Karen Hawkins: Caught by the Scot

Karen Hawkinsin historiallisessa viihderomaanisarjassa kolme veljestä pakotetaan naimisiin kolmessa kuukaudessa tai he menettävät perintönsä: Caught by the Scot (Headline Eternal, 2017; ISBN 978-1-4722-2908-3).



Kirjasarjan ensimmäisessä osassa on monenmoista hömppämäistä juonenkäännettä ja huumoriakin on pujahtanut mukaan.

When the dark Duke of Hamilton loses his beloved wife, he heeds her dying wish that he make certain her three brothers marry well for she fears they are all headed to ruin. Heartsick, the Duke approaches the task with a heavy hand, ordering the three brothers to marry within three months or forego their inheritance.

The middle brother, the dashing Conner Douglas, is not about to give up his independence, but he knows marriage doesn't always mean one must change, does it? If anything, being married to a pliable sort of female would give him even more opportunity to seduce the married women of the ton. So he heads straight for the most pliable female he knows - a childhood acquaintance and now mousy spinster, the English born and bred Miss Theodora Cumberbatch-Snowe.

Julia Quinn: To Sir Phillip, with love

Julia Quinnin historiallisessa viihderomaanissa kirjeenvaihto johtaa ehdotukseen avioliitosta, mutta odotukset ja todellisuus ovatkin aika lailla erilaisia: To Sir Phillip, with love (HarperCollins, 2017; ISBN 978-0-06-242411-2).



Quinn osaa kirjoittaa huumorilla höystettyä dialogia, ja vaikka ihmishahmoissa on melkoisesti stereotypiaa - juro mies ja puhelias nainen - onnistuu romaani ujuttautumaan pintaa syvemmällekin.

Sir Phillip knew from his correspondence with his dead wife's distant cousin that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he'd proposed, figuring that she'd be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except ... she wasn't. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her.

Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking... and wondering... and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except ... he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young - and decidedly unruly - children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.

Jane Ashford: Lord Sebastian's secret

Jane Ashfordin historiallisessa viihderomaanissa fiksu nainen ja lukutaidoton aatelismies suunnittelevat naimisiin menoa, mutta mitä tapahtuu kun salaisuudet paljastuvat: Lord Sebastian's secret (Sourcebooks, 2017; ISBN 978-1-4926-2163-8).



Teos löytyi Helmetin e-kirjoista. Romaani on nopealukuinen mutta tarjoaa hiukan lajityyppiään syvällisempääkin sisältöä.

Lord Sebastian Gresham is a battle-tested soldier and brilliant strategist. Yet all his life he’s had to hide his complete failure to decipher letters. In his own mind, he’s just stupid. What a miracle it is that he’s found the perfect bride.

Lady Georgina Stane is beautiful, witty, and brilliantly intelligent. Sebastian is head over heels in love, proud as a peacock, and terrified. If she finds out his secret, will he lose her love forever?

Julia London: The year of living scandalously

Julia Londonin historiallisessa viihderomaanissa juonitellaan ja salaillaan sekä yritetään selvittää mysteeriä hiukan dekkaria muistuttavassa tarinassa: The year of living scandalously (Pocket Books, 2010; ISBN 978-1-4391-7545-3).



Kirja on sujuvasti kirjoitettu mutta sisällöltään tyhjähkö hömppäromaani, josta jäi varsin vähän mieleen.

When Declan O’Connor, Earl of Donnelly, arrives at Hadley Green to meet with Lily Boudine, the new countess of Ashwood, he knows instantly that the lovely woman who welcomes him is not who she pretends to be. In an attempt to avoid an unwanted marriage, Keira Hannigan has assumed her cousin’s identity and is staying at the estate while Lily is abroad.

When Declan threatens to expose her, Keira convinces him to guard her secret, then enlists him in her investigation of the missing jewels, for she now believes an innocent man was hanged.

