Monday, December 3, 2018

November 2018 Wrap up


Read books: 
read: 11/ listen: 5/ pages: 2635/ hours listened: 73h57m
1. The Last Town by Blake Crouch 6h56m
2. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen p.320
3. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen p.304
4. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen p.304
5. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen p.320
6. Vanish by Tess Gerritsen p. 320
7. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 23h17m
8. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen p.352
9. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas 25h09m
10. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen p.320
11. Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen p.304
12. Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel 8h43m
13. The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen p.320
14. Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen p. 320
15. A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena 9h02m
16. Die Again by Tess Gerritsen p. 330

Movie watched:
1.  Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) *****


Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 88/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 31/40
Pages Read Challenge: 21135/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 19/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 4/50

Friday, November 2, 2018

October 2018 Wrap up


Read books: 
read: 2/ listen: 3/ pages: 762/ hours listened:38h38m
1. The Sandman by Lars Kepler p. 490
2. Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray 21h26m
3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon p.272
4. Pines by Blake Crouch 8h33
5. Wayward by Blake Crouch 8h39m

Movie watched:
1. Northanger Abbey (1987) **
2. Austenland (2013) ***
3. Poldark  (2013-) 1st season ***
4. A Star Is Born (2018) ***
5. Venom (2018) ****
6. Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) ****

Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 72/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 26/40
Pages Read Challenge: 18500/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 14/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 4/50

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

September 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 3/ listen: 0/ pages: 891/ hours listened: 0
1. Часовой ключ by Natalya Sherba p. 416
2. Часовая битва by Natalya Sherba p. 400
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling p.435

Movie watched:
Destination Wedding (2018)

Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 67/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 25/40
Pages Read Challenge: 17738/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 4/50

Monday, September 17, 2018

Fraterfest Readathon

 It is time to to celebrate love of horror, suspense, thrillers, the paranormal and more together with Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. This is going to be a fun easy readathon with very little requirements to participate. See rules below.

 Official Rules 

  •     Linkup
  •     Spread the Word Grab the button and/or use social media to share the signup post
  •     Read or Listen Between Midnight October 11th and ending at 11:59 pm October 16th read or listen to thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, horror, supernatural, witchy, ghostly, fantasy, or serial killer novels and novellas. (to clarify..these can be cozies and include romance. No need to sleep with the lights on if you don’t fancy a good scare!)
  •    Share your progress on Twitter or Instagram using #FraterfestRAT
  •    Participate in at least one challenge.
  •    Create a shelf on Goodreads  (or blog post) marked FraterfestRAT to share your progress
  •    Win, Have Fun, Discuss Books and Make New Friends

Monday, September 3, 2018

August 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 6/ listen: 0/ pages: 2517/ hours listened: 0
1. Часовой ключ by Natalya Sherba p. 365
2. Часовое сердце by Natalya Sherba p. 395
3. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery p.512
4. Часовая башня by Natalya Sherba p. 383
5. Часовое имя by Natalya Sherba p. 383
6. Убежище by Kir Bulychev p.479


Movie watched:
none

Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 64/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 24/40
Pages Read Challenge: 16847/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 4/50

Thursday, August 2, 2018

July 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 7/ listen: 0/ pages: 1786/ hours listened: 0
1. The Final Diagnosis by Arthur Hailey p. 164
2. Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey p. 265

3. The Evening News by Arthur Hailey p.543
4. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus p. 360 - my review
5. Murder on the Thirty-first Floor by Per Wahlöö p. 141
6. Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö p.152
7. The Abominable Man by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö p. 161

Movie watched:
none

Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 58/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 22/40
Pages Read Challenge: 14330/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 3/50

Monday, July 2, 2018

June 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 3/ listen: 0/ pages: 437/ hours listened: 0
1. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story by George Orwell p. 95 - my review
2. Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell p.172
3. Ottoline Goes to School by Chris Riddell p. 170

