I can keep my sarcasm in check, but I will try my best and as a result turn this into a very boring and dull review…maybe. The Song of Achilles has been on my to-read list for a very long time and I finally took the opportunity to read it now that I have…
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The Crystal Alchemist
The Crystal Alchemist: A Comprehensive Guide to Unlocking the Transformative Power of Gems and Stones by Karen Frazier My rating: 5 of 5 stars I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. In my hometown there is a wonderful museum and in this wonderful museum there is the permanent mineral exhibit, which is my absolute favourite. Every time I’m at the museum, which is rather often, since I made my husband get me an annual membership, I first stop at the minerals exhibit to recharge. Sometimes that’s where I spend all of my time. So, reading a reference guide (for lack…
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Emotional Detox For Anxiety
Emotional Detox for Anxiety: 7 Steps to Release Anxiety and Energize Joy by Sherianna Boyle My rating: 2 of 5 stars I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a digital copy of this book back in September of 2019, when the world was very different from what we are experiencing right now, April 2020. While I was reading I kept asking myself how much of the information contained in this book and how much of the techniques that describe coping and healing methods to tackle anxiety that was part of the “old world problems”, so to speak, will…
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Fight Club
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk My rating: 2 of 5 stars As I am sitting here with my little laptop balanced on my legs, an episode of Murder, She Wrote playing in the background, chewing on my finger nails and still slightly woozy from the food poisoning I had on the weekend, I find myself at an emotional impasse. How do I rate and review this book? I could just leave it at the good old statement “the movie was better than the book, for once” and move on with my life, but something feels wrong. Let me backtrack a bit and explain why I chose to read this book…
