tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49610717811612456412024-03-05T19:25:55.827+01:00Books are storiesBregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-79473696020709104362016-02-22T22:37:00.002+01:002016-02-22T22:37:13.433+01:00Writing About Books vs. Talking About BooksI have been thinking for a while about how I write blogposts for this bookblog. More and more I am starting to think that I am better at getting my thoughts on a book across when I talk to someone than when I write them down. Sometimes I really have to force myself to write a review and that lessens my excitement for it. For a really long while I have enjoyed watching videos about books on youtube. I have always loved filming, but I was always the person <i>behind</i> the camera, hardly ever in front of it. At the beginning of this year I finally convinced myself to start a booktube channel myself. It was very awkward talking to the camera to make my first video, but I am starting to become more and more comfortable with it. I am not sure what will happen to this blog. From time to time I might still post a written review of a book, but I do think that I am going to focus on making videos. Perhaps I will also post them here. If you would like to check out my channel it is called: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7CBdPwd2m0brUVOJJiKgg/featured" target="_blank">B reads Books</a>.<br />
<br />
Here is my latest video. It is by no means perfect, but I am pretty proud of myself for doing this and I am sure I will only continue to get better.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lOo_Lji4CqA" width="560"></iframe>Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-17557967760389221602016-01-11T22:33:00.001+01:002016-01-11T22:33:44.135+01:00Mini Review - An Atlas of Tolkien by David Day<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1448173872l/27875123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="27875123" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1448173872l/27875123.jpg" /></a>Genre: non fiction about fiction?<br />
Pages: 256<br />
Rating: 3.5/5<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27875123-an-atlas-of-tolkien" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<span id="freeText4318276552956048760">J. R. R. Tolkien’s
fictional universe is as vast as the human imagination, so an atlas is a
helpful tool to get around. Consider this book your navigational guide
to Middle-earth and the Undying Lands. Maps, images, and vivid
descriptions in full color create an enchanting reference to all the
fantastical places and creatures that sprung from Tolkien’s mind.</span> <br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
This book is not so much an atlas as it is a history of the world J.R.R. Tolkien created. The book is beautiful with a green faux leather binding and beautiful illustrations throughout that go perfectly with Tolkien's stories. Most topics are discussed in one page with an illustration next to it, sometimes it is a bit longer. Because the information is bite-sized it is very easy to pick up and just read a couple of pages before going to do something else. If, like me, you are fascinated by the world Tolkien created, you will probably find this book an interesting read. Though, of the 256 pages only a little more than half of the book is text, because there are so many illustrations and a couple of maps and timelines, but the book still goes into a lot of depth. Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-49815601440952736962016-01-07T20:57:00.002+01:002016-01-07T21:05:23.320+01:00Reading Goals for 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVfZ7FBjeSbfOz0Wq0HXzLcxnnWEOrfN1bk7WUsyXg40yFxHBxvt69GTKP0i2CBn_IkH1CkJQbC8cODZ2LR7dbR16M9Pyuvp6fZE_GfzibdFlABkXm9Dt37FLDKn0ZuBoa5HhbOBX-Sg/s1600/20161.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivVfZ7FBjeSbfOz0Wq0HXzLcxnnWEOrfN1bk7WUsyXg40yFxHBxvt69GTKP0i2CBn_IkH1CkJQbC8cODZ2LR7dbR16M9Pyuvp6fZE_GfzibdFlABkXm9Dt37FLDKn0ZuBoa5HhbOBX-Sg/s1600/20161.png" /></a></div>
<br />
This year I am setting my Goodreads challenge at 50 books. I read 68 books in 2015, but I do not want to push myself too hard. Otherwise I will end up reading really short books, eventhough there are a couple of long books I want to get around to. I do not just want to focus on the number of books I am reading, but also on what kind of books I am reading.<br />
<br />
That is why I am also challenging myself to read the types of books listed below. I'm okay with crossing of multiple descriptions for one book, it is just a way for me to get out of my comfort zone or read books that I have been wanting to read for ages but somehow just never got around to.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A final book in a series (why haven't I read Allegiant yet?)</li>
<li>A poetry collection</li>
<li>A non fiction book</li>
<li>A book in another language than English or Dutch</li>
<li>Historical fiction </li>
<li>A book with more than 600 pages</li>
<li>Dutch literature</li>
<li>A short story collection</li>
<li>A graphic novel</li>
<li>A book by a non European or American author </li>
<li>A banned book </li>
<li>A book I started but never finished </li>
<li>A book that has been made into a movie</li>
<li>An unread book that has been on my shelf for more than a year </li>
<li>A book published before 1900</li>
<li>A book published between 1900-1980</li>
<li>A second book in a series (because I tend to read first books in series and even if I like them I forget to continue with the series)</li>
<li>An old favorite</li>
<li>A book of less than a hundred pages</li>
<li>A book by Agatha Christie (this one is more specific, but I own at least a dozen unread books by her)</li>
<li>A young adult novel</li>
<li>A high fantasy novel </li>
<li>A contemporary</li>
<li>A book finished in a day</li>
<li>A Christmas book</li>
<li>A trilogy/series</li>
<li>A book by a female author</li>
<li>A romance novel </li>
<li>A borrowed book</li>
<li>A translated book </li>
</ul>
As for my writing, I hope to finish at least one of my longer stories this year. I often start new projects, but I also need to finish them!<br />
<br />
What are your reading or writing goals for 2016?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-65979454391380407232016-01-06T21:32:00.000+01:002016-01-06T21:32:08.161+01:00Favorites of 2015On Goodreads I set myself the challenge to read 45 books in 2015 and I ended up reading 68 books, which I'm super happy with! Today I'm sharing my favorite 10 books I read throughout the year.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428350405l/15704307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saga, Volume 1" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428350405l/15704307.jpg" width="133" /></a>1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307-saga-volume-1" target="_blank">Saga Comics by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples</a><br />
I read the first volume of Saga and I was immediately hooked! This sci-fi series has beautiful artwork, great characters and really made me want to read more comics! I read the next three volumes and love them all just as much as the first one, or maybe even more. I can't wait to read volume five!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1295996438l/423092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1295996438l/423092.jpg" width="133" /></a>2. <a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/01/review-fellowship-of-ring-by-jrr-tolkien.html" target="_blank">The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien</a><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320528401l/10338850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="10338850" border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320528401l/10338850.jpg" width="134" /></a>I already loved the world Tolkien created in The Hobbit, but in the Fellowship of the Ring the world is so much more fleshed out. It truely feels like it is a real place and I can really imagine things happening before and after the story that is described in this book. I think Tolkien's world is truely fascinating!<br />
<br />
3. <a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/08/review-lily-pond-by-annika-thor.html" target="_blank">The Lily Pond by Annika Thor</a><br />
This historical middle grade book was a reread from when I was younger. I usually don't read a lot of books about the second world war because I have a hard time connecting to the story, but Thor manages to describe life during that time very well, while still making the main character relatable.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320479887l/2999495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tales from Outer Suburbia" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320479887l/2999495.jpg" width="155" /></a>4. <a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/04/review-tales-from-outer-suburbia-by.html" target="_blank">Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan</a><br />
In 2014 I read The Arrival by Shaun Tan and immediately fell in love with his artwork. Though it is still my favorite book of him, Tales from Outer Suburbia again shows how creative Tan is. The stories are all very inventive and the artwork is amazing.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347483143l/2395279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wild Magic" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347483143l/2395279.jpg" width="128" /></a>5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2395279.Wild_Magic" target="_blank">Wild Magic by Cat Weatherill</a><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405872817l/14800526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="North and South" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405872817l/14800526.jpg" width="130" /></a>I don't generally read a lot of fairy tale retellings, but this was one I absolutely loved! The story revolves around the legend of the Pied Piper. Eventhough there are a familiar elements to the story I loved how Weatherill used the story to create her own.<br />
<br />