Movie watched:
1. The Circle (2017) **
2. Into the Woods (2014) **
3. Annihilation (2018) **
4. A Cure for Wellness (2016) **
5. The Zookeeper's Wife (2017) ***
6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) ***
7. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) ***
8. You Again (2010) ***
9. Peaceful Warrior (2006) ***
10. Years a Slave (2013) ***
11. Mr. Mercedes (2017-) 1st season ****
12. Persuasion (2007) ****
13. Why Him? (2016) ****
14. Persuasion (1995) *****


Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 51/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 20/40
Pages Read Challenge: 12544/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 3/50

Monday, June 11, 2018

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Author: George Orwell
Original title: Animal Farm
Pages: 95
Edition Language: English
Series: no
Format: Paperback
Genres: Classics
Goodreads

Blurb:    
    Mr. Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organized to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges...
My thoughts: 
      This book sounds like a children's tale: all of his animals on the Manor Farm meet in the big barn at the request of old Major, an old pig. Major delivers a political speech about the evils inflicted upon them by their human keepers and their need to rebel against the tyranny of humans. Shortly after, when Jones forgets to feed the animals, the revolution occurs, and Jones and his men are chased off the farm. Manor Farm is renamed Animal Farm, and the Seven Commandments of Animalism are painted on the barn wall
     But this is not a children's tale at all. That's some very heavy stuff. The book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. It felt as I was reading the history of the USSR in a nutshell and this experience is terrifying. I read a chapter every second or third day as the writing was dense; and with every event in the book I had a lot of other information occurring in the head making connection to reality out of Orwell's metaphors.
     George Orwell created the brilliant analogy to the October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the development and establishment of the USSR and his ability to keep it short is purely amazing. My only regret was that he did not write the rest of the history of "Aminal Farm" and how it ended. I liked that the book was written in the politically neutral voice without painting black and white, which made this book unique as, though the idea is based on Russian history, I could not help but thinking that the scenario of Aminal Farm is applicable to any revolution. It is actually terrifying how universally applicable it is. History is repeating itself, people are driven by money, profit and power; and Aminal Farm is revealing the history of humankind on this planet. 
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
    In conclusion, Animal Farm is a novel that completely shook and terrified me and one of the few books that I think everyone should read at some point in their lives.
Rating: 
        5/5 
 

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

May 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 3/ listen: 2/ pages: 967/ hours listened: 28h31m
1. The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib p. 240
2. The Unbound by Victoria Schwab p. 416
3. Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray 21h25m
4. The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian p. 311
5. Looking for Alaska by John Green 7h6


Movie watched:
1. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
2. Ready Player One (2018)
3. Hidden Figures (2016)
4. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)


Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 48/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 19/40
Pages Read Challenge: 12107/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 11/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 18/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 2/50

Sunday, June 3, 2018

June 2018 TBR

    My May TBR did not work out completely as I pictured it, but still I am optimistic and will continue with publishing TBRs. Even if I will read two books out of the whole list it still be a success.
    This month I want to concentrate on books which will help me to cover as many PopSugar Reading Challenge prompts as possible.

    So...
1. Number 4. A book involving a heist - Headhunters by Jo Nesbø
2. Number 5. Nordic noir - Blood on Snow by Jo Nesbø  
3. Number 11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym - The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
4. Number 12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
5. Number 13. A book that is also a stage play or musical - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
6. Number 21. A book with your favorite color in the title - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
7. Number 28. A book with song lyrics in the title - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (Tim Burton's Corpse Bride main song - Remains of the Day)

Of course I will not be able read all those books, but I can at least start some and see maybe I will find my new favorite.



