en-US Sun, 20 Sep 2026 13:27:37 -0700 60 144 41 https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 11941009 314 Paul Auster 0571276652 Alisa 0 currently-reading 3.68 1987
author: Paul Auster
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.68
book published: 1987
rating: 0
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]]> 228691356 What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.

Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.

Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.

It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.

But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.

When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.]]> 416 Ali Hazelwood Alisa 4 3.76 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2026/09/01
date added: 2026/09/01
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]]> 62831265
‘Utterly immersive ... it's reminiscent of Sally Rooney and is a complex and joyous ode to being in love, messing up and finding your way’ – Stylist

Sam is 28, Swedish, carefree and chaotic. Doing a work placement in London over the course of three sticky summer months, she falls hard for Lucas, a man she first met as a teenager. Lucas, 27, sensitive and calm, is trying to get a start on adult life while struggling to hold the pieces of his life together. Sam is a gorgeous distraction. But you can only avoid reality for so long, and both Sam and Lucas know their relationship can't last. Nobody can be this happy forever, surely?

Okay Days tells the story of the rise and fall of Sam and Lucas's affection for each other, looks unflinchingly at male body dysmorphia and women's reproductive rights, and the pitfalls of modern love. When is okay good enough? And what are we willing to lose in the search for a life that is much better than just okay?

‘An intimate drama of what matters in stories: relationships. Mustard is a talented portraitist in whose hands these two characters become real, enthralling, and viscerally realized. It is one of the most entertaining novels I have read of the times we live in.’ – Chigozie Obioma, author of The Fishermen

‘A beautifully-observed portrait of self-discovery and uncertain love. Jenny's sharp and evocative prose gave me a feeling of immense nostalgia for London's long summer days’ – Natasha Brown, author of Assembly

‘Fresh and sharply observant ... One of the most intriguing books I've read in some time’ – Elaine Feeney, author of How To Build A Boat

‘Tender and spellbinding, Okay Days breaks you all the way open’ – Annie Lord, author of Notes on Heartbreak]]> 340 Jenny Mustard 1399713469 Alisa 4 3.71 2023
author: Jenny Mustard
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2026/09/01
date added: 2026/09/01
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]]> 158875813
Ireland is falling apart, caught in the grip of a government turning towards tyranny. As the life she knows and the ones she loves disappear before her eyes, Eilish must contend with the dystopian logic of her new, unraveling country. How far will she go to save her family? And what—or who—is she willing to leave behind?

The winner of the Booker Prize 2023 and a critically acclaimed national bestseller, Prophet Song presents a terrifying and shocking vision of a country sliding into authoritarianism and a deeply human portrait of a mother’s fight to hold her family together.]]> 259 Paul Lynch Alisa 0 currently-reading 4.00 2023
author: Paul Lynch
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/08/10
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]]> 34234631 My love for him felt so total and so annihilating that it was often impossible for me to see him clearly at all.

Years ago, Sukie moved in with Nathan because her mother was dead and her father was difficult, and she had nowhere else to go. Now they are on the brink of the inevitable.

Sally Rooney is one of the most acclaimed young talents of recent years. With her minute attention to the power dynamics in everyday speech, she builds up sexual tension and throws a deceptively low-key glance at love and death.]]> 33 Sally Rooney 0571351956 Alisa 0 to-read 3.72 2016
author: Sally Rooney
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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]]> 58696861 374 Sally Rooney 0374607281 Alisa 0 to-read 3.43
author: Sally Rooney
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.43
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rating: 0
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]]> 195820807 To find their soulmates, all they need is four dates, a kiss and a breakup . . .

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other's out, and they'll both go on to find the love of their lives. It's a bonkers idea . . . and it just might work.

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected - including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?]]> 432 Abby Jimenez 1538704439 Alisa 0 to-read 4.31 2024
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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]]> 241126800
A novel about mothers and daughters, about friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a woman in the American South, Kin is an exuberant, emotionally rich, unforgettable work from one of the brightest and most irresistible voices in contemporary fiction.]]> 368 Tayari Jones 0525659188 Alisa 0 to-read 4.19 2026
author: Tayari Jones
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2026
rating: 0
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]]> 231953598 The trip of their dreams is about to end in murder.

When five old friends are invited to join Abigail Blythe at the launch of her luxury hotel in the Costa Rican rainforest, they jump at the chance to spend a week in paradise.

None of them have heard from Abigail since the summer they went backpacking in Central America as students – a trip that ended in disaster for one member of the group. . .

Ten years may have passed, but old rivalries are never far from the surface. So when a body is discovered during the hotel’s launch event, it soon becomes clear that one among them must be responsible.

Someone is desperate to keep an old secret hidden – whatever the cost . . .
]]> 383 Tom Hindle 1804949442 Alisa 0 to-read 3.61
author: Tom Hindle
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.61
book published:
rating: 0
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]]> 181694466 If most men claim to be good, why are most women still afraid to walk home alone at night?

Desperate to escape the ghosts of his failed marriage, Cole upends his life. He leaves London behind for a remote stretch of coast, relishing the respite from the noise, drama, and relentless careerism that curdled his relationship and mental health. Leonora has made the same move for similar reasons. She’s living a short walk from Cole’s seaside cottage, preparing for her latest art exhibition. Although Cole still can’t figure out what went wrong with his marriage, and Leonora is having trouble acclimating to the hostile landscape, the pair forges a connection on the eroding bluff they call home.

Then two young female activists raising awareness about gendered violence disappear while passing through. Cole and Leonora suddenly find themselves in the middle of a police investigation--and the resulting media firestorm when the world learns of what happened. And as the tension escalates alongside the search for the missing women, they quickly realize that they don’t know each other that well after all.]]> 289 Araminta Hall 1638931550 Alisa 0 to-read 3.43 2024
author: Araminta Hall
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/08/10
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]]> 226747071
In it, Matilda discovers a father she’s never met. Kingsley Cello is a visionary, a reclusive artist. And when he asks her to spend the summer at his seaside home, Hidden Beach, Matilda expects to find a part of herself she’s never fully understood.

Instead, she finds Meer, her long-lost, openhearted brother; Brock, a former child star battling demons; and brooding, wild Tatum, who just wants her to leave their crumbling sanctuary.

With Kingsley nowhere to be seen, Matilda must delve into the twisted heart of Hidden Beach to uncover the answers she’s desperately craving. But secrets run thicker than blood, and blood runs like seawater.

And everyone here is lying.]]> 320 E. Lockhart 0593899164 Alisa 0 to-read 3.51 2025
author: E. Lockhart
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2026/08/10
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]]> 221200339
A new relationship couldn't have come at a better time - her thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she was sold. Everywhere she turns, she is reminded of time passing and opportunities dwindling. Friendships are fading, ex-boyfriends are moving on and, worse, everyone's moving to the suburbs. There's no solace to be found in her family, with a mum who's caught in a baffling mid-life makeover and a beloved dad who is vanishing in slow-motion into dementia.

Dolly Alderton's debut novel is funny and tender, filled with whip-smart observations about relationships, family, memory, and how we live now.]]> 320 Dolly Alderton 0241988683 Alisa 5 3.81 2020
author: Dolly Alderton
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2026/08/05
date added: 2026/08/10
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]]> 241686780 In this lush, slow-burning romance, two childhood neighbors, connected by a shared tragedy, unexpectedly reunite to ghostwrite a love story for a reclusive author. Spending the summer at her secluded Hamptons estate, they soon discover that dozens of classic romance tropes, including the ones they’re crafting on page, are mysteriously playing out in real life.

Katie Caruso is a completely normal twenty-five-year-old girl. At least, for the past eight years, she’s tried to be. She likes glitter and sequins and flirting with cute boys at New York City bars. She’s also a ghostwriter for Meredith Bradford, the bestselling romance novelist of all time. But then Tyler McNally walks back into Katie’s life, and that bedazzled facade crumbles at her platform-sneakered feet.

Katie and Tyler haven’t seen or spoken to each other since the overdose death of Katie’s older brother, a standout MLB pitching prospect. Tyler was her brother’s best friend, and Katie—naturally—was the girl next door. But now, Tyler is a sleeve-tattooed, Ivy League-educated aspiring literary fiction novelist, nine years sober . . . and Katie’s writing partner for the summer.

As genre conventions require, Katie and Tyler soon find themselves removed from Manhattan and instead writing their love story in “forced proximity” at Meredith’s isolated Southampton home. As the summer unfolds, the tropes Katie and Tyler have written into their novel begin to play out in their own lives. Call it destiny, fate, or magic It’s clear their love story is unfinished. This time, though, they’ll fight for their happy ending.

Heart-wrenching and tender, Tropesick is a love letter to the romance genre. With a wink and a nod, Okie has packed the novel with listeners’ favorite

Grumpy/Sunshine Brother’s best friend Girl next door Forced proximity Forbidden love Kissing in the rain Groveling hero Second-chance romance Slow burn Only one bed]]> 416 Lauren Okie 0063479613 Alisa 1 3.43 2026
author: Lauren Okie
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2026
rating: 1
read at: 2026/08/10
date added: 2026/08/10
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]]> 251793889 From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series

Some secrets are deadlier than others

1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she’s stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington–a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Vera dances around London like she owns it, taking Frances with her.

Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura’s new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest.

Annie is no stranger to murder–after all, she’s solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She’s read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way.

As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura’s doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she’s next. With her mother’s life on the line, can Annie find the killer before it’s too late?]]> 336 Kristen Perrin 1529445671 Alisa 4 4.00 2026
author: Kristen Perrin
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2026
rating: 4
read at: 2026/05/15
date added: 2026/08/09
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]]> 214331246
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 387 Suzanne Collins 1546171460 Alisa 3 4.49 2025
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2026/01/10
date added: 2026/01/13
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]]> 216970887 Welcome back to Castle Knoll, the idyllic English village home to a surprising number of murderers.

Present day: Annie Adams is just settling into life in Castle Knoll when local fortune-teller Peony Lane shares a cryptic message only hours before being found dead inside the locked Gravesdown estate. Annie has no choice but to delve into the dark secrets of her new countryside home in order to find out just what Peony Lane was trying to warn her about, before her brand-new life comes crashing down around her.

