The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

It's the last Friday (and the last day) of 2021 and perhaps time for this year's final Let's Talk Bookish post, courtesy of  Eternity Books and Literary Lion . Fittingly enough, the theme of the week was reflecting on my 2021 reading/blogging year. The writing prompts were as following. What did you accomplish reading and blogging wise in 2021? What are you most proud of? What are you most disappointed by? If there’s something new you tried in 2021 with your reading or blogging, what was it and how did that turn out? How do you think you’ve grown as a reader/blogger? What would you advise yourself as we look to 2022? Personally, I didn't get to read as much as I would have liked, mainly due to moving from a rented basement flat to a house that I actually own. Fortunately, I still managed to read over 80 books, so I can't really complain. If anything, moving has at least learned me to relax a bit when it comes to reading and not feeling that I "need" to ...

As it's the last month of the year, I decided going back to reading monthly summaries of books I've read and my book haul. As my year has been a bit crazy with moving and other random stuff, I haven't gotten the chance to read as much as I would like, but at least I've managed to read a little bit. Anyway, here's the lists for this month. Books I've Read In December 2021 Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon by James Lovegrove Murder Most Festive by Ada Moncrieff The Lights by Carrie Pack The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths People Like Us by Dana Mele The Body on the Island by Nick Louth Karma by Jørgen Jæger Book Haul Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee The Mist by Ragnar Jónasson By the way, if anyone has read any of the books on the lists, feel free to write a comment.

Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery novel Booked for Death (Booklovers B&B Mysteries #1) by Victoria Gilbert through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads From the critically acclaimed author of SIBA Okra Pick A Murder for the Books, Victoria Gilbert embarks with a new series for perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Juliet Blackwell. A book lover's B&B in an idyllic waterfront village becomes the scene of a grisly murder--and a ruthless battle between treachery and the truth. Nestled in the historic waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast is a reader's paradise. Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It's the perfect literary retreat--until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Te...

It's Tuesday and time for the final Top Ten Tuesday post of the year, courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl . Fittingly enough, the theme of the week was best books I read in 2021. As I've read plenty of good books this year, it was hard to pick, so those there was plenty I had to exclude just to narrow it down. Anyway, here's my picks. The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco The Witchling's Girl by Helena Coggan Blood Countess by Lana Popović In Bibi's Kitchen by Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi 1314: Bannockburn by Lynette Nusbacher Murder on the Moorland by Helen Cox This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

For noen år siden var jeg såpass heldig at jeg fikk tilsendt et leseeksemplar av romanen Trikset av Emanuel Bergmann fra forlaget. Jeg har nå lest den og i dag kommer omtalen av boka. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Trikset er en hjertevarm roman om en liten gutt som tror alt er mulig, en gammel mann som ikke tror på noe. Tidlig på 1900-tallet vokste den unge jødiske gutten Moshe Goldenhirsch opp i en leiegård i Praha. Da Moshe er i tenårene, slutter han seg til et omreisende sirkus, blir tryllekunstner og får ære og berømmelse som Den store Zabbatini rett før krigen i Europa bryter ut. Når det blir oppdaget at Zabbatini er jøde, er den slitte kofferten med tryllesakene hans eneste håp om å overleve når han sendes til konsentrasjonsleir. Los Angeles, 2007: Foreldrene til Max skal skilles. Det eneste Max ønsker seg, er at familien skal holde sammen. Da han oppdager et opptak med Den store Zabbatini der han nevner et triks som garanterer evig kjærlighet, oppsøker Max den gamle mannen o...

Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery novel Still Knife Painting (A Paint and Shine Mystery #1) by Cheryl Hollon through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Miranda Trent has set up a sweet life in a scenic corner of Appalachia--until she stumbles across the trail of a killer . . . After inheriting her uncle's Red River Gorge homestead in Eastern Kentucky--smack dab in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest--Miranda comes up with a perfect business plan for summer tourists: pairing outdoor painting classes with sips of local moonshine, followed by a mouthwatering sampler of the best in southern cooking. To Miranda's delight, Paint & Shine is a total success--until someone kills the cook. As the town's outsider, suspicion naturally falls on Miranda. Murdering the best biscuit baker of Red River Gorge is a high crime in these parts. Miranda will have to prov...

