The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

It’s Friday and thus perhaps time for another Let’s Talk Bookish post courtesy of Book Nook Bits and as it was freebie week in terms of themes, I decided writing a blog post on required reading. While I’m all for exposing kids/students to a variety of books and texts, whether the text is written in the 1700’s or two years ago, I do have some issues force feeding students texts, especially if the text(s) feel somewhat boring and/or irrelevant. Let’s face it, I doubt too many students are overly keen on reading Bleak House by Charles Dickens, Poison by Alexander Kielland, or Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. I do understand the logistics for the teachers, as they need to create lesson plans and all that, but if it was possible to have a bit wiggle room of sorts and combine books that could be relevant for the students, yet also interesting. Both 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas does talk about social issues and racism, so it could be something

It's Wednesday, so it's perhaps time for a new Top Five Wednesday post courtesy of the  Top Five Wednesday Goodreads group and the theme of the week was chill out reads. Even though I focus on horror and paranormal books on this blog, it doesn't mean I don't read other books, but believe it or not, it exist some light paranormal reads in the shape of paranormal cosy mysteries. Here's my five spooky picks that's a bit chill to read. Southern Spirits by Angie Fox Description from Goodreads One simple mistake… For a girl who is about to lose her family home, Releases the ghost of a long-dead gangster, And opens Verity Long’s eyes to a whole new world. When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with. Ellis W

It's Tuesday yet again, which means it's perhaps time for another Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl and the theme of the week was books I was super excited to get my hands on, but still haven't read. Here's ten picks that's still on my TBR. Dracula's Child by J. S. Barnes Description from Goodreads Dracula returns... It has been some years since Jonathan and Mina Harker survived their ordeal in Transylvania and, vanquishing Count Dracula, returned to England to try and live ordinary lives. But shadows linger long in this world of blood feud and superstition - and, the older their son Quincy gets, the deeper the shadows that lengthen at the heart of the Harkers' marriage. Jonathan has turned back to drink; Mina finds herself isolated inside the confines of her own family; Quincy himself struggles to live up to a family of such high renown. And when a gathering of old friends leads to unexpected tragedy, the very particular wounds in t

Earlier this month, I read the short story collection Goth by Otsuichi and today I'll post my review of this book. Description from Goodreads Morino is the strangest girl in school - how could she not be, given her obsession with brutal murders? And there are plenty of murders to grow obsessed with, as the town in which she lives is a magnet for serial killers. She and her schoolmate will go to any length to investigate the murders, even putting their own bodies on the line. And they don’t want to stop the killers - Morino and her friend simply want to understand them. My Thoughts on this Book The prose is great in this book and the narrative is engaging, and I do enjoy reading about misfits. It is rather dark, creepy, and at times mentally disturbing though, and that comes from someone who LOVES reading dark and creepy stuff, so be warned if you want to pick it up. It's a good read though.

It's Friday, which means it's probably time for another Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits and today's topic is the bookish balancing act. Here's the further prompts for today. How do you balance blogging with the rest of your life? What strategies have you found work best? Do you always feel like you can make time for blogging and books? Or do you often find yourself unable to make blogging a top priority? Even though I'm a book dragon that lives and breathes books and literature, I know that I sometimes need to do something else, just so I don't end up with another blogging and reading burnout as I got last year. I basically had to stop both reading and blogging for quite some time, as both felt a bit of a chore, and I also made use of the hiatus to re-brand the book blog a bit, focusing mainly on horror and paranormal, in addition to fewer blog posts per week, so I wouldn't feel overwhelmed. After I changed things up a bit, I feel a

It's Wednesday and perhaps it's time for another Top Five Wednesday post courtesy of the  Top Five Wednesday Goodreads group. Today's topic was books I want merch of and here's my five spooky picks. The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren Description from Goodreads Vampires who knit A troublemaking witch Who killed Granny — and is she really dead? At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she's not exactly homeless, but it's close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do. Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving a

Recently I read the Japanese horror novel The Ring by Koji Suzuki, and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads A mysterious videotape warns that the viewer will die in one week unless a certain, unspecified act is performed. Exactly one week after watching the tape, four teenagers die one after another of heart failure. Asakawa, a hardworking journalist, is intrigued by his niece's inexplicable death. His investigation leads him from a metropolitan tokyo teeming with modern society's fears to a rural Japan--a mountain resort, a volcanic island, and a countryside clinic--haunted by the past. His attempt to solve the tape's mystery before it's too late--for everyone--assumes an increasingly deadly urgency. Ring is a chillingly told horror story, a masterfully suspenseful mystery, and post-modern trip. My Thoughts on the Book Ring was an interesting read, as it was a bit engaging tagging along on the storyline and plot, as well as solving the

