Richard Abbott – Far from the Spaceports

27864234

Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

Quick wits and loyalty confront high-tech crime in space

Welcome to the Scilly Isles, a handful of asteroids bunched together in space, well beyond the orbit of Mars. This remote and isolated habitat is home to a diverse group of human settlers, and a whole flock of parakeets. But earth-based financial regulator ECRB suspects that it’s also home to serious large scale fraud, and the reputation of the islands comes under threat.

Enter Mitnash Thakur and his virtual partner Slate, sent out from Earth to investigate. Their ECRB colleagues are several weeks away at their ship’s best speed, and even message signals take an hour for the round trip. Slate and Mitnash are on their own, until they can work out who on Scilly to trust. How will they cope when the threat gets personal?

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Matteh Publications

Kā tiku pie šīs grāmatas?/How I got this book?

Laimēju Goodreads izlozē.

Vērtējums/Rating: 4.5/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Mitnašs jeb vienkārši Mits strāda ECRB (Economic Crime Review Board) labā. Kopā ar viņu ir mākslīgā intelekta persona Sleita – vada kosmosa kuģi u.c. tehniskas lietas, kā arī laba sarunu biedre un draugs. Nosūtīti abi tiek uz Scilly salām, asteroīdu grupa labi tālu aiz Marsa orbītas, kur ik pa laikam notiek aizdomīgi finanšu zaudējumi, kas potenciāli varētu iziet ārpus kontroles.

Tā kā jo tālāk no Zemes esi, jo lielāks laiks ir nepieciešams, lai jebkādi signāli un informācija no Zemes tiktu līdz attiecīgai vietai un atpakaļ, tad vairāk vai mazāk tālāk par Mēnesi varasiestādēm no Zemes autoritātes un lielu ietekmes iespēju nav. Tāpēc Mita cīņa un pielietotās metodes pret krāpniekiem atšķiras no ierastajām, tas piešķir gan ierobežojumus, gan paver citas iespējas. Mits aizsegā uzdodas par programmētāju (iemaņu bez šaubām ir), kas ar jaunām un aizmirstām metodēm cer atrast neatklātus retus Zemes metālus. Interesantus momentus stāstam piešķirs fakts, ka uz salām pastāv tikai 1/50 no normālas Zemes gravitācijas.

Izmeklēšana ienes savu daļu nepatīkamu pārsteigumu un satraucošu brīžu. Par laimi, Mitam un Sleitai uz salām diezgan ātri izdodas iegūt sabiedrotos gan cīņai pret shēmotājiem, gan reto metālu projektā, kas varētu nest labu peļņu.

Nevarētu teikt, ka Far from the Spaceports ir ierastais sci-fi, bet to var teikt labā nozīmē. Brīnišķīga atmosfēra, lieliska dinamika starp tēliem un ir arī laba mistērija/prātošana par vainīgajiem. Gadskaitļi par darbības laiku netiek doti, bet nav nekas pārāk traks tehnoloģiski un pieļauju, ka ar laiku noteikti droši paveicams.

***************************************

Mitnash Thakur or just Mit works at ERCB (Economic Crime Review Board). Together with him is an AI/artificial personality which controls the ship and do other technical stuff and also can be a good friend and conversation partner. Together they are sent to Scilly Isles, way beyond the orbit of Mars where some suspicious financial losses are happening that potentially might go out of control.

Because the farther you are from Earth the longer it takes for any signal and information to travel somewhere and back which means that the government and other institutions have little power farther than Moon. That’s why Mit’s approach and fight against schemers are a bit different, that makes some things more difficult but also opens up new opportunities. Mit pretends to be coder (although he does have some skills) and that with new and also forgotten techniques he hopes to find rear earth metals. The fact that on Scilly Isles there’s only 1/50 of gravity on Earth creates some interesting moments in the story.

The investigation process brings in some unpleasant and alarming moments. Luckily for Mit and Slate they quite quickly are able to find local allies not only to unmask the criminals but also to their rare earth metal side project with possibly good future profit.

You can’t say that this is your usual sci-fi book but that would be in a good way. Wonderful atmosphere, great dynamics between characters and good mystery about the financial case. The exact year when the story happens isn’t mentioned but from a technological aspect nothing impossible and with time definitely possible.

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 4 (Saga: Collected Editions #4)

23093367

Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

From the Eisner Award-winning duo of Brian K. Vaughan (The Private Eye, Pride of Baghdad) and Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, Thor, SAGA is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. As they visit a strange new world and encounter even more adversaries, baby Hazel finally becomes a toddler, while her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana struggle to stay on their feet.