Yasmine Galenorn: Witchling

Yasmine Galenornin romaani on näköjään suomennettukin, nimellä Noitanainen, mutta löysin teoksen Helmetin e-kirjoista alkuperäisversiona: Witchling (Penguin Publishing Group, 2006; ISBN 978-1-4406-2364-6).



Kirja ilmeisestikin aloittaa teossarjan, mutta minulle riitti pari ensimmäistä sivua. Itseasiassa romaanin ensimmäinen sivu jo käytännössä riitti osoittamaan että tämä kirja ei ole minua varten.

We're the D'Artigo sisters: Half-human, half-Faerie, we're savvy—and sexy—operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But our mixed-blood heritage short-circuits our talents at all the wrong times. My sister Delilah shapeshifts into a tabby cat whenever she's stressed. Menolly's a vampire who's still trying to get the hang of being undead. And me? I'm Camille—a wicked-good witch. Except my magic's as unpredictable as the weather, as my enemies are about to find out the hard way.

At the Wayfarer Inn, a portal to Otherworld and the local hangout for humans and beasties alike, a fellow operative, Jocko, has been murdered. Every clue points to Shadow Wing, the soul-munching, badass leader of the Subterranean Realms. He's made it clear that he aims to raze humankind to the ground, turning both Earth and Otherworld into his private playground. Our assignment: Keep Shadow Wing and his minions from creeping into Earth via the Wayfarer. The demons figure they're in like Flynn. After all, with only my bumbling sisters and me standing in the way, how can they miss? But we've got a secret for them: Faulty wiring or not, nobody kicks ass like the D'Artigo girls.

Annette Blair: A veiled deception

Annette Blairin dekkariin on leivottu taikuutta ja muuta fantasiaan viittaavaa juonenkäännettä, enkä oikein osannut päättää mitä tästä ajatella: A veiled deception (Berkley Prime Crime, 2009; ISBN 978-0-425-22640-7).



Teoksen kerronta on kummallisella tavalla pätkivää, ihan kuin kirjoittajalla olisi ollut valtava sanatulva ja vain osa sanojen vyörystä olisi päätynyt sivuille. Mutta ehkä vähempikin olisi riittänyt, nyt tuntuu että teksti hyppii sinne tänne ilman mitään selkeää tarkoitusta.

Teos aloittaa kuusiosaisen kirjasarjan, mutta minulla tämä jäi tähän.

Madeira, Maddie, Cutler, vintage clothing lover, and New York fashion designer, comes home to help plan her sister’s wedding. At the engagement party, the ‘Jezebel’ trying to steal Sherry’s fiancé is found strangled with a bridal veil, making Sherry the prime suspect. Besides seeking the real killer, Maddie alters Sherry’s vintage wedding gown, worn by generations of the groom’s family, and something odd happens. The gown gives Maddie visions, clues to the past ... and the murder?

Maddie learns she’s psychometric, a psychic gift she inherited from her late mother, who was a broom-carrying witch, it turns out. What other gifts did she inherit? When not sleuthing, Maddie acquires the old Underhill Funeral Chapel Carriage House, including Dante Underhill, a chatty debonair ghost in tux and top hat, who can’t seem to leave the building.

Watch out Mystic, Connecticut! Here comes Vintage Magic, a shop for vintage couture and designer originals, featuring a psychic sleuth, a hunk of a ghost, with a sprinkle of magic thrown in for ‘charm.’

Trisha Ashley: The little teashop of lost and found

Trisha Ashleyn viihderomaanissa nummelta löytynyt löytölapsi haluaa selvittää, kuka hän oikeastaan on, ja palaa kotiseudulleen: The little teashop of lost and found (Bantam Press, 2017; ISBN 978-0-593-07558-6).



Kirjassa on monenlaista juonenkäännettä, ja leipomisella sekä pienellä kahviolla on iso rooli juonessa. Helppolukuista viihdettä, vaikka jonkin verran mukana on syvempääkin pohdintaa ihmisenä olemisesta.

