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jvt038

jvt038@bookwyrm.social

Joined 1 year, 8 months ago

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jvt038's books

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Huib Modderkolk: Het is oorlog maar niemand die het ziet (Paperback, Dutch language, Uitgeverij Podium) 5 stars

Een platgelegde Rotterdamse haven. Nederlandse spionnen die digitaal toeslaan in Moskou. Artsen die ineens niet …

Intrigerend verhaal

No rating

'Het is oorlog maar niemand die het ziet' is een buik van Huib Modderkolk en bespreekt in uiterst detail de schaduw-oorlog die zich plaatsvindt in de digitale wereld van de 21e eeuw.

Veel intrigerende verhalen over Russische spionage, de Nederlanders die terugspioneren, de samenwerking tussen de Nederlanders en Amerikanen en de consequenties voor de samenleving. Het verhaal is redelijk kort geschreven, maar heeft de kern en Modderkolk kan dit op een meeslepende manier vertellen. Dit boek bewijst ook weer hoe belangrijk digitale veiligheid is en wat de gevolgen zijn als de beveiliging niet op orde is.

5/5

Sanne Blauw: Het bestverkochte boek ooit (Paperback, 2018, De Correspondent BV) 4 stars

Review of 'Het bestverkochte boek ooit' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Sanna Blauw beschrijft in dit boek de betekenis van cijfers en statistiek. Ze legt uit wat de cijfers betekenen, hoe ze regelmatig misbruikt worden in de media en wat de gevolgen hiervan zijn.

Vlot geschreven, maar alsnog de boodschap goed overgebracht, met verhelderende voorbeelden. Het is niet heel diepgaand, maar laat de lezer wel zien hoe statistiek gemanipuleerd wordt in het voordeel van belanghebbenden. Met een goed inzicht in statistiek en een niet-langdradig verhaal, geef ik dit een 4/5.

Philippe Claudel: Brodeck's Report 4 stars

Brodeck's Report (French: Le Rapport de Brodeck) is a 2007 novel by the French writer …

Review of "Brodeck's Report" on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Brodeck's report is about Brodeck, who has been given the task to write a report about the death of a foreign visitor. During the writing of this report, he starts writing another report, a private report that he keeps to himself to write in, which is what the reader reads.
The book is a very cynical story, containing the life story of Brodeck who has a fascinating view on humanity, as he has been subjected to the worst horrors in human history.
I personally found it a very slow book, containing unnecessary and banal details, but yet the writing style was very interesting, as the non-linear story has been told in a very special way.
The story itself is interesting, as it gives insight on how humans cope with trauma, how humans do whatever it takes to survive, and the cliché yet interesting theme of the power of love.

Ultimately, …

Aafke Romeijn: Concept M roman (Dutch language, 2018) 4 stars

Review of 'Concept M roman' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

"Concept M" is een interessant boek, met ethische kwesties en debatten die nu nog steeds actueel zijn.
Ik vind de manier waarop Romeijn het verhaal heeft verteld (flashbacks en achterlaten van informatie) zeer entertaining en de gebeurtenissen in dit boek zijn ook te vergelijken met de gebeurtenissen in het echt, wat ik zelf ook interessant vond.
Ik vind het nog onduidelijk of Romeijn hier probeerde haar politieke mening te duwen richting de lezer, maar een ding is wel duidelijk en dat is dat zij geen vertrouwen heeft in onze overheid.
Uiteindelijk denk ik dat dit boek interessante ideeën en concepten bevat, die ondanks de fictieve basis, nog steeds relevant zijn voor onze huidige maatschappij.

4/5

reviewed The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (The Discworld series)

Terry Pratchett: The Color of Magic (2005, Harper) 4 stars

The Colour of Magic is a 1983 fantasy comedy novel by Terry Pratchett, and is …

Review of 'The color of magic' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The color of magic is the first installment of Pratchett's disc world series. It follows Rincewind, a wizard who only knows one spell, and Twoflower, a dangerously curious tourist from the other side of the disc.

