Title: Kys din kæreste på rejsen
Author: Pia Konstantin Berg
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~5hrs
Date read: September, 2023

29-year-old Caroline's life is running smoothly. She's just bought an apartment and gotten her dream job as a music reviewer -- not to mention that she's dating her boss, Kaare. Everything is perfect... if you put aside the fact that Caroline hates writing ruthless reviews, that Kaare - by the way - is married, and that a deadly pandemic has closed down the country...

From one day to the next everything is cancelled. Friends are in isolation with their families, Kaare is with his family, and Caroline is furloghed. Her social life consists of daily phone calls with her overbearing parents, sporadic texts from her friends and random balcony-meetings with her neighbour John - a 94-year-old globetrotter with a fondness for alcohol and techno music.

Spring looks bleak, until Caroline literally runs into Casper one day and he turns her life upside down. His optimism is contagious, and even though he's not at all the kind of man she thought she was looking for... perhaps he's exactly the kind of man she needs?


Set in the time of the first Copenhagen corona lock-down it really captures the feeling of "this is nothing... huh, a press conference... crap! It's definitely NOT nothing!"

Not that this is primarily a story about corona though. It's a story about a new romance... about getting yourself out of an increasingly toxic relationship... about overbearing parents... about unusual friendships in the most random places.

It made me laugh out loud more times than I can count (I LOVED Caroline's and Casper's initial messages to each other), and was sweetly poignant in places too. Everybody ought to have a 94-year-old friend when times get tough. I want to be John when I get old!

The third-act breakup was unnecessary and made me subtract half a star... but it was realistic and also realistically resolved, so I've rounded up rather than down here on Goodreads. There was a lot to love in this book, and I'd like to add it to my library at some point.

Title: God, Where Are You?
Author: John Bevere
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 159
Date read: May, 2021

Do you feel lost in a difficult season, wondering, “GOD, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Perhaps you heard God speak, but now He seems silent. Maybe you moved forward in faith, but now His presence is nowhere to be found. Welcome to the wilderness—the place between receiving a promise from God and seeing it come to pass.

But here’s the good news—this is no purposeless wasteland. God uses the wilderness to prepare and equip you for your destiny—that is, if you navigate it correctly. Contrary to what many may think, getting through this season isn’t just a matter of waiting on God. You have a part to play in navigating through it. A big one. And if you don’t want to waste time wandering in circles, it’s important to learn what that is.


I bought this because I really enjoyed the YouVersion Bibel reading plan based on it. Unfortunately, the reading plan had all the best points, and I didn't really feel like it improved any from having those points elaborated on.

It was good - but never became personal. I never really connected to the teachings, which means that it'll unfortunately likely turn out to be very forgettable.

Title: The Gem Thief
Author: Sian Ann Bessey
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~11hrs
Date read: June, 2020

Gracie Miller is a small-town girl who has landed her dream job in New York City. As jewelry designer for one of the most prestigious jewelers in the world, she completed a particularly stunning piece, a custom setting for a large diamond. But when her billionaire client Mrs. Katsaros comes to have a minor issue with the setting repaired, Gracie is horrified to realize it is not the ring she created. Someone has forged her design, and the priceless diamond is gone.

Mrs. Katsaros has no desire to bring media attention to the jewelry heist, so she recruits her nephew, Quinn, and his FBI agent friend, Steve, to do some sleuthing off the record. When they discover that the missing ring is just one of many forgeries in the widow’s collection, they look to Gracie for help. They need her to act the part of Quinn’s fiancée. From the lights of New York to the shimmering islands of the Mediterranean, Gracie is swept into a thrilling hunt. But amid the search for the elusive thief, she and Quinn find themselves increasingly distracted by their growing feelings for each other. What neither realizes is how close the danger lies and how serious the vendetta is—because, apparently, it is worth killing for.


On one hand nothing special - on the other hand totally charming, and I loved every minute of it!