Kā tiku pie šīs grāmatas?/How I got this book?

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 5/5

 

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Dzīve kā bēgļiem un, visu laiku uztraucoties, vai netiks atklāti, pavisam noteikti nav viegla, kad jādomā ne tikai par savu drošību un iztiku, bet arī par meitu. To pierāda Marko un Alana, vismaz viņiem palīdz spoku meitene Izabella un Marko māte Klāra, kā arī attiecīgā planēta, šķiet, kaut cik piemērota. Pastāvīgā spriedze rada konfliktus Alanas un Marko starpā, kuru sekas ir pārsteidzošas.

Pavisam noteikti vardarbības un asiņu šajā voljumā ir pagaidām visvairāk! Robotu (tie ar TV galvām) karaliskajā ģimenē skaitlisks pieaugums, bet diemžēl karš un viss kopumā izveido arī radikālus prātus; jauns spēlētājs, kas apdraud mūsu galvenos varoņus.

Starp citiem tēliem obligāti jāizceļ The Lying Cat. Gribētos gan zināt, kas par dzīvnieku ir Friendo

***************************************

The life as fugitives and worrying every day that they might be discovered certainly isn’t easy, much more so when you have to think about your daughter. Marko and Alana are proving that, but at least they have a help from ghost Izabel and Marko’s mother Klara, and it seems that the current planet they are on isn’t that bad also. The constant tension creates conflict situations between Alana and Marko and the consequences to them might be surprising.

This volume for sure has the most blood, violence and gore in it so far! In the Robot royal family (those with heads like TV) there’s a new family member born. Unfortunately for them the war has created some dangerous and defective minds; the same character is a new player that might endanger the main heroes of this story.

An honourable mention in this volume is The Lying Cat. It would be interesting to find out what kind of animal Friendo is.

Izlasīju, lasu, lasīšu #14 (15.02 – 21.02)

Izlasīju, lasu, lasīšu jeb Read, Reading, To Read katru svētdienu būs tāds kā iknedēļas kopsavilkums, kā arī, ko lasu un klausos dotajā brīdī, un, kas plānojas tālāk. Ideja rakstam no aizņemta EMSVIEW.

Šonedēļ sanācis kritums izlasītajā apjomā, bet nedēļas beigās vismaz būs nākušas klāt fiziska formāta grāmatas, kuras lasīt.

Izlasīju:

1713186919358975

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 2 and Volume 3

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00033]

S. Valentine – His Confession (The Black Door Trilogy #1)

nr33

The Brave and the Bold » The Brave and the Bold #33 – Cave Carson Adventures: Inside Earth released by DC Comics on January 1, 1961.

Keivam, Buldozeram un Kristijai šoreiz jāstājas pretī milzu robotiem un citplanētiešiem, kuri tos kontrolē ar mērķi vēlāk iekarot visu Zemi. Protams, nav jālauž galva par gala iznākumu. :D Varbūt jau sāku pierast pie šādiem scenārijiem, bet bija ok.

Noklausījos:

–

Lasu:

27864234

Richard Abbott – Far from the Spaceports. Sākums iepriecina.

23093367

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 4 (Saga: Collected Editions #4)

Klausos:

827

Neal Stephenson – The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer

Lasīšu:

25451555

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 5 (Saga: Collected Editions #5)

18007564

Andy Weir – The Martian. Pārsvarā dzirdētas ļoti pozitīvas atsauksmes, un tā kā gribu martā noskatīties filmu, tad būtu tikai labi pirms tam darbu izlasīt.

Klausīšos:

840278

Greg Bear – Eon (The Way #1). Ja šonedēļ sanāca sākt Far from the Spaceports, tad nākamnedēļ cerības uz šo.

 

Ko labu nedēļas laikā esi izlasījis Tu?

Tad jau līdz vēlākam, un varbūt kādu satieku Ķīpsalā! : )

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 3 (Saga: Collected Editions #3)

19358975

Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

From the Hugo Award-winning duo of Brian K. Vaughan (The Private Eye, Y: The Last Man) and Fiona Staples (North 40, Red Sonja), Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. Searching for their literary hero, new parents Marko and Alana travel to a cosmic lighthouse on the planet Quietus, while the couple’s multiple pursuers finally close in on their targets.

Kā tiku pie šīs grāmatas?/How I got this book?

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 4.75/5

 

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Varētu teikt Alanu un Marko kopā saveda daiļliteratūras grāmata ‘’A Night Time Smoke’’, tāpēc cerībā pēc palīdzības un padoma, viņi visi dodas pie autora D. Oswald Heist. Pirmais iespaids nav diez ko daudzsološs, bet, par laimi, tas ir mānīgs.

