Bogormen

Title: Highlands Christmas
Author: Amy Quick Parrish
Genre: Christmas, Short story, arc
Rating: 3
# pages: 128
Date read: October, 2023

Christmas wishes do come true.

Melissa MacKenzie is an American interior designer with a seemingly happy life — until her husband Dave reveals he's been cheating on her and wants a divorce and the house. But when a letter informs her that she will inherit a home in Scotland, things start looking up. At the airport she inadvertently meets Colin McGregor, a charming Scottish-American lawyer who happens to be her husband's divorce lawyer. She's taken by his sexy Scottish accent and charm and, as fate would have it, he's on Melissa's flight to Edinburgh ... and on her train to Inverness, and happens to live in the same town where she's inherited her home.

As sparks fly between Melissa and Colin, he agrees to help her secure the Scottish home that she believes she's entitled to. They dive right into Scottish culture — and each other's arms — as love and a new home seem within reach. Will they be able to succeed in both missions? Or will everything fall apart?


A quick read. I finished it in less than an hour. It's very simplistic, very stereotypical and very unrealistic. However, it's also very charming, and while I found myself noticing all the issues with it, it never really made me consider giving up on it. I really enjoyed the setting (there's just something about (Scottish) village life - especially at Christmas time!) and the friends Melissa made along the way. I even liked Colin... even if he was clearly being awfully unprofessional and blatantly ignoring a serious conflict of interests ;-)

I would love for the author to take a second shot at this - find a better editor, and work out some of the kinks. Because plot-wise it has great potential, and if the charm hadn't been diluted by the stereotypes in both characters and events, it would end up being a very sweet Christmas novella indeed.

Title: Tir-Nâzrals arving (Stjernekrønikerne #1)
Author: Mads Schack-Lindhardt
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: 340
Date read: February 2023

Forestil dig, at alle de verdener, der nogensinde er blevet skrevet bøger om, eksisterer – at de er lige så virkelige, som den verden, du lever i. Og forestil dig, at der findes et sted, der gør det muligt at rejse til disse verdener.

Da Sebastian flytter ind i sin fars afdøde onkels hus sammen med sine forældre, møder han den sære nabo, Martha. Hun er en del af en hemmelig verden, hvorfra man kan rejse ind i bøgerne og ændre deres historier.

Sebastian sendes ud på et eventyr, der overgår hans vildeste fantasi – til en hemmelig verden fuld af magi og forunderlige væsener. Det bliver en farefuld færd, hvor Sebastian skal tage sig i agt – bag hver et hjørne lurer det onde, som kan blive den magiske verdens undergang.


"Tir-Nâzrals arving" er første bind i en ny fantasy-serie - og så vidt jeg kan se også forfatterens første roman? I hvert fald den første, som er kommet på goodreads.

Mads Schack-Lindhardt får hurtigt skabt et fascinerende univers, og jeg fik flere gange flashbacks til "Dystopia" af Dennis Jürgensen, uden at kunne sige helt hvorfor. Stemningen mindede mig om den... omend handlingen er sin helt egen. Men "Dystopia" har været en af mine yndlingsbøger siden jeg var barn, så for mig var det kun en ekstra bonus.

Ideen om et univers hvor bøger bliver til virkelighed er evigt tiltalende for en livslang bogorm som mig, og jeg var kun ærgerlig over, at vi kun havde mulighed for at udforske en enkelt af portalerne denne gang - men regner med, at det bliver der rådet bod på i de efterfølgende bøger i serien.

Bogen led ind i mellem lidt under at forfatteren prøvede at inkludere for meget, for hurtigt, og jeg synes man kunne mærke, at det var hans første bog - men det betyder udelukkende at jeg har tiltro til, at han bliver bedre til at stramme handlingen op i de senere bøger, og jeg glæder mig til at fortsætte sammen med Sebastian på hans færd gennem de forskellige verdener, som Tir-Nâzral åbner op for.

