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CharlesSwann

CharlesSwann

Joined July 2016

review
CharlesSwann
Panpan

Whiny, overly dramatic teenage girl as narrator? Nope. Was hoping for The Historian kind of book. YA is *not* my jam. Concept was good, execution was weak.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Good but not great. Ends very abruptly. Preferred the first 3 in the series

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Bernie Gunther gets dragged into a locked room murder mystery by Heydrich. In a Prague chateau full of Nazis. Heydrich would be a great character if he weren‘t one of the vilest creatures in real life

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CharlesSwann
Ghosts of Harvard: A Novel | Francesca Serritella
Panpan

Oh man, this was a cheesy book. Take a heartwarming Hallmark movie of the week about a family dealing with the death of a mentally ill son. Throw in some schmaltzy random ghosts. Add a pinch of T.S. Eliot and plenty of Harvard references for some intellectual pretense. Then toss in the fire and bake for 30 minutes. 459 page waste of my time

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CharlesSwann
Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
Bailedbailed

Note: I read Tbe Night Circus, found it very enjoyable. Recommend highly.
*This* book, however, is a rambling mess. Starts out interesting: vast secret library reachable through secret doors, stories within stories, evil secret societies... but unravels 1/2 way through. Too many symbols, then more symbols. I do not want to hear about bees, keys, and swords!!! Stop!!! Threw it down in disgust when I finished.....

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Berlin 1934/ Havana 1954. Beenie Gunther gets involved with an Olympics scandal, which comes back to bite him in the ass 20 years later in Cuba. One of the best Gunther books

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CharlesSwann
The Lady from Zagreb | Philip Kerr
Pickpick

1942. Bernie Gunther has to track down a starlet with a dark past for Goebbels. Side trip to wartorn Croatia was like something out of Heart of Darkness. Another solid entry in the series

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CharlesSwann
Nocturnes | John Connolly
Pickpick

For the most part, a highly enjoyable collection of dark and creepy short stories, which feel more 1920 than 2020. Really enjoyed the Charlie Parker novella “Tbe Reflecting Eye”— hard-boiled detective meets Stephen King .

1 like1 stack add
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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Story of 3 girls who disappear at a summer camp, as told by the lone survivor, who may or may not be psychiatrically damaged. Great twist at the end. Surprisingly good!

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CharlesSwann
Mehso-so

Great idea for a book. Enjoyed the first 2/3. But the whole reason the bad guys are doing their bad deeds is ridiculous and ruined it for me....

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CharlesSwann
Atonement | Ian McEwan
Pickpick

One of my ATFs. Tragic romance in WWII England. The ending is a gut punch. Terrific book.

TrishB Love this one too 👍🏻 4y
Nute Excellent book! Excellent movie! 4y
7 likes2 comments
review
CharlesSwann
Elegy for April: A Novel | Benjamin Black
Pickpick

Quirke has sobered up, and his daughter‘s friend is missing. Foul play is suspected. Well written, but ‘50s Dublin is a bleak place.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

A murder mystery at Oxford in the 1660s, told from multiple points of view. “If you like Rashomon, you‘ll love this!” I am a fan of Pears style, obviously. I need to reread this!

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CharlesSwann
Stone's Fall | Iain Pears
Pickpick

A murder mystery told backwards. London 1909 to Paris 1890 then Venice 1867. Well written, intriguing story. Great book.

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CharlesSwann
North Water | Ian McGuire
Pickpick

Great book, brutal read. Cormac McCarthy meets Moby Dick.

Nute The blending of the those two...definitely intrigued! 4y
2 likes1 comment
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CharlesSwann
Violet | Scott Thomas
Pickpick

Creepy old house with a creepy ghost kid. Author keeps things moving. Lots of great references to ‘80s goth bands!! Nick Cave& Bad Seeds! Joy Division! The Cure!

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CharlesSwann
Mehso-so

Interesting, think it lost something in translation? Definitely some creepy, unsettling chapters. Bad things happen when a Japanese family moves into an apartment building by an old Buddhist cemetery.

