BOOK HAUL: AUGUST

S P O N S O R E D  :  O N E  B O O K  S E N T  B Y  P U B L I S H E R
 I N C L U D E S  A F F I L I A T E  L I N K S
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We're nearing the end of August and you know what that means? Fall is here! Kind of, at least. The temperatures here in Oslo have cooled down a bit and the leaves are about to start turning, which makes me so happy!

I got a bunch of books in August; we've got fiction, nonfiction and even some art books, so let's have a look!

( a f f i l i a t e  l i n k s  +  b o o k  m a r ke d  *  s e n t  b y  p u b l i s h e r )

The Dig by John Preston

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

På Naturens Skuldre by Anne Sverdrup-Thygesen

*Agatha Christie edited by H. R. F. Keating

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

Island Queen by Vanessa Riley

Mythology by Edith Hamilton

Caravaggio

Leonardo

Titian

I hope you're all having a good day!

#FRIDAYREADS

 

AUTUMN TBR

BOOK REVIEW: THE VAN APFEL GIRLS ARE GONE BY FELICITY MCLEAN

I N C L U D E S  A F F I L I A T E  L I N K S

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Title: The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone
Author: Felicity McLean
Published: 2019
Language: English
Pages: 304
Rating: 2/5

Summary:

In the summer of 1992, in a suburb in Australia, three sisters mysteriously disappear. Years later, one of their best friends return and is still trying to make sense of what happened back then. 

Review:

So, this started off really well, but then it took a bit of a nosedive, unfortunately. 

I really like the setting of this book; the summer and the suburb is captured really well, and I really liked getting to know this little community. I found the characters quite intriguing, both the main character whose perspective we see all of this from, and the sisters and their family. 

There is a bit of suspense in here as well, and I quite like it when you learn early in the story that something is going to happen and then you read about the buildup to it. There's something haunting about it and in the beginning of this book I was loving it.

Then it just got... kind of boring, to be honest. I felt like the further in we got, the more repetitive it got and there are some things that are revealed that are really interesting, but they're few and far between. Then we get to the ending and I just wanted more from it; it was very dissatisfying to me because nothing really happens. 

This definitely had an eeriness to it that I liked, but it doesn't quite make up for the other things in here that I felt were missing, and in the end, this was just... not a particularly exciting or memorable book for me. 

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

BOOK REVIEW: THE GOSPEL OF THE EELS BY PATRIK SVENSSON

I N C L U D E S  A F F I L I A T E  L I N K S

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Title: The Gospel of the Eels
Author: Patrik Svensson, Anne Broomé (translator)
Published: 2020
Language: English (translated from Swedish)
Pages: 241
Rating: 3/5

Summary:

This is a story of a man and his father, and one of the strangest and most enigmatic creatures on Earth, the European eel. 

Review:

I did indeed get this book because I wanted to learn more about the eel, of all things, and so I really enjoyed this book because I learned loads!

I think the riddle of the eel is fascinating; so little is known about how it lives its life and the cycles it goes through, and a lot of what we think we know, we have never ourselves observed. It was really interesting to read a bit more about it though and try to peek behind the curtain of this mysterious creature and the life it leads.

In between the chapters about the eels, there are parts where we get to read about the author and his relationship with his father and how they used to go eel fishing together. I found these parts quite touching and I really liked how they brought this book together. They're quiet parts, but feel authentic.

It is slightly dissatisfying that there are very few answers in this book though, it has much more questions than anything else, and towards the end I felt like it got maybe a wee bit too philosophical, but overall I really enjoyed it and it introduced me to a topic I knew very little about, which is always fun. 

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

#FRIDAYREADS

 

HOW MANY "MUST-READ" CLASSICS HAVE I READ?

BOOK REVIEW: THE SONG OF ACHILLES BY MADELEINE MILLER

I N C L U D E S  A F F I L I A T E  L I N K S

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Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeleine Miller 
Published: 2011
Language: English
Pages: 378
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

Set in Greece in the Age of Heroes, we meet Patroclus, an awkward young prince exiled from his home and sent to live in the court of King Peleus, the father of Achilles who is to become his life companion and eventually take him to Troy. 

Review:

If there's a word to sum up this book, it's beautiful.

Those who know me know that I'm not a huge fan of romance stories and it's rare that I love them, so I'm really surprised with how much I feel in love with this. That's not to say this is just a love story; there's drama, intrigue, history and mythology as well, but at it's base, it's about two people who love each other deeply, and I loved every minute of it.

The writing in here is what does it for me, I think. It's visceral and gorgeous, and the way it describes everything from people to landscape is just amazing. There's so much emotion in these pages, so much love and heartbreak. I loved the characters, the history, the setting and basically all of it.

