Robert A. Heinlein – The Door Into Summer (Audiobook)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

It is 1970, and electronics engineer Dan Davis has finally made the invention of a lifetime: a household robot with extraordinary abilities, destined to dramatically change the landscape of everyday routine. Then, with wild success just within reach, Dan’s greedy partner and even greedier fiancée steal his work and leave him penniless, and trick him into taking the long sleep—suspended animation for thirty years.

They never imagine that the future time in which Dan awakens has a very limited form of time travel, just enough that Davis can travel back and recover his research. He then again undergoes suspended animation, and awakens again in the high-tech future of the year 2000, with his reputation, fortune, and his sweetheart.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Blackstone Audio

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

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

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.5/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Dens Deiviss izgudro robotu, kas katrai mājsaimniece būtu kā sapņu piepildījums, bet viss saiet grīstē, kad viņu piekrāpj topošā līgava un biznesa partneris, bet vēl trakāk, ka pirms tam Dens bija viņai uzdāvinājis uzņēmuma akcijas, tā zaudējot balsu vairākumu. Kopā abi neģēļi dabū gatavu, ka Dens pārdomā un tomēr izvēlas doties 30 gadu garā miegā.

Jāatzīmē, ka 30 gadu tālā nākotne Denam ir 2000.gads. Autora iedomātajā pasaulē sastopamas tehnoloģijas, kuras pat mēs diez vai ieraudzītu pēc 30 gadiem. Tomēr, par laimi Denam, viss nav zaudēts, jo savos pirmsākumos ir patiesa ceļošana laikā, nevis vienkārši ilgāks miegs : ). Lielākais mīnuss – vēl nav iespējams kontrolēt, kurā virzienā tiksi nosūtīts, bet pluss, ir iespējams iestatīt precīzu laiku līdz nedēļai.

Bez Dena no atzīmējamiem tēliem noteikti var minēt kaķi Pītu. Kas atšķirībā no sava kolēģa grafiskajā Sāgā ir mazāks izmēros, bet vārdu apjoms gan plašāks.

Kopumā sižets labs, un pozitīvi, ka autors iztiek bez ierastajām ērmībām

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Dan Davis invents a robot that is a dream to every housewife but everything goes haywire when his fiancée and business partner cheats him not only with their relationship but also in the business. It’s even more bad because not long ago Dan gifted her some of firm’s stock and in so loosing the majority. Together both of them use dirty tricks to change Dan’s mind so he would use long sleep technology to wake up after 30 years.

I should add that when he wakes up the year is 2000, and that some technologies imagined by the author probably still won’t be around us after 30 years more. But luckily for Dan not everything is lost because the real time travel is in its beginning not just a long sleep. Only it has one big drawback, you can’t control if you’re going to end up in the future or past, but one the plus side you can choose a precise time.

Besides Dan another memorable character was a cat Pete. It’s funny that I just started Saga with another noticeable cat. Pete’s size matches a normal house cat, but his word count is a bit larger. : )

Overall the plot was good, and positively Heinlein manages to write this one without usual oddities.

Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 1 (Saga: Collected Editions #1)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults.

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 4/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Marko un Alana kopā ar jaundzimušo meitu Heizelu bēg no kara starp divām rasēm/planētu un tās mēnesi. Katrs ir no savas rases, un vienkāršojot Marko ar ragiem un Alana ar spārniem, tāpēc abu savienība ir skandaloza un katra puse vēlas viņus mirušus.

Patika meitas Heizelas nelielie komentāri, šķiet attiecībā pret notikumiem no vēlāka laika. Būs jāpierod, ka tās pašas nodaļas ietvaros mainās skatpunkts.

Neiztrūkst arī pāris dīvainību, kā roboti ar TV ekrāniem galvu vietā, algotās slepkavas The Will palīgs kaķis, kas spēj atšķirt melus, planētas Sextillion iemītnieces tikai ar milzu galvām un garām kājām, mežs, kurā aug raķetes u.c.

