Nelson DeMille – Plum Island (John Corey #1)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

Taking the best elements from two of his most outstanding bestsellers, The Gold Coast and The General’s Daughter, Nelson DeMille combines the breathless suspense of an expertly wrought murder mystery with his wry perspective on a peculiarly American social scene to deliver an enthralling and compelling story. Wounded in the line of duty, NYPD homicide detective John Corey convalesces in the Long Island township of Southold, home to farmers, fishermen — and at least one killer. Tom and Judy Gordon, a young, attractive couple Corey knows, have been found on their patio, each with a bullet in the head. The local police chief, Sylvester Maxwell, wants Corey’s big-city expertise, but Maxwell gets more than he bargained for. The early signs point to a burglary gone wrong. But because the Gordons were biologists at Plum Island, the offshore animal disease research site rumored to be involved in germ warfare, it isn’t long before the media is suggesting that the Gordons stole something very deadly. Suddenly a local double murder becomes a crime with national and worldwide implications. John Corey doesn’t like mysteries, which is why he likes to solve them. His investigations lead him into the lore, legends, and ancient secrets of northern Long Island — more deadly and more dangerous than he could ever have imagined. During his journey of discovery, he meets two remarkable women, Detective Beth Penrose and Mayflower descendant Emma Whitestone, both of whom change his life irrevocably. Ultimately, through his understanding of the murders, John Corey comes to understand himself. Fast-paced and atmospheric, marked by entrancing characters, incandescent storytelling, and brilliant comic touches, Plum Island is Nelson DeMille at his thrill-inducing best.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Hachette Book Group

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

Samainīju ar citu Latvijas Grāmatu izstādes maiņas punktā.

Vērtējums/Rating: 4.25/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Tonijs un Džūdija Gordoni, vīrs un sieva, kā arī divi zinātnieki tiek atrasti nošauti (bet pašas lodes nogrimušas) pie savas mājas laivu piestātnes. Viņu darba vieta Plum Island piesaista arī lielo zēnu, kā FBI un CIA, uzmanību. Uz šīs salas tiek pētītas dažādas slimības un to izraisītāji. Gan tādas, kuras apdraud vien dzīvniekus, gan arī cilvēkiem bīstamas un nāvējošas, tāpēc visu pirmā doma, kāpēc nogalināti Gordoni, ir tā ļaunākā.

Ņujorkas detektīvs Džons Korijs jau kādu laiciņu Longailendā atgūstas un atkopjas no apšaudē iegūtās traumas, kas visai tuvu bija viņu pietuvinājusi aizsaulei. Tā kā Džons īsajā laikā būdams uz salas bija iepazinies ar Gordoniem, un neko labāku tāpat nav ko darīt, tad vietējās policijas priekšnieks Maksvels piesaista Džonu izmeklēšanai kā konsultantu. Lai gan konsultanta darbam diemžēl vai par laimi nav ilgs mūžs, tas netraucē Džonam turpināt meklēt savu draugu/labu paziņu slepkavu.

Džonu varētu nosaukt par antivaroni. Viņš nekautrējas pārkāpt un apiet dažādus likumus un normas, ja vien rezultāts un mērķis ir labs un tā vērts. Plus, Džonam ir patīkams melnais humors, kā arī bieži mēdz izteikt jokus un sarkastiskas piezīmes gan tam piemērotā brīdi, gan arī nevietā. Par spīti savam raksturam un statusam izmeklēšanā Džons atrod sabiedroto detektīvē Elizabetē Penrouzā. Neizbēgami sižetā iezogas romantika, piedevām ar nosacītu trīsstūra piešprici.

Ja ir vēlme lasīt kriminālromānu ar neviennozīmīgu galveno varoni/izmeklētāju, tad Plum Island var droši lasīt. Bet, ja tas nepārliecina, tad varbūt uzmanību piesaistītu pirāti un apslēpti dārgumi. : )

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Tony and Judy Gordons, husband and wife, and also two scientists are found dead shot in the head near their house, and the bullets themselves have drowned to never be found again. Their workplace Plum Island attracts the attention of the big boys (FBI and CIA). On this island deadly diseases both for animals and humans are studied, and because of that everyone’s first thought why Gordons were killed is worst imaginable.