6.<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14800526-north-and-south" target="_blank"> North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell</a><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328867006l/1308361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Book of Everything" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328867006l/1308361.jpg" width="148" /></a>When I first started this book I felt like it was very serious, but as I read on I absolutely grew to love this book. There where just so many beautiful descriptions! A lot of times I reread a passage because the writing was so beautiful...<br />
<br />
7. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1308361.The_Book_of_Everything" target="_blank">The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer</a><br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402239963l/22443261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Rithmatist (The Rithmatist #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402239963l/22443261.jpg" width="130" /></a>This book was also a childhood reread. While I enjoyed it when I read it as a kid, I think I love it even more now that I am older. There are a lot of subtle details that I did not even realise where there when I was younger. Kuijer creates a very likeable main character and his story deals with faith in a beautiful way.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327866356l/1238684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Amulet, Vol. 1: The Stonekeeper (Amulet, #1)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327866356l/1238684.jpg" width="133" /></a>8. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22443261-the-rithmatist" target="_blank">The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson</a><br />
It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did I loved the unique fantasy world that Sanderson created. The book also contained a mystery and I am a huge fan of fantasy combined with mystery. I can't wait to read the sequel!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1313018864l/12353748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Into the Wild" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1313018864l/12353748.jpg" width="131" /></a>9. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1238684.Amulet_Vol_1" target="_blank">Amulet Volume 1: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi</a><br />
This middle grade graphic novel was a really good introduction to the series. It is adventurous and full of fantastical elements and the main characters Emily and Navin are wonderful. The artwork is very different from other graphic novels I have read, but I loved it! <br />
<br />
10. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12353748-into-the-wild" target="_blank">Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer</a><br />
This is one of the very few non fiction books I read in 2015. The story of Chris McCandless is a tragic but fascinating one. Eversince seeing the movie I have been curious to know more about his life. The book definitely goes into a lot more dept than the movie does. Whereas the movie portraits his parents a little bit as 'the bad guys' the book is much more nuanced. Krakauer really tried to look at the story from all points of view.<br />
<br />
<br />
Dit you manage to reach your reading goal for 2015? What was your favorite book you read?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-18974143365061814452015-12-24T16:04:00.000+01:002015-12-24T19:15:11.536+01:00Review - Let It Snow<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416988682l/18272314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="18272314" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1416988682l/18272314.jpg" /></a>Genre: young adult, romance<br />
Pages: 368<br />
Rating: 3.5/5<br />
Goodreads<br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<span id="freeText14982342068153146134">An ill-timed storm on
Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of
snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into
the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that
will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a
risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a
race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a
teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.<br /><br />A trio of
today's bestselling authors - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren
Myracle - bring all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious
and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that
will steal your breath away.</span>
<br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
I don't read a lot of contemporary books, but since I wanted to read something Christmasy, I decided to give Let It Snow a try. The first story by Maureen Johnson I quite enjoyed. The main characters were all likeable and it had a lovely cosy atmosphere. I would have like the ending to be a little longer, now it felt a litte abrupt. Eventhough this story is only about 120 pages a lot happens and the main character in this story, Jubilee, felt the most real out of all the characters in the book.<br />
The second story by John Green I thought was a little dull. Not a lot happened except that the characters were trying to drive through the snow. The story did have a sweet ending and Angie was really likeable. I did get really annoyed with JP's and Tobin's obsession with the cheerleaders. I also think John Green tried too hard to make the situation funny that it just was not funny anymore.<br />
The third story was by Lauren Myracle, of whom I have never read anything. I was pleasantly surprised by the story. The main character Addie was very self-absorbed in the beginning, but she went through a transformation (which did happen rather sudden). I enjoyed that the stories intertwined a little, especially when you get to see the main characters of the first two stories shortly at the end of the last story.<br />
If I would rate the stories seperately I would give Johson's story 4 out of 5 stars, Myracle's story 3.5 out of 5 stars and Green's story 2 out of 5 stars. Johnson's story The Jubilee Express was my favorite, it had the right amount of ridiculousness to still be funny. I will probably be rereading the book another year to get into the Christmad mood, but I will probably skip John Green's story.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">I wish you all a Happy Christmas! </span></i>Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-18412540951890439522015-12-19T11:30:00.000+01:002015-12-19T11:30:00.682+01:00Mini Review - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364997734l/6351469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="6351469" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364997734l/6351469.jpg" /></a>Genre: fantasy, childrens<br />
Rating: 3.5/5<br />
Pages: 123<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41899.Fantastic_Beasts_and_Where_to_Find_Them" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<span id="freeText15249835054475844469">A copy of <em>Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them</em>
resides in almost every wizarding household in the country. Now Muggles
too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the
Puffskein eats and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.<br /><br />Proceeds
from the sale of this book will go to Comic Relief, which means that
the pounds and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the
powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to
part with your money, I can only hope that passing wizards feel more
charitable if they see you being attacked by a Manticore.<br /><br /><em>- Albus Dumbledore</em></span> <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>My thoughts </b><br />
Eventhough I loved the entire Harry Potter series I never read the companion books Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and Tales of Beedle the Bard. Now that a movie revolving around the fictional author of this book is in the making it finally was the right time to read it. If you love the Harry Potter series you will probably enjoy this book, as once again it shows Rowling's incredible creativity. The book contains descriptions of magical beasts such as what they look like, where they can be found and some interesting facts. Throughout the book Harry and Ron have made some annotation, which was a lovely touch. I did very much enjoy this little book, but I do have to say that it was definitely long enough. If the book had been longer I probably would have gotten a little bored. Also, I would have loved if there had been illustrations for all of the beasts. Perhaps one day there will be an edition that includes this?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-52123677032609140012015-12-16T22:24:00.001+01:002015-12-16T22:31:22.696+01:00Review - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419066050l/16034235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="16034235" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419066050l/16034235.jpg" /></a>Genre: young adult, fantasy, romance<br />
Pages: 404<br />
Rating: 1.5/5<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16034235-throne-of-glass" target="_blank">Goodreads </a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<span id="freeText9051941629708667460">In a land without magic,
where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the
castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she
defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition,
she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is
Celaena Sardothien. <br /><br />The Crown Prince will provoke her. The
Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the
castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start
dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for
survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys
her world.</span><br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b> <br />
I know many people love this series, and that was exactly why I was hesitant to read this story. The premise sounded like something I would really enjoy: a competition, a mystery and a kick-ass heroine, but I was wondering if the book wasn't hyped up to much.<br />
