The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

It's Tuesday and perhaps it's time for another Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl  and the theme of the week is books you'd be a fool not to read. As I mainly focus on horror and paranormal, I decided writing a list of horror novels you'd be a fool not to read. Here's my ten spooky picks. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty Description from Goodreads Georgetown, Washington D.C. Actress and divorced mother Chris MacNeil starts to experience 'difficulties' with her usually sweet-natured eleven-year-old daughter Regan. The child becomes afflicted by spasms, convulsions and unsettling amnesiac episodes; these abruptly worsen into violent fits of appalling foul-mouthed curses, accompanied by physical mutation. Medical science is baffled by Regan's plight and, in her increasing despair, Chris turns to troubled priest and psychiatrist Damien Karras, who immediately recognises something profoundly malevolent in Regan's distorted fetur...

A little while ago, I read The Bloody Ruin Asylum & Taproom by Seana Kelly and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads I’m Sam, the werewolf book nerd owner of The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore & Bar. My husband, Master vampire Clive, has been asked to go to Budapest to interview for a position in the Guild, a council of thirteen vampires who advise the world’s Masters. The competition for the recently vacated spot is fierce. I worry about Clive, as it quickly becomes apparent that the last person to hold the position didn’t leave voluntarily. Ever the supportive wife, I’m tagging along. I researched Budapest and had a long itinerary of things to do. That is, I did. When we arrive, we find out that the Guild headquarters is in the ruins of an abandoned insane asylum. Awesome. If there’s one thing I love, it’s being hounded by mentally unstable Hungarian ghosts. Let’s just say this isn’t the romantic getaway I’d been hoping for. With Clive in top secr...

It's Wednesday and perhaps it's time for another Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge post courtesy of  Long and Short Reviews  and today's topic is favourite comfort foods and why (plus recipes). I'm one of those who loves food with a bit of flavour in it and often gravitate towards Thai and Chinese dishes, but I enjoy food from a lot of countries. A few of my favourite comfort foods are Italian Lamb Ragu, Romanian Paprika Chicken, and Thai Satay Chicken. I honestly doubt I'm the only one who finds comfort in a bowl of tasty pasta though. I've found a nice recipe of lamb ragu online that I've made several times over the last couple of years. While it takes a while to make, it tastes really good. When it comes to paprika chicken, well, as I'm a bit of a Dracula geek, I doubt it's to anyone's surprise that I'm mentioning a dish from that book. Anyway, here's links to recipes in case anyone wants to make any of them at home. Lamb Ragu Papri...

A little while ago I read The Viper's Nest Roadhouse & Café by Seana Kelly and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads I'm Sam, the werewolf book nerd owner of The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore & Bar. Clive, Fergus, and I are moving into our new home, the business is going well, and our folly is taking shape. The problem? Clive's maker Garyn is coming to San Francisco for a visit, and this reunion has been a thousand years in the making. Back then, Garyn was rather put out when Clive accepted the dark kiss and then took off to avenge his sister's murder. She was looking for a new family. He was looking for lethal skills. And so, Garyn has had plenty of time to align her forces. When her allies begin stepping out of the shadows, Clive's foundation will be shaken. Stheno and her sisters are adding to their rather impressive portfolio of businesses around the world by acquiring The Viper's Nest Roadhouse & Café. Medusa found ...

It's Friday, which means it's probably time for another Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits  and  Dinipanda Reads , and today's topic was guilty pleasure reads. Here's the further prompts for today's discussion. Do you agree with the term since it has a somewhat “negative” connotation? Should you feel ashamed or “guilty” for enjoying a certain genre or non-traditional type of book (i.e. graphic novels, manga)? What books do you love or are on your TBR do you think would be considered “guilty pleasures” by others? While I do feel the term "guilty pleasure" has a somewhat negative connotation, I don't think people should be ashamed/guilty for reading what they read. For the most part, I think it's more important that people actually read and enjoy reading, regardless of whether it's Victorian classics or bodice-ripping historical romances. I'd be a bit wary of people reading (and believing)  online texts from less credibl...

It's Friday, which means it's probably time for another Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits  and  Dinipanda Reads . Today's topic was writing and posting book reviews. Here's the further prompts for today's discussion. Writing book reviews is a huge part of running a book blog. Do book reviews make up a big part of your blog content? Do you prefer to write long or short reviews? How does reviewing advance copies (ARCs) and working directly with authors and publishers change your approach to writing the reviews? Do you post on platforms other than your blog (i.e. Goodreads, The Storygraph, social media) and do those reviews differ from what you share on your blog? After I switched things a bit around on this book blog and decided focusing on horor and paranormal books, I've actually reduced the number of book reviews on this blog. When it comes down to the length of my reviews, they all depend on how much I've got to say about the book - ...