The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

Tidligere i år leste jeg boka Post Mortem: med begravelsesagenten på åstedet av Tor-Håkon Gabriel Håvardsen og i dag kommer omtalen av boka. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Alt du (ikke) vil vite om døden - rått, ærlig og undersøkende fra landets mest profilerte begravelsesagent. Tor-Håkon Gabriel Håvardsen har hentet tusenvis av døde mennesker og fulgt dem trygt til sitt siste hvilested. Som begravelsesagent har han sett det meste, også mistenkelige dødsfall som av mangel på kunnskap og ressurser er blitt kategorisert som naturlige. Kanskje går det mang en drapsmann løs der ute? I denne boken gir Håvardsen svar på alt vi lurer på etter å ha sett eller lest en true crime. Det spares ikke på makabre detaljer når han tar oss med ut til blodige åsteder, til rettsmedisinerens bord, inn i krematorieovnen og ned i den mystiske graven. Underveis går han bak kulissene i jobben med døden som arbeidsgiver, følger en kropp fra rigor mortis til forråtnelsen har gjort sitt, og deler betraktninger om døds...

Recently, I read the non-fiction book Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original "Psycho" by Harold Schecter, and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads Murder Was the Least of His Crimes… The truth behind the twisted crimes that inspired the films Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs… From Harold Schechter, “America's principle chronicler of its greatest psychopathic killers” (The Boston Book Review), comes the definitive account of Ed Gein, whose ghoulish crimes stunned an unsuspecting nation. The year is 1957. Photographs would show him across the country: a slight, Midwestern man with a twisted little smile, a man who had lived for ten years in his own world of murder and depravity. Here is the grisly true story of Ed Gein, the killer whose fiendish fantasies inspired Alfred Hitchcock's “Psycho”—the mild-mannered farmhand bound to his domineering mother, driven into a series of gruesome a...

As I've got a weak spot for Scotland and all things spooky, I couldn't resist buying and reading Hidden Haunts: Scotland by W. J. Gilbert for obvious reasons and today I'll post my review of this book. Description from Goodreads Uncovering the world's hidden hauntings, one chilling story at a time. Hidden Scotland delves into the lesser-known ghost stories that quietly persist in the shadows of Scotland's rich supernatural history. As you turn each page, you’ll discover eerie tales often overlooked by mainstream paranormal accounts, with a focus on both Edinburgh and the broader Scottish landscape. Embark on a journey through the haunted streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town, where sites like the Governor's House in Edinburgh Castle and Chessels Court unveil the city's dark and mysterious past. Beyond the Old Town, explore ghostly echoes in places like Craigmillar Castle, George Heriot’s School, and Royal Circus, offering a fresh and chilling perspective on Edinb...

I recently read the non-fiction book Every Camp Has A Crystal Lake by Connor Flynn and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads Summer camp, recess and amusement parks provided me many thrills during my childhood and no doubt for many of you. They are places of fun and enjoyment, however; when the sun goes down and the lights turn off, there are chills that lie beneath. From haunted dorms, ghost coasters and monsters under the staircase, my friends and I have had to fend off many spooky things. The historical locations in the pages of Every Camp Has A Crystal Lake are filled with many puzzling stories... try not to become the next chapter! My Thoughts on the Book I liked the idea of this book, but I felt it was so poorly executed, with little talk about the paranormal encounters and stories, and the backstory of locations and what-not, I almost felt a bit cheated. Perhaps I'm a bit spoiled in the sense that I've read quite a few well researched boo...

Alright, I have a confession to make. I purchased the book Scottish Ghosts by Lily Seafield on my last trip to Scotland back in 2002 and it's been sitting in a shelf ever since. So I finally got my act together and read it, which means it's time to review it. Description from Goodreads Scotland's folklore is rich and varied, with stories passed from generation to generation to generation. This vibrant storytelling tradition is captured in Scottish Ghosts with tales of spectres past and present from all over Scotland, sometimes in the most unlikely of settings. Fairies, white ladies, tortured souls, poltergeists, malevolent phantoms, hideous creatures - Scotland has them all, ready for those who are willing to hear them, see them or sense their presence. There are tales of sightings that convinced the most sceptical of unbelievers. Whether they are the products of over-fertile imaginations, the desire to keep the memory of a colourful character alive, the simple wish to spi...

