March Wrap-Up | 2016

So, this month I was in a mystery/thriller mood, and read a few of them, I actually read more children’s books than mystery/thriller ones, I think I’m getting over that genre by now, it feels like it anyway. Well, anyway, all in all I read 8 books this month, or rather seven books and one novella. Here we go.

• You by Caroline Kepnes
  I had really high expectations for this book since I’ve heard so many good things around the internet. I was hoping for it to be creepy and to have me sitting biting my nails or something. But I don’t know, it wasn’t. Sure, it was creepy and all because of what it’s about, but it didn’t do it for me, not really. I can’t put my finger on what it was that didn’t work, but it fell flat in so many ways. I gave this book 3 1/5 stars.
• Welcome to the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare
  I have been hesitant to reading these novellas from the shadowhunter world because I really had no idea what they would be about, but I read this first one anyway, and I liked it a lot. You see more about Simon since it’s about him, and he has been my favorite character from the start (what I remember anyways) and in the TV-series, he’s definitely my favorite character. So it was really fun reading about him, and I will read the rest of the novellas as well. I gave this novella 4 stars.

• Paganinikontraktet by Lars Kepler (The Nightmare in English)
  This wasn’t my favorite mystery/thriller book I’ve read to be honest. I don’t really like reading about politics and especially not about arms trade and all that. In all I love the writing, but the story, not so much. 3 stars.
• Girl on the train by Paula Hawkins
  I got in to this book really not knowing what this book was going to be about, except that the main character was a drunk who couldn’t remember what happened the night a girl disappears. I liked the way the story was unfold bit by bit throughout the book with pieces coming together and the main character trying to find the truth. But.. the story was slow, really slow at times and it dragged on quite a bit toward the end. 3 1/5 stars.
• Pippi Longstocking, the first book (in Swedish) by Astrid Lindgren
• Pippi goes on board, the second book (in Swedish) by Astrid Lindgren
• Pippi in the South Seas, the third and final book (in Swedish) by Astrid Lindgren
  After reading some mystery/thrillers (read a few last month too), I was craving some children’s book and had been wanting to get in to some Astrid Lindgren so I went to the library and checked out 6 books. These three were the first ones I read. I Love Astrid’s writing and the stories in all her books. I can’t remember reading these as a child even though my mom said she surely did, well, i can’t remember anyways. And I love the TV-series and movies as well, the books are very similar to the books except that some of the stories are mashed together and stuff like that. All in all, I loved all three of these books and gave them these ratings: 4 stars for the first two and 4 1/5 stars for the third.
• Emil in the Soup Tureen by Astrid Lindgren (in Swedish) (I think it’s the right title for the book in English)
  The last book I read this month was also an Astrid Lindgren book. I liked the TV-series a lot when I was a kid and I actually think the series was better than the book. The stories weren’t as funny even though they were quite funny to be honest. I think to have to think a little bit about this one before writing anything more. But I gave it 3 1/5 stars anyways.

That was it for this month. My next post will be next months TBR. I hope you liked this one. Take care! 🙂

10 Books I Won’t Ever Read | 2016

This blog post I have been wanting to write for some time since I know that there always are books one would never read how much or little others might like it. This is my list:

A little disclaimer before we begin. Nothing against anyone who might really love these books! These are just my opinions and I don’t expect everyone to think the same as me about a book. I didn’t hate these books, they just weren’t my cup of tea. We are all adults here so please respect my opinions and I will respect yours.