Alice Rose is a foundling, discovered on the Yorkshire moors above Haworth as a baby. Adopted but then later rejected again by a horrid step-mother, Alice struggles to find a place where she belongs.

Only baking - the scent of cinnamon and citrus and the feel of butter and flour between her fingers - brings a comforting sense of home. So it seems natural that when she finally decides to return to Haworth, Alice turns to baking again, taking over a run-down little teashop and working to set up an afternoon tea emporium. Luckily she soon makes friends - including a Grecian god-like neighbour - who help her both set up home and try to solve the mystery of who she is.

There are one or two last twists in the dark fairytale of Alice's life to come - but can she find her happily ever after?

Beverly Eikli: The maid of Milan

Beverly Eiklin historiallisessa viihderomaanissa piilossa olleet salaisuudet ovat vaarassa paljastua, ja monenmoista vehkeilyä on tiedossa: The maid of Milan (Choc Lit Limited, 2014; ISBN 978-1-78189-128-5).



Kirja päähenkilö on nainen jonka herkkää olemusta on kaikin keinoin pyritty suojelemaan, mutta pinnan alla kuohuu eikä todellisuus ole aivan sitä miltä näyttää. Romaanissa on omaperäistä otetta, vaikka kovin pitkälle juoni ei jaksakaan kantaa.

Adelaide Leeson wants to prove herself worthy of her husband, a man of noble aspirations who married her when she was at her lowest ebb. Lord Tristan Leeson is a model of diplomacy and self-control, even curbing the fiery impulses of his youth to preserve the calm relations deemed essential by his mother-in-law to preserve his wife's health.

A visit from his boyhood friend, feted poet Lord James Dewhurst, author of the sensational Maid of Milan, persuades Tristan that leaving the countryside behind for a London season will be in everyone's interests. But as Tristan's political career rises and Adelaide revels in society's adulation, the secrets of the past are uncovered. And there's a high price to pay for a life of deception.

Stuart Woods: Quick & dirty

Helmetin e-kirjoista löytyi Stuart Woodsin jännäri, joka ilmeisesti on sarjassaan 43., mikä hiukan ihmetytti koska en kirjailijasta ollut kuullutkaan: Quick & dirty (Penguin Publishing Group, 2017; ISBN 9780735217164).



Kirjassa on nopeaa dialogia ja nopeaa toimintaa, ja monenlaista juonen elementtiä kansainvälistä politiikkaa myöten. Tarina ja henkilöt eivät tarranneet kiinni, ehkä kyse on siitä että kirjasarja pitäisi aloittaa alusta, tai sitten kirjoitustyyli vai on minulle väärän laatuista.

When a slam-bang of a crime brings a beautiful new client into Stone Barrington's office, little does he know his association with her will pull him into a far more serpentine mystery in the exclusive world of art. It's a business where a rare find could make a career—and a collection—and mistakes in judgment are costly. And under its genteel and high-minded veneer lurks an assortment of grifters and malfeasants eager to cash in on the game.

In the upscale world of New York City's luxury penthouses and grand Hamptons estates, it will take a man of Stone Barrington's careful discernment and well-honed instincts to get to the truth without ruffling the wrong feathers - because when it comes to priceless and irreplaceable works of art, the money and reputations at stake are worth killing for.

Lexy Timms: Driving Home for Christmas

Applen iBooksista löytyy kummallisia ilmaisnäytteitä, esimerkkinä Lexy Timmsin hömppäromaani, jota aluksi kuvittelin kansikuvan perusteella vampyyritarinaksi: Driving Home for Christmas (Dark Shadow Publishing, 2017).



Romaani ilmeisesti aloittaa kirjasarjan "biljonääreistä", eli kyseessä on eräänlainen tuhkimotarinan versio, tai ehkä pikemminkin kaunotar ja hirviö -muunnelma. Muutaman sivun romaanista jaksoin selata.