It's Christmas Day and what more fitting, than posting a review of a Christmas themed horror novella? I recently read The Lights by Carrie Pack and today I'll share my review. Description from Goodreads It's winter break and Molly Monroe is content to enjoy her town's annual Festival of Lights with her girlfriend Chelsea at her side. But almost immediately after the lights go up, the town's children begin to act strangely, especially Molly's own brother, Roger. When their next-door neighbors are killed in a grisly double homicide, Molly begins to suspect the incidents are linked. Now she must convince her parents and the rest of the town to take down the Christmas lights before everyone gets killed. My Thoughts on the Book The Lights is a fast paced and quick read, which easily can be read in one sitting. The plot is a bit terrifying, because of the possessed murderous kids (it's not your cutesey and fluffy Christmas romance novel, all right). While I liked...

Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the crime novel The Nidderdale Murders (Yorkshire Murder Mysteries #5) by J.R. Ellis through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads A retired judge is shot dead outside the Dog and Gun inn in the remote Yorkshire village of Niddersgill. There’s a witness who saw everything, and the gunman’s on the run; the case should be open-and-shut for DCI Jim Oldroyd. But the murderer had no motive for wanting Sandy Fraser dead and, what’s more, no trace of him can be found. As Oldroyd and his team cast the net wider, they discover that Fraser wasn’t without enemies in Niddersgill. As the wealthy owner of a grouse moor, he’d clashed with farmers, debtors, hunt saboteurs and blackmailers. But none of them were at the scene of the murder. And when a local shopkeeper is gunned down in a second senseless attack, it’s clear that these killings are anything but random. Surrounded by t...

I came across The Christmas Song Book Tag over at  Hailey in Bookland and I decided to play along as it looked like a fun tag. QUESTIONS // 1. "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" Name a villainous character you couldn't help but love. Prof. Snape from Harry Potter. 2. "All I Want for Christmas is You" Which book to you most hope to see under your Christmas tree? There's a lot of books on my wishlist, but one of the books I want is Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala 3. "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" Name a character that overcomes major obstacles and learns to believe in themselves. Where the Light Gets In by Lucy Dillon 4. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" a) Which character do you think would be on the top of the naughty list? Voldremort b) Which character do you think would be at the top of the nice list? Morrigan Crow from the Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend 5. "Frosty the Snowman" Which book just melts your heart. T...

Earlier this month, I read the mystery novel Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon written by James Grove and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads The new Sherlock Holmes novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Odin and Firefly - Big Damn Hero. It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe - eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty - is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit. Her late mother told her terrifying tales of the sinister Black Thurrick, and Eve is sure that she has seen the creature from her bedroom window. What is more, she has begun to receive mysterious parcels of birch twigs, the Black Thurrick's calling card... Eve stands to inherit a fortune if she is sound in mind, but it seems that something - or someone - is threatening her sanity. Holmes and...

It's Tuesday and perhaps time for a new Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl . The theme of the week was books I hope Santa brings. Here's my picks; The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham Renewed For Murder by Victoria Gilbert Death on the Shelf by Allison Brook The Ghost Tracks by Celso Hurtado Freedomville: The Story of a 21st-Century Slave Revolt by Laura T. Murphy Deer Season by Erin Flanagan The Dying Day by Vaseem Khan How to Break an Evil Curse by Laura Morrison The Clockmaker's Wife by Daisy Wood Slashing Through the Snow by Jacqueline Frost

