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Showing posts from January, 2021

Smakebit på Søndag; Murder with Honey Ham Biscuits (Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery #4) av A.L. Herbert

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Siden det er slutten av uka, er det kanskje på tide med en ny Smakebit på Søndag, som  Betraktninger  og  Flukten fra virkeligheten  har ansvaret for. I dag vil jeg ta for meg cosy mystery-romanen Murder with Honey Ham Biscuits (Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery #4) av A.L. Herbert, som jeg leste for ikke så lenge siden. Boka omhandler Halia som skal være gjestedommer i en konkurranse i et reality show, mens hun til vanlig driver en restaurant med familien. Da en av deltakerne i konkurransen blir funnet drept, blir det komplikasjoner. Her er en smakebit fra da Halia og Wavonne, søskenbarnet til Halia, stikker innom en restaurant som heter Dauphine. “This place looks like somewhere the vampires in True Blood would eat,” Wavonne says as we step into Dauphine. The door closes behind us, and all evidence of daylight disappears. “Yeah... it’s not exactly bright and cheery, is it?” I respond. “It’s been a hundred years since I worked here. I guess I’d forgotten how dark it is in h

Review; The Woman Suffrage Cookbook: The 1886 Classic by Hattie A. Burr

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve a press copy of the cookbook The Woman Suffrage Cookbook: The 1886 Classic by Hattie A. Burr through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads The Woman Suffrage Cookbook was the first of several fundraising cookbooks published in support of the movement behind the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. Edited and compiled by Hattie A. Burr, it features recipes from prominent suffragists as well as from women eminent in their fields: teachers, lecturers, physicians, ministers, and authors. Contributors include Mary C. Ames, a successful journalist, who provided a recipe for lobster soup; Alice B. Stockham, the fifth woman in the United States to become a licensed doctor, who sent a recipe for Coraline Cake; and suffragists Mary A. Livermore and Lucy Stone, both of whom supplied complicated recipes for yeast. Other recipes such as Rebel Soup and Mother's Election Cake added a r

Book Blogger Hop; Do I Share Books? If So, Do I Have A System?

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It's Friday and time for a new Book Blogger Hop post, courtesy of Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer . The question of the week was "Do you share books? If so, do you have a system to keep track of whom you lend books to?" . Book Blogger Hop After I've burned myself on someone who borrowed a few of my books and never returned them, I ended up buying one of those  personal library kits  from Knock Knock and use them on the books people borrow. It helps me a lot in terms of keeping track of who has some of my books.

Book Tag; The "No Disclaimer" Book Tag

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I came across The "No Disclaimer" Book Tag over at  allonsythornraxx  and I decided to play along. 1 Which trope in books annoys you the most? Love triangles. Seriously, make up your mind and stick to one person. 2 Which writer or writers do you feel are overrated/overhyped? Where do I start? At least in Norway, I do feel Jo Nesbø and Lucinda Riley are a bit overhyped as I feel I can't enter a single bookstore without seeing their books displayed. 3 What are your least favourite books you’ve read since you started blogging? The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. 4 A terrible ending that ruined an otherwise quality book. I'm not sure if I've encountered that problem. 5 Which fictional character(s) do you wish were not killed off? A lot of the characters in the HP series, such as Dumbledore, Dobby and Sirius Black. 6 What are some of your bookish pet peeves? Not returning borrowed books, misplacing borrowed books, overuse/ba

Omtale; Kriseklar - din håndbok i prepping og hverdagsberedskap av Trygve Skanding og Jostein Saakvitne

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I fjor fikk jeg tilsendt fagboka Kriseklar - din håndbok i prepping og hverdagsberedskap av Trygve Skanding og Jostein Saakvitne som leseeksemplar fra forlaget. Nå har jeg lest boka og i dag kommer omtalen. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Høyaktuell bok om hvordan du forbereder deg på den neste krisen. Prepping er ikke en sær hobby for einstøinger som bygger bomberom, hamstrer våpen og venter på dommedag. Prepping er noe våre foreldre, og særlig våre besteforeldre, var gode på, de hadde alltid noe på lager av livsnødvendige varer. Det er de kloke, fornuftige forberedelsene alle bør gjøre for å være rustet til at en uventet krise kan komme. Og de siste månedene har vist oss at krisene vil komme. Dette er en lettlest og nyttig håndbok for alle hverdagspreppere, og for de mange som vil bli det: En som er forberedt og kan greie seg selv i krisesituasjoner, en som løser problemer. Og ikke minst en som slipper å stå i kø i dagligvarebutikken eller på apoteket når noe samfunnskritisk og uforutsett

