Hearts in Darkness: Nikki and Michael Book 2 by Keri Arthur

Hearts in Darkness: Nikki and Michael Book 2 by Keri Arthur
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The first book in this series was more beautiful, there was more pace and even the characters seemed more tuned. This time Michael and Nikki go from two investigators to two boyfriends without anything changing. We'll see how it goes the third ....

Il primo libro di questa serie era piú bello, c'era piú ritmo e anche i personaggi mi sembravano piú sintonizzati. Stavolta Michael e Nikki passano dall'essere due investigatori a due fidanzati senza soluzione di continuitá. Vedremo come va il terzo....

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP - BANTAM DELL FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this book is one of the best examples of how tragic can be absolutely hilarious, obviously not when tragedies are happening to us ...

Of the three novels I've read so far by Zadie Smith (White teeth, NW and this one)this book I liked the most, perhaps because the characters were really well-characterized or even because, although once again the story was about lives of "migrants", it was easier for me to identify myself.

credo che questo libro sia uno degli esempi migliori di come il tragico possa essere assolutamente divertente, ovviamente quando le tragedie non stanno capitando a noi...

Dei tre romanzi che ho letto di Zadie Smith fino ad ora (White teeth, NW e questo appunto) é quello che mi é piaciuto di piú, forse perché i personaggi erano veramente ben caratterizzati o anche perché, pur se anche stavolta la storia era quella di "migranti", é stato per me piú facile immedesimarmi.

View all my reviews

The Recruit (Highland Guard, #6) by Monica McCarty

The Recruit by Monica McCarty
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I jumped so many pages that my head spin!

Ho saltato talmente tante pagine che mi gira la testa!

View all my reviews

Dirt by David Vann

Dirt by David Vann

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book really disturbing, from the psychopathic family, through the grandmother with dementia, to get to the little crazy guru; the author builds a poor plot but with a big emotional impact. The three stars are because I struggled to finish it and not because it is not well written, however I doubt that I will read more books by David Vann.

Libro veramente disturbante questo, a partire dalla famiglia psicopatica, passando per la nonna con la demenza senile, per arrivare al piccolo guru fuori di testa; l'autore costruisce una trama poverissima ma di grosso impatto emotivo. Le tre stelle sono perché ho fatto fatica a finirlo e non perché non sia ben scritto, dubito comunque che leggeró altro di suo.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE UK, CORNERSTONE FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

True Blood Volume 1: All Together Now by Alan Ball, David Tischman, Mariah Huehner (Goodreads Author), David Messina (Illustrations)

True Blood Volume 1: All Together Now by Alan Ball

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After reading the last chapter in the saga of Sookie, it was a pleasure to meet the usual characters, too bad that I still hate the ending of the series ....

Dopo aver letto l'ultimo capitolo della saga di Sookie, é stato un piacere ritrovare i soliti personaggi, peccato che ho ancora l'amaro in bocca per come é finita la serie....

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIBUTORS FOR THE PREVEWIEW!

View all my reviews

Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson

Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of those books that no matter how fast I was not really involved in, the two accomplices for me were clearly detectable from the beginning and I think it was also clear to the author that, in order to raise the tension, put in the book the avoidable mourning.

Uno di quei libri che per quanto rapido non mi ha preso, i due complici per me erano chiaramente scopribili dall'inizio e credo fosse chiaro anche all'autore che per rialzare la tensione ci ha messo dentro il lutto evitabile.

View all my reviews

The Sorrows of an American by Siri Hustvedt

The Sorrows of an American by Siri Hustvedt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nice book, but as far as I'm concerned extremely heavy; maybe because the main protagonist is a psychotherapist (a psychoanalytic psychotherapist to be precise) and perhaps more than once because all his brooding about the various meanings more or less insconscious of its dreams/thoughts were a little stodgy, the fact is that I'm glad that it´s over.

Bel libro, ma per quanto mi riguarda estremamente pesante; forse perché il protagonista principale é uno psicoterapeuta (un psicoterapeuta psicoanalitico per essere precisi) e forse perché piú di una volta tutte le sue elecubrazione rispetto ai vari significati piú o meno insconsci dei suoi pernsieri/sogni mi sono risultati un pochino indigesti, fatto sta che sono contenta di averlo finito.

