Reading on Søren's Blog

Miss Merkel - Mord in der Therapie

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 06:00:00 +0200

my take: Apple Books recommended this one to me a couple of times. I didn’t see me spending Euros on it and was glad when I saw it in the local library. It’s a fun vacation-read.

recommendation: yes, if you’re in for the (German political) character.

(I read this in German)

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Still no eReader

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:45:00 +0200

A few weeks ago, I had a sudden urge to buy a new e-reader.

In a rare moment of mental strength, I managed to stop myself.

Lucky me, saving myself a few bucks, because I don’t reget it. At all. I don’t need an eReader right now.

I’ve come to realize that I prefer reading books the old-fashioned, analog way. And if that’s not possible, because I don’t have a heavy book with me, I can use the Books app on my iPhone and continue reading an eBook there.

I thought it will confuse me, I will loose track, reading two books at the same time, one in print, one digitally. But I did that recently with Beyond (eBook) and Lotus Wars (real book), and it worked out well.

Let’s spend the money on something else then - coffee maybe ☕

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Beyond: The Astonishing Story ...

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0200

my take: It took me a while to read it, because Stephan did a great job researching the events leading up to Juri reaching orbit and flying around earth for the first time in human history.

I learned a lot about the Russian and the American Space Programs. Interesting to see how similar and close they were at some topics while doing other things completely different.

recommendation: yes, absolutely!

(I read this in German)

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Lotus Wars (Stormdancer / Kinslayer / Endsinger)

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 06:00:00 +0200

my take: Japanese steampunk with a female main character. Count me in. I liked the story, the characters and the world. Could imagine this as a Netflix series, Arcane-style.

I think part of why I enjoyed it is that it’s the first physical book I’ve read in years and I read the first pages during a relaxed spa day.

I liked story and setting - but I can see why others didn’t. Yukiko, the main character, is described as a 16/17 year old. I don’t think the story needs explicit description of her bathing. And is it a proper description of Japanese culture and myths? Probably not.

From what I read it was an advantage to read it in German rather than the English original, because the translation was easy to understand, despite a few Japanese terms and used the sans and samas correctly (as far as I can tell).

recommendation: yes.

(I read this in German)

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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 since. An eReader may join /uses soon.

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Julia

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

my take: Julia is the more interesting character compared to Winston. Really enjoyed reading this. Loved the end - leaves many open questions.

recommendation: yes, absolutely!

(I read this in German)

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Bullet Train

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

my take: I didn’t know this was a book. I haven’t seen the movie either. It’s a fun read - and at the same time you don’t miss anything if you don’t read it.

recommendation: yes, as an easy read and for a few laughs

(I read this in German)

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1984

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

my take: 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.

recommendation: yes, but only because it’s a classic

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2025 Book Log

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0200

I loaded the Apple Books App to my phone and started reading books when bored during the day or before going to bed. It’s not the same as reading a real book, but I feel it could get me back into reading again.

This year, I read more but didn’t track so the list is very short.

Jeff VanderMeer: Annihilation

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