2020-12-31

2021 TBR Book Challenge

 2021 TBR Book Challenge

This is a work in progress, last updated: Oct 10th -21

For the past six years I've done a challenge to get my TBR list down.
Although I've gotten a grip on my TBR, I still continue with this to expand what I read.


1. Start a series
The Inheritance Games

2. Complete a series
Lord of the Rings

3. A book from the GoodReads Choice Awards (2020 link)
One by One

4. A book you've owned the longest and haven't read
Iceman

5. Someone else's recommendation
Empress of Salt and Fortune

6. A book in Finnish
Tulevaisuuden lukujärjestys

7. A book by an author you haven't read before
Tokyo Ever After

8. A Standalone
Instant Karma

9. A book you choose randomly
Story of Your Life

10. A book published this year
Across the Green Grass Fields

11. A book where one of the main characters is royalty
Among the Beasts and Briars

12Genre you don't read enough
Pygmalion

13. Non-fiction
In Love and Pajamas

14. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold)
Shadows Between Us

15. Classic
Northanger Abbey

> Bonus: Reread a book
Wrath and the Dawn

Completed: 15+/15
Read on lovelies,
S

2020-12-30

2020: Statistics and Achievments

 

Yearly Statistics & Achievements


2019 version: link   -  2018 version: link  -  2017 version: link   -  2016 version: link


2020 TBR challenge (link)
- Finished all but 1

            > The one left was "Science"


Anticipated reads of 2020 (link)
- Finished 2/18
            > The completed ones were Come Tumbling Down and My Calamity Jane

TBR ()
- Down to 17 books
            > Only 2 I own a physical copy of, and one of those is from 2019

Classics
I read 3
            > Which I am happy with, even though my initial ideal goal was 5

><><

Total books read: 24 (Compared to 2019: 44 2018: 42 and 2017: 34)
            0+3+2+3+3+1+2+2+3+1+2+2
           > Interestingly enough January has usually been the month I read the most in (10 in 2019 and 11 in 2018)

Month read most: Feb, Apr, May, Sep: 3
    least: January: 0

Pages ~ 6 900 (2019: 11 980 & 201815 211 & 201710 542)
    Average length 287 pages (2019: 272 2018: 362 & 2017: 310)

Format: ebook: 7 (2019: 12), audio: 6 (2019: 26), physical 11 (2019: 6)
Arc/sent7 (2019: 14)
Reviewed(2019: 18)
In Finnish(2019: 3)

Most popular (according to Goodreads): Animal Farm
     Least popular: Just Act Normal
     Highest rated: Solutions and Other Problems (rated 4.31 as of 28.12.20)
Length: longest  544 (My Calamity Jane)
              shortest 96 (Serenity)
Publication oldest: 1818 - Persuasion
        books I read published this year: 11

Stars: in order of least: 3,4 ("1" means any rating starting with a 1. Meaning 1 and 1.5 are both included in "1")
       average being ~3.73 this year & over all in all the years ~3.26 (2019: 3.81 & 3.28)
       Highest rating being 4.5, given to 4 books
       Lowest rating 3, given to 6 books

><><><

Series Finished:
My Lady/Plain/Calamity Jane (companion trilogy?)

2020 goals, TBR etc. all coming in the next few days

Read on lovelies,
S

2020-12-29

Read This Quarter IV

 What I read this quarter, Quarter IV

October, Novemebr & December

1. Solutions and Other Problems          Non-fiction ebook REVIEWED 
- - -
2. Serenity: Those Left Behind          graphic novel 
3. Firefly: The Unification War          graphic novel 
- - -
4. My Calamity Jane          
5. The Ickabog          


Data:

Author:
          60 female,
          40 male
Genre:
         80 fantasy,
         20 non-fiction
Pages:
       1 584 p
Format:
         80 % physical books,
         20 % e-books,
Average:
         3.7
Arcs:
          0 sent to me (for honest reviews)

*For more info check my Goodreads: link*

Read on lovelies,
S

2020-12-26

Winter break

 Winter is here, and there will be some scheduling changes, I won't be totally gone though!

Next weekend (31.12.-3.1.2021) I will posting daily all of my year 2020 wrap-ups and posts looking into next year.

After that I'll have my winter holiday and not post until in February I'll be starting my biweekly Saturday schedule.