I think Pratchett's way of telling the story isn't my style. Too much detail, too much unnecessary information, which would've been suitable for some sort of sequel, but not for the first book of a 40+ book series.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy this book. I think this fantasy series has a lot of potential, and Pratchett's creativity and fantasy is astoundingly surprising, which constantly makes me wonder how in the world he came up with this novel.

His creativity is very entertaining yo read, Nx I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4/5

Review of 'Until the End' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

This book was the most absurd bullshit I've ever read.

And I love it.

Landy's usual way of starting random plotlines, a convoluted mess of bullshit, was once again very entertaining to read.
And contrary to the earlier books, the ending wasn't predictable; no, contrary to that, it caught me by surprise, as I had expected Landy to kill everyone off in some stupid nuclear event.

So let's start with the various plotlines eh?

- The obsidian plotline seemed very annoying at first, because the biggest concern was obviously the Faceless Ones, and the monsters they unleashed on the Earth. The way Obsidian completely ended the universe, wasn't really surprising, as Darquesse had done it before in phase 1, and it was just like what I had expected; an ending where all characters were killed off, in some worldwide apocalypse.
- Now, the Martin Flannery plot was very entertaining to …

James S. A. Corey: Leviathan Wakes (2011, Orbit) 4 stars

Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but the stars …

Review of 'Leviathan Wakes' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

So I started reading this book 1 year ago...
I remember very vaguely that it kind of bored me; the vocabulary was complicated, the author uses some technical words I don't understand, and it generally didn't entertain me...
However, the idea of an interplanetary society that's set up in this novel, is very fascinating, additionally with the perspectives of 2 different, opposite characters, is also a very interesting way of telling a story.

Ultimately, I would give it a 3/5

Andrzej Sapkowski: Sword of Destiny (2015, ORBIT) 4 stars

Collects short stories following the adventures of magical hero Geralt.

"Geralt is a witcher, a …

Review of 'Sword of Destiny' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The Witcher, the Sword of destiny is the second collection of short stories by Sapkowski.
It discusses various ethical, moral, and unnatural subjects, such as what makes someone a monster, and a big recurrent motive is destiny. Does it exist? Are peoplebreally destined for each other?
I like the way Sapkowski implies that destiny can only exist when people believe, and strive for it; more is needed than just destiny for destiny to happen. And I think personal beliefs and faith is required for destiny to happen.

Either way, the book really goes more in depth of Geralt as a character, and it elucidates his reluctance to take certain jobs. For example, in "a shard of ice" he ultimately decides to reject a job, because he doesn't perceive certain species as "monsters", due to them having a consciousness.

Ultimately, I'll give it a 4/5.

reviewed Things fall apart by Gerald Moore (Books in focus)

Review of 'Things fall apart--Chinua Achebe' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Things Fall Apart is a novel by Chinua Achebe, an Nigerian author whose fame is mostly from this book.
In Things Fall Apart, the Nigerian culture is described, and the reader will get to know the country, its origin, its history, and ultimately its culture. The impact of the British on Nigeria is also briefly described.

I think the book is rather interesting, as it really gives me a look into the Nigerian culture. Another remarkable thing are the idioms that Achebe has directly translated from Nigerian to English, and Achebe has changed some grammatical tenses and conjunctions to match the Nigerian language.

reviewed Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski (The Witcher, #1)

Andrzej Sapkowski: Last Wish (Paperback, 2008, Orbit) 4 stars

Geralt de Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin. And a cold-blooded …

Review of 'Last Wish' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

The Last Wish is a collection of short stories, revolving around Geralt of Rivia, and his adventures with the troubadour Dandelion and sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg.

I enjoyed reading this, as there were some witty jokes, and insults being traded. Additionally, this also includes some interesting themes, such as racism at the Edge of The World, and truth in A Grain of Truth. This book is funny, yet contains some important concepts.