Read 100 books in 2008

Started Reading: April 28, 2008
Completed Reading: May 5, 2008

Book rating: 3 out of 10 stars

Book Description
Claire Castillon iski suomalaisten tajuntaan äitien ja tyttärien suhteista kertovalla novellikokoelmallaan Äidin pikku pyöveli. Tällä kertaa Castillonin armoton kynä tekee selvää romanttisesta rakkaudesta. Uudessa kokoelmassaan Castillon riisuu naamiot uraputkessa sokeutuneilta aviopuolisoilta, marttyyrin kaapuun pukeutuneelta pikkuvaimolta ja isiään himoitsevilta tyttäriltä. Parisuhteiden suljetuissa huoneissa käydään kohtauksia, joissa suurikin draama jää toiseksi.

“Sydämeni on näissä asioissa paljon suorempi kuin minä. Se saattaa pysähtyä. Se kiihtyy jo ennen kuin valhe lausutaan, mutta mieheni ei kuule tikutusta vaan puhuu palturia”.

My review
Pieni sydän jaksaa rakastaa on nähtävästi Claire Castillonin uusin kirja, vuotta myöhemmin julkaistu kuin Äidin pikku pyöveli, josta pidin todella paljon. Valitettavasti minulle tuli tästä kirjasta tunne, että kirjailija yrittää toistaa aiempaa menestystään, kirjoittamalla samanlaisia novelleja hieman eri aihepiiristä. Pidin edellisessä kirjassa kovasti siitä, että tarinoiden hurjista käänteistä ja absurdiudesta huolimatta henkilöihin pystyi tietyllä tapaa samaistumaan. Pieni sydän jaksaa rakastaa-kirjassa oli hyvin vähän samaistumiskohteita, ja tiesin oikeastaan jo heti alussa, että minun ei kannattaisi jatkaa lukemista. Päädyin kuitenkin sinnittelemään loppuun asti, koska kirja oli niin lyhyt, mutta suuhun jäi paha maku. Ihmettelin sitä, että niin monessa novellissa aiheena oli insesti, kun kirjan esittelyn perusteella aiheena olivat parisuhteet. Äidin pikku pyövelissä ollut insestitarina oli hauska, koska se käsitteli sitä kuinka vainoharhaisuus voi saada ihmisen epäilemään insestiä. Pieni sydän jaksaa rakastaa-kirjassa olleet insestitarinat sen sijaan toivat lähinnä mieleen Itävallan Josef Fritzl-tapauksen. Muutenkaan ei tuntunut siltä, että tarinat olisivat kommentoineet parisuhteita mitenkään, vaan tarkoituksena oli vain ällöttää ja shokeerata. Ehkä luin kirjan väärään aikaan, mutta minulle se tuonut mitään uutta. Odotukseni olivat todella korkealla, ja pettymys oli karvas.

See my review at bookcrossing.

Started Reading: April 11, 2008
Completed Reading: April 25, 2008

Book rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Book Description
Vem kom på relativitetsteorin egentligen? Hur kul var det att vara med Stalin? Varför kallade ärkeängeln Gabriel kvinnor för “skökor”? Vad vill Sting egentligen säga till de prostituerade?

Samhällskritik har helt enkelt aldrig varit roligare.

My review
Wow, efter att jag hade läst Einsteins fru, var jag tvungen att rusa ut och skaffa allt annat som Liv Strömquist har gett ut! Tyvärr hade Akademen inte hennes böcker, och jag måste beställa dem. :(

Liv Strömquists Einsteins fru är det bästa seriealbum jag har läst, och jag har läst många. Hennes stil liknar Marjane Satrapis Persepolis och Embroideries. Vad som fick mig att älska Liv Strömquist så mycket är hennes skarpa samhällskritik, som inte tog den lättaste vägen ut. Hon lyckas sammanfatta mångfasetterade frågor till ett kort och lätt tillgängligt seriestripp. Bland mina favoriter var t.ex. kampanjen att slippa bli kallad hora. Men varför är det en sådan förolämpning att bli kallad hora? Att vara en hora är bland de mest föraktade saker en kvinna kan vara. Borde man kanske göra något åt saken?