I'd been recommended this book because I like stories that take place on cruises, and while the cruise didn't take up quite as much page time as I would have liked, it still added to the charm of the story. The plot is quite unrealistic, but pretty common for chick-lit, and stayed true to its own universe, so it still worked for me. I really liked both Gracie and Quinn, and Dorcas was absolutely delightful :-D

Not high literature, but just what I was in the mood for, on a lazy Saturday.

Title: Shadow Unit 3: Refining Fire
Author: Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear
Genre: Suspense, Paranormal
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 251
Date read: April, 2018

Chaz Villette, team member, goes to check out the home he recently inherited from his mother's parents, who he has never met. The house is in danger from wild fires, so it may be his only chance to get a feel for what his dead mother's early life was like.

The only problem is, the house isn't empty, and he ends up in the crazed hands of a gamma, William Villette. His mother's brother, and a crazed rapist who can make people feel the emotions he wants them to.


Definitely the most vicious and graphic of the lot. I read the online version (found at http://shadowunit.org) which meant I had to go hunting for the bonus material. It's worth it though, as the "episode" itself ends rather abruptly and without giving the reader a chance to decompress.

Of course, if you're reading the Kindle version, then you won't have this problem ;-)

Once again the similarities to "Criminal Minds" are striking, but as I love that show, that's actually a count in Shadow Unit's favour, and though this particular episode was long and brutal, I found most of it fascinating and had a very hard time putting down the book. The ending got a bit confusing, and I was glad to discover extra bonus material online, as I was somewhat disappointed by where it ended (we got so invested in Chaz that I wanted to read about his recovery as well!), but all in all it was a very satisfying "season finale", and I could definitely see myself continuing on to the next season sooner rather than later.

Title: The Bookshop on Rosemary Lane
Author: Ellen Berry
Genre: Chick-lit
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 370
Date read: March, 2017

In the beginning...

Kitty Cartwright has always solved her problems in the kitchen. Her cookbooks are her life, and there isn't an issue that "Cooking with Aspic" can't fix. Her only wish is that she had a book entitled "Rustling Up Dinner When Your Husband Has Left You".

Forty years later...

On Rosemary Lane, Della Cartwright plans to open a very special little bookshop. Not knowing what to do with the hundreds of cookbooks her mother left her, she now wants to share their recipes with the world - and no amount of aspic will stand in her way.

But with her family convinced it's a hare-brained scheme, Della starts to wonder if she's made a terrible decision. One thing's for sure: she's about to find out...


Unfortunately not the feel-good chick-lit I had hoped for, and I almost put it down at 57% because it took such an unpleasant turn. Fortunately it improved, and I enjoyed the last 40%, but I did think that the build-up was FAR too slow compared to the actual plot and resolution.

I'm surprised by all the high ratings I see on Goodreads. This only just made it up to 3 stars for me.

Title: MWF Seeking BFF
Author: Rachel Bertsche
Genre: Memoir, Non-fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 349
Date read: April 2014

When Rachel Bertsche first moves to Chicago, she's thrilled to finally share a zip code with her boyfriend. But shortly after getting married, she realizes that her new life is missing one thing: friends. Sure, she has plenty of BFFs - in New York and San Francisco and Boston and Washington, D.C. Still, in her adopted hometown, there's no one to call at the last minute for girl talk over brunch or a reality-TV marathon over a bottle of wine. Taking matters into her own hands, Bertsche develops a plan: Meeting people everywhere from improv class to friend rental websites, she'll go on fifty-two friend-dates, one per week for a year, in hopes of meeting her new Best Friend Forever.

One of the most inspirational books I've read since Gretchen Rubin's "The Happiness Project". I didn't really have any idea what to expect when I started reading it, but I ended up LOVING it, and finished it in just two days.

Rachel Bertsche sounds like an awesome person, and one I'd enjoy getting together with IRL, so I really enjoyed reading about her search for friends, feeling like I could live vicariously through her.

At the end of the book, Rachel Bertsche has a section on "Recommended Reading", and while I'll definitely have to check out some of her recommendations (it would seem like our taste in books mesh quite well - and she recommended The Baby-Sitter's Club!!! That's friend-material right there! ;) ), what I loved most was her section on "Books whose authors I'd like to have as friends" (from memory). What a cute idea :) One of the authors listed was Gretchen Rubin, who'd definitely also be on my list.

