Christmas with Bookatiepillar – First Christmas in the Netherlands

Christmas will be different this year. My mum is coming to the Netherlands to spend Christmas with us. My boyfriend’s mum is joining us as well so it will be four of us – the more the merrier.

This year I am honoured to make Slovakian Christmas and introduce part of my culture to the Dutch people I care about. My mum and I will be hopefully starting a new tradition: Christmas abroad.

I started preparations for Christmas two weeks ahead; as per the tradition, we deep cleaned the house. It took us all weekend. We cleaned the living room, pulled sofas away hoovered behind them, cleaned windows from inside. We emptied all of the cupboards and cleaned the insides in the kitchen. The oven was deep cleaned too. It was hard work to clean up three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen and spacious living room. I am good with keeping the house as clean as possible during the year (we have a cat now so it is harder) but for the holidays I wanted to go a bit extra.

And by extra I mean I actually baked! It is only four of us so I didn’t want to make too much but I felt that something homemade should be on the table.

The recipe I used for the gingerbread cookies is in Slovakian language because these are traditional Slovakian cookies. I have never made these before and I am very impressed with the outcome. I also decorated the cookies myself and I think I discovered mine my hidden talent! I am so excited about these cookies I am actually planning to do one more batch today and decorate them as this was great fun! My mum brought a poppy cake from Slovakia which is also a very traditional Slovakian Christmas cake. I also made chocolate brownies covered in white chocolate and bought various biscuits. 

We decorated the Christmas tree with my boyfriend. This was a very first year we have done this together and it felt really special. We made a short video as I wanted to keep this memory forever. I will post this video on IGTV if you are curious, go to my Instagram to have a look. The colours of our three are gold and red and all of the decorations are plastic, not glass because I was worried if Luna (the cat) will find them amusing and wants to play with them. I thought it would be safer if they are not breakable. Luckily, she is not too bothered by the Christmas tree decorations she does like the presents under the tree and loves to chew on them though.

My mum and I are making Christmas lunch and Christmas dinner according to our own tradition that I described in the previous Christmas article. The “kapustnica” soup will be served for lunch and the red cabbage with meat and “knedlik” for dinner. We are planning to have dinner on 24th of December and open the Christmas presents and enjoy the evening talking to each other and listening to some Christmas songs, maybe watch a movie. We usually watch Slovakian stories and movies but I think I will try to introduce my mum and my boyfriend's mum to each other as much as possible. I will be interpretuer this evening as my mum doesn't speak English so this will be a little challenge for me. 

I am hoping that this Christmas will be magical as it is the first one for me in the Netherlands and very first one with my boyfriend and his family. I enjoy everything this year in a different way but I am making the best of it. 

What else can I say before the end of the article but: Merry Christmas everyone! Let it be a peaceful and happy one spend with your family and loved once around you. 

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Christmas with Bookatiepillar– My Christmas

I wrote about Traditional Slovakian Christmas in my previous article and today it is time to tell you what Bookatiepillar Christmas is like.

I live abroad since I finished a university; firstly I was in England and now I live in the Netherlands; so it is a tradition that first thing I buy for Christmas is a flight ticket home. My family lives in Slovakia and that is why I return there as much as I can. But it is a must for Christmas because the season is all about family. When I was little we spent Christmas with my grandparents; after they passed away it was only my mum and me. My parents are divorced and my dad spends Christmas with his side of the family.

A lot of things depend on the flight ticket availability and if I get days off work, but I try to fly home few days (maybe even a week) before Christmas so I can help with cleaning and preparations. I usually buy presents once I am in Slovakia unless I want to bring something that is not available in Slovakia. From abroad I usually bring sweets or snacks. 

Slovakia in December is cold, and very often covered in snow. The town where I come from is right at the foot of the High Tatras known for having the best Christmas decoration in the town square with a lot of starts and all of the trees have lights. As much as I love it I hate it too... I always think of how much electricity these lights need and how bad it is for our planet. Be sensible with your Christmas lights this year; so we can light them up for many more years. 

We go to the town square in the early evening for a cup or two of mulled wine. My hometown is very small so we usually meet other friends or family members. This is one of my favourite thing to do.  There are Christmas songs playing from various stands, people are wrapped in coats and heavy scarfs. The atmosphere is magical and you can feel the Christmas in the air.

The 24^th of December, Christmas Day, I spend with my mum. 

First of all, we have a coffee and a light breakfast. We look at the TV Program magazine which we buy only during the Christmas period; I get a marker and highlight all of the movies we want to watch during the three upcoming days. After we finish our coffee I help my mum with some cleaning or I go to the shop if she forgot to buy something. We usually do Christmas tree on the Christmas Day as well. I play Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone soundtrack and decorate the tree in the living room while my mum works on dinner in the kitchen. We live in a small flat so if the music is not too loud we can talk to each other. I have to hoover again after the tree is up because the plastic Christmas needles and glitter from the Christmas decorations are everywhere, then we put presents under the tree. If there is a movie on the TV we highlighted we both sit down and watch it together. We usually get a snack, a cup of tea, another coffee or we have a quick lunch during the movie. For lunch, we have traditional Slovakian Christmas soup “Kapustnica” (mentioned in the previous article, there is also a recipe link so go to check it out). I set up the table and arrange the small cakes, fruit, and snacks on the trays and bowls after lunch.

