Hanni's Bookreview

Ok, after I’m easily disctracted if there’s a bookstore in sight and I’m following its call to come in (even more often when I’m alone :)) I will tell you what I read so far since I came here to the Philippines and what I liked and what not :)

My recommendations (you should be open to a little bit of fantasy):

The Graveyardbook – Neil Gaiman
Very catching story of a boy who escaped the murderes of his family when he was a baby and was rescued and cared by the ghosts of a graveyard. He discovers the graveyards and its sometimes creepy and weird but mostly friendly inhabitants as well as friendship to a girl as he’s growing up.
When he decided he want’s to go to school like every other child, he steps in the normal world, where the unknown murderer is already waiting.
I really like Neil Gaimans writing, it’s so easy flowing and deep at the same time. And in addition his stories will catch you as the protagonists discovers grow up, discover their personality, reflect themselves.

Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman
The same with this story. It’s about a normal citizen of London, you can say boring and caught in the life of monotony and a fiancee he’s not loving but thinks he needs to marry. As he helps a run down girl, he’s thrown in the world of London below full of adventures and magic. Until the end he wants to go back to his calm life. But then he realizes the stupidity.

The Timetraveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
This was a recommendation from Reece – and Reece knows the heartthrobbing stories ☺ Very romantic, but not cheesy! He travells through time, but by chance meets his later wife when she is six, but he’s already over thirty. So she knows him all of her life, while he’s searching for the right girl until he meets her at the age of 28. Then their dramatic part of life begins. And be sure it’s more of a lovestory than a sci-fi-novel. I read it in two days :)


The Classics:

William Golding – Lord of the Flies
This classic tale about the monster inside of us is full of metaphors, but slightly to short for my taste. But it’s a good book, if you like thinking yourself about the story, the meaning, the opinion behind it. And Golding knows how to describe the depths of human beings without mentioning it by the proper word (maybe there is none).

Noli Me Tangere – Jose Rizal
Must read if you’re connected to the Philippines – even if it’s over a hundred years old and you feel that. This book substitutes every history textbook about the spanish rule. The story about the man who comes back to rearrange his life is just the coat to describe the situation between the poor peasants, the church and the aristocracy of that time.


The Could read:

Hektor auf der Suche nach dem Glück
Sehr süßes Buch, mit einer sehr schönen Aussage, aber auch sehr kurz und gut für einen gemütlichen Sonntagnachmittag, wenn es draußen stürmt und man nichts weiter tun möchte, als sich die Zeit sinnvoll zu vertreiben.

Wicked – Gregory MacGuire
It’s a nice idea to ask about the history of the wicked witch of the west (referring to The Wizard of Oz) and that she was not evil at all but became „evil“ because of the cirumstances and losses of her life. But that’s all, can’t see why it was on the bestseller list of the Times. It’s not really pageturning and it often looses context. It’s like a glance to another world without bigger explanations. A comprehensive plot line is missing and the there’s no flow growing while reading.