Thank you and goodbye 2020, I don’t think you will be missed much. I’m assuming that pretty much everyone agrees that we are more than done with this year and ready to see what 2021 has to offer. š
Despite this year being weird/stressful/horrible/disappointing/insert any negative feeling here, I did experience lots of good things too. Wellbeing truly became the positive theme for this year. Time to do some reflection.
Continue reading “Bye 2020 and Happy New Year!”We are in halfway through December and I made it with the two Reading Challenges I wanted to get done this year: the Finnish (Helsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries) Helmet Reading Challenge and also the Popsugar Reading Challenge. If there was anything good about the year 2020, more time for reading was it. ā¤
So far I’ve read 69 books this year, which has to be a personal record! I read some amazing books, some ok books, and some not so impressive books. But overall this year brought many books that again I wouldn’t have read without the Reading Challenges.
Continue reading “2020 Reading Challenges Done!”Another great book read in our book club: The Plain Bad Heroines is a fascinating book! I’m not even sure what the genre is: modern gothic horror with a splash of sharp humor and focus on lesbian relationships? It’s listed as a Dark Academia book in this Popsugar article, Dark Academia being one of the prompts for the recently published Popsugar 2021 Reading Challenge. No matter what the correct genre is, this book just works, and author Emily M. Danforth really made a book that really has the reader hooked.
Eleanor Faderman knew many books. But never before had she read a book that seemed to know her.
This year managed to surprise me with some books/genres that I’ve really enjoyed but would not usually read. Horror seems to be one of these genres: first Mexican Gothic and now Plain Bad Heroines. This might just be a new start for me to really explore some of the modern horror titles.
Continue reading “Book review: Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth”First week of December is gone and I can’t believe this year is actually coming to an end! Not complaining though, but honestly I can’t believe that it’s Christmas in just a couple of weeks and that means many holiday days and lots and lots of reading time. ā¤ As mentioned in my previous post, I read less during November (due to focusing on writing), but there were a couple of books I read and would like to recommend.
Three very different books but I enjoyed all of them in different ways. Caitlin Moran’s book had me laughing so much, and the lightly Christmas themed book from Josie Silver was great for this season. And VarjonyrkkeilijƤ tells a difficult, and relevant, story on how a sport coaches can use their power in such horrible ways on young athletes.
Continue reading “Book recommendations from November”Oh wow, it has been forever since I’ve last updated here about the books I’ve read, but it was for the best of reasons! š Today I won National Novel Writing Month a.k.a. NaNoWriMo! This was the first win for me, yay! For those who have no idea what this is, long story short: the point is to attempt to write 50 000 words of your novel in the month of November. Which is a lot. For me it required this quiet year to be able to finally pull this off. And if this horrible year has given us something, it’s certainly extra time at home.
In October (Preptober as the NaNoWriMo community calls it) I decided that since I had taken the effort to plot a novel idea during summer, I’d try to finally win NaNoWriMo for the first time. For the first time ever there was endless time ahead, a quiet November due to all the restrictions and social distancing, so this really was the time to focus on my writing hobby and push myself to write more than ever.
Continue reading “I wrote over 50 000 words in November – NaNoWriMo Winner!”First book read to kickoff the Reading Challenges! A new year deserves a gentle start, right? So what better than to read something that makes you feel like you could have a glass of your favorite beverage and just enjoy something easy and light.
I’m serious. Life is short. Too short for such obvious anxiety.
(Translated freely from the Finnish edition of the book.)
I wanted to read something that would switch off my brain in a good way and for that Paris For One and Other Stories worked well. š
Continue reading “Book Review: Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes”2020 has started and I wish you all a joyful year! Personally I am hoping that 2020 will bring better health as 2019 was a surprisingly bad year health-wise. As a result, my new year’s resolution is to put my well-being first and slow down to prevent breaking down.
And what’s the best way of slowing down? Reading! Except if you’re racing to complete a Reading Challenge, or TWO Reading Challenges like me this year. Yes, that’s right: I will try to handle two Reading Challenges, yikes.
Continue reading “Happy New Year and happy new Reading Challenges!”Books | Lifestyle | Blog
Books, well-being and life in Finland
#Helsinkilove
Books, well-being and life in Finland
Author of The Elysian Prophecy
