Boekhandel Dominicanen

(English below the picture) 

Je tu ďalší z mojich článkov v rubrike „Svetové knižnice a kníhkupectvá“. Ako viete, doteraz som navštívila slávnu knižnicu v Manchestri, v Anglicku a Kníhkupectvo v Porto, v Portugalsku kde sa natáčal Harry Potter.

Tentokrát som nemusela ísť ďaleko. Jedinečné, jedno z milióna, kníhkupectvo sa nachádza v meste Maastricht v Holandsku. To, čím sa toto kníhkupectvo líši od ostatných je budova v ktorej sa nachádza. Je totiž situované v starom kostole v centre mesta a volá sa Boekhandel Dominicanen (v preklade Dominikánske Kníhkupectvo).

Kostol premenili na kníhkupectvo v roku 2006. Predtým slúžil tak ako mal, ako dominikánsky chrám. Bol postavený v 13tom storočí v gotickom štýle. Určite vám naskočia zimomriavky hneď na prvý pohľad. Typické oblúky, vysoké a priestranné okná spolu s nebosiahlym klenbovým stropom sa postarajú o to, že návštevníci sa cítia ako vstúpili do minulosti.

Po páde kláštora v 18tom storočí slúžil tento kostol na viacero účelov. Tie najneočakávanejšie zahŕňajú úschovňu bicyklov, mestsky sklad a iné dávajú sa dajú očakávať, ako napríklad maliarsky dom.Podľa mňa je kíhkupectvo najvhodnejšie pre tak nádhernú a kultúrou nasiaknutú budovu. Teda nie je to len môj názor, podľa stránky solosophie.com tento kostol navštívi vyše 700,000 knihomoľov ročne.

Kníhkupectvo taktiež organizuje rôzne verejné čítania, rozhovory a debaty. Takže nie len že tu nájdete tisícky kníh všetkých možných žánrov, ale taktiež sa môžete zapojiť do zaujímavých knižných podujatí. A ak vás začnú bolieť nohy môžete si v časti predného oltára sadnúť a vychutnať šálku dobrej kávy. Coffeelover Company ktorá má malú kaviareň vnútri kostola ponúka koláčiky a tiež skvelý výber čajov.

Musím sa priznať že počas mojej návštevy som bola nesmierne unavená, ale tak či tak som si to užila naplno. Atmosféra je tu neopísateľná. Prítomnosť kníh v tak veľkom a priestrannom chráme rovno pod kostolnou strechou vás určite očarí. Strávila som hodiny prezeraním si kníh. Mali všetky špeciálne vydania Alice v Krajine Zázrakov, netreba si objednávať z internetu. Takže si viete predstaviť že ani ja som neodišla s prázdnymi rukami a odniesla som si knihu Čarodej zo Zememorí od Urshuly K. Le Guinovej.

Knižný kostol? Tak to je presne môj druh náboženstva...

Another article from my “Worldwide Libraries and Bookstores” series is here. As you know so far I visited Public Library in Manchester, United Kingdom and bookshop in Porto, Portugal where Harry Potter movies were filmed. 

This time I didn’t have to go far from my home. There is a unique, one in million bookshop in the city of Maastricht, the Netherlands. What makes this bookshop so unique is the building. This bookstore is located in the old church in the city center and it is known under name Boekhandel Dominicanen.

The church was turned into bookshop in 2006. Before this time it served as Dominican Church. Built in gothic style in 13^th century the structure gives chills on the first look. The typical arches, huge wide windows and high vaulted ceilings make sure that the visitors feel like they stepped back in time.

The church was used for several other purposes after the fall of the monastery in the 18^th century. Some of them were the most unusual ones; bike storage, city warehouse and some quite inspiring like painting house. But I think the bookshop is most suited for such beautiful building and it is not just me; the website solosophie.com reports that over 700.000 visitors come to the bookshop every year.

The bookshop also organizes debates, readings or interviews. So not only there are thousands of books in all kind of genres, you can also join in for some of the interesting events. And if your legs get tired of walking among the bookshelves you can sit down at the front chancel and drink great cup of coffee. The Coffeelover Company located inside the church also provides cakes and lovely selection of teas.

I have to admit I was very tired during my visit but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The atmosphere is indescribable. The presence of books in huge vast space under the high church ceiling will definately impress you. I spent long hours just browsing the books. They had all the special editions and collectable books on display so you can walk out with unique Alice in Wonderland edition. No need to order online. I didn’t leave without a book and I purchased, for so long wanted, Wizard of the Earthsea collection by Ursula K. Le. Guin.

Now, a Book Church? This is my kind of religion.

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YALC 2019

(English below)

Zvykla som byť tichá a hanblivá knihomoľka. Skrývala som sa vo svojej izbe a knihy som čítala potajme, aby ma nikto nevidel. Toto všetko sa zmenilo, keď som začala môj bookstagram. Odrazu je v poriadku čítať v autobuse, v metre alebo vo vlaku. Je OK zobrať si knihu do parku alebo do kaviarne. Našla a spoznala som ľudí, ktorí tiež čítajú všade a práve oni mi dodali odvahu pridať sa k nim. Dokonca som zistila, že knihomoli sa občas radi stretávajú.

Som rada, že môžem povedať „Našla som mojich ľudí.“ Ľudí, ktorí sa idú zblázniť na podujatiach organizovaných vydavateľmi, autormi a kníhkupectvami. Ľudí, ktorí obdivujú a sú nadšení autormi, ktorých tváre videli iba na vnútornej strane obalu knihy alebo ilustrátorov ktorých tvár nikdy nevideli. Vymieňajú si knihy, recenzie a tipy čo čítať. Milujú postavy, ktoré vlastne neexistujú a zhovárajú sa o nich akoby ich poznali od detstva. Vďaka bookstagramu som zistila že knihomoli sú priateľský a komunikatívny a neskrývajú sa do komory pod schodmi, no a tento rok som pripravená ich stretnúť...

