This is the second book in the Song of Fire and Ice series. After reading the first I just had to read more from this saga.
The book picks up right where the previous one left us. The king is dead and war is going on. Robb is king of the North, the old kings brothers are fighting with Joffrey for the throne, and other Lords and knights feel they should sit on a throne. Meanwhile, winter is coming and in the North the free men are stirring.
This book has some more fantasy elements in it, but they are introduced slowly, and are as unbelievable to the characters as the reader. I loved reading the book despite the tragedies, death and hardship the like-able characters face. Near the end I thought that I had enough of this saga for a while, but now that I have finished the book I want to read the next one really soon. Luckily it is waiting for me at home. I give this book four out of four stars.

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I picked up this book purely by chance at the library, attracted by the cover and the title. The book describes the island of Sint Hauda, and the illness of Ida, who is slowly turning into glass. The story has a certain mood that really attracted me to it, and I couldn’t put it down. This was a good book to read on a rainy Sunday afternoon. The island is weird, with fantasy creatures and people who all have their own problems. The story is an allegory (I presume, also from the book club questions in the back) but I just liked it for the story. It took a bit getting used to the flashbacks and character changes which sometimes happen unannounced. I am having a hard time describing just what it is I liked so much, and also a hard time agreeing with the more negative reviews on LT. I guess I just like it for what it is, and for me it was a great tragic story. Four out of five stars.

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This classic was recommended to me by a friend and I haven’t regretted reading it. This early (first?) detective story deals with the theft of a unique diamond. The story is told by different people who all were involved with the mystery, and slowly but surely the solution is revealed to the main characters, as well as the reader.
The characters are great, the writing very good, changing from character to character. I loved reading it. Four out of five stars.

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I knew about this series, but was never really attracted to it. My fantasy days were behind me, I read more science fiction and magical realism now. Or so I thought. Lately I have been hearing more and more about this series, mostly because of the upcoming TV series. So when I saw the first book in our free book section at my work, I just knew I had to pick it up. And when some of my friends and colleagues found out, they were jealous I found it for free, but, more important, that I would get to read it for the first time. Though political intrigue isn’t really my thing, I was blown away by this book. I couldn’t put it down, so much was happening, and despite its size, the story moved pretty fast. There wasn’t that much fantasy in it, the story takes place in a medieval world. There are some hints to fantasy (the darkness in the north, the dragons) but it is mainly a political game of families, kings and lords. I can’t wait to pick up part two, and hope that I won’t be too disappointed the series isn’t all written/published yet. Five out of five stars.

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A Dutch classic (by one of The Netherlands’ favorite writers, Thea
Beckman), this is the story of Thule. Thule is the land founded on the
island of Greenland, after World War 3 has pretty much destroyed the
world and caused the poles to shift. Greenland’s ice has melted, and
Thule is a very nice place to live. Thule is ruled by women, men have
no right to power or weapons, because they have caused the war and
destruction by not respecting nature and each other. Nature, Mother
Earth is extremely important, and they make sure they destroy nothing.
But as the son of the Konega (the supreme ruler of Thule, but in an
extremely democratic and open way) is not very happy, he wants to be
something more than a breeder for future Konega’s. And then a ship
appears, from (former) Europe. The land Baden is founded there, by
men, who have rediscovered steam power, electricity, and weapons. They
rule their country in an authoritarian way, exploiting and destroying
it. They ‘discover’ Thule and decide to take it, because what can
unarmed women do about it. Christian, Thura (his common girlfriend)
and the people of Thule must decide what to do, and how to preserve
their beautiful land. And maybe get some equality for the men while
they are at it.
When I started this book (because it was such a classic) I was afraid
that it would be very feministic, and man-bashing. I was afraid
Beckman would show us how good the pacifistic women of Thule are, and
how bad the violent men of Baden. But it wasn’t that bad. The women
realize they need the men, the Badeners aren’t all that bad, and it
wasn’t as idealistic as expected. I really enjoyed the read. Four out
of five stars.

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I have no idea really why I picked this book. Maybe it was the English cover with the Coca Cola lettering that intrigued me. And the subject matter, life at an office (ad agency in Chicago) spoke to me. I really liked the book, which is written from the first person. He works at an ad agency when the internet web bubble burst and people start getting fired. He talks about the office gossip, and tricks they pull on each other. About the reactions to getting fired. About personal matters. I couldn’t put it down, I really liked it. And I don’t really know why. But I liked the characters despite their flaws, and wanted to know what would happen to them. A very nice book. Four out of five stars.

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The Long Song (Het Lange Lied in Dutch) is the life story of a former slave who worked on a plantation in Jamaica. She is now old, slavery has been abolished and her son is free and well of. On his insistence she writes the story of her life as a slave, from childbirth until the abolition, after the abolition and after her white former masters leave Jamaica and her son finds her. The story is sad, her life is tragic. But yet this isn’t a sad book. I don’t feel that the writer is trying to make us feel sorry for her. I felt it is told in a mood of “This is the way it was, this is what happened. Of course it was sad, and bad, but what are you going to do about it?”. It was a very good read, I couldn’t put it down. Four out of five stars.

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This is David Mitchell’s first novel, but my third by him. Like Cloud Atlas, it consists of a number of stories that seem independent but in some small ways all have something to do with each other. Lot’s of “isn’t that… ooooh” moments for me. The science fiction like futuristic chapter in the end, which is inspired by the work of Asimov but in which I also saw Iain M. Banks, surprised me but I loved it. I guess if you like (love) David Mitchell, you’ll love this, if not, then stay away. For me, it was brilliant and I adored it. Five out of five stars.

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Another Booker Prize winner, 2006. The book, set in India and partly the US deals with identity, and how immigration, colonization and shifting borders provide difficulties for the main characters in finding and keeping their identity, even generations later. This all comes to head in Kalimpong, where the Gurkhas fight for their own country. In this turmoil Say (an Indian girl, with a grandfather, the judge, who went to England for education and hasn’t felt Indian ever since) falls in love with a Nepali boy, and Biju (a Nepali boy, son of the judge’s cook) tries to make it as an illegal in the US.
A very tragic but well written and good story. I am glad I read it, but I do need to find something a bit more uplifting to read in the coming weeks. Four out of four stars.

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I read this book because it was the Booker Prize winner of 2007. While reading I really didn’t know what to think. The story is told by Veronica, one of the twelve children in the Hegarty clan. After the suicide of her brother, she examines the past of the family and her current life to deal with the loss and guilt. The book jumps through time without warning, which took some getting used to. It never follows a straight line in the story, in fact, there isn’t really one, at least not one built up from events, but more from feelings and imaginings. For that reason it took me a little time to get in to it, but now, after reading it, I am really glad I did, a very nice and good book. Four out of four stars.

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