When I finally started the book I quickly realised that this one would not be for me. I did continue the book, because I was hoping for it to get better, but it did not. The main reason I did not like this book was the main character, Celaena Sardothien. She wasn't the kick-ass heroine I was promised. She was vain, whiny, judgemental and immature. I do like flawed characters, but they definitely also have to have some positive traits, and I found it hard to find those in Celaena. The only positive thing I can come up with is that she doesn't give up. Celaena was very mean, she was constantly saying nasty stuff about lady Kaltain before Kaltain ever did anything to her. Celaena is also VERY BEAUTIFUL AND HAS GORGEOUS HAIR!!!!!, okay sure, but I already got that after the first ten times it was mentioned, and all the exclamation marks are unnecessary, there is no need to yell. <br />
My biggest problem with Celaena was not that I did not like her, but that she just was not believable as an assasin. She is supposed to be the country's most notorious assasin, but instead she can't keep her emotions in check and constantly bursts out in anger (she has tantrums), people are constantly able to sneak up on her, she doesn't recognize poison eventhough she supposedly knows a lot about it and she does not take threats serious. Sure, everyone can have a bad day, but by the end of the book I was wondering how Celaena could possibly still be alive. Also, how on earth would she ever be able to kill someone secretly if she bursts out in anger every five minutes just because someone said something she does not like.<br />
I found Celaena's immaturity rather strange. She has lived in a very harsh environment for many years and I just cannot imagine she would still be so immature after everything that happend to her (which, by the way, is way too much).<br />
According to the synopsis the competition is the main focus of the book, but in reality it is not. In the beginning some aspects of the competition are explained, but later on pretty much any thing to do with the competition gets summarized in a few lines. Instead the book is about Celaena looking awesome in dresses, Celaena having awesome hair and a crown prince who is very atracted to Celaena because she is so beautiful. Don't get me wrong, I honestly love clothes, but I did not pick up this book to read about clothes. I picked up this book because I was hoping for some action, but sadly this was lacking. <br />
<br />
The mystery in this book was not able to hold my attention. Celaena herself clearly does not care about it in the beginning, which does not really give the reader a reason to care about it, and apart from that it was both predictable and lacking in depth. Most of the research Celaena does trying to solve the mystery is only mentioned in summary. In truth, pretty much the entire plot gets summarized, which did not make me connect to the story at all. Instead we read about Celaena admiring herself, hanging out with a friend and talking about people behind their back and most of all, very akward (but not cute) moments between prince Dorian and Celaena, so basically things that do not really add anything to the plot.<br />
Only the final battle towards the end is actually shown at the moment itself rather than summarized afterwards, but by that point I did not care enough about the story that it could keep my interest. The final battle showed again that Celaena cares to much about appearances: she is annoyed with the first opponent she gets to fight, just because 'he is not very clean'. Why would she even care he is not clean? She is going to fight him, outside, ofcourse that will result in blood and dirt so it's not going to matter if he was clean to begin with. And besides, I think it makes more sense to worry about staying alive than if other people are looking good...<br />
<br />
The last few chapters of the book did make me a little bit curious about the next book, but since this was only the last 20 pages or so out of a 400 page book I don't think I will continue with this series.<br />
<br />
Most characters were not very convincing, but surprisingly enough the king truely seemed quite scary, because Celaena's reaction to him was shown. This was one of the few instances were truely something was shown instead of told.<br />
<br />
This book promises a love triangle in future books. However, I could not really take Dorian and Celaena's relationship seriously, so it does not bother me that much. Prince Dorian's love for Celaena was not convincing. They were only attracted to each other because they were both such beautiful
people. I liked the other love interest, Chaol, more. Mostly because he is one of the very few people in the book who is not stupid enough to forget that Celaena is an 'extremely dangerous assasin' and actually sometimes calls Celaena out on her bad behaviour. Dorian and Chaol do not really have a life of their own, they are there to fall in love with the main character and that is it.<br />
<br />
For a fantasy story, the world was surprisingly dull and it's magic system (or lack thereof) was not explained. I have a vague idea of what the country is like: there is the capital with a glass castle, there are the salt mines where the slaves work and there are mountains and a forest in this country. That is it, everything I learned about this country.<br />
<br />
I do feel a lot in this story is left unexplained on purpose, as to lure people into reading the next books, but I just got to little depth to really get excited about this book, which is a shame. It does have good potential, I just don't think it lives up to that. <br />
<br />
To end on a more positive note, I did think that Celaena's past was interesting and that does mean there is still some potential for the future books, since that probably will be explored more.<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Did you read Throne of Glass? Am I truely alone in feeling the way I do about this book?</i>Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-88224166251212256382015-12-05T22:35:00.002+01:002015-12-05T22:35:46.350+01:00Life after NaNoWriMo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8O61Gtsrshp5cT4oSpyWEyLzuaNmCh_J_Vo1SKHqtwqxG9K3n6ugfoNB9Hx2vwcPBW618Ty8RAZtNUqY8kHLcz9pdzUS7xHZCCZzelWGSydqnYsSgD0_Aw9u8-wrDXPvaRlBYdcrhyphenhyphenA/s1600/nanowrimo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8O61Gtsrshp5cT4oSpyWEyLzuaNmCh_J_Vo1SKHqtwqxG9K3n6ugfoNB9Hx2vwcPBW618Ty8RAZtNUqY8kHLcz9pdzUS7xHZCCZzelWGSydqnYsSgD0_Aw9u8-wrDXPvaRlBYdcrhyphenhyphenA/s640/nanowrimo.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
It's been a while since I've posted anything on this blog or caught up with other blogs. Life has been a little crazy lately. I read a lot of books throughout september, but after that it fell a little flat.<br />
When november came around I made a last minute decision to participate in NaNoWriMo. I ended up writing 40,137 words. I didn't reach 50,000, but I'm so happy with what I've achieved! I finally wrote down the main idea of a story that has been in my head forever. There were definitely points where I felt like I had lost the plot, but now I think I have an idea again as to where my story is going.<br />
<br />
As you can see in the graph at the beginning of the month I wrote a little more than the required 1,667 words per day to reach 50,000 words in a month. Around day 18 that started to falter a little, because I had already found a new project that I couldn't wait to dive into. I finally got my own domain name for my more personal blog where I write about pretty much anything that's going on in my life: '<a href="http://www.metpenenpenseel.nl/">Met pen en penseel</a>' (the blog is in Dutch, it's called 'With pen and paintbrush'). It's been really exciting to figure everything out and really make the blog to my liking. After I started that project I figured I should get back to writing, and I did write some more, but I didn't really write as much as before. Eventhough I didn't manage to reach my goal I think I did pretty well for not planning to participate at all and I even wrote a little more after NaNoWriMo was over (not much though, after such an intense month I do have a little problem getting back into writing modus).<br />
<br />
How did your writing go during november?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-78684472784914573982015-11-01T22:38:00.000+01:002015-11-01T22:38:13.907+01:00NaNoWriMo 2015<img alt="http://d1lj9l30x2igqs.cloudfront.net/nano-2013/files/2015/10/NaNo-2015-Participant-Banner.jpg" height="236" src="http://d1lj9l30x2igqs.cloudfront.net/nano-2013/files/2015/10/NaNo-2015-Participant-Banner.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
The last month I haven't been reading or writing much and I totally forgot about NaNoWriMo! Just today I remembered it and I decided that I'm participating again. Eventhough I have a general idea of what I want to write about and a lot of notes, it is very disorganized and messy, so my start was pretty chaotic. But I did meet the word goal for the day!<br />
<br />
Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-20254858832937139572015-10-05T23:41:00.000+02:002015-10-05T23:41:57.691+02:00September Wrap-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQ5J6TBUqWa3sdpvt4IRVlyTwMQ9u2FM9GElbbx47Em2BrW22DWcnSGr2dm-igoVJSHzrwHBmzfKylQa1kxBO82PyP1f3h9HyAs9IbD204SmoPszgYaJQRfoJjd98uJEMZ4_d3CS1Y_s/s1600/DSC_0536.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQ5J6TBUqWa3sdpvt4IRVlyTwMQ9u2FM9GElbbx47Em2BrW22DWcnSGr2dm-igoVJSHzrwHBmzfKylQa1kxBO82PyP1f3h9HyAs9IbD204SmoPszgYaJQRfoJjd98uJEMZ4_d3CS1Y_s/s640/DSC_0536.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Book haul</i></span><br />
