Book Talk – April 2024

In Germany there is a bank holiday today Ascension Day which for most people is Fathers Day. Meaning most of German man go crazy, annoying and utterly drunk. I have never understood this holiday and it’s embarrassing, stupid and very loud. It is almost 10 am and I can already hear the restaurants around sound testing the Schlager music that is to come. It is only a matter of time until hordes of drunken men roam the streets. Until then I am enjoying my time on the terrace, in the sun, sipping coffee, reading my book and finishing up this blog post. Before I forget all about what I read its time for book Talk April. Here it is. Enjoy!

Frozen River by Ariel Lawhorn | ★★★★★

Goodreads says: Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.
Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.
Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.
What I thought: I loved loved loved this book and at the same time I frequently had to put it down because it was so intense and it infuriated me. Even better that it was based on a real person and that she has left behind her day books. I am very intrigued reading the biography. It’s a family story, a historical sketching of life in the late 18th century as well as a bit of mystery and murder all wrapped up in a book. I loved how diverse the characters were, how different everyone was handling situations, that there was growth and love and friendship but also anger, contempt, lots of sadness and fear. This may already be the best book of 2024 (… did I say that already?!) anyways I reduce 0,25 points for not including a list of names. That would have been helpful.
Characters: so so many… I made a list. Mainly the Ballard family and Joseph North
Setting: Kennebec River at the span of six month 1789 and 1790
Medium: eBook through Kindle library
Original Language and Title: English hardcover paperback, ebook
Publications: not yet translated
Recommend to: Everyone loving historical fiction, wants to learn of life in the late 18th century, loves a strong female lead and doesn’t shy away from tough topics (rape).

Zeichnen für Einsteiger | ★★★★★

Amazon says: Adventure Painting & Drawing – this inspiring creative series makes it easy to get started with the various techniques. The step-by-step instructions and detailed descriptions clearly guide you through the whole world of pencil art – from the first shapes to vivid shading. Faces, eyes and hands can be realistically realized, figures, landscapes and figurative objects can be easily created with helpful tips. The practical course for quick success – step by step to becoming a professional draughtsman!
What I thought: I really enjoyed reading this book. It walked through many different sketching prompts and on ever page there were exercises to try out. I didn’t do them as I was usually not having time but I did incorporate one or two ideas and techniques in my 100 day project. It helped me look differently and with more awareness at what I was drawing. I would have loved this book in my youth when I was drawing lots.
Medium: hardcover through library
Original Language and Title: German
Publications: no translation
Recommend to: Everyone interested in learning how to draw and sketch and needing some hands-on exercises.

Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspé | ★★★★☆

Goodreads says: Improve all areas of your health—your sleep, cravings, mood, energy, skin, weight—and even slow down aging with easy, science-based hacks to manage your blood sugar while still eating the foods you love.
Glucose, or blood sugar, is a tiny molecule in our body that has a huge impact on our health. It enters our bloodstream through the starchy or sweet foods we eat. Ninety percent of us suffer from too much glucose in our system—and most of us don’t know it.
The symptoms? Cravings, fatigue, infertility, hormonal issues, acne, wrinkles… And over time, the development of conditions like type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, cancer, dementia, and heart disease.
Drawing on cutting-edge science and her own pioneering research, biochemist Jessie Inchauspé offers ten simple, surprising hacks to help you balance your glucose levels and reverse your symptoms—without going on a diet or giving up the foods you love. For example:
* How eating foods in the right order will make you lose weight effortlessly
* What secret ingredient will allow you to eat dessert and still go into fat-burning mode
* What small change to your breakfast will unlock energy and cut your cravings
What I thought: This was very interesting. I knew a few thing going in but there was a lot of new knowledge I was not able to absorb while listening to this audiobook. I liked the 10 hack chapter where we learned practical way to lower blood sugar and I believe everyone can find a few things to integrate without much hassle. I think I will listen to it again and the take a fe notes so I can access them when I need reminders.
Medium: audiobook through library
Original Language and Title: English hardcover paperback, ebook
Publications: German title “Der Glukose-Trick” paperback, ebook
Recommend to: Everyone wanting to understand blood sugar, needs ideas on how to live healthier and needs/wants to reduce weight without dieting.

