2018 Anticipated Reads

This year flew by so fast, and it's time for the list of my most anticipated reads yet again.

In the beginning of December I made a recap about all the anticipated reads of 2017 I had yet to read, and other books I still wanted to get to. link. Left from those are still these books:

> From my 2017 anticipated reads left to read & get:

        > Solutions and Other Problems (hasn't been published)

        > Now I Rise
        > Lucky in Love
        > The Gatlon School for Vigilantes
        > Renegades (Got for Christmas)

> Top 3 books I still want to get to:

        > There's Someone Inside Your House

        > Eliza and Her Monsters
        > Pallokala

As for new releases of 2018 that I'm excited for:

Smoke in the Sun by Reneé Ahdieh

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!
><><

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 

Christmas Book TAG

Match a book to its perfect Christmas song:
Original by HaileyinBookland on BookTube

I tried matching them to ones I read this year, but couldn't do that for all of them.

1. “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch”: Name a villainous character you couldn’t help but love.
Rumpelstiltskin. He was such an interesting one, and I liked to hate him.

2. “All I Want for Christmas is You”: Which book to you most hope to see under your Christmas tree?
Renegades by Marissa Meyer, I think that was the only one I actually asked for this year

3. “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”: Name a character that overcomes major obstacles and learns to believe in themselves.
Genevieve Grace from This is How it Happened

4. “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”:

a) Which character do you think would be on the top of the naughty list?

Wicked Witch of the West

b) Which character do you think would be at the top of the nice list?

Ella, from Cinder and Ella or Ella Enchanted actually

5. “Frosty the Snowman”: Which book just melts your heart.

Geekerella

6. “Feliz Navidad”: Choose a book that takes place in a country other than your own.
Well there are only a few books that take place in Finland that I've read so I could choose pretty much anything. ´
One from my TBR: Boy at the Top of the Mountain takes place in Germany

7. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: Which holiday themed book do you use to spread the Christmas joy?
Christmas Carol is a good one. Also my favorite books to read during the winter break is Harry Potter

8. “Sleigh Ride”: Which fictional character would you choose to spend the holidays with (doesn’t have to be a love interest!)
The Weasley family.
Yeah now I'm just thinking about HP...

9. “Baby it’s Cold Outside”: Which book that you didn’t like would you sacrifice to a fire to warm yourself up in the cold?
My most recent unhaul was: My True Love Gave to Me. There were only a few stories that I really liked, so I could spare those to the end.

10. “Do you hear what I hear”: Which book do you think everyone should read?
I think this is the hardest one, since everyone is so different. So maybe a Dr.Seuss one with something to learn? Or a classic? Hmm I don't know

Read on lovelies,

and happy holidays!,

S

Bookish DIY and Gifts

These are all bookish examples of things you can make/DIY
(or buy if you don't have a crafty thumb)
and potentially gift a book lover.

Also check out these links for more ideas and pictures:

Bookish.com

Buzzfeed, Penguin, Bustle

>><<

Bookmarks
Tassled
Hogwarts house
Favourite quote
Yearly read count (print a bookshelf and color them or write numbers)
Book characters and relations that you add to while you read. Like a sort of family tree whilst reading

amazon.com

Decor
Arrows pointing to fantasy lands (narnia, hogwarts, wonderland, Emerald City, Neverland, the Shire... anything you want)

themerrythought.com

Hogwarts house ornaments

Old book...
...Pages into quotes
...Pages into necklaces
...Letter - book cut sideways
...Word - by folding the pages


Tote or shirt (now you might be wondering how on earth this could be easy, but you can actually buy this paper that you can print on and then iron on any shirt/bag/pillowcase)

architechtureartdesigns.com

zazzle.com

Pouch (for a book or kindle)

Literary coasters


Bookends

Hope this gives you some inspiration!

Read on lovelies,

S

Popular Books I Didn't Like

I saw BooksandLalas video about going to Goodreads and seeing the books rated lowest on average that you really liked, and decided to see if I'd be surprised by the ones on my Goodreads.

Well turns out it wasn't too interesting, and nothing really surprising so I flipped it over:


Popular Books I Didn't Like
> So all the YA books rated above 4 on Goodreads, that I rated below 3:

City of Heavenly Fire 4.48 vs. 2
Saga 4.43 vs. 3
Between Shades of Gray 4.36 vs. 2.5
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 4.34 vs. 2
Ready Player One 4.31 vs. 2
Into the Wild (Warriors) 4.29 vs. 1
Matilda 4.29 vs. 2
I Am the Mission 4.19 vs. 1
Through the Ever Night 4.17 vs. 2
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Graphic Novel 4.12 vs. 2
Diary of a Young Girl 4.10 vs. 2
Boy: Tales of Childhood & Danny  4.09 vs. 1
Rebel 4.05 vs. 2
Coraline 4.03 vs. 2
The Maze Runner 4.03 vs. 2
Christmas Carol 4.02 vs. 2
My Life Next Door 4.02 vs. 1
Half Wild 4.02 vs. 1

End of the Year Reading Plans

At the start of the year I made some goals and certain books I wanted to read, so let's see how I've done so far and what books I should really get to, now that December is just around the corner.

