Duologies I've Read

I've noticed somewhat of a pattern and well it turns out, I really like duologies!

You get more than just a story of one book (without being terrified of it being a loooong book),
you can binge it fast and you don't need to wait years and years to complete it!

So I have compiled all the duologies I've read, and what I rated them:


In the order I read them:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 4
Holes 4
Alice in Wonderland 4

Mind Games 3.5

If I Stay 4

Reboot 2
Imposter 4
Assassins Curse 5

The Book of Ivy 5 & 4.5

Anomaly 3.5 & 1

Wrath and the Dawn 4.5

Flame in the Mist 4.5 & 3.75
Spindle Fire 2.5 & 3.5
Daughter of the Pirate King 4.5

I'm surprised by how many I've read! There are definite top ones, and well not so great ones.

Read on lovelies,

S

If You Liked This - You'll Like...

Quite self explanatory, but I'dd be recommending books based on whether you liked a more popular one.

Wrath and the Dawn - Book of Ivy

Hyperbole and a Half - Sarah's Scribbles

Stalking Jack the Ripper - Naturals (mostly the later ones)

To Kill a Kingdom - Alice in Zombieland

Kiss of Deception - Ember in the Ashes - Renegades

Thing Explainer - Stuff Matters - Idiot Brain - What If?

Two that I'd just overall recommend, not related:

Cinder and Ella - My Lady Jane

Read on lovelies,

S

Valentine’s Book Tag

QUESTIONS

1. What book have you been given as a gift that you loved?

Tons! My copy of Andersen fairy tales for example

2. What book would you like to give as a gift to someone else?

My Lady Jane is the first that comes to mind

3. If you could gift a random person any bookish item, what would it be?

A kindle maybe

4. If you could gift a random person any non-bookish item, what would it be?

A notebook - you can get so creative and everyone will go about it so differently

5. What do you say when a person gives you a gift you don’t like?

Smile and thank them, there's always something good about everything

6. Mention a book based around Valentine’s Day.

The last romance book I read was probably The Kiss Quotient, which doesn't involve Valentine's day...

7. Mention any two tips for blogging as a gift to other bloggers and to those who may want to start a blog.

Whatever makes you happy will make someone else happy, and that's the person you want to connect with.

Read on lovelies,

S

Why I Post & Read

This is a slightly odd one, but I get asked why read and post.

I've said it before, but I started writing to express my feelings and clear out my thoughts on books.
Another reason is to keep myself accountable and organized in the challenges I try.

Overall I read to learn and just for enjoyment. The thing is though, I recommend expanding what you read, even though you're content in what you're reading.

So yes, I read books in Finnish and English and I've reviewed books in English that are only out in Finnish for that reason. Trying to expand what I read and maybe inspire you to do so as well.

Read on lovelies,

S

Fictional Characters Should Read These Books

I think these different fictional characters should read these books and genres:

Harry Potter:

Adventure & action

Weirdly I'd actually recommend the Harry Potter books. Especially to the Harry before he gets to know he's a wizard. The books can teleport you to a whole different world that will inspire.

Ron:

Attention gripping that'll take his mind away from his family.

I'd say a low fantasy with a crime/mystery aspect.

Maybe Percy Jackson?

Hermione:

Something nerdy that she can learn more from.

So definitely non-fiction, and maybe science related since how muggles think is interesting.

Soonish could be a good one for futuristic inventions, or not.

Ginny:

Contemporary romance with a strong female lead.

Or actually The Lunar Chronicles could be great!

Luna:

Something quirky maybe even a sci-fi.

Furthermore could be the one to go with.

Draco:

Mystery, thriller - immersive, fast paced and something the reader can try to solve.

I could see Locke & Key working out.

Read on lovelies,

S

The Perfect Genre

Is there a perfect genre for you?

I always go towards the same types of books, but there are factors that make all genres interesting.

We all know what we like - or not - but there are things that uniquely draw us into a book so I thought I'd analyze that a bit. What genre is perfect for each reader, and what genres are for you if you like another one.

We'll see how far I can even take this but let's start with things I crave for in a book:

Action, romance and a bit of mystery or fantasy.

I need it to be fast paced and hold my attention and I want the characters to grow.

>So I usually gravitate towards low fantasy with an action plot.