NYPD homicide detective John Corey for a while have been recovering on the Long Island after being very close to the other side after GSW during the work. Because during this short time on the island John had befriended Gordons and their isn’t much else for John to do, local police chief Maxwell hires him as a consultant to this case. Although the consultant job for good or worse doesn’t last too long, that doesn’t prevent John from finding who killed his friends.

John could be called an anti-hero. He is not shy to break and bypass few rules if the ending result and the cause are worth it. Plus, John has a good sense of humor and also he has a habit to make jokes and sarcastic remarks not only when it’s appropriate but also when it’s not. Despite all that and his status in the investigation John finds an ally in the detective Elizabeth Penrose. Inevitably romance finds its way into the plot, moreover with a relative triangle.

If you want to read a crime novel with an ambiguous main character/investigator then Plum Island might be for you. And if that doesn’t convince you then maybe pirates and hidden treasure will. : )

C.S. Lewis – Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy #1)(audiobook)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

In the first novel of C.S. Lewis’s classic science fiction trilogy, Dr Ransom, a Cambridge academic, is abducted and taken on a spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra, which he knows as Mars. His captors are plotting to plunder the planet’s treasures and plan to offer Ransom as a sacrifice to the creatures who live there. Ransom discovers he has come from the ‘silent planet’ – Earth – whose tragic story is known throughout the universe…

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Akadēmiķis Elvins Ransoms pret paša gribu nonāk uz sarkanās planētas, un viņa sagūstītāji cer, ka Ransoms būs pietiekami labs upuris radījumiem, kas tur dzīvo, cerot droši vien panākt sev izdevīgu rezultātu.

Šo radījumu uzskatu sistēma un pasaules skatījums ir stipri vien atšķirīgs no cilvēkam piemītošā. Viņiem, lai gan ir sava veida ieroči, kari savā starpā (jāpiezīmē, ka ir dažādas sugas/rases) resursu vai citu iemeslu dēļ ir, kas nepazīstams, un noslepkavot ar nodomu arīdzan. Tā vietā, lai Ransoms kļūtu par viņu upuri vai otrādi, ka izmantotu viņus, viņš tos(sauc sevi par Oyarsa) iepazīst daudz tuvāk, dzīvojot viņu vidū, arī iemācoties pamatvalodu. Jāpiezīmē, ka visām saprātīgajām sugām ir viens valdnieks. Tāda kā utopiski pozitīva sabiedrības uzbūve.

Oyarsa vispār ir neparasta filozofiskā uztvere. Viņu nosaukums Marsam ir Malakandra, bet mūsu Zemi sauc par kluso planētu, par ko, ja ne ievērojama, tad nedaudz aizraujošas intrigas tā saistībā tiek radīts.

Interesants fakts šiem Oyarsa gluži kā savvaļas dzīvniekiem ir noteikts pārošanās periods. Un kāpēc gan lai tā nebūtu? Kas teicis, ka arī inteliģentām būtnēm tā nevarētu būt? Pats nebiju tā par to aiz- un iedomājies.

Vien noslēdzošajā daļā atklājas pārējo cilvēku uzskati. Viņi sevi uzskata par stipri vien labākiem un pareizākiem, jo viņu rīcībā ir tehnoloģijas, bet Oyarsa dzīvo mazās apmetnēs un salīdzinoši vienkārši, un tāpēc vien viņiem būtu jāpakļaujas.

Lai gan nebija slikts, šī triloģijas sērija nebūs pie prioritātēm to turpināt, toties vāks grāmatai ir spridzīgāks par tās saturu. Droši vien daļa atpazīst autora vārdu vairāk pēc Nārnijas hronikas, kuru gan varu droši ieteikt izlasīt, ja vēl tas nav noticis.