Einsteins fru berättar också om kvinnor bakom berömda män. Namnet på boken syftar på Mileva Marić, som möjligtvis samarbetade med sin man Albert Einstein i forskningen/skrivandet av de artiklar (om brownska rörelsen, fotoelektriska effekten, speciella relativitetsteorin, ekvivalensen mellan massa och energi) som han publicerade 1905. Det finns flera böcker och en dokumentär/webbsida (Einstein’s Wife) som påstår att Marić och Einstein samarbetade, men teorin tycks väcka också starkt motstånd, särskilt från en man vid namn Allen Esterson, som har ägnat en hel webbsida åt att bevisa att detta inte var fallet. Faktum är att vi kommer knappast någonsin att veta sanningen med säkerhet, men det är värt att notera hur svårt det var att vara kvinna och forskare för hundra år sedan, och att det fortfarande är det.

Jag är glad att att ha läst ett seriealbum som fick mig både att skratta och att lära mig något nytt. Av alla de personer Liv Strömquist presenterade, blev jag mest intresserad av Voltairine de Cleyre, vars They Who Marry Do Ill Strömquist ritade ut. Som assyriolog är jag särskilt glad att “Babylons sköka” fick ett eget kapitel. Fast jag måste nog påstå att kvinnor inte hade det alls bättre då gudinnodyrkan var levande. Att studera Mesopotamiens språk, historia, kultur och religion gör det snabbt klart för en var det kvinnohat som senare judiska, kristna och muslimska kulturer har utövat har haft sitt ursprung…

(En snabb korrigering: På sidan med bilder av gudinnor finns en bild som påstås vara Ishtar, 5500 f.Kr. Detta är fel, masken som kallas “Lady of Warka” är från ca 3000 f.Kr. och den föreställer möjligtvis gudinnan Inanna, en av hennes prästinnor, eller någon annan. Vi vet inte med säkerhet. Den är upphittad i Uruk/Warka, som var Inannas stad. Masken stals från Baghdads museum år 2003, efter USAs invasion av Irak, och upphittades senare samma år.)

Fastän serien som medium begränsar djupet av Livs budskap, kommer det fram på det bästa sättet, genom att få läsaren själv att tänka på saker man ofta tar för givet. Stela könsroller, sättet att beskriva konstnärer, djurvärldens naturlighet, bilden av sexualitet i tv-serien “Vänner”, Stings största hit-låtar, alla blir upp-och-ned-vända av Liv Strömquist.

Jag rekommenderar Einsteins fru till alla människor som förstår svenska, och hoppas verkligen på att Liv Strömquists serier snart blir översatta till finska och andra språk. Det är sällan man hittar något so roligt och samtidigt tankeväckande.

See my review at bookcrossing.

Started Reading: April 11, 2008
Completed Reading: April 19, 2008

Book rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Book Description
Tarot cards seldom lie. So when they predict chaos and bad luck for her last client of the day, Emerald gets more than a little worried. He leaves behind a charming jade statue of a dragon – but promptly dies in a hit-and-run accident outside of her shop. When other terrible things begin to plague Em and her family, the only explanation is the jade dragon. To thwart its evil spell, she’ll have to follow a trail of heartache all the way back to China’s Ming Dynasty – and its ancient – and sometimes harsh – mysteries.

My review
I actually liked Legend of the Jade Dragon better than the first book in the series. Like everyone else, I too was annoyed at how slow Emerald was to catch up, but I guess the ghosts in book one annoyed me even more. ;) But it was only a slight annoyance, and mostly I thought the book was great.

I love the small town atmosphere, and the camping trip was wonderfully done. I like Yasmine Galenorn’s writing style, although I think there is a bit too much description of everyday things. I didn’t feel Emerald was too perfect at all. I’m really looking forward to reading the third book in the series.

I was surprised to see that the author thanks “Mielikki, Tapio, Ukko, and Rauni, who keep me on my spiritual path”. These four names are names of Finnish gods and goddesses. I wonder what Yasmine Galenorn’s contact to Finland is. :)

See my review at bookcrossing.

Started Reading: April 4, 2008
Completed Reading: April 10, 2008

Book rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Book Description
Like most people who own their own business, I work long hours that start early in the morning. So when someone calls me in the middle of the night, they’d better be dying…

Mechanic Mercy Thompson is woken at 3am by a vampire calling in a favour. He has to deliver a message to a fellow undead and needs a witness that won’t be noticed – and Mercy’s shapeshifting abilities make her the perfect candidate. But the assignment turns into a bloodbath and Mercy attracts the attention of not just a powerful vampire, but the even more powerful demon possessing him. She can count on the supernatural community for protection – and alpha werewolf Adam would like her to rely on him in other ways too – but when it comes to being proactive, she’s on her own.

