Karen Mardahl

Karen Mardahl rated a book did not like it Opkald fra en engel by Guillaume Musso	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I didn't like this book, but I finished it because, well, I was a bit curious about where the story was going and wanted to know why I even started this book. Someone or something recommended this book to me, but I never noted down who or what that ...more
Apr 03, 2020 10:24AM · like · see review
Karen Mardahl rated a book really liked it Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata Read 2 times	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I listened to this story the first time around. I stumbled across it as an ebook on my Libby app from my library and impulsively decided to read it once more. I had noticed lots of praise for the book that didn't ring a bell for me. I did give this 4 ...more
Mar 22, 2020 03:07PM · 3 likes · like · see review
Karen Mardahl rated a book it was ok Den Fremmede by Albert Camus	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I am tagging this review as a spoiler just in case you have never heard of this book before and really want to read it. (view spoiler) ...more
Mar 15, 2020 11:05AM · like · see review
Karen Mardahl rated a book liked it False Value (Rivers of London, #8) by Ben Aaronovitch (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I love Peter Grant. I love Kobna Holbrook-Smith reading Peter Grant's adventures (I listened to the Audible version of the book). I love Beverly. I love the whole concept of the rivers of London being gods and goddesses, and I love Aaronovitch's love ...more
Mar 15, 2020 10:57AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of False Value by Ben Aaronovitch. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — False Value by Ben Aaronovitch <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Karen Mardahl made a comment on her review of The Memory Police " Cecily wrote: "I've read a couple of friends' reviews of this - but hadn't noticed it was the same author as The Housekeeper and the Professor. That's ...more "
Mar 13, 2020 04:10PM · see review
Karen Mardahl rated a book really liked it A Midsummer's Equation (Detective Galileo, #3) by Keigo Higashino	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book made me want to skip work and play hooky as I got to the end of it! Once again I hit the jackpot with an "escape from your long day at work" book. :) This book is number 6 in a series of 8 books about Detective Galileo, and I am upset that ...more
Mar 10, 2020 03:40PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Midsummer's Equation by Keigo Higashino. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Midsummer's Equation by Keigo Higashino <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Karen Mardahl rated a book it was amazing The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Wow. This is completely different from the first Ogawa book I read - "The Housekeeper and the Professor". I don't know what to say. I feel an ache inside. A heartache? An emptiness? Only someone who has read this book might understand what I mean. The ...more
Mar 07, 2020 08:58AM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Karen Mardahl made a comment on her review of The Housekeeper + The Professor " Thanks for your comment, Jim. I just got The Memory Police. I was in the queue at my library. :) "
Mar 01, 2020 10:44AM · see review
Karen Mardahl rated a book it was amazing The Housekeeper + The Professor by Yōko Ogawa	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I loved this little book. The language was beautiful, so the translator must have done an excellent job to make it flow so smoothly. The love of math that shone through was lovely and all within reach. I bought this book used on a whim based on a ...more
Feb 18, 2020 02:27PM · 7 likes · like · see review
Karen Mardahl rated a book really liked it Rich People Problems (Crazy Rich Asians, #3) by Kevin Kwan (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I had a blast reading this one. It popped up out of the blue in my Libby app. I had requested it a while ago, but there was a waiting list. I swear I was never notified that it was available for me, so when I opened my Libby app just to see what I ...more
Feb 16, 2020 01:24AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

Karen Mardahl rated a book did not like it

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I didn't like this book, but I finished it because, well, I was a bit curious about where the story was going and wanted to know why I even started this book. Someone or something recommended this book to me, but I never noted down who or what that ...more

Karen Mardahl rated a book really liked it

Convenience Store Woman
by Sayaka Murata

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I listened to this story the first time around. I stumbled across it as an ebook on my Libby app from my library and impulsively decided to read it once more. I had noticed lots of praise for the book that didn't ring a bell for me. I did give this 4 ...more

Karen Mardahl rated a book it was ok

Den Fremmede
by Albert Camus

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I am tagging this review as a spoiler just in case you have never heard of this book before and really want to read it.

(view spoiler) I am tagging this review as a spoiler just in case you have never heard of this book before and really want to read it.