1967: Teenage Frances Adams, Annie's great aunt, finds herself caught between two men. Ford Gravesdown is one of the only remaining members of a family known for its wealth and dubious uses of power. Archie Foyle is a local who can’t hold down a job and lives above the village pub. But when Frances teams up with Archie to investigate the car crash that killed most of Ford’s family, it quickly becomes clear that this was no accident—hints of cover-ups, lies, and betrayals abound. The question is, just how far does the blackness creep through the heart of Castle Knoll? When Frances uncovers secrets kept by both Ford and Archie, she starts to wonder: What exactly has she gotten herself into?

As Annie and Frances investigate two new mysteries spanning decades, they'll unlock the next level of secrets held in Castle Knoll's dark heart.]]> 320 Kristen Perrin 059347404X Alisa 3 3.65 2025
author: Kristen Perrin
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
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]]> 215366091 An exquisitely moving story about grief, love, and family, from the global phenomenon Sally Rooney.

Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common.

Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties—successful, competent, and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father’s death, he’s medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women—his enduring first love, Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke.

Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined.

For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude—a period of desire, despair, and possibility; a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.]]> 448 Sally Rooney 0571365477 Alisa 4 3.91 2024
author: Sally Rooney
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
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]]> 63207829 Russia’s epic and dramatic story told in an accessible, lively and short form, using the country's fascinating history to illuminate its future.
 
A country with no natural borders, no single ethnic group, no true central identity, Russia has mythologized its past to unite its people and to signal strength to outsiders. Mark Galeotti takes us behind the myths to the heart of the Russian story: the formation of a nation through its early legends including Ivan the Terrible and Catherine the Great the rise and fall of the Romanovs, the Russian Revolution, the Cold War, Chernobyl and the Soviet Union the arrival of an obscure politician named Vladimir Putin.
A Short History of Russia explores the history of this fascinating, glorious, desperate and exasperating country through two intertwined issues: the way successive influences from beyond its borders have shaped Russia, and the way Russians came to terms with this influence, writing and rewriting their past to understand their present and try to influence their future. In turn, this self-invented history has come to affect not just their constant nation-building project but also their relations with the world.

 ]]> 253 Mark Galeotti 3548068006 Alisa 0 to-read 3.83 2020
author: Mark Galeotti
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> 62039166 Brought to you by Penguin.

WINNER OF THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2023
WINNER OF AN POST IRISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WRITERS’ PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024

The Barnes family are in trouble. Until recently they ran the biggest business in town, now they’re teetering on the brink of bankruptcy – and that’s just the start of their problems. Dickie and Imelda’s marriage is hanging by a thread; straight-A student Cass is careening off the rails; PJ is hopelessly in debt to the school bully. Meanwhile the ghosts of old mistakes are rising out of the past to meet them, but everyone’s too wrapped up in the present to see the danger looming . . .

]]> 645 Paul Murray 0374600309 Alisa 0 to-read 3.89 2023
author: Paul Murray
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
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]]> 1303 Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control – from the author of The Laws of Human Nature.

In the book that People magazine proclaimed “beguiling” and “fascinating,” Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum.

Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. In a bold and arresting two-color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game.]]> 452 Robert Greene 0140280197 Alisa 0 to-read 4.08 1999
author: Robert Greene
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1999
rating: 0
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]]> 199743738 Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin...

It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests’ healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the “Manor Mule” cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen.

But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered.

THE FOUNDER * THE HUSBAND * THE MYSTERY GUEST * THE KITCHEN HELP

It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at… The Midnight Feast.]]> 368 Lucy Foley 0063003104 Alisa 0 to-read 3.54 2024
author: Lucy Foley
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
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]]> 148600670
It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.
 
In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?
 
As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.]]> 370 Kristen Perrin 1529430089 Alisa 4 3.87 2024
author: Kristen Perrin
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/08
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]]> 206005312 If Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club kissed under the mistletoe.

My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection.

THE MAGICIAN

THE ASSISTANT

THE EXECUTIVE

THE HYPNOTIST

THE IDENTICAL TWIN

THE COUNSELLOR

THE TECH

My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it’s Christmas.

If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.

After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn’t it?]]> 174 Benjamin Stevenson 0063412861 Alisa 3 3.65 2024
author: Benjamin Stevenson
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/04
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]]> 96177629
Now he is. . .

Without a home

Waiting for his stand-up career to take off

Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn't looking

Set adrift on the sea of heartbreak, Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of his ruined relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe Jen can find her way back to him. But Andy still has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend's side of the story…

In this sharply funny and exquisitely relatable story of romantic disaster and friendship, Dolly Alderton offers up a love story with two endings, demonstrating once again why she is one of the most exciting writers today, and the true voice of a generation.]]> 345 Dolly Alderton 0241523672 Alisa 5 3.81 2023
author: Dolly Alderton
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/03
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]]> 49552 The Stranger has long been considered a classic of twentieth-century literature. Le Monde ranks it as number one on its "100 Books of the Century" list. Through this story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on a sundrenched Algerian beach, Camus explores what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd."]]> 123 Albert Camus Alisa 4 4.04 1942
author: Albert Camus
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1942
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/27
date added: 2024/08/27
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]]> 46000520
But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

Alternate cover edition can be found here .]]> 382 Richard Osman Alisa 0 to-read 3.84 2020
author: Richard Osman
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
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]]> 203956647 A brand new series. An iconic new detective duo. And a puzzling new murder to solve...

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job...

Then a dead body, a bag of money, and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy?

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 059365322X.]]> 400 Richard Osman Alisa 0 to-read 4.01 2024
author: Richard Osman
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/24
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]]> 207294238
Gela Nathaniel, head of Royal Hastings University’s new Multimedia Art course, must find six students from all walks of life across the United Kingdom for her new master’s program before the university cuts her funding. The students are nothing but trouble from day one.

There’s Jem, a talented sculptor recently graduated from her university program and eager to make her mark as an artist at any cost. Jonathan, who has little experience in art practice aside from running his family’s gallery. Patrick runs an art supply store, but can barely operate his phone, much less design software. Ludya is a single mother and graphic designer more interested in a paycheck than homework. Cameron is a marketing executive in search of a hobby or a career change. And Alyson, already a successful artist, seems to be overqualified. Finally, there is the examiner, the man hired to grade students’ final works—an art installation for a local cloud-based solutions company that may have an ulterior agenda—and who, in sifting through final essays, texts, and message boards, warns that someone is in danger…or already dead. And nothing about this course has been left up to chance.

With her trademark “unique and exhilarating” (Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot) voice, Janice Hallett weaves a fresh and mind-bending mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.]]> 466 Janice Hallett 1668023423 Alisa 0 to-read 3.61 2024
author: Janice Hallett
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> 167006698
The program is a who’s who of crime writing royalty:

the debut writer (me!)

the forensic science writer

the blockbuster writer

the legal thriller writer

the literary writer

the psychological suspense writer

But when one of us is murdered, the remaining authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime.

Of course, we should also know how to commit one.

How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?]]> 320 Benjamin Stevenson 006327907X Alisa 4 3.79 2023
author: Benjamin Stevenson
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/23
date added: 2024/08/23
shelves:
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]]> 27362503
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.]]> 386 Colleen Hoover 1668021048 Alisa 4 4.10 2016
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/07
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
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]]> 55361614
A young revolutionary plants a bomb in a factory on the outskirts of Algiers during the Algerian War. The bomb is timed to explode after work hours, so no one will be hurt. But the authorities have been watching. He is caught, the bomb is defused, and he is tortured, tried in a day, condemned to death, and thrown into a cell to await the guillotine. A routine event, perhaps, in a brutal conflict that ended the lives of more than a million Muslim Algerians.

But what if the militant is a “pied-noir”? What if his lover was a member of the French Resistance? What happens to a “European” who chooses the side of anti-colonialism?

By turns lyrical, meditative, and heart-stoppingly suspenseful, this novel by Joseph Andras, based on a true story, was a literary and political sensation in France, winning the Prix Goncourt for First Novel and being acclaimed by Le Monde as “vibrantly lyrical and somber” and by the journal La Croix as a “masterpiece”.]]> 144 Joseph Andras 1788738713 Alisa 5 4.36 2016
author: Joseph Andras
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/04/16
shelves:
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]]> 53317463
Naïma knows Algeria only by the artifacts she encounters in her grandparents’ tiny apartment in Normandy: the language her grandmother speaks but Naïma can’t understand, the food her grandmother cooks, and the precious things her grandmother carried when they fled. Naïma’s father claims to remember nothing; he has made himself French. Her grandfather died before he could tell her his side of the story. But now Naïma will travel to Algeria to see for herself what was left behind—including their secrets.

The Algerian War for Independence sent Naïma’s grandfather on a journey of his own, from wealthy olive grove owner and respected veteran of the First World War, to refugee spurned as a harki by his fellow Algerians in the transit camps of southern France, to immigrant barely scratching out a living in the north. The long battle against colonial rule broke apart communities, opened deep rifts within families, and saw the whims of those in even temporary power instantly overturn the lives of ordinary people. Where does Naïma’s family fit into this history? How do they fit into France’s future?]]> 448 Alice Zeniter 0374182302 Alisa 0 to-read 4.18 2017
author: Alice Zeniter
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/20
shelves: to-read
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]]> 48734888
"Smart, headstrong, and flawed, Kirabo is raised by doting grandparents in idyllic Natteria in rural Uganda. But as she enters her teens, she starts to feel overshadowed by the absence of the mother she has never known. At once epic and deeply personal, it tells the story of one young girl's search for her mother, her discovery of what it means to be a woman throughout history and the implications of her future."

The book is billed as the companion to her acclaimed debut, Kintu.]]> 438 Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi 1786077884 Alisa 0 to-read 4.15 2020
author: Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/20
shelves: to-read
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]]> 35224992 A story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare.

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.]]> 409 Malinda Lo 0525555250 Alisa 0 to-read 4.18 2021
author: Malinda Lo
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60879779 384 Benjamin Stevenson 0063279029 Alisa 3 3.72 2023
author: Benjamin Stevenson
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/09
date added: 2023/09/09
shelves:
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]]> 53052855
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.]]> 385 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1982147660 Alisa 4 4.48 2017
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/18
date added: 2023/08/18
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]]> 1010010 713 Catherine Clément 3423128879 Alisa 0 to-read 3.82 1977
author: Catherine Clément
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1977
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/02
shelves: to-read
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]]> 46041465
When it comes to the trials and triumphs of becoming an adult, journalist and former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton has seen and tried it all. In her memoir, she vividly recounts falling in love, finding a job, getting drunk, getting dumped, realizing that Ivan from the corner shop might just be the only reliable man in her life, and that absolutely no one can ever compare to her best girlfriends. Everything I Know About Love is about bad dates, good friends and—above all else— realizing that you are enough.