Top Ten Tuesday; New-To-Me Author I Read in 2020

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It's Tuesday and time for a new Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl . The theme of the week was new-to-me authors I read in 2020. Here's my picks. Patricia V. Davis John Williams Sarah A. Denzil Shea Hunter Shilpi Somaya Gowda Jean Kwok Delia Owens Linda Olsson Kacen Callender Anuradha Roy

Review; King of Kings (Ballantyne #6) by Wilbur Smith

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Ages ago I was fortunate enough to recieve a press copy of King of Kings (Ballantyne #6) by Wilbur Smith through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads The long-awaited sequel to Wilbur Smith's worldwide bestseller, The Triumph of the Sun. An epic story of love, betrayal, courage and war that brings together two of Wilbur Smith's greatest families in this long-awaited sequel to his worldwide bestseller, The Triumph of the Sun. Cairo, 1888. A beautiful September day. Penrod Ballantyne and his fiancee, Amber Benbrook, stroll hand in hand. The future is theirs for the taking. But when Penrod's jealous former lover, Lady Agatha, plants doubt about his character, Amber leaves him and travels to the wilds of Abyssinia with her twin sister, Saffron, and her adventurer husband, Ryder Courtney. On a mission to establish a silver mine, they make the dangerous journey to the new capital of Addis Ababa, where they are

Smakebit på Søndag; Checked Out for Murder (The Haunted Library Mysteries #4) av Allison Brook

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Det er søndag og på tide med en ny Smakebit på Søndag, som  Betraktninger  og  Flukten fra virkeligheten  har ansveret for. Boken jeg skal gi en bitteliten smakebit fra i dag er en cosy mystery som heter Checked Out for Murder (The Haunted Library Mysteries #4) og er skrevet av Allison Brook. Carrie jobber på et bibliotek som tilfeldigvis har et spøkelse med navnet Evelyn. Kort tid etter hun hadde et foredrag på biblioteket, blir den synske kvinnen Daphne drept. Evelyn forteller Carrie at det er mer med Daphne enn det en kan få inntrykk av. På toppen av det hele, kommer moren og stefaren til Carrie, da stefaren skal spille i en film som blir innspilt i byen der Carrie bor. Smakebiten omhandler forholdet mellom Carrie og moren. "I knew I sounded as uncooperative as I felt. Describing my mother as difficult was like saying Mount Everest was a bit of a hike. Spending time with her always left me wrung out and unhappy."

Review; Big Love Cooking: 75 Recipes for Satisfying, Shareable Comfort Food by Joey Campanaro

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cookbook Big Love Cooking: 75 Recipes for Satisfying, Shareable Comfort Food by Joey Campanaro through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads From Joey Campanaro, the lovable chef and owner of popular Little Owl restaurant in New York City! Big Love Cooking features 75 accessible recipes infused with Mediterranean flavors inspired by Joey's Italian-American family. This is simple, authentic food, with generous servings and nourishing, shareable meals. • Includes stories from the restaurant, historical NYC photographs, and conversational advice • Dishes include Little Owl Crispy Chicken, Ricotta Cavatelli with Tomato Broth, Bacon, and Fava Beans, and Brioche French Toast with Stewed Strawberries. • Features warm, inviting photography that emulates the family-style meals With accessible recipes and familiar ingredients, this cookbook is perfect for big family

Let's Talk Bookish; Why Do I Blog?

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It's Friday and perhaps time for a new Let's Talk Bookish, hosted by Eternity Books and Literary Lion . The theme of the week was "Why do I blog?". It all started back in July 2012, as a bit to track my reading and share my passion for books. Sometimes things have a bit of a snowball-effect and I've evolved the book blog a bit throughout the years, even if my "core idea" mentioned above remain the same. When I started, I only blogged in Norwegian, while now it's more of a bilingual blog, mainly writing in English with an occasional Norwegian post here and there. What kept me going this far is the fact that as I've gotten this far, I can't quit quite yet, even if there has been periods where I've been utterly fed up by blogging, especially when I felt like I put down a lot of work in creating content and there were less than the sound of crickets in return. For this year, the only plans I've got for this book blog is a few themed mon