Colin Murphy Is the CEO of Murphy Inc and is a workaholic. Christmas, or any holiday in face, doesn't mean much to him. When his business trip travel plans get interrupted by a freak snowstorm, he’s forced to find a way home by other means.

Abigail Thompson can’t wait for this year to be over. After losing her job, her boyfriend and apartment, she’s ready to go home for a much-needed break and to regroup. But when her plane is grounded because of a snow storm, she has to find another way. She makes her way to the car rentals only to find the last car has just been given to a tall dark sexy man. Definitely not Santa, his name is Colin Murphy. When Colin finds out they’re head in the same direction, he offers her a lift. It’s nearly Christmas afterall.

What should be an easy 8-hour drive turns into 2 days of mishaps and mayhem.

She knows every Christmas song off by heart, even though she can’t carry a turn. She’s happy, he’s a real Christmas Grinch. Will this unplanned fiasco be the start of something magical?

Mary Balogh: Someone to wed

Helmetin e-kirjoista löytyi Mary Baloghin historiallinen viihderomaani, jossa rikas nainen etsii itselleen puolisoa ja löytää sellaisen epätoivon partaalla olevasta aatelismiehestä: Someone to wed (Jove, 2017; ISBN 978-0-3995-8606-4).



Romaanissa on keikautettu rakkausromaanin asetelmia osittain päälaelleen, vaikka melko lailla tyypillinen lajinsa edustaja teos onkin. Balogh osaa kirjoittaa melkolailla uskottavia henkilöhahmoja, mistä plussaa.

Humphrey Westcott, Earl of Riverdale, has died, leaving behind a scandalous secret that has put his legal heir, Alexander, in a most precarious position.

When Alexander Westcott becomes the new Earl of Riverdale, he inherits a title he never wanted and a failing country estate he cant afford. But he fully intends to do everything in his power to undo years of neglect and give the people who depend on him a better life.

A recluse for more than twenty years, Wren Heyden wants one thing out of life: marriage. With her vast fortune, she sets her sights on buying a husband. But when she makes the desperate and oh-so-dashing earl a startlingly unexpected proposal, Alex will only agree to a proper courtship, hoping for at least friendship and respect to develop between them. He is totally unprepared for the desire that overwhelms him when Wren finally lifts the veils that hide the secrets of her past.

Anne McCaffrey: To Ride Pegasus

Kirjaston kierrätyskirjahyllystä löytyi moneen kertaan luetun oloinen kirja, Anne McCaffrey fantasiaromaani joka alunperin oli kirjoitettu neljänä erillisenä novellina: To Ride Pegasus (ISBN 9780345916440; Ballantine Publishing Group, 2000).



Teos ei napannut kiinni, osin johtuen siitä että hahmoissa ei sen kummempaa syvyyttä ollut, ja osin siitä ettei fantasia tässä muodossa kirjoitettuna oikein puhuttele.

They were four extraordinary women who read minds, healed bodies, diverted disasters, foretold the future--and became pariahs in their own land. A talented, elite cadre, they stepped out of the everyday human race...to enter their own!

Felicia Mason: Hidden riches

Helmetin e-kirjoista löytyy yksi Felicia Masonin romaani. Riitaiset sukulaiset yhdistävät voimansa perinnön saamisen toivossa, ja monenlaista kähmintää on luvassa: Hidden riches (Kensington, 2015; ISBN 978-1-4967-0150-3).



Romaani on melkoista hömppää, vaikka mukana on vakavampaakin ainesta. Henkilökaarti ei ole erityisen siloteltu saatikka miellyttävä, kaikilla on oma etu ensisijalla eikä kenestäkään kovin sympaattista kuvaa saa.

After a lifetime spent scrubbing and mending for others, Ana Mae Futrell has passed away. Her siblings have reluctantly returned to their North Carolina hometown to bury the older sister they never really bothered to know. For instance, they didn't know she'd won big on a lottery ticket. Or that she had a son. But back to the money--Ana Mae's millions will go only to the person who can interpret the clues she's left behind in a quilt. If they all fail, the fortune goes to Ana Mae's cats--and a Reverend with whom she shared a "special" relationship.

