Bogormen

Title: Thornyhold
Author: Mary Stewart
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 207
Date read: March, 2021

Thornyhold is a house deep in a wild wood like somewhere out of a fairy tale. To Gilly, it is an enchantment. Her very own enchantment, left to her by the cousin whose occasional magical visits had brightened her childhood. And as she explores, she discovers more about the woman who had come to seem like a fairy godmother for her: her herbalists's skills, her still room, her abilities to foresee and to heal. She discovers also that the local people believe that Gilly has inherited not just the house but the magical spell-weaving powers that live on in the house and garden. Slowly, quietly, she comes to realise that they are right.


Slow to start, but once Gilly made it to Thornyhold I was thoroughly hooked. It such a charming story, replicating the style of a much older type of novel.

Genre-wise it was a bit all over the place - fantasy, suspense, historical fiction, romance - but while I never quite figured out what it intended to be (thus my generic categorization here of just 'fiction'), it just worked for me. The end came somewhat more suddenly than I had expected, and there were some points I would have liked expanded upon (although mostly just because I wanted the book to last longer!), but I've loved descriptions of "setting up house" ever since I first read "Famous Five Run Away Together" as a child, and this was an extremely satisfactory read in that regard :-D

Title: Autoboyography
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: YA, LGBTQ
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~9.5hrs
Date read: March, 2021

Three years ago, Tanner Scott’s family relocated from California to Utah, a move that nudged the bisexual teen temporarily back into the closet. Now, with one semester of high school to go, and no obstacles between him and out-of-state college freedom, Tanner plans to coast through his remaining classes and clear out of Utah.

But when his best friend Autumn dares him to take Provo High’s prestigious Seminar—where honor roll students diligently toil to draft a book in a semester — Tanner can’t resist going against his better judgment and having a go, if only to prove to Autumn how silly the whole thing is. Writing a book in four months sounds simple. Four months is an eternity.

It turns out, Tanner is only partly right: four months is a long time. After all, it takes only one second for him to notice Sebastian Brother, the Mormon prodigy who sold his own Seminar novel the year before and who now mentors the class. And it takes less than a month for Tanner to fall completely in love with him.


The first YA book I've read by Christina Lauren. Still really well written, and I very much appreciated that the LDS community was written respectfully, and that the focus on this book wasn't "LDS = bad!", but rather on the challenges on falling in love outside your own faith, which I thought was very tastefully done.

I loved the friendship between Tanner and Autumn - would have loved to read more about that.

Title: Caszandra (Touchstone #3)
Author: Andrea K. Höst
Genre: Sci-fi
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 357
Date read: March 2016, March 2017, March 2019, March 2021, September 2023

Cassandra Devlin doesn't know what she's for. But she knows she's running out of time.

Since Cass was rescued from the abandoned world of Muina, the Aussie teen has proven more than useful to the people of Tare. Expeditions to their home world no longer end in slaughter. The teaching city of Kalasa has been unlocked. After years of searching for answers, they are starting to make progress.

But space is tearing itself apart. Ionoth attack in ever-greater numbers. And "the useful stray" has been injured so many times that the Tarens hesitate to use her for fear of losing her.

With one particular Taren now her most important person, Cass is determined to contribute everything she can - and hopes to find some answers of her own. What is the link between Muina and Earth? Why are the reclusive Nurans so interested in 'rescuing' her? And what role in the crisis do the inhuman Cruzatch play?


Very satisfying ending to the trilogy (although I am glad there is a "Gratuitous Epilogue" as well!). I did think the whole Powerstone issue was solved surprisingly fast, and there are a lot of unanswered questions about those and the Cruzatch still, but I'm hoping some of those answers will be given in the epilogue. I also want to know more about Cass' family.

I loved the addition of Sen, Ys and Rye and how Sen 'adopted' Cass, without her really having much say in the matter. I liked that there was a lot of character development in this book - not just for Cass, but also for those around her. I felt like I got to know the other Sentari a lot better.

Really brilliant book I couldn't put down and finished over a weekend... quite a change from book 2 which took me 4 months!

(I did get annoyed with Andrea Höst using 'smex' for 'sex' though. I mean, really?! )

Title: Aldrig mere fri (Never Again Free) Author: Sara Blædel Genre: Suspense Rating: 8/10 # pages: 374 Date read: July 2008, march 2021

In inner Copenhagen a woman is found murdered one night. The scene of the crime is very bloody, as her throat was cut in an uncommonly violent fashion.

Police officer Louise Rick has been put on the case together with some colleagues when she receives a phonecall from her friend Camilla Lind who's the crime reporter on Morgenavisen. She is deeply disturbed by an experience her 11-year-old son had the same morning when he on his way to school found an abandoned infant.

All clues in the murder case point towards the hooker environment of Copenhagen, but when another beastly murder is committed it's clear that new players are a field - players who ruthlessly abuse and punish others if it'd help their own lucrative business.


Slow to start, but it quickly picks up and becomes very interesting. It touches upon one of the most despicable crimes: human trafficking. It's something I feel very strongly against and therefore had a hard time stomaching the book, which also ended up being somewhat more violent than many of the earlier ones.

It ends rather abruptly and with an unexpected twist, but unlike some of her other books the abruptness doesn't mean any threads are left hanging... or rather they are, but not in an unsatisfying way, but rather because it couldn't be any different.