A Corner for Reading

A blog about books and reading. I post reviews, quotes, TBR:s and other bookish stuff. Have fun reading!

[quotemadness]

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

Samuel Beckett (via quotemadness)

[quotemadness]

We are homesick most for the places we have never known.

Carson McCullers (via quotemadness)

[extramadness]

[acornerforreading]

June Wrap Up

Depending on how you look at it, this month was kind of a failure – at least as far as my TBR is concerned. I started reading all the books that I intended to read, but I only finished one of them. Still, I’m happy with what I ended up reading. It is more important to have a good reading experience and enjoy yourself, than to read books that you don’t feel like reading only because you said you would. 

So here is what I actually ended up reading in the month of June: 

1. Alkemistens dotter by Carl-Michael Edenborg

Right off the bat, this novel seemed very intriguing. It is about a young woman, born into a long line of alchemists, destined to destroy the universe. All her life, this is what she has been trained for. She has never questioned her purpose; she has always pursued it. But down the road, things happen, things she never expected to happen, and her view of the universe and all that inhabits it starts to change.

Normally, stories like this one focuses on the person trying to save the universe – not destroy it. Because of this, I was hooked as soon as I read what it was about. It felt very original to me; it’s unlike any plot I’ve heard of. My problem with the novel was that I found it hard to connect to the plot or the characters. It took me a long time to finish this novel, I’m talking months. I just didn’t feel like picking it up. It wasn’t until the last 100 pages or so that I got really into it, and I could finally finish it. Regardless of that, I did still quite enjoy it. I gave it 3,5 or 4 out of 5 stars (I’m still a bit undecided).

2. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

I did a review of this book earlier, so check that out if you want to know more about it. I won’t go into the plot that much, but it in short it is about Cadence who spends every summer with her mum and her cousins at the family’s private island. Two summers earlier she was in an accident and she can’t remember any of it. She gets the feeling that no one is telling her what really happened, but she is determined to find out the truth.

Again, if you want more of my thoughts on this book, check out my review, but I will quickly say that I did really enjoy this novel. I didn’t think that the story was very extraordinary, but I loved the mystery and the way that it was told. I gave it 4,5 out of 5 stars.

3. Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

Would I have read this book if I didn’t watch Sasha’s videos on youtube, probably not. Am I glad I read this book, yes.

Zenith is the first part of the story about Andi, a space pirate. She is the captain of a ship, sailing around the Miracle Galaxy. Andi and her crew are later captured by a bounty hunter from Andi’s past. He has been employed to hunt her down, and Andi soon finds out why.

Sci-fi is one of those genres I never reach for, but I did still really enjoy this book. For me, it felt more like I was reading a fantasy set in space than a sci-fi. I liked the plot and I’m interested in seeing where it leads. I don’t like the potential romance between Andi and Dex, the vicious bounty hunter, because they just seem like a very unlikely pair given their past. Of course, they might not end up having a romance, but let’s be real; they probably will.

I don’t have that much else to say about it. I did like it, but it wasn’t something that really stuck with me. I gave it 3,5 out of 5 stars.

4. The Selection by Kiera Cass

I did not think I would like this book, not at all. The novel is about America Singer, a teenage girl living in a future world where people have been separated into eight castes depending on their social and economic status. The country is ruled by a king and queen. Their son, Price Maxon, has just come of age, and because of this, a competition in which 35 girls are selected to compete for the prince’s heart, is being held. America doesn’t want to be part of it, she is already in love with someone else, but her mother and her boyfriend – who is set lower in society than her – pushes her to at least apply. She does apply, and she is selected. Soon, she is living in a castle and seeing girl after girl being sent home as she gets closer to the prince.