Book Tag; The Disney Sidekick Book Tag

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I came across The Disney Sidekick Book Tag over at  Lala's Book Reviews  and I decided to play along as it looked like a fun tag. Mushu From Mulan The Comic Relief Name Your Favorite Hilarious Character or Your Favorite Comedy/Funny Book I might have a weird sense of humour, but I did find The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans funny at times. The Seven Dwarves From Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Favorite Group / Ensemble I can't deny I really love class 919 and Morrigan's "family" over at the hotel. Pascal From Tangled The Loyal Cheerleader Chameleon (Not a Frog, Flynn Rider) Name a Book That Started Out One Way But Changed for You I had such high hopes for Blood Born by Renee Lake, but I was seriously disappointed in it. Meeko From Pocahontas Pocahontas’ Sly and Sneaky Raccoon Friend Name a Plot Twist That You Did Not See Coming You Are Invited by Sarah A. Denzil had a few plot twists I did not see coming Rajah From Aladdin Gentle With Their Pri

Top Five Wednesday; Rise of the Rebels

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It's Wednesday and time for a new Top Five Wednesday post, courtesy of the Top Five Wednesday Goodreads group. The theme of the week was rise of the rebels, honouring Martin Luther King, who was born on January 18th. Here's my picks; I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai In the Name of Honour by Mukhtar Mai I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui The RBG Way: The Secrets of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Success by Rebecca Gibian Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words by Susan Reyburn

Top Ten Tuesday; NetGalley Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To

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It's Tuesday and time for a new Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl . The theme of the week was books I meant to read in 2020, but didn't get to and I decided narrowing it down to Netgalley books. My picks are; The Tokyo Bicycle Bakery by Su Young Lee Pinot Noir by Mads Molnar III The House That Fell From The Sky by Patrick Delaney The Photographer of Mauthausen by Salva Rubio and others Her Patriotic Duty by Rosie Meddon Dracula's Child by J. S. Barnes The Fear by Spencer Hamilton Voodoo Heart by John Everson The Lost Pianos of Siberia by Sophy Roberts The Royal Abduls by Ramiza Shamoun Koya

Omtale; Langsomt lukker jeg døren av Linda Olsson

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Tidligere i år var jeg såpass heldig at jeg fikk tilsendt et leseeksemplar av romanen Langsomt lukker jeg døren av Linda Olsson. Nå har jeg lest den og i dag kommer omtalen av boka. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Kjærligheten kan ha ufattelige konsekvenser. En ny rørende og vakker roman fra Linda Olsson. Helga lukker forsiktig døren til huset hun har bodd i de siste sju årene. Hun har gitt det bort, til en ung mann og hans lille datter. Men før hun forlater stedet for godt, tar hun for siste gang en tur til Hamilton Beach, stranden hvor hun har funnet trøst etter en fantastisk kjærlighetshistorie som startet i Paris for åtte år siden. En kjærlighet som fikk enorme konsekvenser for hele hennes tilværelse. Først et lykkelig familieliv, et elsket barn og så en katastrofe som sønderslo hele hennes eksistens. Er de mulig å finne tilbake til seg selv etter at tragedien har rammet? Og tør man å bli glad i andre mennesker på nytt? Linda Olsson (f. 1948) vokste opp i Stockholm der hun studert

Smakebit på Søndag; On Deadly Tides: A Penny Brannigan Mystery av Elizabeth J Duncan

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Det er på tide med en ny Smakebit på Søndag, som Betraktninger og Flukten fra virkeligheten har ansvaret for. I dag vil jeg ta for meg cosy mystery romanen On Deadly Tides av Elizabeth J. Duncan. Boka omhandler Penny og venninna som er på malekurs i Anglesey, i nord-Wales og de beklageligvis kommer over liket til en ung journalist. Smakebiten jeg skal dele omhandler derimot noe helt annet og litt mer koselig, samt jordnært. At the sound of a light humming, swooshing noise, they turned to see a milkman making his early morning deliveries in an electric-powered vehicle. He glided past them and then slowed to a stop at one of the units in the Georgian terrace. The glass bottles in the metal rack he carried made a gentle clinking sound as he crossed the road, deposited two full bottles on a doorstep, picked up two empty bottles, returned to his vehicle, and with a friendly little wave as he passed Penny and Colin, continued on his round. “I didn’t know home milk delivery is still a thin

Review; 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More by Sarah Kieffer

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cookbook 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More by Sarah Kieffer through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads From celebrated blogger Sarah Kieffer of The Vanilla Bean Baking Blog! 100 Cookies is a go-to baking resource featuring 100 recipes for cookies and bars, organized into seven chapters. Chocolatey, fruity, crispy, chewy, classic, inventive—there's a foolproof recipe for the perfect treat for everyone in this book. • Introduces innovative baking techniques • Includes an entire chapter dedicated to Kieffer's "pan banging" technique that ensures crisp edges and soft centers for the most delicious cookies • Nearly every recipe is accompanied by a photograph. Recipes range from the Classic Chocolate Chip made three different ways, to bars, brownies, and blondies

Let's Talk Bookish; Bookish Memes And Games - Fun Filler Or Worthless Waste Of Time?

