#Friday reads (27)

Este fim de semana será para tentar dedicar-me a The Cuckoo's Calling, o livro escrito por J K Rowling com o pseudónimo Robert Galbraith. Vou neste momento na página 370 e estou a gostar bastante, não tenho é tido muito tempo para ler. Para quem não conhece ainda a história, fica aqui a sinopse:

Quando uma jovem modelo cai de uma varanda coberta de neve em Mayfair, presume-se que tenha cometido suicídio. No entanto, o seu irmão tem dúvidas quanto a este trágico desfecho, e contrata os serviços do detetive privado Cormoran Strike para investigar o caso. Strike é um veterano de guerra - com sequelas físicas e psicológicas - e a sua vida está um caos. Este caso serve-lhe de tábua de salvação financeira, mas tem um custo pessoal: quanto mais mergulha no mundo complexo da jovem modelo, mais sombrio tudo se torna - e mais se aproxima de um perigo terrível...

Para além disso, gostaria ainda de tirar um bocadinho para ler o conto Halloween de Nádia Batista. Já há algum tempo que descarreguei o conto, mas ainda não tive a oportunidade de lê-lo.

Com este Sol fantástico, não sei se conseguirei cumprir todos estes planos, mas vamos lá ver.

E o vosso fim de semana, como é que vai ser? :) 

#Friday Reads (26)

Ora muito bem, eis o meu programa de leituras para este fim de semana de Páscoa.

Em primeiro lugar, gostaria de terminar um livro que comecei esta semana e sobre o qual terei de escrever uma review. Chama-se Deadly Secret e é de Boris Riskin, um autor que desconhecia. Deixo-vos a sinopse deste livro:

Jake Wanderman is not your average retired teacher and Shakespeare maven. He’s tangled with the Russian Mafia and assassins in Jerusalem and come out triumphant. Now his childhood friend’s long-lost daughter is a suspect in a murder investigation and Jake’s help is needed. The daughter flees to London and he follows, searching for clues. Instead, he uncovers rape, suicide, and secret identities. And falling in love with the female detective on the case only complicates the issue.
Like Sam Spade phoning in his reports to Effie, Jake Wanderman talks us through this corkscrew case in his own inimitable, Brooklyn-wise-guy style while quoting Shakespeare at every opportunity.

Até agora tem sido uma leitura interessante, apesar de já ter lido melhor. No entanto, e do que li de outras reviews, é um livro que ao início pode não cativar tanto, mas que, há medida que a história progride, vai melhorando.

Para além disso, e uma vez que terei de uma longa viagem de carro pela frente, espero conseguir pelo menos um dos livros de Uma Aventura que comprei recentemente: Uma Aventura no Bosque e Uma Aventura em Alto Mar.

Boa Páscoa e até ao próximo post ;)

#Friday Reads (24)

Começa este fim de semana - dia 1 de Março - mais uma maratona literária promovida pelo grupo do Goodreads. A 42º maratona será novamente em equipas e terá como desafio opcional ler um livro cuja ação decorra num local tipicamente carnavalesco - Brasil, Noa Orleães, Veneza ... Muito sinceramente, não sei se irei completar este desafio ...

Este fim de semana irei começar a minha maratona com A Rainha no Palácio das Correntes de Ar de Stieg Larsson. Já comecei este livro e, até agora, li sencivelmente um terço da história. A ideia é conseguir avançar o máximo possível durante estes dias, para na próxima semana já estar a pegar noutros livros para as maratonas literárias (sim, porque vai haver uma outra maratona das Viagens (In)Esperadas hehe).