Dostať sa do Olympie v Londýne bolo celkom jednoduché. Sophia (na Instagrame @sohias_bookemporium) zistila vlakové a metro spojenia deň pred akciou, za čo som jej veľmi vďačná. No a potom sme už len sledovali dav, čo sa nakoniec ukázalo ako zlý nápad, pretože dav ľudí smeroval na Londýnsky Comic Con a nie na YALC (Young Adult Literarure Con). Vďaka tomu sme trochu zmokli, ale nakoniec všetko dobre dopadlo a našli sme ten správny vstup. Už od skorého rána sme boli obe nadšené a tešili sme sa. Počas čakania na otvorenie dverí a začiatok podujatia sme dokonca zazreli ako prichádza Victoria Schwab, ktorá podpisovala knihy počas celého víkendu.

Hneď ako sa otvorili dvere dav knihomoľov sa valil dnu. Niektorí kráčali a niektorí bežali. Sophia a ja sme vedeli, že máme celý deň pred sebou takže sme sa snažili neponáhľať. Akcia bola menšia ako som na Londýn očakávala. Na začiatok sme si zobrali mapu a oboznámili sme sa s priestorom. Obišli sme si stánky a prezreli si kto sa kde nachádza. Ďalšou povinnosťou bolo zobrať si lístky do virtuálneho radu na podpisovanie kníh. Toto bolo dôležité pre populárnych autorov ako je Victoria Schwab a Jim Kay – ilustrátor Harryho Pottera. No a potom už moje kroky viedli priamo do môjho obľúbeného anglického kníhkupectva Waterstones. Samozrejme že som si kúpila hneď dve knihy. Obe Harry Potter. Ilustrovaný Kameň Mudrcov, ktorý som si dala v ten den aj podpísať Jimom Kayom a Väzňa z Azkabanu v špeciálnej Slyzolínskej edícii.

Hneď potom sme zamierili k naším obľúbeným stánkom. Zapojili sme sa do pár súťaží a do niekoľkých žrebovaní, no ani Sophia ani ja sme nemali šťastie. Napriek tomu sme dostali zopár malých predmetov zdarma vrátane Fairyloot printov, ktoré nám ich ilustrátorka hneď aj podpísala, Odznaky inšpirované knihami od niekoľkých vydavateľstiev a čo bolo najviac vyrušujúce krátke ukážky kníh, ktoré budú ešte len vydané.

Môj obľúbený booksleeve obchod Paperandword mal tiež na YALC stánok. Booksleeves, ktoré tento obchod predáva sú úžasné. Jemné, farebné, hravé a mäkučké a perfektne ochránia vaše knihy. Takže som si samozrejme kúpila dva. Nemohla som odolať. Rovnako bolo úžasné stretnúť osôbku ktorá ich vyrába. Abby je majiteľkou obchodu a vymenili sme si veľa správ na Instagrame. Tento obchod som tri mesiace reprezentovala a práve preto bolo neuveriteľné stretnúť Abby osobne. Priradiť tvár a osobnosť k menu.

Zľavy a akcie na knihy, ktoré vydavateľstvá ponúkali boli ozaj super. Knihy v mäkkom obale stáli len 5 libier, čo je momentálne približne 5eur. Musela som sa veľmi kontrolovať keďže som do Londýna letela len s príručnou batožinou a nebola som si istá či sa mi všetky knihy zmestia. Toto na budúci rok zmením a zariadim si poriadny kufor.

Najväčším zážitkom dňa však bolo podpisovanie kníh. Victoria Schwab s čelenkou s mačacími ušami bola neskutočne milá a roztomilá.

No stretnutie s Jimom Kayom, ilustrátorom Harryho Pottera, bolo to najlepšie čo som počas dňa zažila. Bolo zrejmé že patrí medzi nás. Bol z davu ľudí nervózny a vyzeral že je mu to celé tak trochu trápene. Napriek tomu bol veľmi milý, neponáhľal sa s podpismi a každého sa opýtal aspoň jednu otázku a bol zhovorčivý. Toto stretnutie spôsobilo že Jima Kaya zbožňujem ešte viac ako doteraz.

Celkovo bol Londýnsky YALC super. Stretla som veľa ľudí ktorých poznám cez bookstagram. 

Poznám ich fotky a štýl ich profilov, zhováram sa s nimi v komentoch a v DM ale toto bolo stretnutie na živo. Teraz viem priradiť tvár k profilu a vďaka tomu mám pocit že je to kamarátstvo silnejšie.

I used to be a private and shy bookie. I used to hide in my bedroom and read there so no one can see me. This changed when I started my bookstagram account. Suddenly, it was ok to read on the bus, on the metro or on the train. It was ok to take a book to the park or to a café. I found people who also did this and they encouraged me in my reading. I also found out that bookies like to meet from time to time.

I found my kind of people. People who go crazy at events where publishers, bookstores and authors gather to provide and show their products. People who celebrate and get star struck by authors whose face they saw only on the inside of the dustjacket or illustrators whose face they never seen. They exchange books, reviews and reading tips. They are in love with people who do not exist and can talk about them like they are mutual friends. I found out that readers are social, they don’t hide in cupboards under the stairs and this year I am ready to join them…

Arriving to Olympia in London was fairly easy Sophia (from @sohias_bookemporium) looked the train connections day ahead and I am so thankful for that. We followed the crowd and that was kind of mistake as everyone else was going to the comic con. We got rained on but eventually we found the YALC entrance and all was well. At this point I was really excited, while waiting we got a little glance at Victoria Schwab who walked into the building not too far from us.

As soon as the door opened we walked in, some people ran but we had nowhere to hurry as we had all day to spend at the event. It was smaller than I expected. We discovered the floor plan and did a first round to familiarize ourselves with where everything is located. Then we picked the Virtual Queue tickets for Schwab and Jim Kay. And after that my steps lead directly to the Waterstones. I wanted to buy two books as soon as possible because I was worried they would sell out. I picked two Harry Potter books. The Illustrated edition of Philosopher’s Stone by Jim Kay as I planned to get it signed later and 20 year anniversary Slytherin Edition of Prisoner of Azkaban.