I decided going a bit Non-Fiction November this month, so today I'll review Louisiana's Haunted Plantations by Jill Pascoe here on this blog. Description from Goodreads New Orleans has been called the most haunted city in America, and with good reason. But there are more ghosts in Louisiana than can be held in one city and the plantations of this state, with their luxurious buildings and centuries old trees, are the ideal resting ground for spectral inhabitants. In some places there are questions about the existence of ghosts. At Louisiana’s plantations the question is how many? In this collection of thirteen chilling tales you will explore the ghosts along the River Road at some of Louisiana’s best known plantations, and also along the back bayous of the state. You will encounter the ghosts of the most haunted house in America, meet ladies in white and black who refuse to leave, learn of spectral children who continue to play, Civil War soldiers trapped where they died, pirat...

As a fan of Kindres Spirits, I couldn't resist reading the book Life with the Afterlife: 13 Truths I Learned about Ghosts by Amy Bruni with Julie Tremaine and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Star of Kindred Spirits and paranormal investigator Amy Bruni shares stories from her years of experiences with ghosts, organized around thirteen truths that guide her approach to the supernatural. Amy Bruni, co-star of Kindred Spirits and one of the world's leading paranormal investigators, has learned a lot about ghosts over her years of research and first-hand experience. Now, in Life with the Afterlife , she shares the insight she has gleaned and how it has shaped her unique approach to interacting with the spirits of the dead and those who encounter them. From her earliest supernatural encounters as a child, through her years appearing on Ghost Hunters and the creation of her company Strange Escapes, which offers paranormal excursions to some of America's...

Earlier this year, I read Haunted Healthcare: Medical Professionals and Patients Share their Encounters with the Paranormal by Richard Estep and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads Many of those who have chosen the medical profession are no stranger to the paranormal. Ghosts walk the hallways of hospitals both old and new, haunting the wards and operating rooms. Join Richard Estep, paramedic, paranormal investigator, and cast members of TV's "Haunted Case Files" and "Haunted Hospitals," as he talks to EMTs, nurses, medical professionals, and patients alike, documenting their most intense and chilling encounters with ghosts and spirits. Dare YOU walk the hallways of some of the world's most haunted medical facilities? Welcome to the world of Haunted Healthcare... My Thoughts on the Book Considering how much trauma and death that occours at hospitals, I'm not surprised there's a few paranormal encounters. Haunted Heal...

Last year, I read the non-fiction book Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen J. Sollee and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Witch, Slut, Feminist: these contested identities are informing millennial women as they counter a tortuous history of misogyny with empowerment. This innovative primer highlights sexual liberation as it traces the lineage of “witch feminism.” Juxtaposing scholarly research on the demonization of women and female sexuality that has continued since the witch hunts of the early modern era with pop occulture analyses and interviews with activists, artists, scholars, and practitioners of witchcraft, this book enriches our contemporary conversations about reproductive rights, sexual pleasure, queer identity, pornography, sex work, and more. Kristen J. Sollee is instructor at The New School and founding editrix of Slutist, an award-winning sex positive feminist website." My Thoughts on the Book While I really enjo...

A couple of months ago, I read the feminist non-fiction book Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World without Rape edited by Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads In this groundbreaking look at rape edited by writer and activist Jaclyn Freidman and Full Frontal Feminism and He's A Stud, She's A Slut author Jessica Valenti, the way we view rape in our culture is finally dismantled and replaced with a genuine understanding and respect for female sexual pleasure. Feminist, political, and activist writers alike will present their ideas for a paradigm shift from the "No Means No" model-an approach that while necessary for where we were in 1974, needs an overhaul today. Yes Means Yes brings to the table a dazzling variety of perspectives and experiences focused on the theory that educating all people to value female sexuality and pleasure leads to viewing women differently, and ending rape. Yes M...

A couple of months ago, I read the non-fiction book Escape Into Cottagecore: Embrace Cosy Countryside Comfort in Your Everyday by Ramona Jones and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Find happiness in the natural world, be fully present where you are and free yourself from the expectations of others. Embrace a more peaceful life with cottagecore – a soft, fairytale world that combines traditional comforts with a modern existence to create a sense of magic and retreat. While we may not be able to uproot ourselves and settle entirely off-grid in the middle of a forest, Escape into Cottagecore will help you rekindle your love of nature and rediscover simple joys, wherever you may live. Full of practical advice and inspiration, and covering topics from home décor and herbology to eating with the seasons and mindfulness, this beautiful book will invite you on a cottagecore odyssey, bringing the nostalgia, relaxation and beauty of countryside living to every part of you...

