berlinbibliophile's reviews
1195 reviews

Gott schütze dieses Haus: ein Inspector-Lynley-Roman by Elizabeth George

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

God, all of this was excessive. Dozens of pages of descriptions of child abuse, fatphobia from page one, all of it unnecessary. The case isn't even good. Most of the time is spent in childish fights between the detectives. Very disappointing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual violence

Konkurrenz für Sherlock Holmes by Hugh Greene

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Again, some fun stories - like the Arsène Lupin story - but also some quite bad ones, with a generous sprinkling of racism in some of them. Some are definitely worth reading, but it's quite a mixed selection. 

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

challenging informative inspiring slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I read this book for a book club, and I'm so glad I did. Erdrichs descriptions are so rich and full of feeling and wonder. And the history is very interesting to learn about. I was on the edge of my seat when the delegation testified to congress. An excellent, important book. 

Die Rivalen des Sherlock Holmes: große Detektivgeschichten des 19. Jahrhunderts by Hugh Greene

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

Some of these stories are fun, but some are quite pointless and overly long. 

War Diary by Yevgenia Belorusets

challenging informative sad tense fast-paced

4.0

Very impactful writing incombination with the photographs for each day's entry. It feels incomplete, but then so is the war of Russian agression against Ukraine. 

Listen To Me by Tess Gerritsen

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I anticipated a lot of plot twists, but always only by about 50 pages, which I think is ideal for a crime novel. Good mystery, and especially good character work. 

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another incredible book. It's heartwrenching but so excellent. We all know what must inevitably happen, but I was on the edge of my seat anyway. The theme of this book is propaganda, which works perfectly with the information we'd already had about the Second Quarter Quell. There are so many familiar faces, but it makes so much sense to see them here. And it's tragic as well. I couldn't put it down and read it in less than a day. 

A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger

hopeful lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The dual, converging stories were nice. I also liked the animal people, and the ways they matched or didn't match to the stories Nina had heard. The ending was a bit rushed and incomplete though. 

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Ronan wasn't my favourite character in The Raven Boys, but he gets a great deal of character development here. I really like the way things progressed, and the hints for his future. 
For a YA book, Blue's mother and relatives are involved in the story a surprisingly large part of the time. I like that, it's different. 
The Raven Boys and Blue aren't together as much in this book, all off doing their own separate things. That worked well, but I still hope they'll hang out and explore more as a group again in the next book. I'm sure I'll pick it up soon. 

Tuberkulose: Die stille Pandemie by John Green

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

John Green hit it out of the park with this one. I cried on public transport, but I also laughed a little and was touched by the many people who do try to help fight Tb. I learned new things and got newly angry and motivated about things I already knew. I really recommend this book, especially if Tb feels far away from your own life.