After that we went around our favorite stands to see if we can get any items. We took some raffle tickets and joined several competitions but unfortunately nor I or Sophia were lucky enough to win. We did get several free items including Fairyloot prints signed by the illustrator, book inspired pins from various publishers. The most exciting were the book previews.

Paperandword shop. This sleeve shop is absolutely amazing. The sleeves are funky, colorful and playful. They are squishy and soft and protect your books well. I purchased two sleeves as I couldn’t resist. It was so lovely to meet the person behind the shop too. I spoke with Abby on Instagram a lot and it was amazing to see her in person.

The book deals at the YALC were absolutely amazing. The paperback were sold for 5 pounds each. I had to stop myself from buying them as I flew in with only hand luggage and I was sure they would not fit in my suitcase.

The highlight of my day was meeting Jim Kay. He was absolutely amazing. You could see how uncomfortable he felt meeting all of the book enthusiast and how much he cared about every single of us. He took his time with the signing and made sure he chatted to us too. Asked us a question. It made me love him even more. Jim Kay is like us. He also likes to hide behind his art and feels anxious in the crowd. I will forever love the photo we took together. 

Overall the event was great! I got to meet a lot of people I know from Instagram. I know their photos and I talk to them in comments and DMs but this was personal. I have face behind the account and it makes me feel more connected to my bookish friends.

Looking forward to meet you all next year. Until then we stay in touch on the bookstagram. This community is truly amazing.

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Neverwhere - Neil Geman 5/5

(English below)

Odkedy som čítala Oceán na konci ulice chcem prečítať viac kníh z pera Neila Geimana. Jeho predstavivosť a rozprávanie patria medzi moje najobľúbenejšie a rovnako patri medzi autorov, ktorým sa nevenujem ako by si zaslúžili. Neil Geiman je majster slova a kúzelník, ktorý vie opísať objekt bez toho, aby vám o ňom povedal jediné slovo. Keď príde na knihy Neila Geimana viete, že všetko vám bude ukázane, nie povedané.

Spomeniem len jednu časť z knihy, kde autor spomína svietnik. Tato časť sa nachádza skoro na konci knihy. V odseku sa nedozviete jedinú vec o tomto svietniku. Neviete či je zlatý alebo strieborný, veľký či malý ani koľko sviečok udrží… nie, nič také tam nie je. Namiesto toho je napísane niečo takéto:

Vrátnik zapaľoval sviečky vo svietniku. Taký svietnik často vidíte na obaloch béčkových románov kde ho drží v ruke mladá žena v priliehavej nočnej košeli zo saténu, v pozadí je veľký dom s jediným oknom zaliatym svetlom. Väčšinou je to okno v podkroví.

(toto nie je citát ale parafráza z knihy tak ako si ju pamätám)

PERFEKTNE! Tento odstavec v knihe si určite žiada poklonu. Toto je typ autora, akým chcem jedného dna byť (keď vyrastiem a budem veľká…).

Čo ma však na tejto knihe zaujalo ako prvé bolo miesto deja. Príbeh sa odohráva v mojom obľúbenom meste - v Londýne. A v Londýne pod Londýnom. Ste zmetení? Ja som tiež bola… ale zároveň som bola zvedavá. Predstavila som si niečo ako svet hore nohami zo seriálu Stranger Things. Alebo inú dimenziu do ktorej sa dostanete cez akýsi portál.

Žiadny portál v knihe nebol… alebo bol? Ani po prečítaní knihy vám, žiaľ, o Londýne pod Londýnom a ako to cele funguje neviem veľa povedať, ale čo vám viem s istotou povedať je, že to úžasné! Toto je typické pre Neila Geimana, nedostanete odpovede na všetky vaše otázky no zbožňujete tie vynechane a neznáme miesta. Napriek tomu že mnohokrát chýba vysvetlenie celé to dáva zmysel. Je to mätúce, ale taký je aj život a Neil Geiman to dokáže perfektne odzrkadliť v knihách.

Hlavným hrdinom je Richard Mayhew a Lady Dvierka a musím vám povedať že sú to dve úžasné postavy. Oboch som ich zbožňovala. Obdivujem ako autor dokáže vytvoriť tak diametrálne odlišné charaktery. Niektoré sa počas deja vyvinuli a zmenili viac iné menej, ale všetky mali prepracovanú históriu a pozadie takže je ľahké cítiť sa akoby ste ich poznali roky.

To čo sa mi ale najviac páčilo na tejto knihe bol okamih ktorý ja volám „niet cesty späť“, ktorý som tiež zbožňovala v Pánovi Prsteňov. Ak chcete vedieť čo presne mám na mysli budete si ale musieť prečítať knihu... 

Ever since I read the Ocean at the End of the Lane few years ago I wanted to read more books by Neil Geiman. His imagination and storytelling is one of my favourites. He is one of the authors I don’t appreciate or cherish enough; the master of the words and magician who can describe a thing without telling you single word about it. With Neil Geiman it is all about showing, there is no telling in his books at all.

I am going to mention a candle stick Neil mentions somewhere almost at the end of the book. He doesn’t tell you one thing about this particular object. You don’t know if it is gold, silver, big or small, how many candles it holds…. You know nothing of such. Instead she says something like this:

The doorman was lighting a candlestick. It was a candlestick like you see on the covers of the cheap novels where it’s usually held by a young woman in revelling silk night gown; there is a house in the background with one window lit up, usually left one in the attic.

(This is not a quote I paraphrased the section as I remember it.)

PERFECTION! I have to bow to the masterpiece this description is. This is the type of an author I aspire to be. (One day, when I grow up...)

What made me interested in this book, in the first place, was the setting. The story is taking place in my favourite city – London. And in the London under the London. Are you confused? I was as well… and intrigued! I imagined something like Upside Down from Stranger Things. Maybe different dimension where the characters will go via some portal.