Ana Mae's two sisters and brother hadn't really thought about her in years, but now she's all they can think about. And as the race to win begins, everyone finds there's more to gain than money. Because they're each going to learn a little something about Ana Mae--and a whole lot more about themselves.

Stina Leicht: Cold iron

Helmetin e-kirjoista löytyy tämmöinenkin erikoisuus, Stina Leichtin fantasiaromaani jossa on käytetty runsaasti suomen kieleen viittaavaa nimistöä: Cold iron (Saga Press, 2015; ISBN 978-1-4814-2779-1).



Kirjassa on sinänsä mielenkiintoinen lähtökohta, luokkayhteiskunta jossa taikuus ja sotilasura on selkeästi erotettu toisistaan. Tarina ei kuitenkaan jaksanut napata kiinni, ihmishahmot jäivät siinä määrin pinnallisesti kuvatuiksi.

Prince Nels is the scholarly runt of the ancient Kainen royal family of Eledore, disregarded as flawed by the king and many others. Only Suvi, his fraternal twin sister, supports him.

When Nels is ambushed by an Acrasian scouting party, he does the forbidden for a member of the ruling family: He picks up a fallen sword and defends himself. Disowned and dismissed to the military, Nels establishes himself as a leader as Eledore begins to shatter under the attack of the Acrasians, who the Kainen had previously dismissed as barbarians. But Nels knows differently, and with the aid of Suvi, who has allied with pirates, he mounts a military offensive with sword, canon, and what little magic is left in the world.

Victorine E. Lieske: Accidentally Married

Victorine E. Liesken hömppäromaani löytyi ilmaiseksi Applen iBook-sovelluksesta: Accidentally Married (Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014; ISBN 9781499606331).



Kirja on aikamoisen älyvapaa kaunotar ja hirviö -tyyppinen tarina, jossa teeskennellään naimisiin menoa ja muutenkin juonitellaan niin että käänteitä piisaa.

Madison Nichols, aspiring actress, is floundering. Her rent is due and she needs a job. Desperately. After getting a tip about an open position, she rushes to Jameson Technologies and meets CEO Jared Jameson. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, she is put in the awkward position of pretending to be his girlfriend. Not the job she was applying for. And when she finds out Jared lied to her to get what he wanted, she decides to get back at him. In front of his family.

Jared is stunned when Madison announces they are getting married. She pushed her revenge too far. How can he tell them it's all a lie? And when his sick aunt asks them to be married before she dies, Madison comes up with a hair-brained plan to hire an actor and stage a fake wedding.

What they both don't know is Jared's father has found out about the fake wedding. And he's got his own hair-brained plan.

Suzanne Enoch: Good earl hunting

Suzanne Enochin historiallinen viihdenovelli löytyy Helmetin e-kirjoista: Good earl hunting (Nancy Yost Literary Agency, 2012; ISBN 978-1-617-50860-8).



Kirjassa on kevyttä päähenkilöiden välistä sanailua riittämiin, mutta romaaniksi asti aineksia ei ole, eikä novellistakaan paljon mieleen jää.

Geoffrey Kerick, the Earl of Vashton, has had marriage-minded ladies flung at him for the past two years—since he inherited his brother's title and wealth—which is much less amusing than when they were simply flinging themselves into his bed for fun.

However, this particular invitation for a country house party in Devonshire he accepts with alacrity; because this time someone has caught his eye.

Theodora Meacham is resigned to being second; a second daughter, second in beauty, and a distant second in charm. Knowing that the irritating Lord Vashton is coming to Beldath Hall to woo her sister, Theo is, for once, quite happy to remain detached from the silliness. But Lord Vashton isn't preciselyt he boor she expects. Even more surprising, he seems determined to ignore her sister... in favor of her!

Can two people who are perfectly ill-suited find that two wrongs do make a right?