Glittering with wit and insight, heart and humor, Dolly Alderton’s unforgettable debut weaves together personal stories, satirical observations, a series of lists, recipes, and other vignettes that will strike a chord of recognition with women of every age—making you want to pick up the phone and tell your best friends all about it. Like Bridget Jones’ Diary but all true, Everything I Know About Love is about the struggles of early adulthood in all its terrifying and hopeful uncertainty.]]> 368 Dolly Alderton 0062968785 Alisa 5 3.93 2018
author: Dolly Alderton
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/04
date added: 2023/05/04
shelves:
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]]> 45697243 The most popular, provocative, and unforgettable essays from the past fifteen years of the New York Times "Modern Love" column--including stories from the upcoming anthology series starring Tina Fey, Andy Garcia, Anne Hathaway, Catherine Keener, Dev Patel, and John Slattery

A young woman goes through the five stages of ghosting grief. A man's promising fourth date ends in the emergency room. A female lawyer with bipolar disorder experiences the highs and lows of dating. A widower hesitates about introducing his children to his new girlfriend. A divorcée in her seventies looks back at the beauty and rubble of past relationships.

These are just a few of the people who tell their stories in Modern Love, Revised and Updated, featuring dozens of the most memorable essays to run in The New York Times "Modern Love" column since its debut in 2004.

Some of the stories are unconventional, while others hit close to home. Some reveal the way technology has changed dating forever; others explore the timeless struggles experienced by anyone who has ever searched for love. But all of the stories are, above everything else, honest. Together, they tell the larger story of how relationships begin, often fail, and--when we're lucky--endure.

Edited by longtime "Modern Love" editor Daniel Jones and featuring a diverse selection of contributors--including Mindy Hung, Trey Ellis, Ann Hood, Deborah Copaken, Terri Cheney, and more--this is the perfect book for anyone who's loved, lost, stalked an ex on social media, or pined for true romance: In other words, anyone interested in the endlessly complicated workings of the human heart.

Cris Beam - "Just Holding on through the Curves"
Kevin Cahillane - "Out from Under the Influence"
Veronica Chambers - "Loved and Lost? It's OK, Especially if You Win"
Terri Cheney - "Take Me As I Am, Whoever I Am"
Deborah Copaken - "When Cupid is a Prying Journalist"
Diane Daniel -"My Husband is Now My Wife"
Rebecca Eckler - "Two Men, Baby on the Way, and Me"
Trey Ellis - "Who's That Lady in the Bedroom, Daddy?"
Anne Marie Feld - "Two Decembers: Loss and Redemption"
Rachel Fields - "The Five Stages of Ghosting Grief"
Elizabeth Fitzsimons - "My First Lesson in Motherhood"
Steve Friedman - "No? No? No? Let Me Read Between the Lines"
Susan M. Gelles -"Single, and Surrounded by a Wall of Men"
Brian Gittis - "At the Hospital, an Interlude of Clarity"
Meredith Hall - "When I was Sixteen, I Placed Him for Adoption, Could We Try Again?"
Julie Margaret Hogben - "When the Doorman is Your Main Man"
Ann Hood - "Now I Need a Place to Hide Away"
Mindy Hung - "I Seemed Plucky and Game, Even to Myself"
Jennifer Just - "Beyond Divorce and Even Death, a Promise Kept"
Howie Kahn - "The Third Half of a Couple"
Jean Hanff Korelitz - "Sleeping with the Guitar Player"
Marisa Lascher - "Single, Unemployed, and Suddenly Myself"
Claire Scovell LaZebnik - "Adolescence, without a Roadmap"
Ann Leary - "Rallying to Keep the Game Alive"
Aaron Long - "First I Met My Children, Then My Girlfriend. They're Related."
Mark McDevitt - "Misery Loves Fried Chicken, Too"
Carolyn Megan - "Something Like Motherhood"
Liza Monroy - "When Mom Is on the Scent, and Right"
Theo Pauline Nestor - "The Chicken's in the Oven, My Husband's Out the Door"
Eve Pell - "The Race Grows Sweeter Near Its Final Lap"
Matteson Perry - "Uh, Honey, That's Not Your Line"
Gary Presley - "Would My Heart Outrun Its Pursuer?"
Andrew Rannells - "During a Night of Casual Sex, Urgent Messages Go Unanswered"
Amy Krouse Rosenthal - "You May Want to Marry Her Husband"
Dan Savage - "DJ's Homeless Mommy"
Kristen Scharold - "When Eve and Eve Bit the Apple"
Abby Sher - "So He Looked Like Dad. It Was Just Dinner, Right?"
Larry Smith - "Hear That Wedding March Often Enough, You Fall in Step"
Autumn Stephens - "A Body Scarred, a Marriage Healed"
Katherine Tanney - "When Mr. Reliable Becomes Mr. Needy"
Gabrielle Ulubay - "For Best Hookup Results, Use Your Words, OK?"
Ayelet Waldman - "Truly, Madly, Guiltily"]]> 304 Daniel Jones 0593137043 Alisa 5 4.19 2007
author: Daniel Jones
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/16
date added: 2023/04/16
shelves:
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]]> 58417757
To his dismay, he is assigned to work with Agent Hidouchi, an intimidating representative of the country's feared secret service, who makes it clear she intends to call the shots. They are instructed to pursue a former agent, now on the run after twenty years in prison for his part in a high-level corruption scandal. But their search will lead them inexorably towards a greater mystery, surrounding a murder that took place in Paris more than fifty years ago.

Uncovering the truth may be his responsibility, but Taleb is well aware that no-one in Algeria wants to be reminded of the dark deeds carried out in the struggle for independence - or in the violence that has racked the nation since. Before long, he will face a choice he has long sought to avoid, between self-preservation and doing the right thing.

And, ultimately, the choice may not even be his to make.]]> 416 Robert Goddard 1787635082 Alisa 4 4.04 2022
author: Robert Goddard
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/15
date added: 2023/04/15
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]]> 56871483 From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a brand new pulse-pounding thriller. When three old friends re-live an epic ditch day, it goes horribly-and deadly-wrong.

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Back in middle school they were best friends. So, when Cal pulls into campus late for class, and runs into Ivy and Mateo, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn a bad day around. They'll ditch school and go into the city. Just the three of them, like old times. Why did they stop hanging out, anyway?

As soon as they pull out of the parking lot Cal knows why. Ivy's already freaking out about missing class, and heartthrob Mateo is asleep in the backseat, too cool to even pretend like he wants to be there. The truth is they have nothing in common anymore.

At least they don't until they run into the fourth student ditching school that day. Brian "Boney" Mahoney is supposed to be accepting his newly won office of class president. Which is why Ivy follows him into an empty building, only to walk into the middle of a murder scene. Cal, Ivy, and Mateo all know the person lying on the ground of that building, and now they need to come clean. They're all hiding something. And maybe their chance reconnection wasn't by chance after all.]]> 326 Karen M. McManus 0241473667 Alisa 2 3.70 2021
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2022/12/25
date added: 2022/12/25
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]]> 58028296
Achilles, “best of all the Greeks,” is everything Patroclus is not—strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess—and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative connection gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper—despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.]]> 352 Madeline Miller 1408891387 Alisa 4 4.21 2011
author: Madeline Miller
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/14
date added: 2022/10/14
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]]> 1885 279 Jane Austen 1441341706 Alisa 3 4.28 1813
author: Jane Austen
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1813
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/12
date added: 2022/10/12
shelves:
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]]> 10270235 222 Eric R. Dursteler 1421400715 Alisa 4 3.88 2011
author: Eric R. Dursteler
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/07
date added: 2022/10/07
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]]> 61167312
Gracie can't believe what she's hearing: due to their uncanny resemblance, gorgeous actress Wei Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam Yao, the other half of Chinese cinema's infamous golden couple. Problem is, Sam is the most attractive―and infuriating―man Gracie's ever met.

But if it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie's in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting her attraction to Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined―especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs to step out of the spotlight. In the end all the effort in the world won't be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself...and her heart.]]> 370 Lily Chu 1728262976 Alisa 4 3.87 2021
author: Lily Chu
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/21
date added: 2022/09/21
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]]> 59586261 The prequel to We Were Liars takes readers back to the story of another summer, another generation, and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come.

A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts.
A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow.
A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy.
A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes.

Welcome back to the Sinclair family.
They were always liars.]]> 299 E. Lockhart 059356880X Alisa 3 3.74 2022
author: E. Lockhart
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/24
date added: 2022/08/24
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]]> 13646095 272 Jenny Han 3446240101 Alisa 2 3.67 2011
author: Jenny Han
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2011
rating: 2
read at: 2022/06/27
date added: 2022/06/28
shelves:
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]]> 10444297 252 Jenny Han 3446236600 Alisa 4 3.67 2009
author: Jenny Han
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/14
date added: 2022/06/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 13549071 256 Jenny Han 3446238921 Alisa 0 3.68 2010
author: Jenny Han
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at: 2022/06/01
date added: 2022/06/28
shelves:
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]]> 35285193 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780571333134.

Frances is twenty-one years old, cool-headed and observant. A student in Dublin and an aspiring writer, at night she performs spoken word with her best friend Bobbi, who used to be her girlfriend. When they are interviewed and then befriended by Melissa, a well-known journalist who is married to Nick, an actor, they enter a world of beautiful houses, raucous dinner parties and holidays in Provence, beginning a complex ménage-à-quatre. But when Frances and Nick get unexpectedly closer, the sharply witty and emotion-averse Frances is forced to honestly confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time.]]> 323 Sally Rooney Alisa 0 3.85 2017
author: Sally Rooney
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2022/05/11
date added: 2022/05/12
shelves:
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]]> 58302968
Two girls, one list and twelve chances to fall in love this summer . . .
 
Emily ’s always been lucky.

Well, technically her mum was the lucky one, and since she died, Emily’s started to feel like her luck’s run out. So when Emily finds her mum’s senior-year bucket list, she finds twelve ways to feel close to her again. But if she wants to check everything off, she’ll need help – help in the form of Blake .

As Blake and Emily work through the list, the girls’ bond deepens. Emily is starting to feel lucky again, but she’s faced with the can she accept this new part of herself, the part her mum never even knew existed?
 