Title: The Break-Up
Author: Charlotte Barnes
Genre: Chicklit
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 352
Date read: January, 2022

Edi Parcell thought she had life all planned out, so when her childhood sweetheart proposes a three-month break to date other people, she’s shocked. Unexpectedly back on the dating scene after years with the same guy, this is the first opportunity Edi’s had to think about what she really wants from life – and love.

When she meets Winifred, her world is turned upside down. She never expected to have feelings for someone else, but now she’s met Winifred she can’t stop thinking about her. As the months pass, Edi is shocked to realise she’s not sure she wants her old relationship back at all – not now there’s Winifred…


Honestly.... I don't know how to rate this book. I had a hard time putting it down, but at the same time it didn't quite ring true to me. I have absolutely no problems believing that getting engaged could freak out somebody so much as to make the suggestion Rowan did - but to then turn around and become such an ass? I don't know - it seemed contrived. Also, the way Edi's friends talked about him even before the break seemed off. It seemed like the author went out of her way to make the reader dislike Rowan when the plot didn't really need it, and the end result could just as easily have been achieved by proper communication.

Also, the new romance didn't work for me. No way Edi would move on that quickly after having been sucker-punched by her fiancé. Even if it was originally just to get him back and show that what was good for the goose is good for the gander. But though the book is listed as LGBTQ. I really didn't think this was explored at all. Sure, the new love interest is female, but except for a few sessions of Edi angsting "But does that mean I'm not straight???" (literally just keeping it to that one-liner), no page time at all is used on what made her go from Robbie to Fred. Is she bi? Demi? Some other form of queer? Still searching? It's just left there.

I did like Edi's friends. Their characterization was a bit too two-dimensional at times (Molly was ONLY focused on A, Betty ONLY cared about B etc.), but the group dynamics worked and seemed very realistic. And I absolutely love reading about a group of friends who are 100% there for each other - no hidden agendas, no backstabbing, no ulterior motives. Just girls propping each other up. So kudos for that!

So at the end of the day I'm left with a book that I enjoyed reading... but where I'd have to add several disclaimers before recommending it to anybody else.

Title: Meet Me in the Margins
Author: Melissa Ferguson
Genre: Chick-lit, ARC
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 320
Date read: October, 2021

Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at Pennington Publishing, a prestigious publisher producing only the highest of highbrow titles. And while editing the latest edition of The Anthology of Medieval Didactic Poetry may be her day job, she has two secrets she’s hiding.

One: She’s writing a romance novel.

Two: She’s discovered the Book Nook—a secret room in the publishing house where she finds inspiration for her “lowbrow” hobby.

After leaving her manuscript behind one afternoon, she returns to the nook only to discover someone has written notes in the margins. Savannah’s first response to the criticism is defensive, but events transpire that force her to admit that she needs the help of this shadowy editor after all. As the notes take a turn for the romantic, and as Savannah’s madcap life gets more complicated than ever, she uses the process of elimination to identify her mysterious editor—only to discover that what she truly wants and what she should want just might not be the same.


I was sent this book in return for an honest review, and I'm so glad. This is chick-lit when it's at its best. Fun, engaging, relatable and with a bunch of book talk that meant it was right up my aisle.

Other people have made the comparison to "You've Got Mail" and for good reason. While the two stories are very different, the general idea (falling in love with somebody through writing) and atmosphere is very much the same. However, "You've Got Mail" is one of my all-time favourite movies, so that's just an added bonus in my book... no pun intended.

While some of the characters were perhaps a tad one-dimensional, others were very relatable, and I really grew to love Savannah as she tried to navigate the waters of a new boss and attempting to edit her own manuscript, while still having to live up to her family's expectations.

Of course I had seen the ending a mile off, but that's to be expected with this genre. I still enjoyed the ride very much, and really appreciated that it didn't fall into some of the same traps that books like this often do (being vague to avoid spoilers...).

At times laugh-out-loud funny, this was one of the best new reads of the year. I'll definitely want to add this to my physical library as well.

Title: Hexing the Ex
Author: Susanna Shore
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 224
Date read: July 2021

I didn’t expect to be evicted the first thing I returned from my holiday, but thanks to my flatmate Nick, that’s what I was facing.

