The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

It's Friday and perhaps it's 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 post on how do I pick books to prioritise on my TBR. First off, I can't deny I've got a crazy amount of unread books on my shelves (yes, plural - I've got four TBR shelves!), which at times can be a little bit overwhelming to say it the least. While I'm a bit of a mood reader, I'm trying to narrow things down a bit by participating in some themed reading challenges every year, so that I've got a TBR pile within my TBR shelves to choose from, if it makes any sense. I'm also sometimes doing themed months, like Black History Month, Pride Month, read spooky books during autumn and around Halloween, just to narrow things down even further. I enjoy doing those themed months from time to time, as it enables me to do a deep-dive into a topic/theme and as I've got an eclectic mix of book...

It's Tuesday, which means it's probably time for a new Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl  and today's topic is new-to-me authors I discovered in 2024. Here's my ten (spooky) picks. The Plague Stones by James Brogden Brother by Ania Ahlborn Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare City of Ghosts by Victorie E. Schwab SCRAVIR - While Whitby Sleeps by C. M. Vassie The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis Ring by Koji Suzuki Below by Laurel Hightower Goth by Otsuichi This is Halloween by James A. Moore

As it's Burns Night today in Scotland, I couldn't resist making a short list of horror fiction set in that country. Haggis and the sound of bagpipes might be terrifying enough for some people though, but if you want to celebrate Burns Night with a spooky touch, or just want to read horror in general, here's a few horror books with a Scottish setting. Be warned though, you just might need some Scottish single malt whisky to calm your nerves afterwards. Hearthstone Cottage by Frazer Lee Description from Goodreads Mike Carter and his girlfriend Helen, along with their friends Alex and Kay, travel to a remote loch side cottage for a post-graduation holiday. But their celebrations are short-lived when they hit and kill a stag on the road. Alex s sister Meggie awaits them in the cottage, adding to the tension when her dog, Oscar, goes missing. Mike becomes haunted by a disturbing presence in the cottage, and is hunted by threatening figures in the highland fog. Reeling from a sh...

It's Friday, which means it's perhaps time for a new Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits  and today's topic is favourite reading spots. Here's the further prompts for today. What is your favorite place to read? Do you like being around others? Or do you prefer total silence? Do you generally read at home? Or do you read everywhere you go? Do you enjoy books more when reading in certain places or environments? I can't deny my favourite spot is on the sofa in my living room, as I get the silence I prefer having while reading. An added bonus is being surrounded by my books of course. That said, I do enjoy occasionally stopping by at a local coffee shop or similar to read for a little bit, although I then bring with me a book where I don't need to focus too much.

It's Friday and perhaps it's time for another Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits  and the topic of the week was 2024 reading wrap up. The further prompts for this week's topic. What were the best books you read in 2024? Any disappointments? Did you meet your reading goals? Did you read any 2024 releases? Did you discover any new favorite authors? Tell us all about your most memorable reads of the year! Last year I set a reading goal of 100 books and I surpassed it by reading 108 books. Some were good, some were not so good, but I can't expect to enjoy them all. A couple of my favourite reads last year includes If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio and The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis. I also read some fun 2024 releases, such as Hidden Haunts: Scotland by W. J. Gilbert, Food To Die For by Amy Bruni, and The Hollow Dead by Darcy Coates. That said, of the 108 books I read, a lot of them were not horror/paranormal, but overall I had a fun reading year.