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Banned Books Throughout History

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September 26−October 2, 2016
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types – in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

Moreover, one of my favorite trilogies, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman was almost banned once. The Catholic League campaigned against The Golden Compass / Northern Lights, declaring that it promoted atheism and attacked Christianity…Well, that it did I guess.

On fantasy & how it encourages difficult behavior: Reading Harry Potter books makes children MENTALLY ILL says headmaster who warns letting them become ‘addicted’ to fantasy novels is as bad as feeding them ‘heaps of sugar’. My favorite part was how it’s all “demonic literature”…

What are your favorite books that have been banned or almost banned?

Found this infographic via: http://ebookfriendly.com/. Also check this out: How to Defend Your Right to Read (with memes)

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Happy Hobbit Day!

Published on by Anastasia6 Comments

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

September 22nd is the Birthday of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, two characters from J.R.R. Tolkien’s popular Middle Earth books (The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings). In the books both Bilbo and Frodo were said to be born on September 22, but of different years. (And yes, of course you know it’s Shire Calendar but let’s not mind the details.) Bilbo was born in the year of 2890 and Frodo in the year of 2968 in the Third Age.

“Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not Today. Good morning! But please come to tea -any time you like! Why not tomorrow? Good bye!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

How-To Celebrate Hobbit Day

1.Go on a quest. Preferably barefoot.
2. Throw a feast! Make sure there’s good amount of food! & Before the actual feast, don’t forget to have a second breakfast (and elevenses)!
3. Visit Middle Earth! (= Read Hobbit or Lord of the Rings trilogy. Or both!)
4. Watch some movies. There’s six of them… 1171 minutes… you don’t want to know how many hours that is. You can forget about sleeping though. (Don’t worry, this week is called Tolkien Week so you’ll have plenty of time)
5. Tell rhymes.
6. Talk in Sindarin or Quenya.
7. Music. THIS. Sountracks: Lotr, Hobbit. My favorite ones are: Song of the Lonely Mountain, The Misty Mountains Cold & I See Fire.
8. Book a holiday to New Zealand! Now! &  To get you in the right mood watch this and this. Isn’t Air New Zealand just wonderful?
9. The Hobbits give other Hobbits presents on their birthdays. So be nice, give your fellow Hobbits gifts.
10. Fireworks!! …Or sparklers!

Happy Hobbit Day 2016! Party on!

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Bookworm Stereotypes

Published on by Anastasia11 Comments

“Oh this? It’s a ‘bookworm.’
They live in books, and they love to eat important or valuable words.”
― CLAMP, xxxHolic, Vol. 7

glasses-306695_960_720

1. Readers are intelligent
 Readers are leaders. How many times have you heard this? Personally, I read a lot science fiction and fantasy…even nonfiction sometimes. I don’t think it makes me terribly clever. No, not really & definitely not intelligent enough to be a leader. Unless we’re planning to overthrow the Capitol. Then I’m your person.
2. Readers always wear glasses
Bookish characters portrayed in the media ALWAYS often wear glasses. Yes, I’ve heard that reading in bad light might damage your eyes and you might need glasses or it might be in your genes. Personally, I don’t wear glasses.
3. Readers are all a bit ugly and a bit overweight and a bit goofy and there must be something wrong with them
OR
female readers must all look like sexy librarians
Is there a middle ground here?

“I grabbed my book and opened it up. I wanted to smell it. Heck, I wanted to kiss it. Yes, kiss it. That’s right, I am a book kisser. Maybe that’s kind of perverted or maybe it’s just romantic and highly intelligent.”
― Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

4. Readers are geeks/nerds
Yes I guess. However, nerd is the new black.
5. Readers must have a bookish profession
Author, librarian, literary agent, book blogger … you name it. I think you’re lucky if you have a job you like doing. Personally, I’m in event industry. Also people seem to think that while they’re doing something with their lives: go to gym, eat, sleep. Readers just…read.
6. Readers are antisocial, shy and introverts
I never considered myself shy but I tire of people easily. Often, I get so disappointed with people that I don’t want to socialize with anyone new.

“Books were safer than other people anyway.”
― Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane

7. Readers hate the outdoors
I mean…you could get an oxygen poisoning, some insect could bite you or you could get sunburn. Really. Anything could happen. Not like reading outside is an option. Or doing something other than reading in general.
8. Readers are socially awkward
Readers don’t know how to act normal. And how to make small talk. Not like reading helps with socializing and with knowing more of various topics.
9. Readers are dreamers
I think most of us are. Though it doesn’t mean that we have our head in the clouds. Or that we’d rather live in fictional worlds. Okay, I take that back…Take me to Narnia!


“I took my time, running my fingers along the spines of books, stopping to pull a title from the shelf and inspect it. A sense of well-being flowed through me as I circled the ground floor. It was better than meditation or a new pair of shoes- or even chocolate. My life was a disaster, but there were still books. Lots and lots of books. A refuge. A solace. Each one offering the possibility of a new beginning.”
― Beth Pattillo, Jane Austen Ruined My Life


10. Readers are typically used to process bank checks
Well…That’s what Google suggested when I wrote “readers are” in the search box. Blame Page & Brin.

Hope you enjoyed reading this.
What bookworm stereotypes have you encountered?

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Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books Of Science Fiction Genre

Published on by Anastasia38 Comments

As always, Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is: “Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books of X Genre“. I decided to go with…science fiction! Because I think that in my blog I haven’t really reviewed or given any attention to this wonderful genre. In no particular order:

1. The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

“The Answer to the Great Question… Of Life, the Universe and Everything… Is… Forty-two,’ said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

2. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

The Three Laws of Robotics:
1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;
3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law;
The Zeroth Law: A robot may not harm humanity, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm.”

3. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

Description: “It’s America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco, the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some twenty years earlier the United States lost a war—and is now occupied by Nazi Germany and Japan.”

4. The Martian by Andy Weir

Description:

A mission to Mars. A freak accident. One man’s struggle to survive.
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.”
― Andy Weir, The Martian

5. Jurassic Park by Michael Chricton

Description: A billionaire has created a technique to clone dinosaurs. From the DNA that his crack team of scientists extract, he is able to grow the dinosaurs in his laboratories and lock them away on an island behind electric fences, creating a sort of theme park. He asks a group of scientists from several different fields to come and view the park, but something goes terribly wrong when a worker on the island turns traitor and shuts down the power.

“God creates dinosaurs, God kills dinosaurs, God creates man, man kills God, man brings back dinosaurs.”
― Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

6. Blindness by José Saramago

Description: “In an unnamed city in an unnamed country, a man sitting in his car waiting for a traffic light to change is suddenly struck blind. But instead of being plunged into darkness, this man sees everything white. A Good Samaritan offers to drive him home (and later steals his car); his wife takes him by taxi to a nearby eye clinic where they are ushered past other patients into the doctor’s office. Within a day the man’s wife, the taxi driver, the doctor and his patients, and the car thief have all succumbed to blindness. As the epidemic spreads, the government panics and begins quarantining victims in an abandoned mental asylum–guarded by soldiers with orders to shoot anyone who tries to escape.”

7. Wool by Hugh Howey (Silo #1)

Decription: In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. To live, you must follow the rules. But some don’t. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside.

8. Dune by Frank Herbert

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
― Frank Herbert, Dune

9. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

“What I’m not sure about, is if our lives have been so different from the lives of the people we save. We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what we’ve lived through, or feel we’ve had enough time.”
― Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go

10. Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve (The Hungry City Chronicles #1)

For all you steampunk lovers out there, this book is just a must read! Basically cities eating cities.

Description: “It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.”
The great traction city London has been skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster, hungrier cities loose in the Great Hunting Ground. But now, the sinister plans of Lord Mayor Mangus Crome can finally unfold.

And so so so many other books but I’ll play by the rules and keep it in just ten.
Pictures from Goodreads.

What are your favorite science fiction books? Happy TTT!

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Classification of Book Lovers – Infographic…

Published on by Anastasia5 Comments

Which book species are you?

I’m definitely: the hoarder (I don’t even know how many books I own…200 + ebooks + my grandmother owned a bookshop once so you can just guess what our house looks like…), chronological reader , immersive reader, library lover (could never afford all the books I read), book rescuer, multitasker, omnireader, travelling or commuting reader, sleepy bedtime reader (is this why I suffer of insomnia?? ), cross-under, complicated, show-off…trying not to be.

Happy September!!

Re-blog via:

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Book Lovers

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The Great Gatsby

Published on by Anastasia7 Comments

“There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922. The story primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his obsession for Daisy Buchanan.The Great Gatsby is said to create a portrait of the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties and it has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream.

I finished listening to Great Gatsby in June. I’m happy to have listened because it almost felt like I was in theater. Re-reading the book for this review has been going better because of that too.

Opening line. It was great. Plot wise there wasn’t much going on, I think Fitzgerald was more concentrated on building the characters and I think he succeeded well in that. There are three important characters in this book: Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway and Daisy Buchanan. Nick Carraway has a singular place within The Great Gatsby, he is both narrator and participant in the story. In some sense, Nick is also Fitzgerald’s Everyman. He comes from “some money” but he’s not that wealthy.

“You see I usually find myself among strangers because I drift here and there trying to forget the sad things that happened to me.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Then novel’s greatest man is of course the mysterious Jay Gatsby. Rags-to-riches success story. First Gatsby claims he has inherited his wealth, however later on we learn that not everything he says is true. Then there is Daisy whom Gatsby is madly in love with. First reader is given an image that Daisy is very ideal person although later on we begin to question her character too.

“I hope she’ll be a fool,” she says, “that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Book describes well the concept of “new money, old money, some money, and no money”. Some people in Great Gatsby have had wealth in their families for decades, some had just acquired it and some have some money. Or no money.

Ending was well thought. I enjoyed the complexity of this novel’s characters and also what it came down to, what we leaned about Gatsby.  I can’t quite explain what but there was something I didn’t like about this novel. Maybe it was the style of the book, perhaps the atmosphere and the illusion of all the complicated parties. I wonder about the reasons why this book was unpopular and forgotten about for the first few decades after it was first published and I get that in a way. I don’t mean that in a bad way, however at times I felt like I was in a bit fuzzy dream. In general I guess I enjoy books with more thought and plot.