Christmas 2016

Christmas 2017

We have dinner between five and seven but if there is a Christmas movie we want to watch we move the dinner forwards of backward. We dress up after all housework is done just before dinner to make it feel fancier, special, like a celebration that it is. The candles are lit and everything is set up so let’s talk about food. We have two courses for Christmas dinner, but we start with the aperitif, usually red wine; when I was younger Christmas was the only day when I was allowed to drink cola so I had that while adults enjoyed wine. My mum usually says a few words about how lovely it is to be together, how thankful we are for what the year brought to us and something positive and wishful for the next year. The first course is chicken and vegetable soup. I love this soup so much and my mum can make it really well. The second course is one of my favourite meals of all time. The red cabbage, pork, and chicken baked in the oven with crispy onion and gravy and “knedlik” (soft white steamed pastry). The fact is that I don’t eat this meal during the year so I am looking forward to Christmas dinner so much! Food is always delicious and it is always too much. 

After dinner, we take our drinks to the living room and open the presents. We don't buy a lot of presents. We don't have any children to spend Christmas with us so we do not pretend that some imaginary character brought the presents. We buy one or two little presents for each other and we unwrap them together. We do try the presents out, for example, we try the clothes on or see if headphone work... etc. The rest of the evening we spend watching the TV and our favourite Christmas movies, and later in the evening, we have a second round of dinner. We have the same second course again just a smaller portion. That is how much we love this meal. Most of the evening is about spending time together. My mum and I have time to catch up and to talk about everything that happened during the year. We go to bed very late on this day.

Next morning the 25th we have breakfast and coffee together again and then I go to visit my dad's side of the family. We all meet at my grandma's house for some food and exchange presents and talk for hours. It is all very cosy and nice and I am looking forward to this holiday all year long. 

The family is the most important thing. 

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Christmas with Bookatiepillar - Traditional Slovakian Christmas

Hello, my fellow Christmas enthusiastic bookworms.

Most of you know I come from a small country in the middle of Europe but not that many of you know that Slovakian Christmas is very traditional with a lot of little habits and rituals. I would like to introduce you to this classic Slovakian Christmas. I will post several Christmas inspired articles in the upcoming weeks and I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing for you… so welcome, on this Christmas adventure!

Christmas decoration in my hometown last year.

So what is Slovakian traditional Christmas? How does Christmas look like or feel like in Slovakia? What are the traditions and rituals that people of this little big country in the heart of Europe have?

The Slovaks celebrate Christmas on 24^th of December. But the preparation starts much earlier than that. People pay a lot of attention during the December to cleaning their houses and flats; everything needs to be perfect, clean, tidy and organized. Windows and curtains are being washed. Plants, window blinds and wall decorations are being dusted. Door handles are being polished so when the time comes the Christmas decorations can be placed around the house. There isn’t agreed day when to decorate but most people prefer to decorate a clean house. Some decide to do it in November or beginning of December some take the Christmas tree out on the Christmas Day.

source: bazar.sk

A lot of baking is done prior Christmas. My grandma used to bake thirty or forty different types of goodies. Yes, you read that right. So baking starts at the beginning of December with the assortment of dry biscuits and Christmas shaped gingerbread cookies. Then closer to Christmas Day, it gets shorter lasting cakes are made with jam and cream, some covered in chocolate some in coconut powder. The amount of cakes is not important but more types the better. These are all small tiny pieces that are considered to be snacks, not the desert type of pies as you would expect.

Few days before the Christmas Day vendors will appear in the town centre to sell fish. The fish usually swim in the fountain or in big buckets. You can buy alive fish, keep it in your bathtub and then kill and cook it on a Christmas day. This is very traditional but only families who can actually handle killing the fish opt for this. Kids usually prefer the fish fingers anyway.

The 24^th of December is Christmas Day. The whole day is dedicated to Christmas, people cook dinner and do last minute decorations, watch Christmas movies and fairy tales. Slovaks do not like western movies such as Home Alone. The preference during the festive season is Czechoslovakian cinematography.

source: Vitarian.sk

During the 24^th everybody is fasting and waiting for the dinner. It is between four and seven in the evening when families sit down at the table and have their Christmas dinner. The meal starts with an aperitif (this could be champagne or wine or liquor) and a few words from the head of the family. The dinner is usually made of three courses. There is a special Christmas starter; waffles with honey and an apple is cut in half to see if a perfect star made of seeds is inside which means that the family will be healthy during the upcoming year. The first course is a sauerkraut soup with smoked ham, mushrooms and sausage called “kapustnica” and the second course is fish and potato salad or mashed potatoes. There is no dessert at the dinner as the Christmas table is full of cookies, mini cakes I mentioned earlier and everybody can help themselves to these goodies as much as they like. This tradition is a source of many jokes, one of my favourites: 

24^th December:

Morning: “Don’t you DARE eating the cakes, they are for Christmas!”

Evening: “Don’t you dare NOT eating the cakes, they are for Christmas!”