Sunday, May 20, 2018

Sunday Post #35, Hockey is over

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things received, and share news about what is coming up on the blog for the week ahead. To get in on the Sunday fun, see the rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

Outside the Blog
      This week was all about hockey. It seems I watched all the important matches and there were quite a lot of surprises. But the level of the competitions still very high and Switzerland, who not many believed in, are playing in the final with last year champion Sweden and let me say what game it is!
   Bookwise it was not so great, I did not finish a single book and DNFed A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. I did not like the book from the beginning, but was trying to get into the plot, but the book has most of my triggers altogether, and thought with enough devotion I might have finished the book, but I did not enjoy it. Why to do it to yourself, even if the book is a Booker winner. 

 Last on the Blog
Next on the Blog
  • I will publish WWW Wednesday and Library Loot
  • Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
  • Vicious by V.E. Schwab
  • Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
  • The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier
  Newcomers on my Shelf
 I got Looking for Alaska by John Green. This is my first book by this author. I will see if I will get his other books.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Dr. March's Four Sons by Brigitte Aubert

Author: Brigitte Aubert
Original title: Les Quatre Fils du Dr. March
Pages: 240
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: e-book
Genres: Crime
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   "Les 4 Fils du Dr. March" involves an assassin who kills women for the sport of it. The murderer is one of 4 sons, and he writes his diary in the 3rd person so that anyone who might read it won't know which one of the sons is the murderer. Jeanie, the maid happens to find the diary one day and begins to read it. She also starts to write diary entries of her own, and trying to find out which of the four sons is the murderer.
My thoughts: 
     The entire mystery consists of alternating journal entries from the assassin, who learns Jeanie is reading his journal, and Jeanie. I am not certain about my feelings about this book. I was recommended this book as a great mystery/thriller, but I was not mystified or thrilled. Though, to be honest, I did not guess the killer and the mystery was there, I could not feel the atmosphere of the book. 
     Jeanie is the unsympathetic unreliable narrator who drinks a lot and has a previous conviction. All four brothers seem quite nice and respectable. So it is difficult to sympathize Jeanie and root for her in her investigation. The murder descriptions are gruesome, but seems a bit forced, so altogether I was not impressed by the book, though the ending was ok.
Rating:  
         2/5 

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

Author: Jack Thorne
Original title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two
Pages: 337
Edition Language: English
Series: Harry Potter #8
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fantasy, YA
Goodreads

Blurb:    
   Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.   
         While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
  

My thoughts: 
   I have heard only bad stuff about the book. Maybe it was because I had no expectations about this going in but I really loved this. The first thing is that this is a play, not a novel and therefore I don't believe it should be judged as a book. And if you are lacking experience in reading those, the book can be really dull and  pointless. I am not the biggest play lover, but I can imagine a lot of stuff in the absence of long descriptions and explanations. So the text was not dry and plain for me, I had a nice coming of age story in front of me with childhood favorites. Reading this script made me so badly want to see the play live.  
     I enjoyed the story, the new and old characters, the echoes of the past and just everything about this story.  I completely respect that people disliked this, the story is lacking a lot; it is not so much of the canonical Harry Potter and not overwhelming, so I can easily imagine how a Harry Potter fan be disappointed with the book.
Rating:
        4/5 

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

WWW Wednesday and Library Loot, May 16nd

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. A similar meme, This Week in Books is hosted by Lipsyy Lost and Found.
Description: WWW Wednesday is a weekly event where you share answers Below questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
  
I am currently reading 3 books:

1. I have almost finished The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian
2. I have just started A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
3. I am half way through Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 

I have finished:
1. Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
2. The Unbound by Victoria Schwab
3. The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib 

I am planning to start with the following books:
1. Saturnin by Zdeněk Jirotka
2. Animal Farm by George Orwell
3. Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Hosted by: The Captive Reader and Silly Little Mischief
Description: Library Loot is a weekly event that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

I got 1 books from the library this week, which I have already finished:

1. The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel

Author: Sylvain Neuvel  
Original title: Waking Gods
Edition Language: English  
Series: Themis Files #2  
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction  
Format: Audio book  
Read by: Andy Secombe, Adna Sablyich, Laurel Lefkow, William Hope, Charlie Anson, Christopher Ragland
Duration: 9h08m
Goodreads 