Cerams, nākamajos voljumos būs vairāk pastāstīts par plašo karu, kur citām rasēm vienīgā izvēle ir, kurā pusē nostāties. Daži atvērumi ir bauda acīm. : )

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Marko and Alana together with their newborn daughter Hazel are running away from the war between two races/the planet and its moon. Each of them is from an opposite side and simplifying things Marco has horns and Alana has wings, which means that their relationship is very scandalous and each side wants them dead.

I liked the little side comments from Hazel, obviously from future. What I will have to get used to is that the POV in the same chapter changes.

You get plenty of weird stuff in Saga like robots with TV screens as heads, THE Lying Cat an assassins sidekick that can only say lying if someone does that, prostitutes on the Sextillion planet only with giant heads and longs, a forest in which rockets are growing etc.

Hopefully in the next volumes there will be more about the war in which the only choice for other races is to choose sides. Few pages were a just amazing! : )

Madeleine L’Engle – A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1, Kairos #1)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.

“Wild nights are my glory,” the unearthly stranger told them. “I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me be on my way. Speaking of way, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract”.

Meg’s father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space?

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Listening Library

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

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

Vērtējums/Rating: 4.25/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Patika autores ievadvārdi pirms stāsta, kura pati to arī ierunājusi un pat ļoti labi, atzīmējot īsi par bērnu grāmatas izdošanas grūtībām gan tāpēc, ka bērni ko tādu nesaprastu, gan tādēļ, ka tas atšķīries no viņas iepriekšējiem darbiem. Par to, cik ļoti atšķiras vēl nemācēšu spriest, bet kopumā patika. Par labu nāca arī Whatsit tēla balss efekti. : )

Tātad Megas un Čārlza tēvs kopš abu mazotnes pazudis, un ģimenei doti vien skopi paskaidrojumi. Kādā vējainā naktī, kurā neviens nespētu aizmigt, aizsākas ne vien tēva glābšanas operācija, bet arī cīņa pret tumsu un To; Tas līdz pat beigām palika ļoti noslēpumains ļaunais tēls.

Šajos varoņdarbos Megai un Čārlzam nav jācīnās vieniem, palīdz draugs Kelvins, kā arī trīs savdabīgas dāmas ar neparastiem vārdiem (viens jau minēts) un radījumi no labo spēku puses. Samērā ātri top skaidrs, ka tik viegli neklāsies un ar tēva izglābšanu viss nebeigsies.

Noteikti vēlāk turpināšu šo sēriju. Varbūt ir kāds zinātājs, kas zina, vai ir nozīmē, kādā secībā lasa šīs autores citu sēriju grāmatas, kuras saistītas ar Time Quintet. A Wrinkle in Time varētu nebūt priekš pašiem mazākajiem, bet sākot ar MG domājas gan.

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One thing I liked was the introduction by the author which also recorded the book briefly mentioning the hardships to publish this book either because children wouldn’t understand it and because A Wrinkle in Time was majorly different from her previous ones. I can’t judge how big the differences are but overall I liked it. Another plus was the character’s Whatsit voice.

So, Meg and Charles’s father has been missing since their early childhood and the family receives very little explanations what had happened. One very windy in which no one could fell asleep begins not only their father’s rescue operation but also exciting fight against darkness and It. It even until the end remained a very mysterious evil character.

Meg and Charles aren’t alone in these adventures, and receive help from their friend Calvin, three bizarre ladies with very uncommon names (one already mentioned) and creatures from the good side. Soon it becomes clear that this rescue and fight won’t be that easy and it’s not going to end with saving their father.

I’m hoping that in a short time I will manage to continue this series. Maybe someone knows does it matter in which order you read this and author’s other series that overlaps with Time Quintet. A Wrinkle in time might not be meant for the youngest audience but probably from MG or so.

Stanislaw Lem – Solaris (Audiobook)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

A classic work of science fiction by renowned Polish novelist and satirist Stanislaw Lem.

