Books

A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson: After ‘Life after Life‘ another great book from Kate Atkinson. The author calls it a companion book to ”Life after Life’, I also read somewhere that it is a sequel. I find it could be a stand-alone, only for the ending to understand you might need the knowledge from the first book. Anyway, I loved it. Very interesting to read Ted’s story and his life as a bomber pilot in WWII. I was always fascinated by this subject, ever since I read a Reader’s Digest novel in boarding school called ‘Last days of summer’ or something similar (I can’t really remember the title and I never found it online although I did extensive research).

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff: There was a lot more to Cleopatra than her being the mistress of the two greatest men of her time. An astute leader of her people for 22 years she had few peers in her time. To reduce her to a beauty and a seductress wouldn’t do her justice at all as I learned in the book. She bested the men and managed her country with her intelligence but to acknowledge that wouldn’t look good for Octavian. So much easier to blame it on her beguiling abilities.

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan: Once you betray a friendship all hell can break loose even if it is in a very quiet way. The two friends Vernon and Clive united in their hatred of the husband of their former lover Molly make a pact that has eventually unforeseen consequences. Great read with interesting characters and food for thoughts.

Ach, wär ich nur zu Hause geblieben by Kerstin Gier: Short stories about traveling that were mediocre. Good to read on short metro rides but not enough to keep your mind occupied.

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