The Quantum Curators and  and the Shattered Timeline by Eva St. John | ★★★★☆

Goodreads says: Any fool can destroy the timeline.  Fixing it requires nerves of steel!
Minju Chen survived the coup with her secret identity intact.  Her plans are in tatters, but that won’t stop her from trying again to take control of Alexandria and the quantum facility.  Only one person can stop her and she stuck in a hospital bed.
Neith Salah has a bullet in her head and has lost her ability to communicate.  Which is a problem as she’s the only person who remembers Minju’s true identity. There is a plan to restore Neith’s language, but it requires Julius Strathclyde and the traitor Clio Masoud to work together.  What could possibly go wrong?  Beyond destroying earth’s timeline and obliterating generations of innocents, that is.
What I thought: This was fun. I liked the duo of Julius and Clio. The rejection between them yet the lance on each other and the growing respect in their relationship. Well done I thought. Not a fan of the intrigues though but they needed to happen for the story line. Just in general not a fan of scheming people. Definitely worth my time.
Characters: JuliusStrathclyde – quantum curator, Clio Masoud – rogue quantum curator, Neith Salah – sick quantum curator, Minju Chen – secretive archive worker
Setting: Alexandria – Alpha Earth, Beta Earth,
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited
Original Language and Title: Englisch hardcover paperback, ebook
Publications: no translation
Recommend to: Anyone who has read the previous books.
Additional note: book four in the Quantum Curators series

The Quantum Curators and the Great Deceiver by Eva St. John | ★★★★☆

Goodreads says: Trapped on Beta Earth, Julius has no memory of the past two years, and everything feels wrong. As he struggles to make sense of his surroundings, he is taken under the wing of a very unexpected group of people and their existence will change everything.
Back on Alpha Earth, treacherous coalitions with the worst of Beta humanity are being formed and only Neith knows the full extent of the danger. Searching for help, she approaches those she trusts, but each encounter ends in violent death. She is on her own.
Julius and his new friends need to return to Alpha to prevent the domination of his planet and rescue Neith. As they close in, they discover she has been making her own desperate plans, but is her solution too high a price?
What I thought: Overall loved it. Fun to read and worthwhile my time. One thing I didn’t like was that everyone was trying to figure it out on their own and no one collaborated. I do get it why that is but it was at times frustrating to read. I would have liked that one person confided and than either have a duo to solve the issues or have that person making a huge mistake…
Characters: JuliusStrathclyde – college professor, Clio Masoud – rogue quantum curator, Neith Salah – quantum curator, Minju Chen – adviser to president
Setting: Alpha Earth – Alexandria, Beta Earth – Camebridge
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited
Original Language and Title:
Publications: no translation
Recommend to: Anyone who has read the previous books.
Additional note: book five in the Quantum Curators series

The Quantum Curators and the Missing Codex by Eva St. John | ★★★☆☆

Goodreads says: Something is rotten in the heart of Alexandria and Julius Strathclyde is in trouble. He appears to have summoned the gods, which is driving his partner, Neith Salah, insane. Not to mention all the other ultra-rational citizens of Alpha earth. It gets worse. The gods set a challenge that can’t be refused. The race is on to find the lost blueprints for the Quantum Stepper. Whoever possesses them will be able to unlock the stepper’s true potential.
The game is afoot and the outcome is terrifying. All of time and space will be under the control of the victors; to protect, or to plunder. Can Julius and Neith get to the plans before their rivals?
If they lose, Julius’ earth is doomed, but if they win, Neith’s earth will continue to disintegrate.
Can they find a third way? Or will the gods win out?
What I thought: For me this was he weakest book in the series. I just did not enjoy all the deities, gods and craziness. I felt like this book was written around the idea including those characters but they didn’t pull it off. The storyline was a bit forced in my opinion.
Characters: Loki – god, Anansi – god, Leonardo da Vinci, JuliusStrathclyde – quantum curator, Neith Salah – quantum curator,
Setting: Alpha Earth, Beta Earth, xx Earth
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited
Original Language and Title: Englisch hardcover paperback, ebook
Publications: no translation
Recommend to: Anyone who has read the previous books.
Additional note: book three in the Quantum Curators series