Over September I aquired 10 books and a comic and short graphic novel. I was planning to buy less this month (as usual, haha), but it is not too bad since I actually had a very good reading month and ended up reading more than I bought! The books I bought this month are:<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11362175-the-new-ghost">The New Ghost</a> by Robert Hunter<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24874363-the-fall-of-icarus?ac=1">The Fall of Icarus</a> by Ovid (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/84472.Penguin_Little_Black_Classics#24874363">A Little Black Classic</a>)<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23351452-mansfield-park">Mansfield Park</a> by Jane Austen in the beautiful Vintage Classic edition that matches by copies of Persuasion and Sense & Sensibility.<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/262430.Gregor_the_Overlander?ac=1">Gregor the Overlander</a> by Suzanne Collins (I loved the Hunger Games and I've been meaning to read something else by Collins)<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17242185-james-and-the-giant-peach">James and the Giant Peach</a> by Roald Dahl<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17242192-fantastic-mr-fox">Fantastic Mr. Fox</a> by Roald Dahl<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/109089.Charlie_and_the_Chocolate_Factory">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</a> by Roald Dahl<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21119937-picture-me-gone">Picture me Gone</a> by Meg Rosoff<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2395279.Wild_Magic">Wild Magic</a> by Cat Weatherill<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14800526-north-and-south">North and South</a> by Elizabeth Gaskell (I really want to watch the BBC mini series, but I wanted to read the book first!)<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15863832-angelfall?ac=1">Angelfall</a> by Susan Ee<br />
- <a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/09/mini-review-flash-vol-1-move-forward-by.html">The Flash Volume 1: Move Forward</a> by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Reading</i></span><br />
This month I finally finished reading a book in Swedish that took me about a year to finish, because I only read a couple of pages each time I picked it up again. I'm pretty proud of myself for actually finishing the 600 page book. Eventhough I can read Swedish, it goes pretty slow... But practice makes perfect, so I should just read more in Swedish to improve. I do think the next book I will pick up in Swedish will be slightly shorter though! I just need to find a place where it's not crazy expensive to order Swedish books...<br />
<br />
This month I read:<br />
- Genom dina ögon (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1656001.The_Host">The Host</a> in Swedish) by Stephenie Meyer<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13623923-the-tiny-book-of-tiny-stories-vol-2">The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Volume 2</a><br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11362175-the-new-ghost">The New Ghost</a> by Robert Hunter<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165555.The_Crab_With_the_Golden_Claws">The Crab With the Golden Claws</a> by Hergé<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18774185-guardians-of-the-galaxy">Guardians of the Galaxy: Beginnings</a> by Tomas Palacios<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18659623-through-the-woods">Through the Woods</a> by Emily Caroll<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17242192-fantastic-mr-fox">Fantastic Mr. Fox</a> by Roald Dahl<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17348219-de-twee-jaar-nadat">De twee jaar nadat</a> [The two years after], a Dutch book, by Steef van Gorkum<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113436.Eragon">Eragon</a> by Christopher Paolini<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2395279.Wild_Magic">Wild Magic</a> by Cat Weatherill<br />
- <a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/09/mini-review-flash-vol-1-move-forward-by.html">The Flash Volume 1: Move Forward</a> by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14800526-north-and-south">North and South</a> by Elizabeth Gaskell<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16101147-myths-of-the-norsemen">Myths of the Norsemen</a> by Roger Lancelyn Green<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21119937-picture-me-gone">Picture me Gone</a> by Meg Rosoff<br />
<br />
My favorite of the month was North and South. It was a little different from what I expected but I ended up really enjoying it!<br />
<br />
How was your reading month?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-19260242777926771622015-09-23T23:25:00.000+02:002015-09-23T23:25:32.139+02:00Mini Review - The Flash Vol. 1: Move Forward by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344521289l/13533744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="13533744" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344521289l/13533744.jpg" /></a>Genre: comics<br />
Pages: 192<br />
Rating: 3/5<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13533744-the-flash-vol-1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
Struck by a bolt of lightning and doused in chemicals, Central City Police scientist Barry Allen was transformed into the fastest man alive. Tapping into the energy field called The Speed Force, he applies a tenacious sense of justice to protect and serve the world as The Flash!<br />
<br />
The Flash knows he can't be everywhere at once, but he has seemingly met his match when he faces DC Comic's hottest new Super Villain, Mob Rule, who really can be everywhere at once!<br />
<br />
As Mob Rule wages a campaign of crime across Central City, including an electromagnetic blast that plunges the city into darkness, The Flash learns that the only way he can capture Mob Rule and save Central City is to learn how to make his brain function even faster than before - but as much as it helps him, it also comes with a steep price.<br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
After seeing the tv series The Flash I got curious of the comic, so I decided to pick it up. Eventhough the tv series is a little different from the comic I'm glad that I had already watched it before reading the comic. I felt like the story was a little bit all over the place. Villains popping up out of nowhere, flashbacks and flashforwards... They all made me feel a little cofused at times. The story was enjoyable to read, but I did have to reread some parts to fully grasp what was going on. I honestly enjoyed watching the tv series a lot more than I enjoyed reading the comic. I was expecting this to be an origin story, but it isn't really. Just briefly in a few lines the Flash's origin is explained. The characters in the story all seem quite flat, even the main character Barry Allen. I might pick up the next volume to see if things will improve, but I'm not sure yet. Maybe superhero comics just aren't for me...Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-460315737010696632015-09-21T09:51:00.000+02:002015-09-21T09:51:00.227+02:00My Favorite Booktubers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_84PnMyjnORN4oD1xBPLDstLZbPteOOTWK3zOjr47omk2GyFb_SdgCS79fHOgr7PKawO7EY4Otl4sDlzj5uR_MVcEvCi-ast-5ZRuGE38ym4qLcbDXm6NBTGP4oTLdQWhFlBfKP8qYc/s1600/booktube.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_84PnMyjnORN4oD1xBPLDstLZbPteOOTWK3zOjr47omk2GyFb_SdgCS79fHOgr7PKawO7EY4Otl4sDlzj5uR_MVcEvCi-ast-5ZRuGE38ym4qLcbDXm6NBTGP4oTLdQWhFlBfKP8qYc/s320/booktube.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I do love reading blogsposts about books, but there is also something fun in actually watching people talk about books! I'm subscribed to many booktubers on youtube, but here are some of my favorites:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMbm-i6hJxeJSHoYJu6o8w" target="_blank">Mia from Against Idleness & Mischief</a><br />
Many booktubers post videos about books they think are great, but I actually do like it when people also post reviews of books they didn't like as much. Mia always has great discussions on books and I really feel like she is a critical reader, which I can appreciate. She also has a <a href="http://www.khaleesisandamazons.com/" target="_blank">podcast</a> that I enjoy listening to while doing chores!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwME97IPvhAXAV_bbgAvOtw" target="_blank">Jen Campbell</a><br />
After reading her book <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12640991-weird-things-customers-say-in-bookshops?ac=1" target="_blank">Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops</a> I started following Jen. I don't read a great deal of literary fiction and poetry like she does, but I still find her videos a lot of fun to watch since they are very cozy. She has many pretty books and I got some great graphic novel and picture book recommendations from her.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb-qaZ1X7MT5q1iZ8dp8PUA" target="_blank">Connor O'Brien</a><br />
Connor was one of the first booktubers I started following. I stumbled upon his channel because he reviewed a book in the Ranger's Apprentice series, a series that I really love, but hardly ever hear anyone talk about. When I watch one of his videos it sounds just as a friend of mine is chatting about books. He reads a lot of fantasy and also middle grade books, which I do too, and I especially get a lot of great middle great recommendations from him!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTLk9xH0RpfOsTjZrul1clQ" target="_blank">Sanaa from InkBonesBooks</a><br />
Sanaa is one of my recent favorites. She really made me add a lot of books to my TBR list. She reads a lot of fantasy, just like I do, and she also has some interesting discussions.<br />
<br />
If you enjoy watching booktube videos, go check out their channels!<br />
<br />
Do you have some favorite booktubers?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-75463299984977239122015-09-18T16:00:00.000+02:002015-09-18T16:00:16.789+02:00Review - 30-Second Brain by Anil Seth<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394319059l/21057712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="21057712" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1394319059l/21057712.jpg" /></a><i>The 50 most mind-blowing ideas in neuroscience; each explained in half a minute</i><br />
<br />
Genre: non fiction, science<br />
Pages: 160<br />
Rating: 3.5/5<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21057712-30-second-brain" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
Are we all at the mercy of our brain chemistry? Do you think that the
amygdala and the hippocampus are fantastical sea monsters? What can an
MRI scan tell us? Could you explain to dinner-party guests why we don't
giggle when we tickle ourselves? 30-Second Brain is here to fill your
mind with the science of exactly what's happening inside your head.