(view spoiler)[I read segments of this book years ago in French classes. I don’t recall if I ever read the entire book before. I would think that I could remember the parts that in this reading really upset and bothered me. I was so disgusted by the character of Raymond that I was about to drop the book around one-third of the way in. Raymond symbolises so many horrible characteristics, and the passive way that Meursault participates in the conversation makes Meursault complicit in all the bad things Raymond does.

Perhaps I am reading with 2020 eyes and not 1942 eyes. I don’t care. I have no problem with his lack of emotion with his mother’s death. We don’t know all that much about their relationship, although we can guess as the story unfolds, especially in the trial. People have different relationships with their parents that can result in the disconnect this son and mother obviously have. Of course that is part of what the prosecution plays on in the trial. That lack of filial devotion. The religious and societal expectations there do play a huge role in judging him, and that is a part that Camus is focusing on. What I could not ignore was the chauvinism, sexism, and racism from Raymond. And this is what I feel that Meursault condones. The “others”, the “Arabs” have no names. With no identity, they are the classical target of Raymond’s hate. That Meursault just tags along disgusts me.

Meursault is treated rather decently during the trial - or so it seems to me. It feels like, yes, he committed murder and there is a serious punishment for that, but at no point does anyone pull out the card that says “you deprived a family of one of their sons, one of their loved ones”. No one talks about the loss of the murdered man’s family at any point. I put this down to racism. I know (I think I know) that the scope of latter part of the book is what is going on inside Meursault’s head, but still, I found this exclusion upsetting. I sense that no Arabs were in the courtroom at all. For a moment, I was expecting that they would not pass the death sentence and have the racist attitude that some lives are less worthy of dying for or something like that. I do think that some heat stroke is involved in what happened, but it is not the excuse or the whole explanation. A lifetime of segregation condoned by society is also at play. I noted that a GR friend raised the idea that Meursault could be on the autism spectrum, for example, based on his attitude to his mother. That is not impossible, but I doubt it was in Camus' mind. I doubt autism was an issue of discussion back in 1942.

While I was disgusted by the behaviour of Raymond and all the episodes with Raymond, including the fatal one on the beach, and I wanted to ditch the book, I felt much more interested in the story when the trial began. The Catholic angle was so annoying, and I believe this is in line with Camus’ thoughts. I could feel some sympathy for Meursault sticking to his views on religion while the priest was going on and on and on. Maybe this is where I was suppose to raise the ranking up to four or five stars for the writing. I have even heard about the philosophical discussion that the murder was not murder. There was no intent or premeditation according to this line of thinking, based on police classifications of murder. Therefore, the whole thing is basically absurd (I am abbreviating immensely here). So we are over in the “let’s just philosophise” camp, and this is, after all, just a book. No lives were lost in the writing of the book. Maybe my irritation is playing right into Camus’ hands. I don’t know. True, it is kind of amazing that an almost 80-year-old book is getting me all riled up.

In fact, I read this book only as a preamble to reading another book. I heard about “The Meursault Investigation” - this entire story written from the Arab angle - and I will read that next. To appreciate that book more fully, I had to re-read or read this one first. I think I am quite ready for it now! (hide spoiler)] ...more

Karen Mardahl rated a book liked it

False Value (Rivers of London, #8)
by Ben Aaronovitch (Goodreads Author)

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I love Peter Grant. I love Kobna Holbrook-Smith reading Peter Grant's adventures (I listened to the Audible version of the book). I love Beverly. I love the whole concept of the rivers of London being gods and goddesses, and I love Aaronovitch's love I love Peter Grant. I love Kobna Holbrook-Smith reading Peter Grant's adventures (I listened to the Audible version of the book). I love Beverly. I love the whole concept of the rivers of London being gods and goddesses, and I love Aaronovitch's love of London and its architecture.

But this book didn't have the usual oomph of a Peter Grant story. It was a bit confusing to follow for some reason. Lots of great sections, but set too loosely together to make a really tight and excellent adventure. Maybe the editor should have cracked a whip or two a bit harder?

I do wonder if reading this in a real book rather than listening to it would have changed my perception of the story, but I suspect it wouldn't.