It’s not exactly easy to find a new place to live in London, so when Phoebe Thorpe spots a room-to-let sign at the window of a magic shop, she doesn’t hesitate. The room is perfect, even if chores are part of the rent. There is only one thing odd about her new landladies. They seem to believe magic exists.

Phoebe doesn’t believe in magic, but unfortunately magic believes in her. A mysterious statuette is sent to her boss, Archibald Kane, and she accidentally triggers a curse meant for him. Naturally, the first person she curses is her ex-boyfriend. But why would anyone want to curse her boss, a perfectly ordinary antiques dealer? Or is he?

Phoebe sets out to break the curse with the help of her new housemates. But it isn’t easy trying to solve a mystery she doesn’t even believe is real. Then again, that hellhound chasing her seemed pretty solid… Maybe there’s more to magic than hexing one’s ex.


Really charming story. I fell in love from the very first chapter and absolutely adored the House of Magic. I'm not usually a fan of cozy mysteries, as I generally find them too unrealistic, but since this was fantasy anyway, that part didn't bother me at all here. In some ways, it actually reminded me quite a bit of "Enchanted, Inc." by Shanna Swendson, with all the magical creatures running around.

I did miss an explanation for why Phoebe was suddenly magically inclined, as I never felt that was really explained. Perhaps it'll come in a sequel?

The title is slightly misleading as it wasn't actually the ex being hexed.... nor did it have as many hexes as I had expected it to, but I did enjoy the way the hex was managed in the end.

Title: Chosen Ones
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Sci-fi, arc
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 419
Date read: June, 2020

A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones.

Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step just as the Dark One still haunts her dreams. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t moved on; she’s adrift—no direction, no goals, no purpose. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen: the death of one of their own. And when they gather for the funeral at the enshrined site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One’s reign never really ended.


I had very high expectations for this book, but while it mostly delivered, it was only that -- mostly.

The beginning was fascinating - how do kids (because they were kids at the time) cope with being "the chosen ones" when the big bag villain is suddenly overcome? How would they fit in in a post-war-ridden world? It's a concept that I haven't seen explored in books before, and one I would have loved to see expanded upon. I was also interested in seeing what all the research Sloane was doing would finally amount to.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if Veronica Roth changed her mind after the first few chapters, and instead of following up on the threads and issues created there, she instead added the presence of a parallel universe where the chosen ones could become "Chosen" all over again... thus returning to a much more familiar and traditional narrative. It was still worth reading, to be sure, but not nearly as innovative as I had originally assumed it would be.

I also felt like some threads were left hanging - or glossed over at least - but I do recognize that this is supposed to be the first in a series, so those threads may have been left on purpose to be picked up in the sequels.

Title: The Dreamer
Author: Jen A. Durand
Genre: Chick-lit, arc
Rating: 2.5/5
# pages: 130
Date read: December, 2019

Caleb needed a change of scenery. His life in the city had become the same series of bad dates and Sunday dinners with the family. Moving to Blue Grove gave him the chance to expand his business and try a bit of that small town living.

Sage Grey has watched her sister and her best friend find love while she sat on the sidelines. Now it's her turn. Caleb was easy on the eye and he could be gruff and a little tough, but he was trying hard to be understanding. Navigating their relationship took work, but was worth it. She just had to remember not to let her dreams outweigh reality.


The final book in the series. A short and sweet romance. It ended less abruptly than "The Fixer" (and I was happy to see a slight follow up to that one here), but seemed somewhat underdeveloped and reads a bit like a short story found in a 90s women's magazine. Enjoyable fluff, but unfortunately easily forgotten.

Title: Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come
Author: Jessica Pan
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 274
Date read: July, 2019

What would happen if a shy introvert lived like a gregarious extrovert for one year? If she knowingly and willingly put herself in perilous social situations that she’d normally avoid at all costs? Writer Jessica Pan intends to find out. With the help of various extrovert mentors, Jessica sets up a series of personal challenges (talk to strangers, perform stand-up comedy, host a dinner party, travel alone, make friends on the road, and much, much worse) to explore whether living like an extrovert can teach her lessons that might improve the quality of her life. Chronicling the author’s hilarious and painful year of misadventures, this book explores what happens when one introvert fights her natural tendencies, takes the plunge, and tries (and sometimes fails) to be a little bit braver.