View all my reviews

The Saint by Monica McCarty

The Saint by Monica McCarty
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Absolutely boring und umbelievable.

Assolutamente noioso e poco credibile.

View all my reviews

Gore Vidal: A Biography by Fred Kaplan

Gore Vidal: A Biography by Fred Kaplan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well-written book and definitely very interesting as the life of Gore Vidal is wonderfully full of people who have left or leave a mark on the world. In addition, the writer has been able to capture several facets of both the political scientist and the writer; for me also has been very interesting the historical event that this book allowed me to discover as there were many things that I did not know about the history of the fifties, sixties and seventies especially regarding the United States of America.

Libro ben scritto e decisamente molto interessante in quanto la vita di Gore Vidal é meravigliosamente piena di gente che ha lasciato o lascia un segno nel mondo. Inoltre lo scrittore é stato in grado di cogliere parecchie sfaccettature sia dello scrittore che del politologo ed é stata molto interessante la ricostruzione storica che mi ha permesso di scoprire molte cose che non sapevo della storia degli anni cinquanta, sessanta e settanta specialmente per quanto riguarda gli Stati Uniti d'America.

View all my reviews

Star Trek FAQ 2.0 (Unofficial and Unauthorized): Everything Left to Know about the Next Generation, the Movies, and Beyond by Mark Clark

Star Trek FAQ 2.0 (Unofficial and Unauthorized): Everything Left to Know about the Next Generation, the Movies, and Beyond by Mark Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Clearly you have to be one of the greatest fan of Star Trek to read this sequel to Star Treq FAQ 1.0. If the first book was about the original series, this second book starts from the first movie "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and describes not only all those that have followed, but also all the episodes (every single one of them :) of Next Generation. At this point, I expect that the nextbook will be about Voyager and Deep Space Nine, maybe Enterprise also, considered that DSN is only the SF version of "Murder, She Wrote"!

Chiaramente bisogna essere dei grandissimi Fans di Star Trek per leggere questo seguito a Star Treq FAQ 1.0. Se il primo libro riguardava la prima serie, questo secondo libro parte dal primo film di Star Trek (The Motion Picture) e descrive non solo tutti quelli che sono seguiti, ma anche tutte le puntate (una per uno) di Next Generation. A questo punto mi aspetto che il prossimo riguardi Voyager e Deep Space Nine, magari anche Enterprise considerato che DSN é solo la versione SF de "La signora in giallo"!

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND HAL LEONARD PERFORMING ARTS PUBLISHING GROUP FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not bad this novel, though I liked Olive Kitteridge much more. It will be this sense of impending doom that pervades the whole book, or maybe the main characters I did not like that much. However, it is a book that can please all in all though I'm not sure I will remember it for so long.

Non male questo romanzo, peró Olive Kitteridge mi era piaciuto molto di piú. Sará questo senso di catastrofe imminente che pervade tutto il libro, o forse i personaggi principali che non mi piacevano poi tanto. Comunque é un libro che puó piacere anche se tutto sommato non sono sicura che lasci grandi segni al suo passaggio.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND RANDOM HOUSE PUBLISHING GROUP - RANDOM HOUSE FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

Eat Move Sleep: Why Small Choices Make a Big Difference by Tom Rath

Eat Move Sleep: Why Small Choices Make a Big Difference by Tom Rath

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There was nothing particularly new in this book that combines diet, sleep and movement, but it must be said that the hatred towrds carbohydrates was really high ...

Non c'era niente di particolarmente nuovo in questo libro che combina dieta, sonno e movimento, ma c'é da dire che l'odio verso i carboidrati era veramente tanto...

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND MISSIONDAY FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

Here and Now: Letters (2008-2011) by Paul Auster, J.M. Coetzee

Here and Now: Letters by Paul Auster

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading the correspondence between these two authors, specially because Paul Auster is one of my favorite (and his wife Siri also). In addition, I rejoice to see how we agree on several topics, above all the whole fact of moving the Israelis in Minnesota, but surely it would be more correct to say that it is I who think like them and not the other. It was also quite interesting the backgrounds that the authors have provided for some of their works,but as far as I had already read Winter Journal of P. Auster, some things I had already knew.