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (or anything by John Green for that matter). I read Looking for Alaska last year but I won’t read anything else from him. I don’t know what it is about him or his books, I just don’t want to read them. The Fault in Our Stars I won’t read, simply because, Cancer, I can’t read anything with cancer in it, simple as that, and that thing I can’t word out about him or his writing.
2. Life & Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer. I’ve read the original, that’s enough for me, I’m not interested in reading an re-imagination.
3. I am number four by Pittacus Lore (and everything written, published and produced by James Frey and his company Full Fathom Five – though I will read Dorothy must die if I can find it second hand!), just because, read this article and this GoodReads list.
4. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (or anything by him), google ”orson scott card on homosexuality” or ”orson scott card homophobia” and you have your answer. Read This Too!
5. The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I tried the first book but got 30 pages in and I just couldn’t continue, it didn’t grab me at all and I just couldn’t.
6. Anything more from Cassandra Clare. I’ve read The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, and I’m now reading The novellas (Welcome to the Shadowhunter Academy) but after that, I’m done. Sure I’ve loved everything she’s written this far, but no more! Google it and you will find articles and blogposts about her being a huge bully and that what she’s written is plagiarism, and more. I simply don’t support bullies and never will! Google search tips: her name followed by ”bully”, ”controversy” and ”plagiarism”.
7. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. I’m simply not interested in this book.
8. Hallow City by Ransom Riggs (and Library of Souls), after reading the first book I was so disappointed that I think I won’t ever read the rest of the series.
9. Days of Blood and Starlight (and the third book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone, whatever the name is) by Laini Taylor, because the same reason as number 8.
10. The selection series by Kiera Cass. For some time I was really interested in reading this, but since then I have heard a lot about the main character (I think), that she’s really annoying and selfish and so immature and stuff, which made me think again since I H A T E annoying and immature characters.

This is it for now. I hope you liked this post. See you next time. Take Care 🙂

How I Got Into Reading – My Reading History | 2016

This post will be kind off like my memoir through my reading life, though it think it will be a short story really, anyways, I hope you enjoy it.

I have always been a reader. My mother used to read to me and my brother from a very young age and continued until I was old enough to think that I could read for my own and I started reading where mom had left off from the book we were reading then, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Swedish. That was the first ever book (that I remember) that I read all on my own, and I read through the whole Harry Potter series as the books came out. I think that by the time I started reading three books, or maybe four, were out. In between I read children’s books from the library, since we were very big on borrowing books, not buying (where did I go wrong after that? lol) I can’t remember at all what books I read during that time and until about 2008, I know I really wanted to read a lot and wanted to own most of them, I even wrote lists of books I needed to get, but couldn’t at that moment. But I can’t remember if I actually read or just dreamed about reading.

And in the end of 2008, I was away at school and I had seen posters about a movie called Twilight (yeah, here it comes) was going for one night only in the little village I lived in then. I didn’t think more about it and never went to see it. A few weeks later I decided to watch it elsewhere instead and was instantly hooked. I ordered the first book and read it in 24-hours, ordered the second book and read it in less than 48 hours, and so it went until I had bought the fourth and last book. I think that with delivery (of about 2-3 days) and all I read the whole series in two weeks. After that I wanted to read everything about vampires I could get my hands on but by then my bank account was empty and I couldn’t read everything.

Jump forward a few years and I found GoodReads, the list of books I wanted to read became really long and never ending (as it seemed), but at this time I actually bought books when I could, which wasn’t very often but it was a few books a month I think, but I can’t remember if I ever read them, probably not, lol. And I remember reading a lot of my mom’s crime books, especially by Camilla Läckberg and some other swedish crime author I can’t remember the name of at the moment. And then, in 2012, I found The Hunger Games, I remember reading it in a huge bind-up in swedish and all I can remember today was that I loved it and continued reading after that. Up to this point I could read maybe 20-30 books a year or something, maybe even less than that, because I hadn’t found books that were interesting enough to read and when i did, it was over way to soon. I read all books that were out by Johan Theorin, all books out in the shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella, Fifty Shades trilogy, and after that I discovered something called YA, and I found a shop that really quickly became my all time favorite bookshop and still is! The following months or rather a year or so, I read everything I could get my hands on; the Fallen series by Lauren Kate, Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick, The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater, I started and read most of the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast, continuing with The Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices, followed by the Divergent trilogy. When 2014 was over, I had read more books than I thought was possible.

And finally, I’m going to tell you about that last quarter of 2014, to about October or November (can’t remember which it was), when i found BookTube and a whole freaking world opened up and craved my attention (and money). I remember that I was sitting day in and day out by the computer writing down titles of books I really needed to get, because they sounded like something I would love, and the rest of the year I simply planned (and read of course) what I would read for the upcoming year, to read as much as possible to take up for lost reading time. January 2015 I read 8 books, which was more than I thought was possible. After finding BookTube I have found so many good (and horrible) books, a lot of authors I might never have heard of otherwise, and I shop more books than I ever have in my life before. At this point I love reading more than anything and I could really do it day and night if it was possible.