Here’s the thing, this book is not very original. It is basically Hunger Games, mixed with the Bachelor, mixed with Pride and Prejudice. While I know a lot of people disliked it for this very reason, I didn’t mind. So what if it’s not the best book in the world, or if it’s not very original? You can still enjoy it; I still enjoyed it. It was the perfect read for me at this time, and I will continue the series. It was fun. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

[acornerforreading]

July TBR

So my June TBR kind of failed miserably... More about that in my June wrap up. But because it did, and because I realised that there isn’t really any reason for me to pick out four books for the month when I might only end up reading one or two of them, I decided to properly cut down on my TBR for each month. Therefore, this month there are only two books on my TBR. I will end up reading more than that, but which ones remains to be seen.

For the month of July, I have picked two books to read that I have been wanting to read for a long time: 

1. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

2. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

I’ve heard about both of these books on booktube, and many people seem to like them, so I thought I’d give them a read!

[acornerforreading]

Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed and threw it at Henry–threw it to miss. The stone, that token of preposterous time, bounced five yards to Henry's right and fell in the water. Roger gathered a handful of stones and began to throw them. Yet there was a space round Henry, perhaps six yards in diameter, into which he dare not throw. Here, invisible yet strong, was the taboo of the old life. Round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. Roger's arm was conditioned by a civilization that knew nothing of him and was in ruins.

William Golding, Lord of the Flies 

[acornerforreading]

Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Cadence is the oldest grandchild in the wealthy Sinclair family. She and her mother spend every summer on the family’s private island, owned by her grandfather, together with Cadence’s aunties and her cousins. But this summer, summer seventeen, is different. Two years ago, Cadence was in an accident on the island, and she hasn’t returned since. She can still not remember what really happened, but it determined to find out during the summer. Seeing everyone again, being back on the island and back with her cousins Johnny and Mirren, and the boy she’s still in love with after all this time, Gat, the pieces of the puzzle one after one starts falling into place. 

So let’s talk about this book. I really liked it, I might have even loved it, and I am still not done processing it. 

From what I’ve seen, this book has gotten mixed reviews. There are a whole lot of people, most I would say, who really love this book, while there are some people who don’t, and the main reason seems to be the way that it’s written. Personally, the writing was one of the things that I really loved. Not only the story, but the writing in itself was very fast paced, and the structure was at times like a poem, with one sentence being split up onto several lines. In my opinion, that enhanced the writing, it made me notice what was really said even more. Also, I found the writing to be very present, and the story to be told very much like how our thoughts come to us: fast, repeatedly and sometimes in a tangle. 

Cadence as a character reminded me a lot of Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye. A first person narrator is rarely, perhaps never, reliable, but there are some first person narrators who are more unreliable than others, or at least come across that way. Holden Caulfield is one; Cadence Sinclair is another. She is recovering from an accident that has given her amnesia; she takes pills for her migraines; she seems very indecisive about a lot of things; and she even calls herself, alongside Johnny, Mirren and Gat, liars. She cannot be trusted – how intriguing not knowing whether what you’re reading is the truth or not.

Moving on to the difficult questions: What was the meaning of this book? Did it teach me anything? Answer: I don’t know. Here’s the thing, when you have all the pieces and you know the full story and you know the characters, it is, at least for me, hard to say that this book impacted my life or taught me something. I don’t really think that it did. But on the other hand, does it have to do that to be a really good and enjoyable read? I don’t think so. I still loved this book – there, I said it. For me, it was a mystery. I liked the aspect of the story, but what I loved was the way that is was told; how there was a mystery to solve; how small clues were hidden here and there that would take another read to fully understand; how it kept me interested throughout the novel; how it repeated certain phrases to make me notice them and appreciate them and understand them; and how the whole book later was tied together. 

Rating: 4,5 out of 5 stars.

[acornerforreading]

(Library) Book Haul #2

I went to the library yesterday and came home with eight books. 

1. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

2. The Selection by Kiera Cass

3. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

4. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

5. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

6. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

7. It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

8. Matched by Ally Condie

I’ve heard good things about many of these, and I am so excited about reading them! I am especially looking forward to reading To All the Boys I’ve Loved before, just because I’m longing for a good summer read and I think this one will be one, and also The Rest of Us Just Live Here. I think that one seems really interesting, and I’ve also heard great things about Patrick Ness’s writing. 

[acornerforreading]

Favourite Drama TV-Series

I’ve been a tv-series addict for the last couple of years. Before, it used to be all movies, but now I can barely remember the last movie I watched! I think it’s the format of a show that attracts me, and so many others, to tv-series. Forthy minutes long episodes – short enough to watch on your lunch break – often eventful and action packed (depending on the show) and usually ending with a cliff hanger; isn’t that a recipe for success?

Today, I am listing five of my absolute favourite drama tv-series that I have watched over the last couple of years. In no special order: 

Hart of Dixie 

This show centers on Dr. Zoe Hart, who, after having her dreams elude her in New York, takes an offer to work at a small medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama. When she arrives she finds that Dr. Harley, the man who offered her the job, has died and left her his share of the practice. But living in a small town has its difficulties, especially when you’re an outsider being used to a completely different way of living. In Bluebell, Zoe makes friends and foes that all come to play a big role in her life.

This show is really a comedy/drama. It is light hearted but does come with some heart break, so keep your tissues nearby!  

Switched at Birth

Bay Kennish one day discovers that her blood type does not match with her parents’. The family soon finds out the reason: Bay is not related to them. When she was born, the hospital made a mistake and accidentally switched her with another baby. This other baby was Daphne Vasquez. Now teenagers, the girls’ lives look completely different. While Bay’s family is wealthy and have everything they can ever want, Daphne has been raised by a single mother and is since the age of three deaf. The two families meet and decide that they want to get to know each other, but of course this causes a lot of drama and a lot of problems.

I believe I started watching this series sometime last year. I quickly became obsessed, as I often do. It is quite an emotional show (I feel like I will say this about every single show on this list) but I love it. I have not yet finished the series, and have actually not watched in a good couple of months just because I haven’t had the time, but I’m looking forward to continuing this summer!

Brothers & Sisters

This tv-series is all about the Walker family. The series picks up following the death of the father in the family, and revolves around the lives of his wife and adult children. They all have their own lives and families, and also a whole lot of drama in-between themselves with the company that the father left behind and the tendency to get into each other’s business.

I used to watch this series with my mum when I was quite young, and later decided I wanted to watch it all from the beginning again to fill in all the blanks and find out how it all ended. I have not gotten to the end yet (so many books to read, so many shows/movies to watch and so little time), but I have enjoyed the ride all the way. It is probably one of the tv-series that I have cried the most to – again, I’m all for that emotional drama – and I think it’s really, really good.

Nashville

This shows revolves around some of the biggest (fictional) country stars in Nashville. Rayna Jaymes has long been a top selling artist, but when her new album isn’t selling very well, it is suggested that she should work with the new, up and coming, country star, Juliette Barnes. Juliette is not the nicest person in the world, and Rayna does not want to work with her. The tension between the two gets even worse when Juliette wants Deacon Claybourne, a famous, all though not as active, country musician himself and Rayna’s former lover, on her tour. The first season focuses much on the drama between Rayna, Juliette and Deacon, but also branches out to center around Rayna’s family and other rising country artists, which is explored more and more in the other seasons.

The show may be about famous artists, but it is really a family drama – and it is very dramatic! I have been watching this series since the first season, and I will continue to watch it until the very end. I will say it is one of those series that I kind of fall out of from time to time, but when I come back I come back strong – yes, as you probably have guessed by now, tears are involved. I just love this show!