Mi é piaciuto molto leggere la corrispondenza tra questi due autori, di cui Paul Auster é uno dei miei preferiti (e anche la moglie Siri). Inoltre gioisco nel constatare come la pensino come me su parecchi argomenti, su tutto il fatto di spostare gli israeliani in Minnesota, ma sicuramente sarebbe piú corretto dire che sono io che la penso come loro e non il contrario. Sono stati inoltre parecchio interessanti, i background che gli autori hanno fornito ad alcune delle loro opere, per quanto avendo io giá letto Winter Journal di P. Auster, alcune cose le avevo giá lette.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND PENGUIN GROUP VIKING FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

12th of Never by James Patterson

12th of Never by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Too many twists and turns, also quite predictable and a villain who is not even so. This installment of the "Women murder club" is centered more on the interpersonal relationships of the girls instead of having a real thriller story behind, anyway it leaves the door open for the next book, wich I hope will be better!

Troppi colpi di scena, anche abbastanza prevedibili ed un cattivo che lascia a desiderare. Questa puntata delle ragazze del club omicidi é imperniata piú sull relazioni interpersonali delle ragazze che non su un giallo vero e proprio, speriamo nel prossimo!

View all my reviews

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As for me I think Sedaris has found the right mix of autobiography and short stories and as far as I'm concerned every book is a great pleasure.

Per quanto mi riguarda credo che Sedaris abbia trovato il giusto mix di autobiografia e racconti, fatto sta che ogni suo libro é un grosso piacere.

View all my reviews

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book beautiful and sad.

Libro bellissimo e tristissimo.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY, CROWN PUBLISHING GROUP AND RANDOM HOUSE FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

Henry James: The Imagination of Genius, A Biography by Fred Kaplan

Henry James: The Imagination of Genius, A Biography by Fred Kaplan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It could have been an interesting book, but in the end resulted too long, sometimes indigestible and very centered on the alleged repressed homosexuality of the author (H.J.). It has served to uncover information that I had not about his books and I become aware of the fact that Henry James has known practically all my favorite writers of the time, but other than that I've read several pieces jumping because I was very bored.

Poteva essere un libro interessante, ma alla fine é risultato troppo troppo lungo, a tratti indigesto e molto centrato sulla presunta omosessualitá repressa dello scrittore. Mi é servito per scoprire informazioni che non avevo sui suoi libri e venire a conoscenza del fatto che Henry James ha conosciuto praticamente tutti i miei scrittori preferiti dell'epoca, ma a parte questo l'ho letto saltando parecchi pezzi perché ero decisamente annoiata.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

Language & Silence: Essays on Language, Literature & the Inhuman by George Steiner

Language & Silence: Essays on Language, Literature & the Inhuman by George Steiner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting book, even if sometimes really heavy: the writing of Steiner is particularly convoluted, also some quotes are too educated and the book is dated. Having said that some essays are brilliant.

Libro interessante anche se a tratti veramente pesante: la scrittura di Steiner é particolarmente arzigogolata, inoltre fa citazioni troppo colte ed il libro é datato. Detto questo alcuni saggi sono brillanti.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND OPEN ROAD INTEGRATED MEDIA FOR THE PREVIEW!

View all my reviews

The Unrest-Cure and Other Stories by Saki, Edward Gorey

The Unrest-Cure and Other Stories by Saki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Few writers manage to be as incisive as Saki in stories that rarely exceed three pages, I consider him the undisputed master of the genre, which in addition to being sometimes particularly fun and caustic makes one reflects also.

Pochi scrittori riescono ad essere incisivi come Saki in racconti che raramente superano le tre pagine, io lo considero il maestro indiscusso del genere, che oltre al fatto di essere particolarmente divertente e caustico, fa anche riflettere.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS!

View all my reviews

Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan

Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A quanto pare lo spleen scorre potente nei francesi.....

View all my reviews