Book Talk – May 2025

May was a surprisingly good reading month when it comes to numbers – nine books. When it comes to quality… Well, there is room for improvement. Let’s jump right in to the Book talk May edition.

Alek: From Sudanese Refugee to International Supermodel by Alek Wek | ★★★✶☆

Book Blurb: Alek Wek narrowly escapes the war turmoil in her African homeland and witnesses harrowing scenes of death and devastation as she flees. Finally arriving in London, she has to wait another two years before she sees her mother and three of her eight siblings again. But then fate took a turn for the better: at the age of 18, she was unexpectedly discovered for the catwalk and has since celebrated her greatest successes as a top model worldwide.
To this day, Alek Wek is deeply connected to her home country of Sudan: This book is not only an impressive testimony to a cruel war, but also the very personal and moving life story of a young woman who proves that she has lost neither hope nor joy in life despite the tragic loss of her family and homeland.
First Sentence: I was packing for my flight to London when my driver called to say he was waiting outside.
What I thought: This was an interesting read. I was more interested in her upbringing than the modeling career but luckily a lot of the book was on the childhood, the country and her family. It is devastating to think that these things happened. Happen to this day. Families fleeing with nothing. Children being hungry and mothers selling hot water for soup and food. I also came across a personal bias (? in lack of a better word) shifting my thought pattern. Not all refugees and especially from African countries are poor. They may be poor to Western/white standards but in the country itself they are rich living in stone houses, sending kids to school, etc. Treating these families as uneducated when the come to another country due to war and conflict is just not right. And not fair. Just because they dont have the knowledge we are used to. I kinda knew that of course but it is good to have to be confronted with this over and over again.
Elevate count: non as reading in German
Setting: Southern Sudan, London
Medium: hardcover
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Nomadenkind”
Recommend to: Everyone wanting to learn more about life of a refugee, Sudan and the model business.
Author’s Origin: born in Bahr al Ghazal, Sudan | April 16, 1977
Read Around the World: Logged for Sudan in my Read Around the World Challenge

Brothers like Friends by Klaus Kordon | ★★★✶☆

Book Blurb: A story of the friendship between two brothers living in Berlin in the 1950s.
Brothers who are like friends sometimes argue with each other, but above all they help each other out of trouble. The story of Frank and Burkhard takes place in the period after WWII and Berlin lying in rubbles.
First Sentence: Burkhard geht langsam durch das kniehohe Gras, Frank folgt ihm, den Kopf gesenkt, die Hände in den Hosentaschen.
What I thought: I remember fondly reading this author in my youth and learning a lot from his books. 
So I picked this up in the free little library because I don’t think I had read this one. It was fun and engaging. Some things though I view critically now though: smoking with 7 years, hitting kids, the marriage of the mother. However in the 50s that is what it was. I wonder if kids pick up on this things or if they are just reading the story and don’t realize these things. I will hand it to my niece and ask her when she is done. 
Elevate count: none
Characters: Frank – 7 year old, Burkhard “Burkie” – 14 year old, Lisa – mother to Frank and Burkie, Uncle Willi – stepfather to Franke & Burkie
Setting: Berlin Prenzlauerberg 1950
Medium: paperback
Original Language and Title: German “Brüder wie Freunde”
Publications: English and Spanish seen.
Recommend to: Everyone wanting to read a middl grade book about life after the War.
Author’s Origin: born in Berlin, Germany | September 21, 1943
Additional note: I loved this author when I was in my early teens and remember that through him I learned not only about post war Berlin but also the cast system in India and it opened a new world to me. I am thinking about re-reading a few of his books.

Reunion by Fred Uhlmann | ★★★✶☆

Book Blurb: On a grey afternoon in 1932, a Stuttgart classroom is stirred by the arrival of a newcomer. Middle-class Hans is intrigued by the aristocratic new boy, Konradin, and before long they become best friends. It’s a friendship of the greatest kind, of shared interests and long conversations, of hikes in the German hills and growing up together. But the boys live in a changing Germany. 
First Sentence: Er trat im Januar 1932 in mein Leben.
What I thought: This was surprisingly great to read. I had no expectations about this book. It was a gift from the wife of my godfather who thought this would be something I like. I did. It is really hard to describe this book. It captures a friendship of two boys and the rift that happens when the political landscape changes. The last sentences is changing the entire book. Very well done. This is a rather quick read.
Elevate count: none found
Characters: Hans – Jewish boy, Konradin – aristocrat from conservative snobbish family.
Setting: Southern Germany near Stuttgart
Medium: eBook through Kindle unlimited, library | audiobook through library | paperback | hardcover
Original Language and Title: English “Reunion”
Publications: German title “Der wiedergefundene Freund”
Recommend to: Everyone enjoying books about friendship and historic fiction.
Author’s Origin: born in Stuttgart, Germany | January 19, 1901
Heard of/Recommended by: V.K.