 Blurb:     
    Why was a titanic robot of unknown origin buried in pieces around the world? Years of investigation have produced intriguing answers—and even more perplexing questions. But the truth is closer than ever before when a second robot, more massive than the first, materializes and lashes out with deadly force.
        Now humankind faces a nightmare invasion scenario made real, as more colossal machines touch down across the globe. But Rose and her team at the Earth Defense Corps refuse to surrender. They can turn the tide if they can unlock the last secrets of an advanced alien technology. The greatest weapon humanity wields is knowledge in a do-or-die battle to inherit the Earth . . . and maybe even the stars.


    My thoughts:
    I am greatly confused and enchanted by this book. I still did not get how the book ended and how the crisis was resolved, but I loved the story development and characters.
It was a great turn in the plot when aliens invaded and from this point the story developed so rapidly, that I could not stop listening. It was a lot of difficult scenes that I was fighting my tears, but altogether the story was a great read. I was a bit puzzled by the ending, how the invasion was stopped. And though it was explained, I still did not get it. Maybe it will be discussed in the final book.
    My only complaint was the voice of the young girl, it was so irritating and piercing that I clenched my teeth every time she spoke. I heard some reviews where readers complain about the accents, which is ok with me, since many of them were not correct, thus none should be offended, but the girl was just utterly irritating and was really close to ruining the listening experience.
Rating:  
       4,5/5    

Monday, May 14, 2018

April 2018 Wrap up

Read books: 
read: 5/ listen: 3/ pages: 1445/ hours listened: 27h33m
1. Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel 8h28m - my review
2. The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths, Terry Denton (Illustrator) p.255
3. Vicious by V.E. Schwab 9h57m - my review
4. Dr. March'es Four Sons by Brigitte Aubert p.240 - my review
5. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell p. 544 - my review
6. The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier p.327 - my review
7. Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel 9h8m - my review
8. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn p. 79

Movie watched:
1. Shetland (2017-)


Challenges overview:
Goodreads Reading Challenge: 43/52
2017 PopSugar Reading Challenge 18/40
Pages Read Challenge: 11140/12000
Audiobook Challenge: 9/15
Russian Literature: 2/30
World of Literature: 16/50
Booker Prize Project: 7
Classics Club: 2/50

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Sunday Post #34, Summer at the Door

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things received, and share news about what is coming up on the blog for the week ahead. To get in on the Sunday fun, see the rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

Outside the Blog
      It is 3 weeks without rain. They promise it almost every day and  change the forecast. I would not complain if it was July or August but in May it is so strange. Everything blossomed at once. Usually it goes in stages one type of the tree in time. But this spring all blossomed at once, and though I must say it is a beautiful sight, the spring was quite a short one. 
 Last on the Blog
Next on the Blog
  • I will publish April 2018 Wrap up
  • I will publish WWW Wednesday and Library Loot
  • I will review Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
  • I will review Dr. March's Four Sons by Brigitte Aubert
  • I will review Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
Read and Watched
     I have finished 3 books this two weeks and watched two movies in the cinema about which I am quite happy.
 
Newcomers on my Shelf
I got 2 books from the library this week:
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine  by Gail Honeyman for Books and Jams Readalong book club and an audio book  The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro for my Booker Project, as I did not read Booker books since February.

Monday, May 7, 2018

May 2018 TBR

 It seems I urgently need TBR to sort my debts out. First of all, my aim is to finish all the books I have started. Secondly, read the books I obtained for book clubs and did not manage to read in time. So this is going to be a big list, so I announce May to be a month of covered debts. I hope at least this will motivate me enough to finish the books.