When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface, he finds a painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the living physical likeness of a long-dead lover. Others examining the planet, Kelvin learns, are plagued with their own repressed and newly corporeal memories. The Solaris ocean may be a massive brain that creates these incarnate memories, though its purpose in doing so is unknown, forcing the scientists to shift the focus of their quest and wonder if they can truly understand the universe without first understanding what lies within their hearts.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Audible Frontiers

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

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

Vērtējums/Rating: 2.5/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Solaris ir gan planēta, gan viens liels un pārsvarā šķidrs organisms ar saprātu jeb okeāns, kas klāj gandrīz visas planētas virsmu. Šis darbs liek iziet no pieņemtajās normas, kādam inteliģentam organismam būtu jābūt.

Planēta tiek aktīvi pētīta, un entuziasms ir liels, bet tas ātri vien noplok, kad iegūtie rezultāti un atbildes pēc daudzajiem pētījumiem un eksperimentiem nedod vēlamo. Kā arī, ciešot letālas neveiksmes, lielākā daļa pamet Solaris. Tiek apcerēta arī varbūtēja organisma izcelšanās, tā ietekme uz planētu.

Stāsta centrā ir Kriss Kelvins, kura pārdzīvojums ir liels, kad viņš kosmosa stacijā satiek savu mirušo draudzeni Hariju, kurai tur pavisam noteikti, pat neņemot vērā mirušās faktu, tur nevajadzētu atrasties. Pašsaprotama reakcija ir panika un atbrīvošanās no Harijas, bet par nepatīkamu pārsteigumu tas nedod rezultātu. Turpmākās attiecības jau kļūst pilnīgi citādākas nekā varētu iedomātis.. Lasītājs zina, Harija nav tāda vienīgā, kas radusies ar Solaris palīdzību, bet ar to arī viss; šķiet tā organisms pārbauda viesu garīgo izturību.

Kaut kāda iemeslu dēļ grāmata neuzrunāja un nepiesaistīja līdz galam. Varbūt noskatoties 2002.gada filmu (ir vēl divas senākas krieviski) vairāk taptu skaidrs.

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Solaris is both a planet and one big and mostly liquid organism with intellect but what it is makes you think twice about – should an intellectual beings be in a solid form? Because Solaris is also an ocean that covers most of the planet’s surface.

The planet is being actively researched and the enthusiasm is big but as there are no concrete results and answers from all the research and experiments, and also suffering lethal mishaps many if not most eventually leave Solaris. Many possible versions how such an organism could have created and its effect on the planet itself are contemplated.

The centre of this story is Kris Kelvin and he is surprised in a bad way after he meets his dead girlfriend Harey on the space station. It’s clear that there are no ways she could have gotten herself there even if she would be alive. Panic and getting rid of Harey is an understandable reaction but as she later shows up again the solution to this problem has to be different. Henceforward their relationship evolves and become something I didn’t think of. The reader knows that Harey is created by Solaris and that she isn’t the only one like that, but that’s it; it seems that Solaris is testing the strength and endurance of his visitors.

For some reasons this book didn’t appeal to me. Maybe after watching the newest movie adaption (2002) some things would get more understandable.

Arthur Nsenga, Shaunakay Francis – The Sabbath

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Grāmatas apraksts no Amazon/Synopsis from Amazon:

Would you rather suffer for eternity, or die peacefully?

What if you had no choice?

The morning after witnessing a spectacular meteorite shower, Cory Shembo and his girlfriend Lana didn’t expect to wake up immortal.

News bulletins claim the meteorites have released a chemical compound called ATHENS which has caused mutations in the human race. The twisted outcome has left people unable to die but with an increased sensitivity to pain.

Now with the majority of food supplies contaminated, and the rich controlling what little is left, the desperate young couple are force to go on merciless food raids just to stave off the pain.

During which they accidentally discover a secret government device and find themselves caught up in a diabolical plot to control the future of humanity.

Realizing that there is more to ATHENS than what they were led to believe; Cory and Lana set out on a crusade to uncover the truth. Their journey will lead them into the darkest depths of humanity. If they can follow the trail, they may be able to find some answers.

But will the cost of knowing the truth be too much?