3,5/5 stars

“There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind…”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Tips

1. You can read the ebook for example here or via Project Gutenberg.
2. This is very subjective, however I wouldn’t recommend this for youngest readers. (Easy to say because I first read this/listened to Great Gatsby when I was 22.) 
3. Author’s background is interesting. Fitzgerald never owned a home. He was always kind of on the outside looking in type of person who hoped to get into Princeton and hanged with his wealthier Riviera friends. Some things about his life were similar to that of Gatsby’s.
4. It’s a quite short book, only about 180 pages, however somehow it feels much longer because of all the descriptions and illusions.
5. If you like history, I think this novel gives a nice touch to what life was in 1920’s and especially the concept of “American Dream” or “Roaring Twenties”.

Have you read The Great Gatsby? Thoughts?

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

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Top Ten Books With Ancient World Setting

Published on by Anastasia19 Comments

As always, Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is: “Top Ten Books With X Setting”“ I don’t know if “ancient world” is the correct term for my list but I hope you get my point :)

I have rated all of these books (4-)5 stars.

1.The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden

“Men respect the silent; they despise the garrulous. – Marius”
― Conn Iggulden, The Gates of Rome

This book (and Emperor series) deserves to be called ‘the ultimate Rome story’. It’s absolutely spectacular, best historical fiction there is.

2. Wolf of the Plains (or Genghis: Birth of an Empire) by Conn Iggulden

“Courage cannot be left like bones in a bag. It must be brought out and shown the light again and again, growing stronger each time. If you think it will keep for the times you need it, you are wrong. It is like any other part of your strength. If you ignore it, the bag will be empty when you need it most.”
― Conn Iggulden, Genghis: Birth of an Empire

What can I say. I absolutely adore Iggulden’s books.

3. Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin

“Without war there are no heroes.”
“What harm would that be?”
“Oh, Lavinia, what a woman’s question that is.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, Lavinia

4. Ramses: The Son of the Light

‘Ramses: The Son of Light’ is the first volume of the bestselling five-part fictional biography that recounts the thrilling story of Ramses, the legendary king who ruled Egypt for more than 60 years.

5. The Egyptian by Mika Waltari

“I, SINUHE, the son of Senmut and of his wife Kipa, write this. I do not write it to the glory
of the gods in the land of Kem, for I am weary of gods, nor to the glory of the Pharaohs, for I am weary of their deeds. I write neither from fear nor from any hope of the future but for myself alone. During my life I have seen, known, and lost too much to be the prey of vain dread; and, as for the hope of immortality, I am as weary of that as I am of gods and kings. For my own sake only I write this; and herein I differ from all other writers, past and to come.”-The Egyptian, Mika Waltari

6. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor

Murder mysteries set in ancient Rome… what better?

7. Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer“We sail across dominions barely seen, washed by the swells of time. We plow through fields of magnetism. Past and future come together on thunderheads and our dead hearts live with lightning in the wounds of the Gods.” -Ancient Evenings, Norman Mailer

8. Nefer the Silent by Christian Jacq

To be honest, all his books are fantastic too.

9. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

“The difference in the brains of men and women was imposed by nature, and only cemented by culture.” ― Jean M. Auel, The Clan of the Cave Bear

10. Odyssey by Homer

“Ah how shameless – the way these mortals blame the gods. From us alone they say come all their miseries yes but they themselves with their own reckless ways compound their pains beyond their proper share.”
― Homer, The Odyssey

 Have you read some of these? Happy TTT! 
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Nineteen Minutes

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“When you don’t fit in, you become superhuman. You can feel everyone else’s eyes on you, stuck like Velcro. You can hear a whisper about you from a mile away. You can disappear, even when it looks like you’re still standing right there. You can scream, and nobody hears a sound.
You become the mutant who fell into the vat of acid, the Joker who can’t remove his mask, the bionic man who’s missing all his limbs and none of his heart.
You are the thing that used to be normal, but that was so long ago, you can’t even remember what it was like. ”
― Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes

Nineteen Minutes, published in 2007, is a novel by Jodi Picoult. It is a book about a school shooting, and focuses on the events leading up to and following the incident. The story begins on March 6, 2007 in the small town of Sterling following the lives of a number of characters on an “ordinary day.”

I don’t want to tell you too much about the plot. There are many characters who are all connected and the story is told through their perspectives. In short, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of bullying. His best friend, Josie Cormier hangs out with the popular crowd and doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. Finally, one final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge.

School shooting case is assigned to the superior court judge, Alex Cormier. Her daughter Josie has witnessed the events at the school—and Alex must decide whether or not to take the case. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can’t remember what happened during the incident. And then there are Peter’s parents who try to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes.

“If you spent your life concentrating on what everyone else thought of you, would you forget who you really were? What if the face you showed the world turned out to be a mask… with nothing beneath it?”
― Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes

“If you gave someone your heart and they died, did they take it with them? Did you spend the rest of forever with a hole inside you that couldn’t be filled?”
― Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes

I don’t what to tell you. I liked this book. It has a complex structure, many characters and I like how it reads, little by little you learn more and more about what happened and how it happened and there are some really good plot twists. And all the psychology and all the moral questions this ‘Nineteen Minutes’ raises. Also I like how Picoult makes us understand the mind of the school shooter. It’s harder to judge him.

I first read this book in 2008 when it was translated into Finnish. I was very touched by it because there had been a school shooting in Finland in 2007 and somehow this book helped me to understand more what had happened. Also, I was bullied in school at the time and I connected with the line “When you don’t fit in, you become superhuman…” and I felt like I was the Joker. That is perhaps one of my most favorite lines in literature, I like it because usually having superhuman strength is an advantage but here in this case it becomes a disadvantage. Finally, I guess this novel also carries some kind of message of hope, that nothing lasts forever.

5/5 stars

How to Read Nineteen Minutes
1. Rich with psychological and social insight. If you like psychology, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading this.
2. Excellent writing & interesting plot twists. This book also makes you think of various moral issues: peer pressure, popularity, self-image, school bullying, single parenthood, communication barriers…  & How well do we know someone?
3. This is a difficult book to read. It’s quite long, deals with school shooting and the story is told through past and present of very many characters.
4. For further reading: School shootings category, Wikipedia 
5. If you’re already a fan of Picoult, you should definitely read this. If you liked this, you should read her other books. She has a way with writing novels that carry serious themes like this. Nineteen Minutes also connects with some of her other books.

“You don’t need water to feel like you’re drowning, do you?”
― Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes

Thoughts?

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Harry Potter Wands

Published on by Anastasia5 Comments

“You’re a wizard, Harry.”

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

J.K. Rowling wasn’t the first author to write about witches and wizards and their magic wands. But her attention to detail in describing each wand individually helped to make the “wizarding world” come alive for readers like us.

via http://ebookfriendly.com/

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Top Ten Tuesday REWIND: Top Ten Favorite Covers

Published on by Anastasia36 Comments

As always, Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is: Top Ten Tuesday REWIND — go back and do a topic you missed over the years or recently or a topic you really want to revisit.

I decided to go with an old topic of ‘Top Ten Favorite Covers’ because these covers are just gorgeous:

1.Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

“I spent my life folded between the pages of books.
In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”
― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me

2. The Folio Society Book Covers

3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

 

“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
“What a stupid lamb,” I sighed.
“What a sick, masochistic lion.”
― Stephenie Meyer, Twilight

4. Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (& Mortal Instruments)

“We are all the pieces of what we remember. We hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss.”
― Cassandra Clare, City of Heavenly Fire

5. Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

6. Faery Rebels by R J Anderson

“I found her lying naked on the lawn at midnight, can I keep her?”
― R.J. Anderson, Knife

7. Selection series by Kiera Cass

 

“Break my heart. Break it a thousand times if you like. It was only ever yours to break anyway.”
― Kiera Cass, The One

8. Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.

It did not end well.”
― Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone

9. Hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

10. Splintered by A.G. Howard

I kindly borrowed almost all pictures from the internet :) Sorry.

(Don’t) judge the book by its covers…
What are your favorite book covers?  Link pictures of your favorite covers and links to your TTT posts in the comment field below! :) Happy TTT!

 

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How To Steal Books

Published on by Anastasia23 Comments

“Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

The Book Thief is a novel by Australian author Markus Zusak. It was first published in 2005 and it centers around the life of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old girl living in Germany during World War II. Liesel’s experiences are narrated by Death, who describes both the beauty and destruction of life. As this novel takes place during World War II, death and genocide are always present in the novel and it’s why I really liked that it was Death who was narrating the story. I think it was very fitting because especially during wars, many people are scared to die while for others it’s something they wait for, it’s a relief for them to die. And in ‘Book Thief’ he’s not distant or threatening because he explains how he feels about taking lives and how he has a heart and how he is at times even haunted by humans.

“It kills me sometimes, how people die.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn’t already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Very shortly about the plot, or the beginning of the book. Liesel Meminger  is nine years old in the beginning of this novel and suffering from the death of her brother and separation from her mother as she is sent to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann. When Liesel arrives, she can’t read and is made fun of in school. She realizes how powerless she is without words, and so Hans teaches her how to read during midnight lessons in the basement, reading from the book Liesel took from her brother’s burial: The Grave Digger’s Handbook.

I think I re-read this book shortly before the movie adaptation came out. I learned to admire Liesel even more because when I first read this book (ten years ago?) I didn’t yet have history classes at school and I didn’t read that much nonfiction and I had little idea of all the unspeakable horrors of the The Second World War and the Nazi regime. And Liesel was great, she wanted to learn to read because she knew it would make her powerful and that in a way only the words could save her. Also, she was admirable because as the Nazi were burning books, she was saving them without making a distinction whether they were good or bad books. Very brave act. I also liked other characters. Rosa seemed a bit cold at first but then you realized how much she really cared about Liesel and Hans who taught Liesel to read and acted very brave during other plot twists. And of course I liked Rudy, Liesel’s best friend and neighbor who constantly asked Liesel for a kiss.

“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Background of the author of this novel, Markus Zusak is interesting. He’s Australian, however his parents were German. The book was inspired by two real-life events related to him by his German parents: the bombing of Munich, and a teenage boy offering bread to an emaciated Jew being marched through the streets, ending with both boy and Jewish prisoner being whipped by a soldier. Of course, there are no these events in ‘The Book Thief’ but I think because of Zusak’s parents, he manages to deliver the story better, in a way you connect to the story more.

