Imagoala

I started listening to the audiobook of Oliver Twist  (by Charles Dickens) today and it got me thinking about children's books. Naturally, I've decided to make a post about and share 10 of my favorite works in children's literature. You probably have already heard me say this but I love me a good children's book. And I always have. My mother used to read out loud to us a lot when I was still very small and once I learnt how to read I started reading out lout to my siblings (I'm the oldest). Obviously, what remains is a strong love and super vague memory for/of a lot of children's books. However, before I start I want to make clear that these are only a fracture of all of the children's books I love/have loved – they're not even my 10 favorite works – but they are a decent insight into all of the books which greatly influenced me as a child. Without further ado: Great children's books for everyone (and their young friends/relatives) to enjo...

Lieder eines Sommers  von Cath Crowley Zusammenfassung: Jeden Sommer verbringt Charlie bei ihrem Grossvater auf dem Land. Jeden Sommer versucht sie vergeblich, die Freundschaft der mürrischen Rose und deren Freunde Luke und Dave zu gewinnen – besonders die von Dave. Und jeden Sommer verbringt sie stattdessen mit ihrer Gitarre, übt und schreibt neue Lieder. Aber dieses Jahr ist es anders: Zum ersten Mal schwimmen sie und Rose zusammen, reden, lachen. Und auch mit Dave kommt sie sich immer näher – Dave, der so ist wie ein Song in Dur. Aber will Rose wirklich Charlies Freundschaft oder hat sie ein ganz anderes Ziel im Blick? Rezension: Ich habe Sterne in meinem Blut, die leuchtend hell unter der Haut brennen. Ein kurzes, ziemlich vorhersehbares, aber auch sehr süsses und berührendes Buch, das ich jedem empfehle, der Geschichten über Freundschaft, Familie und Liebe im generellen mag.

Der illustrierte Mann  von Ray Bradbury Zusammenfassung: Die  meisterhaften Tätowierungen des illustrierten Mannes erzählen des Nachts 18 Kurzgeschichten aus der Zukunft.  Rezension: Um zwei Uhr dreissig erklärte sich Miss Amerika 1940 bereit, alle Marsmenschen zu küssen, wenn sie sich, bitte, in Reihe aufstellen wollten. Zugegeben , es hat eine Weile gedauert bis ich mich in diesen Kurzgeschichten zurechtgefunden habe, aber schliesslich haben sie es doch geschafft mich zu entzücken und für sich einzunehmen. Um zwei Uhr dreissig und zehn Sekunden spielte  die Kapelle How Do You Do, Everbody, um die Verlegenheit zu vertuschen, die durch Miss Amerikas Vorschlag entstanden war.

Erbin des Feuers (Throne of Glass #3) von Sarah J. Maas Zusammenfassung: Von den Salzminen Endoviers über das gläserne Schloss in Rifthold bis nach Wendlyn – ganz gleich, wohin Celaenas Weg führt, sie muss sich ihrer Vergangenheit stellen und dem Geheimnis ihrer Herkunft. Einem Geheimnis, das alles – ihre Gegenwart und Zukunft – für immer verändern wird. Rezension: Vielleicht würde sie nie herauskommen, vielleicht würde ihre Wunden nie ganz verheilen, aber … "Gemeinsam", bekräftigte sie und ergriff seine ausgestreckte Hand.   Da begann tief in ihrem Herzen die Asche zu glühen. Ganz ehrlich? Ich war primär gelangweilt. Normalerweise mag ich es, wenn Charaktere einen harten emotionalen Schlag einstecken müssen und dann lernen damit umzugehen, das Problem taucht allerdings dann auf, wenn es 600 Seiten voller gejammerten Selbstmitleid dauert, bis die Charaktere wieder einigermassen auf der Spur sind. Nein, eigentlich hatte ich nach 300 Seiten schon meh...

My semester is over soon. Like, very soon. I have two weeks left until I'm pretty much completely free. That means that I've been day-dreaming about all the books I want to read this summer for a month or so, aka. ever since the end of the semester came in sight. Today, I thought I'd share some of the books I hope to read this summer with you. Now, obviously, I want to read the books on the picture above seeing as they're my current tbr-pile/row whatever you want to call them. However, only a few of them I actually want to mention: Heir of Fire or Erbin des Feuers (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas Generally, I want to finish as many of the series I've started as possible. The libraries around town currently have the third (this) and the fourth of the Throne of Glass  books available and I hope to read both of those this summer.  The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan Again, this goes with the finishing s...

The Sea of Monsters  (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan Blurb: Percy Jackson's seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy’s friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.  Review: Only one more day to go. Surely even I couldn't mess that up.   As usual, I didn't have a clue how wrong I was. This was so delightful. I practically flew through this book and it was pretty much the best book I could have wished for at the moment. Thalia  had gotten herself turned into a pine tree when she wa...