So I am aware that as far as reading goes, this hasn't been a good year. I had finals, and entrance exams, a new school, new subjects etc. so I'm not surprised. I will definitely try to read more next year...


> Classic every month hasn't been going well, with only a couple classics read this year

> My 2017 TBR challenge is at 17/25

> My TBR itself is at 16 unread books (not counting classics)
    ^from which my oldest books (books gotten before this year)
       > My True Love Gave to Me
        > Frost Like Night

> From my 2017 anticipated reads left to read/get:

        > Solutions and Other Problems (hasn't been published)

        > Now I Rise
        > Lucky in Love
        > The Gatlon School for Vigilantes

> Top 3 books I still want to get to this year:

        > There's Someone Inside Your House

        > Eliza and Her Monsters
        > Pallokala

...but I'll most likely end up rereading some Harry Potter books, like always at the end of the year

Read on lovelies,

S

Library Lovers

[Book Tag]


1. How often do you visit your local library?
When I was in school I used to go there weekly, but this last summer I've gone once a month and to only get books I've reserved.

2. Are you the type of person who checks out more books than you know you can read or are you someone who only checks out the exact amount of books you intend on reading before they are due?
Bit of both honestly... I only get books that I am excited to read and usually read them right after getting them, but I am a mood reader and I can easily get sidetracked with something on my shelves

3. How old were you when you got your first library card?
I checked and I was 7

4. Do you go to your library looking for a particular book or do you check out anything that peaks your interest?
Like I was saying in Q1, when I visited it more regularly I would brouse more. But the thing is I live in Finland, so if I want to get something in english I need to request it and usually have it sent from another library.

5. Do you use your library to check out just books or do you also check out dvds, audiobooks etc.?
My library has dvds, games, music notes etc. but I only get physical books, e-books and audiobooks

6. From what section of your library do you check out a majority of your books? ( YA, middle grade, adult, nonfiction.)
Like I mentioned in Q4 the majority of the books are in Finnish so I just go to the English section, which has everything quite jumbled up. When it comes to genres I tend to go with YA books I don't know if I'll like enough to buy, classics (which I buy only after I've read and if I liked it) and graphic novels since those are things I don't buy at all but like reading every once in a while

7. What is your favorite part of using your local library?
It is free, I find new books I'm interested in and it's also a great place to study

Read on lovelies,

S

ReReading Old Favorites and Being Disappointed

To start off - I like rereading books, every time I read harry potter I get something new out of it.
But is that the case in all of those old favourites?

><><

So there was this one book released 3 years ago that I really enjoyed and gave a 4 stars to. Well the sequel came out this summer and I was excited to pick it up. Then I of course realized I don't remember a single thing about the first book and decided to reread that first. We've all been there...

So my problem, and frankly the point of this whole post, is what occurred to me on the very first page of this book I used to like - I don't anymore and was extremely disappointed.
And that's a sad thing to realize, because you hold favorites high up in your thoughts and now it's below everything else. So what happened?

><><

Let's break this down and start at what happened in that first page:
"his hair is not his best quality" Wait what? Exactly, I know I had a different taste but really?

And then I find out why I remember liking this book: "I felt like I had princess leia buns at a star trek convention"

I still found lots of these to be amusing - like I still do want that shirt that says "may the mass times acceleration be with you", but calling someone yummy just isn't my cup of tea.


And for some reason I'd always think: "well this makes up for it, the good parts make the bad go away".
Sure it makes "the feels" the main character has sound better if she compares them to demonstrating newtons law of inertia, but we shouldn't accept some things because other parts were better.

><><

So conclusion I have changed, has the author?

So I moved on to the second book, my mindset being along the lines of "this is an experiment I have to finish" - so not a good place. But I cleared my mind and started.

Well did I end up even finishing that book?
Um, I maybe read a third and skimmed the rest...

><><

Final thoughts: can I drop the star rating? The thing is, what I felt was valid - at that time. So can I actually do it? Or should I compromise? I have yet to come to a conclusion...

Read on lovelies,

S

Artemis : review

Andy Weir

*ARC kindly provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!*

SUMMARY:
Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire...

              Release: Nov. 14th 2017

Goodreads' link to the book!

><><

So what did I think?

So usually I tell so and so many things I liked and didn't like in the book and give the star rating accordingly, but the thing is I didn't finish this book.
Now you must be wondering how can you write a review without finishing it? And why?

So I'm not too keen on actually finishing this book, at least anytime soon. Artemis comes out next week and I really think a lot of you would enjoy it so I wanted to talk about it.

It had lots of good aspects:
The world is truly amazing and so though out
The main character: is different and intriguing
The plot: fast paced and had lots of aspects going on
It doesn't have the tone as The Martian, but I kind of liked how very different it is. There is still the aspect of space and the science though, which I really enjoy when done well.

So why did I stop? Well the answer is the biggest problem I have when reading: mood reading.
I've talked about it before - I can really enjoy a book if I'm in the right mood, but a book I know I would enjoy and am reading at the wrong time? It doesn't go so well. And that's exactly what happened here. I know I'd enjoy it - it had all those great aspects to it, but it's just not the right time yet.