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

E-grāmatas kopija no autora apmaiņā pret recenziju.

Vērtējums/Rating: 1.75/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Lana un Korijs vēlu naktī atgriežas no ballītes/randiņa, kad pēkšņi no debesīm sāk krist meteorīti, un abi tā vien paspēj, kā laicīgi tikt zem jumta. Dīvainākais sākas pēc pamošanās, kad noskaidrojas, ka pilnīgi visi uz Zemes nogulējuši aptuveni 24 stundas. Lielos vilcienos tiekam pārmesti gadu uz priekšu.

Meteorītu izraisītie efekti tiek piedēvēti ķīmiskajām vielām, kas radušās tiem sadegot atmosfērā. Trakākais, ka šīs vielas saindē lielāko daļu ūdens un pārtikas resursus, bet, ja esat bagāts, nav par ko raizēties, vienīgi jāpārvācas uz pilsētas centru drošībā aiz lielām, biezām sienām, lai mazāk turīgie neradītu draudus.

Katastrofas rezultātā ir ļoti daudz bezvēsts pazudušo, starp tiem arī Korija māte Elizabete. Diemžēl tā vietā, lai koncentrētos uz to, kas īsti notika, jo piedāvātas arī dažas konspiratīvas teorijas, liela uzmanība pievērsta ne pārāk labi izpildītai romantikai – attiecībām starp Lanu un Koriju. Bija sajūta, ka pārējais ir vien kā fons.

Laiks iet, un valdība neko nedara, lai atrastu pazudušos, tāpēc Lana un Korijs ar nelielu palīdzību ņem meklēšanu savās rokās. Diemžēl arī šajā sižetiskajā līnijā bija problēmas ar izpildījumu un ticamība visai maza. Beigās jautājumi, kāda gan no tā visa jēgas, un, vai vispār kaut kas tika panākts? Jāšaubās.

Ā, vēl viena ķīmisko vielu (nosauktas par ATHENS) īpašība, ka padara visus nemirstīgus, diemžēl letāls efekts uz vēl nedzimušajiem. Būtu interesanti uzzināt par vielu izraisīto efektu dabā, jo grāmatā par to nebija pilnīgi nekas.

Negatīvā ziņā acīs krita kā raksturots tēlu izteikšanās veids, bieži vien situācijai nepiemēroti. Interesanti, ka arī ārpus pilsētas centra mūsu varoņi nesaskārās ar elektrības, interneta un citu sakaru problēmām.

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Lana and Cory come home late after a party/date when suddenly meteorites start to fall and they barely have time to safely get inside. The weirdest part starts when they wake up and realize that everyone on Earth has slept about 24 hours. In big leaps we are transported to one year after the event.

The effects caused by these meteorites are attributed to chemicals created by the burning process while they fell through the atmosphere. The crazy thing is that these particles contaminate most of the water and food resources, but if you are rich then there’s no need to worry because only thing you have to do is to move behind thick and big walls in the city’s center so less wealthy people wouldn’t bother you.

Because of this catastrophe there many missing people including Cory’s mother Elizabeth. Unfortunately instead of focusing onto what really happened and what’s the government’s role in to all of this because you are also given some conspiracy theories, most of the attention is given to romantic relationship between Lana and Cory. It felt like everything else is just a background.

Time goes on and the government has done anything to find missing persons that’s why Lana and Cory with some help decide to take the matter into their own hands. Sadly but this story line and the execution of was done poorly; weren’t believable.  At the end I had more question than answers like what was the point of all that and did they achieved anything in a more global scale? I doubt it.

Oh, another thing these chemicals (later named ATHENS) was to make everyone immortal, but unfortunately a lethal effect on the unborn. It would be interesting to know about the impact on nature because in the book there was nothing about that.

In a negative way I noticed how it was described that characters had said something, many times inadequately to the situation. Another interesting thing was that for our characters outside the city’s center walls didn’t have any problems with electricity, internet or other communication services.