Using no more than two pages, 300 words and an illustration, this is the
quickest way to understand the wiring and function of the most complex
and intricate mechanism in the human body. Discover how the networks of
90 billion nerve cells work together to produce perception, action,
cognition and emotion. Explore how your brain defines your personality,
and what it gets up to while you are asleep. Illustrated with
mind-bending graphics and supported by biographies of pioneers in the
field of neuroscience, it's the book to get your grey matter thinking
about your grey matter. <br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
This popular science book is a nice introduction to many neurological topics. Since every page contains a different topic it does not go very deep into these topics, but in the back of the book there is a list for continued reading. Every topic is explained over one page and on the page next to it is an illustration that goes with the topic. Personally I really love these kind of bite-sized chunks of information, but the illustrations did not really add anything to the book. They did not help to understand the topics better and they also weren't that pretty.<br />
The book is divided into seven sections, each starting with a page that explains the meaning of some words. Also a couple of biographies of people that were important for the development of neuroscience are included in the book. The explanations of the words were clear, but in some cases I found them to be unnecessary, since the words also became clear by reading the explanations of the topics. I thought the biographies were interesting. I wouldn't read a whole book on most of these people, but it was nice to get an idea of the people who really made a difference in de development of neurscience as a science.Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-2052242143551762422015-09-15T23:17:00.001+02:002015-09-15T23:17:15.934+02:00Goodreads Reading Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0XKwY2Ho6lQPcdRrNhXUw1jqEst1KPdz0yT24P2sGCfGbuAbJYM7rBwiGc-dSD0pAxJ9a2OEiEmpAABGdPVJfa7HeSyOmHZSCPbwhl3XgbhGpjtSyi4nwOvaJljIAjbZglpONTc0Tbs/s1600/knip.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0XKwY2Ho6lQPcdRrNhXUw1jqEst1KPdz0yT24P2sGCfGbuAbJYM7rBwiGc-dSD0pAxJ9a2OEiEmpAABGdPVJfa7HeSyOmHZSCPbwhl3XgbhGpjtSyi4nwOvaJljIAjbZglpONTc0Tbs/s1600/knip.PNG" /></a></div>
I just reached my reading goal for the year: 45 books. Eleven of those were actually graphic novels, but I'm glad that I've already managed to read quite a bit. I'm defenitely reading a little more every year. Ofcourse the year is far from over, so I'll probably have plenty time to read some more. Maybe I can reach 60?<br />
<br />
Did you set yourself a reading challange this year? How is it going so far?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-63284073833912851172015-09-10T11:09:00.000+02:002015-09-10T11:09:00.513+02:00Review - Legend by Marie Lu<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397663963l/9275658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="9275658" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397663963l/9275658.jpg" /></a>Genre: dystopian, science fiction, young adult, romance<br />
Pages: 305<br />
Rating: 3.5/5<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9275658-legend" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a notation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.<br />
<br />
From very different worlds, Juna an Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lenghts their country will go to keep its secrets.<br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
My friend Suzan has been recommending me to read this book since forever and I finally got around to it. It is hard to not compare a book like this to the Hunger Games or Divergent, but eventhough I still think those two books are better, I really enjoyed reading Legend. The chapters of the book alternate between Day and June's point of view and I thought that was a good way of getting to know the different layers of the society of the Republic of America. I did not like June that much at the beginning of the book, but as the story progressed she grew on me a little. In the beginning I found it a little annoying that she was so naive, but she certainly got to see a different side to the 'perfect society' she lived in. Eventhough I related more to Day than to June I still enjoyed reading June's chapters. June's memories of her brother Metias increased my curiosity about Metias and it would have been interesting to learn a little more about his experiences in the army.<br />
From the beginning of the book it was obvious what romance there was going to be. there was definitely insta-love in this book, but I liked that all the bumps in the road made it a lot harder for an actual relationship to develop. I'm really not a big fan of insta-love, and that was probably the reason I wasn't really invested in the romance.<br />
This book contains a mystery that gets unraveled. I do like mysteries, but in this case I didn't think the clues were really obvious enough for the characters to draw a certain conclusion.<br />
Except for June, there wasn't a lot of character growth in this book, but I did really like how my view of Metias's killer changed so much throughout the book, that person really creeped me out at the end!<br />
Day's companion Tess was a sweet girl and I thought her addition to the story was a great way of showing what kind of person Day was.<br />
What I loved the most about this book, was that there wasn't just a character who fought the system from within, but the country was actually also at war with another country. Often in dystopians it seems that besides the country the story is set in, there isn't anything out there, which is not very realistic. In this case I really got the feeling like the Republic of America was part of a larger world.<br />
The book ended rather abruptly, and this somehow made it a little difficult to gather my thoughts on it. I didn't feel like I immediately had to read the sequel, but after giving it a few days I got more excited to read on.Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-50575015173234705362015-09-07T20:05:00.000+02:002015-09-07T20:05:13.984+02:00Mini Review - Dark Entries by Robert Aickman<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403099815l/19246479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="19246479" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403099815l/19246479.jpg" /></a>Genre: short stories, mystery, horror <br />
Pages: 256<br />
Rating: 3.5/5<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19246479-dark-entries" target="_blank">Goodreads </a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<span id="freeText3565091927000195995">Dark Entries was the
first solo collection of "strange stories" by British short story
writer, critic, lecturer and novelist, Robert Aickman. First published
in 1964 it contains the classic "Ringing the Changes" and perhaps
Aickman's best femme fatale in "Choice of Weapons." The version of "The
View" is slightly re-written from its first appearance in We are for the
Dark.</span> <br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
This short story collection took me quite some time to read. As with a lot of short story collections I did like some of the stories, but others weren't really for me. The stories were not as scary as I expected them to be, but they definitely had a mysterious atmosphere. Eventhough I was not always sure what exactly was going on, the stories somehow still intrigued me. They are not the best short stories I've ever read but I am compelled to pick up another of Aickman's short story collections. Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-63125905091042239702015-09-04T13:59:00.000+02:002015-09-04T13:59:00.356+02:00Terugkijkend - Looking back<br />
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ik weet het
nog,</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>
</i></span><br />
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Jij stond
aan de overkant en je keek naar hier</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>
</i></span><br />
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>De
beslissing was al genomen</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>
</i></span><br />
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Maar toch</i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>
</i></span><br />
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>toch stond
jij daar nog</i></span></div>
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I still
remember</div>
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
You stood on
the other side and you looked this way</div>
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The decision
was already made</div>