This is an epic love story and it's hard to sum up in words, but it's one of the best romance novels I've read (though, admittedly, I haven't read a lot of them). 

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

HOW BOOKTUBE HAS CHANGED MY READING

BOOK REVIEW: MURDER IN THE CARIBBEAN BY ROBERT THOROGOOD

I N C L U D E S  A F F I L I A T E  L I N K S

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Title: Murder in the Caribbean
Author: Robert Thorogood
Published: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 326
Rating: 4/5

This is the fourth book in the Death in Paradise series.

Summary:

We return once again to the island of Saint-Marie where DI Richard Poole and his team are drawn into a twisty case when a boat explodes in the harbour, killing the person on board, and it becomes clear the murderer is not done. 

Review:

I do adore this series and once again, it was great to return to these characters and the island.

I've said it about the other books in this series and it's true for this one as well; these books are just so fun and entertaining. I love the main character and how ridiculous and British he is, and seeing him with his team once again was delightful. I do love the setting of these books as well; island settings are always great. 

These are light books, super enjoyable but that doesn't mean they're not exciting; I especially enjoyed the mystery in this one. I did kind of narrow it down towards the end and figured it out, but it was so fun to go along on the journey and get the reveal. 

This is the perfect cosy mystery series for summer, and I believe this might be the final book in the series, so I'll have to return to them in a few years time, just to revisit the characters (and by that point, my forgetful brain will probably have forgotten the murders anyway). 

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

#FRIDAYREADS

 

HISTORICAL FICTION: FAVES + TBR

BOOK REVIEW: MASTERPIECES IN THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM

I N C L U D E S  A F F I L I A T E  L I N K S

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Title: Masterpieces in the Van Gogh Museum
Published: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 144
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

This book contains a selection of more than 100 masterpieces from the collection at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, as well as a bit of information about the artist and the museum itself. 

Review:

I got this book a few years ago when I went to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, which is one of my favorite museums I've been to, and I figured it was time to finally sit down and read it instead of just flipping through it every once in a while.

I really getting to read a bit more about the artist and the different periods he had in his career, as well as see all of these beautiful paintings again. I like how the book spreads out the evolution of his work and how every painting in here has a bit of information about it and what we know about the thoughts and process behind it. 

It's not a super detailed book, but it works great as an introduction to Van Gogh and his work, and you get to see all of these lovely paintings which is always great. 

You can get this book at the Van Gogh Museums Webshop
You can read more about it on Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW: THE ANTHROPOCENE REVIEWED BY JOHN GREEN

I N C L U D E S  A F F I L I A T E  L I N K S

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Title: The Anthropocene Reviewed
Author: John Green
Published: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 294
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

In this collection of essays, the author muses on our current age and many of the things it's made up of.

Review:

This was great!

This is kind of a hard book to summarise and talk about, because it touches on so many different things; everything from movies, to the internet, sunsets, plague and the biggest ball of pain in the world. It's thoughtful and full of heart, and seemingly random things turn quite emotional and feel monumental when Green writes about them.

Every single essay in here feels insightful and honest, and I can't think of a single on of them that I didn't like, even if I didn't love them all. The writing is strong and gives me the sense that this author could write about anything and it would be good. I also love the humor in here, and how it simultaneously makes you both laugh and think. 

It's a book filled with hope and wonder, and makes you ponder what it is to be human these days, and it was an enjoyable, entertaining and emotional reading experience which I very much appreciated. 

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

READING THE MAIDENS

BOOK REVIEW: DA HIMMELEN FALT BY NAZISH KHAN

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Title: Da Himmelen Falt
Author: Nazish Khan
Published: 2015
Language: Norwegian
Pages: 122
Rating: 3/5

Summary:

This takes a look at forced marriage, the devastating consequences it has for individuals and families, and what might be done to fix the problem.

Review:

This is a book I've had on my shelves for ages and I'm glad I finally read it.

I haven't really read a lot of books about this particular issue, so it was interesting to take a look at it and learn a bit more about it. We get to read several different people's stories in here, both men and women who have been forced into unwanted marriages, those who have escaped and even a parent who sees the error of his ways in having one of his children marry against their will.

This gave me a lot of think about, and I felt like it gave me a look into a different culture, and how hard it can be to balance two cultures at once. I also like how this explores and explains the difference between arranged marriages and forced marriages, and the subtle ways it can turn from being arranged to being forced.

My favorite part of the book was where the author explored the importance of nuance and the need for these things to be looked at on a case to case basis. There were a few parts of the writing in here that wasn't quite on point, in particular parts of the dialogue, and I wish the book was longer; otherwise, this was informative and educational, and I learned a lot. 

You can get this book at Ark
You can read more about it on Goodreads

#FRIDAYREADS

 

HOW MANY OF THE BOOKS I GOT IN 2020 HAVE I READ?