Non-fiction:

This is the first question you want to ask yourself when trying to find a new book to read: "do I want it to be a story or not". If not then do you want it to be a pondering book, the story of someones life or perhaps an explanation to a scientific wonder. The point is that with non-fiction, it's all real (maybe).

I tend to not read non-fiction because I can find it boring. When I read I want to immerse myself into something completely different. So when I do read non-fiction I usually go with a science-y book laced with humor like The Idiot Brain or What If?

Science fiction:

You don't need to be a huge fan of science, but you need to like learning about new things and inventions.

Batman by Mari Lu is a great introduction to this if you like action and want to veer from fantasy to sci-fi.

"Low" fantasy:

This is the fantasy that I tend to read. It brings a whole new world to you that you get to experience, usually right along the man character. That sort of "wait you're saying I'm not human?" is seen in countless books like Harry Potter and The Mortal Instruments and it works well, though I'd like to see a different approach to this.

"High" fantasy:

They can seem intimidating since most series are so long, but the thing is the worlds are incredibly complex and you first need to learn about the world. Literally anything can happen in them, I know I couldn't come up with them.

"Pure" romance:

By this I mean it's not fantasy or sci-fi but the story involves only the romance. The types I read are "fluffy" contemporary romances with a cute and quick read which often flies by and doesn't need too much thought. Anna and the French Kiss and any of Kasie West's books are great ones like that.

If on the other hand you want some more emotions and maybe even a good cry try If I Stay or maybe 

a John Green book.

Mystery/crime:

Maybe you have a short attention span or you like trying to solve a mystery this is the genre for you. You can find books from side to side depending on what type you're looking for. There are psychological thrillers for a creepier factor, mystery books revolving around romance and the always great Agatha Christie mysteries.

Classics:

What counts as a "classic" is a whole other story, but there's something that appeals to me about classics. There's a reason why they are classics and they've fought against time. The writings are timeless and people back then - well they were people too.

Read on lovelies,

S

Making the Monster : review

Kathryn Harkup

Making the Monster: the Science Behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

*ARC kindly provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!*

Publication: February 6th 2018

 SUMMARY
Based on the tale of Frankenstein, and on Victor finding the thing that makes a difference between life and death. True stories that might've inspired Mary Shelley and a take into her life, from the same author as A is for Arsenic.

Goodreads' link to the book!
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Stars: ✦✦✦✦.5

So as usual, I'll tell 4.5 things I liked about the book and 0.5 thing I didn't like.

Like Harkups last novel A is for Arsenic based on Agatha Christie and the poisons she used (link to my review), this book was filled with science.

This book went through lots of aspects including science at that time and to my great interest: things that might've inspired her.

The thing is though, Frankenstein has such a rich history because though it's science fiction, it has some bits that have been regarded as almost fact.

I learned a great deal from this book, and not all of it things I though I might learn, so to say it surprised me is an understatement. Do note that it isn't exactly a bedtime story.

So what did I think?

+1 | The science. This book was stuffed to the brim with information, just like I hoped!

+1 | The book delved into inspiration: real experiments and interesting facts - also from the future since the publication of Frankenstein, which I though brought a great perspective.

+1 | Not only did it explain experiments and science, Harkup also discussed places and people, again also from later times.

+1 | Mary Shelley's life, family history and connections were presented with fascinating facts told.

+/-0.5 | The writing was gripping, but the pace, since it is scientific, won't be to everyone's liking.


All in all, I can only imagine the work that has been put into this book and I think it is vital to fans of frankenstein or to those whom are just fascinated by science.

Captivating read about science and inspiration, Harkup excelled in portraying the feelings and setting of Frankenstein. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am keenly waiting for what is yet to come!

Read on lovelies,

S 

Summer is Over

[Book Tag]



School started this week for me, which means my reading rythm will change. Also usually I tend to gravitate towards more contemporary books in the summer season which might change now that we are moving towards fall.
So I decided to do this tag that I came across for the end of the summer season.



1-How many books did you read this summer?
Unfortunately I haven't been reading that much this summer, or well the whole year, so my total for May-August is 6+2+7+3

2-If you took a trip, did you take books along with you and what are they?
The only trips I made (longer than a day) were to the family summer house by the lake and there I read:  I See London I See France, This is How it Happened, Changes in Latitudes, Flame in the Mist & Dream On. - So lots of contemporary and a couple fantasy ones.

