My favourite genre is fantasy but I also love comedy, which means I am a big fan of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman and CK McDonnell. Truth is, I'll read anything!
Even Sherlock Holmes, well-accustomed to the bizarre, finds the elements of this case unusual; the …
Review of 'Arthur Conan Doyle - The Valley of Fear' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
When I realised this book was divided into two parts as [b:A Study in Scarlet|102868|A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes, #1)|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348362236s/102868.jpg|1997473], I was prepared to enjoy the first half and be extremely bored during the second. Surprisingly, this Sherlock Holmes novel is now my favourite. The mystery starts when Sherlock Holmes deciphers a message from Moriarty’s organisation and learns about a crime against someone called Douglas in Birlstone. So it is without surprise that Sherlock is called to investigate the murder of Mr. Douglas. Sherlock and Watson go to Sussex to investigate this crime, but the story will also travel to America where the trouble started for Mr. Douglas. I'm happy to say this second part is filled with mystery and action, and I enjoyed it even more than the first part. I enjoyed this book very much.
Under pressure from the reading public Arthur Conan Doyle brought his famous detective back from …
Review of 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I like Sherlock Holmes novels, but these short stories are my favourite way to read this private detective. These stories are mysterious and the action never stops, they truly are tasty crime-fiction snacks. "The Adventure of the Empty House" is particularly good, and I also enjoyed "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton" and "The Adventure of the Second Stain". Possibly because in those the story unravels in a different direction. My only complaint is that I wanted to know more of Mary Morstan, but she seems to have vanished from Watson's life.
In this classic mystery set in 19th-century England, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are faced …
Review of 'The Hound Of The Baskervilles [Hardcover] [Jan 01, 2014] Doyle, Arthur Conan' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Millionaire Charles Baskerville believed his family to be haunted by one of his ancestors in the form of a gigantic hound. When Charles Baskerville dies of fright, his good friend Dr. Mortimer asks Sherlock Holmes to help him protect the new heir of Baskerville, Henry Baskerville, from the supernatural hound.
I enjoyed this story but the fact that it lacks Sherlock in the same proportion that it has a lot of Watson makes it boring at times. This is one of the reasons why I think Sherlock Holmes' short stories work better, there is more action and less descriptions. Big pauses in the action pave the way for the reader to think too much and discover the culprit while Watson is still telling us about the moor. It is a very interesting narrative, although the attempts at creating suspense were not as engaging as I had hoped. An entertaining read.
Review of 'Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This book is a collection of short stories starring Sherlock Holmes, which are told by his good friend Dr. Watson. I found some of these stories to be more compelling than the ones in [b:The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes|3590|The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3)|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1164045516s/3590.jpg|1222101], and some were even endearing such as "The Adventure of the Yellow Face". We even get to learn a bit more about Sherlock's family in "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter". The one I was more interested in -- "The Final Problem" -- turned out to be the worst. There is no real mystery, as Holmes and Watson are on the run from a criminal mastermind. The best part of these stories is trying to understand who the criminal is and how he/she committed the crime, but all of that is lacking in "The Final Problem" as there are no crimes nor …
This book is a collection of short stories starring Sherlock Holmes, which are told by his good friend Dr. Watson. I found some of these stories to be more compelling than the ones in [b:The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes|3590|The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes, #3)|Arthur Conan Doyle|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1164045516s/3590.jpg|1222101], and some were even endearing such as "The Adventure of the Yellow Face". We even get to learn a bit more about Sherlock's family in "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter". The one I was more interested in -- "The Final Problem" -- turned out to be the worst. There is no real mystery, as Holmes and Watson are on the run from a criminal mastermind. The best part of these stories is trying to understand who the criminal is and how he/she committed the crime, but all of that is lacking in "The Final Problem" as there are no crimes nor clues. My 4 stars review ignores the last story, since I pretty much enjoyed all the others.
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's …
Review of 'Mockingjay' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Katniss is alive thanks to the rebels from District 13 but Peeta was left behind. The revolution is well under way and they need someone to be the face of the rebellion and raise the sympathy of all districts - they need the mockingjay.
I really enjoyed [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775] and it took me a long time to start [b:Catching Fire|6148028|Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)|Suzanne Collins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358273780s/6148028.jpg|6171458] because I thought there was no way it could be as good. I was wrong. Suzanne Collins created this incredibly believable dystopian world and the story unravels in such a way that I believed every single word. The arenas are especially well written. The way the story progresses depicts a real war: power-hungry people, too many weapons, too many deaths, broken families and traumatised souls. Since Peeta is missing, Prim takes his place as the voice …
Katniss is alive thanks to the rebels from District 13 but Peeta was left behind. The revolution is well under way and they need someone to be the face of the rebellion and raise the sympathy of all districts - they need the mockingjay.
