Goodbye November

November has been such an exciting month bookwise. I went to my very first Bogforum (the Danish version of BookCon) where I met some amazing authors, including Patrick Ness. I’ve written about my experience (only in Danish) and you can check it out here.

Many firsts happened this month. I joined a readathon for the first time, The Tome Topple Readathon, which was going on from November 18 to December 1st. I didn’t manage to read all I aimed for (like I really really failed, see my tbr here), but it was still a lot of fun and I ended up reading 837 pages in total.

A lot of things has been going on in the magical universe of Harry Potter during November. I went to see Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them, which was AMAZING. (Can I please have my own niffler for Christmas?) I also bought the script and I’m so excited to be reading it next month! On November 22, new tickets for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child in London were released and after sitting in line for what felt like forever I ACTUALLY GOT TWO TICKETS! They’re for December 2017 and I have absolutely no idea what’ll be doing then or who I’ll will be watching it with but I just had to buy those tickets. Luckely London is only a short airplane trip from Copenhagen. And jeez, am I excited?

Hmm, what else? I finished watching Gilmore Girls just in time for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The revival episodes weren’t nearly as good as the original seasons but I kind of expected that. And Rory, ugh, when did she become so annoying? But it was still so amazing to be back with the fast-talking and coffee-drinking mother/daughter duo.

I created a Twitter account and I cant believe I waited so long to do it. It’s so handy! Also, my Bookstagram reached 900 followers which I’m extremely thankful for ❤

WRAP UP

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo ★★★★☆☆
A group of outcasts and misfits takes on a seemingly impossible mission. They have to break into the best protected prison in the world without getting killed. Or killing each other.
Great world building, lots of action and I especially enjoyed hearing about the different characters’ backstories. A good YA fantasy novel for anyone who likes antiheroes.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (illustrations by Jim Kay) ★★★★★★
One night a monster visits Conor O’Malley. It’s there to tell him three stories and to make him realize a truth. But what truth can be more scary than even a monster?
It was a heartbreaking and beautiful story accompanied by amazing drawings that really added something to the mood. I can highly recommend it!

Zenobia by Morten Dürr (illustrations by Lars Horneman) – Danish ★★★★★☆
Graphic Novel about boat refugees told for children. A small girl ends up in the big ocean where she looks back on her life and her escape from war-torn Syria.
Never has a book with so few words said so much. It takes the refugee crisis down on a level where children understands the seriousness of the situation. Beautiful illustrations!

Ravnenes Hvisken by Malene Sølvsten – Danish ★★★★★★
Anne can see into the past and one day she has a vision of a brutal murder of a red-headed girl who gets a rune cut in her back. Suddenly red-heads bearing the same rune are being killed in the area. Annes life is all of a sudden filled with people who wants to be close to her. But who can she trust? And is the strange vision really something from the past?
One of my favorite reads this year! It’s danish fantasy noir/crime with elements of Norse mythology. It’s such an intriguing read and if you’re interested I have a Danish review you can check out right here.

HELLO DECEMBER

Christmas is upon us and it is BY FAR my favorite holiday! And this year I’ve actually got the money to buy really nice gifts for people!
Hopefully I’ll find time in between all the Christmas preparation to get som reading done. Here’s my TBR, but if I know myself right I probably wont follow it…

TBR

I am going to finish the two books I’m currently reading (the leftovers from Tome Topple) which are Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.
Then I hope to get to Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, which is the book of the month for the Austentatious BookClub.
The script for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is also on my TBR for the month of December (I already miss Newt and Co.). If I have time I’ll read one of the Harry Potter novels as well (probably the 3rd or 6th, my favesss) for HarryXmasToYou. If not then I guess Fantastic Beasts will have to do.
I’ll also be reading a book called Vintereventyr. It’s a small collection of some of H.C. Andersen‘s best winter fairytales and it has the most stunning artwork inside! I got it last Christmas and have waited all year to finally read it.
Last but not least I have my advent calendar story called Julemandens Død (translates into The Death of Santa Claus) by Kenneth Bøgh Andersen. You read one chapter each day until Christmas and I think that’s such a nice idea.

 

Many Christmas hugs from Ida ❤