There was no portal... or was there? After finishing the book I can’t tell you much about this London under the London and how it works but I can tell you I loved it. This is what Neil’s books are like, not all questions are answered but you are loving the blank spaces. Despite lack of explanation of certain things you know it all make perfect sense. It is confusing, but life is confusing at the times and Neil perfectly reflects that in his fictional world.

The main characters are Richard Mayhew and lady Door and I have to say they are splendid! I loved them both so much. I admire how well Neil creates diverse characters. Some progressed during the book more and some less but they all had so much background I feel like I know them my whole life!

What I love the most about this story was the ‘I can’t go back’ moment that I also loved in Lord of the Rings. I guess you will have to read it to understand what I mean…

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Navždy by Maya Sinay 3/5

Dovoľte mi hneď na začiatok povedať, že ja nie som romantická duša. Neverím v lásku na prvý pohlaď, alebo na ‘naveky vekov amen’. Ja som z tých praktických a triezvych žien, ktoré vedia, že čo príde môže odísť, veria v rovnoprávnosť, sebaisto bojujú za svoju individualitu a odvážne hovoria o svojej menštruácii. Ani jedna z romantických kníh, ktoré som čítala nekorešponduje s týmito mojimi charakteristikami a preto sa mi len ťažko stotožňuje s postavami v romantických príbehoch. Prečo nemôžeme mať romantickú knihu o silnej žene, ktorá sa vie postarať o seba, usporiadať si život a dosiahnuť svoje ciele? O žene, ktorá miluje muža nie preto, že ho potrebuje, ale pretože ho jednoducho ma rada? (Ak takúto knihu poznáte, určite mi napíšte.)

Ako som sa teda dostala k čítaniu romantickej knihy? Vyhrala som ju v hashtagovej súťaži organizovanej na Instagrame #citamenasich. Dlho ležala na poličke, pretože fantasy a young adult mali prednosť. No ako to býva, tuším som sa týmito dvoma žánrami predávkovala a ostala som úplne znechutená.

Vtedy prišlo na lámanie chleba, už som nechcela ani vidieť víly, elfov či fae. Mala som ich po krk, a stále mám. Takže som stála asi pätnásť minút pred mojou knihovníčkou a pozerala som bezradne na knihy. Nevedela som sa rozhodnúť, ktorú mam čítať. Po tých dlhých minútach som sa teda rozhodla pre experiment: zoberiem do ruky neprečítanú knihu, prečítam prvú stranu a ak ma zaujme čo i len trošičku a budem mať náladu pokračovať na stranu dva, tak dám knihe šancu.

No a kniha Navždy sa takto dostala do mojich rúk. Nemyslite si, že prvá strana je niečo nevídane, pravé naopak, po prečítaní som nebola nijako ohúrená, alebo užasnutá. Jednoducho sa to dobre čítalo. Ľahko napísané a nič svetoborné bolo čo som v tom okamihu potrebovala. Ak mám byť úplne úprimná, prvá myšlienka, ktorú som pri tejto knihe mala bola: “Moja sestra a ja sme zvykli písať podobné veci keď sme mali našu fan fiction mániu.”

Po prečítaní knihy som názor nezmenila, ale sú v živote čitateľa chvíle, keď pravé takáto kniha dobre padne. Príbeh Funny ma nič nenaučil, nič nevyriešil, nedonútil ma zamyslieť sa … jediné, čo som z tejto knihy mala bolo relax a pobavenie a úprimne som prekvapená, ako dobre mi to padlo.

Hlavnou postavou je Funny. Mladá slečna alebo žena, ktorá je profesionálna basketbalistka a študuje na vysokej škole. Zo začiatku som nad ňou prevracala oči. Bola úplný opak všetkého v čo ja verím. Potrebovala, aby sa o ňu vždy niekto staral a zachraňoval ju. Bola nemotorná, dostala sa do problémov, nevedela si veci vyriešiť sama, klasická „Bella Swan“. Už-už som to čítanie chcela vzdať. keď sa udialo niečo so som vôbec nečakala. A vďaka tejto jednej udalosti som čítala ďalej.

Teraz po dočítaní knihy mi je jasné, že sa autorka knihy snažila o vývoj postavy. Funny sa časom zmenila. Vývoj jej postavy nebol tak úplne podľa mojich predstav a bol úplne minimálny, ale bol. Funny dospela a niektoré veci si zrazu vedela vyriešiť sama a to sa mi na tejto knihe páčilo.

Bohužiaľ, tak ako som očakávala kniha bola plná klišé a presladených scén. Keby môj priateľ urobil niečo také, asi by som to v tomto vzťahu nevydržala. Nekonečne telefonáty typu: ‚Si v poriadku? ‘ mi prišli trochu prisilné. A hlavne v prípadoch napríklad ak Funny zaspala a niekto sa jej snažil dovolať a potom z toho robil veľké haló, že nezdvihla telefón. Toto ja naozaj nemusím. Napriek tomu, že je niekto vo vzťahu môže mať chvíľku pre seba. Nemusíme byt pod úplným drobnohľadom partnera.

Mám pocit, že pointa romantických kníh je v tom, že počas čítania by som mala túžiť, aby aj môj reálny vzťah bol taký ako ten literárny. Ale u mňa je to väčšinou naopak. Väčšinou som šťastná že neradím s takým človekom ako je v romantickej knihe, lebo asi by som ho nahlásila polícii.

Romantické knihy proste nie sú pre mňa...

Nechápte ma zle, ja mám rada romantiku v knihách, napríklad Aelin a Rowan alebo Manon a Dorian z Trónu zo Skla. Agneška a Drak z Uprooted. Zachraňujú jeden druhého, ale vedia sa postarať samy o seba. Sú rovnocenní partneri a nepotrebujú, aby sa ten druhý o nich staral. Sú spolu z jedného jediného dôvodu: Pretože sa majú radi.

Ak toto nie je to najromantickejšie čo existuje, tak potom neviem. Ak toto je skutočná, nezištná láska prečo o takýchto vzťahoch nečítame v romantických knihách?

