Imagoala

Mein Herz und andere schwarze Löcher  von Jasmine Warga Zusammenfassung: Wenn  dein Herz sich anfühlt wie ein gähnendes schwarzes Loch, das alles verschlingt, welchen Sinn macht es dann noch, jeden Morgen aufzustehen? Aysel will nicht mehr leben – sie wartet nur noch auf den richtigen Zeitpunkt, sich für immer zu verabschieden. Als sie im Internet Roman kennenlernt, scheint er der perfekte Komplize für ihr Vorhaben zu sein. Und während die beiden ihren gemeinsamen Tod planen, spürt Aysel, wie sehr sich auf die Treffen mit Roman freut, wie hell und leicht ihr Herz sein kann. Und plötzlich ist der Gedanke, das alles könnte ein Ende haben, vollkommen unerträglich ... Aysel beginnt zu kämpfen. Um ihr Leben. Um sein Leben. Und um ihre gemeinsame Liebe. Rezension: Die  Sonne spiegelt sich in dem polierten Holzfussboden, und ich frage mich, wo meine Mitschüler mit ihrem ganzen Hass, mir ihrer Wut und ihrer Angst hingegen werden, wenn sie mich nicht mehr hab...

Or, alternatively, because it's a perfect opportunity to … well, you'll see: My Lady Jane  (The Lady Janies #1) by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows Blurb: At  sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane is about to become the Queen of England.  Review: Then he reached down and felt for the dagger at his hip. Public poetry readings were known to be a rough business, especially when presenting new material. A man could lose a lot more than just his pride. This book was such a delight! I did expect to enjoy this story but it put my expectations to shame – I couldn't help falling in love with everything My Lady Jane has to offer: The humor, the characters, the whole E∂ians-thing, and basically the entirety of the plot (except maybe for the ending a little bit but I'll c...

The Golden Compass  (His Dark Materials #1) by Philip Pullman Blurb: Lyra Belacqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jodan College, with her daemon familiar always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle—a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold far North, Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: she alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle. Review: " That's  the duty of the old," said the Librarian, "to be anxious on the behalf of the young. And the duty of the young is to scorn the anxiety of the old."    They sat for a while longer, and then parted, for it was late, and they were old and anxious. Having  read The Golden Compass  I like to think that I would have loved this story when I was younger (if only because of Lyra's character) but ...

I recently baked a cake which reminded me of a book tag I've come across some time ago, namely the (quite obvious) book cake tag. Basically, the idea is that you go through the ingredients of a cake recipe and assign a book/trope to each of those. The original tag was created by Suddenlylorna  but I did end up changing it quite a bit according to the recipe I used ( also I kinda wanted to try coming up with my own questions and see how that goes). I hope you'll enjoy and, without further ado, this is my version of the book cake tag. A book that was slow at first but picked up as it went along. Saint Death  by Marcus Sedgwick wasn't really a "slow" book, on the contrary, it was fast paced and engaging. Nevertheless, I'm choosing it because I didn't realize how deeply involved I was in this story until it ended and ripped my heart out. In that sense, it did creep rather slowly on me which warrants my choice. Hopefully. A trope that ca...

The Edge of Everything  by Jeff Giles Blurb: It's  been a shattering year for seventeen-year-old Zoe, who’s still reeling from her father's shockingly sudden death in a caving accident and her neighbors’ mysterious disappearance from their own home. Then on a terrifying sub-zero, blizzardy night in Montana, she and her brother are brutally attacked in a cabin in the woods—only to be rescued by a mysterious bounty hunter they call X. Review: " I'm trying to stroke your cheek sweetly," she said. "Is this your cheek? Am I stroking it sweetly?"   "No, that's my forehead," Zoe said. "And that  is my nose."   "Okay, well, picture me stroking your cheek," her mother said.   "I'm picturing it," Zoe said, and laughed despite herself as her mother's hand groped around blindly. "Now stop it, Helen Keller. Please. That's my ear." After  reading Crooked Kingdom  I had a (by...

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo Blurb: Kaz  Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world. Review: " Where do you think the money went?" he repeated.   "Guns?" asked Jesper.   "Ships?" queried Inej.   "Bombs?" suggested Wylan.   "Political bribes?" offered Nina. They all looked ...

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5) by Rick Riordan Blurb: All  year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds are against them. Kronos is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, his power only grows.   Review: People  don't just appear  on the beach unless they're demigods or gods or really, really lost pizza delivery guys. (It's happened – but that's another story.) Welp , this is it, huh? It's over, it's really over. What an awesome ride this story is, what a satisfying ending to a series this book is. I'm really happy I read these books. really sad that they're already done, and really glad that there are more books by Rick Riordan to read.  I  was seriously hoping Chiron would say something good, like No, that's our huge friend Leroy! He's going to help us!  But no such luck. He simply nodded. "The most horrible monster ...

Discord's Apple  by Carrie Vaughn Blurb: When  Evie Walker goes home to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope's Fort, Colorado, is not the only legacy she will inherit. Hidden behind the basement door is a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again. Of course, this legacy is not without its costs: There are those who will give anything to find a way in. With the help of her father, a mysterious stranger named Alex, and some unexpected heroes, Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, and protect both the past and the future even as the present unravels. Old heroes and notorious villains alike rise to fight on her side or to do their best to bring about her defeat.  At stake is the fate of the world and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse. Review:  Merlin  grumbled under his...

