Reading on Søren's Blog

i almost bought a new eReader

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

On the Spa Day, I started reading a new book (awesome!).

I haven’t read a physical book in a long time and enjoyed it. It’s something I can grab, where I immediately see where I am and how much more story I can expect, where there is no need to bring a charger, or to sync something. It just works.

At the same time, books are heavy. You feel that when your hands get tired while reading, or when it’s in the backpack on trips or commutes.

My capitalist brain concluded, that I need a new eReader, and I was about to buy it directly after we returned home that day.

I stopped myself.

I enjoyed reading the real book - why should buying new tech help me keep this feeling?

Searching the web, I found that the gadget I was about to buy, may not be the best fit for me. One more argument to pause.

Today, three weeks later, it’s in the shopping cart but I did not buy it - yet. I also did not take the real book on any trip I had since. An eReader may join /uses soon.

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Stormdancer (Lotus Wars 1)

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0200

Author: Jay Kristoff

Rating: ★★★★★

Description: Arashitoras are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shōgun, they fear that their lives are over – everyone knows what happens to those who fail the Lord of the Shima Isles. But the mission proves less impossible and more deadly than anyone expects. Soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled arashitora for company. Although she can hear his thoughts, and saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her. Yet trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and the beast soon discover a bond that neither of them expected.

I read this in less than a fortnight. Awesome! Love the Japan Steampunk style. Great characters. Will directly start with the second one.

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Snare

Sun, 03 May 2026 06:00:00 +0200

Author: Lilja Sigurdardottir

Rating: ★★★★☆

Description: Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Snare sees young mother Sonja become involved in cocaine-smuggling in and out of Iceland, under the suspicious eye of a customs officer.

That was fun to read. A good thriller - I may continue reading the rest of the trilogy.

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Julia

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0200

Author: Sandra Newman

Rating: ★★★★★

Description: Julia Worthing is a mechanic, working in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. It’s 1984, and Britain (now called Airstrip One) has long been absorbed into the larger trans-Atlantic nation of Oceania. Oceania has been at war for as long as anyone can remember, and is ruled by an ultra-totalitarian Party, whose leader is a quasi-mythical figure called Big Brother. In short, everything about this world is as it is in Orwell’s 1984.

All her life, Julia has known only Oceania, and, until she meets Winston Smith, she has never imagined anything else. She is an ideal citizen: cheerfully cynical, always ready with a bribe, piously repeating every political slogan while believing in nothing. She routinely breaks the rules, but also collaborates with the regime when necessary. Everyone likes Julia.

Then one day she finds herself walking toward Winston Smith in a corridor and impulsively slips him a note, setting in motion the devastating, unforgettable events of the classic story. Julia takes us on a surprising journey through Orwell’s now-iconic dystopia, with twists that reveal unexpected sides not only to Julia, but to other familiar figures in the 1984 universe. This unique perspective lays bare our own world in haunting and provocative ways, just as the original did almost seventy-five years ago.

Julia is the more interesting character. Really enjoyed reading this. Loved the end - leaves many open questions.

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Bullet Train

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0200

Author: Kōtarō Isaka

Rating: ★★★★★

Description: Five killers who couldn’t be more different find themselves on a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train with a kidnapping victim and a suitcase full of cash, hurtling toward the final stop, where one of Tokyo’s underworld bosses awaits them. First, the suitcase goes missing; then, the kidnapping victim dies under mysterious circumstances. The journey turns into a hellish ride peppered with absurd dialogue, at the end of which only one person will leave the train.

I haven’t seen the movie, yet - but this one is gold.

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1984

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0200

Author: George Orwell

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Description: Portrays life in a future time when a totalitarian government watches over all citizens and directs all activities.

A classic. Was on the reading list for a long time. I read it now, because of Julia. The idea is great - the future dark - but I found Winston not being the most interesting character and the book a bit boring.

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Annihilation

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0200

Author: Jeff VanderMeer

Rating: ★★★★☆

Description: Area X has claimed the lives of members of eleven expeditions. The twelfth expedition consisting of four women hopes to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

I enojed reading this. Was the first book, I read on the iPhone Books App. The story reveals more and more over time, but at the end we still don’t know the mystery of Area X. I will continue with the other books in the trilogy.

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