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The Language of Thorns - Leigh Bardugo 4/5

Leigh Bardugo is one of the authors who is hyped up in the bookstagram community and one of the authors who I haven’t read yet. I haven’t read any SJM before 2018… I know, I lived under the rock before bookstagram. But I am slowly catching up and getting through books and authors that all of you love. I didn’t want to start a series so I picked up Language of Thornes thinking it is a stand-alone. I found out that this book is a part of Grishaverse a little bit later. Never the less, I think it was very enjoyable despite the fact I haven’t read any other books from this fantasy world.

The book consists of six short stories, all resemble some classic fairy tales and all contain a strong element of magic. This read was very exciting. I loved to read short stories; feels like I finished six books in just two weeks. So here are few thoughts about each of the stories: 

Ayama and the Thorn Wood
- I love how easily was a girl of colour integrated into the story. I wish it was always this easy and natural. I also love that she become a monster herself, proving that monsters are nothing to fear of. The maze felt a little bit useless and not important. The repetition of the events in the story was a nice reference to the classic tales, but also a bit boring towards the end.

The Too-Clever Fox
- I didn't believe it was the woodcutter at the beginning of the story and I automatically suspected the girl. As the story progressed I started to trust the girl more and more just to find out, it was her all along!
- I loved that the main character was an animal - a fox. Reminded me strongly of Ezop's fables. I left like I should learn something from this story too. Trust your first judgement and guts, maybe? I also felt that the fox was beyond saving at the end so I was very surprised he lived, but I was happy he survived. I also really loved that he lived with his friend, the nightingale, at the end. This story felt very cute and very dark, I loved that contrast.

The Wich of Duva
- This was a very unique story. The Wich was a good character and I love to break the superstitions and cliches. What I admired about this story was how easily can a bad character change into a good one and vice versa. Looking at the facts from another point of view made so much difference and the horrible step-mother suddenly turned into a protector. There was a hint of sexual abuse at the end - a total shock to me - but well written and incorporated. Very subtle and smooth. Lovely done in the way it will shock you but if you don't focus you might miss it.
- I have to noten here that I loved the little bear cub.

Little Knife
- A great way of integrating feminism in the story; the pretty girl asking all essential questions & men not listening to her is an amazing demonstration of how it should not be. The girls also have brains not just looks. I also loved that she ended up with a woman at the end. Was this intended LGBT+ hint? Again it was naturally included in the story and so well written. I wish more books were like this.

The Soldier Prince
- My least favourite story from the book. It was very confusing. Very unusual, it felt like a mix of the Nutcracker and Prince and Ballerina story by Hans Christian Andersen and the Piper and the rats story. But I was confused with how he got to be alive. How did he make any of the wishes or decisions? And most of all how did he swap the place with the maker? Did I get it right that the toy maker killed people to somehow include their soul into the toy?
I didn't like the main female protagonist, she seemed weak and soft and too self-centred. This was, of course, intended and I think she was a well-built character but I still didn't like her.

When Water Sang Fire
- The best was served to us at the end. This story was clearly the little mermaid inspired. The story of Ursula and... I loved every single word! It was perfectly thought through! The details of the spells and dialogues were well balanced. The character development in the short story is sometimes hard to do but it was simply amazingly done. Again, Leigh mastered the change from good to evil and vice versa which will probably stun me every time. The world in this story felt complete and the background for the setting had so much detail, history, legends. Just perfect, five-star short story.
- Magic spell with mirror at the end gave me goosebumps for days! It was incredible.

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Time Crawlers - Varun Sayal 2/5

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb I read on good reads was very interesting and I love sci-fi even though I don't read it often enough so I decided to give a try to this offer. Let me stress that this was the first time ever I accepted such offer via Instagram or email and I am not sure I will do this again.

The book has six short stories and only approximately 120 pages. Which is the first red flag that popped in my head? How can you start, elaborate and solve six stories in such a small space? But as they say, don't judge a book by its cover. I simply just started reading without overthinking this and here is my opinion of the book.

The overall feeling was: the book was poor. The fantasy of the author surprised me. I liked the core thought behind each story, although the enjoyment from the reading was torn apart by the writing style. It was the first book by the author and I have to say the writing style was making it clear. There were basic and silly beginner writer errors which could be easily avoided if more attention and time was put into the writing and drafting process.

I have few words to say about each story so I decided to split the review into a few parts and give you the official GoodReads blurb and then my thoughts.

1. Nark-Astra, The Hell Weapon

The weapons he possesses make him the destroyer of worlds, and he burns for revenge. A high-tech take on ancient Indian mythology.

My thoughts: The first short story had a great background, the characters were well written and they all had an amazing backstory. The relationships between them were thought through and the connections were perfectly explained in the story. The names of the characters were very confusing. the names of the weapons were too complicated and so very hard to remember. The ending was very disappointing.

2. Death by Crowd
The dark desires of the masses; darknet websites fueled by a crypto-currency. What lurks in the background – an advanced artificial intelligence?

My thoughts: Great idea! Shocking, disgusting and cruel!

3. Genie
He rubbed a lamp alright, but what he got was the shock of his life. An entirely sci-fi take on the djinn myth.

My thoughts: I think this was the weakest link in the chain. The genie didn't have any backstory and what was drafted didn't make much sense. There was no connection to any bigger world. The main character found a lamp in the old house but the reader never found out where is this house, why was this person in there? It felt like he was lost but then he just walked out. Surely if you are lost the first wish you have is to go home or someplace you know. This story just didn't make much sense to me and the writing style here was also very disturbing. It was written as a play, I don't think it matched the setting of the story at all. 

4. Time Crawlers
There are individuals who exist in multiple time periods at once, and there are those who know about them….

My thoughts: Good idea but poorly written. I felt like the same thing was explained over and over in different words. This short story felt like cut out of the context and setting and it was missing background. 

5. Eclipse
No attacks, no blood-shed, yet there was an invasion and a conquest. Who are these shapeshifter aliens being hounded by an eclipse?

My thoughts: The short story didn't carry any new idea, but it was still quite interesting, unfortunately, it ended without an end. It was opened and the conclusion was missing.