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CharlesSwann
Kill Creek | Scott Thomas
Pickpick

Enjoyed this one much more than expected. 4 horror authors stay in an evil house. Nice variation on Haunting of Hill House

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CharlesSwann
Wolf Hall | Hilary Mantel
Pickpick

Cromwell‘s POV of Henry VIII‘s court. A complex machinator. One of my ATFs.

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CharlesSwann
Bring Up the Bodies | Hilary Mantel
Pickpick

Vol 2 of the Cromwell story, as brilliant as Wolf Hall.

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CharlesSwann
Station Eleven | Emily St John Mandel
Pickpick

The arrival of the viral apocalypse, and the aftermath. Fantastic book.

Cathythoughts Yes ! Great book 4y
4 likes1 comment
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CharlesSwann
Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern
Pickpick

Surprisingly good. Could easily have been a cheezy romance novel, but was much more entertaining. Magical realism.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

The ending crushes your soul. Erlandur is a side story in this one— prefer the books where he is the focus

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Another solid Rejkyavik thriller

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Serial killer targeting police officers. Norway seems to have a lot of serial killers! Another solid Harry Hole adventure.

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CharlesSwann
Mehso-so

Hole has become such a miserable bastard. Too much going on in this book. Probably my least favorite HH so far.

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CharlesSwann
The Redbreast | Jo Nesbo
Pickpick

Lot of great history about Nazis in Norway during WWII. Harry Hole tracks an assissin in Oslo.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

One of the best Harry Hole books. Creepy Norwegian serial killer.

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CharlesSwann
The Bat | Jo Nesbo
Mehso-so

First translated book in the series. Harry Hole in Sydney. Not my favorite.

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CharlesSwann
Cockroaches | Jo Nesbo
Pickpick

Harry Hole in Thailand. So much better than the Bat. Hole is definitely a more interesting character in this book.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Lizbeth Salander is a great character. The “locked room” mystery at the heart of this novel was great. (Mikael Blomqvist, however, is tedious...) Loved this one.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

#5 in series. Gypsy crime in Denmark. Marco was an interesting character.

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CharlesSwann
Mehso-so

#8 in series. Not my favorite. A lot of terrorism and Assad‘s backstory. I would have preferred not to now!

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CharlesSwann
The Purity of Vengeance | Jussi Adler-Olsen
Pickpick

#4 in series. Just batshit crazy. Serial killer getting revenge. Loved it!

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

#3 in the series. Very dark, tense thriller, as usual. But well written!

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

First translated book in the series, lots of character introduction. Politician is kidnapped and locked away for years. Great introduction to the series.

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CharlesSwann
Hanging Girl | Jussi Adler-Olson
Pickpick

#6 in this series. Another bizarre murder, and the sun cult is particularly creepy.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Fascinating history of a Chicago serial killer in 1893

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

How Erlandur got his start in the Reykjavik PD. Really solid!

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CharlesSwann
Panpan

Pretentious. Hated this. Tartt is better

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

No Erlandur in this one. Good, not my favorite in the series.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

One of the best entries in the series.

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CharlesSwann
The Big Sleep | Raymond Chandler
Pickpick

Chandler at the top of his game. Noir at its finest.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

One of the best books in the Reykjavik series. Erlandur is like Wallander in many ways, but the story is engrossing.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

Great Agatha Christie style murder mystery. Fandorin is a wonderful character, and this is one of the best in the series.

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CharlesSwann
The Bat | Jo Nesbo
Mehso-so

Love the Harry Hole series, but the first book takes awhile to get in gear. But the books get better.....much much better.

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CharlesSwann
Atonement | Ian McEwan
Pickpick

A brilliant and devastating WWII story. Great ending. Possibly Mcewan's masterpiece?

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

5th book in the Department Q series, with another strong showing for Morck and Company.

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CharlesSwann
Pickpick

One of the great pieces of literature.