I really enjoyed [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775] and it took me a long time to start [b:Catching Fire|6148028|Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)|Suzanne Collins|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358273780s/6148028.jpg|6171458] because I thought there was no way it could be as good. I was wrong. Suzanne Collins created this incredibly believable dystopian world and the story unravels in such a way that I believed every single word. The arenas are especially well written. The way the story progresses depicts a real war: power-hungry people, too many weapons, too many deaths, broken families and traumatised souls. Since Peeta is missing, Prim takes his place as the voice of reason but even the purest people break down as fighting for human rights may destroy your beliefs in humans. Katniss is 17, she is confused, stubborn, whiny, frightened and lost, but she is alive because she closes the outside world. When that changes, she also breaks down because in a real war there there are no true winners, just survivors.
The end is bittersweet, yes. We wanted a happy ending that could never exist because one does not forget a war. It is already impressive that so many characters survived. But we learn that not forgetting matters, fighting for children matters, and that a good heart can speak to a closed mind. In the end, Katniss and I are convinced that her world may have become a better place. Peeta brings her back to life and gives her reasons to live. He is and has always been her warm Spring morning. Both broken and sort of healed, both willing to believe in a better tomorrow.
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute …
Review of 'Catching Fire Movie-Tie-in-Edition [Paperback] [Nov 10, 2014] SUZANNE COLLINS' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Katniss saved Peeta, and together they were the first two winners of the "Hunger Games". However, the Capitol sees this double victory as an act of rebellion and not one of survival. As the Capitol grows uneasy, Katniss and Peeta must play along to keep their dear ones alive. But will it be enough to satisfy their president's need for revenge?
I liked the first book a lot, but it did not enthral me the way this one did. I simply could not put it down! Sometimes I think Katniss is too rational and lacks sensibility, but at the same time, it is the only way she knows how to survive in her world. Where Katniss is the soul, Peeta is the heart and therefore he is the one keeping them all together (whether they like it or not). I thought it would be easy for Katniss to lead a …
Katniss saved Peeta, and together they were the first two winners of the "Hunger Games". However, the Capitol sees this double victory as an act of rebellion and not one of survival. As the Capitol grows uneasy, Katniss and Peeta must play along to keep their dear ones alive. But will it be enough to satisfy their president's need for revenge?
I liked the first book a lot, but it did not enthral me the way this one did. I simply could not put it down! Sometimes I think Katniss is too rational and lacks sensibility, but at the same time, it is the only way she knows how to survive in her world. Where Katniss is the soul, Peeta is the heart and therefore he is the one keeping them all together (whether they like it or not). I thought it would be easy for Katniss to lead a revolution, but the story is way more well thought than that. It is now obvious that Katniss is not a leader and that the Capitol would never let her roam free. The way the author decided to continue this story made it incredibly real to me. I cannot wait to know the end of this trilogy, what a fantastic sequel!
Review of 'The Radioactive Redhead (Daw Science Fiction)' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This short story introduces the Earth's last private investigator Zachary Nixon Johnson. Along with his super computer, Harv, Zach has to find the bomber who has destroyed some wind turbines. It seems to be an inside job and the owner of the wind farms wants Zach to keep a low profile during the investigation. Not as funny as the series, but a good start filled with action and misgivings. You shouldn't miss the series if you enjoy sci-fi, action and mystery, and have a soft spot for geeky jokes.
Stephanie Plum resigns her job as a bounty hunter, she is looking for something safe …
Review of 'Eleven on Top' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Stephanie Plum has rolled in the trash for the last time, she no longer wants to be a bounty hunter. Lula takes her place and Stephanie applies for a job at the button factory. But is her job the problem or is it fate? It seems to be written in the stars for Stephanie that explosions and death threats will follow her no matter what. Not to mention the ultimate family disaster: Valerie's incoming wedding.
Even though there is a mystery for Stephanie to solve, this story is slightly different from previous ones as Stephanie is actively trying to avoid trouble. It seems Morelli likes the new Stephanie better, but things always get better when Ranger comes into the picture. I enjoyed this story, I loved the explosions (and the mole in particular) and it took me some time to figure out what was going on. Another good book to …
Stephanie Plum has rolled in the trash for the last time, she no longer wants to be a bounty hunter. Lula takes her place and Stephanie applies for a job at the button factory. But is her job the problem or is it fate? It seems to be written in the stars for Stephanie that explosions and death threats will follow her no matter what. Not to mention the ultimate family disaster: Valerie's incoming wedding.