Pirmdienas teikums #82

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

Viens veids, kā attaisnot to, ka martini maksa piecpadsmit mārciņas, ir blakus stāvošie šķīvji, kuros ir ar krēmu izgarnēti anšovi uz pikantiem cepumiem, paipalu olu pusītes ar kaviāra gabaliņiem un garnelēm uz maziem grauzdiņiem.

Imodžena Edvardsa-Džounsa – Viesnīca Babylon

Izlasīju, lasu, lasīšu #11 (25.01 – 31.01)

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:

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John Layman, Rob Guillory – Chew, Vol.9 and Vol.10

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Imogen Edwards-Jones – Hotel Babylon

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The Brave and the Bold » The Brave and the Bold #30 – The Case of the Stolen Super-Powers! released by DC Comics on July 1, 1960.

Gandrīz vienu pēc otra JLA biedrus, izņemot Supermenu un Betmenu (abi vien uz mirkli), uz brīdi pārņem vājums. Vēlāk atklājas, ka profesors Ivo tās devis savam robotam, kuram uzdots atrast vecākos dzīvniekus uz Zemes, lai izgatavotu Nemirstības eliksīru. (Absurds). Vai JLA ir vēl nākotne?! :D

Noklausījos:

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Anthony Burgess – A Clockwork Orange

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Daniel Keyes – Flowers for Algernon

Lasu:

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Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples – Saga, Volume 1 (Saga: Collected Editions #1). Turpinam tālāk savus piedzīvojumus grafiskajās novelēs. Pozitīvas atsauksmes dzirdētas gan no rakstošajiem blogeriem, gan buktūberiem.

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Arthur Nsenga, Shaunakay Francis – The Sabbath. Paldies autoram par e-grāmatu.

Klausos:

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Stanislaw Lem – Solaris

Lasīšu:

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

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Richard Abbott – Far from the Spaceports. Jāizmanto brīvās dienas un jāizlasa laimētā grāmata.

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Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor- Welcome to Night Vale. Jācer, ka grāmata būs tikpat laba, ka podcast. Vienīgais tālāk par 30./33.~ epizodi neesmu klausījies

Klausīšos:

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Madeleine L’Engle – A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1, Kairos #1)

 

Ko labu nedēļas laikā esi izlasījis Tu? : )

John Layman, Rob Guillory – Chew, Vol. 10: Blood Puddin’ (Chew #46-50)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

CAN TONY STOP HIS MOST DANGEROUS ENEMY?

Presenting a new storyline of the New York Times Best Selling, Harvey- and multiple Eisner Award-winning series about cops, crooks, cooks, cannibals, and clairvoyants.

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

Lejuplādēju to no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 4.25/5

 

 

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Chew pasaules medicīna un to, ko var panākt, ja ir pietiekami līdzekļi, ir kaut kas vienreizējs, jo visi galvenākie tēli izdzīvojuši pēc katastrofālās cīņas ar Vampīru, un nu dzīvo ar dažādām neparastām protēzēm.

Nebiju domājis, ka lielā cīņa starp Toniju un Vampīru notiks jau šajā voljumā. Vismaz tiek sniegts labs iemesls Poyo nāvei, kuram lemts atgriezties ellē, un nav jābaidās, ka viņam tur klātos smagi. :D

Varētu domāt, ka sērijai būtu pienācis loģisks gals, tomēr tā nebūt nava. Uzzināsim kas tur īsti bija ar to uzrakstu debesīs un vēl šo to.

Jāpiekrīt viedoklim, ka dažādo spēju kļuvis par daudz; pats vien izlasu spēju aprakstu un īpašo nosaukumu skipoju.

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Chew world’s medicine and things you can do with enough resources is something amazing because every important character that was heavily injured after disastrous fight with Vampire, and now they live with unusual prosthetics.

I didn’t thought that the big fight between Tony and Vampire would be in this volume. At least we have a good reason why Poyo had to die; he is condemned to return to hell but no need to fear that it might hard for him there. :D

You might think that this could be a logical end to the series but no. We still have to find out about the weird sky writing and few other things.

I have to agree to the opinion that there are a bit too many food powers; personally I just read their description and skip the special word.