There is also a tradition that no one should stand up from the table during the dinner as that brings bad luck, but this is limited by how big your dining table is and if you can fit all of the plates, cakes, decorations and candles and pots and bowls containing the next courses on. Another tradition is to set one extra seat at the table in case an unexpected guest arrives during the dinner.

After the dinner, the presents are unwrapped and tested right away (no matter if you got pens or roller skates you have to try presents out in the living room).

The rest of the evening consists of watching more Christmas TV programs or enjoying a drink with family members. Eating the baked goodies or salted snacks and relaxing with a full belly.

Next days the 25^th and 26^th of December are called First Christmas Holiday and Second Christmas Holiday. People go visit the family members they didn’t see during the Christmas Day; uncles and aunts or best friends or cousins meet for coffee or some food.

Of course, that Christmas is slightly different in each family, but the most important aspect of Slovakian Christmas is togetherness.  

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BR: Môj život kamionistky by Jarmila Zacher Pajpachova 3/5

"Náhodná udalosť ale môže priniesť nesmierne veľa zvratov v ľudskom osude a po každej búrke, predsa len vyjde slniečko."

Toto je skutočný príbeh, ženy ktorá plávala proti prúdu a nevzdala sa ani keď situácia vyzerala úplne beznádejne. Jarmila Zacher Pajpachová nie je spisovateľka, je to žena, ktorá sa rozhodla napísať svoj príbeh a tým dodať silu a energiu iným. Príbeh je krátky, zmestil sa na 106 strán. Možno aj vďaka tomu má dobrú dynamiku a skvelé stupňovanie.

Kniha začína opisom autorkinho detstva, postupne rozpráva o škole a neskôr o láske a manželesvte. No najdôležitejším prvkom v knihe je rodina a vzťahy v nej. Dobré a zlé rodinné vztahy sú do podrobna opísané a skvelo zobrazené a to na mňa urobilo dojem. Záverečné kapitoly knihy sa venujú cestovateľským skúsenostiam počas jazdy na kamióne. Práve tieto sú plné dobrodružsvta a neočakávaných zážitkov. Každej krajine je venonvaná jedna kapitola preto je celý dojem veľmi uhladený a organizovaný. Z celého textu je cítiť neskúsenosť autorky, no nepovažujem to za slabosť. Práve naopak, dodáva to knihe autenticitu. 

Vzhľadom na to, že kniha je autobiografia hlavou postavou je autorka sama, teda Jarmila, okrem nej sa dozvedáme veľa o jej mamke s ktorou mala vynikajúci vzťah, a súčasnom manželovi, ktorého som si veľmi obľubila pretože má skvelý charakter a dobrý zmsel pre humor. 
"Miláčik, ty aj keď budeš mať stopätdesiat rokov, stále sa budeš tlačiť do toho kamióna. Nechápem, že ťa to tak baví."

Kniha sa mi páčila, pretože som si uvedomovala, že veci, ktoré sa v nej odohrali sa naozaj udiali v živote reálnej ženy. Dokonca ma príbeh v záverečnej časti rozplakal. Emócie, ktoré sa zo strán hrnuli boli priamé a skutočné. Mala som možnost autorku stretnút a jej veselá a živá povaha by vám nenapovedala o veciach ktoré v knihe opisuje. Mám pred ňou velký rešpekt.

Môj život kamionisky si prečítajte ak máte radi skutočné príbehy. Ak sa vám páčia knihy, ktoré zobrazujú trpkú cestu životom a to ako sa s nimi človek vysporiada, ako zdvihne hlavu a ide ďalej. A taktiež ak máte radi silné postavy ktoré sa nikdy nevzdávajú.

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Books for 2019

As the New Year approaches, I am starting to plan which books to read in 2019. I usually do this in my head, but I thought why not write about it and make it official. I joined the GoodReads in January 2018 and my reading challenge was to read one book per month so twelve books in total. We all know by now I have done better than that. What I would like to highlight is that I went from reading three books in 2017 to fifteen in 2018 (and I am still planning to read 3 books. Can I do it? Support me on GoodReads and Instagram) and all of that thanks to the bookstagram community.

Thank you to all of you who keep me going, who motivate me. Thank you bookstagramers. So here is the list of books I want to read in 2019:

1.     Children of Blood and Bone:

Oh boy! I know I should’ve read this in 2018. I know Tomy Adeyemi is an amazing author I keep hearing amazing things about this book (luckily no spoilers) I keep seeing it on photos and videos and I love the cover. I have the book on my shelf. So if this is not very first read of 2019 then one of the first months of the new year I will dive in this epic book.

2.       The Cruel Prince:

Another great book that I was so hyped for. Another absolutely stunning cover I had to have… and I have it. On my shelf. For … almost six months now. Did I open it? No…. well not yet. But 2019 comes, I am definitely finding out why is this prince so cruel. I just hope that this is not a book about Hollin Havillard.

3.       The Lethal White:

I have been waiting for this book for two years! I love Rowling and I am so happy she writes different novels from Harry Potter… please, no more Harry Potter books (unless it is Marauders chronicles). The seven of them are perfect as they are. We do not want to know any more about a boy with a lightning scar on his forehead. What we do want to know is how Strike and his sidekick Robin fight crime in London! Give me more of this lighting Strike.