Even though there is a mystery for Stephanie to solve, this story is slightly different from previous ones as Stephanie is actively trying to avoid trouble. It seems Morelli likes the new Stephanie better, but things always get better when Ranger comes into the picture. I enjoyed this story, I loved the explosions (and the mole in particular) and it took me some time to figure out what was going on. Another good book to a hilarious series.
Tiffany Aching is now 11 years old and she has to leave home in order to learn more about witchcraft. She becomes Miss Level's apprentice but is soon bored because there is no real magic involved, except for a flying broomstick. And unfortunately, Tiffany's stomach seems to be against flying. In the meantime, a powerful (and dangerous) magic being without a body is drawn to Tiffany and wants to live in her body and mind. But Tiffany can always count on the Nac Mac Feegle, as well as on the mysterious Granny Weatherwax.
I enjoyed the previous story more ([b:The Wee Free Men|34494|The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30)|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1284280817s/34494.jpg|62580]), but I laughed more while reading this one. Specially when reading about the Nac Mac Feegle trying to keep it together to pass for a rich human being. The only minor annoyance was Miss Level, who is not very bright and …
Tiffany Aching is now 11 years old and she has to leave home in order to learn more about witchcraft. She becomes Miss Level's apprentice but is soon bored because there is no real magic involved, except for a flying broomstick. And unfortunately, Tiffany's stomach seems to be against flying. In the meantime, a powerful (and dangerous) magic being without a body is drawn to Tiffany and wants to live in her body and mind. But Tiffany can always count on the Nac Mac Feegle, as well as on the mysterious Granny Weatherwax.
I enjoyed the previous story more ([b:The Wee Free Men|34494|The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30)|Terry Pratchett|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1284280817s/34494.jpg|62580]), but I laughed more while reading this one. Specially when reading about the Nac Mac Feegle trying to keep it together to pass for a rich human being. The only minor annoyance was Miss Level, who is not very bright and is dull. The end is perfect and I think the character of Granny Weatherwax is beautifully written. Tiffany Aching is a fantastic witch and it is great to be able to learn about her (our) world together with her.
Somewhere in the future, Zach is the last private detective on Earth. He is fond of the old times, but has a computer implanted in his brain and is a better detective for it. When real-paper baseball cards are stolen from the house of a former player, Zach is asked to track down the cards. What seems like a normal case turns out to be a test for a much bigger problem that involves the mythical island of Lantis. Not Atlantis, Lantis.
It is impossible not to love Zach and his crazy sci-fi adventures. I particularly enjoyed this one. Even though it is not as crazy as previous ones, such as [b:The Radioactive Redhead|847437|The Radioactive Redhead|John Zakour|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309209480s/847437.jpg|832952], it still is fun and crazy enough to make us enjoy the mad mysterious adventures Zach gets himself into. This book made me laugh and at the same time think about the way …
Somewhere in the future, Zach is the last private detective on Earth. He is fond of the old times, but has a computer implanted in his brain and is a better detective for it. When real-paper baseball cards are stolen from the house of a former player, Zach is asked to track down the cards. What seems like a normal case turns out to be a test for a much bigger problem that involves the mythical island of Lantis. Not Atlantis, Lantis.
It is impossible not to love Zach and his crazy sci-fi adventures. I particularly enjoyed this one. Even though it is not as crazy as previous ones, such as [b:The Radioactive Redhead|847437|The Radioactive Redhead|John Zakour|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1309209480s/847437.jpg|832952], it still is fun and crazy enough to make us enjoy the mad mysterious adventures Zach gets himself into. This book made me laugh and at the same time think about the way women and men live together in this world. The story finishes with a nice touch and I have to recommend it to both comedy and sci-fi fans.
From the son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and one of America's greatest mystery writers, …
Review of 'The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This is a collection of twelve short stories involving Sherlock Holmes. I really enjoyed them! Even though most stories are not as difficult to guess as I initially thought, some are particularly compelling, such as the famous "A Scandal in Bohemia" or the Christmassy tale "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle". For readers who appreciate mystery and are amused by Mr. Holmes' bizarre personality, this collection is particularly gratifying.
"All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to …
Review of 'Dead witch walking' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Rachel Morgan is tired of her work, her boss and some of her colleagues. After being granted one wish, Rachel decides she can be her own boss and resigns. Unfortunately, her former boss thinks she is better off dead, and he is not alone...
