Bogormen

Title: The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear
Author: Walter Moers
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: 710
Date read: January 2010, April 2014, March 2022

Captain Bluebear is a bear with blue fur, a creature as unique as the fantastic adventures he undergoes. Unlike cats, which have only nine lives, bluebears have twenty-seven. This is fortunate, because our hero is forever avoiding disaster by a paw's breadth. In this remarkable book, Captain Bluebear tells the story of his first thirteen-and-a-half lives spent on the mysterious continent of Zamonia, where intelligence is an infectious disease and water flows uphill, where headless giants roam deserts made of sugar, and where only Captain Bluebear's courage and ingenuity enable him to escape the dangers that lie in wait for him around every corner.


The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear is one of the most fascinating books I've read. Walter Moers creates a vivid and imaginative universe and stays absolutely true to it to the very end. I think it might even be a bit better than The City of Dreaming Books although I don't like to admit it.

I love his way of using the book media to tell his story, and though I generally don't care much for illustrations one way or another, here they definitely enhance the story. The characters are original and well described, and the 13.5 lives different enough to make for a very interesting story. I simply couldn't put the book down but devoured it in 2 days.

In atmosphere Zamonia reminded me quite a bit of Dystopia, although the two books otherwise have nothing in common.

Reread 2022: Unfortunately I have to downgrade the rating from 5 stars to 4. I still like it, but man it is WAY too long! Would definitely have benefitted from a better editor. Some of the 'lives' were fine, but Atlantis especially was waaaaaay too longwinded, and I found myself skimming a lot of the descriptions of architecture and creatures living there, as well as many of the 99 rounds Bluebear went in his final duel.

Title: Fasandræberne (Pheasant killers)
Author: Jussi Adler-Olsen
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: 399
Date read: January, 2010

In 1987 a brother and sister are found brutally murdered in a summer house. The investigations conducted by the police indicate that the murderer is to be found among a group of young boarding school students, whose parents are among the richest and most influential people in Denmark. But the evidence isn't clear enough, and the case is abandoned.

But with the introduction of the new Department Q the old case sees the light of day again, and Carl Mørck is convinced that there's more to the case than meets the eye.

Still a page-turner, but unfortunately the weakest of Jussi Adler-Olsen's books. Or perhaps I just didn't find the plot as interesting. Also, I discovered that Jussi Adler-Olsen suffers from the same issue as many other genre-writers - their books end up being very similar, which isn't a problem as long as you don't read them too closely together.

That said, I'm still excited to have found a new and talented Danish author, and will definitely be following his career with interest.

Title: Her Fearful Symmetry
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.5/5
# pages: 400
Date read: January, 2010

When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These two American girls never met their English aunt, only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and Elspeth her sister. Julia and Valentina are semi-normal American teenagers--with seemingly little interest in college, finding jobs, or anything outside their cozy home in the suburbs of Chicago, and with an abnormally intense attachment to one another.

The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders Highgate Cemetery in London. They come to know the building's other residents. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword puzzle setter suffering from crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Marjike, Martin's devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt's neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including--perhaps--their aunt, who can't seem to leave her old apartment and life behind.

I absolutely adored The Time Traveler's Wife and consider it one of my favourite books, so when I heard Audrey Niffenegger had written a new book, I was thrilled, and knew I had to read it.

Unfortunately I ended up terribly disappointed by it. I found myself completely unable to care for any of the characters (which the possible exception of Martin, who unfortunately got far too little page-time) as they all seemed incredibly selfish and unsympathetic. The climax disturbed me greatly and I felt absolutely disgusted by the people who brought it into fruition.

For plot alone I would give Her Fearful Symmetry only 2 stars, but Niffenegger's captive writing is still in action, so she gets another half star for making me unable to put down the book despite my misgivings.

Title: Wishful Drinking
Author: Carrie Fisher
Genre: memoir
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~3hrs
Date read: January, 2010

Finally, after four hit novels, Carrie Fisher comes clean (well, sort of ) with the crazy truth that is her life in her first-ever memoir. In Wishful Drinking, adapted from her one-woman stage show, Fisher reveals what it was really like to grow up a product of "Hollywood in-breeding," come of age on the set of a little movie called Star Wars, and become a cultural icon and bestselling action figure at the age of nineteen.

Intimate, hilarious, and sobering, Wishful Drinking is Fisher, looking at her life as she best remembers it (what do you expect after electroshock therapy?). It's an incredible tale: the child of Hollywood royalty -- Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher -- homewrecked by Elizabeth Taylor, marrying (then divorcing, then dating) Paul Simon, having her likeness merchandized on everything from Princess Leia shampoo to PEZ dispensers, learning the father of her daughter forgot to tell her he was gay, and ultimately waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed.