My review
I love this series! I really like Mercy, she’s a great main character, and Patricia Briggs has managed to create a world which is both interesting and believable. I’m very happy to see the romance taking the backseat in favor of the action, although I’m also pleased that there isn’t too much gore. I can really relate to Mercy’s reluctance to date Adam, as I wouldn’t want to risk giving up my independence either. What can I say – finally a series where all the parts fall in place perfectly. I’m definitely looking forward to reading Iron Kiss, although I was accidentally spoiled for its ending. :(

See my review at bookcrossing.

Started Reading: March 22, 2008
Completed Reading: April 4, 2008

Book rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Book Description
In the span of just over two years, practicing Witch and part-time sleuth Rowan Gant has faced down two serial killers, almost losing his life both times. Just three weeks ago his wife was kidnapped by a deranged rapist bent on possessing her for his own. Now he faces the most intense challenge to date—Serial spree killer, Eldon Andrew Porter (from Never Burn a Witch is back, and he is intent on resurrecting the 15th century Witch Hunts and Inquisition yet again. But there is a catch—his first order of business is to seek revenge against the man you crippled him—Rowan Gant.

My review
I just finished The Law of Three. It was an enjoyable read, although M. R. Sellars’ writing style does bother me a bit. A lot of loose ends, like did Porter have an accomplice, were left unsolved. It looks like this series won’t end for a while. :)

See my review at bookcrossing.

Started Reading: March 18, 2008
Completed Reading: March 21, 2008

Book rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Book Description
Rowan Gant is a Witch. His bane is to see things that others cannot. To feel things he wishes he could not. To experience events through the eyes of another… Through the eyes of victims… Sometimes, the things he sees are evil… Criminal… Because of this, in the span of less than two years, Rowan has come face to face with not one, but two sadistic serial killers… In both cases he was lucky to survive. Still, he abides the basic rule of The Craft—Harm None. This predator could make Rowan forget that rule…

My review
I finished this book a couple a weeks ago. It was a quick read, as the story sucked me in and I had to know how it would end. M.R. Sellars’ writing style is a bit annoying, especially the “aye” which everyone else has already commented on. :)

I’m a bit disappointed in this series though, as I picked it up mainly because the main character is a witch. I realized while reading this book, that one Yule ritual is not really enough pagan content for me, as I’m more interested in everyday Wicca than Rowan’s supernatural abilities. So if all I’m getting is a murder mystery, why not read books by a better writer? I guess I’m still hoping there would be actual Wiccan content, although so far the fourth book seems to have even less.

See my review at bookcrossing.

Started Reading: February 17, 2008
Completed Reading: March 15, 2008

Book rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Book Description
In this highly accessible discussion, Bart Ehrman examines the most recent textual and archaeological sources for the life of Jesus, along with the history of first-century Palestine, drawing a fascinating portrait of the man and his teachings.
Ehrman shows us what historians have long known about the Gospels and the man who stands behind them. Through a careful evaluation of the New Testament (and other surviving sources, including the more recently discovered Gospels of Thomas and Peter), Ehrman proposes that Jesus can be best understood as an apocalyptic prophet—a man convinced that the world would end dramatically within the lifetime of his apostles and that a new kingdom would be created on earth. According to Ehrman, Jesus’ belief in a coming apocalypse and his expectation of an utter reversal in the world’s social organization not only underscores the radicalism of his teachings but also sheds light on both the appeal of his message to society’s outcasts and the threat he posed to Jerusalem’s established leadership.

My review
Bart D. Ehrman’s book on Jesus is much more than a biography – he explains in a very accessible way what we know about Jesus’ life from the sources we have. It turns out, there are no contemporary accounts about Jesus, and very little beside the Bible. Ehrman explains how historians use ancient texts to find out what happened in the past. There are established criteria (independent attestation, dissimilarity, contextual credibility) which are applied to the source to discover the authenticity. Ehrman explains why, in the light of historical evidence, it is for example very unlikely that Jesus was born in Betlehem. The best part is that Ehrman not only tells us his conclusions, but how he arrived at them!

I found this from a review from Amazon, and it sums up the book very well:
“Ehrman provides a wealth of contextual information about 1st century Palestine, the gospels, and even examples of non-canonical texts as he attempts to push aside centuries of theology and catch a glimpse of the historical Jesus. The questions he asks are important ones: What did Jesus actually say and teach? How was he received during his ministry? Did he preach his own divinity or was that the work of his followers?”

I recommend this book to anyone interested in knowing the historical Jesus.