My mood was like a roller coaster while reading this book. In the beginning I got really invested and even giggled at some of the situations Rachel got herself into - specially because of the infamous vampire manual Rachel was reading on the bus. But the plot soon became dull (around 30% of the book). Rachel acted like a teenager towards Ivy, it was like Ivy was her mother putting up with her and explaining everything twice. She was getting on my nerves and I don't know how Ivy could stand her presence. It doesn't make sense and it was boring. Why is Rachel so afraid …
Rachel Morgan is tired of her work, her boss and some of her colleagues. After being granted one wish, Rachel decides she can be her own boss and resigns. Unfortunately, her former boss thinks she is better off dead, and he is not alone...
My mood was like a roller coaster while reading this book. In the beginning I got really invested and even giggled at some of the situations Rachel got herself into - specially because of the infamous vampire manual Rachel was reading on the bus. But the plot soon became dull (around 30% of the book). Rachel acted like a teenager towards Ivy, it was like Ivy was her mother putting up with her and explaining everything twice. She was getting on my nerves and I don't know how Ivy could stand her presence. It doesn't make sense and it was boring. Why is Rachel so afraid of Ivy? She has known her for some time, they're actually living together, and she trusts Ivy with her life. So life is ok, but sharing the living room is a problem? I got so bored at those descriptions that I decided to read something else in between. Funny enough, I left it at chapter 25 and after that the books picks up. The rest of the book was so good that I have to give it 3.5 stars. I still think the story is unnecessarily long, but I am sure I'll read the next installment. There are so many books in this series that readers cannot be wrong.
The Sign of the Four (1890), also called The Sign of Four, is the second …
Review of 'Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction) Unabridged and Annotated Volume' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Sherlock Holmes is bored because there are no puzzles for him to solve until a beautiful woman (who catches the eye of Watson) asks Holmes to track down the mysterious person who is sending her very expensive pearls every month. Said woman's father serviced in the East India Company, but disappeared upon his return to England. The mystery deepens as the pearls seem to be part of a much greater lost treasure.
I enjoyed this book more than the first one. The action doesn't break in the middle and Holmes has to make a bigger effort to catch the clever criminal. And again, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle let us know that justice is not black or white, but lies in a grey area.
The year is 1881. The city, London. A man lies dead in an empty house, …
Review of 'Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
In the first Sherlock Holmes book, the famous detective surprises everyone as he solves a murder by paying a lot of attention to a single murder scene. We also get to know how he met Dr. Watson and became his flatmate.
The third time really is a charm because it took me three attempts to finally pass the second part of the book. In my opinion, it is not compelling to keep reading a crime fiction novel after the criminal has been caught. I would give 4 stars to the first part of the book but the second has long needless descriptions and I got easily bored. That being sad, I find it really nice that the story does not end with the typical "the good guy always wins" but works on the fact that life's morality is often ambiguous.
A riotous, wise, and gripping junior Discworld novel from the Carnegie Medal-winning author and acknowledged …
Review of 'Wee Free Men' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Tiffany Aching is a young girl who lives in a farm and is very good at making cheese. Since Granny Aching died, Tiffany misses the way she took care of the sheep, her family, the land and its people. Basically, how Granny Aching took care of Tiffany's world. Granny might have been a witch and after Mrs. Snapperly is left to die because people thought she was a witch, Tiffany decides to become one to fight off the harmful ignorant prejudice.
This story is directed at young adults but I seriously doubt there is an adult who won't love it. There are several messages in the book that adults tend to forget: be brave, don't be ignorant, fight prejudice and do the right thing - deep down inside you always know what to do. I enjoyed this book, but the ending is so much better than the beginning. I'm in …
Tiffany Aching is a young girl who lives in a farm and is very good at making cheese. Since Granny Aching died, Tiffany misses the way she took care of the sheep, her family, the land and its people. Basically, how Granny Aching took care of Tiffany's world. Granny might have been a witch and after Mrs. Snapperly is left to die because people thought she was a witch, Tiffany decides to become one to fight off the harmful ignorant prejudice.
This story is directed at young adults but I seriously doubt there is an adult who won't love it. There are several messages in the book that adults tend to forget: be brave, don't be ignorant, fight prejudice and do the right thing - deep down inside you always know what to do. I enjoyed this book, but the ending is so much better than the beginning. I'm in love with Tiffany and the hilarious Nac Mac Feegles - the Wee Free Men. I can't say enough good things about this book!