And after reading this book, I think I would have to add Rachel Bertsche herself to that list as well.

Lovely, happy-making book :)

Title: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
Author: Aimee Bender
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: 294
Date read: August, 2012

On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein, a girl at the periphery of schoolyard games and her distracted parents' attention, bites into her mother's homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother's emotions in the cake. She discovers this gift to her horror, for her mother - her cheerful, good-with-crafts, can-do mother - tastes of despair and desperation. Suddenly, and for the rest of her life, food becomes a peril and a threat to Rose. The curse her gift has bestowed is the secret knowledge all families keep hidden - her mother's life outside the home, her father's detachment, her brother's clash with the world. Yet as Rose grows up she learns to harness her gift and becomes aware that there are secrets even her taste buds cannot discern.

I hardly know what to make of this book. There isn't much plot and certainly not many resolutions. It's even heartbreakingly depressing at times. I don't think I'm likely to ever reread it... yet I'd still claim to have liked it. It's fascinating and I loved the writing style, even though I think it would also be its weakest point in the eyes of other readers, because it is a bit of an acquired taste - no pun intended.

I liked Rose and I liked George. I did not like the rest of Rose's family much, although her father did grow on me even if I did think he was a coward. I think my biggest problem with the book was the lack of a proper ending, although truth be told, I'm not sure I can see how it could end.

Title: How to Respond When You Feel Mistreated
Author: John Bevere
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 76
Date read: September 2010

"Repay no one evil for evil" (Romans 12:17 NKJV). Easier said than done, right? But that's exactly what John Bevere recommends. We are all subject to some authority, and those in leadership often misuse their power and hurt others. But we as Christians are called to honor and submit to authority, even if it means accepting unfair treatment.

"'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19 NKJV). God's justice often takes longer than we want to wait, but it does come. And our obedience in accepting suffering increases His work in the lives of others. Ultimately, our model for responding to unfair treatment is Jesus. And by enduring suffering as He did, we are made more like Him.

MUCH easier said than done, and I also felt the book lacked some concrete examples. When are we taking vengeance out of God's hands and when are we just refusing to be door-mats? Where does the line go? In some cases it's obvious, but in others not so much.

A thought-provoking book, but though short, it still didn't escape from being rather repetative at times. The first two chapters were definitely the best, and more or less everything in the rest of the book were expansions and elaborations of the topics raised there. I did appricate his chapter on authority though - even when we sorely dislike, or even disapprove of our head of state, God is still in charge. Who are we to say He didn't put that person in that position for a reason? He also made an excellent argument for why a wife submitting to her husband doesn't necessarily mean that she has to obey him, but merely that she has to respect him. Interesting thoughts.

Title: Be Angry But Don't Blow It
Author: Lisa Bevere
Genre: Christian non-fiction
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 192
Date read: February 2010

Are you tired of anger destroying your life, health, and relationships? Or perhaps you're upset and have held it in for far too long. Guess what-you're not alone! A lot of women are angry, and they're blowing it! They vent it on the very ones they love the most and desperately want to stop but they don't know how.

This book interweaves powerful scriptural truths with practical, personal examples and prayer. Readers will learn to channel passionate emotions constructively. Anger is not wrong, it is how we express it and how far we take it that determines the outcome. For those really ready to be honest and get free, this book will light the way.

Difficult book to review because it was A) very different from what I had expected, and thus B) not very relevant to me, yet C) very well written.

I had assumed that it was a book on all aspects of being angry, meant both for those who got too angry and for those who didn't get angry enough. It turned out it was only aimed at the former, and as keeping my temper isn't really a problem to me, there wasn't much in the book I could use.

Lisa Bevere has an interesting and captivating way of writing though, and there were some chapters that were spot on - not keeping a grudge for instance, and giving an honest apology if you were in the wrong - so at the end of the day, I'm glad I read it, even if I didn't get as much out of it as I'd originally hoped.