4.       The Language of Thorns:

This book seems to me like perfect winter before-bed book when the evenings are long. One story at the time. One story before bed. Am I wrong? Well, I guess I will find out soon. I haven’t read a book by Leigh Bardugo yet so this one will be the first one. I know what you would say… how can I call myself a bookworm without reading any of her books? Well… 2019 is the year to fix all of that.

5.       Rebbeca:

This read selected by Emma Watson on the Our Shared Shelf is one of the ones I am scared to start. I heard it is a bit scary but I am not backing down, I will read this as I usually love the feminist club picks.

6.       Magisterium series:

I feel like this should be an easy peasy summer read. Something like Harry Potter fan fiction. I have all four books in Slovakian language so I should be able to just fly through them during the summer holiday, reading somewhere on the beach or at the café while enjoying the magic.

7.       Priepast:

This Slovakian book is a horror book. So maybe I will postpone it as much as I can, but I do want to read it in 2019 as I hear a lot of good things about it. I read Trhlina by the same author and it was not very scary although there were moments when I stopped breathing. So I will definitely try the second book by Jozef Karika.

8.       V Znameni Ametystu:

Majka Dnihelova is one of us bookstagramers and this is her first book. If I understand it correctly this will be series. I want to read this book because I want to support young Slovakian female writer as much as possible. This could be any of us hoping that people will read what we write and I am curious what this first book of Kronika Strateneho Imperia (Chronicles of the Lost Imperium) will be about and if and how much am I going to like it. The book cover is stunning I have to say that.

9. Sky in the Deep:
This book is so hyped on Instagram and I completely understand why. The book cover promises a good story. I read one or two reviews but I was very hesitant to buy this book as it wasn't my plan to read it anytime soon. But then one day... there was a discount in the bookshop... so it was then or never and hence this book is on my list of books I want to read next year.

10. Legendary 

I read Caraval in January 2018 and I was very excited for the second book of the series. Unfortunately, somehow this excitement died up and the book stayed on the shelf. I plan to change that next year. I did enjoy Caraval. It was one of the easy reads that you can go through in a couple of days or a week. So I plan to continue with Legendary when I feel like I need an easy, relaxing and fun book.

That is all for today, let me know if you plan to read any of these books. Follow my progress in 2019 on GoodReads where you can find me under Bookatiepillar. 

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My bookstagram story

In case you are not aware, bookstagram is a community on Instagram that is dedicated to the books and book merchandise; candles, teas or bookmarks. This community is mostly about the book reviews and the beautiful book covers and favourite fandoms but it goes further than that. I have to say that everybody who calls themselves a bookstagramer is such a lovely person. I have not come across rude or mean person within the bookstagram community and that makes it very special. I found friends all around the world thanks to the shared love of books. So if you are thinking about starting your own bookstagram or you are here just because you love books, keep reading. This is the story of my bookstagram.

The first photo (July 2013)

Let’s start with the obvious thing. I love books. I always loved books. My very first photo on my personal Instagram in July 2013 was about a book. I moved to England in that time and I had no time for reading and no space for books so my personal Instagram became kind of a diary not necessarily focused on the books. It was also private but after some time I made it public. I occasionally posted some books but there was also food and fashion and work and some family photos. I had 300 people following me for years and I had no idea who they are and never spoken or messaged them.

In 2017 I moved to the Netherlands and suddenly I had enough space for books. I had a bookshelf in my new studio flat and so I picked up reading and buying books again.

And then… call it magic or luck I found amazing Aleema_s and her stunning bookstagram. I had no idea in that time what a bookstagram was but I started following her because I loved her photos and I started to learn about the community. I found more and more book related accounts and I started posting more book photos to my personal account.

The problem arisen with the private photos. I didn’t want people I didn’t know to see my family holiday pictures or what I had for breakfast. There were things that I wanted to keep strictly between friends and family but I also wanted to share my love for books with the world. So the decision was made…

I started my bookstagram on 1^st of December 2017 under the name of Bookatiepillar. I made my personal Instagram private again and I went through my 300 followers deleting everyone I didn’t know and sending a private message to people who seemed to be following me for the book photos. The message went:

“Hello, I wanted to say big thank you for following me on this account. I made it private for a few reasons and hence I am deleting followers that I don’t know personally. I know you are a bookworm like me and that is why I wanted to let you know that I have a bookstagram that is public. You can find me under @bookatiepillar. I will follow you from that account too. I hope you can understand and see you on my bookstagram. Xxx Katie”

Little did I know in that time what I got myself into…

The first big surprise was @little_dragon_pants who was and still is amazing bookstagramer and influencer and one of the most amazing people I know. She followed me on my bookstagram right after reading the message and it was HUGE! Imagine my little self, starting with 10 followers and 9 photos and a star like Margoe(with 6k followers) hitting the follow button. I still feel that excitement today. So this is a big thank you Margoe. It gave me courage and confidence that I can make it in the big scary bookstagram world.

The ball started to roll…In the beginning, I was re-posting book photos from my private Instagram. I gained 2 or 3 followers a month and I was extremely happy about every single one. There was no theme nor structure, there was nothing that would link the photos together, apart from the love for books. Looking at them now I see how terrible the light was and the setting is not to my liking anymore… but you have to start somewhere.