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It's Friday and I figured out it was time for a new Let's Talk Bookish post, hosted by Eternity Books and Literary Lion . The theme of the week was bookish memes and games - fun filler or worthless waste of time? There's various weekly memes I participate in, such as Let's Talk Bookish (obviously, duh), Top Ten Tuesday, Mailbox Monday, Book Blogger Hop and a couple of others, but that doesn't mean I do every meme every week. I only do the memes if there is a topic/theme I want to write about, otherwise I feel it would be a bit pointless doing them. I enjoy doing some bookish memes from time to time, as it enables me to discuss and talk about books and bookish stuff in a different manner than "just" writing book reviews. Not that it's anything wrong with writing book reviews, but I like to have a bit of variation, so I don't get too bored and I also suspect that not all readers want to read 14 book reviews in a row, if you know what I mean. Funnily

Book Tag; Meet The Book Blogger Tag

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I came across the Meet The Book Blogger Tag over at Lala's Book Reviews , who created the tag, and I decided to play along as it looked like a fun tag to do. Rules: Thank the blogger who tagged you Mention the creator Lauren @ Lala’s Book Reviews Tag as many (or as few) people as you’d like Have fun and get to know one another! Introduction Introduce yourself! I'm Kristin, currently 32 years old and I live in Bryne, Norway. Something most everyone wants to know… do you have any pets? I used to have a cat named Sussebass, but sadly I had to put him to sleep back in December 2019 due to issues related to FIV. What is your favorite thing to drink? I love coffee, tea and hot chocolate. What is your favorite season? My favourite season is autumn. There's something about the beautiful colours, the crisp air and "all things autumn" that just makes me warm and fuzzy. Do you have any special talents? Apart from being a fast reader with a bit of brainiac tendencies, I play

Top Five Wednesday; Furry Friends in Books

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It's Wednesday and perhaps time for a new Top Five Wednesday post, thanks to the Top Five Wednesday Goodreads Group . The theme of the week was furry friends. Here's my picks; War Horse by Michael Morpurgo Black Beauty by Anna Sewell The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl

Top Ten Tuesday; Bookish Goals for 2021

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It's Tuesday and time for a new Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl . The theme of the week was resolutions/hopes for 2021. I can admit that there "might" be a slight theme in regards of some goals because, well, sometimes the world sucks a bit (pardon my French) and I want to be tiny part of the solution for making the world a better place (hopefully). I know that I as a single individual can't do "everything", but I know that as I'm a bisexual book blogger, the least I can do is highlighting diverse and marginalized voices. Here's mine. Read at least 25 books for my  World Literature Project Host  2021 Diversity Reading Challenge Participate in  Off the Grid Readathon Participate in  Dewey's Readathon Participate in  Fright Fall  Readathon Participate in  The Black Lit Challenge Participate in  Reading Women Challenge Participate in  Queer Lit Readathon Participate in  Sapphic Reading Challenge Participate in  2021 World W

Mailbox Monday; January 11th 2021

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It's a new Monday and time for a new Mailbox Monday, courtesy of the blog with the same name . Recently I recieved a huge package with multiple books for my World Literature Project where I try to read one book from every country in the extent that it's possible. So far, I've read a little over 115 books, so I'm over halfway there. Here's the books I've recieved in the mail recently. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ Jamilia by Chingiz Aitmatov The Cost of Sugar by Cynthia McLeod Selected Speeches of Amilcar Cabral The Blue Sky by Galsan Tschinag The Teacher of Cheops by Albert Salvadó Mother's Beloved - Stories from Laos by Outhine Bounuavong Jazz and Palm Wine by Emmanuel Dongala Weeding the Flowerbeds by Sarah Mkhonza Congo Inc. by In Koli Jean Bofane The Fortunes of Wangrin by Amadou Hampaté Bâ  Bitter Leafing Woman by Karen King-Aribisala The Randomist by Ali Al Saeed The Amputated Memory by Werewere Liking Afterlives by