The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

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...

It's Tuesday and perhaps it's time for another Top Ten Tuesday post courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl  and the topic of the week is books I've never reviewed. As I'm mainly focusing on horror and paranormal books on this blog, I decided writing a list of non-horror/paranormal books that I've read and enjoyed, but not reviewed on this blog. Here's my ten picks. Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah Description from Goodreads Born in East Africa, Yusuf has few qualms about the journey he is to make. It never occurs to him to ask why he is accompanying Uncle Aziz or why the trip has been organised so suddenly, and he does not think to ask when he will be returning. But the truth is that his 'uncle' is a rich and powerful merchant and Yusuf has been pawned to him to pay his father's debts, Paradise is a rich tapestry of myth, dreams and Biblical and Koranic tradition, the story of a young boy's coming of age against the backdrop of an Africa increasingly ...

It's Friday, which means it's probably time for another Let's Talk Bookish post courtesy of  Book Nook Bits  and  Dinipanda Reads . As it's Valentine's Day today, the topic is favourite romance tropes and book recs for them. Here's the further prompts for today's post. Happy Valentine’s Day! What are your favorite romance tropes? What books would you recommend that have those tropes? Are there any books with those tropes on your TBR? Do you have any least favorite romance tropes? I have to admit I'm not one of those that reads that many romance novels, aside from picking up one here and there whenever I need something really light, but I do appreciate the tropes of small town(s), opposite attracts, he falls first, and grumpy x sunshine, among others. Oh, I also like it when the bloke protects his girl/woman. The only one in my TBR that I can think of that fits some of these, is The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore by Laurie Gilmore. One of my least favourite roma...

It's Tuesday yet again, which means it's probably time for another Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of  That Artsy Reader Girl . As it was a bit of a "free for all" in terms of themes, as long as it had something to do with love, I decided writing a list of underrated horror novels that deserve more love. 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...

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 . The theme of the week is reading challenges - do we love them or hate them? Here's the further prompts for today's discussion. What do you think of reading challenges—do they motivate you, or do they feel restrictive and end up making reading feel like a chore? Are there any challenges you participate in yearly? What reading challenges are you joining in 2025? I'm one of those who actually enjoy reading challenges and think they can be a lot of fun. That said, I think it's important that if someone wants to participate in one, they need to find one that they find interesting and with prompts/levels they can accomplish without it being too much of a hassle, even for a challenge. For instance, I know there's Bible reading challenges out there, but that's a challenge I just couldn't do as I'm not a Christ...

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 2024 releases I was excited to read, but still haven't gotten to. Here's my ten (spooky) picks. Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning Description from Goodreads Willow’s worst nightmare was being canceled. But the shadows in the woods of Camp Castaway might destroy more than her reputation. After sitcom star Willow tweeted herself into infamy and stumbled blind-drunk into a swimming pool, her agent shipped her off to Camp Castaway. Tucked away in upstate New York, Castaway is a summer camp for adults who are desperate to leave their mistakes behind. No real names, no phones . . . no way to call for help. Willow’s fellow campers seem okay. Her own favorite actress is even here, making a s’more. And did that jaded writer, Dani, just wink at her? But the peaceful vibe is shattered when one of the campers vanishes and Willow finds a mutilate...