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Showing posts from January, 2022

Monthly Summary; January 2022

As it's the last day of January, I thought it was time to write a summary of this month in regards of books I've read. This month, my reading has been a bit eclectic, with both crime fiction and poetry thrown into the mix, but at least it's been several good reads. Anyway, here's my list of books I've read this month. Lillemann ildebrann by Merete Junker (Norwegian crime fiction) The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes (black poetry) Selected Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks (black poetry) I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé (author from Guadeloupe - book is historical fiction) Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo (South-Korean author) Hunger on the Chrisholm Trail by M. Ennenbach (splatter western) Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang (historical fiction) Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano (non-fiction)

Omtale; Der fem veier møtes av Mario Vargas Llosa

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For en stund siden leste jeg romanen Der fem veier møtes av Mario Vargas Llosa, noe som gjorde at jeg til slutt kunne krysse av Peru i forbindelse med Land i verden-prosjektet mitt. I dag kommer omtalen av boka. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Nobelprisvinner i litteratur, Mario Vargas Llosa, balanserer knivskarp samfunnskritikk med et erotisk tilsnitt slik få andre kan. Der fem veier møtes er en mørk, sensuell politisk roman som utspiller seg i området Sinco Esquinas i Lima på 90-tallet, den gang Peru ble styrt av den kontroversielle presidenten Alberto Fujimori. Sentralt i boken står Ronaldo Garro, ansvarlig redaktør for sladremagasinet Destapes. Sensasjonsjournalistikk og karakterdrap er ikke bare hans levebrød, men også et mektig middel som han bruker for alt det er verdt. Og han har nok av stoff å skrive om. For innbyggerne i Lima bruker erotiske eventyr som en måte å unnslippe den dystre hverdagen på, med fare for uforvarende å havne på forsiden av sladderpressen. Men når Garro t...

Review; The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman

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As she got famous for her poetry last year, I dedcided reading the poem The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman in book form and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Amanda Gorman's powerful and historic poem "The Hill We Climb," read at President Joe Biden's inauguration, is now available as a collectible gift edition. On 20 January 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe. Her poem "The Hill We Climb" can now be cherished in this special gift edition. Including an enduring foreword by Oprah Winfrey, this keepsake celebrates our promise and affirms the power of poetry. My Thoughts on the Poem Even if The Hill We Climb may have a few clichés in it, it's still powerful and being rhythmic without a strict metre. It also ...

Review; Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes

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A while ago I read the middle grade novel Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads A magical coming-of-age story from Coretta Scott King honor author Jewell Parker Rhodes, rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids, plus an environmental twist. It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings - the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Jewell Parker Rhodes weaves a rich tale celebrating the magic within. My Thoughts on the Book I really enjoyed Bayou Magic....

Book Tag; Marvel Avengers Book Tag

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I came across the Marvel Avengers Book Tag over at  Hammock of Books and as it looked like a fun tag, I decided to play along. Iron Man // A Book That Made You Laugh Out Loud The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans Captain America // A Book That Sends A Positive Message Fifteen Seconds of Normal by Alex Marestaing Thor // A Book With A Character’s Strength You Admire Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah Black Widow // A Book With A Kick Ass Female Protagonist The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Hulk // A Book That Made You Incredibly Angry I have no idea what to answer for this one. Hawkeye // An Underrated Book You Think More People Should Pay Attention To The Witchling's Girl by Helena Coggan *Bonus* Loki // A Book With A Twist Or Surprise That Tricked You Greyfriars Reformatory by Frazer Lee

Review; Home Body by Rupi Kaur

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Last year I read the poetry collection Home Body by Rupi Kaur and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Rupi Kaur constantly embraces growth, and in home body, she walks readers through a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present, and the potential of the self. home body is a collection of raw, honest conversations with oneself – reminding readers to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family, and embrace change. Illustrated by the author, themes of nature and nurture, light and dark, rest here. i dive into the well of my body and end up in another world everything i need already exists in me there’s no need to look anywhere else – home My Thoughts on the Book Home Body is at times a raw poetry collection, but well worth the read as it touches upon several important topics, whether it's love, mental health or various other topics.