A captivating, heartfelt love story about learning who you are, and who you love, when the person you’ve always shared yourself with is gone.]]> 304 Rachael Lippincott 139850260X Alisa 5 4.01 2021
author: Rachael Lippincott
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/08
date added: 2022/05/08
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]]> 15796908 Includes character guide, which-March-girl-are-you quiz, author info, and glossary

Rich or poor, we will keep together and be happy in one another.

Christmas won't be the same this year for Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, as their father is away fighting in the Civil War and the family has fallen on hard times. But though they may be poor, life for the four March sisters is rich with color, as they play games, put on wild theatricals, make new friends, argue, grapple with their vices, learn from their mistakes, nurse each other through sickness and disappointments, and get into all sorts of trouble.]]> 417 Louisa May Alcott 0099572966 Alisa 4 4.11 1869
author: Louisa May Alcott
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1869
rating: 4
read at: 2021/10/28
date added: 2022/04/06
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]]> 49471138 A slick, twisty YA page-turner about the daughter of a con artist who is taken hostage in a bank heist.

Nora O’Malley’s been a lot of girls. As the daughter of a con-artist who targets criminal men, she grew up as her mother’s protégé. But when mom fell for the mark instead of conning him, Nora pulled the ultimate con: escape.

For five years Nora’s been playing at normal. But she needs to dust off the skills she ditched because she has three problems:

#1: Her ex walked in on her with her girlfriend. Even though they’re all friends, Wes didn’t know about her and Iris.

#2: The morning after Wes finds them kissing, they all have to meet to deposit the fundraiser money they raised at the bank. It’s a nightmare that goes from awkward to deadly, because:

#3: Right after they enter bank, two guys start robbing it.

The bank robbers may be trouble, but Nora’s something else entirely. They have no idea who they’re really holding hostage…]]> 356 Tess Sharpe 0593111095 Alisa 5 4.02 2021
author: Tess Sharpe
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/01/30
date added: 2022/01/30
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]]> 44473646 Das leidenschaftliche Debattenbuch des bekannten Globalisierungskritikers nun im TaschenbuchIst der Kapitalismus das Ende der Geschichte, eine Weltordnung, die unüberwindbar ist? Jean Ziegler widerspricht dieser Ansicht vehement. Er erklärt seiner Enkelin Zohra und ihrer Generation, welchen unmenschlichen Preis wir für dieses System zahlen. Auf einem Planeten, der vor Reichtum überquillt, überleben zwei Milliarden Menschen in fürchterlichem Elend, sterben täglich Zehntausende Kinder an Mangel und Unterernährung, was durch die aktuelle Corona-Pandemie noch verstärkt wird. Kapitalistische Profitgier zerstört die Umwelt, vergiftet Böden, Flüsse und Meere, beschädigt das Klima und bedroht die Natur. Ziegler erklärt, warum dieses System »radikal zerstört« werden Der Kapitalismus als »kannibalische Weltordnung« ist unreformierbar.]]> 129 Jean Ziegler 3641236029 Alisa 0 to-read 3.89
author: Jean Ziegler
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2022/01/23
shelves: to-read
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]]> 52773415
"Im Rückblick auf das eigene Leben fragt man sich nicht, welche Menschen groß waren. Wichtig ist, dass man eine liebevolle Beziehung hatte, wie ich zu Augstein und Raddatz. Bei beiden habe ich durch gedankliche Osmose gespürt, was sie in ihrem Innersten bewegt und was sie ausbrüten. Welche Frau kann das schon über ihren Ehemann sagen."

Im Februar 1963, im Alter von 22 Jahren, beginnt sie als Sekretärin bei der Zeit. Es sind die Jahre, in denen die Chefetagen von rauchenden und Whisky trinkenden Männern mit grandiosem Ego bevölkert sind, deren Frauen daheim den Haushalt machen und die Kinder hüten. In den Vorzimmern geht es nicht nur um Steno und Tippen, sondern auch um Rat und Lebenshilfe jeglicher Art. Auf sympathische, ja liebevolle Weise nimmt uns Heide Sommer mit auf eine Reise in die Zeiten von Mad Men und Herrenclub und zeigt ganz nebenbei, wie man als starke, selbstbewusste Frau im Hintergrund die Regie führt.]]> 257 Heide Sommer 384372153X Alisa 0 to-read 3.15
author: Heide Sommer
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.15
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/23
shelves: to-read
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]]> 57624808 480 Kerstin Gier 3949465006 Alisa 4 4.07 2021
author: Kerstin Gier
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/20
date added: 2022/01/20
shelves:
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]]> 48556066
Die sechzehnjährige Izzy ist nicht gerade begeistert, als sie mit ihren Eltern von Manhattan nach Brooklyn ziehen muss. Wie soll sie hier Freunde finden? Alle Leute in ihrem Alter sind mit ihren Machtspielchen beschäftigt, in ihrer Hackordnung gibt es keinen Platz für Neue.
Doch dann begegnet Izzy Tristan, dessen Cousin Marcus der Boss im Block ist. Izzy und Tristan verlieben sich auf den ersten Blick ineinander. Niemand ahnt, dass die beiden sich heimlich treffen, schon gar nicht Tristans Cousin. Doch als Marcus ausgerechnet Izzy als seine neue Freundin herauspickt, nimmt die Tragödie ihren Lauf.

"Es gibt Momente, in denen die Zeit stehenbleibt. Plötzlich weißt du, dass vor dir jemand steht, der auf irgendeine Weise Teil deiner Zukunft sein wird. Als ich Tristan zum ersten Mal sah, war das so ein Moment. Wir sahen uns an, und alles war klar. Ich wusste, dass ich mir jedes Detail seines Gesichts genau einprägen musste, damit ich mich später an alles erinnern könnte."
In einer idealen Welt könnten Izzy und Tristan das absolute Traumpaar sein und beweisen, dass Liebe alle Gräben überwindet. Doch diese Welt ist nicht ideal.

Für Fans von "Eleanor & Park" und Angie Thomas.]]> 368 Shannon Dunlap 3737356017 Alisa 2 love story, not a novel. I liked that statement, because the narrator patiently explained why they differentiate between a novel and a love story by defining certain terms. I could imagine that explanation came from a young, rational girl in love since she adorably tried to put her emotions into words by thinking logically. It made her seem very real and relatable to me.
However that effect was lost after a few chapters. The characterizations came short, it was unclear why the characters made certain decisions [spoilers removed], and at times i felt lost as to where the plot was leading, which is why I took long breaks from reading the book [spoilers removed]. It just wasn't captivating after some time.
I did like how the author played with the chess terms though and used them as metaphors for Tristans life. They mostly made sense and it was believable, that Tristan incorporated chess into other parts of his life.
Tristans life in a gang in Brooklyn, however, wasn't believable. It seemed to be written from the perspective of someone, who doesn't have a lot of experiences with New York gangs/gangs in general (you could compare that to the description of the everyday-life of Maverick Carter in "Concrete Rose" by Angie Thomas, which seemed a lot more real to me). At one point Tristan even stated, that there are always people making trouble in their neighbourhood, but she wouldn't need to worry about that, because they would only fight among themselves - not considering the countless gang-related "collateral-damage victims" in America every year, who caught a stray bullet or were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would assume Tristan would know of that danger, if he's in a gang.
I also have to admit, that I didn't feel any chemistry between Izzy and Tristan. They were okay together, but I didn't really feel excited about their love story, like the prolog promised me.
Their conversations were nothing at all similar to how teenagers talk (in general) and seemed to be written by someone who tried to relate to how young people feel and how they express themselves nowadays (I have to point out that it's possible, that the translation made it worse since I read this book in another language). They were almost a ordinary, boring couple (sorry), which was kind of disappointing to me since I hoped this love story was going to be different.
I kind of cringed at the parts, where Izzy was made out to be very "woke" and a real white ally. It just felt so staged and like it was added on, because the talks about racism didn't seem natural and rather forced (example: The Black Lives Matter Discussion in Izzys Politics class). Names like Michael Brown and Eric Garner were dropped here and there, but without much context and no further explanation. However it was important to the story line and therefore it should've been mentioned at an earlier point, maybe even from Tristans perspective, so the reader could understand how he felt about it.
The end took me by surprise, but that was something I actually liked [spoilers removed]. It made the reader face the reality of police brutality in America.
All in all I liked the author's idea of a doomed love story between two people, who grew up in very different circumstances, set in Brooklyn. In my opinion the execution of it was faulty, but i did enjoy the beginning and end of the book.]]> 3.50 2019
author: Shannon Dunlap
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2021/10/29
date added: 2022/01/12
shelves:
review:
I picked this book up because the prolog intrigued me. Right at the beginning the first-person narrator, Izzy, made it very clear, that she intended to tell a love story, not a novel. I liked that statement, because the narrator patiently explained why they differentiate between a novel and a love story by defining certain terms. I could imagine that explanation came from a young, rational girl in love since she adorably tried to put her emotions into words by thinking logically. It made her seem very real and relatable to me.
However that effect was lost after a few chapters. The characterizations came short, it was unclear why the characters made certain decisions [spoilers removed], and at times i felt lost as to where the plot was leading, which is why I took long breaks from reading the book [spoilers removed]. It just wasn't captivating after some time.
I did like how the author played with the chess terms though and used them as metaphors for Tristans life. They mostly made sense and it was believable, that Tristan incorporated chess into other parts of his life.
Tristans life in a gang in Brooklyn, however, wasn't believable. It seemed to be written from the perspective of someone, who doesn't have a lot of experiences with New York gangs/gangs in general (you could compare that to the description of the everyday-life of Maverick Carter in "Concrete Rose" by Angie Thomas, which seemed a lot more real to me). At one point Tristan even stated, that there are always people making trouble in their neighbourhood, but she wouldn't need to worry about that, because they would only fight among themselves - not considering the countless gang-related "collateral-damage victims" in America every year, who caught a stray bullet or were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I would assume Tristan would know of that danger, if he's in a gang.
I also have to admit, that I didn't feel any chemistry between Izzy and Tristan. They were okay together, but I didn't really feel excited about their love story, like the prolog promised me.
Their conversations were nothing at all similar to how teenagers talk (in general) and seemed to be written by someone who tried to relate to how young people feel and how they express themselves nowadays (I have to point out that it's possible, that the translation made it worse since I read this book in another language). They were almost a ordinary, boring couple (sorry), which was kind of disappointing to me since I hoped this love story was going to be different.
I kind of cringed at the parts, where Izzy was made out to be very "woke" and a real white ally. It just felt so staged and like it was added on, because the talks about racism didn't seem natural and rather forced (example: The Black Lives Matter Discussion in Izzys Politics class). Names like Michael Brown and Eric Garner were dropped here and there, but without much context and no further explanation. However it was important to the story line and therefore it should've been mentioned at an earlier point, maybe even from Tristans perspective, so the reader could understand how he felt about it.
The end took me by surprise, but that was something I actually liked [spoilers removed]. It made the reader face the reality of police brutality in America.
All in all I liked the author's idea of a doomed love story between two people, who grew up in very different circumstances, set in Brooklyn. In my opinion the execution of it was faulty, but i did enjoy the beginning and end of the book.
]]> 35529926
Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.]]> 417 Leigh Bardugo 1250063167 Alisa 2 What I enjoyed…
The Darkling
I have to admit the few scenes, in which Alina visited the Darkling were my favourite and probably (besides Nikolai) what motivated me to keep reading, even though everything turned messy. It was super thrilling to follow their teasing, flirtatious conversations because it really showed Alinas allure for darkness. As a reader I could feel the tension, whenever those two were in the same room. I could understand why Alina is so drawn to him since he's very mysterious, which probably makes him the most interesting character.
Nikolai
This one's obvious, I think. Just like in the last book, I liked his confident counter remarks. [spoilers removed] He remains one of my favourite characters of the trilogy. However, I did prefer him in Siege and Storm.
Writing style
No matter the plot, Leigh Bardugo's writing will always impress me. She has a way of playing with the words and putting them together in an unique form. She definetly knows how to write a realistic conversation. I guess it's the reason why the book was still captivating.