3-Did you read any series/trilogies over the summer?
I made it into a goal to finish as many series as I could and so I'll list the ones I finished:
All Fall Down, Naturals, Silver, Anomaly
(So what's left of those on my shelves is Snow Like Ashes and the Kiss of Deception)

4-Did you read any books set during the summertime?
Yes pleanty, like I said I like to read contemporary and romance books during the summer season and lots of those fittingly have a summery setting to them.

5-What book(s) did you want to read but didn't have time for?
The ones I mentioned for series I want to finish in Q3 and also some others:
The Idiot Brain, the Season of You & Me and I was also wishing on reading more classics.

6-Did you accomplish any book related goals?
I finished some from the yearly challenge list (link)
Also my goal of keeping my TBR small and not buying that many more - which I think I succeeded in, and even had an unhaul (link)
As for reading a classic per month - that didn't go well.

7-What was your favorite place to get comfy and read?
My bed. Haven't really been reading anywhere else lately...

8-What particular genre did you read most?
July was the only month in which I read something other than contemporary the most (it being 14% contemporary and 29% of crime and 29% of fantasy).
But overall definitely contemporary

9-What was your absolute favorite thing to read all summer?
Surprisingly I have an asnwer for this - My Lady Jane. It was one of the few 5 star reads and I was just so positively suprised by it

10-Are you happy or sad summer is coming to its end?
Bit of both. I started at a new school which I was so looking forward to, but at the same time who wouldn't miss having a vacation?

Read on lovelies,

S

Books I Want as Movies

Also I was thinking of ones I think would work as movies


ACTION & ADVENTURE
Cinder
Assassins Curse
The Wrath and the Dawn

Gallagher Girls

RETELLINGS & ROMANCE
Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Geekerella
Cinder and Ella
Anna and the French Kiss

NON-FICTION
We Should Hang Out Sometime (I don't know how it'd be made but I'd love to see it)

Read on lovelies,

S

Recommendations of the year

2017 first half

(From ones I've read this year)

    Heartache
       Boy in the Striped Pajamas
     
    Funny
       My Lady Jane

    Romance
       PS I Like You

    Fairytale Retelling
       Geekerella
       Heartless
   
    Non-Fiction
        A is for Arsenic
        Girl Code

SEQUELS
     Torch Against the Night
     The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy

Read on lovelies,

S

Kasie West : review

Author favourites

Goodreads' link to the author
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Kasie West is one of my auto-buy authors (anything she publishes I want to read with no need to read whatever it's about).
      Though this only applies to her fluffy contemporary reads since I have yet to pick up The Pivot Point duology.

(And in the order in which I have read them, and a list of future books):

          Name:            Publ.:      Stars:

• On the Fence, (2014)   -   4
• The Fill-In Boyfriend, (2015)   -   4
• Distance Between Us, (2013)   -   4
• P.S. I Like You, (2016)   -   4.5
• By Your Side, (2017)   -   3

•     Lucky in Love, (2017)
•     The Sun, The Moon, and the Truth
•     Love, Life and the List
•     Listen to Your Heart

I recently read P.S. I Like You, and having loved that I greedily jumped into By Your Side, which I was sadly disappointed by. The idea and setting seemed perfect, but ultimately was lacking in my opinion.

If you are new to Kasie West I'd say my favourite is P.S. I Like You, but I'd like to suggest you start from the start of her publishing rather than going backwords. 

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Overall stars: ✦✦✦✦✧

      Fluffy, Entertaining, likeable Characters, gripping Writing Style,
      but I can't really say that it's the most thought 
      provoking thing - and that is a good thing in certain moods.

Read on lovelies,

S

Buying Classics

editions guide

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I have made a decision to only buy a classic after I've read them and if I enjoyed it (see myself reading it again). I have made ecxeptions with volumes and collections!
*For me classics are easily found from the library to read and access quickly.*
So when I do I tend to want a nice copy of it, whereas before I would buy cheap copies before I read it.
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So here are my takes on different editions of classic book and why I gravitate towards some.