“Usually we walk around constantly believing ourselves. “I’m okay” we say. “I’m alright”. But sometimes the truth arrives on you and you can’t get it off. That’s when you realize that sometimes it isn’t even an answer–it’s a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

This book is about the power of the written word. Men rise and fall because of it and you can be strengthened or weakened by it. I was somehow very inspired by this book. And it was fascinating how even if it was kind of clear how it would end, I was still curious to know what would happen next. Very touching and very beautiful book. 
4,5/5 stars

How To Read The Book Thief
1.  This is not a fast-paced book and if you’re looking for action, you should look elsewhere. Also, if you don’t like experimental fiction, this book might not be for you.
2. I think you will like this if you love books in general and if you read a lot and if you like historical fiction and beautiful prose.
3. I think Book Thief is lengthier than most historical fictions (or for Young Adult genre as some liked to call it), it’s about 552 pages long.
4. If you liked this book, there’s a lovely film adaptation directed by Brian Percival. My favorite scene in the movie is when Liesel walks into class and is asked to write her own name and instead of her name, she writes X.
5. Personally, I really like the covers of this particular edition and the symbolism in them, one domino falls and causes a chain reaction much like with different kind of events in our lives.

“A small fact:
You are going to die….does this worry you?”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Have you read The Book Thief? What did you think of it?

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The Hours

Published on by Anastasia9 Comments

“But there are still the hours, aren’t there? One and then another, and you get through that one and then, my god, there’s another.”
― Michael Cunningham, The Hours

A year ago my wonderful Dancing English Teacher showed me a short video of The Hours. For such a short video it left a huge impact on me. You can immediately sense that something is off. Why is Laura’s husband buying flowers for her on his birthday and why does she look so haunted… I watched the movie for my US & Canada course and it was amazing and it was also one of the first book based movie adaptations I have seen before reading the book itself. Finding time and reading the book took a bit longer, I finally managed to read it earlier this year.

“There is a beauty in the world, though it’s harsher than we expect it to be.”
― Michael Cunningham, The Hours

The Hours tells the story of three women in three different timelines: Virginia Woolf who is beginning to write Mrs. Dalloway in 1923; Clarissa Vaughan, a beloved friend of an acclaimed poet dying from AIDS and Laura Brown, in a 1949 Los Angeles suburb, who slowly begins to feel the constraints of her “perfect” housewife life. At first, you think all these women have in common is Mrs Dalloway. Virginia Woolf who has written it, Laura Brown who reads it and Clarissa who is called Mrs Dalloway by her poet friend. But it goes deeper than that.

“Beauty is a whore, I like money better.”
― Michael Cunningham, The Hours

“We throw our parties; we abandon our families to live alone in Canada; we struggle to write books that do not change the world, despite our gifts and our unstinting efforts, our most extravagant hopes. We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep. It’s as simple and ordinary as that. A few jump out windows, or drown themselves, or take pills; more die by accident; and most of us are slowly devoured by some disease, or, if we’re very fortunate, by time itself. There’s just this for consolation: an hour here or there when our lives seem, against all odds and expectations, to burst open and give us everything we’ve ever imagined, though everyone but children (and perhaps even they) know these hours will inevitably be followed by others, far darker and more difficult. Still, we cherish the city, the morning; we hope, more than anything, for more. Heaven only knows why we love it so…”
― Michael Cunningham, The Hours

By the end of the novel, all these three stories and timelines are weaved together in a beautiful manner. Nothing about this book is expected. The Hours is SO well-written and complex, I first thought that this complexity would make it hard for me to concentrate on reading, however it read very easily. The Hours is very deeply moving, I absolutely adored this novel.

5/5 stars.

How To Read The Hours:
1. You can read the excerpt HERE.
2. I think this is kind of a depressing thoughtful book so if you don’t like those, you perhaps won’t understand this.
3. I think if you are interested about Virginia Woolf in general, you should read this. It’s a tribute to her and ‘The Hours’ was also the working title of Woolf’s 1920s classic Mrs Dalloway. This novel is also written in a similar stream-of-consciousness style, though I think it was much easier to read this than Mrs Dalloway.
4. You’ll love this if you like reading beautiful prose and if you like deeper prose.
5. If you liked the book, pretty please watch the movie adaptation. It’s just stunning. Meryl Streep (😂😂😂!), Nicole Kidman & Julianne Moore are just fantastic in their roles.

“What does it mean to regret when you have no choice? It’s what you can bear. And there it is… It was death. I chose life.”
― Michael Cunningham, The Hours

Have you read The Hours or other books by Michael Cunningham? What about Mrs Dalloway? Would you like to?

                                            Buy The Hours: A Novel on Amazon

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Divergent, Insurgent & Allegiant

Published on by Anastasia4 Comments

“Becoming fearless isn’t the point. That’s impossible. It’s learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.”
― Veronica Roth, Divergent

One choice can transform you.

In Beatrice Prior’s Chicago, society is divided into five factions: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all 16-year-olds must select a faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice (Tris) the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is so she makes a choice that surprises everyone…

The Divergent trilogy  is a set of young adult dystopian novels by Veronica Roth set in a post-apocalyptic  Chicago. The trilogy consists of Divergent (2011), Insurgent (2012) and Allegiant (2013).

I first picked up Divergent at the end of 2013 (whaat was that really three years ago 🙈) and I was immediately hooked by the story. The concept was very fascinating and unusual. In this trilogy, people are split into different segments based on their personalities or virtues. For example, faction of Abnegation believes in selfless action and raw as less attention to themselves as possible. And it wasn’t all perfect, there are both political and social problems in Chicago and there are outcasts called “Factionless” and also people who are called Divergents. I found the world building in Divergent very captivating. Among other, it got me thinking about what faction would I have chosen.

“Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now.”
― Veronica Roth, Divergent

One choice can destroy you.

I picked up Insurgent almost immediately after finishing Divergent. It was not as good as Divergent (sequel syndrome?), I also felt like the plot was dragging on a bit at few points.  And the reader was hinted about what had happened to cause this apocalyptic world yet as the ending of the book was closing up, there were barely any answers.

“Like a wild animal, the truth is too powerful to remain caged.”
― Veronica Roth, Insurgent

In general, I liked the characters in Divergent Trilogy. I liked Tris the most, of course I guess it’s because it’s her first-person narrative that carries us through the trilogy. Tris keeps learning new things about herself and even though she has a strong character, she’s not perfect. For example, she has to learn how to fire a gun or punch someone. And she has insecurities. I liked the relationship between Tris’ mentor and later her boyfriend, Four. It’s maybe a bit over-romantic, however I think that tells us and shows us that it’s Tris who is telling the story. Tris’ friends were awesome and I liked how “the bad guy” was sort of there but not in a important role.

One choice will define you.

I felt a bit hesitant about reading Allegiant because I had heard some stuff about it …and then critics didn’t adore it and what not so I waited almost a year, until the end of 2014 before I finished the trilogy. I liked it but I felt like Roth left too many ideas unfinished and I found myself missing a little depth to those ideas. You finally were let on what has happened in Chicago ages ago, why in Chicago and why there are factions in the first place and I wish that would have been discussed more in the second book because now it felt a bit rushed.

“Knowledge is power. Power to do evil…or power to do good. Power itself is not evil. So knowledge itself is not evil.”
― Veronica Roth, Allegiant

And perhaps I was expecting something a bit more explosive, not this damp ending. And what an ending! It kind of broke my heart but I guess I’m not so mad about it anymore (oh yes I am). In a way it felt right (no it didn’t) in a way even if I was basically sobbing for the last 50 pages or so. When you think of it, we saw this coming based on what happened to most characters in the series.

All in all, 4/5 stars for the whole trilogy.

How To read The Divergent Trilogy:

1. Divergent trilogy is a must read if you’re a fan of this genre, it’s fast paced, plot-driven & suspenseful. And I just love action packed books. However, I suppose if you haven’t liked Hunger Games, Legend series, Shatter Me, Selection series, Uglies…this probably isn’t your thing. I suppose I would recommend this more for young readers.
2. You’ll like this if you like character development and if you like strong main characters. Tris was wonderful female character. She’s strong but she has her weaker moments, insecurities and she allows herself to have feelings.
3. Lots and lots of quotable lines and writing suits the type of this book. Also, the use of stream of consciousness was nice and first-person narrative was fitting as well.
4. If you dislike and have gotten tired of love triangles in YA dystopians, you should read this. Relationship between Tris and Fours is so sweet. And I don’t know, it was refreshing after all those triangles.
5.  There’s a related book called Four!! Need I tell you more? <4
6. Prepare to sob over the ending.

“I suppose a fire that burns that bright is not meant to last.”
― Veronica Roth, Allegiant

Have you read The Divergent Trilogy? Thoughts? If you have read it few years back, what do you think of it now?

 

Buy Divergent Series Complete Box Set on Amazon

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BBC – The Big Read

Published on by Anastasia21 Comments

BBC

The Big Read was a survey on books carried out by the BBC in the United Kingdom in 2003, where over three quarters of a million votes were received from the British public to find the nation’s best-loved novel of all time. The year-long survey was the biggest single test of public reading taste to date,and culminated with several programmes hosted by celebrities, advocating their favorite books.

If my maths worked correctly (rarely does) I have read 59/100 61/100 books from this list & reviewed only few… What about you? Which ones do you think I should read next? Are there books here you think I should skip ?

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (currently reading)

2. The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

4. Harry Potter series – JK Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

6. The Bible

7. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

8. Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell

9. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman

10. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

11. Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

13. Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

14. Complete Works of Shakespeare

15. Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

16. The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

17. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk

18. Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

19. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

20. Middlemarch – George Eliot

21. Gone with the Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald read: 15.06.2016.

24. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

27. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28. Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

29. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Caroll

30. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

33. Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis

34. Emma -Jane Austen

35. Persuasion – Jane Austen

36. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis

37. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres

39. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

40. Winnie the Pooh – A.A. Milne

41. Animal Farm – George Orwell

42. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

43. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

45. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

46. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery (not sure)

47. Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

48. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

49. Lord of the Flies – William Golding

50. Atonement – Ian McEwan

51. Life of Pi – Yann Martel

52. Dune – Frank Herbert

53. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

54. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

55. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

56. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57. A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

58. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

60. Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck , read in August 2016

62. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

63. The Secret History – Donna Tartt

64. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

65. Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

66. On the Road – Jack Kerouac

67. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68. Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

69. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

70. Moby Dick – Herman Melville (not sure)

71. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

72. Dracula – Bram Stoker

73. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

74. Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

75. Ulysses – James Joyce

76. The Inferno – Dante

77. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

78. Germinal – Emile Zola

79. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

80. Possession – AS Byatt

81. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

82. Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

83. The Color Purple – Alice Walker

84. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

87. Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White

88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90. The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton

91. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad (not sure)

92. The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks (not sure)

94. Watership Down – Richard Adams

95. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

97. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

98. Hamlet – William Shakespeare

99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

100. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

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How to Take a Road Trip

Published on by Anastasia3 Comments

“I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

On the Road is a novel by American author Jack Kerouac, it’s based on the road trips of Kerouac and his friends across America. The novel was published in 1957 and it is  Roman à clef (novel about real life) featuring many key figures of the Beat movement: William S. Burroughs (Old Bull Lee), Allen Ginsberg (Carlo Marx) and Neal Cassady (Dean Moriarty) represented by characters in the book, including Kerouac himself as the narrator Sal Paradise.