What I didn‘t enjoy…
All in all the whole story seemed messy, which made me impatient.
Mal (sorry, show-Mal)
Mal annoyed me. He kept apologizing, making love declarations and afterwards politely asking to be rejected. It's like his whole life revolves around pleasing Alina. [spoilers removed] I'm so glad they fixed him in the Netflix show.
Slowly destroying characters
There are several examples for this.
In my opinion, the controversy around the Darkling was what kept the story interesting. The reader couldn't decide if they can truly hate the Darkling. However, it gets really easy to despise him, when all throughout the book he just randomly shows up out of nowhere to kill as many people as possible and then vanish.
After a while he was just a plain bad, cruel character.
I know LB kinda fell in love with Zoya, but her snarky remarks just didn't do it for me and the change in her relationship to Mal was strange. She spent the last two books pining over him (and he seemed to have a thing for her too) and now they seem to dislike each other for no apparent reason.
Alina's Powers
I feel like Alina learned everything regarding her powers way too quickly. In Shadow and Bone she struggled with unfolding her true power. I liked following her training in the first book and it showed the reader, that there are limits to her power, which Alina has to test out bit by bit. But in this book everything seems to come to her naturally. [spoilers removed] Because of that her developement was really quite boring.
[spoilers removed]
Tedious
Phew I found it frustrating how long Alina spent in captivity, unable to do anything. [spoilers removed] So many pages of the grisha just travelling and hiking, talking about common memories. I felt myself dozing off as times, but maybe I was just tired idk.
Just sum notes...
- [spoilers removed]
- Love quadrangle but all 3 guys only want Alina
- no visible connection with the other books (Morozova's stag, Rusalye didn‘t really play a role anymore)]]> 3.98 2014
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2022/01/02
date added: 2022/01/03
shelves:
review:
So disappointed, I have to vent for a sec
What I enjoyed…
The Darkling
I have to admit the few scenes, in which Alina visited the Darkling were my favourite and probably (besides Nikolai) what motivated me to keep reading, even though everything turned messy. It was super thrilling to follow their teasing, flirtatious conversations because it really showed Alinas allure for darkness. As a reader I could feel the tension, whenever those two were in the same room. I could understand why Alina is so drawn to him since he's very mysterious, which probably makes him the most interesting character.
Nikolai
This one's obvious, I think. Just like in the last book, I liked his confident counter remarks. [spoilers removed] He remains one of my favourite characters of the trilogy. However, I did prefer him in Siege and Storm.
Writing style
No matter the plot, Leigh Bardugo's writing will always impress me. She has a way of playing with the words and putting them together in an unique form. She definetly knows how to write a realistic conversation. I guess it's the reason why the book was still captivating.

What I didn‘t enjoy…
All in all the whole story seemed messy, which made me impatient.
Mal (sorry, show-Mal)
Mal annoyed me. He kept apologizing, making love declarations and afterwards politely asking to be rejected. It's like his whole life revolves around pleasing Alina. [spoilers removed] I'm so glad they fixed him in the Netflix show.
Slowly destroying characters
There are several examples for this.
In my opinion, the controversy around the Darkling was what kept the story interesting. The reader couldn't decide if they can truly hate the Darkling. However, it gets really easy to despise him, when all throughout the book he just randomly shows up out of nowhere to kill as many people as possible and then vanish.
After a while he was just a plain bad, cruel character.
I know LB kinda fell in love with Zoya, but her snarky remarks just didn't do it for me and the change in her relationship to Mal was strange. She spent the last two books pining over him (and he seemed to have a thing for her too) and now they seem to dislike each other for no apparent reason.
Alina's Powers
I feel like Alina learned everything regarding her powers way too quickly. In Shadow and Bone she struggled with unfolding her true power. I liked following her training in the first book and it showed the reader, that there are limits to her power, which Alina has to test out bit by bit. But in this book everything seems to come to her naturally. [spoilers removed] Because of that her developement was really quite boring.
[spoilers removed]
Tedious
Phew I found it frustrating how long Alina spent in captivity, unable to do anything. [spoilers removed] So many pages of the grisha just travelling and hiking, talking about common memories. I felt myself dozing off as times, but maybe I was just tired idk.
Just sum notes...
- [spoilers removed]
- Love quadrangle but all 3 guys only want Alina
- no visible connection with the other books (Morozova's stag, Rusalye didn‘t really play a role anymore)
]]> 35384793
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.]]> 358 Leigh Bardugo 1250027438 Alisa 4 3.90 2012
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/28
date added: 2021/12/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 40623809 Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.]]> 400 Leigh Bardugo 1510105263 Alisa 4 3.69 2013
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/11
date added: 2021/12/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 49111189 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.]]> 325 Karen M. McManus 0525708006 Alisa 0 to-read 3.79 2020
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/11/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 714314
His autobiography is now an established classic of modern America, a book that expresses like none other the crucial truth about our times.]]> 460 Malcolm X 0345294203 Alisa 0 to-read 4.57 1965
author: Malcolm X
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1965
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/11/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 29549113 432 Colleen Hoover Alisa 3 4.11 2014
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2021/03/23
date added: 2021/10/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 6396997 128 Ernest Hemingway Alisa 3 4.25 1952
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1952
rating: 3
read at: 2021/05/16
date added: 2021/10/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 3437 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger's Syndrome. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down.]]> 272 Mark Haddon 0099450259 Alisa 4 3.86 2003
author: Mark Haddon
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2021/10/19
date added: 2021/10/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 44303637 Activist and journalist Shaun King reflects on the events that made him one of the most prominent social justice leaders of our time and lays out a clear action plan for you to join the fight.
 
As a leader of the Black Lives Matter movement, Shaun King has become one of the most recognizable and powerful voices on the front lines of civil rights in our time. His commitment to reforming the justice system and making America a more equitable place has brought challenges and triumphs, soaring victories and crushing defeats. Throughout his wide-ranging activism, King’s commentary remains rooted in both exhaustive research and abundant passion.
    
In Make Change, King offers an inspiring look at the moments that have shaped his life and considers the ways social movements can grow and evolve in this hyper-connected era. He shares stories from his efforts leading the Raise the Age campaign and his work fighting police brutality, while providing a roadmap for how to stay sane, safe, and motivated even in the worst of political climates. By turns infuriating, inspiring, and educational, Make Change will resonate with those who believe that America can—and must—do better.]]> 272 Shaun King 0358048001 Alisa 4 4.32 2020
author: Shaun King
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/10/09
date added: 2021/10/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 53066661
But after a chance encounter at an end-of-term house party, Saoirse is about to break her own rules. For a girl with one blue freckle, an irresistible sense of mischief, and a passion for rom-coms.

Unbothered by Saoirse’s no-relationships rulebook, Ruby proposes a loophole: They don’t need true love to have one summer of fun, complete with every cliché, rom-com montage-worthy date they can dream up—and a binding agreement to end their romance come fall. It would be the perfect plan, if they weren’t forgetting one thing about the Falling in Love Montage: when it’s over, the characters actually fall in love… for real.]]> 368 Ciara Smyth 0062957112 Alisa 3 3.78 2020
author: Ciara Smyth
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/10/05
date added: 2021/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> 52822210 International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.]]> 368 Angie Thomas 006284671X Alisa 4 4.37 2021
author: Angie Thomas
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/08/28
date added: 2021/10/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 40961427
Living under constant state surveillance via ubiquitous telescreens, Winston covertly rebels against the ruling Party through private journal writing and an illicit relationship with a coworker, Julia. The novel examines the mechanics of political authoritarianism, the manipulation of language and history, and the tension between individual consciousness and state power.]]> 298 George Orwell Alisa 5 4.24 1949
author: George Orwell
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1949
rating: 5
read at: 2021/10/01
date added: 2021/10/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 53205888 Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.]]> 376 T.J. Klune 1250217342 Alisa 0 to-read 4.08 2021
author: T.J. Klune
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/09/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 3431
Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?"]]> 196 Mitch Albom 0786868716 Alisa 0 to-read 4.02 2003
author: Mitch Albom
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/09/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 48589165 The instant New York Times bestseller!

Writing from the perspective of a friend, Frederick Joseph offers candid reflections on his own experiences with racism and conversations with prominent artists and activists about theirs—creating an essential read for white people who are committed anti-racists and those newly come to the cause of racial justice.

“We don’t see color.” “I didn’t know Black people liked Star Wars!” “What hood are you from?” For Frederick Joseph, life as a transfer student in a largely white high school was full of wince-worthy moments that he often simply let go. As he grew older, however, he saw these as missed opportunities not only to stand up for himself, but to spread awareness to those white people who didn’t see the negative impact they were having.