The big breakthrough happened when I came home to Poprad, Slovakia for Christmas in 2017. I had time to take photos during the daylight (which in winter is always very challenging due to the short days) and that is how I discovered the best tool for the photos. I wanted my bookstagram to look like Aleema_s’ so I copied the style of her photos (not having a clue that flatlay is a thing). I took several photos with the same pillowcase because I loved that fabric and it was my favourite bedding for years. I had them all next to each other on my phone; I loved the way they looked and so my very first theme was established.

My very first bookstagram theme.

But this was not the end, this was just the beginning. I had my favourite prop and I had my colours, I was playing with editing and I feel like the style of the photos is still evolving. I kept my white and blue cold theme for almost a year and the evolution of the photos and my photography skills is obvious.

My second bookstagram theme.

I don’t feel like I reached the end of this journey. I am not sure if there is an end to bookstagram I believe this is an amazing adventure where I develop and learn. Since I first started posting my bookstagram goals changed too. I still love the accounts I loved then, but I have a certain idea about my account and I want it to go my own way and I hope that you all love it and enjoy it as much as I do.

My third theme and finally the one I was happy with. 

For the winter and autumn I decided to change my theme and I played with different background and I decided to give my favourite pillowcase a break and I am using a fluffy blanket. So here is an example of my current theme. I am very happy with the photo I am taking now but I am also trying to progress and I am adding vertical photos in between my flat lays to make my feed more interesting. 

My current theme. 

The following accounts are my biggest inspiration: @booksundays, @bookishbronte, @aleema_s, @foldedpagesdistillery

And these accounts are for some reason underrated, so show them your love by hitting that follow button: @your.ordinary.bookworm, @stardustwrites

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Instagram Stories Questions

Some time ago I gave a space to my fellow bookstagrmers to ask me questions in my stories. I would love to thank you to all of you who submitted a question. I selected five of them that I felt are great for the blog article.


1.) If you could read one book again like it's the first time, which book would you pick?

This is one of the hardest questions I was ever asked. It took a long time for me to make the decision. I was thinking about Harry Potter but I actually love to re-read those books because it feels like coming home. So the book I would love to read again for the first time is Uprooted by Naomi Novik.
I will never forget how this book made me feel and if I read it again it will have a different impact so I wish I can forget I read it completely.

2.) What does your Instagram name mean?

I wanted some kind of fun name or pun. I was thinking about combining my name "Katie" in the word "literature" but that was of course impossible. So I tried other words and then I remembered that my university mates used to call me Katiepillar (caterpillar). So I decided not to be a bookworm but a Bookatiepillar. Maybe one day I will become booktterfly.

3.) Why did you pick the blue colour for your theme?

To be honest I love brown nude or orange bookstagrams but there are just so many of them I wanted to be different I wanted to stand out. So I took several photos with different colours and I liked blue the most... The fact that I had blue bedding on the day I started my account made it easy and then I just decided to stick with the blue.

4.) Who is your favouite character from Throne of Glass?

I have to say my favourite character is Manon and her dragon. I like how confident, passionate and strong she is but also cares about Abraxos. They communicate and have a relationship as a human and a dog. I love to read about both sides of her personality.

5.) When will you be home? (Aka Slovakia where I come from)

I usually go to Slovakia for Christmas to spend time with my family. But this year I am staying in the Netherlands and my mum is flying to see me for a week. So this year Christmas will be unusual and unique for us or maybe a beginning of new tradition? We will see...
So I am probably going to visit Slovakia next year in summer.

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5x5: Five bookies answer five questions.

For today article, I decided to reach out to my favourite bookish friends and ask them five book related questions. I am very happy they agreed to do this and joined my little project. I hope you enjoy this article and if you like their answers check these beautiful people on Instagram.

Sjmtrash - Lisa, 19, the Netherlands, University student

1.)  What is your favourite book genre and why?

My favourite genre is Young Adult and fantasy. It is because I can relate to the character but still have my escape to an amazing new world. 

2.) What is the book that everyone should read and why?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas because it relates to current problems in the world. This book offers a different perspective on police shootings and helps you to understand what the problem is and why it is so important that we do something about it. 

3.) What are your reading habits or what kind of reader are you?

I can read in most places but my favourite place to read is on the couch or in bed with (biiig) cup of tea. That's my ultimate way of relaxing. Sometimes I light some candles during reading. I also try to match my bookmark with my book. So satisfying. 

4.) If you were granted one bookish wish that will come true, what would it be?

Ah! This is a hard one! The best thing would be to have a magical key with which I can travel to bookish worlds and meet the characters within them. But maybe with a safety function in it that I just return to this world again when I die. Characters can be so reckless... 

5.) Why do you think reading is important? 

Reading can be important for so many reasons. in general it makes you richer. Books can help you understand important matters in life better or can make you feel understood. Or it can help you forget this world for a while (in a healthy way). I also love that there aren't any limits in the books, let your imagination go loose and you can do anything you want! Books also help me to be less stressed in my daily life. 

Shelvesofya - Michelle, 20, the Netherlands, English major at university

1.)  What is your favourite book genre and why?