Read on lovelies and have a fantastic winter,
S

2020-12-11

Baby It's Cold Outside Book TAG

 original creator: erin @ Reading On A Star 


Baby It's Cold Outside Book TAG


1. Snow Day – What’s your “comfort” book? 
- Maybe Harry Potter? It's something I could always pick up and enjoy, especially this time of year for some reason

2.  Snow Angels – What’s a book that you love so much you would want to be buried with it(a little morid, but…)? 
- Well to be honest, I haven't thought of that (shocking I'm sure) and can't even think of one

3. Warm Socks – What’s a book that makes you feel warm inside?(The fluffiest, cutest romance you’ve ever read?) 
- Kasie Wests books are my go to for a fluffy read, but the fluffiest might go to Stephanie Perkins

4. Hot Cocoa – What winter-themed novels have you previously read? 
- For some reason the only thing that comes to mind is the Snow Like Ashes series, but that might be just because of the weather in it

5. Sledding – What’s a book with the best plot twists? Who’s an author that always keeps you on your toes?
- Another tough one, but Jennifer Lynn Barnes has so many series and even though quite a few have been misses for me, I keep going back to her books hoping there will be another gem among them

6. Ugly Sweaters – What’s a book with the ugliest cover? 
- Looking at my shelves I think I'd have to go with my copy of The Naturals, because the face of a teen does not exactly convey the dark atmosphere of that one

7. Movie Marathon – What’s the last book you binge read? 
- The last books I read were the graphic novels Serenity Those Left Behind and Firefly The Unification War

8. Letter to Santa – What’s a book that’s on your wishlist this year? 
- Contrary to previous years I haven't wished for any specific books! Tulevaisuuden lukujärjestys is one from this year that I'd like to get at some point though and read


Read on lovelies,
S

2020-11-27

Do I Have That OTHER Book TAG

Do I Have That OTHER Book TAG challenge, similar to a previous one (link) where you try to find a book for each prompt.

The Questions

1. Do you have a book with a fox on the cover or part of the plot?

- Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables

2. Do you have a book that was published the year you were born, or within a 3-year radius?

- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)

3. Do you have a book with music as a weapon or magic?

- The only music one I could think of is If I Stay, but that's definitely not in the context of weaponry

If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)

4. Do you have a series with mismatched covers?

- Oh most definitely. One I dislike the most is my Gallagher Academy collection because of the height changes in different paperbacks (and I also have one book as a hardcover!)

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls, #1)

5. Do you have a book with a shapeshifter?

- Imposter has a "Variant" who can change appearances to become someone else

Impostor (Variants, #1)

6. Do you have a book signed by the author?

- A couple! I think my first one was Torch Against the Night

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes, #2)

7. Do you have a book with a mostly red cover?

- My copy of Catching Fire is pretty much completely red

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)

8. Do you have a book between 287 – 306 pages?

- River Secrets has 290!

River Secrets (The Books of Bayern, #3)

9. Do you have a book with a main character who wears glasses?

-Well the first one that popped into my head was Harry Potter, but other than that I'm not sure at all

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1)

10. Do you have a book with a title that has the same number of letters as your first name?

- Cress! That took a while to find

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)

11. Do you have a book with cybercrime/technology as a plot point?

- Cinder and Ella

Cinder & Ella (Cinder & Ella, #1)

12. Do you have a book written in another language or translated to English?

- Some books in Finnish, though they are all translated like Ylpeys ja ennakkoluulo (Pride and Prejudice). Then there's the Ruby Red trilogy was originally in German and I have the English translations

Ruby Red (Precious Stone Trilogy, #1)

13. Do you have a book written by an Asian author?

- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang I believe

The Kiss Quotient (The Kiss Quotient, #1)

14. Do you have a book with a moon on the cover?

- Hans Christian Andersen Collection

Classic Fairy Tales

15. Do you have an illustrated children’s book?

- I have a Dr. Seuss collection

The Lorax

16. Do you have a collection of fairy tales or myths?

- Grimm's collection

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales

17. Do you have a sci-fi/fantasy with an alliance between races?

- I'd say Snow Like Ashes counts? It has different alliances between people from different Seasons

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes, #1)

18. Do you have a book with a narrow front cover? (paperback with a front cover that is slightly trimmed shorter/narrower than the rest of the book)

- If I Stay

If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)

19. Do you have a book that includes the first chapter of the sequel?

- The Goose Girl

The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1)

20. Do you have a book with a broken spine?

- Divergent, my one and only one with a cracked spine

Divergent (Divergent, #1)

Bonus Question: Do you have a book that covers 3 or more of the above prompts??