All this I really have to thank my mother for, for reading for me and my brother when we were children, and for opening up the world of reading for me. And I am soo grateful for BookTube and Goodreads. When I look back at the books I read before those too, my reading world was very, very limited compared to what it is now, and I can’t wait to get around to all the books I want to read at some period of my life. But was the quote by Frank Zappa says: ”So many books, so little time”.

Anyways, that was it for this time. This post became longer than I thought it might, but hey, at least I wrote something and posted it since it has been 9 days since the last post (I blame the x-files for that)! Until next time, Take Care 🙂

25 Bookish Facts About Me | Tag | 2016

So, I’ve seen this tag on booktube for a few weeks now and just during this past week several booktubers has posted it on their channels. I thought I’d do this one as well even though I haven’t been tagged by anyone. I just thought it would be fun and for my readers, you, to get to know me a little better.

1. I’m a mood reader. I can’t read something just for the sake of reading, which can be a huge problem sometimes.
2. I’m never, ever going to read a book about cancer. I just can’t do it, I have tried and I just can’t.
3. I have only ever listened to 1 audio book in my life. I have tried listening to a bunch but it’s just not for me.
4. I judge a book by its cover. If a book doesn’t have an appealing cover, I won’t buy it.
5. I read e-books a lot faster than physical books. I don’t know how or why, but that’s how it is.
6. I never eat or drink while reading. It’s simply not what I do.
7. I have a real hard time reading with noise in the background, no matter what that noise is.
8. The first time I was spoiled for a book was while I was reading Cinder for a thing that happens in Scarlet but affects the love story line in Cinder.
9. I hate cover changes (almost) above everything else. I won’t start/buy a series if the covers don’t match in the cover I want.
10.  I read Carrie by Stephen King and hated it. I haven’t read a book by him since (unless you count books by Richard Bachman) and I don’t know if I ever will.
11. The most wonderful smell in the world is the ”musty-old-book” smell.
12. I don’t like hardcover books all that much and really prefer waiting for the paperbacks to be released.
13. I love the trade paper paperbacks (the floppy ones) and prefer them if they are available.
14. The first book I read a book under 24 hours was last summer (2015) and it was Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (read it even under 14 hours if I remember correctly)
15. I have only ever permanently DNF’d 3 books in my life.
16. I can’t stop reading in the middle of a chapter without feeling anxious.
17. During 2009 I read Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (my favorite book in the twilight saga) 7 times.
18. There’s only 3 movie adaptions of books I actually love, from books I’ve read (Tuck everlasting, Vampire Academy and the Perks of Being a Wallflower).
19. Sometimes I can sit in front my bookcase for hours, pick up books, read the first sentence, flip through them and put them back. Simply give all my books some love.
20. I never get embarrassed in public while reading a book, no matter the book.
21. I have never doggy-eared a book page in my life for the sake of using it as bookmark.
22. I love mass market paperbacks.
23. I read the Percy Jackson series for the first time at age 26.
24. Before I could read by myself (and even after that) my mom used to read to me and my brother, that stopped when I was about 10 or so (I don’t know why) and I continued reading on my own.
25. (continued from number 24) The first ever book I read on my own was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Swedish.

That was all for this post. I hope you liked it. Take care 🙂

February & Birthday Book Haul | 2016

February is over (wow, where has this month gone?), during this month I have accumulated quite a few books. In total, with books I got as birthday presents, books I got from the huge February book sale that’s going on right now across the country and books I bought myself, I got 27 books(!!).. Wow, I didn’t realize how many I actually got until I counted them right this minute. Four of those I got as birthday present for myself, one from my brother, six from my mom and dad (even though it was mom I was shopping with), and if I’m not mistaken the rest of the books are from the huge book sale which either I bought myself or mom bought for me.

So, lets start this thing. I will start with the books I got as a birthday present, either from myself, my brother and parents (because nobody else ever gets me books as presents).

The books I got for myself are, Storm Front by Jim Butcher (book 1 in the Dresden Files series), A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken, the 3rd book in the Darkest Minds trilogy and Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, the first book in the trilogy with the same name. From my brother I got The Martian by Andy Wier, which I specifically told him he was going to get me since he never has an idea what to buy. And from my parents I got YOU by Caroline Kepnes, Unforgiven by Lauren Kate, the 5th book in the Fallen Series, Requiem (this is 3rd and last book in the Delirium trilogy) and The Delirium Stories (novellas) by Lauren Oliver, A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab and Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, the 1st book in The Remnant Chronicles. Requiem and The Delirium Stories were bought from the book sale as well.