Deixo aqui a sinopse do livro:

Lisbeth Salander sobreviveu aos ferimentos de que foi vítima, mas não tem razões para sorrir: o seu estado de saúde inspira cuidados e terá de permanecer várias semanas no hospital, completamente impossibilitada de se movimentar e agir. As acusações que recaem sobre ela levaram a polícia a mantê-la incontactável. Lisbeth sente-se sitiada e, como se isto não bastasse, vê-se ainda confrontada com outro problema: o pai, que a odeia e que ela feriu à machadada, encontra-se no mesmo hospital com ferimentos menos graves e intenções mais maquiavélicas… Entretanto, mantêm-se as movimentações secretas de alguns elementos da Säpo, a polícia de segurança sueca. Para se manter incógnita, esta gente que actua na sombra está determinada a eliminar todos os que se atravessam no seu caminho. Mas nem tudo podia ser mau: Lisbeth pode contar com Mikael Blomkvist que, para a ilibar, prepara um artigo sobre a conspiração que visa silenciá-la para sempre. E Mikael Blomkvist também não está sozinho nesta cruzada: Dragan Armanskij, o inspector Bublanski, Anika Gianini, entre outros, unem esforços para que se faça justiça. E Erika Berger? Será que Mikael pode contar com a sua ajuda, agora que também ela está a ser ameaçada? E quem é Rosa Figuerola, a bela mulher que seduz Mikael Blomkvist?

Até ao próximo post e boas leituras :)

#Friday Reads (23)

E mais uma semana chega ao fim. Eu sei que esta semana o blog tem andado meio parado, mas como estou a meio de leituras conjuntas, ainda não tive a oportunidade de acabar um livro para publicar uma review.

O programa das festas para este fim-de-semana passa essencialmente por continuar Cinder e ler La Ciudad Ausente de Ricardo Piglia. Comecei este livro hoje mas como tem apenas 150 páginas penso que conseguirei lê-lo rapidamente. Deixo aqui a sinopse para que possam ficar a conhecer esta história:

Junior es un periodista que investiga la máquina de Macedonio, un artefacto que empezó traduciendo relatos y acabó produciendo una obra autónoma. Ahora ha escapado a todo control y permanece bajo custodia del Museo, mientras el poder totalitario y la resistencia luchan por validar o convertir en apócrifas las producciones de la autómata. Quizá la verdad sobre su origen esconde en una historia de amor eterno, de cuyo hila tirará Junior hasta llegar a una isla extraña.

Bom fim-de-semana e boas leituras ;)

#Friday Reads (22)

Vou dedicar este fim de semana às leituras conjuntas.

Desde logo, quero avançar Crime e Castigo de Dostoievski que estou a ler com a Catarina do Sonhar de Olhos Abertos. Estou neste momento na página 100 e até agora estou a achar a história muito interessante :)

Para além disso, quero ainda ler mais um terço do livro Cinder de Marissa Meyer, para a leitura conjunta em que estou a participar com outras meninas, nomeadamente com a Cata do blog Páginas Encadernadas. Deixo aqui a sinopse do livro:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Até agora li apenas um terço do livro e apenas posso dizer que conceito me parece interessante e que me está a despertar uma grande curiosidade em relação ao resto da história. 

Boas leituras :)

#Friday Reads (21)

A semana tem sido mais atarefada do que esperava e por isso as minhas leituras ficaram um pouco para trás. Para este fim de semana o plano é acabar A Rapariga que Sonhava com uma Lata de Gasolina e um Fósforo de Stieg Larsson. Vou neste momento na página 494 e faltam-me pouco mais de 100 páginas para terminar este segundo volume da trilogia Millenium. 

Até agora posso dizer que, apesar de estar a gostar bastante do livro, há algumas coisas que não me estão a agradar muito, nomeadamente as quebras no ritmo da história e o facto de, por vezes, não parecer muito equilibrado - refiro-me, essencialmente, às diferentes perspetivas e à relevância que é atribuída a cada uma das personagens.

Depois de terminar este livro ainda não sei se pego de imediato no terceiro, ou se leio outra coisa para não ser tudo tão seguido.

Boas leituras e até ao próximo post :)

#Friday Reads (20)

Ora muito bem, depois de levar uma semana a ler Death Note, este fim-de-semana quero pegar noutros livros.