Recently I read the Christmas-themed mystery novel Murder Most Festive by Ada Moncrieff and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads It's Christmas at Westbury Manor and amateur detective Hugh Gaveston must unravel a fiendish mystery... Christmas Eve, 1938. The Westbury family and assorted friends have gathered for another legendary celebration at their beautiful country house. The champagne flows, the silverware sparkles and upstairs the rooms are ready for their occupants. But one bed will lie empty that night. On Christmas morning, David Campbell-Scott is found dead in the snow. There's a pistol beside him and only one set of footprints. Yet something doesn't seem right to amateur sleuth Hugh Gaveston. Campbell-Scott had just returned from overseas with untold wealth - why would he kill himself? Hugh sets out to investigate... My Thoughts on the Book Murder Most Festive was a fun and engaging locked room mystery with several interesting character and the...

Last year, I read the poetry and short story collection Stories and Poems/Cuentos y Poesías: A Dual-Language Book by Rubén Darío. As the author is from Nicaragua, I can finally cross off that country in terms of my World Literatuer Project and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads One of the most important Latin-American writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Nicaraguan poet and essayist Rubén Darío (the pen name of Félix Rubén García Sarmiento) is considered the high priest of the modernismo school of literature, known for its dazzling verbal virtuosity and technical perfection. The present volume contains a rich selection of Darío's best poems and stories, carefully chosen from Azul (Blue), Prosas profanas (Worldly Hymns), Cantos de vida y esperanza (Songs of Life and Hope), El canto errante (The Wandering Song), and Poema del otoño (Poem of autumn). Stanley Appelbaum has provided accurate English translations (line for line in the poet...

I fjor var jeg såpass heldig at jeg fikk tilsendt et leseeksemplar av bildeboka Mummitrollet og den usynlige gjesten av Cecilia Davidsson, Filippa Widlund og Tove Jansson. Nå har jeg lest den og i dag kommer omtalen. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Hva skal til for at et barn blir synlig? Viktig tema behandlet på nydelig vis. En mørk høstkveld banker det på Mummitrollets dør. I regnet utenfor står en svært merkelig gjest - et usynlig barn. Hun har blitt skremt av den som skulle ta vare på henne. Hvordan gjør man et barn synlig? Det funderer alle i Mummi- familien på denne høsten. De prøver med vennlighet, ny kjole og medisiner. De forteller historier, og de venter. Og hva som skal til, får du vite i denne fortellingen! Historien er basert på novellen Berättelsen om det osynliga barnet og er en del av Bonnier Carlsens satsning på å utvikle nye bøker for neste generasjon Mummi-elskere. Titlene vil forholde seg til Tove Janssons klassiske historier og formidle magien, visdommen, kjærligheten, l...

It's Friday yet again and perhaps time for another Let's Talk Bookish post, courtesy of  Eternity Books and Literary Lion . The theme of the week was "how many books is too many?". The prompts for discussion is as follows. With holidays coming up there’s bound to be a lot of gift giving. I’m sure many of us will ask for more books to add to our collection – but how many books is too many? Do you think the book community encourages over consumption? I can't deny I'm a firm believer in there's no such thing as too many books, just not enough bookshelves and time to read, as well as tsundoko. For a long time, I've also had a dream of creating a library room and in my small and charming old house from 1901, I'm working on that happening. That said, I am probably guilty as charged in terms of the book community encouraging an above average consumption of books. Not all of us encourage it of course, but I think the majority of us probably do to a certa...

I came across the Joy Of Christmas Book Tag over at  Meeghan Reads and I decided to play along as it looked like a fun book tag. Anticipation: The Christmas excitement is real, what book releases are you most anticipating? There's so many, I have no idea where to start. Christmas songs and carols: What book or author can you not help but sing it/their praises? I really love James Holland. Gingerbread Houses: What book or series has wonderful world building? The Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor has some amazing world building. A Christmas Carol: Favorite classic or one that you want to read? I really love Dracula by Bram Stoker. Christmas Sweets: What book would you love to receive for Christmas? The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky Candles in the Window: What book gives you that warm fuzzy feeling? The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans Christmas Trees & Decorations: What are some of your favorite book covers? Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moren...