2017/11/29

BOOK HAUL:
NOVEMBER

The second to last month of the year is almost at an end and it's time to show you the books I got! November has been lovely; autumn is almost over and the festive season is upon us. It's pretty crazy that it's almost Christmas!

It's getting a lot colder here in Norway, so I'm cuddling up daily with hot chocolate and lots of blankets - and a good book, of course, which is always lovely. I'm quite excited for winter and for it to start snowing, because that makes things even cosier. But anyways, here is the selection of books I acquired in the last few weeks!













I hope you've all had a lovely November!
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2017/11/28

BOOK REVIEW:
RAD WOMEN WORLDWIDE BY KATE SCHATZ

Title: Rad Women Worldwide: Artists, Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History
Author: Kate Schatz, Miriam Klein Stahl (Illustrator)
Published: 2016
Language: English
Pages: 112
Rating: 4/5


Summary:
In this beautifully illustrated book, we explore the stories of extraordinary women from around the world.


Review:
This was such an inspirational read.

I think this book has a great collection of women; both women I'd heard quite a lot about and women I'd never heard of before. It was thrilling to learn about these people and their stories, and you can't help but feel empowered by reading this.

I'm not sure everyone would enjoy the art in this, but I really like it, especially the use of color.

This is definitely worth the read and would be a great thing to give to young women to read, because it showcases a lot of what women have dome throughout history that is often forgotten.
You can get this book at The Book Depository
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2017/11/26

2017/11/25

BOOK REVIEW:
THE PHANTOM ATLAS BY EDWARD BROOKE-HITCHING

Title: The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps
Author: Edward Brooke-Hitching
Published: 2016
Language: English
Pages: 256
Rating: 4/5


Summary:
This is an atlas of the world, not as it is, but as it was thought to be throughout the ages; filled with mystical countries, fabled islands and other fictitious geography.


Review:
As a lover of both maps and stories of exploration, this was a joy to read.

The book is very much what it's saying it is, so I'm not going to drone on about what I think of it; basically, I really enjoyed this. I loved the maps and the stories of them, and it's a perfect book to read a bit in here and there. It's also given me a lot of ideas about people and places I want to read more about!

It's a perfect book for anyone who loves cartography, and it also works wonderfully as a coffee table book because it's not only fascinating, it's also gorgeous.
You can get this book at The Book Depository
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2017/11/24

2017/11/23

2017/11/22

BOOKISH GIFT GUIDE 2017:
AN ASSORTMENT OF THINGS THE BOOKWORM IN YOUR LIFE (OR YOU) MIGHT LIKE

December is around the corner and it's time to start thinking about gifts! Now, I've made a gift guide for books which will be up within a few days, but I also wanted to show you guys some other stuff I really like that I think the bookworm in your life might like. Sometimes picking a book for someone who reads a lot can be quite hard, so an option could be to get them a different literary gift.

MUGS
There's nothing like a good mug, am I right? I have loads of literary mugs that I love, and if you're feeling extra generous, give some tea or hot chocolate along with it!

 TOTE BAGS
We all need to carry things around quite a lot, and bookworms have a tendency to always have to carry books with them everywhere, so why not do it in one of these?

PINS
It's been all the rage this year and since I have a couple on my leather jacket and I really like them, I'm assuming other people might like it too. It's especially thoughtful if you can find one that relates to a book they like!

ART PRINTS
Having artwork on your walls is something that really makes a home, I think, so why not give some artwork to someone you care about? If they're a student living in a dorm or something, you could get some cool washi tape to hang it with to give as well, and if they're living in a place you can actually hang things, a nice frame makes everything look extra put together.

 STATIONARY ITEMS
Because the venn diagram of book lovers and stationary lovers is a circle.

You could also treat some of these for yourself, because why not?
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2017/11/21

BOOK REVIEW:
ARE WE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW SMART ANIMALS ARE? BY FRANS DE WAAL

Title: Are We Smart Enough To Know How Smart Animals Are
Author: Frans de Waal
Published: 2016
Language: English
Pages: 340
Rating: 2/5



Summary:
From biologist and primatologist Frans de Waal, this is a look into the world of animal intelligence and discusses what separates the human mind from the mind of other animals.