“A pain stabbed my heart, as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

I saw ‘On the Road’ audiobook in the library and having never listened to audio book before I thought it was about time I did. Listening to ‘On the Road’ took only about two hours and I listened to it while I was riding a bus home. I think it was more enjoyable than listening to music. I liked the voice of Carradine and it was sort of interesting experience, however, I didn’t really get the point of this novel. I’m not sure if it had one. I get the title but somehow I expected this to have more self-discovery, self-knowledge, more lessons learned, more of something else than what this was. And I guess it’s freedom and fun to drive across the states like that but I like to have at least some kind of plans. Moreover, I didn’t quite like the way this was written even when I was only listening to this. Sentences are all broken, endless stream of thoughts and again where was the point of the whole road trip. Sometimes it works for me, with this it didn’t. What I did like was the American culture & road trip culture and there were some funny moments like when Sal Paradise who hadn’t eaten for days hitchhiked with a man who purposefully was starving himself.

“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

2/5 stars

Tips

1. If you want to read this but can’t bring yourself to read the actual book, audiobook read by Carradine is a good option for you. And it only takes about 2 hours to listen to it :D
2. I think this book is more suitable for male readers for those of you who like road trips. If you don’t like unplanned road trips, I’m sure you won’t like this.
3. If you want to learn more about the Beat Movement, literature that explored and influenced American culture in the post-World War II era., this is the book for you. And I guess if you like authors like: William S. Burroughs or Allen Ginsberg. Otherwise stay away.

                                         Buy On the Road audiobook on Amazon

“I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty.”
― Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Have you read On the Road? Do you like audio books?

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Nothing to Envy

Published on by Udantha3 Comments

Ordinary lives in North Korea

new.jpgWe have come across all the ridiculousness going on in North Korea through awesome documentaries such as VICE put through and hype the movie “The Interview” created. But something always made me wonder actually what was going on in the bubble the North Koreans were stuck in , apart from Kim Jong Un’s “iconic” haircut. Nuclear weapons, Communism and propaganda: some words that comes to our mind when the name is brought on. Recently one of my favorite pod-casters Jocko Willink did a review on this book and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it . It was just well written, the exceptional details and solved almost all the questions that I had about North Korea. My initial reaction was ” Damn , didn’t thought MAD MAX was real”. So I took my time and read the book and here’s my thoughts on the book by The Los Angeles Times journalist, Barbara Demick.

The book centers around six North Korean defectors in 1990s. I was really fascinated by the fact that all characters, differ from each other and came out of different walks of life. Mi-ran, a young girl who grows up to be a teacher, Jun-sang : Mi-ran’s lover and an engineering student , Mrs Song a factory worker , Kim-hyuk an Orphan child ,Dr Kim a young doctor, Oak-hee: Mrs Song’s rebellious daughter. The Author manages to give life to the characters through super detailed descriptions. Nevertheless all the character’s mentioned above were real people. Struggle, sadness, helplessness, innocence and bravery was embedded deeply in each an every character in a way that the reader would really embrace it . The story is mostly set on a coastal city in North Korea, Chongjin, fairly far away from the Capital Pyongyang.

“He wasn’t merely the father of their country, their George Washington, their Mao, he was their God.” – Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy

2

Kim il sung, and his propaganda machine shines through out the book, dragging people to hell while they grew their wealth and comfort into a surreal amount. The communism and the dictatorship of the regime, manages to take away the freedom and brainwashes them to believe in the inevitable propaganda. The author goes to explain how they all thought the purpose of living was serving their fatherland the and the great Marshall Kim il sung. All the media from books to movies were just one more glorification of Kim il sung. And as the book says people even takes the pleasure of believing he’s some kind of a super human being.

“But the dark has advantages of its own. Especially if you are a teenager dating somebody you can’t be seen with.”  – Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy

Mi-ran and Jun-sang’s innocent romance is captivated through out the book till the very end with picturesque descriptions. and Mr. Song’s ability get on her feet every time a road block shows up and her kindness impersonates almost an anchor character in the book . After the death of Kim il sung North Korea suffers from a famine that shook downs to the core. Even before, the author explains food wasn’t ever the strongest suit of general public except the elites. And everything the North Koreans had to go through, the Americans were to blame according to the regime, the death of Kim il sung and the treacherous food shortage. And like wise the hatred that the population had towards US was mind boggling. And here’s an example of a math question that was mentioned in the book.

“Three soldiers from the Korean People’s Army killed thirty American soldiers. How many American soldiers were killed by each of them if they all killed an equal number of enemy soldiers?”  – Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy

3

“Behind the station near the railroad tracks were vendors who cooked soup and noodles over small burners, and it was said that the gray chunks of meat floating in the broth were human flesh.”  – Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy

The brutality of the famine that each character experiences makes you appreciate your life more. Each character escapes North Korea in unique ways bribing their ways through and hurdling million challengers. After they get out of North Korea, all the things that they have been missing and the realizing the propaganda that regime put through was priceless. Mr Songs reaction to a rice cooker to Jun-sang seeing Mi-ran drive a car , made a faint smile on my face, berried by the empathy I felt towards them for all the things they went through.

On a high note I can’t recommend this book enough to anybody, a great work of art depict beautifully yet simply reflecting on lives of North Koreans and their struggle.

4,7/5 stars

                           Buy Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea on Amazon
Buy Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea audiobook on Amazon

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Room

Published on by Anastasia12 Comments

“When I was a little kid I thought like a little kid, but now I’m five I know everything”
― Emma Donoghue, Room

Room is a 2010 novel by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue. The story is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy, Jack, who is being held captive in a small room along with his mother. In 11-by-11-foot room, there is a small kitchen, a rug,  a bathtub, a wardrobe, a bed, and a TV set. Because it is all he has ever known, Jack thinks that only Room is “real” and that the rest of the world exists only in television. (=Jack thinks that he and his mother are the only two real humans.)

I was hesitant to read this at first because I was half-expecting something like 3096 Days, some kind of a good/horrible survivor story but one that makes you hate the world and people and it’s always kind of awful to read something like that. Then I got this book as a gift from my friend (thank you!) and ‘Room’is just excellent.

“People don’t always want to be with people. It gets tiring.”
― Emma Donoghue, Room

“Everybody’s damaged by something.”
― Emma Donoghue, Room

I liked the characters and how the characters were described. Main characters were Jack, Ma and Old Nick. Jack is wonderful and Ma is very brave woman. And the way they were described and character building in general reminded me of Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’. ‘Room’ tells us all we need to know about characters without telling the reader their real names or backgrounds, all we get is little pieces here and there.

Point of view of five year old child was just genius move from Donoghue, it was something I haven’t really encountered before and she wrote it very well.  Kids are like that, they think like that, they make up their own words, they believe everything their parents or ‘Ma’ tells them, they’re so smart but so naiive and luckily they get over things quickly. And Donoghue nailed it. First I thought it would be annoying but it was really sweet and interesting to read a book from a POV like this.

“This is a bad story.”
“Sorry. I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have told you.”
“No, you should,” I say.
“But—”
“I don’t want there to be bad stories and me not know them.”
― Emma Donoghue, Room

Although there is a much darker topic I felt like it was handled very gently. Also, this is a hard topic to turn into a fiction so I applaud Donoghue for writing this book.

Unique, gripping and truly remarkable.

4,5/5 stars

Tips
1. This is a great novel if you are interested about survival stories, psychology and if you want to read something that has unique kind of point of view and writing style. You can read excerpt of the book here.
2. 432 pages, I couldn’t put it down before I knew what happened to Jack and his Ma. I think this is a perfect book for book clubs because there are so many themes to discuss. 
3. I enjoyed this book because of the unique POV but I think it might be off-putting for some readers.
4. Film adaptation was made in 2015 starring Brie Larsson.
5. For further reading: 3096 Days by Natascha Kampusch & Fritzl case. If you enjoyed reading this, you might like books written by Torey Hayden.

               Buy Emma Donoghue – Room: A Novel (1st) (8/14/10) on Amazon

“Goodbye, Room.” I wave up at Skylight. “Say goodbye,” I tell Ma. “Goodbye, Room.”
Ma says it but on mute.
I look back one more time. It’s like a crater, a hole where something happened. Then we go out the door.”
― Emma Donoghue, Room

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts?

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The Revenant

Published on by Anastasia8 Comments

“Marshaling his strength, he rolled heavily on his stomach. He felt the snap of suture breaking and the warm wetness of new blood on his back. The pain diluted to nothing against the tide of his rage. Hugh Glass began to crawl.”
― Michael Punke, The Revenant

The Revenant by Michael Punke is a 2002 novel based on a series of events in the life of American frontiersman Hugh Glass. Funnily, I don’t think many people, including me, knew of this book before the movie adaptation. I picked this book up because I felt like I owe it to Leo(nardo DiCaprio) to read the book (because I wanted to read the book before the movie) that inspired the movie adaptation and finally got him his Oscar. I understand now the appeal movie director Alejandro González Iñárritu saw.  Also, I suppose I was lured in by the the title. The Revenant – one who has returned as if from dead. 

Shortly about the plot, in novel, it’s 1823. Novel starts by describing some trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. Hugh Glass is among the Company’s finest men, an experienced frontiersman and an expert tracker. Then, during the very first pages we learn that he is viciously mauled by a grizzly bear and not expected to survive. The Company’s captain dispatches two of his men to stay behind and Glass a proper burial. BUT  two men abandon him instead, taking his only means of protecting himself.

“Of course it’s not simple. Who said it was simple? But you know what? Lots of loose ends don’t ever get tied up. Play the hand you’re dealt. Move on.”
― Michael Punke, The Revenant

I’ll just have to agree with Washington Post, it’s indeed “A superb revenge story”.  I was worried at first that ‘The Reventant’ would turn out to be very gritty, bloody and violent novel. I had seen bits of trailer and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was very gritty in a a way, yet it wasn’t bad and I haven’t read too many westerns so I found ‘The Revenant’ very enjoyable. I adore books that teach me something small, and this novel gave me nice little details of the history and also about the life of Hugh Glass. What I perhaps didn’t like was that first half of the book was much more exciting than the second one. I wish the author would have dragged it on for a bit or made more plot twists towards the end of the book. Moreover, I was also a bit surprised by the ending but I guess that’s how it works in real life.

