August – November 2016 Wrap-Up

Me? Slow? Nah, never. Here’s all the books I read between August and November. I didn’t read all that much, but it’s something. 

---

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
by John Tirfany, Jack Thorne & J.K. Rowling

Spoiler alert. I finished this as soon as I bought it and while I loved it, I also didn’t? I loved the nostalgic factor and I loved seeing all my favorites again. I loved Albus and Scorpius’ relationship (Scorpius is a precious cinnamon roll) and I loved Draco and Harry being friendly towards each other. And seeing Ron and Hermione again made me super emotional. But I also thought it was messy and clichè, and the time travel plot was kind of eh. I didn’t buy the whole thing with the daughter. When did Bellatrix and Voldie do the do? 

3/5 stars (5 for the nostalgic and enjoyment factor, but 3 for plot)

---

The Girl on the Train
by Paula Hawkins

I listened to this on audio and I really loved two of the narrators, the third not so much. I thought this was interesting and pretty compelling, although it was predictable. 

4/5 stars

.

 

---

This Savage Song
by V.E. Schwab

Thinking back on this book, not much stands out. There are monsters, a human girl and a monster boy, and some sort of feud between humans and monsters. It’s good, but not great. What I did love though was how the different monsters are created/formed. I thought that was very inventive, plus it kind of makes sense (in the fantasy way, of course). I also like that there’s no romance despite the Romeo and Juliet-like plot. 

3/5 stars

 

---

The Shining
by Stephen King

I’ve been a slow reader lately, but I devoured this despite its size. I loved it. I wasn’t that creeped out by it (except a few parts, but that could be because I was reading it out on the balcony in the sun) but I was still fully into it anyway. After I finished it I watched the movie, which I’ve never seen before, because everyone’s always talking about how it’s the best horror movie ever. And I just have to say… WHAT? It was terrible??? It didn’t make sense and it was so weak compared to the book. I hate how the movie only focuses on Jack being crazy, instead of the hotel being evil. There’s no character development, and the movie doesn’t even EXPLORE THE SHINING FOR MORE THAN TWO SECONDS? I don’t know what Stephen King thinks of it but I hope he hates it too, because it butchered his characters (including the hotel). And there are no hedge animals. Yikes. 

5/5 stars

---

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
by Jan-Philipp Sendker

This is one I’ve been wanting to read because my mom loves it and people keep saying how breathtakingly beautiful it is. And sure, I suppose. It is so so cheesy though, it reminded me a little of The Notebook. I did like the setting (Burma) and the characters themselves are good; the blind Tin Win and Mi Mi with the deformed legs who has to be carried around, but it’s so cheesy. 

2.5/5 stars
.

---

Paris for One
by Jojo Moyes

There’s not too much to say about this. It’s a short-story. It was cute. Not much else. 

2/5 stars

.

.

.

 

---

And I Darken
by Kiersten White

I FINALLY FINISHED THIS! I am now accepting applause. I wanted to like this one so badly because it’s about a genderbent Vlad the Impaler (Dracula) and I’m super into Dracula and all the horrific things he did, but this is a series. And it’s slow. I just wanted to get to the impaling already, but Lada (Dracula) is still young at the end of this book. Sigh. The characters are good, I loved both Lada and her brother Radu, but the book is sloooooooow and quite dense. If you’re really into history, and don’t mind slow books, then you’ll like this. I also have to add that it doesn’t read like YA to me, it reads more like an adult bildungsroman. Which doesn’t have to be a problem, but I felt I should mention it. 

2/5 stars

---

The BFG
by Roald Dahl

After the slow density that was And I Darken I had to chill out with some light humor. I have a vague memory of reading this in my childhood, but I didn’t remember much of it. It’s an okay book for an adult, probably a lot of fun for a child. 

3/5 stars

.

.

---

We Have Always Lived in the Castle
by Shirley Jackson

I’ve been wanting to read this forever because of this creepy cover. Look at it. I finally found it in a bookstore in Copenhagen and I got it immediately. It’s psychological instead of supernatural, but it still explores how a house becomes haunted. Lovely writing, and Merricat is a wonderful character. 

4/5 stars

 .

---

 Alex
by Pierre Lemaitre

Started this in June and finally finished it in October. The first 100 or so pages are really good, then it kind of dips, but it had some good moments again later. A good crime fiction book for those of you who love twisted female characters like I do. 

3/5 stars

 .

.

---

Tretti Tusen Varulver
by Lise Myhre

This is just a comic strip collection, there’s a new one every year. I’m including this on the list because I hadn’t read this particular one before. Nemi is my favorite. 

5/5 stars

 

---

The Social Guidebook to Norway: Friendships and Relationships
by Julien S. Bourrelle

The picture is from the first book, I couldn’t find a non-blurry one of the second. These are must-read books for every Norwegian, every foreign person living in Norway, and every non-Norwegian with a Norwegian partner. So funny and spot-on. 

4/5 stars

---

Hver gang du forlater meg
by Linnéa Myhre

I swear not every Norwegian author has the last name Myhre… This is about a twenty-something girl with an on-again-off-again musician boyfriend and the heartbreak she goes through every time he leaves. There’s also a large focus on her eating disorder. I wanted it to be better than it was. 

2/5 stars

 

.

---

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith

This is so beautiful. I didn’t think I would love it as much as I did because it’s just an every-day bildungsroman set in the early 1900s. But the characters are so real and the family aspect is wonderful, and I just loved every part of it. Francie’s father is an alcoholic, yet he isn’t angry or violent like we often see. He’s sweet, and he tries his best, and Francie loves him. Ugh. Read this. I listened to it on audio and I thought the narrator was great. 

5/5 stars

---

Matilda
by Roald Dahl

I actually didn’t read this one as a child, what’s up with that? So it was about damn time. Now this is one I could really enjoy as an adult as well, I don’t know how much of that is the book itself or the fact that I listened to it on audio narrated by Kate Winslet. She was amazing. I think I liked the first half the most. 

5/5 stars

November was a bad reading month because of NaNoWriMo. I got to 50k though, so yay! 

---

The Dream Thieves
by Maggie Stiefvater

I’ve read about 50 pages of this, and while I’m dying to finish it I need to prioritize some other books before I continue 😦

.
.

.

. 

---

A Great and Terrible Beauty
by Libba Bray

I picked this up from the library because I really love Beauty Queens by Libba Bray [see my review] and I’ve heard lots of good things about this. I like it this far, but I’m not fully invested yet. We’ll see. 

.

.

---

That was one long wrap-up. Phew. I hope I can remember to do this every month again from now on. 

What have you guys been reading lately? Any new favorites? 

Follow me on Twitter | Goodreads | Bloglovin’ | Instagram |