When I read the blurb here, I immediately felt a kinship with Jessica Pan. As an introvert myself (although fortunately not a shy one) the truth of the title resonated deeply with me, and like Jessica, I too have declined invitations simply because I was peopled out, and would rather snuggle up on my couch with a book or my knitting.

So her challenge of saying yes to everything for a change is one that at the same time appealed to me and terrified me. Yes to improv? Absolutely, sign me up! I LOVE that stuff! Yes to stand-up comedy? Meh... would require somebody else to write my material, but otherwise, ok (I don't have a funny bone in my body, but love being on stage). Yes to friend-dates? Sure... it's a one-on-one situation, it could work. Yes to a solo vacation where I'm not allowed to buy guidebooks but have to rely on asking locals for advice? Meep! Yes to networking events and - gasp - talking to strangers on the bus? Noooooooo!!!!

I was a bit hesitant at first, because it seemed like this could very easily just be one cringe-worthy experience after the other, and some of the first forays into the world of extroverting did indeed end up that way, but as the year progressed and Jessica found more and more mentors to help her through - and made more and more friends along the way! - it became both a pleasant and a motivating read. I don't know that I'll go out and sign up for the friendship version of tinder anytime soon, but it's quite refreshing to know that while people might not wave - everybody waves back.

Title: The Art of Circular Yokes
Author: Edited by Kerry Bogert
Genre: Craft
Rating: 5/5
# pages: 329
Date read: May, 2019

Subtitled: A timeless technique for 15 modern sweaters.


This is an awesome book! Extremely detailed and useful for knitters no matter if they want to try their hand at designing or not.

The first part is aimed at designers and knitters who need to modify yoked sweaters. Beware, you'll find maths. Loads and loads and LOADS of maths! All very clearly laid out, and with good examples that makes it easier to understand, but you'll definitely want to follow along with paper and pencil next to the book, as you enter in your own measurements. These are NOT formulas you should ever expect to be able to learn off by heart, but it is a brilliant reference guide, and absolutely indispensable for figuring out where and how to include your increase rows.

But don't worry! Just as it all starts to become too much, and your head starts spinning from all the numbers and formulas, you get to the carrot at the end of the maths - because the second (and larger) part is all about the patterns! 15 absolutely gorgeous pullovers and cardigans, ready to be swatched for and cast on. The patterns are clearly written, with nice, large charts and photos both of the details and of the full length garment. I've found at least 5 I want to cast on right away, and can't wait to go stash-diving for yarn for them.

Sprinkled out throughout the book are quotes from the various designers, with small insights into the specific designs themselves, or their approach to designing in general.

Title: Claimed
Author: Fred Alvrez
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: 300
Date read: February 2019

Lives depend on them discovering gold, but what price are they willing to pay?

Two best friends fly to their gold claim on a remote part of Vancouver Island, both in desperate need of large amounts of money. It’s their annual pilgrimage, but this year there’s added pressure to deliver.

What they find shocks the pair, when they discover a small community that’s been shut off from the world and living underground. The rituals that they perform cause the two men to feel shock, revulsion and anger. Regular earthquakes only add to the danger, along with two sisters who they must rescue if they are to succeed.

Will they find gold, and what will it cost?
Will they even survive?

Two men go on a tortuous journey that will change both their lives forever.


A 3.5 star review. Rounded up on Goodreads as it kept me fascinated enough to finish in a day!

Very different from Fred Alvrez' other books. I love that I've now read three books by him, and they literally couldn't be more different from one another! Just goes to show that no author needs to feel stuck in one genre.

The first few chapters made me google images of Vancouver Island... Oh, my goodness! I want to go there now! Definitely a new spot to add to my bucket list - it looks absolutely gorgeous!

The story itself is every bit as engaging as I have come to expect from Fred Alvrez. I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout the journey (trying not to give too much away here) and absolutely adored Maya.