In either case all that crawling… I just can’t give that less than 4/5 stars.

“He raised his eyes to a horizon carved from snowy mountain peaks, virgin white against the frigid blue sky. He could climb up there if he wanted. Climb up there and touch the horizon, jump across and find the next..”
― Michael Punke, The Revenant

Tips
1. You’ll like this if you like reading westerns, survival stories or just historical fiction in general. You’ll learn about unpredictable American West in 1820s.
2. It’s quite quick read, 300 pages. Personally I liked the covers of the paperback more than hardcover, it was more modern and blue color fits the book better. 
3. It’s best if you start reading this book with low expectations. I had barely heard anything about this book so I was positively surprised. 
4. I wouldn’t say that this book had any graphic content, however I think most sensitive readers perhaps should fast-forward the part where bear attacks the main character.
5. For further reading: Hugh Glass: The Truth Behind the Revenant Legend, The Revenant (movie) Fact vs. Fiction.

Leo-extra

Have you read this? Have you seen the movie adaptation?

Buy the book: The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge

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Top Ten Bookworm Delights

Published on by Anastasia31 Comments

As always, Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is: Top Ten Bookworm Delights. Below you can find my Top Ten.b4597-toptentuesday 1. Bookish maps
Who doesn’t adore books that have beautiful maps in them?
 2. Pages
I love when book has deckled edges, it gives the impression that book is mysterious and that it has been read by many readers. I also love when books have golden edges.

 3. Overflowing bookshelves

4. Discovering new 5/5 stars books 5. Bookish tattoos
6. Secondhand bookstores
I usually act like this in them.
7. When someone reads same books as me
8. Fandoms
I’m not alone loving alone the books I love.

9. Endless TBR list
It’s awful…and it’s amazing because you’ll never run out of books to read.
10. Books & Coffee
Is there anything better than this?

Happy TTT! What are your bookworm delights?

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E-Books On the Go

Published on by Udantha2 Comments

    Moon+ Reader – Arguably best reading app ever

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As the technology grips on to our lives in a rapid speed, the person who’s sticking to a clam-shell or a Nokia 3310 is slowly looking away. Well as there are a lot of pros and cons that comes with tech, it has clearly made our lives way easier. As a book enthusiast I find myself more and more grabbing my eBook reader or the tablet to get some reading done. As android being the platform of choice for most folks I thought of looking around for the best e-book reading app, rich in features and gives the reader the best experience. After digging around, my eye caught an app that pretty much stood out by its own. “Moon+ Reader “, as there are two versions available on the play store, for this article I’ll be looking at the paid version which goes on sale for $4,99 (€5,43, here in Finland). Is it worth the buck? Let’s check that out.

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Moon+ reader delivers a simple and clean interface for the user, sticking to the Google’s material design scheme. While all your main settings and what not are tucked away in the hamburger menu to the left which is easy accessible with a simple swipe from the left thumb. One interesting feature worth noting is the night mode which apply a pretty dark paint job over the bright app for the late night reader (well I preferred to use on default cause it just made everything look lot better)

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The home page of the reader shows the recent list with detailed descriptions and a progress bar. Down that the right bottom, you’re greeted with a floating button, which gives you the convenience of getting right back to the page that you last read.

From the get go when you open a book a customization page pops up to orientate the settings of the reader’s view. I liked the fact they managed to cramp in so much options in to a small app to give the reader the ultimate reading experience. As you keep Reading through the book , with a tap  you move on to the next chapter and a swipe will do the page turning as you assigned to your liking.
The main menu to the left also serves a range of online free eBook providers under Net library while all your local files are located on my files. The app support a wide range of file formats and the PDF file format. While I scrolled through pages I found it to be smooth as butter and with feature rich user interface look no further to turn your tablet or your phone to the perfect on the go e reader.

                                                                        4.8/5 Stars 

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Tips

1.  Keep an eye on the updates through play store get the advantage of , ever changing updates with additional new features.
2. Switch in to the night mode through the menu to a give a sleek looking dark theme.
3. Through the net library option , open the door to a huge selection of free eBooks
4. Turning your device to the landscape mode will bring up two pages
5.Tap on the clock on the left bottom corner while in the reading mode will bring up book info, add to favorites , direct links to such popular sites such as Goodreads and the option to share.
6. Menu button on books within the recent list opens up the ability to download book covers.

Downloads

Link to the paid version

Link to the free version

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First Lines of Famous Novels

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Lovely infographic I found via ebookfriendly. What are some of your favorite first lines? Comment them below.

These are some of my favorite ones:

“I’ve been locked up for 264 days.”
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

“How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed.”
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

“You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino’s new novel, If on a winter’s night a traveler.” —Italo Calvino, If on a winter’s night a traveler

“It was the day my grandmother exploded.” —Iain M. Banks, The Crow Road

 

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Maresi

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“The smell of blood. The sound of crunching bones. I do not want to bring it all up again. But I have to. It is difficult to write about death. But that is no excuse not to.” – Maria Turtschaninoff, Maresi

Maresi by Maria Turtschaninoff is the first book in Red Abbey Chronicles. It was first published in 2014, English translation was published in the beginning of this year by Pushkin Press. I was curious to read Maresi because I have seen many positive reviews of it and also because it won Finlandia Junior Prize. Maresi tells us about a world where girls aren’t allowed to learn or do as they please. However, there’s a safe haven, a place called Red Abbey on an island inhabited solely by women.

I shook my head. “Never. Men are not allowed on the island. The fishermen we trade with do not set foot on the island, Sister Veerk buys the catch from the pier. We have male animals of course. One quite savage rooster, some billy goats. But no men.”  – Maria Turtschaninoff, Maresi

Novel is narrated by its main character, young girl named Maresi who came to the Red Abbey several years ago during the Hunger Winter. Then one day everything changes when a new girl, Jai, arrives to island. Jai is silent and guarded… and on the run from her violent father.

Jai looked at me with a grave expression. “Do you think the birds would still wake us? If somebody came?”  – Maria Turtschaninoff, Maresi

Maresi sucks you in and doesn’t let go. It’s distinctly feminist, yet it doesn’t manifest it. Men are not the enemies, but they can be. Novel also delivers many other vital messages, for example that there is always hope and how “knowledge is power”. And who doesn’t like books where main characters are fellow read-a-holics?

I enjoyed the symbolism in Maresi. Red ~ color of blood but also sacrifice, danger and courage. Hair ~ long hair: power, flowing hair: freedom. Moon ~ well… is there more feminine symbol than that. I read English translation of this novel (Maresi was originally published in Swedish) and it was wonderful, translator has done a fantastic job. You can feel the original language there though English translation is very “whole”. In general, I’m not the biggest fan of Finnish fiction, however with Maresi I was glad to make an exception. I didn’t feel like the book lacked anything and it was The Complete Package, I’m glad there will be more books to this series.

4/5 stars

Tips

1.(This is for all feminists out there.)
2.Great read for girls, women and anyone who wants to read refreshing and different kind of young adult fantasy.
3. Maresi is about 256 pages long, it reads quickly and easily and despite some symbolism I didn’t feel like it was difficult.
4. If you like Le Guin’s books, I think Maresi would be something you would enjoy.
5. There are apparently some small connections to other books written by Turtschaninoff, unfortunately ‘Arra’ and ‘Anaché’ have only been published in Finnish and Swedish.

“Do not be sad, Maresi. You have to let go of the old to begin something new. But that does not mean it is lost for ever.” – Maria Turtschaninoff, Maresi

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Ten Bookish People You Should Follow On Instagram

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As always, Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is: “Ten Bookish People You Should Follow On Twitter/Instagram/Youtube/Snapchat/Facebook — you pick the platform of your choice to talk about all the interesting bookish people to follow!  If you don’t use social media much you can pick your favorite bookish blogs or new blogs you’ve come across to follow”. Here are my top ten bookstagram accounts on IG you should follow (of course since this covers only ten you should know there are many more awesome account out there!). For this post I have chosen my favorite pictures… not the most recent ones.

1.littlebookwormig

2. bookloversnest


3.millennium.of.books


4.bookreveries

Black, white and a well lived life. I love black and white together and I have painted quite a few black and white paintings for my love of contrast, and for its meaning. We wouldn't appreciate the white if it wasn't for the black. Same in life. Can we appreciate the light of a candle if it wasn't surrounded by darkness? Here I've put some books together which are in contrast to eachother as well. Some heavy, some light, some modern, some classic; all giving different emotions, and because of the contrast, in the end, all very much appreciated. Only when you have felt them all you can say that you have truly lived. — Covering tags from my bookish friends: #blackandwhitebooks – @theconstantvoice @thefinchbook, #bookmatchcorrespondence – @vanfenwood And contemporary #bookishstripes – @orlaya9 Thank you so much, much love to you all 💞 — #madamebovary #thefall #thestranger #camus #flaubert #books #bibliophile #bookaddict #booklove #bookish #bookobsession #bookphotography #thoughts #writing #bookreveries #read #postcards #life #blackandwhite

A photo posted by Jessica (@bookreveries) on


5.wovenmagicbooks

6.escape_by_reading


7.dogearedtails


8.booksandbeans


9. bookishbonbon

10. buecher.princess

And of course, you could follow me too! I would be forever grateful and overjoyed!

Happy TTT! Who are your top ten bookish people and where can I find them? :)

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10 Of My Most Recent 5 Star Reads

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As always, Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is: “10 Of My Most Recent 5 Star Reads (Or Ten Of The Best Books I’ve Read Recently if you don’t 5 star stuff…or you could do 5 of my latest five star reads & five of my most disappointing or 1 star reads) “.

I’m doing this post in a bit different way including only the best nonfiction I’ve read. It seems like I don’t review enough of that here.

ZeroZeroZero1. ZeroZeroZero by Roberto Saviano

“Zero zero zero” flour is the finest, whitest available. “Zero zero zero” is also the nickname among narcotraffickers for the purest, highest quality cocaine on the market.” Saviano’s newest is heartbreaking report on cocaine market.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants2. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell

For the first book I’ve ever read by Malcom Gladwell, I’m very impressed! I have read a lot of great nonfiction, however I think few books can really teach you something that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Gladwell grabs your attention with quotes in the beginning of each chapter:  “You wouldn’t wish dyslexia on your child. Or would you?”

3. Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped by Garry Kasparov

“Communism is like an autoimmune disorder; it doesn’t do the killing itself, but it weakens the system so much that the victim is left helpless and unable to fight off anything else. It destroys the human spirit on an individual level, perverting the values of a successful free society. “

4. The Spy With 29 Names by Jason Webster

“He fought on both sides in the Spanish Civil War. He was awarded the Iron Cross by Hitler and an MBE by Britain. To MI5 he was known as Garbo. To the Abwehr, he was Alaric. He also went by Rags the Indian Poet, Mrs Gerbers, Stanley the Welsh Nationalist – and 24 other names. He tricked Hitler over D-Day. He was the greatest double agent in history.”

5. Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice by Bill Browder

“After Khodorkovsky was found guilty, most of Russia’s oligarchs went one by one to Putin and said, ‘Vladimir Vladimirovich, what can I do to make sure I won’t end up sitting in a cage?’ I wasn’t there, so I’m only speculating, but I imagine Putin’s response was something like this: ‘Fifty per cent.”

Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life: A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected6. Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life: A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected by Jason Hanson

Great book! Everyone should read this, especially women. Hanson teaches us about situational awareness: maybe you should stop using your smart phone in public, especially in shopping malls and concentrate on what’s happening around you. Also, what are the pre-incident indicators, signs that someone will be attempting to hurt you. How to avoid dangerous situations, what to carry in your bag, how to escape duct tape, social engineering… Some of these advices might seem too much but there’s a lot you can learn. You’ll do yourself a great favor by reading ‘Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life’ (because they will save your life).

7. Treasure Islands: Tax Havens and the Men Who Stole the World by Nicholas Shaxson

“One is that the offshore system is perhaps the strongest determinant of how political and economic power works in this world. It helps rich people, companies and countries stay on top, for no good economic or political reason. It’s the battleground of the rich versus the poor, you versus the corporations, the havens against the democracies – and in each battle, unless you’re very rich, you are losing.”

8. The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind by Michio Kaku

“We have learned more about the brain in the last fifteen years than in all prior human history, and the mind, once considered out of reach, is finally assuming center stage.”

Reasons to Stay Alive9. Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

“The wound is the place where Light enters you.” – Rumi

Everyone and especially everyone who has been depressed or is depressed should read Haig’s book. There are few rare books that teach you about yourself as much and that describe depression and anxiety with such intensity. Simply a great book.

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History10.The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel

“At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in Europe. The Fuehrer had begun cataloguing the art he planned to collect as well as the art he would destroy: “degenerate” works he despised. In a race against time, behind enemy lines, often unarmed, a special force of American and British museum directors, curators, art historians, and others, called the Momuments Men, risked their lives scouring Europe to prevent the destruction of thousands of years of culture.”  Very fascinating! I highly admire these men and women who risked their lives to save the culture and through that also the history in World War II. I have read quite much history, however this book had so many interesting details I didn’t know of before.

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Ten Books To Read If You Are In The Mood For Beautiful Illustrations and Good Stories

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Top Ten Tuesday meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is ‘Ten Books To Read If You Are In The Mood For X’ I decided I’ll introduce you some of my favorite illustrated books. I’m doing this post with videos (mostly) because otherwise there’s no explaining how gorgeous these books are:

  1. WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi (illustrated by Chris Riddell)
    WondLa consists of three books: The Search for WondLa, A Hero For Wondla and The Battle for WondLa. All three books are illustrared by wonderful Chris Riddell.

  2. The Sleeper and the Spindle: Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell
  3. Goth Girl by Chris Riddell

    (So because this blog post is not about Riddell, no more his books, even if books illustrated by him are always gorgeous.)

  4. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
    “What if took part of the text out” …yeah I can see what happened there. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is amazing book, it’s unimaginable how Selznick tells the story nearlyt without words, just using pictures.
  5. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

  6. Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
  7. The Last Hero (Discworld #27) by Terry Pratchett. Illustrated by Paul Kidby
  8. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (The Tales of Dunk and Egg #1-3) by George R.R. Martin
  9. The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers

  1. Matilda by Roald Dahl
    And really ANY book by Roald Dahl with Quentin Blakes’ illustrations.

What are your favorite illustrated books? Happy TTT!

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Perfect Books For Bragging Purposes

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“Who knows himself a braggart, let him fear this, for it will come to pass that every braggart shall be found an ass.”
― William Shakespeare, The Complete Works

I think everyone brags about something. And I think people oftenl like to boast about books they’ve read or be seen as readers. Because reading is always seen as a good thing to do. Below are some great books for bragging purposes and how people tend to brag about them:

The Prince by Niccolo Macchiavelli
How do people brag about reading The Prince: They’ll throw couple of Macchiavelli quotes at you. The Prince is a book on how to achieve power and how to keep it so they’ll say how much they learned from reading it and how it changed how they see their professional/private life. I think it tells something about people if they’re quoting Prince to you.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
How do people brag about reading And Then There Were None:
“After (xx) years, I still remember the killer’s name.” I think this is a great novel but SERIOUSLY, name of the killer,  it’s only mentioned once in the book and it’s not the most essential detail to remember. Also people will say it’s greatest mystery novel of all time (maybe true).

War and Peace by Lev Tolstoy & Ulysseus by James Joyce
How do people brag about reading War & Peace and Ulysseus: This one is tricky. People just say they’ve read these two novels. What they’re not saying and what they are really thinkig is that they should receive a medal for it because don’t you know how many pages they have.

Anything Shakespeare
How do people brag about reading Shakespeare: They’ll ask you about your favorite play and then tell you about their favorite play, probably also using names of the characters. They’ll probably throw some quotes at you as well. They’ll talk about differences between original work and different adaptations.

“I don’t like to brag or frighten, but I’ve got a black belt. And a brown one, which I sometimes wear with black slacks.”
― Jarod Kintz, $3.33

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
How do people brag about reading Crime and Punishment: Something along the lines: psychological masterpiece and that mental anguish and moral dilemmas presented in this book are astonishing. That Raskolnikov is highly fascinating character.

Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
How do people brag about reading 1984: If someone mentions “big brother”, they’ll explain where did that term originate from. Also braggers will use it as example in every discussion concerning dystopians, totalitarism or dictatorshops.

What do you think are books people brag about reading? What are books that you like to brag about having read?

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The Unknown Soldier

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“God damn you, I’ll put a bullet through the first one of you who takes a step back­ward!”
― Väinö Linna, The Unknown Soldier

The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas) is author Väinö Linna’s first major novel and his other major work besides Under the North Star. Published in 1954, it is a story about the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union as told from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers. In general, I avoid reading Finnish books because I don’t get ‘high’ from reading them and they are often very dull. However, I like Tuntematon sotilas (The Unknown Soldier). It took me a very long time to read it through but I’m glad I finished it. I like how it represents some kind of a Finnish collective consciousness.

“The things we have to do, we do – otherwise, we might as well be Lulu’s chickens on the loose.”
― Väinö Linna, The Unknown Soldier

The prose is short, direct, and to the point. It was a very different from reading it in English than in  Finnish. I like the scale of different characters in Tuntematon sotilas. There are Finns from different parts of Finland, speaking in different dialects, from different backgrounds and social classes and having very different personalities and characteristics.  I also liked how well this book represented Finland during Continuation War. Nation was still  torn apart after the Finnish Civil War and in WW2, many who had fought on opposite sides, fought now on the same side.

4/5 stars

Tips
1. If you like war tales and  if you don’t know what happened in Finland during World War II, this might be interesting read for you. It’s gritty and realistic and it describes Finnish soldiers all the way behind god’s back, in the very small little corner of World War II. 
2. Finns are not great with small talk so here’s something to discuss :D I think every Finn has read this book / or they have definitely read Under the North Star. 
3. You should read this if you like books that have great dialogue. 
4. The novel has approximately 338 pages, I wasn’t especially fond of the translation though I read that Penguin Books had published a new English translation of the book in this year. Of course,  I think it’s hard to translate books like this.
5. If you’re looking for more Finnish literature like this, Väinö Linna has also written a trilogy called Under the North Star which follows closely life of Finnish family during Finnish Civil War.

Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää! Happy independence day, Finland!

                                                Buy The Unknown Soldier on Amazon

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Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass

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“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a different world. I think it was my mother who first read me Alice in Wonderland when I was a little girl. There is mostly no plot or any kind of sense with Alice in Wonderland, however you could also see it as story where a young girl learns about herself, journey of self discovery. I love the number of characters in both books, my favorite characters are perhaps Cheshire-Cat and Mad hatter. Cheshire- Cat is always smiling and talking in nonsense riddles. Mad hatter is well…mad.

“Mad Hatter: “Why is a raven like a writing-desk?”
“Have you guessed the riddle yet?” the Hatter said, turning to Alice again.
“No, I give it up,” Alice replied: “What’s the answer?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” said the Hatter”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a sequel to Alice in Wonderland.  It’s set six months later than the earlier book. In sequel, Alice enters to an alternative world by climbing through a mirror. Sequel differs from first volume in several respects: Alice is older, it makes more sense, it’s much longer, everything is kind of a bit more mature compared to first installment, oh it has Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Both books are very enjoyable to read, however I like Alice in Wonderland a bit more.

4/5 stars

“Speak in French when you can’t think of the English for a thing–
turn your toes out when you walk—
And remember who you are!”
― Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Tips

1. These book are perfect for you if you like literary nonsense and books by Roald Dahl.
2. I didn’t recall how ridiculously short Alice in Wonderland was,  so it is a perfect read if you want to read a “classic” but don’t have time for War & Peace. Book is about 92 pages long.
3. Alice in Wonderland was first published in 1865, that’s 150 years ago! Wonderful excuse to read it, isn’t it? You must find an edition with illustrations.
4. There’s no plot, no sense and yes, it’s kind of a silly book (Alice in Wonderland).
5. You can download Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass for free at Project Gutenberg.

“Begin at the beginning,” the King said, very gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Buy Alice Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass on Amazon

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V for Vendetta

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“Behind this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea… and ideas are bulletproof.”
― Alan Moore, V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta is a graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. In these comics, there is alternate dystopian vision of Britain in the 1990s. The fascist Norsefire party has exterminated its opponents in concentration camps and rules the country. Comics follow V, an anarchist, who starts a revolution to bring down the government.