My favourite genre is Mystery/Thrillers! I like to try and solve the mystery alongside the characters and I love being surprised by a plot twist.

2.) What is the book that everyone should read and why?

I think everybody should read the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater! I kind of cheated because it is a series but it's honestly so good. The writing is phenomenal and the plot is well thought out. Most importantly the characters are lovable and amazingly written.

3.) What are your reading habits or what kind of reader are you?

I read whenever I can! I'm a university student so I don't have as much time as I used to have but now I read in the train on my way to Uni or whenever I have some time off. 

4.) If you were granted one bookish wish that will come true, what would it be?

My reader's dream has always been attending Hogwarts. It's a very common dream but I mean who wouldn't want to attend classes and be sorted and have magic in general?

5.) Why do you think reading is important? 

Reading is important for the mind. I've learned so much by just reading and it really trains the mind to become more active. Besides that, I think readers have a better feel for other's emotions because, well we read about them so we learn to recognise it in real life as well. I also think while books can give me stress sometimes, it is a good activity to get your mind off of other stuff that is happening in your real life. 

Sophiia_san - Sophia, 23, Austrian living in the UK, employed in aviation. 

1.)  What is your favourite book genre and why? 
Currently, it's definitely Young Adult and Fantasy. There are so many different amazing authors out there that created incredible worlds to indulge in.

2.) What is the book that everyone should read and why?
Children of Blood and Bone, as it is such a beautiful world Tomi Adeyemi created. It is based on imagination, but it also carries such an important message about our world and it really made me think about the inequality out there and how important it is for us to open our eyes to it.

3.) What are your reading habits or what kind of reader are you?
I love reading before bed, which is why I generally don't tend to read scary books. I will curl up in bed, with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, a hot water bottle at my feet and read for ages (which is usually why I end up being really tired the next day).

4.) If you were granted one bookish wish that will come true, what would it be?
I would love to be able to meet George Orwell, I feel like he had such a great understanding of the world and the way our society would develop over the years. So I would love to discuss his book 1984 over a cup of tea with him.

5.) Why do you think reading is important? 
When you read a book you live someone else's life, it's like experiencing what they experience without being there, my dad always called it 'a cinema in your head', but it's so much more than that, you don't just see what the characters see, it's like you are there with them. Books were always a big part of my life and definitely helped me in my own development and gave me the strength to be who I wanted to be.
A lot of writers out there create worlds so that they can take people away from this world and give them the feeling that no matter what difficulties you face, there is always a way and I think that's something we all have to keep in mind.

Laurajfairburn - Laura, 28, UK, employeed in HR

1.)  What is your favourite book genre and why?

Fantasy/Magical

2.) What is the book that everyone should read and why?

Memoirs of a geisha - beautifully written book, and shows a different (and normally very hidden) culture in great detail.

3.) What are your reading habits or what kind of reader are you?
Casual reader, I listen to audiobooks when walking and read physical books when I can.

4.) If you were granted one bookish wish that will come true, what would it be?

I would love for Hogwarts to be real, and to receive the letter! 

5.) Why do you think reading is important?
Reading allows you to take your mind to another place and to experience the world through different eyes. In the words of George RR Martin, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, The man who never reads lives only one.”

Tomdruil - Tom-Erik, 34, a freelancer in the book industry

1.)  What is your favourite book genre and why?

This one would have been easy to answer five years ago: Fantasy. However, these last five years I've come to love Contemporary novels as well. That being said, I mostly read Young Adult novels, and I suppose those books share enough in common to maybe be labelled a genre in and of itself? I usually read Young Adult and the Fantasy (Mostly Urban Fantasy) and contemporary genre. I also love a good horror story. Stephanie Perkins' There's Someone inside Your House comes to mind. 

2.) What is the book that everyone should read and why?

Can we turn a book into books plural? Yeah? Okay. I am currently reading Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow and the hype is real! Loving this Middle-Grade Fantasy so much, and I think everyone should read it. I will of course also campaign "Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli til the day I die. That book kinda changed my life and was my ticket to contemporary novels. Now I can't get enough. I should also mention "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson. This is a non-fiction with life-saving information about being LGBTQ+ and should be in every school library. Please also check out "The Dangerous Art of Blending In" by debut author (are you sensing a theme here?) that I loved this year was "The Wicked Deep" by Shea Ernshaw. My gothic heart fell hard for that one! And of course, everyone should read "The Lord of the Rings" and all the "Harry Potter" books. Duh! 

3.) What are your reading habits or what kind of reader are you?

I'm the worst kind of reader. I wish I could say that I had this neat TBR pile sectioned into months and what I would read that month based on, I dunno, whether or book content but no. I have the unfortunate luck of being one of those readers that read based on my current mood. Which is why there are eleven books on my bookshelf right now that I haven't finished yet this year. I'm waiting for the right mood to strike. haha! Reading also makes me super tired, for some reason. even if the book is great! So usually I can't read for too long before I get tired. 

4.) If you were granted one bookish wish that will come true, what would it be?
You said this could be anything so I would transform this planet into the Middle-Earth with all the elves and hobbits and wizards and orcs, and places that exist in Tolkien's Legendarium. I would just wipe everything off the face of the Earth to be able to live in the Middle-Earth. And then I'd do get myself a really sharp sword. And some Lembas. 