>> I'll only be writing about the editions I own & ones I really like (blue) <<

1. Affordable
Collins Classics
   - my favourites because they look really nice with multiple next to each other
Wordsworth Editions
   - the blue ones aren't really to my liking, but they also have other editions like my The Little Prince
Dover Thrift Editions
   - the cheapest and they also have poem collections and other smaller volumes
Tor Classics

   - A basic mass market paperback
Signet Classics (Penguin)
Barnes & Noble paperbacks
Oxford World Classics


2. Paperbacks & 3. Special paperbacks
Penguin Classics
   - they have a good variety of everything and I have a post about some link
Word Cloud Classics
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Deluxe edition

2. (L to R) Penguin play, Classic Penguin Books, Penguin Book Editions & Pocket Penguins

2. (L to R) Penguin play, Classic Penguin Books,
Penguin Book Editions & Pocket Penguins

()

4. Hardbacks & volumes
Sterling Classics
Fall River
   - Illustrated collections that aren't too expensive. They are very beautiful but the size can be an issue when reading it (like the Shakespeare collection) but my other copies don't have that problem.
   - (Same hight as the Barnes & Noble leather bound books)
Bounty Books
   - Illustrated collections and novel volumes. I love how they go well together, but the thing I love is that the size is not uncomfortable to hold and to read, and the text size is not compromized when doing so

4.1 Fall River classics

4.2 Bounty Books

5. Special
Penguin cloth bound
   - They are more expensive and I don't hink I'll be buying more of them but they are really pretty
Barnes & Noble leatherbound
   - These are also more expensive but they have such gorgeous illustrations and the edges are metallic
Penguin Drop Caps

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On the spines of my volumes the small yellow stars mark novels that are unread and the bigger red stars mean that the volume has unread short stories/poems (the number of them isn't of significance).
The post-its on the top of the books mark unread novels or short stories (and every 50 pages of poems). When I've read one I take the post-it out or if I really liked it I move it to the long side of the book.
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6. Misc./occasional
(I might fall in love with a certain cover and buy it even though it won't match others)
RandomHouseTeen
   - The Boy in the Striped Pajama the 10th anniversary edition
Simon & Schuster

Bloomsbury

   - The Princess Bride the 25th anniversary edition (I always get questions when I feature it in a picture!)

   Penguin Perigee
   - It is quite narrow but tall
   Penguin Puffin Books
   - I really like these, the size is quite small with deckled edges
   - (Same hight as the Collins Classics)
Teos
Tammi

6.3 Teos & Tammi

Read on lovelies,

S

Book Cake, TAG

THE INGREDIENTS

Flour – A book that was slow in the beginning, but then really picked up.

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar. It reads like a non-fiction but once you get into it you start liking it

Butter or Margarine – A book that has a really good rich plot.

Harry Potter Going back and reading them always somehow brings more depth and things you didn't notice at first

Eggs – A book you thought you weren’t going to like but ended up loving.

I didn't exactly end up loving them, but I was really pleasantly suprised when I read The Infernal Devices especially because I didn't like the Mortal Instruments as everyone else it seemed

Sugar – A super sweet book.

Stephanie Perkins & Kasie West are two authors whose books I reach when in need of a fluffy book

Icing – A book that covers everything you enjoy in a book (sad, funny, action,…etc.)

Alice in Zombieland has the sadness, funniness, action and fairytaleness that I love

Sprinkles – A book that you can turn to to make you feel better.

Roald Dahl and Dr Seuss books always makes me feel better, even after all my rereads, since they take me back to my childhood

Cherry on Top – The best book you’ve read so far this year.

I've only read a couple of books so far this year, but I'll go with Cinder and Ella

Read on lovelies,

Sally

Recommendations

If you liked this, you'll like this

I made a list of popular books in different genres and made a match that I think you'd like if you liked the other.
Or if you like certain genres this could be helpful.

>><><><<
ACTION:  Wrath and the Dawn - The Book of Ivy
     Kiss of Deception - Assassins Curse

     Darkest Minds - Graceling

     Ruby Red & Gallagher Academy authors' other series: All Fall Down - Dream a Little Dream

SCI-FI:  Across the Universe - Mind Games
FAIRYTALE RETELLING:  Cinder - Alice in Zombieland

FLUFFY ROMANCE:  Anna and the French Kiss - Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

MYSTERY: Sherlock Holmes - Agatha Christie (And Then There Were None, The Orient Express)

SURVIVAL: Soul Surfer - The Raft

HUMOUR: We Should Hang Out Sometime - Hyperbole and a Half

SCIENCE: What If? - Stuff Matters

WHIMSICAL: Alice in Wonderland - Furthermore

    Howl's Moving Castle - Pennyroyal Academy

Read on lovelies,

Sally

A is For Arsenic: Agatha Christie review

Agatha Christie & a Review

Here are some recommendations for reading Christie's works

& a review for A is For Arsenic, by Kathryn Harkup

link to the Goodreads page here

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*Book kindly provided by the publisher Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review!*

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Fourteen novels. Fourteen poisons. Just because it's fiction doesn't mean it's all made-up . . .

