9 short stories that range in tone from creepy to funny. Each has a paranormal theme.

My favorite story was Forbidden which has Lorenzo, a vampire, bemoaning the fact that no one is afraid of him like in the old days. He also craves garlic and has a way to get it but giving in to his craving contradicts his moaning.

Another favorite was Bad Dog who is Hatach who is a hellhound. He is rescued by a human. He is funny also.

El Emperador is also fun as you get the woman's thoughts and the horse's. The horse seems smarter than the woman. They are an interesting mix.

Silent Partner was good with Charles and the tattoo artist. Charles and his significant other, Janine, reminded me of Howard and Eunice in What's Up Doc? I am not sure if Charles was dreaming or if he had the tattoo. It's a little iffy.

The rest of the stories were okay but not as good as the ones I mentioned above. These stories are worth the few minutes it takes to read them.

There is so much in here to be scared about on climate change.  I listened to this book but had to get the e-book because he was going over so many facts and statistics that I was having a hard time understanding it and keeping up.  I liked that he broke the crisis into smaller pieces.  I liked that he spoke of who would be most affected by the changes as well as how they would be affected.  We all will be affected eventually but those in poorer countries and those who are poor will be affected earlier and more than those who are wealthy.  I did find it interesting that as he was talking about wildfires, he explained that those who are wealthy, and living in those areas, are being affected as much as those who are poor.  The increase of weather changes, floods, and fires was amazing, and it all happened within the last 50 years.  He did not give solutions but shared who was doing what when it came to that.  He lays out a convincing argument for climate change and what will happen to the planet and humans and how we have contributed to it in the past and today.  Worth the read.

This powerful novel blew me away. I went into this without any real knowledge of Laos, let alone what life could have been like there in the 1960s. This story offers a startling picture of the time and place, but it is the intimate details and the perfectly rendered characters that keep you turning the pages. It is a painful read, but well worth it. Definitely need to go back and read some of Paul Yoon’s other books. Let me know if you have recommendations.

by Ken Follett

I was warned that this book is long, so I've taken it slowly between other reads. It's a Historical Fiction set in The English Civil War, starting 1135. Tom Builder is a mason with a dream of building a cathedral. Earlier, two brothers, Phillip and Francis, see their parents slaughtered by English soldiers and before the men kill the children too, the local Abbott steps in and takes them to the sanctuary of the monastery. They grow up as monks, but both are sent into the world to do God's work.

It's a story of political savagery, corruption among monks, redemption and burning ambition. There are a few triggers here because people in that era could be brutal and life was hard. The historical accuracy is good, apart from the reactions of women. The author really seriously does not understand women!

Despite that, the story itself kept me interested and a lot of my other books have been neglected for it. The primary character is Phillip, who becomes Prior of Kingsbridge. Much of the story is set around his desire to see a cathedral built in his village, though monastery funds are insufficient. Tom builder comes along and desperate for food and any kind of work, they strike a deal.

There is a lot going on elsewhere in the story, but it all ties together in the sage of building Kingsbridge cathedral and the people who support or oppose the project. One important character is Aliena, the daughter of a deposed Earl who finds her way in life, overshadowed by an oath to her father to restore her younger brother to the Earldom. The man sitting in the chair, William Hamleigh, is a vile man of violence. Any more I could say about him would give spoilers.

The political intrigue involves the church as much as the king and nobles. People believe unquestioningly and the disapproval of a priest can strike the fear of Hell fire into even the highest placed personages.

The story really kept my attention, though I felt an important plot point late in the story was too rushed and female reactions, especially to sex, were totally unrealistic and reminded me of the cliché bad 1970s porn movies.

Very good Historical Fiction for the not too squeamish.

german and english review

audible audiobook

Inhalt: Das Ende der Welt steht kurz bevor – zum allerletzten Mal.
Noch ist es Essun nicht gelungen, ihr letztes lebendes Kind zu finden – und den Mann, den sie einst geliebt hat, bevor er zum Mörder ihres Sohnes und Entführer ihrer Tochter wurde. Stattdessen wurde Essun gefunden: von ihrem ehemaligen Mentor, Alabaster Tenring, dem Zerstörer der Welt. Und er hat eine Bitte, die nur sie erfüllen kann. Doch wenn Essun tut, wonach der Mächtige verlangt, könnte dies das Schicksal der Menschheit endgültig besiegeln.
Meilen entfernt wächst derweil die Macht in Essuns Tochter unaufhaltsam. Werden ihre Entscheidungen schließlich die Welt vernichten?

Meine Bewertung: Nicht so gut wie der erste Band aber hat mir immer noch gut gefallen!!!

Der erste Band hat mich stellenweise wirklich total verwirrt, trotzdem hatte er mich total begeistert. Die Verwirrung ist in dem zweiten Band geblieben, doch ich habe ihn irgendwie schneller fertig gehört.

Die Geschichte und die Welt in der sie erzählt wird, begeistert mich noch immer total. Auch wenn bei dem Buch hier immer wieder eine Menge Informationen auf einmal auf einem abgeladen worden ist.

Die Charaktere; ich mag wie unheimlich vielschichtig sie sind.

Ich glaube sobald ich das dritte Buch anhören kann, muss ich die Serie nochmal komplett hören. Vielleicht lässt dann auch die Verwirrung nach LOL

***

Summary: This is the way the world ends... for the last time.

The season of endings grows darker as civilization fades into the long cold night. Alabaster Tenring – madman, world-crusher, savior – has returned with a mission: to train his successor, Essun, and thus seal the fate of the Stillness forever.

It continues with a lost daughter, found by the enemy.

It continues with the obelisks, and an ancient mystery converging on answers at last.

The Stillness is the wall which stands against the flow of tradition, the spark of hope long buried under the thickening ashfall. And it will not be broken.

My review: Not as good as the first book but I still enjoyed it!!!

The first book confused me so many times, still I was totally into the whole things. The second book confused me just as much, somehow I managed to finish the book much quicker.

The story and the world it is set in, is still one of the greatest I have enjoyed in a while. Even though sometimes we got way too much information dumped on us.

The characters; I just really like how layered they are.

I think as soon as I get a chance to listen to the third book in the series, I have to relisten to the whole thing. Maybe this will get rid off all my confusion LOL