A little while ago, I read the non-fiction book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano. Today, I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Julia Serano shares her experiences and insights—both pre- and post-transition—to reveal the ways in which fear, suspicion, and dismissiveness toward femininity shape our societal attitudes toward trans women, as well as gender and sexuality as a whole. Serano's well-honed arguments and pioneering advocacy stem from her ability to bridge the gap between the often-disparate biological and social perspectives on gender. In this provocative manifesto, she exposes how deep-rooted the cultural belief is that femininity is frivolous, weak, and passive. In addition to debunking popular misconceptions about being transgender, Serano makes the case that today's feminists and transgender activists must work to embrace and empower femininity—in all of its wondrous forms. My Thoughts on t...

For en liten stund siden leste jeg gjennom fotoboka Forlatte hus og noen av menneskene som bodde i dem av Britt Marie Bye og i dag kommer omtalen. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Britt Marie Bye har gjennom nesten 10 år reist Norge på langs og på tvers for å fotografere forlatte hus. 63 av disse husene har fått plass i denne boken. I tillegg til vakre bilder av hus over hele landet, får bokkjøperne også møte menneskene som en gang bodde i husene. Forfatteren har gjort en enorm journalistisk research: Hun har søkt gjennom register og historielag, kommet i kontakt med naboer, arvinger, etterlatte. Hun har funnet frem historier om hvem menneskene som en gang bodde i disse husene var, og hvilke historier de etterlot seg. Det er spennende, rare, triste og fine historier. De korte tekstene har skjønnlitterære kvaliteter, selv om de naturligvis fyller alle kriterier for autentisk gjengivelse av historien. Gjennom kamerablikket til Britt Marie Bye får man se hva som skjer med et hus når mennesket bl...

Siden det er nokså opplagt at jeg elsker bøker, motstod jeg ikke fristelsen å låne Boken - en hyllest av Burkhard Spinnen på biblioteket for et par måneder siden. I dag kommer omtalen av boka. Beskrivelse fra forlaget En kjærlighetserklæring til papirboken - mens e-boken vinner terreng Nærmere seks hundre år etter at Gutenberg oppfant boktrykkerkunsten spår mange at papirboken snart vil dø. Hvordan blir lesekulturen vår da? Burkhard Spinnen elsker papirboken, men ser også at e-boken kan ha mange fordeler. I stedet for å argumentere mot e-boken forklarer han hvorfor han er så glad i papirboken, hvordan den preger livet og lesehverdagen hans. Eksemplene er mange, og vi kjenner oss godt igjen i Spinnens humoristiske fortellinger om bøkenes fortreffeligheter og leserens tidvis obskure forhold til papirbøkene. Bøker kommer til oss på mange vis. Noen kjøper vi; andre er gaver, lån, suvenirer eller tyvgods. Bøker kan være nye eller gamle; noen er vakre, andre er stygge, fulle av ko...

Etter å ha lest litt om boka Leselyst - om bøker, liv og litteratur av Tone Selboe på nettet, endte jeg opp med å låne den på biblioteket og i dag kommer omtalen. Beskrivelse fra forlaget En bok for alle som er glad i å lese, og som sier noe om hva som skjer når vi leser. «Hvorfor leser vi? Spørsmålet har like mange svar som det har lesere: Vi leser for bekreftelse og for motstand, for nytelse og for lærdom, for atspredelse og av kjedsomhet, for å lære og for å slippe å lære, for å finne oss selv og for å komme bort fra oss selv, for å glemme og for å huske.» "Leselyst" springer ut av kjærlighet til litteraturen. Boka beskriver hvordan lesere blir rystet, oppslukt og berørt av litteratur. Den spør hva som skjer når vi leser, og forteller om litteraturens betydning for hvordan vi lever og tenker. Hvorfor oppleves det å lese som en livsnødvendighet? Kjærligheten til litteratur er ingen ensom kjærlighet; tvert imot blir den som leser innlemmet i et fellesskap av andre l...