Life Unexpected

Lux Cassidy has grown up in the foster system; she has never known her parents. Just before turning sixteen, Lux petitions for an emancipation, but for it to go through, she needs her biological parents’ signatures. Her parents were both in high school when they had her, neither one of them fit for being a parent, but when they meet her, they can’t help but think about what they’ve lost. Her father, Nate Bazile, operates a bar, and her mother, Cate Cassidy, is a well known radio host. They have not spoken since high school and do not exactly get along when they meet again, but they agree that after all that Lux has been through, they can at least help her with her emancipation. However, it doesn’t go to plan. The judge is not willing to grant Lux an emancipation, and instead gives Nate and Cate temporary custody of her.

I have watched and re-watched this show all the way through two or three times. It only got two season with thirteen episodes each, so it doesn’t take too long to watch the whole thing. I have so much love for this show! I think I have to re-watch it again this summer, because I got way to excited about it just now.

[theclassicsreader]

Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?

J.M. Barrie, The Little White Bird (via theclassicsreader)

[acornerforreading]

Time for Some Austen

I’m so excited about reading this book! I have my pen ready in case I come across some of that Austen-wit. 

[acornerforreading]

Book Haul #1

I don’t buy books all that often. Downside of being a student is that it means living on quite a tight budget, and unfortunately books are really expensive. Luckily, I have a good library to go to where I can borrow books, but it isn’t as much fun as going into a book store and picking up your own copy. So last month I decided to celebrate the summer getting closer by splurging on a couple of books! I have been wanting to read more classics, so I bought a bunch of them: 14 to be exact. 12 of them were from the Penguin English Library collection, and I absolutely LOVE the covers of them! They’re really simplistic, but so pretty at the same time. 

So these are all the books I picked up:

1. Animal Farm by George Orwell

2. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

3. Emma by Jane Austen

4. Persuasion by Jane Austen

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

6. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

7. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

8. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

9. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

10. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

11. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

12. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

13. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 

14. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

[acornerforreading]

May Wrap Up

1. The Invisible by Mats Wahl

This novel is about Hilmer Eriksson, a teenage boy who one day disappears. No one knows what has happened to him or where he is. The reader gets to follow the police investigation as it reveals more and more about the truth behind Hilmer’s disappearing. 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I did not expect to enjoy it when I started reading it, but I ended up really liking it. I won’t say more about the novel right now as I will be doing a review soon!

2. The One Man to Heal Her by Meredith Webber

This is the first time I have read a Harlequin book, but I was pretty sure what to expect. It was definitely a classic romance novel, but it also had an element of crime woven into it, which was unexpected. The novel is about Dr. Alexandra Hudson, a woman who moves back to her home town after 16 years away. She has had no contact with her family since she moved away, which is due to her having being raped at the age of 16 and being shamed by basically her whole town as well as her family, because they did not believe her. Moving back, she meets her old neighbour Will Kent, also a doctor. They are attracted to each other, but both of them are dealing with their own problems, making a relationship difficult. On top of that, Alexandra starts being harassed by an unknown threat, making it impossible for her to feel safe and let go of the past.

I gave this book 2,5 out of 5 stars. I thought it was okay; it was both exactly what I expected and not at all what I expected at the same time. 

3. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

I, Robot is a collection of short stories, published in 1950. Each part tells a story about a certain time in the development of robots. Dr. Susan Calvin is the main character in several of these stories, and they are all bound together in an interview with her that starts and finishes the book. What I enjoyed most about the book wasn’t the story (or rather the stories) in itself, but the themes that it explored and the questions that were brought up. You got to see how man and machine interact, you got to ask yourself what is truly human, you got to see how humans betray themselves because of their own arrogance; it’s just quite philosophical, really. There are a lot of good quotes and parallels between human and robot behaviour, which I really liked. I also think, reading this in an age when technology is just growing and growing, and when something like what happens in the book can actually come to be a reality, adds more meaning to the book. I don’t know what they thought about it in the 50s, but probably it seemed very far off, whereas now – not so much. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

4. Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow by Peter Høeg

It took me a long time to read this one; I could just not get through it! But then I had my exam coming up so I had to. I actually did not give this book a rating, because I felt I would not be able to rate it fairly. The novel was just overall confusing to me. Part of the problem was probably that I took a break in reading it, maybe two weeks or so, and that made me lose track of the story, but even before then, I did not really follow what was going on (which is why I took a break reading it in the first place). The thing is that it jumps from one timeline to another without any warning. There are so many flashbacks in this book, that, although they do add to the story, make it more difficult – I found – to keep track of the story. I just couldn’t keep track on what was happening right now, as opposed to what had already happened. With all of this being said, a lot of people seem to have really enjoyed this book, but I just couldn’t get into to it.

In short, the novel is about a woman in her late thirties, Smilla, living in Copenhagen although being a native of Greenland. One day a young boy is found dead outside her building complex, having fallen off the roof. Having lived in the same building, Smilla knew the boy, and from her knowledge of the boy’s fear of heights as well as her incredibly good sense of snow, she can tell that the boy has been murdered. The police does not believe her, and so she starts her own investigation to get to the truth, and she soon realises that it stretches far beyond the death of the young boy.

5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

I have been meaning to read Harry Potter for such a long time. I bought myself the whole book collection for Christmas, and I am finally reading them! I had really high expectations, and I was not disappointed! Right from the start, I was hooked. I have seen the movies before, so I knew the story, but the books just added so much to the story. It was incredibly well written, so easy to read and I just completely loved it! I gave it 5 out of 5 stars, and it was definitely my favourite this month!

[acornerforreading]

Popcorn + Book

Have been having a really sore throat today, so I’ve been spending the day in bed. Popcorn and a book seem to be doing the trick; I’m already feeling better. I’ve had time to watch The Princess Diaries as well – definitely one of my go-to feel good movies! Now, I’m gonna get to writing! My May wrap up is coming later tonight.

[acornerforreading]

June TBR

Alkemistens dotter by Carl-Michael Edenborg

This is a novel by a Swedish author (the title in English would be “The Alchemist’s Daughter”) and I am actually not sure whether or not it has been translated into any other languages. I started reading this book a while back but since I’ve been reading so many other books for school, I just haven’t had the motivation to finish it. I do like it so far, so I am planning on finishing it in June. The novel is set in the 18th century and focuses on a young girl names Rebis. She is born into a family of alchemists and is said to be the chosen one. The twist – which is what really got me interested in this book – is that she is not supposed to save the world; she is meant to destroy it.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

For Christmas I bought myself the whole Harry Potter-series. I have not gotten around to reading them until now. In May I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and I loved it! I’m planning on reading one book in the series every month, and this month it’s time for book two!

Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill

This book I picked up a few months ago and it is probably the novel that I am most excited about reading this month! I don’t know all that much about this novel. It sounds like a dystopian novel, but it may also just be set in an alternate reality. Basically, it is about a reality in which women are not born but designed to be perfect – “eves”. They are trained to fit into the picture of what men want them to be and, by the sound of it, have no power over their own lives whatsoever. I don’t know about you, but I am very intrigued!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

I recently purchased quite a lot of classics. Among them, Jane Austen’s novels. I have read Pride and Prejudice once before, but I have been wanting to read them all so I figured I might as well get to it! Also, I’m planning on reading one classic every month, so this will serve as my classic for the month of June. I have high hopes, I expect it to be really funny and witty in true Jane Austen spirit.

[acornerforreading]

A Corner for Reading

What better way to officially start the summer than by starting a new blog? My name is Amanda. I am a student and have just (as of today actually) finished my first semester of literature studies. I have always loved books and reading, there is just something about the written word. Now that I have a summer ahead of me full of reading but without any exams and assignments, I thought it would be the perfect time to start blogging. Here I will post my TBR:s, reviews, book tips, quotes and other bookish things – some movies may slip in there as well. That’s everything for now, so lastly, WELCOME to a corner for reading! Now, let’s get reading!