Speaking directly to the reader, The Black Friend calls up race-related anecdotes from the author’s past, weaving in his thoughts on why they were hurtful and how he might handle things differently now. Each chapter features the voice of at least one artist or activist, including Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give; April Reign, creator of #OscarsSoWhite; Jemele Hill, sports journalist and podcast host; and eleven others. Touching on everything from cultural appropriation to power dynamics, “reverse racism” to white privilege, microaggressions to the tragic results of overt racism, this book serves as conversation starter, tool kit, and invaluable window into the life of a former “token Black kid” who now presents himself as the friend many readers need. Backmatter includes an encyclopedia of racism, providing details on relevant historical events, terminology, and more.]]> 272 Frederick Joseph 1536217018 Alisa 0 to-read 4.45 2020
author: Frederick Joseph
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/08/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 45286510 368 Tahereh Mafi 3737356963 Alisa 0 to-read 4.02 2018
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/08/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 14060211 Animal Farm is the most famous by far of all twentieth-century political allegories. Its account of a group of barnyard animals who revolt against their vicious human master, only to submit to a tyranny erected by their own kind, can fairly be said to have become a universal drama. Orwell is one of the very few modern satirists comparable to Jonathan Swift in power, artistry, and moral authority; in animal farm his spare prose and the logic of his dark comedy brilliantly highlight his stark message.

Taking as his starting point the betrayed promise of the Russian Revolution, Orwell lays out a vision that, in its bitter wisdom, gives us the clearest understanding we possess of the possible consequences of our social and political acts.]]> 95 George Orwell 0143416316 Alisa 5 4.12 1945
author: George Orwell
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1945
rating: 5
read at: 2021/08/31
date added: 2021/08/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 18144590 The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, following our dreams.]]> 182 Paulo Coelho 0062315005 Alisa 4 4.01 1988
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1988
rating: 4
read at: 2021/08/25
date added: 2021/08/25
shelves:
review:

]]> 44654627 Come on, Bayview, you know you've missed this.

A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one's been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.

Until now.

This time it's not an app, though—it's a game.

Truth or Dare.

Phoebe's the first target. If you choose not to play, it's a truth. And hers is dark.

Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare.

But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it's that they can't count on the police for help. Or protection.

Simon's gone, but someone's determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there's a whole new set of rules.

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller everyone is talking about, One of Us Is Lying! There's a new mystery to solve at Bayview High, and there's a whole new set of rules.]]> 377 Karen M. McManus 0525707964 Alisa 4 It‘s a good sequel to the first book One Of Us Is Lying because just like in the first book the characters were realistic/imperfect and acted naturally.
Even though I can’t imagine these events happening at my old school, because I don’t remember people being such gossip-fanatics and i don’t know who would’ve been interesting enough to gossip about in such length, it could happen at schools. Especially ones with a wider (socio-economic) class range and more separated groups (the popular kids, the nerds etc.). And with a lot of 16-year-olds with very interesting and fun life’s - I don’t think anyone would‘ve had a lot of secrets to uncover in my friendgroup at that age. However, Bayview High has all that and I can accept that because I‘ve never been to America and will just pretend like that‘s what all high school are like over there.
The Truth or Dare game is a thrilling idea and I was looking forward to a gossip-girl kind of vibe but with a lot more interaction between the students and the „game master“. It was kind of like that, since the „game master“ (sounds weirder the second time I wrote it) had all the power and the students were ready to follow the rules. That’s an exciting dynamic and makes the game interesting.
I immediately fell in love with Phoebe because she was sweet and smart enough not to give the game master what they wanted. She‘s a flawed character but still understandable and it‘s easy to forgive her mistakes (in my opinion) since they are very human. Besides that, her relationship with her sister, Emma, was so realistic! You could feel how sad she was about the estrangement with her and that it‘s very difficult to maintain a healthy relationship with some people - especially relatives - after something so devastating as her fathers death strikes the family.
What I found unrealistic throughout the book was how the characters always noticed things about the other one, a normal person wouldn‘t notice about a friend or an acquaintance. Especially the little things. So the author unintentionally made it seem like they were just all madly in love with each other. The way Phoebe talked about Maeve was very VERY affectionate (for some pages I was sure they were gonna end up together). She talked about Maeve like she was someone she‘d been watching for a long time, which didn‘t actually seem to be the case. Even noticed, that she was a pretty girl, who would often fade into the background but once you see her beauty you can’t unsee it. Like damn, that’s something I notice about people I feel attracted to. But I think it was just McManus‘ way of trying to describe Maeve to the reader because I truly didn’t know how to perceive her at first - was she pretty? hot? noticeable at all?
Also with the Original „Bayview Four“ - how did some juniors know soo much about the relationships etc. of some seniors, that they probably never talked to? They even knew about the difficult relationship between the two sisters, Addy and Ashton. Gave me a bit of a stalker-vibe. Even if there would have been a lot of news coverage on them, they were too close with them for it to seem natural. But I guess that was necessary to include the old characters - that was a good thing! I loved the „Bayview Four“ and would‘ve been disappointed if they hadn‘t made an appearance. So I can excuse the stalker-vibe because it‘s still a small town and maybe that’s why they all know each other.
The storyline was good but the first book kept me guessing for longer. This time, some of the characters conclusions were easier to see ahead.
[spoilers removed]
The end was harsh and shocking. And I can’t decide if I liked it but I think everyone should see for themselves. [spoilers removed]
All in all, the book was a good read and especially the second half was gripping and exciting. I really would have liked a 4th perspective though, like Sean or Monica.]]> 3.89 2020
author: Karen M. McManus
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/07/28
date added: 2021/08/04
shelves:
review:
To me, McManus’ books are fascinating. Not the same way the Harry Potter franchise fascinated me at age 11 but more in a what-keeps-me-so-hooked-to-this-book kinda way.
It‘s a good sequel to the first book One Of Us Is Lying because just like in the first book the characters were realistic/imperfect and acted naturally.
Even though I can’t imagine these events happening at my old school, because I don’t remember people being such gossip-fanatics and i don’t know who would’ve been interesting enough to gossip about in such length, it could happen at schools. Especially ones with a wider (socio-economic) class range and more separated groups (the popular kids, the nerds etc.). And with a lot of 16-year-olds with very interesting and fun life’s - I don’t think anyone would‘ve had a lot of secrets to uncover in my friendgroup at that age. However, Bayview High has all that and I can accept that because I‘ve never been to America and will just pretend like that‘s what all high school are like over there.
The Truth or Dare game is a thrilling idea and I was looking forward to a gossip-girl kind of vibe but with a lot more interaction between the students and the „game master“. It was kind of like that, since the „game master“ (sounds weirder the second time I wrote it) had all the power and the students were ready to follow the rules. That’s an exciting dynamic and makes the game interesting.
I immediately fell in love with Phoebe because she was sweet and smart enough not to give the game master what they wanted. She‘s a flawed character but still understandable and it‘s easy to forgive her mistakes (in my opinion) since they are very human. Besides that, her relationship with her sister, Emma, was so realistic! You could feel how sad she was about the estrangement with her and that it‘s very difficult to maintain a healthy relationship with some people - especially relatives - after something so devastating as her fathers death strikes the family.
What I found unrealistic throughout the book was how the characters always noticed things about the other one, a normal person wouldn‘t notice about a friend or an acquaintance. Especially the little things. So the author unintentionally made it seem like they were just all madly in love with each other. The way Phoebe talked about Maeve was very VERY affectionate (for some pages I was sure they were gonna end up together). She talked about Maeve like she was someone she‘d been watching for a long time, which didn‘t actually seem to be the case. Even noticed, that she was a pretty girl, who would often fade into the background but once you see her beauty you can’t unsee it. Like damn, that’s something I notice about people I feel attracted to. But I think it was just McManus‘ way of trying to describe Maeve to the reader because I truly didn’t know how to perceive her at first - was she pretty? hot? noticeable at all?
Also with the Original „Bayview Four“ - how did some juniors know soo much about the relationships etc. of some seniors, that they probably never talked to? They even knew about the difficult relationship between the two sisters, Addy and Ashton. Gave me a bit of a stalker-vibe. Even if there would have been a lot of news coverage on them, they were too close with them for it to seem natural. But I guess that was necessary to include the old characters - that was a good thing! I loved the „Bayview Four“ and would‘ve been disappointed if they hadn‘t made an appearance. So I can excuse the stalker-vibe because it‘s still a small town and maybe that’s why they all know each other.
The storyline was good but the first book kept me guessing for longer. This time, some of the characters conclusions were easier to see ahead.
[spoilers removed]
The end was harsh and shocking. And I can’t decide if I liked it but I think everyone should see for themselves. [spoilers removed]
All in all, the book was a good read and especially the second half was gripping and exciting. I really would have liked a 4th perspective though, like Sean or Monica.
]]> 705790 165 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Alisa 4 3.41 1774
author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.41
book published: 1774
rating: 4
read at: 2020/09/14
date added: 2021/05/29
shelves:
review:

]]> 50892133
Until Marley. Marley is suffering from her own loss, a loss she thinks was her fault. And when their paths cross, Kyle sees in her all the unspoken things he’s feeling.

As Kyle and Marley work to heal each other’s wounds, their feelings for each other grow stronger. But Kyle can’t shake the sense that he’s headed for another crashing moment that will blow up his life as soon as he’s started to put it back together.