Very amusing memoir. As more or less a transcript of her stand-up show it was quickly read and very easily accessible. I enjoyed learning more about Carrie Fisher. I've heard so many rumours about her, that it's nice to be able to separate at least some of the facts from the fiction.

The version I found was read by Carrie Fisher herself, with lent a nice touch to it.

Title: Kvinden i buret (The Woman in the Cage)
Author: Jussi Adler-Olsen
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 379
Date read: January, 2010

I've found a new author to look out for. Jussi Adler-Olsen writes excellent page-turners, and so far I've been very impressed by his books.

A beautiful winterday in 2002 the young, ambitious politician Merete Lynggaard disappears completely. The media jump on the story and headlines guess everything from murder or suicide to a deliberate disappearance. The police immediately start an elaborate search, but with no results. Merete Lynggaard is nowhere to be found.

Five years later, Carl Mørck is made head of the new police department for 'Cases of special importance', and picks up the Merete Lynggaard case again. A seemingly innocent remark turns out to be a new clue, and soon he and his assistant Assad are on the hunt of a ruthless criminal with an insane plan. The question is whether they're in time to prevent the hideous outcome, or if they'll be victims as well.

Jussi Adler-Olsen writes both from the POV of Carl Mørck and Merete Lynggaard which makes for a more interesting read, than if we had just gotten one of the stories. It starts a bit slowly, as he sets up his characters and the universe, but quickly picks up pace and keeps it high for the rest of the book.

It's not really meant to be a 'whodunnit' (I'd guessed the identity of the criminal before it was revealed), but more a psychological thriller. I was shocked by the thought of being kept captive for 5 years with nothing for company but your own thoughts. I think I'd go mad!

Excellent book. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.

Title: The Girl in a Swing
Author: Richard Adams
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 395
Date read: January, 2010

A shy young man meets a beautiful woman in the company of a young girl. He finds himself swept off of his feet and married to her, bringing her with him to live in his family home. She is his erotic dream come true; she does everything she can to bind him to her and join him in his comfortable life.

Soon, however, odd things begin to happen. Things in the house are strangely damp with what looks like seawater, bodies appear under the water that aren't really there. It all winds up to a horrifying (but fairly gentle, for all of that) conclusion.

I hardly know how to describe this book. It started out very slowly, and I was wondering if I'd have the patience to work my way through it, but suddenly it captured me completely, and I read the last 200 pages in one sitting.

It is so very, very different from Watership Down that it's almost hard to believe it was written by the same author. Instead of being a social commentary, The Girl in a Swing touches upon the supernatural while tying it up to Christian theology.

I'd been warned that the book was depressing, but I actually didn't find it so. It was sad to be sure, and both troubling and disturbing, but I'm obviously no good at figuring out clues, so it took me almost to the very end, to figure out what the secret was - and suddenly, a lot of the earlier theological debates made sense.

A lot of the book takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark, and I have to admit to being tickled pink by all the references to places I know, and even all the Danish words being thrown in there - that's very rare to see.

Title: Little Town on the Prairie Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder Genre: Classics Rating: 4.5/5 # pages: 223 Date read: July 2007, January 2010, August 2012, January 2018, 2024

The long winter is finally over, and with spring comes a new job for Laura, town parties, and more time to spend with Almanzo Wilder. Laura also tries to help Pa and Ma save money for Mary to go to college.


This is one of my favourite LIW books. I'm fascinated by the descriptions of life in town. Two things that struck me in particular were a) how modestly they lived and b) how quickly they had to grow up. Just think of Laura, going off to teach at age 15. I was no where near mature enough for that at that age. And they all seemed so selfless too - always passing on things to each other, because they didn't need them themselves, and thought the other person would like them more.

Title: Farmer Boy Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder Genre: Classics Rating: 4.5/5 # pages: 236, Audiobook ~7hrs Date read: July 2007, January 2010, August 2012, January 2018, November 2024

The Story of a boy named Almanzo Wilder...While Laura Ingalls grows up on the western prairie, a boy named Almanzo Wilder is living on a farm in New York State. Almanzo and his brother and sisters work at their chores from dawn until supper most days -- no matter what the weather. There is still time for fun, though, especially with the horses, which Almanzo loves more than anything.


It took me quite awhile to read this one the first time around, because I didn't originally think that a book not about Laura could possibly be as good. I don't know why I thought that, seeing as it was the same person writing them, and fortunately my mum talked me into reading it. Now, it's one of my favourite of the series. It has a lot more explaining how they do this or that, but that doesn't bother me at all, since lots of this is completely new to me. I also like the fact that this book spans over almost exactly one year, so you get to see how life on a farm was back in those days.