Top Ten Tuesday; New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2021

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It's Tuesday and perhaps time for another Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl . The theme of the week was new-to-me authors I discovered in 2021. I've been fortunate enough to discover lots of amazing new authors, so I had to do a random pick. Anyway, here's the books and authors I've chosen. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland The Deep by Alma Katsu The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike The Well by Marie Sexton Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle The Unbinding of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamara Blood Countess by Lana Popovic An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir The Witchling's Girl by Helena Coggan The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

Review; Nocturnal Light: Sufi Poems by Aïda Touré

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Last year, I ended up reading the poetry collection Nocturnal Light: Sufi Poems by Aïda Touré. As the poet is from Gabon, I could finally cross off that country in terms of my World Literature Project and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Devoted lovers scarcely sleep at night. In adoration, they prostrate with immense grace before the majesty of the Beloved. Nocturnal Light is collection of Sufi poems that echo the heart of those lovers who remain awake in vertiginous states of selflessness. Through the sweetness of divine remembrance, they dance to the Word's tender energy and escape themselves to embrace the greater becoming. My Thoughts on the Book There was something that I really liked about this poetry collection. The poems are beautifully written and even if I'm unfamiliar with Sufism, I enjoyed reading the poems.

Review; Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

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A while ago, I read the novel Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads The highly anticipated new book from the acclaimed author of The Accident Season is a gorgeous, twisty story about things gone missing, things returned from the past, and a group of teenagers, connected in ways they could never have imagined. One stormy Irish summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hairclips and jewelry, but soon it's clear that Rose has lost something much bigger, something she won't talk about, and Olive thinks her best friend is slipping away. Then seductive diary pages written by a girl named Laurel begin to appear all over town. And Olive meets three mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel, and her twin brother, Rowan, secretly squatting in an abandoned housing estate. The trio are wild and alluring, but they seem lost too--and like Rose, they're holding...

Review; Jamilia by Chingiz Aitmatov

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A while ago I read the book Jamilia by Chingiz Aitmatov, who is from Kyrgyzstan and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads "Jamilia" is told from the point of view of a fictional Kyrgyz artist, Seit, who tells the story by looking back on his childhood. The story recounts the love between his new sister-in-law Jamilia and a local crippled young man, Daniyar, while Jamilia's husband, Sadyk, is away at the front during World War II. Based on clues in the story, it takes place in northwestern Kyrgyzstan, presumably Talas Province. The story is backdropped against the collective farming culture which was early in its peak in that period. Chingiz Aïtmatov was born in Kyrgyzstan in 1928. His work appeared in over one hundred languages, and received numerous awards, including the Lenin Prize. He was the Kyrgyz ambassador to the European Union, NATO, UNESCO and the Benelux countries. Translated by James Riordan. My Thoughts on the Book While it's short, it...

Review; An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

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I read the fantasy novel An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir a while ago and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire's impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They've seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia's brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier--and secretly, its most unwilling. ...

Book Tag; The Bookish Baking Tag

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I came across The Bookish Baking Tag over at  Hammock of Books and I decided to play along as it looked like a really fun tag to do. Rules: Thank whoever tagged you Link back to them and the original creator (Kay @ Hammock of Books) Answer the 12 prompts, and feel free to use these graphics Tag 5+ friends to share the sweetness Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop by Abigail Drake Dobby from the HP series. The Lemon Tree Hotel by Rosanna Ley Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes Stoner by John Williams The Blue Sky by Galsan Tschinag The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans Fifteen Seconds of Normal by Alex Marestaing The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender By the way, I'm doing it very simple in terms of tagging people. If you want to do this tag, consider yourself tagged.

Top Five Wednesday; Five Books That Made Me Laugh

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Alright, it's Wednesday again and perhaps time for a new Top Five Wednesday post, courtesy of  the Top Five Wednesday group  on Goodreads. The theme of the week was books that made me laugh. Here's my five picks. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1) by Jessica Townsend The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen by Ada Bright and Cass Grafton Wooing the Farmer by Jenny Frame