2018/04/29

BOOK HAUL:
APRIL

Spring is finally heeeeeere! What a bright and lovely month April has been; the snow has (mostly) melted here in Oslo and I can finally wear my leather jacket and sneakers; it's the best feeling ever. I also got to go to London for a work trip (but a fun one) this month and we went to Kew Gardens and saw the cherry blossoms, so my whole month has just been full of sunshine and flowers, which is amazing.

I have, as usual, accumulated some lovely books that I'm super excited to read and here they are!











(affiliate links)

I hope you guys have had a lovely past four weeks and that May will be awesome for you!
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2018/04/28

BOOKISH REFLECTIONS:
WHY BOOK COVERS MATTER

We've all heard the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." It's often a euphemism for not judging people by the way they look, but in the book world, it is exactly what it says it is. But I wonder, in a world filled with more books than anyone can ever read, how are you supposed to not do that?

You guys know me; I love a good cover. I also appreciate a good cover and the work that goes into it; I imagine trying to make something stand out these days can't be easy, as well as staying true to the contents of the book, the authors wishes, the publishing houses wishes, the readers wishes and the list goes on and on. So, I've though of some reasons why I think book covers matter (to me).
#1 It's (often) the first introduction to the book
Most of us have certain visual things that attracts us to a book, wether it be a font, a color or the use of an image. What one always hopes is that if you're attracted to the outside, you'll like what's on the inside. The logic of this is not impeccable and it does not always work, which is why one usually reads the blurb as well, but for a first introduction, the cover is what you're met with.

#2 It's art
Isn't it? Again, we all have different ideas of what is appealing, but making covers is an art and it would be a shame not to appreciate it to a certain extent. 

#3 It helps to systemise the chaos
The publishing industry often makes similar covers for similar books, so if you see a book with a cover that looks like something else you enjoyed, the chances might be higher that this is the book for you. They do this on purpose, to sell you another book, but it works both ways and I think it's a good thing. It has its pitfalls, but I know I seldom enjoy books with headless women in dresses on the cover, so I know not to pick one up at willy nilly without doing some research first. For people who love those books though, it's perfect! I'll be over in the "Cool Fonts on Bright Backgrounds" section.
You could construe this into being about people and how they look again, but I think the main difference is that a human is a human and a book is an object. Does that make sense? If you pass up a book because it has what you think is a shit cover, it's not like you're missing out on the love of your life... or is it? #shockedemoji

Now, what makes a good book cover? That's an entirely different discussion...
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2018/04/27

2018/04/25

BOOK REVIEW:
SEE WHAT I HAVE DONE BY SARAH SCHMIDT

Title: See What I Have Done
Author: Sarah Schmidt
Published: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 352
Rating: 3/5


Summary:
In this book, Schmidt reimagines the mystery of Lizzie Borden who was suspected of having brutally murdered her father and step-mother with an axe.


Review:
This was a bit of a mixed experience for me, but for a debut novel, I have to admit it's quite impressive.

I had a bit of a rough start with this book and couldn't really get into it until I was about halfway through, and even then, this was not one of those books I couldn't put down and I was never dying to finish it. I'm not sure why that was though, but I think part of it was that the story is told from several viewpoints and some of them didn't manage to capture my interest. The atmosphere in this book though, it's really something else; there's a quote on the back of the book that calls this novel claustrophobic and I think that's the perfect word for it.

The writing style in this book is distinctive and I really liked it, even if there were parts where I felt it didn't quite do what it was supposed to. I don't know how else to explain it, but there's something in the flow of this whole book that isn't quite right and it threw me off.

Still though, for a debut novel, there's something interesting going on here that I hope the author keeps working on, because I think it can be really great, but it's not quite here in this one.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2018/04/22

2018/04/21

BOOK REVIEW:
HOMO DEUS BY YUVAL NOAH HARARI

Title: Homo Deus
Author: Yuval Noah Harari
Published: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 513
Rating: 4/5


Summary:
In this book, author of bestselling Sapiens, explores what the future might hold for us as humans.


Review:
This was another eye-opening and fascinating book by Harari and I really enjoyed it.

I read Sapiens a few years ago and bragged of how accessible it felt; this book continues that trend. It brings up some really mind-bending facts and theories, but they're never difficult to understand. It shows us with great clarity where science and technology is at these days and what that might mean for the future.

What I loved most about this book is that it really made me think and question how things are now, and the discussions on artificial intelligence, free will and consciousness were absolutely captivating, even if they may have sent me into a little bit of an existential crisis.

I would definitely recommend this book if you're interested in... well, humans and the future. I don't think it's necessary to read Sapiens before reading this but it might be preferable, as it adds a more comprehensive backdrop to it, and I think it's good to take your time with this book, lest you panic and have nightmares about algorithms and the pitfalls of immortality.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2018/04/20

2018/04/18

BOOK REVIEW:
DEATH AT VICTORIA DOCK BY KERRY GREENWOOD

Title: Death At Victoria Dock
Author: Kerry Greenwood
Published: 1992
Language: English
Pages: 164
Rating: 4/5

This is the fourth book in the Phryne Fisher series.


Summary:
A young, beautiful man is lying in the Honorable Phryne Fisher's arms, but this time it's not seduction; the young man, a stranger, has died, and Phryne is determined to find out who shot him, as well as tried to shoot her.


Review:
This was another great adventure with Miss Phryne Fisher and her possy.

This series is a great way to just escape for a few hours and this was another one of those. It was enjoyable, exciting and great fun to read. In this book in particular, I really enjoyed the themes of religion and politics which are there, but does not overwhelm the story.

Very entertaining, and as always, love the characters, and I'm excited to read the next one.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2018/04/17

BOOKSTAGRAM SPOTLIGHT:
@INTROVERTED.BOOKWORM

I've been loving a lot of people's bookstagram vibe lately, especially Luana's at @introverted.bookworm. I love the style and the tone of her photos.


Lovely, right? Go follow!
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2018/04/16

ROADS CLASSIC:
JANE EYRE




One of my all time favorite classics, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
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2018/04/15

2018/04/14

BOOK REVIEW:
THE MINISTRY OF UTMOST HAPPINESS BY ARUNDHATI ROY

Title: The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
Author: Arundhati Roy
Published: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 464
Rating: 3/5


Summary:
This book takes us on a journey across India and we follow several people across many years whose lives all intertwine in the end.


Review:
This novel is so complex and so full of everything, it's hard to know where to even start with this review.

For me, the book started off really well and I was enjoying it a lot when we were mostly only following one of the characters. Then, as the book progresses, more and more characters are introduced and they're all connected in this chaotic web which is slightly exhausting to try and navigate. I think some of the characters are really interesting, but others lack depth and I was uninterested in them.

I think this book is good, but dense, which lessens the enjoyment of reading it. I think it brings up a lot of really interesting issues though, both social and political. It jumps around a lot though, so it's sometimes hard to keep track of everything, but it is good. It's just not great.

This feels like a long book, I can't deny it, but I am glad I read it. I'd recommend it if you enjoy literary fiction and have the time and energy to delve into this labyrinth of a book.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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2018/04/13

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