And he’s right.]]> 336 Mikki Daughtry 1534466347 Alisa 2 Then I thought Kyle got over Kimberly way too quick - yes he had some more visions of her but he seemed to be pretty much over it after a few months, even forgetting her death day?? After a 4 year relationship I doubt you'd be ready to get right into another one after less than six months, doing similar stuff with that new girlfriend like going to christmas markets and such. I just didn't think the Happy Ending fit the book.
There was just a lot of unnecessary drama about Marley. I wish we would have gotten to know more about Marley and Kyle in the real world. You would think Kyle isn't exactly the way Marley expected him to be and that causing some issues between them.
The thing I still don't get is... [spoilers removed] Really reminded me of The Vampire Diaries - went off the rails here.
I thought the tension between Marley and Kyle was well described and I felt them slowly growing closer, bonding over their suffering. That was a rather realistic aspect.
Overall cute, but kind of weird at times.]]> 3.90 2020
author: Mikki Daughtry
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2021/02/09
date added: 2021/05/29
shelves:
review:
It was kind of cute at times and I really like some of the quotes and little stories of Marley but there were too many aspects, that bothered me. I thought it was very creepy, that [spoilers removed]
Then I thought Kyle got over Kimberly way too quick - yes he had some more visions of her but he seemed to be pretty much over it after a few months, even forgetting her death day?? After a 4 year relationship I doubt you'd be ready to get right into another one after less than six months, doing similar stuff with that new girlfriend like going to christmas markets and such. I just didn't think the Happy Ending fit the book.
There was just a lot of unnecessary drama about Marley. I wish we would have gotten to know more about Marley and Kyle in the real world. You would think Kyle isn't exactly the way Marley expected him to be and that causing some issues between them.
The thing I still don't get is... [spoilers removed] Really reminded me of The Vampire Diaries - went off the rails here.
I thought the tension between Marley and Kyle was well described and I felt them slowly growing closer, bonding over their suffering. That was a rather realistic aspect.
Overall cute, but kind of weird at times.
]]> 35380157 Debut author Justin A. Reynolds delivers a hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose, and the moments that make a life worth reliving.

When Jack and Kate meet at a party, bonding until sunrise over their mutual love of Froot Loops and their favorite flicks, Jack knows he’s falling—hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends, Jillian and Franny, and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.

But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.

Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind.

Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.]]> 451 Justin A. Reynolds 0062748394 Alisa 0 to-read 3.65 2019
author: Justin A. Reynolds
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 2657 "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel - a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man's struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film.]]> 323 Harper Lee 0060935464 Alisa 4 favorites 4.26 1960
author: Harper Lee
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1960
rating: 4
read at: 2021/02/05
date added: 2021/05/23
shelves: favorites
review:

]]> 40133693
Der Besuch der alten Dame ist eine „tragische Komödie“ in drei Akten des Schweizer Schriftstellers Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Die Uraufführung mit Therese Giehse in der weiblichen Hauptrolle fand am 29. Januar 1956 in Zürich statt. Das Stück wurde zu einem Welterfolg und brachte Dürrenmatt die finanzielle Unabhängigkeit.]]> 160 Friedrich Dürrenmatt Alisa 3 3.61 1956
author: Friedrich Dürrenmatt
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.61
book published: 1956
rating: 3
read at: 2017/01/01
date added: 2021/05/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 233858
Auf dem Nachhauseweg gerät der fünfzehnjährige Michael Berg in eine heikle Situation. Eine Frau, Mitte dreißig, kümmert sich um ihn. Später kommt der Junge mit einem Blumenstrauß, um sich zu bedanken. Und er kommt wieder. Hanna ist die erste Frau, die er begehrt. Eine heimliche Liebe beginnt. Doch es ist etwas Düsteres, Reizbares um Hanna. Seine Fragen, wer sie war und ist, weist sie schroff zurück. Eines Tages ist sie verschwunden. Aus Michaels Leben, nicht aus seinem Gedächtnis. Als Jurastudent sieht er Hanna im Gerichtssaal wieder. Der junge Mann erleidet einen Schock. Er hat eine Verbrecherin geliebt. Vieles an Hannas Verhalten im Prozess ergibt keinen Reim. Bis es ihm wie Schuppen von den Augen fällt: Sie hat nicht nur eine grauenhafte Tat zu verantworten, sie hat auch ihr verzweifelt gehütetes Geheimnis. Die Vergangenheit bricht auf – die seiner Liebe und die deutsche Vergangenheit. Michael muss erleben, dass er von beiden Vergangenheiten nicht loskommt. Eine Frauengestalt, mit der man auch als Leser nicht einfach fertig wird. Und das Dilemma einer Generation.

]]> 207 Bernhard Schlink 3257229534 Alisa 4 3.74 1995
author: Bernhard Schlink
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2021/05/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 41036165 96 Friedrich Dürrenmatt Alisa 3 3.79 1962
author: Friedrich Dürrenmatt
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1962
rating: 3
read at: 2018/01/01
date added: 2021/05/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 55361205
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.]]> 768 Barack Obama 1524763187 Alisa 0 to-read 4.30 2020
author: Barack Obama
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 51955934 304 Matt Haig Alisa 3 Maybe that's a 3.5
I started reading this book with high expectations, that it would be amazing. Well, they might have been too high. Don't get me wrong. I would still definitely recommend people to read this book because it contains a sweet message and - without a doubt - the idea behind it deserves 4-5 stars. So I guess it was the realization of that idea that didn't do it for me.
The novel started off strong and even though there were some parts, that annoyed me or left me confused, I never wanted to stop reading. It was quite captivating.
The author did a great job conveying Nora’s feelings. I could understand her struggle and saw how hopeless things looked from her perspective. [spoilers removed] Through his words I could feel her frustration and sadness.
So [spoilers removed] Nora ends up in the Midnight Library, where her old friend, the school librarian Mrs. Elm, explains that the books on the shelves represent the endless number of life’s she could have lived, had she made different choices at different points in her life. She can now try out those life’s one by one until she finds "the right one". She will be transported back to the library when a wave of disappointment overcomes her. She starts jumping into different life’s and in the beginning her choice to leave one place seemed reasonable to me [spoilers removed] but after some time I got bored.
The reasons to leave a life behind seemed too weak to me. Most of the time it was because of the death of someone close to her. Sometimes I didn't understand why she got disappointed at all [spoilers removed]. I just kept thinking in every life there's death, which is always incredibly painful, but it doesn't mean that life is not worth living anymore. Maybe she would've had a great life, even though someone she loved died. I didn't like the message behind that.
Nora didn't seem to understand, that there are always good and bad aspect in a life and perfection was boring - even though she had that exact realization somewhere in the book. So it was a bit frustrating reading about all her disappointments - one after the other, especially since I could foresee her magic enlightenment-moments long before she had them (like the good and bad aspects thing).
However, I really liked, that she started to understand what she had done wrong in her "root life" to end up hopeless and drained. And what she was doing wrong while jumping through lives. [spoilers removed]
I really love a book, that makes me feel like I can't put my highlighter away, because every few pages there’s a sentence or a paragraph I want to accentuate. That kind of was the case for this novel as well, but it didn't feel natural. A lot of "wise" passages just screamed "highlight me" and didn't really fit the conversation or the person saying them. I felt like Haig had a lot of things he wanted to say on the matter and just randomly scattered his knowledge over the dialogues/monologues.
"The paradox of volcanos was that they were symbols of destruction but also life. Once the lava slows and cools, it solidifies and then breks down over time to become soils - rich, fertile soil. She wasn't a black hole, she decided. She was a volcano."
Other than that, I saw that he was quite good at describing the relationship between two (or more) people in just a few pages. I could imagine how they felt about each other and how they got along. Often authors try to convey an image by giving you incredibly detailed descriptions but in the end, you have to convey a feeling and Haig changed the relationships between the same characters depending on the life Nora chose - this made me realize how different my friendships could be if at one point I had made a different decision.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, some relationships weren't exploited enough and i quickly realized, that some characters, who seemed to become an important part of the book, just served a small one-dimensional purpose, like to give her explanations for how all this works. I kept waiting for some characters to have a deeper meaning, but the author just left it at that. [spoilers removed]
I furthermore didn't like the conclusion. I thought it was disappointing [spoilers removed]
Finally, I think the idea behind this book is definitely great and I still really enjoyed reading it but the author's conclusion was a bit weak. Even though some aspects bothered me, I liked his writing style and I read Nora’s story with excitement.]]> 4.20 2020
author: Matt Haig
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2021/05/23
date added: 2021/05/23
shelves:
review:
Maybe that's a 3.5
I started reading this book with high expectations, that it would be amazing. Well, they might have been too high. Don't get me wrong. I would still definitely recommend people to read this book because it contains a sweet message and - without a doubt - the idea behind it deserves 4-5 stars. So I guess it was the realization of that idea that didn't do it for me.
The novel started off strong and even though there were some parts, that annoyed me or left me confused, I never wanted to stop reading. It was quite captivating.
The author did a great job conveying Nora’s feelings. I could understand her struggle and saw how hopeless things looked from her perspective. [spoilers removed] Through his words I could feel her frustration and sadness.
So [spoilers removed] Nora ends up in the Midnight Library, where her old friend, the school librarian Mrs. Elm, explains that the books on the shelves represent the endless number of life’s she could have lived, had she made different choices at different points in her life. She can now try out those life’s one by one until she finds "the right one". She will be transported back to the library when a wave of disappointment overcomes her. She starts jumping into different life’s and in the beginning her choice to leave one place seemed reasonable to me [spoilers removed] but after some time I got bored.
The reasons to leave a life behind seemed too weak to me. Most of the time it was because of the death of someone close to her. Sometimes I didn't understand why she got disappointed at all [spoilers removed]. I just kept thinking in every life there's death, which is always incredibly painful, but it doesn't mean that life is not worth living anymore. Maybe she would've had a great life, even though someone she loved died. I didn't like the message behind that.
Nora didn't seem to understand, that there are always good and bad aspect in a life and perfection was boring - even though she had that exact realization somewhere in the book. So it was a bit frustrating reading about all her disappointments - one after the other, especially since I could foresee her magic enlightenment-moments long before she had them (like the good and bad aspects thing).
However, I really liked, that she started to understand what she had done wrong in her "root life" to end up hopeless and drained. And what she was doing wrong while jumping through lives. [spoilers removed]
I really love a book, that makes me feel like I can't put my highlighter away, because every few pages there’s a sentence or a paragraph I want to accentuate. That kind of was the case for this novel as well, but it didn't feel natural. A lot of "wise" passages just screamed "highlight me" and didn't really fit the conversation or the person saying them. I felt like Haig had a lot of things he wanted to say on the matter and just randomly scattered his knowledge over the dialogues/monologues.
"The paradox of volcanos was that they were symbols of destruction but also life. Once the lava slows and cools, it solidifies and then breks down over time to become soils - rich, fertile soil. She wasn't a black hole, she decided. She was a volcano."
Other than that, I saw that he was quite good at describing the relationship between two (or more) people in just a few pages. I could imagine how they felt about each other and how they got along. Often authors try to convey an image by giving you incredibly detailed descriptions but in the end, you have to convey a feeling and Haig changed the relationships between the same characters depending on the life Nora chose - this made me realize how different my friendships could be if at one point I had made a different decision.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, some relationships weren't exploited enough and i quickly realized, that some characters, who seemed to become an important part of the book, just served a small one-dimensional purpose, like to give her explanations for how all this works. I kept waiting for some characters to have a deeper meaning, but the author just left it at that. [spoilers removed]
I furthermore didn't like the conclusion. I thought it was disappointing [spoilers removed]
Finally, I think the idea behind this book is definitely great and I still really enjoyed reading it but the author's conclusion was a bit weak. Even though some aspects bothered me, I liked his writing style and I read Nora’s story with excitement.
]]> 395233 The Letters of Vincent van Gogh put a human face on one of the most haunting figures in modern Western culture. In this Penguin Classics edition, the letters are selected and edited by Ronald de Leeuw, and translated by Arnold Pomerans in Penguin Classics.