Para já, quero acabar um livro que comecei ontem e que se chama The Trail de Terry Dwyer. Deixo-vos aqui a sinopse para que possam ficar a conhecer um bocadinho melhor a sua história:

In 1973, the world was a different place.
There were no mobile phones, no laptops and no credit cards. International travel was problematic and little was known about distant places like Afghanistan or Timor. The Vietnam War raged and Bangkok was the fleshpot of Asia. In the October, deteriorating relations between Israel and her Arab neighbours would culminate in the Yom Kippur War.
That year, the “hippie trail” between Europe and India lay open. Overland travel between Australia and Europe was possible. In April 1973, I hitched out of Sydney, heading for London. This is my story.

Eu não conhecia este livro, mas a oportunidade de o ler surgiu e resolvi aproveitar por me parecer mais do que um mero relato de viagem. O facto de ter ocorrido numa altura de maior conflito na região por onde o autor passou despertou a minha curiosidade e fez com que tivesse ainda mais vontade de pegar neste livro.

Até agora ainda só li 20 páginas, mas a história é curta e penso que não demorarei muito tempo a terminá-la. O que li até ao momento pareceu-me interessante e gostei, principalmente, da forma como o autor vai alternando entre os vários momentos da sua vida, explicando, por um lado, a realidade em Israel durante os conflitos e, por outro, a sua preparação e motivação para iniciar esta aventura.

Terminado este livro, quero ainda começar a ler A Rapariga que Sonhava com uma Lata de Gasolina e um Fósforo de Stieg Larsson, segundo volume da trilogia Millenium. Adorei (e devorei) o primeiro volume e por isso estou bastante curiosa com a continuação desta história, apesar de este livro parecer seguir um novo caso, não estando tão ligado ao que se tinha passado durante o primeiro volume.

Neste segundo volume da trilogia Millennium, Lisbeth Salander é assumidamente a personagem central da história ao tornar-se a principal suspeita de dois homicídios. A saga desenvolve-se em dois planos que se complementam e só a solução do primeiro mistério trará luz ao segundo: Há que encontrar os responsáveis pelo tráfico de mulheres para exploração sexual para se descobrir por que razão Lisbeth Salander é perseguida não só pela polícia, mas por um gigante loiro de quem pouco se sabe.

Até ao próximo post e boas leituras :)

 

#Friday Reads (19)

Mantendo uma rubrica que adotei no ano passado, venho hoje falar dos meus planos de leitura para o fim de semana.

Esta semana não tem sido fácil ... não me tenho dedicado às leituras como gostaria, mas a verdade é que terminar uma tese também dá o seu trabalho e exige o seu tempo e dedicação. Felizmente, essa parte fica hoje arrumada e assim poderei ter um fim de semana mais descansado para as minhas leituras.

Antes de mais, gostaria de acabar Marina de Carlos Ruiz Záfon. É o quinto livro que leio deste autor e estou neste momento na página 180. Este foi o último livro juvenil que o autor escreveu e, muito sinceramente, dos 4 que li dentro desse género, gosto muito mais deste. La Trilogia de la Niebla era interessante e foram dos primeiros livros que li em Espanhol (por isso terão sempre um lugar especial), mas no que diz respeito à qualidade da história e à forma como me estou a deixar levar por ela, Marina é o vencedor.

Deixo-vos aqui a sinopse:

Na Barcelona dos anos 1980, o menino Óscar Drai, um solitário aluno de internato, conhece Marina, uma jovem misteriosa que vive num casarão com o pai idoso. Em passeios pela cidade, os dois presenciam uma cena estranha num cemitério e se envolvem na resolução de um mistério que remonta aos anos 1940. Numa tentativa inútil de escapar da própria memória, Oscar abandona sua cidade. Acreditava que, colocando-se a uma distância segura, as vozes do passado se calariam. Quinze anos mais tarde, ele regressa à cidade para exorcizar seus fantasmas e enfrentar suas lembranças - a macabra aventura que marcou sua juventude, o terror e a loucura que cercaram a história de amor.

Se tudo correr bem, terei ainda tempo para terminar a série Death Note. Neste momento faltam-me 6 volumes da série para terminá-la mas, tendo em conta que são manga, penso que conseguirei lê-los rapidamente.

