Elinor’s Bookshelf

My rating: ★★★★★ This is really good introductory material (and a bit more tbh) about Java8 lambdas. Although they’ve been around for a while now, I find they are still unconventional for many (even experienced) Java Developers. This book offers a broad perspective on lambdas and functional programming in Java, as well as quite a few looks under the hood. Kudos to Richard Warburton on sharing his knowledge in entertaining and actionable ways from the basics to non blocking IO through classic Stream operations, functional interfaces, revisiting Design Patterns and other crunchy tidbits. Also, thumbs up on providing Exercise sections - it’s obvious the reader is expected to keep up. This made for an efficient read. I definitely recommend. View all my reviews

My rating: ★★★☆☆ This collection of four plays by George Bernard Shaw makes fun of society and people, in all seriousness. The author’s descriptions are meticulous - you can just *picture* the scenes unwinding. The way in which the plays are constructed is relatively obvious (if masterful) and, in my opinion, they pale in comparison to Pygmalion, one of his later works. View all my reviews

My rating: ★★★★★ Fred goes to St Kilda to work on a university assignment just years before the archipelago’s final residents are forced to leave. There he meets Chrissie, a hard-working St Kildan he grows to love deeply. Their encounter is brief, and no promises made. Almost 15 years later, during WWII, Fred gets caught and imprisoned in Tournai, Belgium. His thoughts – and his heart – take him on a journey back to his stay and his lasting love for Chrissie. Does Chrissie love him too and will the lights of St Kilda shine bright enough to guide him home to her and whatever life she may have made for herself? This story masterfully entwines thorough research and lyrical passages about love, friendship, and what keeping one’s word may mean. This made for a moving and educational read that will stay with me for a while. I hope to discover more of Elisabeth Gifford’s work. View all my reviews

My rating: In this final volume of The House of Cards trilogy, Michael Dobbs skilfully sends us back to Francis Urquhart’s humble beginnings in the army. As the tides turn, and some ugly truths threaten to surface, FU looks stuck between a rock and a hard place. Is he evil enough to turn the tables as damning evidence starts piling and the political forces finally start turning against him? This was much better than the second in the series. The depictions of Cyprus and its people are vivid, the writing style throughout was almost poetic and brought back fond memories of my own trip to Cyprus some 25 years ago. It also brought the trilogy to a momentous end. Note: all three books in the revised edition are peppered with typos and various other mistakes. This is not reflected in my rating. View all my reviews