- Well Harry Potter wears glasses, the third one was published the year I was born and I have the illustrated edition, but the illustrated edition was published way later. But it is in Finnish though! Oh, and would Remus or Tonks possibly be counted as shapeshifters?
Harry Potter ja Azkabanin vanki (Harry Potter, #3)

Read on lovelies,
S

2020-11-13

Books I Still Want to Get to 2020

The year 2020 is reaching the end, all of a sudden for me. When writing this post I have read 20 books. This isn’t that much when comparing to previous years, but I am working on my Bachelor’s Thesis, so it is something.

With so many books I want to read, I thought I’d make this list about ones I’d really love to get to still this year. Well, I suppose we’ll see about accomplishing it, but that’s the idea at least.

Also, you might notice that most of these are from my ‘2020 Anticipated Reads and New Releases‘ (link), which I haven’t exactly done a good job with completing. But there is still some time!


1. My Calamity Jane (current read)

2. Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor

3. One by One

4. Bookish and the Beast

5. Of Curses and Kisses

Read on lovelies,
S

2020-10-30

Helsinki Book Fair 2020

The annual Helsinki Book Fair For 2020 was done completely electronically this year. You still had the chance to see everything - but from home this year.

By getting a full time ticket it was possible to see hundreds of shows either live or afterwards until the 8th of November. Though there were some technical difficulties, I was able to see everything I wanted to, and hopefully so could everyone else!


If you’ve seen my book fair posts from previous years (201920182017) I usually overview what the theme was and what I saw, with an emphasis on the books I saw and got. This year my experience was completely different, and not just the fact that it was online. This year I wanted to actually watch the shows, and almost skimmed through the books I saw. (Don’t get me wrong though, I now have a longer tbr list!)


Some of the shows I saw:

- True Crime (as a concept, ethics, audio format)

- Miika Nousiainen (new book, and humorous talk of regular people)

- Thomas Kyrö (10-year book character anniversary)

- Lars Kepler (new book, writing as a couple)

- Perttu Pölönen (first book, future if technology and being prepared for changes)

+ others e.g. being an audiobook reader, Jo Nesbo and Tarja Halonen


I definitely enjoyed being able to see so many shows, with lots of variety and I look forward to next year like always.

Thank you again to @helsinginkirjamessut for the tickets!


Read on lovelies,
S

2020-10-16

Solutions and Other Problems : review

 Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh



SUMMARY
Solutions and Other Problems includes humorous stories from Allie Brosh’s childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life.


Goodreads' link to the book!
- - -

Stars: ✦✦

I had been waiting to read this book ever since I heard about it after picking up her first one, Hyperbole and a Half, which I read and loved in 2016. And it was worth the wait. The author really dives into her life, and recent years and struggles which I appreciated, but it felt a bit odd reading something so personal. But the humor is still there, that is for sure!

Though I did give it a star rating I won’t be diving into each star review like I usually do, but instead wrote out my thought below.


 | The writing and pace resembled the first book and worked perfectly with the stories. Some were even split up between other ones, to really make the pacing work best.

‹ | The humor just hits the spot for me. The observational skills and the way she really paints the pictures is something I also loved in the first one and saw in this one again.

‹ | The artwork scattered throughout, with the style I’ve come to recognize as hers, with each individual character having personalities, really ties the stories together.

‹ | The rawness. Not just humor and jokes, but real stories about life and struggles - and it being okay.


Definitely recommend the first one if you haven’t picked it up, and then this one (though keep in mind it gets more serious).

Read on lovelies,
S

2020-10-13

Helsinki Book Fair Giveaway


 *GIVEAWAY*

The annual Helsinki Book Fair is done completely electronically this year. You still have the chance to see everything - but from home this year. It'll be a memorable one that's for sure!

I was sent some tickets for free to give out to some readers, and the giveaway is happening both through here and through my Instagram (@booksonal).