6. The Cave
The fate of an advanced imperial race hangs in balance as a dark celestial entity meets a legendary protector.

My thoughts: The background of the story was simply just not there. The idea of the legendary protector was great, but this should also make sense why is this person protecting civilizations, what do they get from it? There was some general who was in charge but during the story, we learn that he doesn't know anything at all. He needs to be told what to do by another character. Why and how did this person become a general then? It makes no sense to me. The characters in the story acted irrationally. 

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BR: Becoming by Michelle Obama 5/5

Becoming by Michelle Obama is the first five-star read of this year. What can I say it was not the best way to start 2019, but things are all right now.

I don't read biographies or autobiographies. It is not my genre but I am very interested in problems around us and I knew that Becoming will include topics I care about.
Feminism, racism and equality were strongly intertwined with Michelle Obama's life and so they are included in the book. These themes resonate within me strongly and hence I really enjoyed the life story of a first First lady of colour.

The book didn't make me cry or made me shocked. It wasn't an emotional rollercoaster. It was steady and intellectual. It was about politics but it wasn't boring. I don't know much about the American political system or the life of any of the presidents. But this book was not about that, this book was written from a point of view of a mother and a mundane woman like your mom or my mom. The story did make me tear up a little bit or gave me goosebumps, but not because of a surpriseing or shocking revelations but because of the power that actions of Michelle Obama carry.

This book review can't give much justice to the quality of this book so I selected some quotes. If you like any of these, you should read the book.

“Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child—What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.”

“For every door that’s been opened to me, I’ve tried to open my door to others. And here is what I have to say, finally: Let’s invite one another in. Maybe then we can begin to fearless, to make fewer wrong assumptions, to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe we can better embrace the ways we are the same. It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about where you get yourself in the end. There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others. This, for me, is how we become.”

“It’s remarkable how a stereotype functions as an actual trap. How many “angry black women” have been caught in the circular logic of that phrase? When you aren’t being listened to, why wouldn’t you get louder? If you’re written off as angry or emotional, doesn’t that just cause more of the same?” 

... and probably my most favourite one: 

“Women endure entire lifetimes of these indignities—in the form of catcalls, groping, assault, oppression. These things injure us. They sap our strength. Some of the cuts are so small they’re barely visible. Others are huge and gaping, leaving scars that never heal. Either way, they accumulate. We carry them everywhere, to and from school and work, at home while raising our children, at our places of worship, anytime we try to advance.” 

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April - May Bullet Journal

April Bullet Journal – Pink Books

I missed books in my bullet journal and I really loved the pink and gold theme I had in June last year so I decided to merge these two into one month. The outcome? See for yourself…

The monthly front page is a simple shelf with my favourite books, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and The Catcher in the Rye.

On the following pages you can find my monthly planning and calendar and followers tracker. Originally I drew books in the left bottom corner but I didn’t like it so I covered it with the rose and washi tape. This is how you cover your mistakes in the journal.

The mood tracker is a circle, I know I said that I will try to avoid them, but I was really running out of any ideas and I didn’t know how to implement books into mood tracker. I will work on that idea and you will probably see it sometimes in the future. I love the pink and gold combination for the tracker. It is girly and soft and very pleasing.

The quote on the opposite side is combined from stickers. But I think it fits with the colour scheme. This is an easy way how to avoid calligraphy if you don’t feel like it, or simply can’t be bothered to practice for hours to get your handwriting to perfection.

The last section of the monthly spared contains my favourite: books I read, in this month I will write them onto the book spines. I am very excited about this design and idea. I hope I will read a few books so the shelf looks busy. The little box is for blog ideas.

The second part of the double page is dedicated to my monthly reflection which I write at the end of each month. The whole look is completed with some pictures of roses and miniature quote sticker. This double page looks busy and full.

May Bullet Journal - Botanische 

Hello May! Hello, long warm days. Hello, ice coffee.

This is my fav time of the year when days are slowly stretching but it is not too hot yet. When everything starts to get green and blooms. I love to look at how nature changes and wakes from the winter sleep. This inspired me to select green for this month bullet journal and I got also inspired by the amazing new Instagram account that I recently discovered. Thank you @botanischeboys.

The front page of my monthly spread is pretty standard but I tried something new this time. I had enough time to take my watercolours out and play with them. I haven’t done that in a long time. It was a challenge. I am not an artist and I don’t know what I am doing, really.

Here is what I learned from my two-day watercolour Bullet Journal session:

- If you use a lot of water on your brush it will destroy the pages (because my bujo is not meat for watercolouring). The colour will be mild and transparent (if you have any pencil sketch it will be visible).

- If you use very little water the paint will not spread evenly and the edges will not be sharp. The colour will be darker and thick. The brush strokes will be noticeable. 

- Getting the right amount of water on the brush is hard. But not impossible and by the end of the second day, I got the hang better at it.

After this experience, I did little YouTube tutorial research and I can promise you I am not done with watercolouring. I fell in love with how colour dissolves into the water and then into the paper. I love how the shades blend. 

The following section is the monthly overview. I wanted to experiment a little bit here as well so I decided to paint whole double page green and keep the calendar windows white. This wasn’t as fun as I expected. I used washi tape to protect the squares I wanted to stay blank. This took very long and it was really hard work. The washi tape was hard to paste evenly. I kind of gave up after three squares and let them be crooked and uneven. I don’t mind. Messy looks are acceptable for the bullet journals. I don’t like the outcome of this as much as I thought I would like it, but I don’t hate it either. I think it was a successful experiment, but I can improve a lot next time. Maybe I will try something similar again next month but with a different technique.

As you know I am trying to stay away from the circle mood trackers. It was my thing in 2018 but this year I am trying something new. This simple fern leave is from Pinterest and I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out when coloured.

The other side of the spread is my regular: books I read this month and blog ideas. Again the leaves motifs are present and I am in love with it. I am very happy with how this looks. I think it is cute and adorable and perfectly balanced when it comes to the colour and composition of the page.