Boas leituras e até ao próximo post :)

#Friday Reads (18)

So, this weekend I'll be reading Extras by Scott Westerfeld. This is the forth and final installment of the Uglies series. However, this book is a little different from the other three because this is kind of like a companion novel and not a direct continuation of the story.

Here is the synopsis:

It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of "American Idol." Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for ...

I'm already 120 pages but honestly I can't really say if I'm enjoying it or not. I was really curious about this series - it had received such rave reviews! - but then, as I started reading it, I couldn't really connect with the story or with the characters and I wasn't particularly impressed by it. I just hope that this one is better than the other three ...

On another topic, I'll be posting - hopefully soon - my review for A Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón but let me tell you, reviewing this book isn't easy!

#Friday Reads (17)

This weekend I'll be reading La Sombra del Viento (The Shadow of the Wind) by Carlos Ruiz Záfon. I bought this book when I was in Barcelona and ever since then I've been waiting for the perfect moment to pick it up.

Here is the synopsis:

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

So far I'm 150 pages in and I honestly think that this will become one of my favorite books (not just for this year). I love the author's writing style and the story is incredibly engrossing. Definitely a book that shows a lot of promise and I hope to finish it during the next few days.

#Friday Reads (16)

I'll be dedicating my weekend to one of my recent purchases. In the beginning of November I bought Carrie by Stephen King but I hadn't got around to it until now.

I've started it today and I'm already 102 pages in an so far I'm really enjoying it. This is only my second book by Stephen King but, from what I've read so far, I think that I won't be stopping here.

Here is the synopsis (just in case you're not that familiar with the story):

The story of misfit high-school girl, Carrie White, who gradually discovers that she has telekinetic powers. Repressed by a domineering, ultra-religious mother and tormented by her peers at school, her efforts to fit in lead to a dramatic confrontation during the senior prom.

#Friday Reads (15)

I didn't do one of these last week because I wasn't really sure what I was going to read that weekend, but I've already lined up a couple of books for this one.

First of all I'll be finishing Allegiant by Veronica Roth. This is the third and final installment in the Divergent series and, even though this isn't one of my favorite distopian series, I really wanted to see how it ends.

Here is the synopsis:

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.  

After that, I plan on starting Saving Grace by Wendy Hewlett. I don't know that much about it but it seems to be a mystery novel. Here is the synopsis:

After spending most of her life on the streets of Toronto, Taylor Sinclair suddenly finds herself in the lap of luxury as she attempts to protect Gray Rowan, a woman she’s idolized since she was ten years old, from becoming a repeat victim of escaped serial rapist/murderer Ralph Morse. The connection the two women share quickly develops into a deep friendship, something that Taylor denied herself for years. Just when Taylor begins to believe in herself, her world turns upside down. Taylor’s past becomes fuel for the insatiable appetite of the media, triggering a police investigation targeting her abusers. Taylor has to deal with the horrors of her past if she has any hope of making it through the Police Academy or developing a relationship with the gorgeous Caillen Worthington. (Book 1 in the Taylor Sinclair Series) .

#Friday Reads (14)

So, this weekend I'll be reading (again two books).

First of all, I want to continue Fanny Hill by John Cleland. I'm already more than half way through and I'm confident that I'll be able to finally finish it this week.

I'll also be reading Easy by Tammara Webber. I was a bit hesitant about this book but since this was the pick for this month in my book club, I had no choice but to read it lol I've already started it but I'm only 20 pages in but I think I'll probably finish this one first because it seems to be one of those quick reads.

Here is the synopsis (from Goodreads):

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…

He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

#Friday Reads (13)

Getting back to a decent schecule of posting for the blog!

This weekend I'll be finishing City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and I'll try to read a bit more o Fanny Hill by John Cleland.

I'm already more than half way through with City of Bones and so far I'm actually enjoying it! I was a bit sceptical about this book and I wasn't sure I was going to like it because of all the demons and Shadowhunters but so far it's been a plesant surprise.

