3.25 zvaigznes

Kathy Reichs – Grave Secrets (Temperance Brennan #5) (Audio book)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

“Fans of TV’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation should be in heaven” (People) stepping into the world of forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan, star of Kathy Reichs’ electrifyingly authentic bestsellers.

A harrowing excavation unearths a chilling tragedy never laid to rest.

They are “the disappeared,” twenty-three massacre victims buried in a well in the Guatemalan village of Chupan Ya two decades ago. Leading a team of experts on a meticulous, heartbreaking dig, Tempe Brennan pieces together the violence of the past. But a fresh wave of terror begins when the horrific sounds of a fatal attack on two colleagues come in on a blood-chilling satellite call. Teaming up with Special Crimes Investigator Bartolomé Galiano and Montreal detective Andrew Ryan, Tempe quickly becomes enmeshed in the cases of four privileged young women who have vanished from Guatemala City — and finds herself caught in deadly territory where power, money, greed, and science converge.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: BBC Audiobook America

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

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Andrew MacLean – ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

The premiere graphic novel from underground sensation Andrew MacLean (Head Lopper), ApocalyptiGirl is an action-packed sci-fi epic!
Alone at the end of the world, Aria is woman with a mission! Traipsing through an overgrown city with her only companion, a cat named Jelly Beans, Aria’s search for an ancient relic with immeasurable power has been fruitless so far. But when a run in with a creepy savage sets her on a path to complete her quest, she’ll face death head on in the hopes of claiming her prize and, if all goes according to plan, finally returning home.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

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Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, José Marzán Jr., Goran Sudžuka – Y: The Last Man, Vol.9: Motherland (Y: The Last Man #9)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

WINNER OF THREE EISNER AWARDS Featured in THE NEW YORK TIMES and on NPR, Y: THE LAST MAN is the gripping saga of Yorick Brown, an unemployed and unmotivated slacker who discovers he is the only male left in the world after a plague of unknown origin instantly kills every mammal with a Y chromosome. Accompanied by his mischievous monkey, Ampersand, and the mysterious Agent 355, Yorick embarks on a transcontinental journey to find his long-lost girlfriend and discover why he is the last man on earth.

This volume of the critically acclaimed series features Yorick and Agent 355 preparing for their ultimate quest to reunite the last man with his lost love, while the person, people or thing behind the disaster that wiped out half of humanity is revealed! Collects issues #49-54 of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s award-winning Vertigo series.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Vertigo

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

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Hajime Isayama, Sheldon Drzka – Attack on Titan, Volume 01 (Attack on Titan #1)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this post-apocalytpic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what’s left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 100-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

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Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, José Marzán Jr., Goran Parlov – Y: The Last Man, Vol.4: Safeword (Y: The Last Man #4)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

The fourth collection of the acclaimed Vertigo series, Y: THE LAST MAN: SAFEWORD reprints issues #18-23 of writer Brian K. Vaughan’s and artist Pia Guerra’s dynamic series. As the Last Man on Earth and his companions continue to head West, the story takes a detour into the psychological.

In the care of a fellow Culper Ring member, Yorick Brown is forced to confront his tremendous feelings of survivor guilt that lead him to constantly put his life in danger. Once on the road again, the group runs up against a literal roadblock in Arizona, where the female remains of the Sons of Arizona militia have cut the interstate to keep out any vestiges of the U.S. government.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Vertigo

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

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Paul Theroux – Kowloon Tong

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

Ninety-nine years of colonial rule are ending as the British prepare to hand over Hong Kong to China. For Betty Mullard and her son, Bunt, it doesn’t concern them – until the mysterious Mr. Hung from the mainland offers them a large sum for their family business. They refuse, yet fail to realize Mr. Hung is unlike the Chinese they’ve known: he will accept no refusals. When a young female employee whom Bunt has been dating vanishes, he is forced to make important decisions for the first time in his life – but his good intentions are pitted against the will of Mr. Hung and the threat of the ultimate betrayal.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Penguin

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

Samainīju ar citu Latvijas Grāmatu izstādes 2016 maiņas punktā.

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

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Inga Gaile – Stikli (‘’Mēs. Latvija, XX gadsimts’’ #4)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

“Romāna “Stikli” darbība risinās no 1937. līdz 1939.gadam, kad Latvijā valda Kārļa Ulmaņa autoritārais režīms. Tas ir laikmets, kad Latvijas vēsturē, pēc daļas mūsdienu Latvijas iedzīvotāju domām, bija pārpilnības, latviskuma un kārtības laiks. “Stiklos” valdošā atmosfēra, notikumi, kas risinās laikā, kad viss šķiet labi, bet to, kas neatbilst valdošā vairākuma izpratnei par labo un ļauto, apiet, noklusē vai mēģina ierobežot, diemžēl atgādina šodienas Latviju.”
Inga Gaile.

Izdevniecība/Publisher: Dienas Grāmata

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

Paldies izdevniecībai par grāmatas eksemplāru!

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

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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.

Mary Shelley – Frankenstein (Audiobook)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was only eighteen. At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering the cause of generation and life and bestowing animation upon lifeless matter, Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but; upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature’s hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

Frankenstein, an instant best-seller and an important ancestor of both the horror and science fiction genres, not only tells a terrifying story, but also raises profound, disturbing questions about the very nature of life and the place of humankind within the cosmos: What does it mean to be human? What responsibilities do we have to each other? How far can we go in tampering with Nature? In our age, filled with news of organ donation genetic engineering, and bio-terrorism, these questions are more relevant than ever.