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But still</div>
<div lang="nl" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
still you
were standing there</div>
Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-4676476099729115182015-09-02T23:37:00.002+02:002015-09-02T23:37:28.359+02:00August Wrap-up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-lljjB1uOHC6lD9ZI1ZH4CPx-g60-cNPuuiNIfGQQdCldVg0xKGG5F7nSb6kg3i6Ou543mkACC72iF5sYm5sFYVkjQ6TEWMsmcwtdpkkPZ6cpggCj4CmotS6YMiWwBJoFMm-TcFXCtk/s1600/DSC_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-lljjB1uOHC6lD9ZI1ZH4CPx-g60-cNPuuiNIfGQQdCldVg0xKGG5F7nSb6kg3i6Ou543mkACC72iF5sYm5sFYVkjQ6TEWMsmcwtdpkkPZ6cpggCj4CmotS6YMiWwBJoFMm-TcFXCtk/s640/DSC_0471.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
August was a good book month! I managed to read a lot more than I usually do, and I also bought quite some books...<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Book Haul</span></i><br />
I bought a lot of books this month, most of them second hand and in Dutch. Since I was on summer break from university I had a lot of time to browse thrift stores and I had a lot of fun doing so!<br />
The books that I bought this month are:<br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26109957-de-grote-van-gogh-atlas?ac=1" target="_blank">De grote Van Gogh atlas</a> [The big Van Gogh atlas] by Nienke Denekamp and Rene van Blerk<br />
I stumbled upon this book at my local bookstore. Not only does the book have a beautiful cover, the interior is beautifully designed as well. <br />
- Het boek van alle dingen [<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1308361.The_Book_of_Everything" target="_blank">The Book of Everything</a>] by Guus Kuijer<br />
I read this book as a kid and at the time I really enjoyed it. I wonder if I will still feel the same way. <br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7095018-de-vloek-van-woestewolf?ac=1" target="_blank">De vloek van Woestewolf</a> [The curse of the werewolf] by Paul Biegel<br />
Another book that I read as a kid. I used to own a copy, but at some point I lost it. The edition I have now is a beautiful hardback that is illustrated throughout. <br />
- Wij zijn ons brein [<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20616861-we-are-our-brains" target="_blank">We Are Our Brains: From the Womb to Alzheimer's</a>] by D.F. Swaab<br />
At university I am taking some neuroscience courses and I want to read more about it, but I was looking for something that was a little more readable than the books that I use for uni (which are not books you will read hours on end) <br />
- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12143354-the-man-who-mistook-his-wife-for-a-hat" target="_blank">The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Ha<span style="font-size: small;">t</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> by Oliver Sacks</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I got this one for the same reason as the previous one and this book seems like it contains a lot of interesting stories. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- De komst van Joachim Stiller [<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/381258.The_coming_of_Joachim_Stiller" target="_blank">The Coming of Joachim Stiller</a>] by Hubert Lampo</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I don't tend to read a lot of Dutch literature, usually it isn't really for me. I personally prefer British literature or literature that contains magical realistic elements. This book does contains magical realism, so perhaps it will be more to my liking. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Nine <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/123715.Agatha_Christie" target="_blank">Agatha Christie</a> detectives translated into Dutch. I bought a couple in the same edition years ago, so when I stumbled upon some more I could not wait to expand my collection. I am a huge fan of Christie's stories. They always have a mysterious atmosphere, but are never scary. They are rather 'cozy' mysteries. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">- Lastly I bought Jules Verne's 20.000 Mijlen onder zee [<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33507.Twenty_Thousand_Leagues_Under_the_Sea" target="_blank">Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea</a>] in two parts. I already own an edition in two parts as well as a bind up up of several of Jules Verne's stories that includes this one, but I love the drawings on old fantasy and science fiction covers so I could not help myself...</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4ViZkUvpvn2g6dGc_RiBILCdpnCCkL9wEy_r8oVlD7Re2C0nAyCQnw5Ut-dRoScpuOLPLMO8NXAAGuwmrxD9RJ82A72ru1YJPoCymdmRrYHA1vY4vTmcJ3aK7WhflSaV9eM-cBhS_RE/s1600/DSC_0477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4ViZkUvpvn2g6dGc_RiBILCdpnCCkL9wEy_r8oVlD7Re2C0nAyCQnw5Ut-dRoScpuOLPLMO8NXAAGuwmrxD9RJ82A72ru1YJPoCymdmRrYHA1vY4vTmcJ3aK7WhflSaV9eM-cBhS_RE/s640/DSC_0477.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Reading</span></i><br />
This month I finished reading 8 books. At the beginning of the month I was<a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/08/reading-multiple-books-at-time.html" target="_blank"> reading 6 books at the same time</a>, but I finally managed to reduce that number a bit. Now I'm only reading 3 books! <br />
Of the books that I read, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19358975-saga-volume-3?ac=1" target="_blank">Saga Volume 3</a>, <a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/08/review-lily-pond-by-annika-thor.html" target="_blank">The Lily Pond</a> and <a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/08/review-lydias-secret-by-finn-zetterholm.html" target="_blank">Lydia's Secret</a> were my favorites. Coming month I probably will not have a lot of time to read because university has started again, but I am getting on with a Swedish book that I have been reading forever so hopefully I will be finishing it this month.<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Writing</span></i><br />
My writing has been going very slowly lately. The fantasy story that I'm working on has only gotten a little bit longer, but the story world always keeps expanding. My other projects haven't progressed at all, I just wrote one poem. Hopefully coming month I can find the time to write a little more!Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-91011648166870332112015-08-27T09:32:00.000+02:002015-08-27T09:32:00.212+02:00Movie Review - Boy 7<br />
<a href="http://i.jeded.com/i/boy-7.36379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.jeded.com/i/boy-7.36379.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a>A t<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">railer with English subtitles can be watched <a href="https://vimeo.com/118593922" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">When Sam regains consciousness in the middle of a crowded subway, he doesn't know how he got there, where he came from nor his own name. He franticly searches for his identity, using the contents of his backpack. Slowly but surely he realizes his life is in great danger.</span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
Together with my friend Sophie I watched Boy 7, a movie based on <a href="http://booksarestories.blogspot.nl/2015/02/review-boy-7-by-mirjam-mous.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">t</span>he book</a> by Mirjam Mous. I don't really tend to watch a lot of Dutch movies, since they don't make a lot of fantasy or sci-fi movies, but when I heard about the making of a Dutch young adult sci-fi movie I knew I had to watch it. The movie is certainly not as epic as some other young adult sci-fi movies that are out there, like The Hunger Games or Divergent, but that isn't strange considering a much smaller budget to make this movie. Still, it was a lot of fun to watch. The main caracter Sam was played very well, and eventhough hack coach Marit only appears a couple of times I also really liked her. The ending of the movie was sound, but a little too rushed for my liking. It was fun to see an imagined version of my country in the future, but I would have loved to see more of what the country looked like by then!Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-915632585126882282015-08-24T10:22:00.000+02:002015-08-24T21:12:34.705+02:00Review - Lydia's Secret by Finn Zetterholm<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331974509l/13549899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="13549899" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331974509l/13549899.jpg" /></a>Genre: childrens, historical, fantasy<br />
Pages: 316<br />
Rating: 4/5 <br />
Original language: Swedish<br />