The only thing you need to do is either send an Instagram message or email me (booksonal@gmail.com) with why you would love a ticket!

Do this latest on Sunday the 18th, and I'll raffle them on Monday and contact the winners then.

Thank you @helsinginkirjamessut for the tickets!

- - -

*ARVONTA*

Vuosittaiset Helsingin Kirjamessut ovat tänä vuonna kokonaan virtuaaliset. Sinulla on edelleen mahdollisuus nähdä tapahtumat - mutta kotoa käsin. Siitä tulee ainakin mieleenpainuva kokemus!

Minulle lähetettiin ilmaiseksi lippuja annettavaksi seuraajilleni, ja arvonta tapahtuu sekä täällä että instagramin (@booksonal) kautta.

Ainoa asia jonka sinun tarvitsee tehdä on joko lähettää instagram viesti tai sähköposti (booksonal@gmail.com) siitä miksi juuri sinä haluat lipun!

Tee tämä viimeistään sunnuntaina 18. päivä, sillä arpominen tapahtuu maanantaina jolloin otan yhteyttä voittajiin.

Kiitos @helsinginkirjamessut lipuista!

Read on lovelies,
S

2020-10-02

Books I *think* I’m Going To Love


I saw Kayla from BooksandLala make this list, and I thought I’d try it out for myself!
It’s a simple concept, list the books you think you’ll love. Simple enough right? Well, it’s a bit weird when you think of it because at least I don’t tend to pick up books I wouldn’t think I’d enjoy it. So these are the ones that I think will just blow me away I suppose? And that makes it harder for me because, to try to not be disappointed, I try to steer away from doing just that.

1. My Calamity Jane
- pretty self-explanatory, since I loved the first two books in the series

2. Solutions and Other Problems
- I’ve been waiting for this ever since I heard about it!

3. One by One
- I’ve only read one book by Ruth Ware before, but the synopsis sounds great and I loved her style in the Turn of the Key

4. The Inheritance Games
- Bit of an odd one for this list since I don’t know much about it, but this will be the 10th(!) book I’ve read by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Even though some I’ve loved, some I’ve really disliked, and some I’ve honestly forgotten everything about, I think this one will be a good one!

5. Death by Shakespeare
- Hoping this one will be like A is for Arsenic, but it could go either way. Maybe putting it on this list will help with that!

Read on lovelies,
S

2020-09-29

Read This Quarter III

What I read this quarter, Quarter III

July, August & September


1. Faith: Taking Flight          ebook REVIEWED ✦.5
2. Unspeakable Acts           Non-fiction short stories ebook REVIEWED 
- - -
3. Dear Girls           Non-fiction 
4. Come Tumbling Down            
- - -
5. Burn            ebook/audiobook REVIEWED ✦.5
6. Just Act Normal            ebook Non-fiction comic ✦.5
7. Iltatähden kilta           ✦.75


Reread: The Book of Ivy


Data:

Author:
          62.5 female,
          37.5 male
Genre:
         62.5 % fantasy
         37.5 % non-fiction
Pages:
       2 100 p
Format:
         6.25 % audiobooks,
         43.75 % e-books,
         50 % physical books
Average:
         3.28
Arcs:
          50 sent to me (for honest reviews)

*For more info check my Goodreads: link*

Read on lovelies,
S

2020-09-18

Burn : review

 Burn by Patrick Ness

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*eARC kindly provided by the publisher HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review!*


SUMMARY
On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron gas station for the dragon he’d hired to help on the farm…
A prophecy that involves a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents in hot pursuit—and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself.


Goodreads' link to the book!
Release Date: June 2nd, 2020
- - -

Stars: ✦✦✦.5
So as usual, I'll tell 3.5 things I liked about the book and 1.5 things I didn't care for.

+1 | It's different, new, and interesting.

+1 | The world and its fantasy elements were well executed, with dragons and magic galore.

+1 | Entertainment value. The pace and writing are gripping and keeps you reading.

+/-0.5 | The characters and relationships. Some were great, but some just didn't do it for me. With the split POVs I sometimes just wanted it to go back to another character.

-1 | There was some confusion from jumping around, I felt like I really had to focus at times to understand.

>> Overall I'd recommend it to anyone wanting a new and refreshing dragon tale, with some Patrick Ness quirks.

Read on lovelies,
S