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

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

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25/5

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Beidzot saņēmos un noklausījos Frankenšteinu, pēc tam, kad bija redzēta ļoti laba teātra izrāde (mūzika vienkārši super!). Šķiet, man pagadījusies stipri saīsināta audio grāmatas versija, tāpēc, jāsaka godīgi, ka skaidrības un saprašanas par notiekošo būtu mazāka, bez jau pieminētās izrādes. Tādēļ laikam atvadīšanās no literārā Frankenšteina nesanāks, un vajadzēs šo darbu kaut kad izlasīt.

Tātad Viktors Frankenšteins tik ļoti vēlējās noskaidrot, kas ir dzīvības pamatā un atšķir mirušo no dzīvā, ka cītīgi nodevās medicīnas studēšanai un eksperimentiem. Diemžēl uzreiz pēc Radījuma atdzīvināšanas, Viktoru pārņem drausmīgas sajūtas par izdarīto un sevis radītā neglītumu, riebums pret to, bet, ko tad var gribēt, ja Radījums salikts no vairāku cilvēku ķermeņa daļām, nevis atdzīvināts viens vesels.

Protams, var ieslīgt tēmā, ka cilvēkiem nepatīk atšķirīgais un viņi nekautrējas uzbrukt tiem, kuri izceļas, izlec starp pārējiem vai ‘’normas’’, kas Radījuma gadījumā izraisa ļoti agresīvu pretreakciju. Noteikti tāda reakcija nav vienīgā iespējamā; tā vietā, lai atriebtos kādam, cits varbūt izšķirtos nodarīt pāri sev, vai pilnībā noslēgtos no apkārtējās pasaules.

Bez šaubām priekš sava laika pat ļoti labs darbs, no kura citi vēlāk smēlušies iedvesmu. Varētu pat teikt, ka Radījums ir tāds staigājošais mironis/zombijs.

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Finally I pushed myself to listen Frankenstein after I had seen the theatre play (music was fantastic!). I guess my audio book’s copy is a much shortened version of the book itself, so without seeing the mentioned play I think it would be harder for me to make sense of what did happen. Therefore I can’t say goodbye to Frankenstein yet!

So Victor Frankenstein wanted to find out what makes life and what detaches a dead thing from a living person that he dedicated himself to studying medicine and experiments. Unfortunately immediately after reviving the Creature Victor feels horribly about what he has done, the ugliness of it and feels disgusted, but what can you wish for if you put the Creature together from many human parts instead of reviving a whole person.

Of course you can discuss how people don’t like everything that’s different and that’s why they attack to those who stand out or aren’t the ‘’norm’’, which in the Creatures case creates a very aggressive opposite reaction. Definitely someone else instead of revenge might react by closing of from others and the world, or even hurting themselves.

Without doubt to its time this book is very good from which others later have inspired from. You might say that the Creature could be a living dead/zombie.

John Layman, Rob Guillory – Chew, Vol. 9: Chicken Tenders (Chew #41-45)

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Grāmatas apraksts no Goodreads/Synopsis from Goodreads:

Tony Chu, the cibopathic federal agent with the ability to get psychic impressions from what he eats, has been busy – busy settling into married life, busy investigating one assignment after another that takes him to the most remote corners of the planet. Meanwhile, the people closest to Tony are conspiring to take on the brutal killer who murdered Tony’s twin sister. And this conspiracy includes Tony’s partner, his arch enemy – and his teenage daughter!

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

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

Lejuplādēju no www.

Vērtējums/Rating: 3.25

Mana recenzija (pārdomas)/My (thoughts) review

Tonijs zina, kad un kā (vismaz aptuveni) būtu jānorit viņai cīņai ar Vampīru un minētā ļaundara norietam. Diemžēl ne visi, pat Meisons un Kolbijs, neklausās brīdinājumos un pakļauj dzīvības briesmām ne vien sevi, bet arī kolēģus un draugus. Intriga par to, kurš paliks dzīvajos, un, vai kādam nepaveiksies.

Cerams Kolbija un viņa kolēģa/priekšnieka laulības mūžs nebūs tik īss, kā tas šobrīd šķiet. :)

Noslēguma aina nāca pilnībā negaidīti! :/ Turpina būt gan drusku šokējošs, gan vardarbības/asiņu pilns, bet varbūt nedaudz sāk atkārtoties. Un, ja Vikipēdijai var ticēt, sērijā palikuši vien 3 voljumi jeb 15 izdevumi; nav īpaši liels apjoms, kur visu kārtīgi atrisināt.

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Tony knows how and when his meeting and fight with Vampire will happen. So it’s unfortunate that even Mason and/or John Colby doesn’t listen to his warning to back off and wait for a better time and opportunity and endanger their colleagues and friends. A little intrigue about who will manage to stay alive and who will not be so lucky.

Hopefully the marriage between Colby and his boss won’t be that short as it seems now. :)

The ending for me came out of nowhere! :/ Chew continues to be a bit shocking and brutal and bloody, but it starts to repeat itself. Plus, if I can believe to what Wikipedia says then there are only 3 volumes or 15 issues left in the series; not much time to work everything out.