Bez pašiem galvenākajiem varoņiem interesants sižets bija par diviem reportieriem, kuru darbs dažiem ir kā kaitinošs traucēklis, un arī The Will, viņa kaķis un Gvendolina. Pēdējie divi noslēgumā sastopas ar Alanu, Marko un viņu draugiem. Jāsaka, ka tādus pavērsienus nebiju gaidījis; asintiņu netrūkst.

Diemžēl ne visiem šī sastapšanās beidzas veiksmīgi. Cik varēju saprast, tad ceturtais voljums laika ziņā nebūs tieši uzreiz pēc trešā. Patīkami, ka varu dot aizvien augstāku vērtējumu! Par to šķiet var teikt paldies līdzi jūtamiem tēliem un labam sižetam (līdz šim).

***************************************

You might say that Alana and Marko are together thanks D. Oswald Heist’s book A Night Time Smoke, and that’s why their next stop is the author’s home. The first impression of him isn’t the best one but luckily it’s deceptive.

Besides our main characters there were also interesting plot with two reporters whose job is makes some irritated and nervous; and also The Will, The Lying Cat and Gwendolyn were good. The last two meet Alana, Marko and others at the end. I have to say that I didn’t expect what happened at the end; plenty of blood too.

Unfortunately for some this meeting ends rather lifelessly. If I understood correctly the fourth volume doesn’t start right after this one. I’m happy that I can give higher rating to each volume! I guess the thanks goes to characters you can empathize to and a good plot (so far).

S. Valentine – His Confession (The Black Door Trilogy #1)

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00033]

Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

When Gabriella Woods finds matches from a gentlemen’s club in her fiancé’s pocket, her suspicions require a search for answers.

At the club, she realizes it’s not her fiancé’s fidelity that can’t be trusted…

It’s her own.

Darion Milano is daring, intriguing, and unpredictable…

Unable to get him out of her head—and against Darion’s explicit warning—Gabi begins a torrid affair. No longer fighting the urge to enter the depth of his dark and mysterious lifestyle, she indulges in his most intimate desires.

They become the most exciting, wild, infatuated couple everybody knows.

Until his confession changes everything…

Her heart is telling her to stay.

Her instinct is telling her to run.

She can never match his outrageous ex-wife and become the fun, fearless woman he craves…

Or can she?

Discover a world of sex, secrets, and seduction.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Kā tiku pie šīs grāmatas?/How I got this book?

E-grāmatas kopija no autores apmaiņā pret recenziju

Vērtējums/Rating: 3/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Gabriella jeb vienkārši Gabija sava līgavaiņa Lorensa kabatā atrod sērkociņu kastīti ar kāda kluba logo. Pēdējā laikā viņš aizvien ilgāk laiku pavada darbā un reizēm pārrodas vien naktī. Kā arī Gabija attiecībās jūtas nogarlaikota un nenovērtēta, kas ir vien papildus aizdomām, ka Lorenss varētu nebūt viņai uzticīgs. Tādēļ arī vizīte uz pieminēto klubu, bet Gabija nespēj iedomāties kādos nedarbos šī vizīte, un iepazīšanās ar pašu kluba īpašnieku Darionu viņu novedīs.

Darions atbilstoši žanram, protams, ir ar kārtīgu sešpaku un pēc ārējā izskata vispār perfekts. Toties emocionālajā ziņā lietas ir maķenīt sarežģītākas. Šķiršanās no bijušās sievas Evas, maigi izsakoties, nebija diez ko draudzīga. Jāpiebilst, ka Evai pieder puse no kluba, kas piedod klāt papildus saspīlējumu un neļauj viņu izmest no kopējās bildes.

Ja var noticēt, ka Darions ir kluba īpašnieks un uzdzīvotājs, tad par Gabijas profesiju ticības neradās. Skaitās, ka viņa strādā par redaktori izdevniecībā, bet pa visu grāmatu nemanīju viņas aizraušanos ar literatūru vai kā; varbūt tie ir tikai mani stereotipi/priekšstati.

Otrā grāmatas puse patika labāk, vairāk pievērsta uzmanība savstarpējām attiecībām, kamēr pirmajā pusē viena seksa aina gandrīz vai seko nākamajai. Šķiet, tas nebūs noziegums, ja atklāšu, ka Gabijas un Lorensa attiecībām nav laimīga turpinājuma.

Lai nu kā neatteiktos lasīt triloģijas turpinājumus. : )

***************************************

Gabriella Woods or just Gabi find a matchbook with a logo of some club in her fiancée Lawrence’s pocket. Lately he has started to stay longer at work and come home late at night. Also Gabi feels bored and unappreciated in this relationship, which only adds to her doubts that Lawrence might not be loyal to them. Those then are the reasons why Gabi goes to the club to find out herself, but she just can’t imagine what kind of mischievous things and experiences this visit and the meeting with its owner Darion Milano will trigger.

Darion accordingly to the genre has a sixpack and his looks are just stunning. However emotionally it’s a bit more complicated. Divorce from his now ex-wife Eva saying lightly wasn’t friendly, and I should add that Eva owns half of the club which creates more tension and keeps her in the bigger picture.

If did believe that Darion is a club owner and a partier then not so much about Gabriella’s profession. She is an editor at the publishing company but in the whole book I didn’t sense her passion towards literature; maybe those are just my stereotypes.

The second half of the book for my liking was better because more attention was directed at relationship between the main characters while in the first half there was almost one sex scene after another. I guess it wouldn’t be a big deal for me to reveal that the relationship between Gabi and Lawrence doesn’t end well.

All in all I wouldn’t say no to the opportunity to read next installments in this trilogy. : )

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 2 (Saga: Collected Editions #2)

17131869

Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

From award-winning writer BRIAN K. VAUGHAN (Pride of Baghdad, Ex Machina) and critically acclaimed artist FIONA STAPLES (Mystery Society, Done to Death), SAGA is sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and horrific monsters, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters her strangest adventure yet… grandparents.

Kā tiku pie šīs grāmatas?/How I got this book?

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 4.25/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Marko un Alanai joprojām jāuztraucas par savu un Heizelas drošību, bet tagad viņi nav vieni. Līdzās ir arī bērna vecvecāki, un saistībā ar to interesantas situācijas, kā viņi mēģina saprast dēla izvēli.

Marko māte pirmajā mirklī ar maģiju aizdabū Izabelu, spoks/Heizelas auklīte, prom uz pavisam citu planētu, un no tā izrietošie piedzīvojumi; īpašs plusiņš par milzi.

Pirmoreiz ieraugām Gvendolinu, kura nebūt nav priecīga, ka Marko viņu pametis un tā vienkārši nesamierināsies. Joprojām ik pa brīdim kāds labs komentārs no Heizalas puses no kāda nezināma brīža nākotnē. : )

Patika atmiņu ainas kā Marko un Alana iepazinās, un sekojoši izdomāja bēgt. Pieļauju, ka fiziskā eksemplārā māksla būtu vēl iespaidīgāka.

***************************************

Marko and Alana still must worry about their and the Hazel’s safety but now they are not alone. Together with them are their daughter’s grandparents, and that creates some interesting situations as they try to comprehend their son’s choices.

In the first moments Marko’s mother with magic sends away Izabel, ghost/Hazel’s babysitter, to a planet, and then the resultant adventures because of that; a special plus to the giant.

For the time we get to see Gwendolyn and it’s clear that she isn’t happy that Marko left her and won’t accept that. We still see few comments from Hazel from unknown time in the future. : )

I liked the flashback of how Marko and Alana met and eventually ran away. The art probably would be even more impressive in a physical edition.

Pirmdienas teikums #84

23129410

Pirmdienas teikums ir mana versija par Bonespark~ “Sunday Sentence”, kurā tiek izcelts teikums no tā, kas iepriekš izlasīts.