The last spread of the month is the monthly refection and a quote. The reflection of the month is something I like to do, and it is a kind of diary for me. It helps to keep an overview of the month and sum up important events and feelings – good and bad.

The quote inspiration is from Pinterest. I am very proud of this page. By this time I had some experience with the watercolours and the amount of water I need on my brush. I am very happy with the black and white details of the leaves too. The white was hard to do as I didn’t have a tiny brush so I had to use thicker one, and it doesn’t look as natural. If you look at the front cover and the last page you can notice slight progress in my watercolour technique. I hope.

I am definitely not done with watercolours and I will probably take them out again. I have to say I really enjoyed it. I found it calming, relaxing and fun. It was a break from life and all the troubles and worries and I could just think about the “just right” shade of green. It was very refreshing and kind of liberating.

If you have any questions about the bullet journal, you can always leave a comment or reach out to me on Instagram or via email.

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Book Reviews Information

Why do we, readers, start blogs? We read like crazy, everybody knows that… But what do we write about?

The answer is; books. We write book reviews. I started this blog for the very same reason; to share my opinions and thoughts about the books. I am not sure if anyone reads this blog, or if my articles helped anyone with picking their next read. Which would be amazing but I write this blog because I love reading and I love writing. The blog is fun. It feels good to make a fresh coffee on Sunday morning, sit down at my desk with Luna walking around and trying to nap on my keyboard, and just write.  

I haven’t felt like that in a long time now… I got annoyed with writing book reviews. I just don’t feel like doing it. I don’t know what to tell you about the books I read... I just finished Becoming by Michelle Obama and it was a five-star read. First five star read of 2019 for me. It was brilliant and smart and enjoyable (despite all the politics) it was reflecting all the themes that resonate within me the most: feminism, racism and quality. I loved this book. That is all. I don’t think it is enough for the book review structure I set up for myself when I started this blog.

This is the core of the problem. I am demotivated to write a book review because I feel like I need to stick to some ridiculous structure which I created at the beginning of this blog journey.

Here is the structure:
- Favourite Quote
- Few words about the plot and in general about the book (no spoilers).
- What was the main theme of the book?
- What were the main characters like?
- What language did the author use in the book?
- The overall feeling of the book and how did I like it.
- Who would I recommend this book to?

I had to tell you about the language of the writer I have to tell you about vocabulary, tone. I had to point out my fav quote. While there could be so many amazing quotes in the book. Why pick only one? I find this structure restraining and demotivating. I want to enjoy my blog again. I want to feel happy and inspired writing the articles and that is why from today the book reviews will change.

The star rating will be the same. I was and I will always give a number of stars based on my feeling. There is no math behind it. I ask myself two questions: Did I like the book? Yes/No, how much?

The new book reviews will have no structure. I will not tell you how long approximately they will be. It might be a few lines or twelve pages. I might go on and on about how much I loved the main character or tell you very briefly that the author basically ruined the seven-book series by using “callused hands” too many times in the book eight. Some book reviews might consist of quotes only, and some might not have any quotes at all. What I can promise you is that the book review will be honest and I will pour my heart in them. 

The reviews won’t be spoiler free, because I feel like that is also ruining my enjoyment. I feel I have to restrain myself and think too much not to give anything away so I don’t ruin the book for you.

This is all done now. New book reviews are coming your way….

Read on your own risk...

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Too many books not enough time.

We all know how it goes: “Too many books not enough time.”

I feel the pain of my TBR list since January. It feels like a tiny stone in my shoe. I had big plans last year on which books I will start reading in 2019. New Year - new me, right? Well, not everything goes as planned and now I have split the books into two lists: TBR List and Forever TBR list – and both piles are growing. Fast.

If you didn’t read my TBR of 2019 article you can have a quick look here.

Let’s have a look at books I am very excited about and if I could I would start reading them NOW! But as it is you can plan as you like things change and so does the current reads… and I also have to work, and be social and clean the house and play pc games …

The Priory of an Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Where to start with this one? I do not know anything about the book. I see there is a dragon and I am sold! I need adult stand-alone fantasy book in my life. Yes, this one is the size of a trilogy but still. I want to drop everything and spend the rest of my life reading The Priory of an Orange Tree – because we all know I will be 60 by the time I finish this huge book. I am still excited about it nonetheless.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

I have been dying to read this book since the official publishing announcement. I had the book in my hands several times, almost ready to buy it… but then the most amazing magical thing happen. An addition was announced that would match my paperback Uprooted so I decided to wait for this edition. This will happen in few days and trust me; I need some magic spell so I can read two books in the same time.

The Language of Thornes by Leigh Bardugo

I know what you will say; “How have you not read this yet?” But what if I tell you that I haven’t read ANY book by Bardugo yet? Did you pass out? No? Good, because I want you to finish reading this blog article. There are more surprises I promise, but for now we are still talking about Language of Thornes a short story collection that is part of Grishaverse. I feel it would be great for a buddy read so I will give it a try with one of my best book buddies and best friends Sophia. Wish us luck.

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

The Finale is almost upon us, but I still haven’t read Legendary? I ask you: HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? What have I been doing all year last year…? SJM you say? Oh yeah, I read the full Throne of Glass series in 2018 and I survived. It is time to roll up my sleeves and jump right in the Caraval series because yesterday was already too late.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

I love sci-fi and I don’t read enough of it. I need more of sci-fi in my life. And this trilogy is, from what I heard, absolutely amazing. I only own first part but that is good enough to start, right? What do I know about these books? Nothing. But isn’t that the best way to start reading and see what happens? I really want to start like… now… ok maybe after I finish writing this article.

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

No words needed, please enjoy the following memes:

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February Bullet Journal - Sunflowers

The February Bullet Journal I decided to ignore all of the Valentine themes and hearts ides and go with that I wish for the most - sunny, warm spring days. For the February bullet journal, I decided to go with sunflowers and yellow as main theme features.