Jeg har hatt Postflyet av Antoine de Saint-Exupéry i hylla en stund og klarte til slutt å somle meg til å lese den. I dag kommer omtalen. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Jon O. Lorentzen har oversatt «Courrier sud» - «Postflyet» - som er den franske flygeren og forfatteren Antoine de Saint-Exupéry første roman, utgitt i 1929. Romanen ble umiddelbart en suksess og solgte i over to millioner eksemplarer. Hans forfatterskap - og da særlig barneboken "Le petit Prince" (1943) oversatt til over 250 språk og til norsk av Inger Hagerup, "Den lille prinsen" (1962) - gjorde ham til nasjonalhelt i Frankrike. I romanen «Courrier sud» ser Saint-Exupéry tilværelsen i fugleperspektiv, med døden tett på. Vi får ta del i pionérflygernes enorme innsats og risiko, og hvordan mange av dem omkom i flystyrt på grunn av motorhavari og dårlig vær. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry forsvant under et rekognoseringstokt for de allierte under den 2. Verdenskrig. I fransk litteratur er «Courrier sud» om...

I recieved a press copy of the novella Christmas Past by Mary Burton way back. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads From New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton comes a captivating tale of romantic suspense set in the heart of a rugged winter . . . Photographer Nicole Piper moved to Virginia hoping to put a troubled past behind her and start fresh with her baby daughter. But those hopes are dashed when she receives a very unwelcome Christmas gift—from her late husband. It’s a letter that holds clues to an elusive killer’s identity. The victim had helped save Nicole’s life—and paid with her own. Nicole owes it to her to follow the letter’s trail, and perhaps put to rest the fear that stalks her once and for all. But she can’t do it alone. When Homicide Detective David Ayden first met Nicole, he was looking for a fresh start too. Widowed and raising two teenage boys, Nicole was the only woman who’d stirred his ...

Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the non-fiction book Skoolie!: How to Convert a School Bus or Van into a Tiny Home or Recreational Vehicle by Will Sutherland through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards, but I haven't published my review until now. Description from Goodreads School buses that have been converted into mobile living spaces — known as skoolies — are a natural extension of the tiny house craze. Buses are not only easier and safer to drive than an RV, they provide a jump-start on the conversion process with frame, roof, and floor already in place. Experienced builder Will Sutherland, whose creative school bus conversions have been featured in Road and Track and Popular Mechanics, is behind the wheel of this alluring look at life on the road. In addition to profiles of eight fellow skoolie fans and stunning photos of bus interiors designed for simple living, Skoolie! does what no other book on the subject has — it offers a complete, step-by-...

For en stund siden leste jeg boka Skamløs av Amina Bile, Sofia Nesrine Srour og Nancy Herz, som var fjorårets bok innen "Hele Rogaland Leser" og i dag kommer omtalen. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Kjære deg som blir fortalt at du må være stille og ta liten plass som ikke får ha de vennene du vil, eller velge utdanning og jobb selv som aldri blir myndig eller får eie ditt eget liv som blir fortalt at forelskelse er en synd som må leve et dobbeltliv i frykt og med dårlig samvittighet som blir skamgjort for å gå med, for å gå uten og for å ta av deg hijaben som blir kalt innvandrerdritt og svarting, skamløs og vantro som blir fortalt at rasisme og sosial kontroll er et ikke-problem som må bære familiens ære som ikke får bestemme over din egen kropp som har opplevd overgrep og blir fortalt at det er din skyld som må leve med at jomfruhinnen definerer din verdi. Kjære deg som ikke får være fri. Denne boka er til deg. Mine tanker om boka Skamløs er en viktig, ærlig og aktuell...

For en stund siden leste jeg boka Kvinnekamp - historia om norske motstandskvinner av Kristin Hatledal og i dag kommer omtalen av boka. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Historikaren Kristin Hatledal syner at norsk motstandskamp under krigen også var kvinnene sin kamp. 26 norske kvinner miste livet på grunn av motstandsverksemd, og alt frå husmora med 14 ungar til ungjenta på 15 år kasta seg inn i kampen mot okkupantane. Forfattaren gir oss det breie biletet av norske kvinner sin innsats, samstundes som ho portretterer sentrale motstandskvinner som Anne Marie Breien, Dagmar Lahlum, Ingeborg Refling Hagen og systrene Helga og Aasta Stene. Mine tanker om boka Det er en innsiktsfull bok som belyser at også kvinner var med i motstandskampen på flere nivå og på flere områder. Det er en bok som bør leses, da kvinnene fortjener sin plass i historien også.