Book Review: La Belle Sauvage

I have read and re-read His Dark Materials a number of times, so I admit it was with some trepidation that I sat down to read La Belle Sauvage, because I really didn’t want it to be a disappointment. (Some spoilers below)

Bram’tober: Dracula

Finally, I have reached the novel Bram Stoker is most famous for; Dracula. Everybody has probably heard about Dracula, and it hardly feels like it needs any introduction. The first time, I read it, I did not have a lot of expectations to the story, except (you know) vampires, and I was a bit sceptical at the beginning, because I could not quite figure out what was happening. Although, once I got further into the story, I was hooked and I ended up absolutely loving it.

Bram’tober: The Short Stories

I think most of the short stories are way better than The Jewel of the Seven Stars and Lair of the White Worm (It’s hard to be worse than the White Worm). Mostly they are rather good, some of them are really bad (but at least they are short.) Minor spoiler below

Dracula’s Guest

Summary: Tourist refuses to listen to local people’s warnings about going to explore a village that is very obviously haunted. In consequence stuff happens.

Bram’tober: Jewels and Worms

I am reading Dracula and other horror stories by Bram Stoker this month, to be honest I did not know that Bram Stoker had written any other stories beside Dracula. Since there is a lot to review and time is a finite thing, the reviews will be fairly short. I will start with the two not-Dracula novels; The Jewel of the Seven Stars and The Lair of the White Worm. (Some spoilers below)

The Jewel of the Seven Stars

Book Review: Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller is a retelling of Greek myths from the perspective of the titular character Circe. She is the daughter of Helios and Perse. And she does not fit in among the gods, being neither powerful like her father nor beautiful like her mother. She has no patience or interest in the games of the nymphs and gods but finds her own niche in discovering witchcraft, for which she is immediately banished to the island Aiaia by Zeus. On Aiaia she makes a home for herself and hones her abilities and throughout the story, she crosses paths with many recognizable figures from the Greek myths from Daedalus and the Minotaur to Medea and later Odysseus.

Book Review: Piranesi

I don’t know how I feel about Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. On one hand, I’m glad I’ve read it. On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t have read it, if I had known more about it. And on the third hand, I can’t really see how it could be improved, so I have very mixed feelings about it. I’ll be working through my feelings below (so medium spoilers) 

Book Review: Hvileløs – Wittenbergjornalerne

Horror is not really a genre that I read a lot of, but I just so happened to stumble upon this one. The cover was really what drew me in, it’s completely black, and the title and author’s name are imprinted into the cover, (this is the reason I took a picture, as the protective covering from the library actually makes it possible to see imprints, which is more interesting than just a complete black cover).

Book Review: Always Never

This is going to be a very short review. I have been trying to read a bit more diversely than I usual do (outside of book bingo), and doing so, I have discovered some real gems, like this is one. Always Never [original title: Malgré tout] by Jordi Lafebre is a love story, but a very unusual one. (Some spoilers in the trigger warnings at the end of the post)

Best Reviewed Cold: The Initial Insult

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis is a YA thriller, which is not a genre I read a lot of and those I have read has been “adult” thrillers, but if all YA thrillers are like this one, I’m definitely going to read more of them in the future. It is also a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe A Cask of Amontillado, so let’s start with a brief summary of that story. (There are some spoilers in the trigger warnings at the end of this post)

Book Review: Where the Drowned Girls Go

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire was amazing, and it broke the formula for the series. Instead of exploring one of the worlds behind the doors, the “normal” world was expanded, and we got to see the dark mirror to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children in the Whitethorn Institute (minor spoilers and trigger warnings below)