Elevation by Steven King | ★★★☆☆

Book Blurb: Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis. In the small town of Castle Rock, the setting of many of King’s most iconic stories, Scott is engaged in a low grade–but escalating–battle with the lesbians next door whose dog regularly drops his business on Scott’s lawn. One of the women is friendly; the other, cold as ice. Both are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple, and the place is in trouble. When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face-including his own–he tries to help. Unlikely alliances, the annual foot race, and the mystery of Scott’s affliction bring out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.
First Sentence: Scott Carey knocked on the door of the Ellis condo unit, and Bob Ellis (everyone in Highland Acres still called him Doctor Bob, although he was five years retired) let him in.
What I thought: This is my first ever Steven King novel. I was scarred to read it because I thought all books are horror. well, this one was not. It had some earie elements but not really when you read lost of magic realism and fantasy. So while I found things story engaging and entertaining I was not sold entirely. He definitely knows how to write. And that is a joy in a see of mediocre books. Kudos. I will most like pick up another of his novel. I feel this wasn’t the best pick to get me sold on him. But I read another book with my word in the title.
Elevate count: 6
Characters: Scott Carey – man with weird condition, Bob Ellis – retired doctor, Deidre & Missy – neighbor couple
Setting: Small town called Castle Rock, Scotts home
Medium: eBook through Kindle library
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Erhebung”
Recommend to: Everyone wanting a small little story that is easy to read but has some deeper things to think about.
Author’s Origin: born in Portland, U.S.A. | September 21, 1947

Orbital by Samantha Harvey | ★★★☆☆

Book Blurb: Six astronauts rotate in their spacecraft contemplating the world below
A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe. Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents and cycling through seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swells of oceans. Endless shows of spectacular beauty witnessed in a single day.
Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull. News reaches them of the death of a mother, and with it comes thoughts of returning home. They look on as a typhoon gathers over an island and people they love, in awe of its magnificence and fearful of its destruction.
The fragility of human life fills their conversations, their fears, their dreams. So far from earth, they have never felt more part – or protective – of it. They begin to ask, what is life without earth? What is earth without humanity?
First Sentence: Rotating about the earth in their spacecraft they are so together and so alone that even their thoughts their internal mythology at times convene.
What I thought: I feel like I am not doing this book justice. I feel asleep during the audio book in the beginning and might have missed a vital part of the story. I never was able to really grab what it is about. Or maybe that is the beauty of this book that it really is just a descriptive book? No sure. Also this might have been a book that works better reading and not on audio.
Elevate count: none found as I listened
Characters: don’t remember
Setting: space station
Medium: audiobook through library
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Umlaufbahnen”
Recommend to: Everyone loving space, astronaut life and descriptive contemplating books.
Author’s Origin: born in Kent, Great Britain | January 1, 1975

Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery | ★★★☆☆

Book Blurb: When acclaimed naturalist Sy Montgomery and wildlife artist Matt Patterson arrive at Turtle Rescue League, they are greeted by hundreds of turtles recovering from injury and illness. Endangered by cars and highways, pollution and poachers, these turtles–with wounds so severe that even veterinarians would have dismissed them as fatal–are given a second chance at life. The League’s founders, Natasha and Alexxia, live by one motto: Never give up on a turtle.
First Sentence: Amid all the other homes on the suburban streets – white, beige, gray, pale blue, light yellow – this two-story saltbox stands out.
What I thought: I enjoyed this book and I did learn a few things about my favorite animal. How did I never thought of that turtles live in the U.S.? I always put them in the Mediterranean or Southern America. At times however, at times I had a disturbing feeling on how the turtles were handled. I am not veterinarian or have ever walked into any sort of rescue shelter but it felt off for me. Another thing that bothered me was that there were so many talks of different species that it would have been nice for a small fact sheet. Instead the different turtles were characterized as individuals and there was constant name dropping that made it hard to follow and to be honest I didn’t care too much. I might have if there were images. I am not sad I spent my time reading this. And I am not sure what I wanted to get out of it but it just didn’t really hit with me.
Elevate count: none found
Setting: different rescue station and non disclosure areas.
Medium: eBook
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: none found
Recommend to: Everyone wanting to learn more on turtle rescue especially in the US.
Author’s Origin: born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany | February 7th, 1967

Book Stats for May

Books I couldn’t finish

Keeping track of the books that weren’t right for me. This month it was:

• Heimsuchung by Jenny Erpenbeck – stopped at 29% – wasn’t bad but library loan ran out and I had no drive to finish in time.
• The Interconnected Arctic — UArctic Congress 2016 (Springer Polar Sciences) – stopped at 5% – it is too scientific to read for fun without any back-knowledge
• Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox Gurdon – this sounded interesting but the intro was boring and I felt like I will not learn anything new.

New books on the shelves

Always buying books even though I am trying to reduce my TBR pile. Here is this month purchases. Please hold me accountable and ask if I read them or just piled them up.

• Schachmatt by Jostein Gaarder – Ebay for 3,55€ for my Gaarder collection
• Das Land der Töchter / Leaving mother lake by Yang Erche Namu – 1€ at the library flea market
• Eine Liebe, in Gedanken by Kristine Bilkau – 1€ at the library flea market
• Das Land der Anderen / In the country of others by Leïla Slimani – 1€ at the library flea market
• Wo auch immer ihr seid / Brothers and Ghosts by Khuê Phạm – 1€ at the library flea market
• Eine ganz dumme Idee / Anxious People by Fredrik Backman – 1€ at the library flea market
• Red Axe, Black Sun by Michael Karner – Kindle freebie
• Wintersee by Michael Karner – Kindle freebie

Can you recommend another King novel I should try? Anyone read Orbital and can help me out if I missed something? How many books have you DNFed last month? Did you go book shopping?