5.) Why do you think reading is important? 

To quote the great RuPaul "Reading is fundamental". In reading and especially in reading stories, we find out who we are (or who we wish to be) and discover truths about ourselves, our friends and family and society at large. This is why diversity in novels is so important. Everybody deserved to see themselves reflected in the pages of a story (as well as on the screen) and I'm so happy we're making great strides toward that happening for many people. Still, we have a long way to go and there are still marginalized groups of people that still need books about them. I think diverse books are especially important in those formative years where you're a curious kid, teenager or young adult, which is why I'm doing my best to spread the word about those kinds of books in the Bookstagram community and elsewhere. As a gay man, I never saw myself in the books growing up but now that I have and finally know what it feels like to be seen and heard and respected for who I am, I want that same feeling for everyone else as well. 

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BR: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 5/5

“That's the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?” 

I was thinking a long time what shall I say about this book. It was brilliant obviously, but this read raises such important questions and problems. We have to and need to talk about this but I also feel like walking on the thin ice here... 

People say feminism and racism are not happening anymore. That it is in the past and I always say that we came a long way and learned a lot from our history. But I don't think we are in the finish just yet. I am the lucky one, I was born in Europe where I had the right to education and based on my lifestyle you can say I was and I am equal. I am white so I never experienced racism while growing up however it changed when I left my home and moved to England. So to everyone who tells me that we are equal, I say: "It is true I am at the better position that girls in India or Zimbabwe or Namibia but am I really equal?" What I have experienced is nothing in comparison with stories you can find if you look for them. Yes, you have to look for them because no one will put them on the news, in the papers or on display. 

The face of discrimination (of any kind) has changed. It is not glorified as slavery once was, no, it is happening in the shadows, hidden and subtle. Sometimes so subtle it takes you few minutes to realise you have been discriminated. My brain usually just stops and I blink with an empty look on my face and I think, did this really happen or is it just my imagination? I can't believe it and usually, the moment for the response or any kind of protective verbal reaction is gone and it is too late for me to point it out. In the case when I do point it out, I am told that I am overreacting, that it was a joke or I misunderstood what was said. But let's be honest here if you said something that made me think if it was racist or not, it probably was racist. 

People do not realise what they are saying, sometimes they do not believe themselves that they said racist or sexist. They just do not see it... they are good people. And that is exactly why we need more books like Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race and The Hate U Give.

I think that The Hate U Give has a great plot to teach you the problematics of the current racism and sexism. Angie Thomas wrote a great book, the story didn't have any slow or boring sections. The plot was gradually getting tenser with every chapter. The characters developed and changed. I really disliked Kenya at the beginning but as the book progresses I changed my mind. Starr was, of course, the main character and I admire this girl so much. She was strong and brave but she also had a lot of flaws which made her real. She struggled with life and she was unsure of decisions, she overthought and doubted her decisions and I love that about her.

I know the book is not a real story. I know it is not based on anyone's life, but I heard people saying that it is a true image of some peoples lifestyle and that made this book so difficult to read. It made me sad and horrified. It felt like a completely different planet, a different world. It made me aware of the racism and inequality problems and I think that was the main idea and main purpose of the THUG.

Angie Thomas is now one of my top writers and I can't wait to read everything she will write in the future. Her writing style was easy to read even with slang and expressions. It felt like she wrote the book in one afternoon it was perfectly smooth and continuous. One of the best books I read this year. 

THUG is obviously a Young Adult book, but it has a strong message inside so I would recommend this book to everyone. I would go as far as recommending this book on the schools' list for mandatory reads. 

Goodreads synopsis: 
Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.

"What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?"

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August Bullet Journal - Adventure is Out There!

August is a very special and unusual month for me. I have finished my old job on the 10th of August and I am starting a new one in September which means I have three weeks off.
I am calling this period "professional Instagramer probation period". Because I have so much time off of work I decided to use it well and booked tickets to the biggest festival in the Netherlands, planned the holiday in Croatia and so my bullet journal for this month reflect that. The topic for the August Bullet Journal is Adventure is Out There!

The front page includes an artsy photo and little calendar to help me visualise the month. I went for the blue theme because it gives me major summer and holiday vibes. I do not use the calendar on the front page but I have an easy agenda where I mark the appointments for the month. I have to say I am very excited to go to my hairdresser's appointment. My hair needs the colour refresh and I am not happy how it looks on my Instagram photos at the moment.
The notes section at the bottom of the agenda is there to remind me of things to do which are not planned for any particular date. It already contains Giveaway note; so keep an eye on my Instagram for this if you wish to join.
On the page next to my agenda is a photo from a magazine and the bottom section is a washi tape.

I wanted to keep the water/holiday mood for a few more pages and I finished this one with boxes: Blog Ideas and Books that I read this month. On the other side, I did the Circle Mood Tracker and they are my favourite! I also really like to use only three moods: good, bad and normal. And of course, I am using the blue colours to fit in with the rest of the monthly theme.