These two items are already present on the front page of the monthly spread. I like to keep my monthly spreads uninformed so I included the little monthly overview calendar. The most important part of this page is the yellow muffin and the sign 'February". These are all stickers and I was happy that my calligraphy skills got a bit of a rest.

The second double page is agenda. I wanted to try out different types in 2019 and this is the one I actually enjoyed making. It was easy as the little windows are wobbly and unprecise on purpose so no need to use a ruler and that was fun. I really liked to draw the sunflowers in between too. This was the double page that actually challenged my font skill. I have never done anything like this font before so it took several minutes of practising on the different paper to get it right. Then I used a pencil to draft where the letters should be so I don't have to do the planning and focus on the movement of the pen only. It was hard work and after it was done I had to do some smaller amendments with the little tip black pen to make it more smooth. But I would like to think that I am slowly getting there. Practice makes perfect, right?

Next double page is dedicated to the habit tracker. I have never done one like this so this was a big challenge and as you can see I did mess up a little bit. The 'V' in the middle of the circle was not supposed to be there. It was drafted by pencil when I was making the tracker and then I accidentally did it with the black marker too... oops. Oh well...

I know I said that I will try to use different mood trackers. Not always the circle one. The sunflower mood tracker was PERFECT for this. How could I NOT do it? I really love the way it looks and it will be even prettier when it is all coloured and done. Do you want to see it? follow me on Instagram for the update at the end of February. The little quote on the left page is from Pinterest and I thought it looks cute and after all that calligraphy is easy to do.

The last double page of February Monthly spread includes books that I read during the month, blog article ideas and follower count. I am very excited to colour in the little sunflowers here so I will try a little bit harder to gain some followers this month. The opposite page is my monthly reflection which will be filled in at the end of the month.

That is all for the February Monthly spread. The material I used are stickers and decorating paper. Yellow and orange Stabillo markers, thin black marker and yellow washi tape. If you have any questions or want to talk about bullet journal you can always send me an email or drop me a DM on Instagram.

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BR: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - 2/5

“If I can’t be better than them, I will become much worse.” – Jude

I have seen the Cruel Prince book in so many Instagram posts and I loved the book cover.  It has stunning art: the white with gold design is a pleasure to look at. I really love the little green beetle detail. Everybody on Instagram was saying how incredible this book is.

Although, I have not heard anything else about it I was excited to read it. I didn’t know any quotes, I didn’t know the main characters, and I had no information about the story. After having a YA overdose from Throne of Glass series I decided that I need a break and without knowing what I was doing I picked The Cruel Prince… I learned too late that this, also, is Young Adult literature. So I decided to get through it. I don’t give up on books and I thought that if it is so incredible then I will probably overcome my YA overdose.

The story takes place in the magical land of fairies. They are all different, some have blue or green skin and wings or horns. The imagination of Holly Black is incredible in this aspect. The clothing they wear is well described and it makes a vivid picture in reader's mind. The land itself, unfortunately, was a little bit less impressive. We only get to visit few places from the map. The king’s palace and the Mirror lake (it doesn’t show your own reflection but someone else’s face) sound absolutely incredible. But I feel like there isn’t a lot behind them. Why is this lake showing other people? Do other lakes in this magical land do the same?  If not, why this particular one? What happened to it? What is the history of this king’s palace? How many citizens live there? Where do they get food? Water? Do they pay for these things? Do they have jobs? If not, how do they afford all of the food and clothes? Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it is exactly these questions and the unknown that makes me adore the world, but in this case, the world felt very shallow. Like not only Holly didn’t know the answers she didn’t even think about the questions when she was writing. All locations in the book felt disconnected there were no roads, paths, trade or any infrastructure between them. There were no cities only estates where do the lesser courts of fairies live? Also, we only meet two types of fairies: the royals and their courts and slaves. Where are all normal fairies? The kingdom can’t be built only on royals and slaves… where is the comon folk? When it comes to history of the land there was a brief mention of the previous king and some events of past but it was too blunt to leave huge impression on me. 

The main character is a mortal girl Jude who has a twin Taryn and older sister Vivi. They live in the mortal world and have to move into the Fareham after their parents are murdered. When they move she is 6 years old. But the book takes place much later. At least I hope, because she is kissing and flirting and killing like she is an adult. But then there are scenes where I can see her being 6 years old. I am very confused with her age in the book, to be honest with you, and depending on which scene I was reading Jude was either 6 or 20. She was metamorphosing as it suited me. This might either be the coolest thing ever or it might mean poor writing skill, I let you decide. Jude is for change type of a character who is not saving the world but basically wants the power and to rule and make decisions. I love that. She doesn’t want to sacrifice herself, she doesn’t try to protect her family and friends. She has a selfish goal and she fights for it and goes over dead bodies to achieve it. I really liked that part of the story because there is nothing wrong with wanting something for yourself.
The main male lead, Cardan was a bully. He loved to torture and punishment and he didn’t really do anything to make it easier for Jude. Despite all of this (as you all already suspect) they do find a way to each other and they even kiss! If someone treated me like that I would have never ever even speak to them. This is simply unrealistic relationship progress and to me, it gives wrong signals about male/female equality, realaitonship and friendship.

The start of the book is great. The first chapter drops you right in the middle of a murder and drags you deep down in the story. After that, it gets a bit boring. On one hand, I understand that it is important to introduce the world to the readers so they can understand the changes that will happen in the future. It is important to get to know this magical new land and characters and understand the current state of affairs just so we can understand all of the uprisings and riots. On the other hand, I believe it can be done in a more interesting way. People said to me that the second half of the book was better… I disagree… the book is 370 pages long and I think I actually enjoyed the last 70 pages. As much as I  wanted to enjoy this new world, I don't know why were there 300 pages about something that was not worked out properly anyway...

Several people asked me if they should read The Cruel Prince. I told them that it is a classic YA book and they should not expect too much from it then they might like it. I was expecting a great read and now I am disappointed. I don’t regret reading this book and I know I read worse books… but I also read better ones… Will I read the second book in the series The Wicked King? I don't know, maybe I will buy it when it is on sale ten years from now...

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