Wo das Dunkel schläft  (The Raven Cycle #4) von Maggie Stiefvater Zusammenfassung: Eine  beängstigende Dunkelheit hat sich über die Ley-Linien gelegt und droht, den magischen Wald Cabeswater für immer zu zerstören. Für Blue und die Raven Boys beginnt damit ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit auf der Suche nach dem Grab des sagenumwobenen Königs Glendower. Denn wenn sie es nicht finden, wird Blues Kuss für Gansey tödlich sein. Und dieser Kuss wird für beide immer unausweichlicher ... Rezension: Ronan Lynch liebte es, vom Licht zu träumen. Fertig . Endlich. Keine Raven Boys mehr für mich, das ist eine Erleichterung.

Everyone who's ever watched/talked about a book-to-movie adaptation knows this debate: How can a movie keep up with a book? A book has to be better because one can fit so much more story and narration and perspective into it. Doesn't it? I  don't think so. Frankly, it annoys me when people blatantly proclaim that books are always better than movies because that's just not true. Books and movies are two different mediums with very different potentials, means, and methods. For example: yes, it is true that movies usually have to omit some plot points but, conversely, it's easier for a movie to evoke emotions mostly because it has music and you can "see the characters feel". Obviously , what I want to talk about today are some book to movie adaptations. Particularly, 10 book to movie adaptations with as great a discrepancy-variety as I can think of between book and movie. I'll start by looking at 5 movies I didn't like and then I'...

Blaue Tulpen  von Devon Wolters Zusammenfassung: Der  Krieg ist vorbei. Eine Wüste beherrscht Europa. Die Menschheit hat die Erde verlassen. Nur eine Familie kämpft noch um ihr überleben. Rezension: " Woher  wissen wir, dass du im Krieg nicht einfach verrückt geworden bist? Ein verrückter, einsamer Mann, der gerade seine Familie tötet?" Ich  habe dieses Buch mit (sehr hohen) erfüllten Erwartungen geschlossen. Natürlich kenne ich Devons Geschichten schon seit einer Weile und doch war ich etwas nervös, wie er sich mit einem solch langen nicht-Hörbuch Format schlagen würde. Ich hätte mir keine Sorgen machen müssen.

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4) by Rick Riordan Blurb: When  demonic cheerleaders invade his high school, Percy Jackson hurries to Camp Half Blood, from whence he and his demigod friends set out on a quest through the Labyrinth, while the war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Review: " Kampê's  too big to get through the doors," I said hopefully.    Then the wall exploded. Okay , this is it. I have come so far and I've reached the point of no return. When I finished this book I had to hug it and almost cried happy tears. This isn't the best book in this series (I liked the third book better, so far) but it is the book which made me realize how much I truly love everything about Percy Jackson . And I only have one book to go. Welp. This is going to be veeeery sad.

In Cold Blood  by Truman Capote Blurb: On  November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, a wealthy farmer, his wife, and their two young children were found brutally murdered. Blood all over the walls, the telephone lines cut, and only a few dollars stolen. Heading up the investigation is Agent Al Dewey, but all he has are two footprints, four bodies, and a whole lot of questions. Review: " How  well I know that Perry is goodhearted if you treat him rite. Treat him mean & you got a buzz saw to fight. You can trust him with any amount of $ if your his friend. He will do as you say he wont steal a cent from a friend or anyone else. Before this happened. And I sincerely hope he will live the rest of his life a honest man." I  have rather mixed feelings about this book. At the beginning, I thought it was quite hard to read. Not because it is complicated or convoluted or anything like that but simply because the obsessive detail wit...

Welcome to my monthly reflection on my reading life. I'm still in the testing-phase of these throwbacks so I'm trying out lots of different ways how I could present them. Bare with me and I hope you'll enjoy. Books : This month I've read 11 books – though I officially finished 12 (one book I gradually read during the last year for uni). Not counting the latter, that makes about 4181 pages I've read in May or, alternatively, almost 135 pages a day. 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn Blurb: When  two girls are abducted and killed in Missouri, journalist Camille Preaker is sent back to her home town to report on the crimes. Long-haunted by a childhood tragedy and estranged from her mother for years, Camille suddenly finds herself installed once again in her family's mansion, reacquainting herself with her distant mother and the half-sister she barely knows - a precocious 13-year-old who holds a disquieting grip on the town. As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims - a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.  Review: " You  were never such a good girl when you were little," she said. "You were...

The Titan's Curse  (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan Blurb: It's  not everyday you find yourself in combat with a half-lion, half-human. But when you're a son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster. Oh and guess what. The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive. Review: " Well ," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?" This was great! I liked it even more than the second book – at least the beginning was great the ending I didn't like as much but it was still very enjoyable. 

Der Prozess von Franz Kafka Zusammenfassung: An  seinem 30. Geburtstag wird Josef K., ein allein stehender Bankbeamter, verhaftet. Die Umstände sind so mysteriös wie grotesk: Die Verhaftung erfolgt durch obskure »Wächter«; das Verhör, dem einige Kollegen beiwohnen, findet im Schlafzimmer der Nachbarin statt. Über den Anlass erfährt K. lediglich, dass das anonyme Gericht, das auf Basis eines unbekannten Gesetzes urteilt, von der Schuld »angezogen« würde; obwohl im Fall von K. kein Verbrechen vorliegt, sei die Schuld prinzipiell unanzweifelbar. Rezension: Jemand  musste Josef K. verleumdet haben, denn ohne dass er etwas Böses getan hätte, wurde er eines Morgens verhaftet. Kafka  ist immer interessant zu lesen, was kein Geheimnis ist. Es ist die Art, wie seine Protagonisten auf ein unausweichliches, unerklärliches Ende zu rasen, die seine Geschichten, für mich zumindest, sehr faszinierend machen. Und, natürlich, passt das ausgezeichnet zum Bürokratie-...