UPCOMING RELEASES: NOVEMBER

I can't believe we're almost in the second to last month of the year already, but here we are, and here are five interesting books coming out in the next few weeks!

Becoming by Michelle Obama

13th

I think Michelle Obama is so inspirational, intelligent and graceful and I've always liked her, so when I saw this was coming out I added it to my TBR immediately. I think it'll be so interesting to get to take a look into her world and what she thinks of things.

Five Days of Fog by Anna Freeman

1st

I've read The Fair Fight by Freeman and I loved it, so I'm excited to see she's coming out with another historical fiction novel. This one is set in 1952 in London and it's about a young girl who is a part of a crime family and can't figure out if she's going to stay or run away. Sounds very exciting!

All the Lives We Never Lived by Arundhati Roy

20th

This is a historical fiction novel set in India during World War II as well as in present day and it's about a son searching for answers about what happened to his mother.

Heroes by Stephen Fry

1st

Mythos is one of my favorite reads of this year, so when I saw this - another book about Greek myths by Stephen Fry - I had to preorder it. I can't wait to read it!

 Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin

20th

No, it's not The Winds of Winter, but I'll take it. The full title of this is A History of the Targaryen Kinds from Ageon the Conquerer to Argon III, and I've always wanted to learn more about the Targaryen family so I'm excited for this!

BOOK HAUL: OCTOBER

The spookiest month of the year is almost at an end and I've had a lovely month, I must say. I know I keep yammering on about autumn, but honestly, I just love it so much and it's been so fantastic this year.

It's getting really chilly here in Oslo as well, which is bittersweet (I do like it much more than heat though). We're definitely getting closer to winter and the festive season is soon upon us once again. While we're waiting for that though, let's have a look at the books I got this month. I've got a selection of books I've been sent by publishers, a book I was sent by a far too kind subscriber and books I've bought myself.

I was also sent this amazing box of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls postcards by the publishers! I love that book so much, it's one of the best books I've read this year and these postcards are just to die for. I can't wait to use these for birthdays and I've already put some of my favorites on my fridge!

(affiliate links)

(*sent by publishers)

The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli

Secrets of the Italian Gardener by Andrew Crofts*

Beneath the Surface by Heidi Perks*

Lonely Planet's Best of New Zealand

Grief is the Things With Feathers by Max Porter

A Meditation on Murder by Robert Thorogood

Troublemaker by Leah Remini

Exit West by Moshin Hamid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Tales of Protection by Erik Fosnes Hansen

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Postcard Box*

I hope you've all had a wonderful October!

BOOK REVIEW: THE RADIUM GIRLS BY KATE MOORE

Title: The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
Author: Kate Moore
Published: 2016
Language: English
Pages: 480
Rating: 3/5

Summary:
This is the story of The Radium Girls, who worked as dial painters in the 1910's and 1920's and whose bodies were uncurably ravaged by the dangerous substance and who tried to get justice for the deathly harm that was brought to them by the companies they worked for.

Review:
I had no prior knowledge to this historical event before I picked this book up on a whim, and I feel like I learned so much!

Reading this was a rollercoaster of emotions; I felt hopeful, appalled, enraged, horrified and heartbroken. I was astounded by what these women went through and it felt like an honor to get to know them and read about their painful and brave fight. The book really gives a look into their lives and their struggles, but also their hope and their willingness to battle for justice.

It did take me a good while to get through this though, I must admit. There is a lot to get through here and a lot of stories to tell, and although I understand their importance, they became slightly repetitive after a while. There's also a lot of facts to go through and they were often presented in a way that felt dry and slow, which made me less inclined to keep going.

It was worth making my way through though and it's an important and interesting story, and one I'm very happy I've learned more about. These women greatly deserve to have their stories told.

You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads

#FRIDAYREADS

NONFICTION NOVEMBER TBR

BOOK REVIEW: NAMES FOR THE SEA BY SARAH MOSS

Title: Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland
Author: Sarah Moss
Published: 2012
Language: English
Pages: 368
Rating: 3/5

Summary:
In 2009, after having dreamed of living in Iceland for years, Moss applies for a job there and moves her whole family with her, and this book tells of her experience of moving to a foreign country and getting to know the Icelandic culture.

Review:
I thought this was such an interesting book and I very much enjoyed it.

I think there's something fascinating and funny about seeing a different culture through the eyes of someone from the outside, and I found it especially amusing because some parts of Icelandic culture is quite similar to Norwegian culture (like phrases we have or the way we speak to each other). Capturing what it's like to be a foreigner, with all the anxiety, excitement and surprises was definitely my favorite part of this book.

Moss knows her craft well; the way she writes is really good and the way she describes the landscape and the country really brings it to life. She creates such amazing atmosphere. I do think the writing becomes slightly dense in parts and a little slow, but it's overall beautiful.

I was a little taken aback by how introspective the book was though and I would've loved to get to know some of the people in her life more, but otherwise, this was fantastic. It's perfect if you like memoirs, travel and have an interest in learning about Iceland.

You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads

THINGS I LIKE NO. 16

I'm not very adventurous when it comes to doing my nails, but I've recently found a new color from Essie that I've totally fallen in love with.

I generally really like Essie nail polishes, and I've mentioned two of my other favorites from them previously, but this is what I've been wearing non stop for the past few weeks. It's called Without A Stitch and it's a creamy, neutral grey which might sound boring, but it looks incredibly nice on the nails.

I feel like this is the perfect color for fall and a great alternative to Sand Tropez, which I use a lot. As with all Essie polishes, I would recommend using a base coat and a top coat so that it lasts longer (the ones I use are also from Essie). I'm really glad I found this, it's definitely going to be a long lasting favorite of mine.

BRITISH LIBRARY CRIME CLASSICS: MURDER IN PICCADILLY

I just love the dark blue on this edition of Murder in Piccadilly by Charles Kingston.

3 SHORT SPOOKY BOOKS

BOOK REVIEW: WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE BY SHIRLEY JACKSON

Title: We Have Always Lived In The Castle
Author: Shirley Jackson
Published: 1962
Language: English
Pages: 146
Rating: 3/5

Summary:
In this classic gothic tale, we meet the remaining members of an isolated and possibly murderous family.

Review:
This is a book I've had for a really long time; I'd heard so many great things about it and I had pretty high expectations. The story went in a completely different direction that what I had initially thought, but I'm not disappointed.

It's an incredibly creepy story and you can never really put your finger on why. Something is just off. The characters are weird and fascinating and I loved reading about them. I feel like I could never really figure them out, which you'd think is annoying, but it actually suits the story perfectly.

I also adored the writing and the atmosphere is amazing. The house and the village truly came to life. I do think the story starts off stronger than it ends and it is slightly slow in parts, but it's still fantastic. There's a sinister vibe to this whole book that just gives you chills.

It's an incredibly bizarre book and I can see how it might not be to everyone's taste, but I liked it a lot. I definitely want to reread this at a later date, because I feel like it's one of those books that just get better every time you read it.

You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads

#FRIDAYREADS

OCTOBER WRAP UP PART I