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 Game of Thrones
by George RR Martin

For the Here Be Dragons and First in a Series reading challenges.
English
837 pages
Bantam Books
ISBN: 987-0-553-57340-4
First line: “We should start back,” Gared urged them as the woods began to grow dark around them.
Back cover blurb:
In a land where summer can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. [...]

Posted on June 30th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: C, English, Fantasy, First in a Series, Here Be Dragons | No Comments »

Annika Larsdotter: barnamörderska
by Inger Lövkrona

For the Back to History and To Be Read reading challenges.
Swedish
255 pages
Historiska Media
ISBN: 91-88930-64-5
First line: Boston — Min vän slänger tidningsartikeln på skrivbordet med en kort kommentar: “Ja, här har du en till.”
Back cover blurb:
Annika Larsdotter avrättades 1765, 18 år gammal. Hon hade då erkänt dråp på sitt nyfödda barn [...]

Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: Back to History, C, History, Swedish, To Be Read, True crime | No Comments »

A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens

For the Decades ‘08 reading challenge (first published 1843) and part of the BBC Big Read.
English
77 pages
Dover Publications
ISBN: 978-0-486-26865-1
First line: Marley was dead: to begin with.
Back cover blurb:
In October 1843, Charles Dickens—heavily in debt and obligated to his publisher—began work on a book to help supplement his family’s meager income. [...]

Posted on June 6th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: C, Classics, Decades '08, English | No Comments »

Människohamn
by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Swedish
451 pages
Ordfront
ISBN: 978-91-7037-373-2
First line: Välkommen till Domarö.
Back cover blurb:
“Pappa, vad är det där? På isen?”
Det är en strålande vinterdag. Högst upp i Gåvastens fyr står Anders med sin sexåriga dotter Maja. Isen ligger snötäckt så långt ögat kan nå och Anders kan inte se något speciellt där hans dotter pekar.
Maja går [...]

Posted on June 3rd, 2008 by Love
Filed under: C, Fiction, Swedish | No Comments »

En liten chock
by Johanna Lindbäck

Swedish
272 pages
Tiden
ISBN: 978-91-85243-98-3
First line: Han ansträngde sig inte direkt för att komma i tid, det kan man inte säga.
Back cover blurb:
Gustav hoppades på tre saker när han började gymnasiet:

En flickvän, eller en tillfällig tjej att ha sex med, åtminstone en gång.
En massa nya kompisar med samma intressen som han, det [...]

Posted on June 1st, 2008 by Love
Filed under: C, Swedish, Young Adult | No Comments »

Heart of Darkness
by Joseph Conrad

For the Decades ‘08 reading challenge (first published 1902).
English
111 pages
a Project Gutenberg e-book
First line: The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest.
Back cover blurb:
In this tale of colonial exploitation, the narrator, Marlowe, journeys deep into the heart of [...]

Posted on May 25th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: C, Classics, Decades '08, English, Historical | No Comments »

Doctor Who: I Am a Dalek
by Gareth Roberts

English
106 pages
BBC Books
ISBN: 0-563-48648-1
First line: Rose checked the seal on her space helmet, then she looked across the TARDIS controls to the Doctor.
Back cover blurb:
Equipped with space suits, golf clubs and a flag, the Doctor and Rose are planning to live it up on the Moon, Apollo-mission [...]

Posted on May 20th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: Adventure, C, English, Science Fiction | No Comments »

Sent i november
by Tove Jansson

Swedish
164 pages
Alfabeta
ISBN: 91-501-0473-X
First line: En tidig morgon i Mumindalen vaknade Snusmumriken i sitt tält och kände att det var höst och uppbrott i luften.
Back cover blurb:
Det är höst i Mumindalen. För dem som kommer dit ser allting annorlunda ut, inte riktigt som de hade tänkt sig. Och muminfamiljen tycks inte [...]

Posted on May 20th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: Adventure, C, Children's lit, Fantasy, Swedish | No Comments »