Karen Hawkins: The prince and I

Karen Hawkinsin historialliseen viihderomaaniin on sotkettu vähän kaikkea, skoteista prinsseihin: The prince and I (Headline Eternal, 2015; ISBN 978-1-4722-2904-5).



Kirjan juonesta iso osa on päälleliimattua höttöä, mutta mukana on jonkin verran omaperäisyyttäkin, esimerkiksi naispuolinen "skottilainen Robin Hood".

Never cross a Scot. Never steal from a warrior prince. And never underestimate the power of passion.

Lady Murian MacDonald Muir seeks revenge against the evil earl who murdered her husband and stole his birthright. She and her band of loyal retainers waylay the earl's wealthy guests to gain entry to Rowallen Castle - a master-plan working splendidly until she stops the golden coach of Oxenburg's warrior prince.

Gregori Maksim Romanovin is in Scotland on a critical diplomatic mission. Held at swordpoint by a 'man' dubbed the Scottish Robin Hood the battle-savvy prince senses something's amiss. Furious at her escape, he vows to track down the red-haired vixen.

But once Max hears Murian's tragic story he resolves to assist her - and a fiery battle blazes. Soon Max must determine where his loyalties lie: to his royal duties, or the spirited woman who has stolen his heart.

Victoria Alexander: The perfect mistress

Kirjastosta löytyy kaksi Victoria Alexanderin historiallista viihderomaania, ja nyt olen lukenut ne kummatkin: The perfect mistress (Zebra Books, 2011; ISBN 1-4201-1705-X).



Kirjassa on monenmoista juonittelua ja ihmissuhdesotkua, mutta pelin henki on selvä kirjan ensi sivuilta alkaen. Helppolukuista höttöä ilman sen kummemmin mieleen jäävää sisältöä.

Widowed Julia, Lady Winterset, has inherited a book--a very shocking book--that every gentleman in London seems to want. For a charismatic businessman, it's a chance to build an empire. For a dashing novelist, it could guarantee fame. But to a proud, domineering earl, it means everything.

Harrison Landingham, Earl of Mountdale, can't let the obstinate Julia release the shameless memoir that could ruin his family's name. But the only way to stop her may be equally sordid--if far more pleasurable. For his rivals are intent on seducing the captivating woman to acquire the book. And Harrison isn't the sort to back away from a competition with the stakes this high. Now the winner will claim both the scandalous memoirs and the heart of their lovely owner.

Elizabeth Hoyt: The leopard prince

Elizabeth Hoyt tarjoaa roolileikkejä ja sanailua historiallisessa viihderomaanissa, jossa perijätär ei halua naimisiin: The leopard prince (Grand Central, 2010; ISBN 978-0-446-61848-9).



Hoyt on taitava kirjoittaja, ja vaikka teos on höttöä, on se mukavan humoristinen ja kujeileva.

Legally Blonde meets Cinderella in this role reversal of a ditzy heiress who's against marriage - but who desperately wants an affair.

Julia Quinn: When he was wicked

Julia Quinnin historiallinen viihderomaani löytyi Helmetin e-kirjoista, ja mainoslauseessa kehuttiin että kirjaan oli lisätty uusi epilogi, joten pitihän se tarkistaa: When he was wicked (Avon Books, 2004; ISBN 978-0-06-053123-2).



Olen Quinnin romaaneja aika monta lukenut, ja vaikka ne eivät kovin pysyvää muistikuvaa jälkeensä jätä, on niissä mukavan inhimillinen kertojan ote ja historiallisen ajankuvan tajua.

In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one's life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer—the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

But that was then... Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love... until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms, and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets.

Nathan Archer: The complete predator omnibus

Nathan Archer on kirjoittanut predator-elokuvien ja sarjakuvien teemaa mukailevia romaaneja, joista kolme on paketoitu Helmetin e-kirjoista löytyvään teokseen: The complete predator omnibus (Titan Books, 2018; ISBN 9781785653438).