So my list for this month is

The books to be finished: 

1. The Last Quarter of the Moon by Chi Zijian
2. The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib
3. Naïve. Super by Erlend Loe

The books for book clubs and my projects:
1. In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
2. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
3. Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat
4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
5. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

Author: Sylvain Neuvel  
Original title: Sleeping Giants  
Edition Language: English  
Series: Themis Files #1  
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction  
Format: Audio book  
Read by: Andy Secombe, Christopher Ragland, Charlie Anson, Laurel Lefkow, Eric Meyers, Liza Ross  
Duration: 11h08m
Goodreads

 Blurb:     
     A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand.    Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved—its origins, architects, and purpose unknown. Its carbon dating defies belief; military reports are redacted; theories are floated, then rejected.  

    My thoughts:
     I loved the book. And I loved the audio book! I believe this is the case when the audio format can be better than the printed version. There might be questions to the correct representations of the accents, but I am not so picky on this part. at the beginning I felt some difficulties to get into the story, but then I just fell for it. My favorite character is “our unnamed friend”. I just do not know, but there is something about this guy I like. He is cruel, pragmatic and intimidating, but at the same time he cares. He is the better version of fanatic, we can imagine in comparison with the psychopath fanatics as Papantonio.
     As for the story I liked the structure of the book and plot development. Since the book is in file format it might have become dry science fiction story, but it is a nice balance between science, psychology, action scenes and human interaction. The story develops so slowly that you can easily say this is not a story about aliens, but story about how people slowly come to the understanding that they are not alone in the universe and how the need to reevaluate their perception of the world.
Rating:  
       4,5/5 

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

WWW Wednesday and Library Loot, May 2nd

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. A similar meme, This Week in Books is hosted by Lipsyy Lost and Found.
Description: WWW Wednesday is a weekly event where you share answers Below questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
  
I am currently reading 3 books:

1. I am half way through Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
2. I have just started The Unbound by Victoria Schwab
3. I have started The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib  

I have finished:
I have not finished a book this week.

I am planning to start with the following books:
1. Saturnin by Zdeněk Jirotka
2. Animal Farm by George Orwell
3. Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Hosted by: The Captive Reader and Silly Little Mischief
Description: Library Loot is a weekly event that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

I got 1 books from the library this week, which I am already reading:

1. The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell

Author: Jen Campbell
Original title: More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
Pages: 121  
Edition Language: Czech
Series: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops #2  
Format: Hardcover  
Genres: Humor  
Goodreads  

Blurb:    
More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops has yet more tales from the antiquarian bookshop where Jen Campbell works, and includes a selection of ‘Weird Things...’ sent in from other booksellers across the world. The book is illustrated by the BAFTA winning Brothers McLeod.     

My thoughts:     
    Maybe this was a bad time to read it, maybe I was not in the mood, but I did not like the book. It is so short that you expect to work it right away, and at the time I finished it I was not even warmed up. The book itself is nicely done and the topic - funny stories from the bookstores - what a book lover can wish for, but it felt like anecdote brochure you read in metro just to not fall asleep. So unfortunately the book left me empty, but I can see those funny situations in my head, I was just not amused at that particular period of time I read the book.
Rating: 
    2,5/5 

Monday, April 30, 2018

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Author: Jenny Lawson  
Original title: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things Edition Language: English  
Series: no  
Genres: Memoir  
Format: Audio book
Read by: Jenny Lawson  
Duration: 8h20m  
Goodreads  

Blurb:  
 FURIOUSLY HAPPY  is a book about mental illness, but under the surface it's about embracing joy in fantastic and outrageous ways-and who doesn't need a bit more of that?  

