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 »

Hundår
by Markus Zusak
Original title: The Underdog

For the A-Z reading challenge.
Swedish
128 pages
Richters
ISBN: 91-7130-027-9
First line: Det var medan vi tittade på teve som vi bestämde oss för att råna tandläkaren.
Back cover blurb:
Cameron Wolfe är en ensamvarg och underdog som slår i underläge. Alltid i underläge!
I Hundår berättar han om några månader i sitt liv. Inte för [...]

Posted on July 4th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, Book Blowout, D, Fiction, Swedish, Young Adult | No Comments »

Mrs S at Blue Archipelago is hosting a new reading challenge I just couldn’t resist joining. It’s called the July Book Blowout and the goal is to read as many books as you can during the month of July.
Since I’m going to be working full-time this month, I won’t set my goal very [...]

Posted on July 2nd, 2008 by Love
Filed under: Book Blowout, General booktalk | 3 Comments »

It’s the 30th of June and thus ends the Here Be Dragons challenge I’ve been hosting since January. I hope everyone who participated had fun and discovered new (and old!) dragon acquaintances.
Tell me, did you finish the challenge? Which was your favourite book?
My list:

A Strong and Sudden Thaw; RW Day — finished 14th [...]

Posted on June 30th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: Here Be Dragons | 3 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 »

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 »

Throne of Jade
by Naomi Novik

For the Here Be Dragons reading challenge.
English
399 pages
Del Rey
ISBN: 978-0-345-48129-0
First line: The day was unseasonably warm for November, but in some misguided deference to the Chinese embassy, the fire in the Admirality boardroom had been heaped excessively high, and Laurence was standing directly before it.
Back cover blurb:
When Britain intercepted a French [...]

Posted on June 22nd, 2008 by Love
Filed under: Adventure, B, English, Fantasy, Here Be Dragons, Historical | 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 »