Luin romaaneista ensimmäisen, New Yorkiin sijoitetun teoksen, jossa metsästetään outoja otuksia, tai pikemminkin oudot otukset metsästävät ihmisiä. Ja hellettä tietysti piisaa.

CONCRETE JUNGLE

New York City's Detective Schaefer has seen it all, from domestic murders to drug-gang executions. But Schaefer's never seen the Big Apple awash in so much blood as tonight, with flayed bodies hung like meat being cured for mealtime. When Schaefer has a close encounter with one of the murderers, he realizes he's run into something much bigger than the police suspect. Can even the toughest cop stand up to the ultimate hunter?

COLD WAR

Something has fallen from the sky over the Siberian wilderness and soon decapitated human bodies are littering the surrounding area. The Russian authorities are baffled, but deep within the Pentagon, someone knows that the Predators are back.

BIG GAME

Deep in the rugged New Mexico desert, a strange aircraft has landed: an alien Predator has arrived, hunting for human prey. For Corporal Enoch Nakai, a Navajo soldier, it is a legend come back to life: the return of the horned monster who was destroyed by the hero Nayenezgani, the mythical monster slayer. Using the wisdom of his ancestors, Nakai will confront the Predator in a final battle worthy of legend. But this time, will the hero emerge the victor?

Michael Goodwin ja Dan E. Burr: Economix - sarjakuva siitä, kuinka talous toimii (ja ei toimi)

Michael Goodwin on kirjoittanut ja Dan E. Burr piirtänyt sarjakuvan, jossa esitetään selkeässä mutta vaikeitakin asioita esille nostavassa paketissa taloustieteen olennaiset käsitteet ja teoriat, käytäntöä unohtamatta: Economix - sarjakuva siitä, kuinka talous toimii (ja ei toimi) (Kampus Kustannus, 2017; suom. Päivi Antila; ISBN 978-952-7192-03-0).



Kirja on esimerkillinen myös siinä, ettei se tarjoa valmiita vastauksia vaan pikemminkin velvoittaa lukijan itse miettimään asioita ja ottamaan niistä selvää. Monet "talousviisaiden" julkisuudessa lausumat väitteet ja ns. totuudet saavat kirjata perspektiiviä, eikä näitä väitteitä todellakaan tarvitse purematta niellä.

Talouspuhetta tulee joka tuutista, mutta kuinka voimme arvioida sen laatua? Kuinka me kansalaiset voimme hahmottaa, mitä finanssiammattilaiset tai päättäjät tietävät - tai väittävät tietävänsä?

Käsikirjoittaja Michael Goodwin kysyi itseltään saman kysymyksen ja keksi hyvän ratkaisun: kartoita talousteorian kehityshistoriaa, tutkaile todellisia talouskäytäntöjä ja kerro niistä rakentuva tarina helposti lähestyttävässä sarjakuvamuodossa.

Yhdellä sanalla: Economix.

Tämän merkittävän sarjakuvan kertoja on taloustieteen Jokamies, joka etsii järkeviä vastauksia kysymyksiin, jotka mietityttävät monia:

- Mitä eroa on kapitalismilla, sosialismilla ja kommunismilla?
- Toimiiko valumaefekti?
- Onko velkaelvytys tarpeellista?
- Ja ovatko suuryritykset henkilöitä?

Economix selittää tuon kaiken, aina länsimaisen talousajattelun alusta talouden epäonnistumisiin, menestyksiin, poikkeuksiin ja tuleviin mahdollisuuksiin. Goodwin tarkastelee, kuinka talous on muuttunut globaaliksi ja kuinka siihen vaikuttavat sota, ilmastonmuutos ja resurssien rajallisuus. Se on keskeinen ja kattava opas talouden ymmärtämiseen, poliittisesta suuntautumisestasi riippumatta. Jokaisen kansalaisen tulisi lukea Economix - olipa suhteesi mammonaan mikä tahansa!