I really want to know how you all like this book, so I'll keep my eyes out on Instagram for it!

Read on lovelies,

S

The Halloween Book Tag

1.) Favorite Scary (Must Read) For Halloween?

I don't read horror books, but I am currently reading Six Stories which I am kind of enjoying?

2.) Scariest Book Cover, Like Ever?

The book has always kinda creeped me out, but I did read it: Coraline

3.) If You Could Go Trick-or-Treating With Any Author, Who Would You Pick?

J.K. Rowling, not for the Trick-or-Treating really, but just to meet her

4.) If You Could Dress Up As Any Bookish Character For Halloween, Who Would You Be?

Actually the last time I dressed up was as an ewok from Star Wars

5.) If You Could Find Anything (From Any Book) In Your Trick-or-Treat Stash, What Would You Hope To Find?

Anything from the Honeydukes, so chocolate frogs maybe? I would love to taste Butterbeer though!

6.) In What Fictional World Would You Like To Go Trick-or-Treating?

The Harry Potter Universe. For the sweets mentioned above and I'm sure the feast in the Great Hall would be fantastic!

7.) What Book Villain Would You Not Like To Meet Alone In A Dark Alley On Halloween?

He-who-must-not-be-named.

I feel like this is just ending up as a Harry Potter questionnaire? Well I'm up for it since fall is my favorite time to re-read them!

8.) Would You Rather Dress Up As A Vampire, Zombie, Werewolf, or Shadowhunter?

Honestly none of them really. So I'll say zombie? I have never really read a book about them though now that I think about it

9.) Pick A Candy (Just One) From Harry Potter That You Would Love To Find In Your Stash?

See? Not just me thinking about Harry Potter this time of year.

And well Q5 had my answer but I'll pick another one: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

(I'm not a fan of jelly beans but it's a classic, and I mean they would be magical ones right?)

10.) What Is Your Favorite Halloween Candy?

White chocolate anything pretty much... And I love stroopwafels, but neither are only for Halloween, but I have been eating lately

Read on lovelies,

S

Book fair & Scotland trip - Bookish Hauls

Part 2 for yesterdays book fair post: the Haul


The books:
The Engineer's Cookbook, Kari Ojala
Shakespeare vasta-alkaville ja edistyville


WSOY, Tammi & JohnnyKniga meet-up:
Pallokala, Heikki Valkama
Tristania, Marianna Kurtto
Osuma, Roope Sarvilinna


Also I made a weekend trip to Scotland a week ago and bought:
There's Someone Inside Your House, Stephanie Perkins
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain, John Boyne
Stay Where You Are and Then Leave, John Boyne


And along the way, since my last haul I have accumulated:
The Knickerbocker Jane Austen bind-up
The Agatha Christie book: Kuolema ilmoittaa lehdessä
Artemis, Andy Weir (e-ARC)
&
Eliza and Her Monsters, Fransesca Zappia

Other things from the fair:
Various totes and candy
Christmas cards and little DIY elves
A color changing necklace
5 rolls of yarn
Two little dishes and an oil dispenser
(Also fell in love with some of the mugs, but resisted)

Read on lovelies,

S

Kirjamessut / Book fair 2017 part 1

As I mentioned in a previous post (link), I received a blog pass for the Helsinki book fair (kirjamessut).

So how did it go?
I will have a separate post tomorrow about all the things I bought there...






Thursday:
On Thursday I toured the fair as a whole, first with only touring and then buying (this way I didn't need to lug everything around with me all day). This year there were 2 huge sections with everything 2 euros (a treasure I got last year from there was the Night Circus, and they had it this year as well).

Bigger publishers had 10-20% off of everything, and Adlibris (one of my absolute favorite online stores in Finland for books) had 3 books for 10e and 5 yarn rolls for 10e.

There was definitely a theme of Finland turning 100 this year, and also the fact that Dan Brown came was made a big factor. There was also a Harry Potter themed bus (picture below) and other bits and bobs which made the whole experience, yet again, amazing.











Saturday:


Saturday was my second, and last, day at the fair and it started off with a WSOY, Tammi and Johnny Kniga blogger brunch, which I loved. Food, books, authors talking and bloggers meeting - what else do you need? The people were lovely & I also got books signed for the first time, so that was something else to remember!

The authors there:

Heikki Valkama (Pallokala), - so excited for this one!
Marianna Kurtto (Tristania),
Roope Sarvilinna (Osuma),
Joonas Konstig (Vuosi Herrasmiehenä),
A. W. Yrjänä (Joonaanmäen Valaat)
& Tuomas Kyrö (Mielensäpahoittajan Suomi)



Lastly for the day I attended the Teos blogger meet-up with various of their authors telling us about their books:

Juha Hurme (Niemi)
Juhani Känkänen (Ilo irti, Apo Apponen!)
Marjo Niemi (Kaikkien menetysten äiti)
Maria Peura (Tunkeilijat)
Mikko Rimminen (Maailman luonnollisin asia)
Heikki Reivilä (Onnettomat Roomassa)
& Jarkko Volanen (Hiekankantajat)

Read on lovelies,

S