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An academic Elwin Ransom against his own will finds himself on the red planet and his captors hoping that Ransom will be a good enough sacrifice for the creatures that live there, and probably hoping that later it will benefit them.

The belief system and world view of these beings are majorly different from the one that we humans have. For them, although they some kind of primitive weapons, the concept of the war or even a murder is something unknown, not even for resources; I should mention that there are different intelligent species. Instead of being a victim of the situation or using the creatures (they call themselves Oyarsa), Ransom gets acquainted with them and learns their customs and also the main language. Another significant thing is that they are ruled just by one ruler. This is kind of a utopia of overly positive society’s structure.

Oyarsa has strange philosophical belief system. Their name for Mars is Malacandra but for own planet they describe as the ‘silent planet’ about which there was created a little intrigue but only little. :D

An outstanding fact for my attention was that Oyarsa has a mating season like wild animals. But if you think about it, why shouldn’t intelligent beings have only certain time to reproduce. Before the book this hadn’t even crossed my mind.

Only closer to the end we find out about thoughts of other people/Elwin’s captors. They think about themselves as much more better and smarter just because they have simpler and less sophisticated technologies, and just because of that Oyarsa should obey and succumb to them.

Although the book overall isn’t bad, this trilogy won’t be a priority to finish it any time soon, but the book’s cover is better and more interesting than what is inside it. I guess many would recognize the author better thanks to Narnia Chronicles, which I can definitely recommend to read if you haven’t already.

Kazu Kibuishi – Amulet, Vol. 1: The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot—and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Graphix

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 4.75/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Divus gadus pēc traģiskas tēva nāves autoavārijā, Emīlija kopā ar mazo brāli Navinu un māti Kārenu no lielpilsētas finansiālu apsvērumu dēļ pārvācas uz mazāku pilsēteli vien ar 28 000 iedzīvotāju, un ievācas ģimenei piederošā un drusku nolaistā mājā. Māja tomēr nav nekāda parastā un tai ir arī savi noslēpumi, no kuriem viens saistās ar vecvectēvu.

Kontrole pār notikumiem zūd brīdī, kad kāds radījums nolaupa Kārenu, un Emīlija un Navins piespiedu kārtā kļūst par varoņiem ne tikai, lai izglābtu māti, bet iespējams arī kaut kam nopietnākam pēcāk, vismaz Emīlija noteikti.

Centienos izglābt māti, Emīlija un Navins atklāj brīnumainu, paralēlu pasauli, kur par varu cīnās dažādi spēki. Par laimi, abi savos piedzīvojumos viņi nav vieni, jo līdzās stājas vecvectēva radītie roboti. Ilustrācijas kopā ar sižetu ir vienkārši super! Negribas likt pilnībā maksimālu vērtējumu, jo gan jau būs vēl labāk. : )

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Two years after the tragic death of their father Emily and Navin together with their mother Karen  because of financial reasons move from a big city to a smaller one with just 28 000 citizens, and move into an old and a bit neglected house that belongs to the family. The house however isn’t just any ordinary house; it has its own secrets and mysteries from which one is connected to their great-grandfather.

The control over the events are lost after a some kind of creature kidnaps Karen, and Emily and Navin are forced to become heroes not just to save their mother but possibly also for something much more serious. At least for Emily.

In their effort to rescue their mother, Emily and Navin discover wonderful parallel world in which many sides struggle for power. Luckily in their adventures Emily and Navin aren’t alone because they have help from robots that their great-grandfather built. The art together with the story line are just amazing! I don’t want to give full max rating only because it probably will get better. : )

Pirmdienas teikums #89

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

As he had done when the officers came for him in 1989 for beating Nicole, so he did when they came for him in 1994 for killing her: O.J. Simpson disappeared.

Jeffrey Toobin – The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson

Izlasīju, lasu, lasīšu #18 (14.03 – 20.03)

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.

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Izlasīju:

1238684

Kazu Kibuishi – Amulet, Vol. 1: The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1). Rakstisks vērtējums visticamāk rītdien. Patīkami atšķirīga no iepriekšējām grafiskajām novelēm.

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The Brave and the Bold » The Brave and the Bold #36 – Strange Spells of the Sorcerer; The Shadow Thief of Midway City! released by DC Comics on July 1, 1961.

Divas pustraki stāsti, bet, ja pārāk nepiekasās ir tīri tā nekas. Vienā ir par īpatnēju muzeja darbinieku, kas izdomājis pielietot ļaunos nolūkos senas burvestības un savas zināšanas, un otrā dižs noziedznieks, vārdā Carl Sands’, realizējis ideju atdalīt savu ķermeni no paša ēnas, kā arī pastrādāt zādzības. Par nelaimi, viņiem abos gadījumos viņu nodomus aptur Hawkman un Hawkgirl vēl pirms abi dodas atpakaļ uz savu planētu.

Noklausījos:

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Greg Bear – Eon (The Way #1)

Lasu:

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Jeffrey Toobin – The Run of His Life: The People versus O. J. Simpson. Vienīgais lielais mīnuss, ka autors jau sākumā atklāj sprieduma rezultātu.

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Nelson DeMille – Plum Island (John Corey #1)

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Kazu Kibuishi – Amulet, Vol. 2: The Stonekeeper’s Curse (Amulet #2)

Klausos:

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C.S. Lewis – Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy #1). Grāmatas vāks iespaidīgs! :)

Lasīšu:

6506795_ORIGINAL_1457350981

Gundega Repše – Bogene

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Kazu Kibuishi – Amulet, Vol. 3: The Cloud Searchers (Amulet #3)

Klausīšos:

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Philip K. Dick – VALIS (VALIS Trilogy #1)

 

Ko labu nedēļas laikā esi izlasījis Tu?

Greg Bear – Eon (The Way #1) (audiobook)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

The 21st century was on the brink of nuclear confrontation when the 300 kilometer-long stone flashed out of nothingness and into Earth’s orbit. NASA, NATO, and the UN sent explorers to the asteroid’s surface…and discovered marvels and mysteries to drive researchers mad.

For the Stone was from space–but perhaps not our space; it came from the future–but perhaps not our future; and within the hollowed asteroid was Thistledown. The remains of a vanished civilization. A human–English, Russian, and Chinese-speaking–civilization. Seven vast chambers containing forests, lakes, rivers, hanging cities…

And museums describing the Death; the catastrophic war that was about to occur; the horror and the long winter that would follow. But while scientists and politicians bickered about how to use the information to stop the Death, the Stone yielded a secret that made even Earth’s survival pale into insignificance.

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

Lejuplādēju no www. Izvēlējos no Top 100 Sci-Fi Books grāmatu listes.

Vērtējums/Rating: 1.5/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Debesīs ne no kurienes pēkšņi uzrodas milzīgs akmens, un lielvalstis katra sūta savus cilvēkus augšā to izpētīt. Diemžēl tā vietā, lai apvienotu spēkus un zināšanas, lai vairāk un labāk varētu izprast akmeni, savstarpējo lietu dalīšana ne vien saglabājas, bet pat eskalējas vēl tālāk.

Idejas, no kurienes akmens nācis, ir visdažādākās. Viens gan ir skaidrs, ka no nākotnes, jo vienā no septiņiem kambariem/istabām tiek atrasta bibliotēka ar izdevumiem no 2010.gada! :O Bet, vai tā ir mūsu pasaules un dimensijas nākotne? Vai jauniegūtās zināšanas jebkādā veidā ietekmēs notikumu gaitu? Iespējams, tā vietā, lai aprakstītos notikumus novērstu, savstarpējās nesaskaņas starp frakcijām tos padarīs reālākus.

Akmens tikai no ārpuses izskatās salīdzinoši ne pārāk liels, jo bez plašās bibliotēkas tas sevī slēpj arī vairākas pamestas pilsētas un ne tikai. Par nelaimi, visu sabojā septītais kambaris jeb ‘’The Way’’ un, kā tas tiek izmantots stāsta virzīšanai. Pēdējais kambaris ir kā portāls uz neaptveramajiem Visuma plašumiem. Lietu vēl trakāku padara citplanētiešu=nākotnes cilvēku un akmeņu radītāju ieviešana stāstā. Neizprotamā kārtā beigās nonākam arī Senajā Ēģiptē pie Kleopatras.

Man Eon bija pārāk politisks, īpaši jau spekulācijas par kodolkaru starp lielvarām, un kaut kā jau vairs nepārsteidz, ka PSRS vēl eksistē. Bet pārsteidza tas, ka šajā pasaulē īsais laika posms, kad var droši atgriezties ar radiāciju piesārņotā un kontaminētā vidē. Iespējams, autors iedvesmojies no Kubas raķešu krīzes.

Arī no tēliem, izņemot Patrīciju, neviens īsti neizcēlās. Ja idejas vēl labas, tad izpildījums ne tik ļoti.

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Suddenly out of nowhere in the skies appears a big Stone and each superpower sends their own team up to inspect it. Unfortunately instead of combining their power and knowledge to better explore the Stone, division and power struggle not only remains but escalates even farther.

The ideas about where the Stone has come from are many. But one thing is clear, it is from future, because in one of the chambers they find a library with texts from 2010. :O The question is, is it from our world’s and dimension’s future? Will the new information about the future events change the course of our time and evens? Perhaps instead of preventing them, the conflicts between different groups make them actually come true.

From outside the Stone looks smaller than it is because besides the big library there are also some abandoned cities and even more. Unfortunately everything is ruined by the seventh chamber and how author used it in the story. The last chamber is like a portal to the vast Universe. Everything gets even more crazy when the aliens=people from future and the creators of the Stone are introduces into the story. Plus, in some mysterious way at the end we end up in the Ancient Egypt with Cleopatra.

For me Eon was just too much political, especially the speculation about nuclear war, and it doesn’t surprise me that USSR still exists. What did surprise me was the short time after the area is contaminated by the radiation it is safe to live in those places. Maybe the author was inspired by the Cuban Missile Crisis.

From the characters the only one that stayed in mind was Patricia Luisa Vasquez. If the ideas were actually quite good, then the execution not so much.

Pirmdienas teikums #88

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

The other four characters where now making small talk, rummaging around the card box and doing coffee stuff, trying to re-establish the amity and equilibrium that they’d established before Corey showed up.

Nelson DeMille – Plum Island (John Corey #1)

Izlasīju, lasu, lasīšu #17 (07.03 – 13.03)

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.

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Izlasīju:

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Nora Ikstena – Mātes piens (‘’Mēs. Latvija, XX gadsimts #9). Grāmata, kuru var ieteikt visiem.

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The Brave and the Bold » The Brave and the Bold #35 – Menace of the Matter Master; Valley of Vanishing Men! released by DC Comics on May 1, 1961

Divi stāsti, divi supervaroņi, un nosacīti divi ļaundari, jo otrajā stāstā tie ir sniega cilvēki. Kā izskatās Hawkman un Hawkgirl ir vienīgie, kas spēj, kam tādam stāties pretī un izglābt dienu, lai citiem mierīgāka dzīvošana. :D

Noklausījos:

–

Lasu:

1238684

Kazu Kibuishi – Amulet, Vol. 1: The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1)

280412

Jeffrey Toobin – The Run of His Life: The People versus O. J. Simpson

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Nelson DeMille – Plum Island (John Corey #1). Sākums šķiet sakarīgs.

Klausos:

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Greg Bear – Eon (The Way #1). Pa nākamo nedēļu noteikti pabeigšu :)

Lasīšu:

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Kazu Kibuishi – Amulet, Vol. 2: The Stonekeeper’s Curse (Amulet #2)

6506795_ORIGINAL_1457350981

Gundega Repše – Bogene

Klausīšos:

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C.S. Lewis – Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy #1)

 

Ko labu nedēļas laikā esi izlasījis Tu?