I like V. I adore V as character. He’s very well created. We can see him as hero fighting for a noble cause  or we can think that he is simply a maniac causing a lot of chaos with supernatural powers and brilliant mind. He is a mystery. I also like how the plot enwraps, all the little surprises you don’t see coming and everything you could quote in V for Vendetta … Quotes, they are bulletproof.

“Everybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain. Everybody. Everybody has their story to tell.”
― Alan Moore, V for Vendetta

Graphic novels like this are always a bit twisted and they’re supposed to be like that. I am a bit conflicted about Evey, V’s protégé. First of all she’s very young. Second of all, she’s kidnapped by this mysterious man in a mask who holds her prisoner, brainwashes her for her own good and in the end Evey nearly falls in love with him. But hey let’s not read too much into that.

I don’t see anarchism doing any good and I don’t support anarchism, however I understand portrayal of anarchism in arts, especially in dystopian worlds like this one. I think it goes along with the vigilantes and freedom fighters in comics and literature in general (Robin Hood, Green Arrow, pirates etc….). We are given two ultimatums in these comics: fascism or anarchism so I understand the appeal of anarchism. Though, in the end, we don’t know what happened after.

5/5 stars

Tips

1. If you’ve never read graphic novels before but you’d like to try it out, here’s one you should start with it! Unless you don’t like dark stuff, in that case turn away from V for Vendetta.
2. Perfect November read! And if you like this, read Watchmen by Alan Moore, there are connections to V for Vendetta.
3. Content: dystopian Britain, violence, anarchism, fascism, twistedness, death and destruction.
4. MOVIE! If you’re not going to read the comics, see the movie because V is awesome in flesh. One of my all time favorite movies. (And he is just a freedom fighter in movie.)

“Remember, remember the fifth of November of gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gun powder treason should ever be forgot.”
― Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
Do you read comics?

Buy V for Vendetta on Amazon

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Helsinki Book Fair – Day 3

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Day 3

Check out post #1: Helsinki Book Fair – Day 1 & 2

9-11:  Third day started with brunch intended for the book bloggers. During this brunch many Finnish authors (Kaisa Haatanen, Simo Hiltunen, Katja Kettu, Erkka Mykkänen, Vuokko Sajaniemi, Roope Sarvilinna, Jussi Seppänen and Saara Turunen) told briefly of their books, described their writing process and answered to many questions book bloggers had. In the end of the brunch, famous Russian author Mikhail Shishkin told about his book ‘Maidenhair’. Author also discussed achieving immortality through writing or through art in general. Very lovely brunch, it was wonderful to meet other bloggers as well as hear how authors had written their books.

Received three lovely books: Yöperhonen by Katja Kettu, Neidonhius (Finnish translation) by Mikhail Shishkin and Lampaan vaatteissa by Simo Hiltunen. Can’t wait to read them!

11.30-12.00 Artemi Troitski and Luke Harding discussed Russia, KGB and murders of Anna Politkovskaja and Boris Nemtsov. Troitski used to work together with Politkovskaja in Novaya Gazeta and there was a new book from him translated into Finnish. This was very interesting topic and discussion. Both journalists/authors remained hopeful that perhaps one day there would be streets in Moscow named after Politkovskaja and Nemtsov.

12.oo – 12.30 Arman Alizad & Meeri Koutaniemi: Riisuttu Suomi. Meeri Koutaniemi is Finnish photojournalist. Arman Alzad is best known for the martial arts series Kill Arman as well as many other tv shows. In their new book they have interviewed Finns from all walks of life to really cut through the Finnish society.

Arman Alizad and Meeri Koutaniemi discussing their new book Riisuttu Suomi

13.00-14.00 Mikko Porvali: Pirtusodan CSI

Mikko Porvali is Finnish non-fiction author and detective and he has just published his new novel which is called in Finnish: Sinisen kuoleman kuva. In his books main characters are police officers in 1920s Finland. In this event he explained how hard police work was during that time. From 1919–32 Finland was under prohibition and it was enforced by law. Soon after prohibition alcohol was smuggled from abroad to Finland in unprecedented amounts. Stopping smuggling was very hard because police back then had very few cars and boats in their use. There was a law accoring to which police had to sell cars and boats they acquired from criminals so before the law was changed, smugglers could often buy their vehicles back. What also made police work harder was that there was no name register in Finland before 1920, so basically you could change your last name 5 times a day. Finger prints were first accepted in Finland only in 1927 ( 25 years later than many other European countries).

Porvali currently works as detective so I think it’s very interesting to read his novel about police. This was perhaps my favorite event at the book fair (maybe I have a calling for this profession).

Book fair continues in Helsinki still today, however I am coming down with something so I had to skip the fair today -_-

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Helsinki Book Fair 2015 – Day 1 & 2

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Helsinki Book Fair (Helsingin Kirjamessut) is an annual trade fair for books held since 2001. It is held in Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre. This year event is held 22-25 October.

Day 1 – Thursday

Russia is the theme country this year at Helsinki Book Fair and it has  influenced the program highly.  On Thursday, there was a lovely event where hosts read poems of Korney Chukovsky. Chukovsky is known for his poems for children, he is basically Dr.Seuss of Russia. Hosts of the event also explained the history and meaning of his poems and they also told more about Chukovsky himself. There was also a lot of discussion all around the book fair on freedom of speech in Russia and both Finnish and Russian authors discussed what kind of challenges literature faces in Russia.

This was my first book fair so I think I was overly excited about the program, my original plan had way too many seminars and author interviews.  In the end, my first day at Helsinki Book Fair consisted pretty much of shopping… I bought many second hand books (there was a second hand book fair at same time yay) some new books and lovely bookish bags and notebooks. Kind of wrecked my budget in the process.

Day 2 – Friday

On second day, I did plenty of book shopping, however I managed to visit many different events as well.

10.30 – 11.oo  Finnish hockey player Jarkko Ruutu talked about his biography Jumalainen näytelmä (written by Tuomas Nyholm). It was fascinating to hear about Jarkko’s life in US and in NHL. I was surprised to learn how hockey player who is practically worshipped in Finland was once hated in US.

16.30- 17.00 Sofi Oksanen discussed her newest book ‘Norma’. Sofi Oksanen is a wonderful author. Her books Puhdistus (Eng.Purge) and Kun kyyhkyset katosivat (Eng. When the Doves Disappeared) explore Estonia’s terrible wartime through fictional stories. Unfortunately I haven’t had time to read Norma yet.

17.00-17.30 Luke Harding: The Snowden Files (Finnish translation: Snowden – maailman halutuin mies). I have read Harding’s previous book ‘Mafia State: how one reporter became an enemy of the brutal new Russia’ and it was stunning. For a while it seemed like no one would dare to write about Russia truthfully anymore and most authors seem to discuss same old topics over and over again. And then Harding did it, something new and something amazing. I haven’t read The Snowden Files yet but based on his interview, it sounded very worth of reading.

I´ll continue this post on Sundaywith day 3. Stay tooned

To what book fairs have you been to? Have you read books written by Finnish authors?

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How- To Survive… On Mars

Published on by Anastasia16 Comments

“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.”
― Andy Weir, The Martian

 The Martian is a science fiction novel written by Andy Weir. It was self-published in 2011 and then re-released in 2014. In the novel, six person crew evacuates from Mars due to severe sandstorms. During evacuation, one of the crew members, Mark Watney, is impaled by an antenna. Mark is presumed dead so the crew sets their course back to earth.

Except that Mark Watney is not dead.
He is now stranded alone on Mars.

 I was hooked from the very first page of The Martian. “… and my Wikipedia page will say “Mark Watney is the only human being to have died on Mars”. And it’ll be right, probably”.  I loved the originality of this novel. There are plenty of ‘robinsonades’ and there are books set on Mars but so far I haven’t read one that would combine these two.

“I started the day with some nothin’ tea. Nothin’ tea is easy to make. First, get some hot water, then add nothin’ I experimented with potato skin tea a few weeks ago. The less said about that the better.” ― Andy Weir, The Martian

Way this novel was written was entertaining. Mostly the story was told by Mark through journal entries, however there were also parts that were set on earth once they realised Mark was not dead. Sense of humour in this book… is astonishing. Several lines made me laugh though then I remembered that poor guy is kind of stuck there, however Mark is just hilarious character. And MacGyver- moments. I love MacGyver- moments.

5/5 stars. Crazy good.

Tips
1. This is a must-read for all scifi fans.
2. If you’re interested about NASA, Mars, space, mathematical details, growing potatoes on Mars and if you like MacGyver solutions in books…definitely worth reading.
3. Book itself is quite short, however you should reserve time to read it. I couldn’t put it down without knowing how would it all end.
4.There’s huge hype around this book now. If possible, don’t build upexpectations. If you don’t expect anything, you don’t get disappointed. And I want everyone to like this book.
5. Unrelated… however I found this funny: 9GAG

“I guess you could call it a “failure”, but I prefer the term “learning experience”.”
― Andy Weir, The Martian

Have you read The Martian? What did you think of it?
If you haven’t, would you like to?

                                                   Buy The Martian on Amazon

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Ten Books For Readers Who Like Fantasy

Published on by Anastasia42 Comments

It’s Tuesday again :) TTT meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is Ten Books For Readers Who Like _______
I chose fantasy because it has always been and will probably always be my favorite genre. And my list has book series mostly…sorry for that! The books in this list are in no particular order.

b4597-toptentuesday

1. Harry Potter by J.K.Rowling
2. Doomspell trilogy by Cliff McNish
Something I call “pure fantasy”. How magic and witchcraft works in Doomspell books is so deeply thought over, element of magic is better than in Potter and that’s why you should read this.
3. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
All my childhood I wanted to have daemon.  I was obsessed with them for a long time. His Dark Materials has really good writing, parallel universes, beautiful written characters. You’ll like this if you liked Harry Potter, though it’s much more darker…just READ IT!
4. The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
(and The Tawny Man Trilogy… and Soldier Son Trilogy). Robin Hobb is probably my most favorite fantasy author. Her books stun me. I can be disgusted by the main character of her books and then I end up loving them very very much. Very few authors are capable of that.
5. The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss
Before I read The Name of the Wind I was beginning to feel very disappointed with fantasy authors. There was nothing new, nothing interesting, nothing “epic”. Name of the Wind proved  me wrong. It proved me that there are still authors who are capable of writing epical fantasy. You’ll love this if you loved Song of Ice and Fire.
6. Lord of the Rings and Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
If you haven’t read these…You should. March 25 is the annual Tolkien Reading Day…perfect time to start ;)
7. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis
8. Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin
9. Discworld by Terry Pratchett
I haven’t read all 40 books of the Discworld books. You don’t gave to start reading Discworld from the beginning, you can read any book you want to. Inhabitants of Discworld include wizards, witches, trolls and dwarves. It’s kind of ridiculous fantasy, nothing really makes sense and it’s kind of ‘messy’ world but it’s what makes it good.
10. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
Epic, epic, epic. Only reason why you as fantasy lover might not like these is that it takes author forever to write o.O

What’s your TTT? Link it below and I will check it out. OR comment! :)

 

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Dickens’ Favourite Child

Published on by Anastasia18 Comments

“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o’clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously.”
― Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

If you have forgotten how much you love Dickens and how long it has been since you read the famous Oliver Twist, Christmas Carol & Tale of Two Cities, it is time to open gorgeously written David Copperfield.  The story traces life of David Copperfield from childhood to maturity.