As for Fanny Hill, it's a XVIII century erotic classic an even though the writting style

and vocabulary is quite different and thta it's far from fantastic, I'm enjoying reading it.

#Friday Reads (12)

This weekend I'll be finishing Uglies, the first book on the Uglies series created by Scott Westerfeld. This is actually one of the books I pledged to read this year for my A to Z challenge. A lot of people like this series and I want to see what it has that makes it so special.

Here's the synopsis:

Tally Youngblood is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait for the operation that turns everyone from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to party. But new friend Shay would rather hoverboard to "the Smoke" and be free. Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn't very pretty. The "Special Circumstances" authority Dr Cable offers Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

I've already read about a third of the book and so far I'm enjoying it. As soon as I'm done with it, I'll post my review :) 

#Friday Reads (11)

I'm still reading the Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and I plan on finishing it during this weekend. I have a little more than half to read but the story is so so so so so good and engrossing that I know I'll just fly through it

Here's the link to last week's Friday Reads

#Friday reads (10)

I know I was supposed to upload this yesterday but it just slipped my mind! 

Yesterday I started a new book and it was The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I received this book for Christmas but it is so big I couldn't just start reading it right away so I waited until now because I knew I would have a lot more free time to really dedicate myself to it.

Here is the synopsis (from Goodreads)

Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

I've only read 30 pages so I don't have much to say right now. Nevertheless, I'm really excited about this book because people have been raving it and saying it is great. Hopefully I'll be able to read it in a week and as soon as I'm done with it I'll post my review here.

#Friday Reads (9)

I started reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak this Monday but I've been so tired lately that I wasn't feeling particularly inclined to read.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

I'm about 130 pages in and I think the story has a great concept and it's really engrossing - it's just unfortunate that lately I haven't been in the mood for reading.

#Friday Reads (8)

This weekend I'll be reading The English Patient, a book that has been sitting on my bookshelves for (probably) 5 years. I've never felt particularly drawn to this book but it was only 1 euro at the time and I thought it would be a great addition to my collection, even if I wasn't particularly sure when I would pick it up or even if I would ever be in the mood to read it.

Here is the synopsis:

With ravishing beauty and unsettling intelligence, Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize-winning novel traces the intersection of four damaged lives in an Italian villa at the end of World War II. Hana, the exhausted nurse; the maimed thief, Caravaggio; the wary sapper, Kip: each is haunted by the riddle of the English patient, the nameless, burned man who lies in an upstairs room and whose memories of passion, betrayal and rescue illuminates this book like flashes of heat lightening.

I'll admit, I was afraid the writing style would be somewhat dry and that I would have to have a lot of will power to stick with the book but I'm already half way through and so far I've been really enjoying it. Yes, sometimes it feels there's not much going on but it's beautifully written and the characters seem to be quite charming.

#Friday Reads (7)

I've been in the mood to read something in Spanish and for that reason I've decided to pick up El Club Dumas de Arturo Pérez-Reverte. I had bought it a couple of months ago but since I had other books to read,  was unable to read it sooner.

Here is the synopsis (from Goodreads)

Lucas Corso is a book detective, a middle-aged mercenary hired to hunt down rare editions for wealthy and unscrupulous clients. When a well-known bibliophile is found dead, leaving behind part of the original manuscript of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers, Corso is brought in to authenticate the fragment. He is soon drawn into a swirling plot involving devil worship, occult practices, and swashbuckling derring-do among a cast of characters bearing a suspicious resemblance to those of Dumas's masterpiece. Aided by a mysterious beauty named after a Conan Doyle heroine, Corso travels from Madrid to Toledo and to Paris on the killer's trail in this twisty intellectual romp through the book world.

I know that The Ninth Gate by Polanski - staring Johnny Depp - was based on this novel but I haven't watched the movie yet; I might do it after finishing the book. So far I'm 120 pages in and I'm really enjoying it. I was a little afraid I wouldn't like the setting or the narrative style but so far I've been really loving all the mystery about books and Corso's line of work.