My thoughts:
      It is a good book to read and a great one to listen. Jenny tells about her life and how she is experiencing it.  She also tells about her illness and how she came to turns with it. The book is full of stories about her struggle with the illness: sometimes funny and sometimes depressing. I must say this is the first time I encounter such an honest view on yourself and your instability. At the same time, this is the first time the illnesses like depression were explained in an easy and understandable way, so a person,who is not familiar with it, did not mistake depression for mood swings.  
    I admire the author for courage, because it is not so easy to talk about such personal things. No one can imagine how difficult it can be to be to fight with yourself for “normal” life. And though Jenny describes some scenes, say when she fell and her body was numb, with a lot of humor, I can imagine how helpless she might have felt and how much frustration that added in everyday family life.  Anyway the book is very educating and positive about not so positive things and I believe I will re-read it quite soon.
Rating:  
    4,5/5 

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Sunday Post #33, It Is Sad Without Rain

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things received, and share news about what is coming up on the blog for the week ahead. To get in on the Sunday fun, see the rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

Outside the Blog
It is already the second week we have sunshine. And again I am complaining. It is so hot and dry that I have headaches almost every day. You need to drink a lot, but during the winter I got used to drink only hot beverages and the change to summer was so rapid that I cannot make myself to switch to water. Besides for two hot weeks we have only one rain and it it really sad without it. I like the smell of dust, when the first drops hit the ground, and the smell of fresh, you can actually feel how the leaves and grass drink the water and breath the clean air back.  Additionally, it is no fun to read in the sun, I need some coziness and in the sun I feel like melted cheese.

 Last on the Blog
Next on the Blog
  • I will review Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
  • I will publish WWW Wednesday and Library Loot
  • I will review More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
  • I will review Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
Read and Watched
     I have finished Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel and novella The Grownup Gillian Flynn, which I did not particularly enjoyed. It was classic Gillian Flynn's writing and plot development, but I was never a big fan, so I am not going to review it.
    This week I watched such a great match between FC Liverpool and Roma, in which Liverpool almost secure its place in the Finals and then blew it away! But the match is still something to remember.

Newcomers on my Shelf
I got 2 books from the library this week:
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King and Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, which I have already DNFed and by which I am extremely disappointed. I actually am going to write a review on a DNFed book.

Saturday, April 28, 2018

The School for Good and Evil/ A World Without Princes by Soman Chainani

Original title: The School for Good and Evil Pages: 544  
Edition Language: Russian
Series: The School for Good and Evil #1 Format: e-book 
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Goodreads

Original title: A World Without Princes  Pages: 576  
Edition Language: Russian  
Series: The School for Good and Evil #2 Format: e-book 
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy   

Goodreads

  Blurb:   
      Best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.
   After saving themselves and their fellow students from a life pitched against one another, Sophie and Agatha are back home again, living happily ever after. But life isn't exactly a fairytale.

    My thoughts: 
    I was eyeing the first book for a long time: I liked the name, cover and concept. The only issue was the book was for children, so when Middle March happened, I had a valid excuse to read the book. I enjoyed it and thought it was quite a funny, entertaining twist in fairy land. I feel that not all ends meet in the story, but overall it was a good journey.
     My only complain is about body shaming concept. As all canon witches are ugly, Sophie started to become ugly when she was close to become a witch. I would rather read about the witch which is still beautiful and shiny but with the dark soul, to make the message - there can be evil under a nice cover and pure gold behind the ordinary outer - more powerful and noticeable.
     In the book the main topic is friendship that can withstand all temptation and difficulties. It is obvious that true friendship is not an easy thing, but a relationship which demands mutual concessions and even sacrifices.  
     The sequel book is about the world where girls do not wait for princes to save the, but take live in their own hands. Agata is some kind of symbol of female independence, and now girls can take care of themselves. Which is kind of cool, but in reality the idea is twisted so badly, that this lead to the war between both sexes as princes are now out of work and since they are not needed they going to fight girls.
      This book seems like a parody of the world, where extreme feminist ideas prevail and males are thrown over boat of society. It was a funny metaphor, but I did not liked the book itself. It is meant to be a nice story about female friendship and started to be strangely complicated without purpose and it lost its appeal to me. I actually struggled to the end of the book and decided not to continue with the series. It might have been better if the first book was a stand alone novel.
Rating: 
    2,5/5