Die Unsterblichkeit  von Milan Kundera Zusammenfassung: In einem Fitness-Club über den Dächern von Paris sitzt Milan Kundera, Autor und Figur der Unsterblichkeit, und beobachtet, wie eine etwa sechzigjährige Frau Schwimmstunden nimmt. Zum Abschied winkt sie dem Schwimmlehrer noch einmal zu und macht dabei eine so graziöse Handbewegung, dass der Betrachter beschliesst, diese Geste, die die ganze unerträgliche Leichtigkeit des Seins zu enthalten scheint, der Heldin seines Romans, Agnes, zum Geschenk zu machen. Rezension: Das  Ehebett: der Altar der Ehe; und wer Altar sagt, sagt: Opfer. Hier opfert sich einer für den anderen: beide schlafen schlecht ein und werden vom Atem des Partners geweckt; sie drücken sich deshalb an den Rand des Bettes und lassen in dessen Mitte einen breiten Freiraum; sie tun so, als schliefen sie, weil sie glauben, dass sie dem Partner so das Einschlafen erleichtern und dieser sich ohne Angst zu stören auf die Seite drehen könnte. Le...

The Lightning Thief  (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan Blurb: Percy  Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse – Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time he got to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends – one a satyr and the other a demigod daughter of Athena – Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.  Review: " Don't  get me started on Charon!" Hades yelled. "He's b...

So, I've been thinking that I want to make this a — more or less — weekly thing. Not necessarily doing a book tag a week but doing something quote unquote special each week. Seeing as Lisa from Lies 'n Buch  suggested I do the Hamilton Book Tag, that's what I'll be doing this week. Just in case you've been living under a soudproof Internet-blocking boulder: Hamilton is a musical and it's great – I didn't even like musicals until I listened to Hamilton and suddenly became obsessed with it (not musicals in general just Hamilton). Hence, I'm super eager to have an excuse to listen to all of the songs (again)! The Hamilton Book Tag was created by Maureen from  Maureenkeavy . Quick warning: There are some spoilers for Harry Potter , Thondras Kinder , and The Lord of the Rings ahead.

Demons at Deadnight  (Divinicus Nex Chronicles #1) by A. & E. Kirk Blurb: For  seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle. Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it's just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti. The Hex Boys – mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction – have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move. Review: (Sooo... I might have a slight problem. I can't decide on any of the funny moments to use as quote here. That's why I decided to only use quotes from the first chapter just to give myself a concrete limit to what material I can use. Honestly, that already says enough about how much I liked this book.) " I believe you suffer confusion, Nex." The volume of its voice lowered. Had it backed off, thinking I h...

Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon  by Dr. Nick Trout Blurb: A  vicarious journey through twenty-four intimate, eye-opening, heartrending hours at the premier Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. You'll learn about the amazing progress of modern animal medicine, where organ transplants, joint replacements, and state-of-the-art cancer treatments have become more and more common. With these technological advances come controversies and complexities that Dr. Trout thoughtfully explores, such as how long (and at what cost) treatments should be given, how the Internet has changed pet care, and the rise in cosmetic surgery. You'll also be inspired by the heartwarming stories of struggle and survival filling these pages. Review: Things can go wrong for a veterinarian from the very first moment you pick up a crisp manila file, step out into a crowded waiting room, and call for your client, because a ...

Hey! Soo ... I've been meaning to expand my content for a while now because after a year of mostly doing just reviews that has kind of become a little bit boring if I'm completely honest. However, I wasn't sure what I actually wanted to do in terms of "expansion" until I thought about doing a book-tag. Actually, it's already been a couple of months since I came up with that idea. And why ? You might ask. Frankly, I'm not quite sure whether I can pull off doing a book-tag (the reasons are probably entirely irrational) and that's why I've been kind of avoiding it even though I've secretly watched/read quite a lot of book tags and wondered whether anyone would be interested in hearing my take on them. Today I've decided that I no longer care about any insecurities and that I'm just going to try a tag and see how much I like it. Maybe I'll do more in the future or maybe I'll think of something else to do. tl;dr: I'm gonna...

Rebel Belle  by Rachel Hawkins Blurb: Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird.  Review: " Paladin : an honorable knight; defender of a noble cause."   "Laaaaaame," I whispered. I much preferred superhero. Honestly , I am kind of disappointed, which makes me even more disappointed because I'm disappointed for being disappointed in a Rachel Hawkins book. Maybe it was because I loved Hex Hall so much and my expectations were way too high, maybe it was because I've been sick and that made my heart freeze up for a while. I don't know.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys Blurb: Winter , 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies … and war. As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.  Yet not all promises can be kept. Review: The Wilhelm Gustloff was pregnant with lost souls conceived of war. They would crowd into her belly and she would give birth to their freedom. But did anyone realize? The ship was christened for a man. Wilhelm Gustloff. My father had told me about him. He had been the leader of the Nazi Party in Switzerland.   He was murdered. The ship was born of death. I don't really know what I think about this book. It is not a bad book, not at all, but it also wasn't what I had imagined. I'm not disappointed exactly but looking back I would...

Ich weiss nicht, ob du dich daran erinnerst, dass ich letzten Monat gesagt habe, ich werde noch ein wenig mit der Darstellung meines Rückblickes experimentieren, aber tatsächlich habe ich das und werde diese Drohung hier direkt wahr machen. Eine Auflistung, wie letzten Monat, fand ich nämlich irgendwie ein wenig langweilig, also habe ich mir etwas ganz anderes überlegt. Ich erwähne immer noch jedes/jeden Buch/Hörbuch/Graphic Novel/Manga das/den ich im letzten Monat gelesen habe, nur halt diesmal, indem ich den Werken "Titel" verteile. Muss man alles nicht sonderlich ernst nehmen, ich habe nur ein wenig Quatsch gemacht. Mal sehen, was mir für nächsten Monat einfällt. Wie dem auch sei, hier ist mein Rückblick!