Falling for Alaska by Cathrin Brown | ★★✶☆☆

Goodreads says: She’s chased her dream all the way to Alaska. Her oh-so-gorgeous but grumpy neighbor might try to stop her in this clean and wholesome romance.
Jemma’s new business flipping furniture makes some noise. But she quit her job to start over in Palmer, Alaska and she intends to succeed.
Nathaniel’s peace and quiet is shattered when the woman across the street drills and saws. Sure, she’s nice and perhaps attractive, but he doesn’t want anyone close to his heart, and if he did, he wouldn’t choose her.
Then a puppy steps into the picture. Can Jemma and Nathaniel help the puppy and each other? Could love ever be possible for these two?
What I thought: Sigh… I keep doing it… reading romance novels and then giving them bad ratings. I know… This one set in Alaska I had hopes I would love it more. I did not it was just flat. No character development, unrealistic plot at times. And then one hiccup and the make-up is a marriage proposal…. come one. I don’t mind a clean closed door romance but this is so far from real-life…
Characters: Jemma – business owner, Nathaniel – marketing expert, Cloe – the dog
Setting: Palmer Alaska, two homes at the end of the road
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited, library | audiobook through library | paperback | hardcover
Original Language and Title: English paperback, ebook
Publications: no translation
Recommend to: Everyone loving a mellow clean romance set around furniture flipping and (bad) marketing.
Additional note: First book in the Alaska Dream series

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner | ★★☆☆☆

Goodreads says: When Veronica Levy bought her home on the Outer Cape, she imagined generations of her family gathering there each summer for many years to come – but things didn’t work out that way. Forty years later, Ronnie’s husband is gone. Her son, Sam, is in California, and rarely makes the trip back home. Her daughter, Sarah, packs her kids’ summers full of enriching, educational, resume-building activities that do not include collecting seashells or playing Frisbee on the beach. When Sarah’s stepdaughter announces her engagement, it feels like a natural end point. Ronnie will reunite the family for one last summer celebration, and then say goodbye to the house she’s loved for her entire life.
What I thought: I did not enjoy this book. Everyone in this book cheated on their partner at some point. Why? Does that make a good story? Are most family that messed up? Hated it. The story could have been so much more fun without all that nonsense going on.
Characters: Victoria – grandmother, Sara & Sam – twins of Victoria, Ruby & Gabe – bride and Groom,
Setting: Summer House in Marthas Vineyard… Or was it Hamptons..
Medium: audiobook through library
Original Language and Title: english hardcover paperback, ebook
Publications: no translation
Recommend to: Everyone loving dramatic family dramas with (almost unrealistic) twists and doesn’t care about cheating.

Der Duft von Marienkäfern: Kann Liebe eine Depression überstehen? by Dany Matthes | no rating

Amazon says: Lena Wagner has been living in a toxic relationship for many years. It seems impossible for her to free herself from it. Until she meets Nick. A charming, funny and, above all, courteous man. He has everything Lena could wish for, and with him by her side, she manages to escape her old life. It could have been the perfect new start, but the past has left its mark. Dark clouds settle over her soul. Lena becomes depressed. Because she doesn’t know what is happening to her, she ignores it. Until that morning.
Dany Matthes writes lightly about a difficult subject and yet is ruthlessly honest. In the book, she tells in great detail about her depression and her way of living with the illness in a relationship. Her wish: “My story should help and encourage those affected and their relatives. There is always a way and YOU are never alone.”
What I thought: I had hoped to learn a bit more about depression and partnership but this book was mainly about escaping a toxic relationship (with a new man… cheating again?!) and then having issues in the new. Granted many because of depression and panic attacks and mental issues but I found the whole new relationship also unhealthy and at times toxic. However the author tells her own love story… That is the reason why I didn’t rate this book. If she needed to write it in order to heal it has its value.
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited
Original Language and Title: German paperback, ebook
Publications: no translations
Recommend to: Everyone struggling with depression, needing a affirmative story that it can be better.

Books I couldn’t finish

Keeping track of the books that weren’t right for me. This month it was:

• Wunderbare Jahre – Als wir noch die Welt bereisten by Sibylle Berg – this was boring and more political than about travel so I DNFed at 14%

New books on the shelves

Always buying books even though I am trying to reduce my TBR pile. Here is this month purchases. Please hold me accountable and ask if I read them or just piled them up.

• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo – a gift from one book club member
• Wege aus der Dunkelheit: Bewältigung von Depression by Lara Sophie Rüde – kindle freebie
• The End of the Alphabet by Charles Scott Richardson – from library flea market
• Victorious by Yishai Sarid – from library flea market
• Nachts ist es leise in Teheran by Shida Bazyar – from library flea market
• Euphoria by Lily King – from library flea market

What was a wonderful book you picked up in April? Did you read any of the ones I read? Do you know any of the ones I added to my shelf this months? What is the last book you gifted someone or put in the free little library?