From the huge book sale I bought some books myself, these are (some of the titles are in Swedish): Article 5 and Three by Kristen Simmons, book 1 and 3 in Article 5 trilogy, The Girl of Fire and Thorns Stories (novellas) by Rae Carson, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Virkning – 200 frågor och svar (Crochet – 200 questions and answers), Paganinikontraktet by Lars Kepler (The Nightmare in English), Mirakelverkstaden by Valérie Tong Cuong (there’s no translated title in English for this book what I can find), Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella, the 7th book in the Shopaholic series. I also bought the graphic novel Berättelser från Engelsfors (and also an in-between story in the Engelsfors trilogy, in Swedish) The last book I bought on sale was Stjärnklart by Lars Wilderäng (also no translated title for this book).

Now for the book sale books my mom bought for me: United States of Cakes by Roy Fares (a recipe book in Swedish, also available in English with the same name), Love Letters: 200 years of Romance by the British Library, To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (which I already read, during last year in a different edition), and As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. The last four books are from the Vintage Classics Editions.

***

I think that was all of them, I’m not sure if I have forgotten a book or two somewhere but I think this is all of them. I have by this time finished Gone Girl, and I’m in the middle of YOU, and I am also really looking forward to reading In the Afterlight, Paganinikontraktet and Storm Front most of all of these. But of course I want to get to all of them at some point during this year 🙂

Because of this huge book haul I can’t buy another book until I’ve read at least 9 books since I have to read one book to buy one (one of my goals for this year) so until then I’m definitely on a book buying ban, which I am going to keep this time around for sure ^^

I hope you enjoyed this post even though it was brief without any synopses or explanations. Take care dear readers 🙂

What I Want to Read in March | 2016

I don’t usually do TBR’s since I’m such a mood reader, but since I’m obviously in a Psychological Thriller mood at this moment and don’t want to pick up anything else, I have a few books I want to get to this month.

I’m currently reading You by Caronline Kepnes, which I know I’m going to finish in a few days. So far it’s just ok, but I hope it will get better.

Then I’m going to pick up Paganinikontraktet (or The Nightmare in English) by Lars Kepler, which I’ve had on my shelves for quite some time now and really need to get to soon. I have no clue what this book is about really and I want to get into it without knowing too much.

After that I really don’t know what to pick up. I’m thinking about The Poet by Michael Connelly, or maybe Camilla Läckbergs Lejontämjaren (which isn’t a psychological thriller but still). Or I might try to pick up Storm Front by Jim Butcher since it is about a detective, even thought it is supposed to be paranormal somehow. We’ll just have to see. Both of them seem quite interesting though.

If this psychological thriller mood is going to stay I may need to get some new books in that genre. Or I have to be content with all the other tamer crime books I own, just so I have something to read this month. But hopefully I will be out of this mood soon so I can read all he books I bought in January and February too.

This was a short one, but I hope you liked it anyways. See you 🙂

February Wrap-Up | 2016

This month was a really bad one for my reading me. I started reading a bunch of books but had to put them down because they weren’t interesting enough for me at the moment (see my previous post for an explanation). I managed to finish 3 books this month which is kind of disappointing but hey, whatcha gonna do?

The first book i finished was The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. I liked this book a lot, even though I can’t remember much of it at this point (note to self: start writing a book log so I can remember the good and the bad stuff). But I do know that it was a good book since I rated it with 4 stars.

The second book I finished was As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka. This is the first part of a finish trilogy. It was surprisingly good. In the beginning I was very hesitant since I know that English translated books often aren’t that good because of the translation, and even though the language in this book was very simplistic and a struggle to get in to because of it, I liked it, and want to finish the trilogy some day soon. I gave this book 3,5 stars.
GoodReads Link

The second and final book I read this month was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I picked this up in the last week of February second hand for a very small penny and started reading it as soon as I got home. I liked this book very much until the reveal. After that I kind of lost interest since I had expected this book to be more…, just more! So in the end this book was just ok, and very disappointing. I gave this book 3 stars.

I hope you liked this blog post even though it wasn’t much. See you soon I hope 🙂