Lowlands 2018 spread: What do you pack for the four-day festival? I have never been to the festival so I decided to do Packing list and write things that pop-up in my mind. So far I have pieces of clothes and accessories... what else do you need at the festival?
The second section is the artists I would like to see and I will tick them off the list as I go. I printed some photos from previous Lowlands years and used the same washi tape so the page fits in with the theme. The empty sections will be filled in after the festival. I am planning to print a photo of my friends and me from the festival and maybe write down about my favourite moment or favourite artist...

Next section of my monthly spread is dedicated to Croatia holiday which I am looking forward to very much. After the four day party, it will be good to just relax and sit by the pool or on the beach... with a book, of course. My boyfriend and I booked a week in the huge hotel resort close to Split; I haven't had a holiday like this in years. I usually go to discover cities or for hikes so this will be very different and hopefully a very relaxing time. 

The reason why we decided to go to Croatia this year is the Sea Organ in Zadar; for more than two years I wanted to visit the place and I decided it is the time to follow my dream. After we made plans I spoke to my mum about it and she told me that Croatia is the country where my parents went on a honeymoon and the only abroad location where my grandparents went on holiday. All of these facts made me feel like Croatia is meant to happen. I can't tell you enough how excited I am about this trip. So I already wrote down outfits I want to take with me and two places I want to visit. I will print some photos from the holiday and add them in.

If you follow me on Instagram you know that I recently hit the 1k followers goal. This is very exciting for me and I am so grateful for all of your support and kind encouragement. I have decided to create an Instagram Tracker to see the progress better and to celebrate every time I hit a little milestone. I can't express enough how much I value my followers and how lovely it is to get to know you all.
I also have the reading tracker as per usual. I am making the square if I find time to read and I will leave the space unfilled if I don't read. Simple as that.

The last page for the August month spread is the reflection. At the end of the month, I will look back and write down how I felt and what I learned. This is my second favourite part of the bullet journal.

Material used: 
- Black marker from Papermate flair M
- Stabilo Pen 68. Art. Nr: 68/11
- Stabilo Boss Mini Marker
- Blue Blow Pen
- Pencil Art. Nr: 110-3H

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This or That? Answering some fundamental bookish questions.

Read how I faced some of the fundamental bookish questions which every reader comes across within their life. These questions about books are called This or That and I hope you can get to know me better. All of these answers are my own opinion and preference, and it doesn't mean that I only like the listed things. I love all the books and there are a lot of exceptions to the options that I present here. If the book is good, it is good - period.

Books, eBooks or Audio Books?
- Call me a dinosaur because I am a huge fan of the classic physical book. I also dislike online shopping and prefer to go to the stone bookshop to browse the shelves and see the books in person before buying them. Don't get me wrong, it is very nice to get the book delivered right to your door so what I do sometimes... and maybe it is not very nice of me... I go to a bookshop to look at which books I like and then order them online. Guilty!

Paperbacks or Hardcovers?
- Hardcovers all the way! They feel better in my hands. They feel valuable and important and I always keep them safe so they don't get damaged. It is hard to carry the hardcover around in the handbag so I do have some paperbacks too.

Fiction or Non-Fiction
- Fiction. Definitely. All of the fiction with magic and a made up world, different races or far in the future on the other planet... I read to escape the reality so the more different from the reality the book gets the more interested I am.

Series or Standalone?
- This is a hard question. I don't really have a preference but I read only one series at the time. I prefer to read standalone between the series parts. I read the Throne of Glass Series this year and I would like to finish it by the end of 2018.

Short Books or Long Books? (300 pages)
- I prefer short books. I feel like I read more if I get through two books a month than one long one. I also feel like they have more tension and better dynamic in the story and they do not fall into the boredom as often as books with more than 300 pages. But this is not always the rule and I do have favourite long books too.

Short Chapters or Long Chapters?
- I am not one of the bookies who have to stop reading at the end of the chapter or at the end of the page. I read a lot during my daily commute on the train and bus and I have to be able to close the book any minute so I am pretty comfortable to stop reading mid-sentence. I do not have any preference when it comes to the chapter lengths.

One Main Character or Group of Characters?
- I feel like I need to explain this. One Character would be for example Harry Potter where we see the story from his point of view and what he doesn't know we don't know either. Perfect example for Group of Main Character is Game of Thrones. Where different chapters have the story of different people. I think I prefer one character books, I feel as if there are a lot of characters I get lost who is who and how are they related. I am terrible with names too so if the character doesn't appear for some time I completely forget who they are. So annoying.

Female or Male Character
- I like a character I can relate to and that usually happens with female characters so I prefer that but here we have Harry Potter again standing out as a great exception to the rule.

First Person or Third Person Point of View?
- This one is easy. I love books written in the first person. It is so easy for me to relate to the main character this way. (FYI: Harry Potter books are my most favourite third person point of view books and my all times most favourite!)

Illustrated or Not Illustrated?
- This is a difficult one. Illustrations take parts of my fantasy away but then the world would be a very sad place without Allan Lee illustrated The Lord of the Rings books.

One book at the time or more book simultaneously?
-When I start reading I get so involved with characters and the story I don't want to break that with a different book. I am faithful to the one I am currently reading. Sometimes I get so into it I have book hangover for days and I can't pick my next read... so yeah... one book at the time.

If you enjoyed this article it would be great if you tell me your preference in the comments or on any other of my social media profiles.

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