Translations: Italian, Dutch <br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7890582-lydia-s-secret" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353">Lydia is twelve and lives with her parents in Stockholm. She is crazy about art and can draw incredibly well.</span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"><br /></span>
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353">One day Lydia is sketching in the park, when a bird steals her pencil. She is so flustered that she forgets her sketchbook in the park. When she returns the next day someone has written a message in it: 18 september, 15.00 hours.</span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"> </span><span id="freeText7013999393157986353"><br />The unknown messenger turns out to be a boy who tells her to 'take good care of her hands, because they are very special'. Lydia doesn't really know what to think of this.</span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"></span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"></span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"></span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"></span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"><br />The next day she visits the national museum with her grandfather. When Lydia accidently touches a painting by Rembrandt, she disappears into a black hole. She wakes up in the world of Rembrandt, the year 1658. The only thing Julia has with her, are her sketchbook and her pencil.</span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"></span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"><br />This is the beginning of an amazing journey through the world of art. Lydia meets famous artists like Velázquez, Leonardo da Vinci, Edgard Degas, William Turner en Salvador Dalí. From every artist Lydia learns something new.</span><br />
<span id="freeText7013999393157986353"><br />But how does she get back to the 21st century? The secret is in Lydia's hands...</span>
<br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
Lydia's Secret has been described as Sophie's World about art history. I really enjoyed Sophie's World, so the comparisson made me curious about this book as well. While reading this book I definitely noticed some similarities between the two books, both have a curious Swedish girl as the main character and both books are fiction but include information on a certain topic. However, there are also some differences. Lydia's Secret focusses more on the adventure Lydia is having and the magical aspect to it, whereas in Sophie's World the deliverance of information on philosophy is more prominent. This makes Lydia's Secret accesible for a younger audience, since the educational aspect is not too prominent. The book also reminded me a little of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28194.Inkheart?ac=1" target="_blank">Inkheart</a> by Cornelia Funke, where things can escape from books and can enter them, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/974324.Crusade_in_Jeans?ac=1" target="_blank">Crusade in Jeans</a> by Thea Beckman, where a boy travels back in time and accidently ends up in the time of the crusades.<br />
From every painter Lydia meets you learn what age he lived in, what kind of life he lead, distinct personality traits and some aspects of his paintings that stand out. Personally I'm fascinated by Leonardo da Vinci, so I would have loved to read a little more about him, but for others who might not be as interested the amount of information might have been enough. I think overal there was a nice balance between information and entertainment.The painters only appeared in the book for a short while, but they definitely had distinct personalities. Almost all of the painters immediately take Lydia with her eventhough they hardly know her, and this was the only part of the book that felt a little unrealistic. When she wore strange clothes and said she was from the future I would have thought that the painters would think her truely crazy, but instead they were all easily convinced she wasn't that crazy after all.<br />
I think Lydia's character could have been a little more well-rounded, because I still feel like all I know about her is that she loves to draw and loves her grandfather, but I did like the relationship she had with her grandfather and how adventurous the story was.<br />
Lydia travels to the time of a certain painter by touching one of his paintings. At first it seemed a little cliché, but when it was mentioned that because of this she could only travel backwards in time (because at a certain time she can only encounter paintings that have been painted before that time) I truely felt like the author really thought the traveling in time trough. Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-49433810159961472542015-08-22T12:20:00.000+02:002015-08-22T12:20:00.247+02:00Short Story Saturday #10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_kjxUf1Li7oXtEptJ4710D8Hpws0r0AEG-LdgG69X22YlMovTvIw47VwcNDKLtUqguU7tW5vzoVRVW7XkGAP8f1TYSZo_YrtQX_62KCieTDhh34XZOAddY_cmE6yd_rvXPQMVC_V_oQ/s1600/shortss.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_kjxUf1Li7oXtEptJ4710D8Hpws0r0AEG-LdgG69X22YlMovTvIw47VwcNDKLtUqguU7tW5vzoVRVW7XkGAP8f1TYSZo_YrtQX_62KCieTDhh34XZOAddY_cmE6yd_rvXPQMVC_V_oQ/s1600/shortss.png" width="320" /></a></div>
A prompt a week to encourage myself and maybe others to write more even when we don't have any inspiration!<br />
<br />
This week's prompt:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>A building collapses with people inside.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Who are the people? What building is it?</span></span>Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-64541388559207379842015-08-20T09:32:00.001+02:002015-08-20T09:32:00.121+02:00Reading multiple books at a timeA couple of days ago my currently reading list on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> looked like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgVKhmlTHbhNjLurv-dM3LaEQ3OVFvRSpWK1QNQXHqzBFzQR3kcyEi2dMgE-Rp4b4ivmzqtcWAYDLPrnpa371LLpti1f_1igxDIb1tQatgXh956eHMIfc8hGdswpHN_qKZgpROB2gSYI/s1600/6.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgVKhmlTHbhNjLurv-dM3LaEQ3OVFvRSpWK1QNQXHqzBFzQR3kcyEi2dMgE-Rp4b4ivmzqtcWAYDLPrnpa371LLpti1f_1igxDIb1tQatgXh956eHMIfc8hGdswpHN_qKZgpROB2gSYI/s1600/6.PNG" /></a></div>
I don't know what happens, but somehow I always start reading a new book when I'm already reading a couple of others. Every now and then I think it gets to crazy and I try to narrow it down. Once I have reached 2 books the number of books that I'm reading slowly starts to increase again. <br />
<br />
I know I should stop reading so many books at the same time, but somehow I never do. When the list is this long I often feel a little stress to narrow it down again, because I have a couple of unread books lying around that I'm dying to start, but I want to narrow down my list first, so I have to finish at least five books before I can start the one I really want to read. That truely is my problem, the books I like to read really depend on my mood and since my mood can change rather quickly I have sometimes already lost a little bit of my intial interest in the book I'm currently reading but I have gotten really excited about a new book, so I end up adding another book to my currently reading pile.<br />
<br />
I did just finish <i>Kinderen van Nederland</i>, so I have only five more books on the list, but that still seems daunting. <i>Genom dina Ögon</i> (The Host in Swedish) I started reading a long time ago (almost a year!) to practice my Swedish. I can definitely read the story, but I'm still a very slow reader in Swedish. Why on earth I thought it was a good idea to have the second book I read in Swedish be a 600 page book, I have no idea. I've read about a third of the book, so at this rate it wil take me a total of three years to finish the book, haha! I think the next time I read a book in Swedish I should pick something shorter and also something easier, to keep it fun. Now it has just become a struggle.<br />
<i>Dark Entries</i> I also started a while ago, but since these are short stories I don't really have such a hard time picking this book up again. I have read the majority of the stories, so it looks like I'm finally reaching the end, woohooo!<br />
<i>Pogingen iets van het leven te maken</i> really grabbed me in the beginning, but after a while I was starting to feel like I was just reading more of the same. It isn't a difficult read, so I should just get on with it and finish it already.<br />
<i>A Feast for Crows</i>, like any other Martin book, is taking forever to read. Somehow I find Martin's book really hard to read quickly. I am getting better though! The first book in the series took me about two years to finish, the second book took about a year and the third book I finished in about half a year, so that would mean it will take me 3 months in total to read this one! I don't think that's going to happen, but I definitely hope so!<br />