It's Friday and perhaps it's time for another Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits and the topic of today was how did I pick my blog's name. Here's the further prompts for today. How did you pick your book blog’s name? Have you ever changed it? Have you ever thought about changing it? What are some of your favorite book blog names? When I started my book blog back in the summer of 2012 (yup, that long time ago), I couldn't quite figure it out, but all of a sudden I had one of those "light bulb"-moments of calling it Lukten av Trykksverte (Smell of Ink), as I all of a sudden got reminded of when I used to work in a bookstore and there was a certain joy in opening books straight from the publisher as they had a certain smell to them. I haven't changed the name since, apart from adding the English translation to it, as I've been blogging for so long now, that I don't see the point. A couple of my favourite blog names, as well

It's Tuesday and perhaps time for another Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl and the theme of the week was favourite book quotes. Here's my ten picks. “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” (C. S. Lewis) “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” (Walt Disney) “My alma mater was books, a good library…. I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity.” (Malcom X) “I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.” (Roald Dahl) “There is no Frigate like a Book To take us Lands away.” (Emily Dickinson) “It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.” (Oscar Wilde) “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” (Stephen Ki

Recently I read the horror novella The Haunting of Gillespie House by Darcy Coates and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads Elle is thrilled to spend a month minding the beautiful Gillespie property. More than an hour's drive from the nearest town and surrounded by forests, the aging mansion is ideal for someone seeking solitude. But things start to go very wrong, very quickly. Elle discovers a crumbling graveyard nestled in the woods. It contains a generation of the house's residents, all with an identical year of death. Scratching in the walls... slamming doors... whispers in the night... a locked room... As Elle explores deeper into the house, she begins to unravel the property's dark and dangerous history. At its centre is Jonathan Gillespie, a tyrannical cult leader and the house's original owner. And as Elle soon learns--just because he's dead, doesn't mean he's gone. My Thoughts on the Book The Haunting of Gillespie H

It's Friday and it's time for another Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits and the theme of the week is AI and books. Here's the further prompts on today's topic. From books being used to train AI systems without author knowledge to AI-generated books on Amazon , the book world has been full of AI-related news. Have you heard about these situations? What do think about the use of AI when it comes to creative writing and books? I've heard about (horror) stories of AI being used for creative purposes and I can't say I'm pleased about it. I've seen visual artists complain about AI damaging their livelihood, so I suspect this just might become a threat for authors and poets sooner or later too, unless they're bestselling authors big time. No matter how convenient AI might be, there's still a huge difference between that, and the hard work authors and other creatives do, which is an art form. When it comes down to it, I don't

It's Wednesday and perhaps it's time for a new Top Five Wednesday post courtesy of the  Top Five Wednesday Goodreads group and today's theme was books I'd save in a fire. Here's my five spooky picks that I'd save. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova Description from Goodreads For centuries, the story of Dracula has captured the imagination of readers and storytellers alike. Kostova's breathtaking first novel, ten years in the writing, is an accomplished retelling of this ancient tale. "The story that follows is one I never intended to commit to paper... As an historian, I have learned that, in fact, not everyone who reaches back into history can survive it." With these words, a nameless narrator unfolds a story that began 30 years earlier. Late one night in 1972, as a 16-year-old girl, she discovers a mysterious book and a sheaf of letters in her father's library—a discovery that will have dreadful and far-reaching consequences, and will send

Recently, I read the graphic novel Harrow County, Vol. 1: Countless Haints by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Emmy always knew that the woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts and monsters. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures--and to the land itself--in a way she never imagined. A southern gothic fairy tale from the creator of smash hit The Sixth Gun, beautifully and hauntingly realized by B.P.R.D.'s Tyler Crook! My Thoughts on the Book I found the first volume of Harrow County an enjoyable read, in the sense that I found the storyline interesting and the art is really amazing. So I'm tempted to read more from this series, to find out what happens to Emmy.

It's Wednesday and probably time for a new Top Five courtesy of the  Top Five Wednesday Goodreads group and the theme of the week was covers with flowers. As I mainly write about horror and paranormal fiction, I narrowed it down a bit. Anyway, here's my five picks. The Haunting of Las Lágrimas by W. M. Cleese Description from Goodreads Argentina, winter 1913. Ursula Kelp, a young English gardener, travels to Buenos Aires to take up the role of head gardener at a long-abandoned estate in the Pampas. The current owner wishes to return to the estate with his family and restore the once-famous gardens to their former glory. Travelling deep into the Pampas, the vast grasslands of South America, Ursula arrives to warnings from the locals that the estate is haunted, cursed to bring tragedy to the founding family of Las Lágrimas. And soon Ursula believes that her loneliness is making her imagine things – the sound of footsteps outside her bedroom door, the touch of hands on her shoul