2015/03/31

Book Haul: March (part II)

March is almost over, and it's time to show you the rest of the books I got this month. If you missed the first part of this haul, you can check it out here.

March was a pretty good month, filled with work and lots of reading. Spring is just around the corner as well, and all the snow has melted.

Anyways, here are all the wonderful paperbacks I got this month!














I cannot get over the cover of those British Library Crime Classics, and I can't wait to read them. Also, finally reading some more Libba Bray! Can't wait.
ALL LINKS ARE AFFILIATE
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2015/03/30

Travel: Books I'm Bringing on Easter Holiday

I'm going on a little trip to London later this week, and thought I would share the books I'm planning on taking with me. Don't know how much reading I'll get to do, but I'm bringing these two and my Kindle, just in case.



I wish you all a good Easter!

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2015/03/29

Season Recommendations: Easter

Now, I don't know about you, but I associate easter with lush mystery and exciting crime fiction, and so I thought I would recommend some books that I think are suited for this time of year!



Private Investigator Cormoran Strike, a war veteran with one leg, is barely scraping by, having broken up with his longtime girlfriend, creditors at his door and sleeping in his office. Then, an old friend walks into the office one day, saying his sister, the supermodel who famously fell to her death a couple of months back, didn't actually commit suicide; she was murdered, and he needs Strike's help to prove it.

If you've already read this, the second one, The Silkworm, is also very good.



Oslo in November. A boy named Jonas wakes up and finds his mother missing. Harry Hole is set on the case, and finds himself a pawn in a game where he doesn't know the rules.

Also, if you are unaware, Jo Nesbø is Norwegian. Woot woot.



New England, 1892. In need of a job, Abigail meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary. On her first day as assistant, Abigail finds herself in the middle of an exciting case; a serial killer is on the loose, and the killer doesn't seem to be strictly human.



Meg Cobryn is a blood prophet - when you cut her skin, she can see the future. Being worth a lot of money, she's been kept in a compound her whole life, her Controller selling her prophesies to the highest bidder. But when she escapes, the only place she can find safety is with The Others; creatures who see humans as nothing more than meat.



It wouldn't be Easter without Agatha Christie! An advertisement in the local gazette reads: A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 19th, at Little Paddock at 6.30 p.m. Unable to resist this mysterious invitation, the people of Chipping Cleghorn, including Miss Marple, gather to see what's going to happen.


Enjoy!


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2015/03/28

Book Review:
The Sleeper and The Spindle by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Sleeper and The Spindle
Author: Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell (Illustrator)
Published: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 68
Rating: 4/5


Summary:
The evening before her wedding, a young queen sets out to save a princess from a curse.


Review:
This is a sort of fairytale retelling, combining Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, and I thought it worked really well how the author created something new.

What I loved most about this was the artwork and how it works together with the story. The whole story is sort of whimsical, and I like how the artwork ties everything together.

This is a sweet, creepy little book. I wish it was longer!

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fairytales.


You can get this book at The Book Depository*
You can read more about it on Goodreads

Also... this book! It's gorgeous!



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2015/03/27

2015/03/26

Book Review:
Poems by Robert Frost

Title: Poems
Author: Robert Frost
Published: 1997
Language: English
Pages: 256
Rating: 3/5


Summary:
A collection of poems by Robert Frost.


Review:
I have read a little bit of poems from Frost before, and quite enjoyed them. This introduced me to even more of his work. I felt like I got some new favourites while reading this, but less than I expected.

I was surprised to find some poetry that were almost like little stories in the way they were written, out of which I enjoyed "The Mountain" the most. "Fire and Ice" is one of my all-time favourite poems, and it was nice to read it again, even though I know it by heart.

One of my new favourites is "Snow Dust", which goes like this:

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I rued

I felt like the poems I read was very either or for me; either I loved it, or I didn't care for it. It was definitely worth the time it took to read though, as I find his style elegant and I like how he keeps things simple without loosing any depth. 

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys poetry, and if you already like some of Frosts work, give this a go. I'm sure you'll find a new favourite or two.