From where he was flying, Josh could see the other red-tiled rooftops of Sand Pit, between the identical rooftops of Palm Frond Majesty and the Weeping Miner, and other housing developments with elaborate names and houses failing to live up to them, and just down the way the strip mall with Big Rico’s Pizza and Carlos’s lab, and beyond that City Hall, draped in black velvet for the night, and a young woman walking to her car, Mayor Cardinal, yes, but also Dana again for the night, going to meet her recently cured brother for a celebratory dinner at Tourniquet, and beyond that the tall black walls of the forbidden Dog Park, and, in the parking lot of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex, Cecil from the radio station and Carlos the scientist with bowling bags in one hand and the other’s hand in the other, strolling inside for League Night, a kiss before they opened the door and then they were gone, and beyond that the Moonlite All-Nite Diner, which, true to its name, was as busy then as it was at any other hour, with Laura offering fruit from the gnarled branches of her body and Steve Carlsberg digging heartily into a slice of invisible pie, and beyond that Diane’s old office, full of computers and tables where work could be done although no one knew why they did it, where Catharine had stayed late to finish up some work at a desk which was tarantula-free, although she still flinched at imagined light touches on her hand, and beyond that the low bulk of the public library, outwardly quiet, quietly seething with librarians, and near that his own house, which was just now thinking of him, and where a faceless old woman was secretly refolding all of his clothes, and beyond that the Night Vale Daily Journal building, whose sole occupant was considering a wall of hatchets, ready to get down to the bloody business of local journalism, and beyond that the movie theater, its blinking lights showing through the sentient haze of Stacy as she prepped the box office for the midnight movie audiences, silent customers who fade into being in their seats at exactly midnight, watching movies that play on the screen even with the projector shut off, before fading back away into nothing without even waiting for the ending credits to finish, and beyond that the hole in the vacant lot out back of the Ralphs, and the Ralphs itself, offering fresh food and low, low prices, although never at the same time, and beyond that Old Woman Josie outside her house, no paper in her hand, and Erika, and Erika, and Erika as well, all outside in the garden, and the tower of Night Vale Community Radio, blinking light atop, and Jackie’s Pawn Shop, formerly Lucinda’s Pawn Shop, a place that was just then closed, that was now closed more often than it wasn’t because its owner wanted to be somewhere else sometimes, and the windows of the hospital, doctors flitting from one to the next in an unexplained instant, and the car lot where used car salesmen loped joyfully over their car-strewn territory, barking at a moon that they did not understand but then no one else did really, and the Brown Stone Spire, ancient and humming a malevolent tone, and a cordon of helpful helicopters keeping everyone free, and out past all of that the sand, a small eternity of sand, desert like there would never be anything else, and beyond that, eventually, something else, because there is always something else, and King City, no longer forgotten, an ordinary town, with an ordinary mayor, who was just then taking off his jacket, a man in a short-sleeve shirt holding a deerskin suitcase, and stepping into his house where a family greeted him with his correct name at last, and beyond it and around it all other ordinary towns, and all ordinary people, who were sleeping or not sleeping, who were metaphorically or literally alive, or metaphorically or literally not, gone but alive in our hearts, or gone and forgotten, all existing somewhere on a spectrum of loss, and beyond them and around them the oceans and forests, momentarily teeming with life before the great planetary hush, and out beyond that a sky that was coming around slowly to the idea of sunset, or was, somewhere else, just having the first thought of day, and beyond that the wavering red lights of spy satellites, watching, and the steady blue lights of unidentified spacecraft, watching, and the white light of what we mistakenly assume is the moon, watching, and beyond that void, and void after that, void on and on, with a scattered vanishing of non-void mixed in, and beyond that so many mysteries that it didn’t seem to Josh that he would be able to solve even one of them, not if he had all the time in the world, and he didn’t have all the time in the world, and he would never solve even one mystery.

Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor – Welcome to Night Vale

Izlasīju, lasu, lasīšu #13 (08.02 – 14.02)

Izlasīju, lasu, lasīšu jeb Read, Reading, To Read katru svētdienu būs tāds kā iknedēļas kopsavilkums, kā arī, ko lasu un klausos dotajā brīdī, un, kas plānojas tālāk. Ideja rakstam no aizņemta EMSVIEW.

Izlasīju:

23129410

Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor – Welcome to Night Vale

nr32

The Brave and the Bold » The Brave and the Bold #32 – Cave Carson Adventures: Inside Earth released by DC Comics on November 1, 1960.

Keivs Kārsons kopā ar kolēģiem atklāj ne vien jaunu pazemes alu sistēmu, bet arī pazemes pilsētu 100 jūdžu dziļumā. Pilsēta politiskā krīzē, netrūkst arī dinozauru.

Pilsētas gaismas avots ir mākslīgā saule. Nezinu, kuram var ienākt prātā, ka Zeme pēc supernovas sprādziena, kur nu vēl kāds tuvumā esošs, paliktu neskarta. Novirze atpakaļ uz ierastajām sliedēm.

Noklausījos:

15994485

Mary Shelly – Frankenstein

Lasu:

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000026_00033]

S. Valentine – His Confessions. Ņemot vērā, ka šis nav mans mīļākais žanrs, nav nemaz tik slikti, bet seksa ainas, nesasniedzot pat pusi no grāmatas, šķiet par daudz. Izdota tiks 16.februārī.

17131869

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 2. Atsauksme visticamāk jau rīt.

Klausos:

827

Neal Stephenson – The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer

Lasīšu:

19358975

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 3

27864234

Richard Abbott – Far from the Spaceports. Cerams sanāks un varēšu sākt nākamnedēļ.

Klausīšos:

840278

Greg Bear – Eon (The Way #1)

 

Ko labu nedēļas laikā esi izlasījis Tu? : )