Started Reading: February 29, 2008
Completed Reading: March 14, 2008

Book rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Book Description
Handsome and sensual, surrounded by an aura of danger, mystery, and the forbidden, a lover steps from the shadows. But is he mortal? Or is he an ancient god, a sorcerer, or a mythical beast who can possess a woman’s heart….and her very soul? Four of romance’s most popular authors have created this spellbinding collection of stores filled with dark passion and desire. Under the cover of darkness, their heroes inhabit worlds haunted by ageless hungers and deadly forces stronger than any seen by day….and vanquished only by the power of love. Now travel into realms where dazzling wonders roam the night, where magic replaces reason, and where a kiss unleashes a raging fire in the blood. And here, if you dare, discover the seduction that begins at the bewitching hour when a man and woman partake in….Midnight Pleasures.

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley
The price of saving her dying mother is Channa’s promise to spend a year at the castle of tormented nobleman, Lord Darkfest…to obey him as his servant or, as his secrets are revealed, to become his salvation. And her own.

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Haunted by recurring nightmares of terrifying beasts, Erin McDaniels is afraid to sleep-until a hero arrives in her dreams to save her…and makes erotic, incredible love to her. But can she find him again when she is awake?

Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne
A consultant for a TV series about one gorgeous witch, “white witch” Melissa St. Cloud plans to make the show authentic. But once on the set she is pulled into the arms of a man who opens up a doorway to the darkside and chilling peril.

A Wulf’s Curse by Ronda Thompson
Running away from an arranged marriage, Elise steals aboard a wagon in a traveling circus and finds herself in the bed of the Beast Master, Sterling Wulf, who is something other than he seems…and suddenly all Elise desires.

My review
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this collection of four romance novellas. Below are my reviews for the individual stories.

Darkfest by Amanda Ashley (7/10)
This story was quite nice, although a bit childish. I laughed at how Darkfest took care of the malevolent beings the encountered in the forest, by zapping them into oblivion. The fantasy setting was naive, but the story itself was interesting enough for me to finish it. Props for the author for making the male hero a virgin – that’s not something we see often enough. Usually the woman is a virgin, while the hero has numerous “conquests” in his past, thus reinforcing the double standard in our society.

Virginity in the Romance Novel at Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books

Phantom Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon 8/10
Although not yet called by the name, this novella introduces us to the world of the dream-hunters. This Sherrilyn Kenyon tale from 2003 was very enjoyable, and I’d even say better, than her more recent stories. Fun, sexy romance, although the plot was a bit predictable.

Under Her Spell by Maggie Shayne 9/10
This was the best story of the four in this collection. The tv show Alex and Melissa were working on reminded me of Charmed – I wouldn’t be surprised if Maggie Shayne thought up the storyline because she was annoyed at the inaccurate representation of Wicca in Charmed. Great main characters, and bonus points for Melissa being a Wicca.

A Wulf’s Curse by Ronda Thompson 8/10
I was surprised that this story was a historical. It was good and entertaining. I have The Dark One, Ronda Thompson’s first novel in The Wild Wulfs of London series waiting to be read.

See my review at bookcrossing.

Started Reading: February 15, 2008
Completed Reading: February 28, 2008

Book rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Book Description
In this last book of Roberts’s Circle Trilogy, an apocalyptic battle is looming in the Valley of Silence, a magical and haunted place in the land of Geall. The Circle – a sorcerer, a demon hunter, a witch, a shape-shifter, a scholar/queen, and a vampire – are fighting for the very survival of their worlds. They are pitted against the army of the beautiful and vicious Lilith, the vampire queen.

My review
I finally got around to reading the last book in the Circle trilogy, but it wasn’t as good as the first book. I liked Cian and Moira, but Geall wasn’t all that interesting, nor was the preparation for the battle. I was mostly relieved when it was time for the final battle, as I felt the last two books in the series were way too slow. An okay read, but not among Nora Roberts’ better efforts.

See my review at bookcrossing.

Started Reading: January 22, 2008
Completed Reading: February 14, 2008

Book rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Book Description
Retired demon hunter Kate Connor must go back to work when she spots a demon lurking in the local Wal-Mart. But she’d better not arouse suspicion. This kind of thing could really hurt her husband’s political career.

My review
While this book was fairly entertaining, I thought there was a bit too much about Kate’s life as a soccer mom, and I would have liked to see more paranormal stuff. Maybe in the sequel… I thought Carpe Demon was okay, but not great. I found it a bit hard to relate to the main character, as it seems we have completely different ways of thinking. I’m glad I had the chance to read this book.

See my review at bookcrossing.