You can get this book at The Book Depository*
You can read more about it on Goodreads

Also, gorgeous edition, just saying...



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2015/03/25

Bookish Reflections: Weird Things I Use As Bookmarks

I have dozens of bookmarks, beautiful ones with ribbons, shiny ones, those I've gotten while traveling, magnetic ones, old ones I've kept forever... And I very much enjoy using them.

I had a little look at my nightstand, and I am currently not using any proper bookmarks. For some reason, sometimes I just end up using the weirdest things, despite the fact that I literally just have to go get a decent one. They're right there, in my bookshelf, but noooo, what do I do? I use stuff like this:

  • Old Skiing Pass from Wengen, Switzerland. I have never been to Switzerland. 
  • A pen. Not only does this not work when carrying the book around in my bag, it prevents me from closing the book entirely.
  • Another book. Which is not practical in any way.
  • An old gum wrapper. Did I mention I have all these gorgeous bookmarks I can use? THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.
  • Napkins. Or just general trash.
  • A table. Flip the book over on the page you're on, and you've got yourself an immediate bookmark. It works until you need to move the book. Also, if you leave it for a long time, the book will always open on that exact page because you left it for too long. Poor book.

I suppose it doesn't really matter what one uses as a bookmark, but when I have really nice ones, I don't know why I don't just use them. Do you guys also do this, or is it just me?



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2015/03/24

Top 5: Fictional Places I Wish I Could Visit

I think all of us have these places we've read about, places we've imagined in our heads, that we desperately want to visit. Though perhaps not a list with the most original answers, here are five fictional places I wish I could visit.

Hogwarts 
(Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling)



Let's just get this one out of the way. We all know why one would want to visit Hogwarts.


Westeros & Essos 
(A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin)


I would especially like to visit Braavos, King's Landing and the Water Gardens. Also, Valyria, though I know that's probably not a good idea. The scariest place to visit would be beyond the wall. Not happening. 

The Four Corners of Civilization 
(The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss)


It's been ages since I read The Name of the Wind, but I remember picturing the world its set in very vividly. 

The Secret Garden 
(The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett)


As this is one of my favourite childhood books, I would very much like to visit the secret garden I spent so much time imagining when I was a child.

Eretz 
(Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor)


Because I'd love to see all the different kinds of monsters. Before the war.


What places would you like to visit?


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2015/03/23

Book Review:
Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Title: Written in Red
Author: Anne Bishop
Published: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 433
Rating: 5/5

This is the first book in The Others series.


Summary:
Meg is a blood prophet - if you cut her skin, she can see the future. Because of her value, she's been kept in a compound all her life. But when she finally escapes, she finds a safe haven in the Lakeside Courtyard, a business district operated by the Others.

But her Controller is still viciously trying to find her and her fate rests upon one of the Others, who generally view humans as meals.


Review:
This was so good! I had really high expectations, and I was not disappointed. This book is one of the more unique books I've read lately.

I absolutely love the world this is set in. The humans and the Others, and how they co-exist was really interesting. I very much enjoyed learning about the different kinds of creatures.I felt like I could connect to all the characters, and I love both the main character and the side-characters.

I also like how this was a very good set-up for more books to come, though it is slightly slow because of it. This is a very solid first book, and I can't wait to read the next one.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy and mysteries.


You can get this book at The Book Depository*
You can read more about it on Goodreads

PS: This is one of the few times I'm not bothered by the fact that there's a person on the cover, which is a rarity. I actually quite like it.
*AFFILIATE LINK
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2015/03/22

Naked Hardbacks

I recently saw a couple of videos on YouTube, and was inspired to show you some of my hardbacks that look really good naked.


The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. This also matches the dust jacket really beautifully. The next book in the series is the same, only in black.


The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The white and gold is gorgeous! 


Two books from the Everyman's Library Pocket Poets: Haiku edited by Peter Washington and Poems by Robert Frost. All of these are really beautiful without the dust jacket.




The Diviners by Libba Bray. The book I will never shut up about. Goooorgeous!

Ah, the beauty!

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