The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

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 books I discovered on social media. As I'm mainly writing about horror and paranormal, I'll obviously focus on those books. I've discovered quite a few books thanks to social media, and when it comes to horror, I've discovered a lot of horror in the awesome  Books of Horror  group on Facebook (well worth checking out if you love horror). Some books that I discovered and loved, includes Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare, The Prettiest Girl in the Grave by Kristopher Triana, Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell, The Cursed Among Us by John Durgin, and The Exorcist's House by Nick Roberts. I can acknowledge that my taste in books aren't for everyone though.

It's Tuesday and it's probably time for another Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl  and today's topic is unpopular bookish opinions. Here's mine. 1. ACOTAR is vastly overrated. While I know it's a really popular fantasy series, I honestly don't get the hype and I found the protagonist way to whiny. 2. School curriculums need to change. While I do get it's important to read some classics, pretty please throw in a lot more contemporary and relatable books for the students. Having the main focus on classics will in a lot of cases make sure kids/students hate reading in the end. 3. I prefer standalone books over series. While some series can be fun to read, it can also be a bit exhausting if the series have WAY too many books. Sometimes it's almost like TV series when you "see" the show is done, but they still make more seasons and the quality goes down. 4. I seriously dislike movie/TV-series covers. I don't care the book...

It's Friday, which means it's perhaps time for another Let's Talk Bookish post, courtesy of  Book Nook Bits  and  Dinipanda Reads , and today's topic is "do you buy books with intention?". Here's the further prompts for today. Do you buy books randomly or do you think about what to buy? How do you decide which books to buy vs which books to borrow or just save for later? For books at the top of your TBR, is your go-to buying a book or do you check your library first? What book formats do you own most of—physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks? Sometimes I think about what to buy, like when I'm in search of the next book in a series, but sometimes I do buy randomly, depending on what strikes my fancy. There's a secondhand bookstore in Stavanger called Løvås bruktbu, which almost feels like going on a treasure hunt whenever I visit. When it comes to books to buy versus books to borrow first, I tend to divide it into what language the book is in - if i...

It's Tuesday, which means it's probably time for another Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl and today's topic is books with springy covers. I usually write about paranormal and horror books on this blog, but as I struggled finding suitable covers for this prompt in those genres, I decided writing a list of cosy mystery books that has covers with a spring vibe to them. Somehow it's rather fitting, as there's a tradition here in Norway reading crime and mystery novels during Easter, so I'm sure some can use this list as a bit of inspiration for their next read. Anyway, here's my ten picks. Doom and Bloom by H. Y. Hanna Description from Goodreads Poppy is settling into life in an English village and gaining some green fingers at last as she restores the beautiful cottage garden nursery she's inherited. When she meets a wealthy dog lover at the village fête and is hired to create a "canine scent garden", the future looks rosy...

It's Friday, and thus it's perhaps time for another Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits  and  Dinipanda Reads , and today's topic is reading relatability. Here's the further prompts for today. Real life can be a lot. Do you enjoy reading books with high relatability to your past or present situation (i.e. with relatable characters, situations they face, or places they visit) or do you read purely to escape reality? Do you seek out a certain type of read, depending on your head space or mood? For me, it very much depends on what I'm in the mood for. While sometimes I'm in search of something a tad bit relatable, such as when I read a couple of books set in London before I took a trip there back in November 2023, I also quite a lot of times read to escape reality of sorts. That said, I do sometimes need something lighter if I'm in a dark/bad mood, just to try to get out of the bad space, even just temporarily.

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 - ...

It's Tuesday, and thus perhaps time for another Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl  and as this week's theme was books that include/feature, I decided writing a list of books that feature vampires. Here's my ten (somewhat) spooky picks. Blood Cruise by Mats Strandberg Description from Goodreads On the Baltic Sea, no one can hear you scream. Tonight, twelve hundred expectant passengers have joined the booze-cruise between Sweden and Finland. The creaking old ship travels this same route, back and forth, every day of the year. But this trip is going to be different. In the middle of the night the ferry is suddenly cut off from the outside world. There is nowhere to escape. There is no way to contact the mainland. And no one knows who they can trust. Welcome aboard the Baltic Charisma. Blood Born by Renee Lake Description from Goodreads Maddie is excited about the new adventures college life will bring. She dreams of rallies, weird roommates and exciting...

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge post courtesy of  Long and Short Reviews  and today's topic is a book I'm nervous to read and why. For me, it's Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler, easily. Why? It's honestly a bit scary getting into his head and his thought process, and reading his opinions on various topics. It's one of those cases of I want to find out what the hell he was thinking, but on the other hand, nope, I don't want to find out. I suspect I'm not the only one who's a bit reluctant to say it the least, on the thought of reading that book, as he was after all an arsehole to put it mildly.

It's Friday yet again, 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 how many books do you read in a year? Here's the further prompts for today's discussion. How many books do you typically read in a year? Do you always track your reading? Does keeping track of the books you read motivate you, or stress you out? How do you keep track of the books you read? Do you have a 2025 reading goal? It sometimes varies a bit how many books I read in a year, but the last few years it's been roughly 100 books. I keep track on Goodreads how many books I've read, and it enables me to be on track or preferably be a little bit ahead, just in case something should happen (like me getting sick or having a reading slump). That said, I don't stress or panic if I fall behind, as it's not a competition. This year though, I'm putting the petal to the metal a little bit and I...

It's Wednesday, and thus perhaps it's time for another Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge post courtesy of  Long and Short Reviews . This week's topic was favourite hobby and why. Aside from reading, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered writing this blog, my favourite hobbies are cooking and baking. Somehow I relax while in the kitchen, making food and trying new-to-me recipes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, as I love both books and cooking, I have quite a collection of cookbooks and quite a while ago, I decided I wanted to cook my way through my cookbooks, trying the recipes that caught my eye and I found interesting. At first, I "only" documented it on  Instagram  and created a specific hashtag for it, but I more recently also started  a blog  for it, even though I can admit I haven't been too good at updating the latter at times. Some other benefits are that I can try new-to-me cuisines without going to restaurants and I improve my skills in the kitchen. As I ...

It's Tuesday and perhaps time for another Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl  and the theme of the week is books set in another time. Here's my ten spooky picks. The Skintaker by Frazer Lee Description from Goodreads YOU HAVE WHAT HE WANTS! Reclusive nineteen-year-old Rosie Shields hopes for a new lease of life that will free her from the stigma of her debilitating skin condition. Making a pilgrimage to the Amazon rainforest, Rosie experiences a new world beyond her wildest dreams among the mysterious Myahueneca tribe. But Rosie's dreams soon turn to nightmares when she embarks on a ritual vision quest that takes her to the very heart of darkness. Trapped between murderous hunters and raging forest fires, Rosie will be thrust into a fight for survival, a struggle that awakens an ancient evil stirring in the shadows...the demonic deity known as The Skintaker. The Voivod: A Ghost Story by Dominic Selwood Description from Goodreads London, 1897. An elder...