Few artists' letters are as self-revelatory as Vincent van Gogh's, and this selection, spanning his artistic career, sheds light on every facet of the life and work of this complex and tortured man. Engaging candidly and movingly with his religious struggles, his ill-fated search for love, his attacks of mental illness and his relation with his brother Theo, the letters contradict the popular myth of van Gogh as an anti-social madman and a martyr to art, showing instead a man of great emotional and spiritual depths. Above all, they stand as an intense personal narrative of artistic development and a unique account of the process of creation.

The letters are linked by explanatory biographical passages, revealing van Gogh's inner journey as well as the outer facts of his life. This edition also includes the drawings that originally illustrated the letters.

Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853-1890) was born in Holland. In 1885 he painted his first masterpiece, The Potato Eaters, a haunting scene of domestic poverty. A year later he began studying in Paris, where he met Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec and Seurat, who became very important influences on his work. In 1888 he left Paris for the Provencal landscape at Arles, the subject of many of his best works, including Sunflowers.

If you enjoyed The Letters of Vincent van Gogh, you might also like 100 Artists Manifestos, available in Penguin Modern Classics.

'If there was ever any doubt that Van Gogh's letters belong beside those great classics of artistic self-revelation, Cellini's autobiography and Delacroix's journal, this excellent new edition dispels it'
The Times]]> 528 Vincent van Gogh 0140446745 Alisa 0 to-read 4.08 1914
author: Vincent van Gogh
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1914
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50196744
Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways–there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.]]> 384 Chanel Miller 0735223718 Alisa 0 to-read 4.67 2019
author: Chanel Miller
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 35157846
Which is where she meets Gideon. Skinny, shy, anxious Gideon. A mad poet and collector of vinyl records with an aversion to social media. He lives in his head. She lives in her grief. The only people who can help them move on with their lives are each other.]]> 286 Claire Christian 1925498549 Alisa 4 3.97 2017
author: Claire Christian
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/01
date added: 2021/05/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 1820716
Bei Leo Leike landen irrtümlich E-Mails einer ihm unbekannten Emmi Rothner. Aus Höflichkeit antwortet er ihr. Und weil sich Emmi von ihm angezogen fühlt, schreibt sie zurück.

Bald gibt Leo zu: »Ich interessiere mich wahnsinnig für Sie, liebe Emmi! Ich weiß aber auch, wie absurd dieses Interesse ist.« Und wenig später gesteht Emmi: »Es sind Ihre Zeilen und meine Reime darauf: die ergeben so in etwa einen Mann, wie ich mir plötzlich vorstelle, dass es sein kann, dass es so jemanden wirklich gibt.«

Es scheint nur noch eine Frage der Zeit zu sein, wann es zum ersten persönlichen Treffen kommt, aber diese Frage wühlt beide so sehr auf, dass sie die Antwort lieber noch eine Weile hinauszögern. Außerdem ist Emmi glücklich verheiratet. Und Leo verdaut gerade eine gescheiterte Beziehung.

Und überhaupt: Werden die gesendeten, empfangenen und gespeicherten Liebesgefühle einer Begegnung standhalten? Und was, wenn ja?

]]> 223 Daniel Glattauer 3552060413 Alisa 4 3.93 2006
author: Daniel Glattauer
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2019/09/01
date added: 2021/05/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 1780947 128 John P. Strelecky 3423209690 Alisa 0 to-read 3.46 2003
author: John P. Strelecky
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 44581495
She’s never crashed a party, never stayed out too late. She’s never even been kissed. And it’s not just because she’s gay. It’s because she and her two best friends, Maritza and JaKory, spend more time in her basement watching Netflix than engaging with the outside world.

So when Maritza and JaKory suggest crashing a party, Codi is highly skeptical. Those parties aren’t for kids like them. They’re for cool kids. Straight kids.

But then Codi stumbles upon one of those cool kids, Ricky, kissing another boy in the dark, and an unexpected friendship is formed. In return for never talking about that kiss, Ricky takes Codi under his wing and draws her into a wild summer filled with late nights, new experiences, and one really cute girl named Lydia.

The only problem? Codi never tells Maritza or JaKory about any of it.

From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere.]]> 304 Kelly Quindlen 1250209137 Alisa 0 to-read 3.99 2020
author: Kelly Quindlen
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/17
shelves: to-read
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]]> 25713349
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Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped. In her life. In her body. And now in an eating-disorder treatment center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert.
Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid.
Her dad has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn't plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she too will end her life.
In this emotionally haunting and beautifully written young adult debut, Meg Haston delves into the devastating impact of trauma and loss, while posing the question: Why are some consumed by their illness while others embark on a path toward recovery?]]> 320 Meg Haston 3522202155 Alisa 3 4.06 2015
author: Meg Haston
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2021/05/16
shelves:
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]]> 1337448 367 Christiane V. Felscherinow 3453162897 Alisa 4 4.37 1978
author: Christiane V. Felscherinow
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1978
rating: 4
read at: 2020/02/01
date added: 2021/05/16
shelves:
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]]> 22557520
But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he’s also rude—to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin. And she does—until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn't the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless…could this be love?

Now newly revised and expanded, Anna Todd’s After fanfiction racked up 1 billion reads online and captivated readers across the globe. Experience the Internet’s most talked-about book for yourself!

There was the time before Tessa met Hardin, and then there’s everything AFTER ... Life will never be the same.]]> 582 Anna Todd 1476792488 Alisa 3 3.70 2014
author: Anna Todd
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2019/12/01
date added: 2021/05/16
shelves:
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]]> 42866784 Das persönlichste Buch von Ava Reed. In jeder Dunkelheit brennt ein Licht. Man muss es nur finden! Mit Zeichnungen der Autorin und handgeschriebenen Tagebucheinträgen

Der Abschluss. So viele Dinge, die zu tun sind.
Und danach? Ein Studium? Eine Ausbildung? Reisen?
Leni ist ein normales und glückliches Mädchen voller Träume. Bis ein Moment alles verändert und etwas in ihr aus dem Gleichgewicht gerät. Es beginnt mit zu vielen Gedanken und wächst zu Übelkeit, Panikattacken, Angst vor der Angst. All das ist plötzlich da und führt zu einer Diagnose, die Leni zu zerbrechen droht. Sie weiß, sie muss Hilfe annehmen, aber sie verliert Tag um Tag mehr Hoffnung. Nichts scheint zu funktionieren, keine Therapie, keine Medikation. Bis sie Matti trifft, der ein ganz anderes Päckchen zu tragen hat, und ihn auf eine Reise begleitet, die sie nie antreten wollte ...

Ein Buch, das Hoffnung macht...]]> 320 Ava Reed 3764170891 Alisa 3 4.34 2019
author: Ava Reed
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2021/05/16
shelves:
review:

]]> 33385229
Mateo and Rufus are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: There’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure—to live a lifetime in a single day.

Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable day.]]> 389 Adam Silvera 0062457799 Alisa 0 to-read 3.75 2017
author: Adam Silvera
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> 43797649
Was bedeutet es, in einer Welt, in der Weißsein als die selbstverständliche Norm gilt, nicht weiß zu sein? Reni Eddo-Lodge spürt den historischen Wurzeln der Vorurteile nach, und zeigt unmissverständlich, dass die Ungleichbehandlung Weißer und Nicht-Weißer unseren Systemen seit Generationen eingeschrieben ist. Ob in Politik oder Popkultur – nicht nur in der europaweiten Angst vor Immigration, sondern auch in aufwogenden Protestwellen gegen eine schwarze Hermine oder einen dunkelhäutigen Stormtrooper wird klar: Diskriminierende Tendenzen werden nicht nur von offenen Rassisten, sondern auch von vermeintlich toleranten Menschen praktiziert. Um die Ungerechtigkeiten des strukturellen Rassismus herauszustellen und zu bekämpfen, müssen darum People of Color und Weiße gleichermaßen aktiv werden – »Es gibt keine Gerechtigkeit, es gibt nur uns.«]]> 272 Reni Eddo-Lodge Alisa 0 to-read 4.36 2017
author: Reni Eddo-Lodge
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> 43197285
“What if I don’t want to marry?” Lillian held her breath. She had never said the words out loud. “Not want to marry?” Her aunt frowned. “What else would you do?”

Set in a Ugandan village, Lilian has learned to shrink herself to fit other people’s ideas of what a girl is. In her village a girl is not meant to be smarter than her brother. A girl is not meant to go to school or enjoy her body or decide who to marry. Especially if she is poor.]]> 0 Suzy Zail 1925126838 Alisa 0 to-read 4.41 2019
author: Suzy Zail
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 20698530 Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

They were just pretending. Until they weren’t. And now Lara Jean has to learn what it's like to be in a real relationship and not just a make-believe one.

But when another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him suddenly return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Lara Jean is about to find out that falling in love is the easy part.]]> 337 Jenny Han 144242673X Alisa 4 4.00 2015
author: Jenny Han
name: Alisa
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2019/05/09
date added: 2021/03/01
shelves:
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]]> 35247769 Lara Jean is having the best senior year.

And there’s still so much to look forward to: a class trip to New York City, prom with her boyfriend Peter, Beach Week after graduation, and her dad’s wedding to Ms. Rothschild. Then she’ll be off to college with Peter, at a school close enough for her to come home and bake chocolate chip cookies on the weekends.

Life couldn’t be more perfect!

At least, that’s what Lara Jean thinks . . . until she gets some unexpected news.

Now the girl who dreads change must rethink all her plans—but when your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?]]> 325 Jenny Han 1481430483 Alisa 3 3.98 2017
author: Jenny Han
name: Alisa
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2019/05/17
date added: 2021/03/01
shelves:
review:

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