In this novel, I loved how vividly the characters were described. In case, you aren’t too  fond of David (who is sometimes a bit senseless), you will find some character whom you will like or love. Additionally, there are some characters you won’t like or whom you will even hate. Personally, I enjoy a bit more reading a book that has various memorable characters.

“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.”
― Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

The narrator of the book is  David as his older self. Novel is written as if it was diary where David remembers his boyhood. Sometimes the titles of the chapters  portray the chapter and what happens to David: I am born, I fall into Disgrace, I make another Beginning, I fall into Captivity, another times the titles can also consist of one word: Depression, Intelligence, Tempest, Absence remaining just as expressive.

I found David Copperfield to be quite sad book though at same time it was still full with adventure and had it’s attempts of humour every once in a while.

I’d give this book 9½/10

How-To Read David Copperfield or The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (which he never meant to publish on any account)

1. You can download this book for free on Project Gutenberg, GoodReads, Smashwords (and various other pages). You can also find in audio form on many pages.
2. Find the one with pictures, it makes reading more enjoyable.
3. Another (lovely) brick of a book. If you don’t like long books and this is your first Charles Dickens, read slightly shorter Oliver Twist.
4. I would recommend to read this book slowly, for example 30-50 pages every day, then pause for a week. This gives you time to be drawn into the story and the characters (and the enjoyment  lasts longer) and not to discard it off as dull.
5. If you like books that are written like they were diaries of that character, you will love David Copperfield.
6. If you love Charles Dickens, Victorians & descriptive novels, don’t miss this!
7. There are several movie adaptations you might want to see.

“I know enough of the world now to have almost lost the capacity of being much surprised by anything”
― Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

What Charles Dickens book is your favorite and why?

Buy the book: David Copperfield (Penguin Classics)

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How-To Live Counterclockwise

Published on by Anastasia8 Comments

“You died around twenty years ago. While you were  dead something happened to the time: it reversed itself. So you’re back. How do you like it?” ― Philip K. Dick, Counter-Clock World

Philip K. Dick is my favorite science fiction authors. I can not understand why in his times he was more or less underrated author. I think if I could be any author in this genre, I would choose PKD as I often think of the same ideas he put into paper.

“…we all lie to ourselves; we tell our own selves more lies than we ever do other people.”
― Philip K. Dick, Counter-Clock World

In Counter-Clock World, as revealed on the title of the book, the time is reversed.  In fictional 1998, the dead are re-born in their own graves and dug out. Old-born live their lives in reverse and eventually end back to the womb. From Tomb to Womb (as book was translated in Finnish).  I like the book because it is original and  I don’t think anyone wrote about this before PKD.  There are some inconsistencies, however, I wasn’t too troubled by them.  For example, sdrawkcab klat ro klaw t’nod nrob-dlo eht , although I think it would have made the book genuinely confusing. Of course, we know it’s counter-clock world,so I do understand why not everything, for the sake of the book and the reader, is happening backwards (goodbye is hello though) . Or maybe it is not inconsistency because it’s not counter-clock world as there are people who are still… ‘new-born’?

I didn’t like any of the characters in the novel as they weren’t made too likeable. I believe that CCW concentrates more on the plot and ‘from tomb to womb’ concept so characters were basically just created in purpose of telling a great story.

“Could I come along? Ann Fisher asked. ‘I’ve never seen old-born in his first hours back…I understand they have a certain, special expression, on their faces. From what they’ve seen.”
― Philip K. Dick, Counter-Clock World

I would give this book 7/10.

How-To Read Counter- Clock World
1. Book is short, a bit over 220 pages, fast read if you read much.
2. It’s kind of weird. How everything is reversed (eating, smoking).  Yet not quite everything.
3. As the author does not go too deep in explaining how everything reverses, you can stop before the next chapter and use your imagination. How the everyday habits change?
4. The idea of the book of is very entertaining, however, if this is the first of PKD for you I would not recommend it. You should rather read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (So very known movie was made of this book…) or The Man in the High Castle (my first PKD book).
5.  If you are a fan of PKD/this book/this genre then you might want to look into  the short story called Your Appointment Will Be Yesterday.

Post Scriptum.
Is Counterclockwise actual word?

Featured

Beautiful Child

Published on by Anastasia8 Comments

Safety is the most basic task of all. Without sense of safety, no growth can take place. Without safety, all energy goes to defense”
― Torey L. Hayden

 Beautiful Child written by Torey Hayden is a true story about a girl called Venus who is highly unresponsive seven-year old. Hayden, the author of this book, is an educational psychologist and a special education teacher. The setting of the book is in her classroom where she teaches five students: an aggressive and loud 9-year-old Billy, 8 year old Jesse who has Tourette’s, six year old twins who had suffered FAS and Venus who is so unresponsive that Hayden assumes she is deaf. However, Venus does talk to her older sister Wanda (actually her mother) and after getting unintentional bump on the school playground, Venus starts crying and screaming and reacts this way every time someone touches her.

“Yeah, it’s hard. It’s really, really hard. But ‘hard’ is not ‘impossible’.”
― Torey L. Hayden

I found this book (and all of Hayden’s books) to be highly inspiring and touching. It was interesting to follow how all the students advanced in their studies and how they changed during the time when Hayden was their teacher. I still don’t get how Hayden could be so patient with the children and how she gives so much of support to these children. I also like that she tells that it’s not easy, and she is also frustrated about a lot of things mentioned in the book. Still, if I would have her job, I would probably  have some serious mental breakdown during the first days so the work she does is admirable (which makes her writing admirable).

I’d give this book 8½/10

How-To Read Beautiful Child

1. At least for me reading nonfiction is a lot harder than reading fiction. That is especially the case with books like this. Children are so sweet and innocent and they should be protected. And then some have just really bad parents. This is why I wouldn’t recommend this book for too young readers (would recommend to 13+).
2. What I like about Hayden’s books, including Beautiful Child is that they have a happy ending. Hayden discovers what the problem is and how to help the children.
3. Hayden has great story-telling skills, so you get pulled into her memoir very easily. The events  take place during one school year, so the pace of the book is very fast and it keeps your interest. It’s not very long book  either, nearly 400 pages.
4. Even if it is very serious book, it is quite funny at times as the students of hers get in funny situations.
5. If you like this book and you haven’t read other books by Torey Hayden, I recommend you do. Other as powerful book is David Pelzer’s A Child Called ‘It’.

“Perhaps the greatest magic of the human spirit is the ability to laugh, at ourselves, at each other, and at our sometimes hopeless situation. Laughter normalized our lives”
― Torey L. Hayden

Buy Beautiful Child on Amazon

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How-To Travel & Read

Published on by Anastasia17 Comments

You might wonder, how can one have time to read when traveling. But at least I have noticed that during two weeks long vacation I am getting pretty desperate to read something. And even if I am not actually traveling, I use different ways of transport every day. Here’s how to get most out of reading when you are traveling:

Books& Coffee is my favorite combination. This pretty white travel mug for hot and cold drinks is  from Wayne’s Coffee Forum

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpufV

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Ready > Packing and Gear > Reading on the Road

Reading on the Road

traveling and reading

Reading in Paris. Credit: malias

There are countless opportunities to be traveling and reading: on buses, beaches, planes, in airports or just enjoying a spring day sitting by the Seine. Especially if you’re going solo, you’ll likely be flipping pages over and over again.

But you don’t need to carry around a stack of books to do it!

Here are some tips on how to to handle your bibliophile habits while on the road without having to take your library:

– See more at: http://www.airtreks.com/ready/packing-and-gear/reading/#sthash.NZCMA4Tj.dpuf

Paperbacks! I like paperbacks because they are light and you can fit them better in the back and you don’t regret as much if something happens to them while you are traveling or commuting. You might also borrow it to your friend or just leave book in your own language in some place as “I was here” tag.

“I think of my pile of old paperbacks, their pages gone wobbly, like they’d once belonged to the sea.”
― Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go

Still cold Frappé when I started re-reading Egyptian.

Electronic readers: I adore my e-reader because it has now 134 books and they all fit to nicely to my bag. I also like it even more because when it gets dark because it has this comfortable small light! Do books have that? No: you have to find a flashlight.

“CUSTOMER: Hi.
BOOKSELLER: Hi there, how can I help?
CUSTOMER: Could you please explain Kindle to me.
BOOKSELLER: Sure. It’s an e-reader, which means you download books and read them on a small hand-held computer.
CUSTOMER: Oh OK, I see. So . . . this Kindle. Are the books on that paperback or hardback?”
― Jen Campbell, Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops

PowerKiss Your Phone @ Wayne’s and continue with your favorite book!

Apps: My personal favorite is Fiction Book Reader. Don’t use Abode Reader to read books, you will still spoil your eyes. Adobe is good for other files and different documents.

How-To Travel & Read

1. See that you have book with you or space to buy a book! For bookworms, I would highly recommend to get that e-reader and also have app in your phone that supports reading books. Such as Fiction Book Reader.
2. Be sure that you take the chargers for your gadgets. Or that you know places like Wayne’s Coffee where you can stop for a cup of  coffee and read a book AND give your phone a PowerKiss!
3. Leave that brick home. You don’t seriously need a 1000 pages long book when you are on road all day. Moreover, buy/borrow only the books you can carry= 1-3 (unless you are like me and like to carry heavy book bags in stead of going to the gym…)
4. Bookcrossing is wonderful idea, basically it means  if you know where to look, you can find a book anywhere anytime.
5. If you are true reader, always have a book with you, don’t get so desperate that you start to look whether or not your hotel room has a bible…because seriously no good :D

“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.”
― Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life