Since I’m sick* and way behind on reviews, I’ve realised the only way to catch up is to make them speed reviews and post a whole batch at once.
The Age of Napoleon; Alistair Horne, eng, 235
Interesting, but a little choppily written, and also the author assumes you know certain things and never explains them, [...]

Posted on July 7th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, B, Book Blowout, C, Classics, D, English, GLBT interest, Historical, History, Lifestyle, Mystery, Religion, Romance, Science Fiction, Sex, sexuality & gender, Speed reviews, Swedish, To Be Read, Young Adult | 1 Comment »

Torchwood: Something in the Water
by Trevor Baxendale

English
255 pages
BBC Books
ISBN: 978-1-846-07437-0
First line: The Late Bob Strong.
Back cover blurb:
Dr Bob Strong’s GP surgery has been treating a lot of coughs and colds recently, far more than is normal for the time of year. Bob thinks there’s something up but he can’t think what. He seems to [...]

Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: Book Blowout, C, English, GLBT interest, Science Fiction | No Comments »

A Strong and Sudden Thaw
by RW Day

For the Here Be Dragons reading challenge.
English
333 pages
Iris Print
ISBN: 978-0-9787531-1-5
First line: There’s an old scenic view about halfway up the mountain, alongside where the old highway runs.
Back cover blurb:
Dragons in Virginia?
Nearly a hundred years after the Ice changed the face of our world, the people of Moline work [...]

Posted on June 22nd, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, English, GLBT interest, Here Be Dragons, Romance, Science Fiction | 2 Comments »

Från en annan planet
by Tamara Bach
Original title: Marsmädchen

Swedish
168 pages
Berghs
ISBN: 91-502-1541-8
First line: Mitt namn är Miriam.
Back cover blurb:
“Laura och jag bredvid varandra på väg mot klassrummet. Steg, andas in, steg, andas ut. Lagom takt. Ska jag säga nåt? Hålla tyst? Andas. Där framme är dörren och jag kan inte göra nåt utom att gå, andas [...]

Posted on May 17th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: B, Fiction, GLBT interest, Swedish, Young Adult | No Comments »

Drakvinter
by Elvira Birgitta Holm
Title translated to English: Dragon Winter

Swedish
186 pages
Bonnier Carlsen
ISBN: 91-638-3847-8
First line: Hjälp!
Back cover blurb:
Plötsligt slog Madeleine armarna om Bim, drog in henne i famnen så att hennes ansikte pressades mot Madeleines hals, hon kunde känna Madeleines bröst mot sina nyckelben, doften av mandel från Madeleines hud.
Bim ville slita sig loss, hon ville [...]

Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: D, Fiction, GLBT interest, Swedish, Young Adult | 1 Comment »

Bananflugornas herre
by Fredrik Eklund
Title translated to English: Lord of the Fruitflies

Swedish
152 pages
Debutantförlaget
ISBN: 91-974438-4-0
First line: “Ever thought of doing movies?”
Back cover blurb:
“Ever thought of doing movies?”
Jag stirrade på skärmen utan att förstå. Avsändaren var Male Eagles. Om mamma eller pappa hade ringt på mobilen och sagt att middagen var klar. Om Joel hade velat gå [...]

Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: C, Fiction, GLBT interest, Swedish | No Comments »

Bögslungan
by Per Alexandersson

Swedish
136 p
LL-förlaget
ISBN: 978-91-7053-187-3
First line: Max ligger helt utmattad i sin säng, med huvudet djupt i kudden.
Back cover blurb:
Det är veckan innan nian slutar. Nu händer allt. Bråk ställs på sin spets och kompisar blir fiender. Det gäller att inte bära väskan på fel sätt, ha på sig fel kläder eller säga något [...]

Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: C, Fiction, GLBT interest, Swedish, Young Adult | 2 Comments »

Hästen från Porten
by Carina Burman

Swedish
354 pages
Albert Bonniers Förlag
ISBN: 978-91-0-011729-0
First line: För andra gången kom jag till Philadelphia.
Back cover blurb:
Han hette Djinn. Åtminstone var det så hon kallade honom, succéförfattarinnan Euthanasia Bondeson, när de möttes i den syriska öknen.
Det fanns varken lugn eller inspiration där i hettan, där sanden letade sig in överallt och städerna [...]

Posted on May 6th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: B, GLBT interest, Historical, Mystery, Swedish | No Comments »

Postcards from No Man’s Land
by Aidan Chambers

For the Young Adult reading challenge.
English
312 pages
Speak
ISBN: 0-14-240145-5
First line: Not knowing his way around, he set off back the way he had come.
Back cover blurb:
Jacob’s plan is to go to Amsterdam to honour his grandfather who died during World War II. He hopes to go, set flowers on [...]

Posted on February 24th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, English, Fiction, GLBT interest, YA Challenge 2008, Young Adult | 4 Comments »

Standish
by Erastes

For the Back to History reading challenge.
English
215 pages
P.D. Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 1-933720-09-3
First line: The candle guttered, and Ambrose looked up at it with a frown, the long blond hair falling away from the sides of his face.
Back cover blurb:
A great house. A family dispossessed. A sensitive young man. A powerful landowner. An epic love [...]

Posted on February 24th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: Back to History, D, English, GLBT interest, Historical, Romance | 2 Comments »