Review:
I have mixed feelings about this book.

On one hand, the subject matter of the book is absolutely fascinating and I really liked learning about it. On the other hand, there's something about the writing that did not pull me in. It reminds me of being in school and reading textbooks; learning about the history of the Roman Empire sounds so fascinating, but then you start reading and lose all desire to learn. It's also a bit disorganised and a bit all over the place.

I do like how scientific it is and how in-depth it gets in certain points, and I thought it was interesting to read about different experiments, beliefs and scientists. Sadly though, it was just so hard to want to pick back up after having put it down.

I'm not so sure I would recommend this, but I suppose it could be interesting if you're not too picky about the presentation of the subject.
You can get this book at The Book Depository
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2017/11/20

THINGS I LIKE NO. 7

I loved scented candles all year round, but they're extra cosy and lovely during autumn and winter. I've got quite a lot of candles that I love, but these Snow Crystal Natural Fragranced Candles from Pairfum are the ones I've been using the most lately. My favorite scents are Innocent Vanilla and White Sandalwood.
I've recently run out of the White Sandalwood one, so I'll definitely have to get my hands on another, because it makes my apartment smell so good!
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2017/11/19

2017/11/18

BOOK REVIEW:
THE LOST WORDS BY ROBERT MACFARLANE

Title: The Lost Words
Author: Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris (Illustrator)
Published: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 112
Rating: 4/5


Summary:
This is a gorgeously illustrated book filled with poetry about words about nature disappearing from the vocabulary of children.


Review:
Wow, this book is a marvel!

This is easily one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. The illustrations are stunning; nature and animals are captured creatively and realistically. I don't even feel like I have the right words to explain how gorgeous it is, but I would easily have prints of all the pages in this on my walls.

The writing is simple, lyrical and lovely, and to an adult it brings back memories of spending time outside. To a child, I would imagine it would make one want to go outside and play in the wonderful world of nature.

It's a spellbinding work of art and belongs easily in any home with both children, elderly and everything in between.
You can get this book at The Book Depository
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2017/11/17

2017/11/16

WINTER TBR

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2017/11/15

BOOK REVIEW:
THE ROMANOVS BY ROBERT K. MASSIE

Title: The Romanovs: The Last Chapter
Author: Robert K. Massie
Published: 1995
Language: English
Pages: 352
Rating: 4/5



Summary:
This book explores one the greatest mysteries of the twentieth century; what exactly was the ultimate fate of the last tsar of Russia and his family.


Review:
This is the fourth (and final) book on the Romanov family by Massie that I've read and this one feels very much as a conclusion to the saga. It was as the others I've read before it; well written and fascinating.

The aftermath of the death of the Romanovs sparked great controversy and was a huge mystery in the twentieth century and this book takes a look at all of it; the truth of what happened to the family, the identification of their bones and the stories of the people who afterwards claimed to be survivors (most famously, someone who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia). I found all of that to be immensily fascinating; both the stories of the people and the facts of the DNA testing and such.

I will say that having read Nicholas and Alexandra before this one was of immense help, because it gives you a greater idea of who the Romanovs were, whereas this deals almost only with the aftermath. Nicholas and Alexandra gives face to the people ate the base of this story and I think that helps to really care about the bones mentioned in this one.

I would definitely recommend this book if you have an interest in Russian history and the story of the Romanovs, but like I mentioned, having some previous knowledge of the Romanov family will make it much more enjoyable.
You can get this book at The Book Depository
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2017/11/14

BOOKSTAGRAM SPOTLIGHT:
@FARISSADRAWNBYBOOKS

It's time to share some more of that bookstagram love! Today, I want to tell you about @farissadrawnbybooks who I discovered recently. She's from Indonesia and her book photography is on point!




Go follow!
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