(view spoiler) ...more

Karen Mardahl made a comment on her review of The Memory Police

" Cecily wrote: "I've read a couple of friends' reviews of this - but hadn't noticed it was the same author as The Housekeeper and the Professor. That's ...more "

Karen Mardahl rated a book really liked it

A Midsummer's Equation by Keigo Higashino

A Midsummer's Equation (Detective Galileo, #3)
by Keigo Higashino

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This book made me want to skip work and play hooky as I got to the end of it! Once again I hit the jackpot with an "escape from your long day at work" book. :) This book is number 6 in a series of 8 books about Detective Galileo, and I am upset that ...more

Karen Mardahl rated a book it was amazing

The Memory Police
by Yōko Ogawa

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Wow. This is completely different from the first Ogawa book I read - "The Housekeeper and the Professor".

I don't know what to say. I feel an ache inside. A heartache? An emptiness? Only someone who has read this book might understand what I mean.

The Wow. This is completely different from the first Ogawa book I read - "The Housekeeper and the Professor".

I don't know what to say. I feel an ache inside. A heartache? An emptiness? Only someone who has read this book might understand what I mean.

The story starts out slowly. The language is basic - I am not sure how else to describe it. It's just right - no more and no less, and certainly nothing flowery. That is what makes it strong, especially as the story unfolds more and more.

(view spoiler)[I kept wanting there to be an uprising, a revolt against the Memory Police, so that people could have all their memories back of whatever they desired. We should have the right to retain a ferry ticket forever or throw it away when we please, not because someone tells us it must disappear. The scope of life became narrower and narrower. But when body parts started to "disappear", then things got downright scary.

The reading of her novel alongside the main story added to the tension that grew as I listened to the story. At first, I was not 100% certain whether I was in the main story or the unnamed protagonist's novel. I did wonder if listening to this as a audiobook was a drawback. However, there could be some truth in the confusion. That there were parallels of a kind. The Memory Police were taking away the protagonist's life and ultimately, her identity and raison d'être almost. The typing teacher was taking away the typist's life bit by bit, too. He was taking control of her. His control over the typist was more pronounced than what the Memory Police were doing, I think. The Memory Police seemed to be satisfied just taking away and leaving people stuck to their own devices. The MP could just watch the population submit to the crazy disappearances. The typing teacher drew pleasure from taking control. And apparently not just from this one typist. Had he done so before? Was that what all the typewriters represented? Yikes! He was definitely on track to destroy another typist once again.

The novel is creepy, but there is a different kind of sadness in the main story. At the book-burning bonfire, the "crazy" woman with the hat talked about saving the stories - that the stories would stick around. (I am pretty sure that is what she said.) That sounded like what R was telling the protagonist. The stories that clung to an old ferry ticket, some old candy, an emerald, and so on. If we forget, what does that do to us. There is something in this area (I mentally wave my hands vaguely) that is causing that ache. Is loss of memory death? Is there something about the meaning of life and/or death here? Putting that thought into my mind reminds me that 20 years ago today, my father died of a heart attack. What are my memories of him now? How much and how often do I think of him and in what ways do I think of him? Does it matter? Is there a right or wrong way to remember? What does forgetting or remembering do to our sense of identity or the dead or "disappeared" person's identity? (hide spoiler)]

Yoko Ogawa certainly puts our brain cells to work - as well as the cells of our heart and the whatsits of our soul. Clean and "simple" language that hits us right in some sort of solar plexus. Wow. ...more

Karen Mardahl made a comment on her review of The Housekeeper + The Professor

The Housekeeper + The Professor by Yōko Ogawa

" Thanks for your comment, Jim. I just got The Memory Police. I was in the queue at my library. :) "

Karen Mardahl rated a book it was amazing

The Housekeeper + The Professor
by Yōko Ogawa

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I loved this little book. The language was beautiful, so the translator must have done an excellent job to make it flow so smoothly. The love of math that shone through was lovely and all within reach. I bought this book used on a whim based on a ...more

Karen Mardahl rated a book really liked it

Rich People Problems (Crazy Rich Asians, #3)
by Kevin Kwan (Goodreads Author)

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I had a blast reading this one. It popped up out of the blue in my Libby app. I had requested it a while ago, but there was a waiting list. I swear I was never notified that it was available for me, so when I opened my Libby app just to see what I ...more