<i>Eragon</i> is the newest addition to the list. It is an easy read, but because I'm not reading it for the first time I don't find it as interesting as before and it is hard to keep paying attention to this book. I wanted to reread this book so I remembered better what happened, before I would start reading the sequel. I just need to find my enthousiasm for this book again...<br />
<br />
I do feel like it should be possible to finish one or two books pretty soon, but I fear especially <i>Genom dina Ögon</i> will be on my currently reading pile for a long while to come!<br />
<br />
Do you read multiple books at the same time? How do you make sure it doesn't get too crazy?Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-30296754924996972482015-08-17T09:52:00.000+02:002015-08-24T21:13:06.584+02:00Review - The Lily Pond by Annika Thor<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320528401l/10338850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="10338850" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320528401l/10338850.jpg" /></a>Genre: historical, childrens, teen<br />
Pages: 224<br />
Rating: 4.5 /5 <br />
Original language: Swedish<br />
Translations: English, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, German, Russian<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10338850-the-lily-pond" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
<span id="freeText13000200654061159715">A year after Stephie
Steiner and her younger sister, Nellie, left Nazi-occupied Vienna,
Stephie has finally adapted to life on the rugged Swedish island where
she now lives. But more change awaits Stephie: her foster parents have
allowed her to enroll in school on the mainland, in Goteberg. Stephie is
eager to go. Not only will she be pursuing her studies, she'll be
living in a cultured city again—under the same roof as Sven, the son of
the lodgers who rented her foster parents' cottage for the summer.<br />Five
years her senior, Sven dazzles Stephie with his charm, his talk of
equality, and his anti-Hitler sentiments. Stephie can't help
herself—she's falling in love. As she navigates a sea of new emotions,
she also grapples with what it means to be beholden to others, with her
constant worry about what her parents are enduring back in Vienna, and
with the menacing spread of Nazi ideology, even in Sweden. In these
troubled times, her true friends, Stephie discovers, are the ones she
least expected.</span><br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
Eventhough this book is technichally the second book in a series, it can be read seperately. I have not read the first book and this did not lead to any confusion. I read this book for the fist time when I was about twelve and I remember thinking it a very good book, so I was interested to revisit the story and to see if I still felt the same way. I do enjoy reading some childrens stories, but I don't always feel like I'm really submerged in the story. The Lily Pond on the other hand was really gripping and I found myself relating to Stephie a lot. I think for children this book is both entertaining and educational.<br />
<br />
A theme in this book is the second world war and usually I also don't really connect to those kind of stories, because to me they seem very distant and it is hard to imagine the true horrors of the war if you have neaver lived it yourself. Also most books tend to focus a lot on the large effects the war has on people. In this case the author did a great job of incorporating many small details of the war without them overtaking the plotline and this made it easy to relate to the main character and feel for her, eventhough I am in a very different situation than Stephie. Most books I have read about the second world war are set in a country where people are actually fighting, so it was interesting to read from a little different perspective. The book raises the question how countries that are not participating in war should deal with fugitives and the war in general, and with everything that is going on right now in the Middle East and Africa this question is again very relevant.<br />
<br />
The book deals a lot with loneliness and Thor does a great job of truely making you feel lonely. I loved how towards the end of the book you find out that there are actually people who understood Stephie all along. Stephie's friendship with May is really heartwarming, May is a friend I think we all like to have. She doesn't follow the crowd, has her own opinions and sticks up for Stephie when no one else does. Different teachers in the story represented different opinions on the war and I am glad that Thor included both 'bad' and 'good' teachers. Aunt Marta, who takes Stephie in when she first arrives in Sweden, is one of those mother figures that seems harsh and strict at first, but you know that she loves Stephie like she is her own daughter and would do anything for her. Aunt Marta is part of the Pentecostal church, and eventhough this only plays a small part in the story I appreciated that there are both nice and not so nice people part of the church as well as nice and not so nice people who are not part of the church. To often when religion is included it is only done to vent the authors own believes, but Thor gives the reader the space to believe what he or she wants.<br />
<br />
Stephie herself is thirteen year and the author truely made her seem like she was 13. In other books I often have problems with teenagers appearing younger or older than they are in reality, but here this was not the case. Stephie could sometimes be very mature, but she still needed a mother figure which I thought was very realistic. In the book she deals with first love, which was cute, but since she was only 13 I am glad it didn't turn into anything more.Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-68057320205420878762015-08-15T09:13:00.000+02:002015-08-15T09:13:00.785+02:00Short Story Saturday #9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_kjxUf1Li7oXtEptJ4710D8Hpws0r0AEG-LdgG69X22YlMovTvIw47VwcNDKLtUqguU7tW5vzoVRVW7XkGAP8f1TYSZo_YrtQX_62KCieTDhh34XZOAddY_cmE6yd_rvXPQMVC_V_oQ/s1600/shortss.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_kjxUf1Li7oXtEptJ4710D8Hpws0r0AEG-LdgG69X22YlMovTvIw47VwcNDKLtUqguU7tW5vzoVRVW7XkGAP8f1TYSZo_YrtQX_62KCieTDhh34XZOAddY_cmE6yd_rvXPQMVC_V_oQ/s1600/shortss.png" width="320" /></a></div>
A prompt a week to encourage myself and maybe others to write more even when we don't have any inspiration!<br />
<br />
This week's prompt:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>A little boy eats an enchanted mushroom.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />What happens when he eats it?</span></span>Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4961071781161245641.post-79097334724085316212015-08-13T10:06:00.000+02:002015-08-24T21:13:37.465+02:00Mini review - Seaglassing by Nathan Smith<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzEBkgkJGbA7Z1plea9kxPXvoefth4toGAwH2JXI4EDUHETeKHg1NAjBXZvk2d5L4eVtHSpe-uKasMYTEHhZLMiZdESSnvkvqJKWgG5JjexxtYP52dhdsWVSRjDIjcEh20VOi_SD7KuM/s1600/seaglassing.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzEBkgkJGbA7Z1plea9kxPXvoefth4toGAwH2JXI4EDUHETeKHg1NAjBXZvk2d5L4eVtHSpe-uKasMYTEHhZLMiZdESSnvkvqJKWgG5JjexxtYP52dhdsWVSRjDIjcEh20VOi_SD7KuM/s320/seaglassing.png" width="223" /></a>Genre: comic, fantasy<br />
Pages: 24<br />
Rating: 4/5 <br />
<a href="http://www.orbitalprimeval.com/" target="_blank">Author's blog</a><br />
<br />
<b>Summary</b><br />
Seaglassing is a lighthearted tale inspired by the shores of Lake Erie.
This story is about a seaglasser (someone who combs the sand and pebbles
on a beach to find weathered fragments of old glass) who is slowly
making her way along the water's edge when she suddenly encounters a
mythical creature.<br />
<br />
The first half of the book contains the story,
and the second half of the book is a Seaglass Journal that explores
pieces of the world introduced in the comic.<br />
<br />
<b>My thoughts</b><br />
I bought this comic via <a href="http://www.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a> from the author who independently published it. I love collecting things on the beach, so the subject of this story really spoke to me. The first part of the book, that contains the story, does not have any text, but the second part of the book, the Seaglass Journall, does. Eventhough there are no words, the story is easy to follow and it is a lovely and short story. The drawings are simple, but have a nice color scheme. I alwasy love seeing art journals and sketchbooks and that was what the second part of this book reminded me of. Bregjehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14801475091006202555noreply@blogger.com2