"Agatha Christie used poison to kill her characters more often than any other crime fiction writer. The poison was a central part of the novel, and her choice of deadly substances was far from random... Christie demonstrated her extensive chemical knowledge (much of it gleaned by working in a pharmacy during both world wars)...

Written by former research chemist Kathryn Harkup, each chapter takes a different novel and investigates the poison used by the murderer. Fact- and fun-packed, A is for Arsenic looks at why certain chemicals kill, how they interact with the body, and the feasibility of obtaining, administering, and detecting these poisons, both when Christie was writing and today."

A is for Arsenic is a celebration of the use of science by the undisputed Queen of Crime.

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Review

Stars:✦✦✦✦✧

If you like Agatha Christie, her books, chemistry, backround information or want to learn of real life cases (from which Christie may have gotten ideas) - this book is for you!

         Whether or not you've read any of her books you'll find this extremely fascinating, superbly constructed and jam-packed with information.

         Though it has some spoilers they aren't bothersome, but rather makes me want to read the books. The book is constructed so that if you choose to read about just a certain poison, how they kill, antidotes, real-life cases, historical facts or Agatha's dive into them, you totally can.

     What really fascinated me was to read about real-life cases during Christie's time and how they were potentially solved. As a chemistry student I also found it very entertaining when reading about how the poison actually interacts with your system.

So overall, I really loved this book, and if your interested at all I'd recommend you pick it up.

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Agatha Christie

Both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are detectives that most people recognize to be Agatha Christies works of art. They have been adapted in so many ways and even the Guinness Book of World Records shows that Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time, with tnovels having been sold around 2 billion copies.

This "Queen of Crime" is one to thank for the structure of mystery books starting from the:

murder, multiple suspects (all with secrets), a detective gradually cracking them, and shocking twists at the end.

Culprits have been children, policemen, narrators, already dead individuals, and at times no-one or even every suspect.

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If you have no idea where to start from here is a list of four:

The classic choice, and her and the world's best-selling mystery book ever with 100 million sales:

And Then There Were None

My personal favourite so far, and becoming a movie this year:

Murder on the Orient Express

Voted the best crime novel ever in 2013, and close to the winner of "World's Favourite Christie" in 2015:

The Death of Roger Ackroyd

A really good continuation for fans of Hercule Poirot, and one of The Guardian's top 10:

Five Little Pigs

Read on lovelies,

Sally

Fairytale Retellings pt.2

Top 10

I did a part one 2 years ago, link, and felt the need to do another one, since I really love fairytale retellings!

1. Goose-Girl / Thorn
One of my favourite fairytales is the Grimm brothers' story Goose-Girl, so I'm kinda always looking out for retellings of it.
So far Goose-Girl by Shannon Hale which I love (and it has three companion novels in the series!)
Another one I've read is Thorn, which was an interesting take but could've been more developed.

2. Wrath and the Dawn
This retelling duology has been really popular in the last year, and it tells the story of Shahrzad and retells the story of A Thousand and One Nights.

3. Alice in Zombieland
Loosely based on Alice in Wonderland, it tells the story of Alice Bell and you can gether what it's about from the title.

4. Just Ella
This is a very clever take on Cinderella where Ella tries to deal with her new-found status and a prince who is certainly not charming.

5. Isle of the Lost
This is the book prequel-type-thing to Disney's movie Descendants. The book is about the children of the banished villains who are trying to escape their island.
I liked the book and movie and the premise is really interesting, but I won't be continuing on with the series.

Read on lovelies,

Sally

Top 5 Wednesday

October 28
Top Halloween Recs!

I will be reading these, (and I haven't read all of them earlier)
1. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with the Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables
2. Dracula
3. Poes poems
4. Murder on the Oriont Express
5. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd