A Day in Bookland

March is over. And April is here. I know most of us say this everytime a month goes by but seriously, time has flown by and I'm terrified because my finals start at the end of May and I have been neglecting all Uni stuff for the entire month and I really hope I can catch up on work during April. Coming back from my holidays didn't help if I'm honest. March has been a bit of an in-between month for me. At the end of February, I went to Germany to visit my sister and we both travelled to Copenhagen - which I really really liked - and since coming back to Spain at the beginning of March I haven't had the motivation to sit down and study properly. This whole situation is also to blame for my reading this month as well. Quite a lot considering the previous months but all the time I should've spent studying, I spent reading. 

After missing out on the November and January Moth Box because they sold out super quickly I could finally buy the March box on time and it arrived today! In case you don't know what Moth Box is it is a book box created by Mercedes at MercysBookishMusings where you get two lesser known novels from independent publishers. I've been following Mercedes' channel for almost two years now and I always love her book recommendations so I'm really looking forward to read the two titles in the March box. Both books come beautifully wrapped - the purple wrapping is a plus really because it's one of my favourite colours - and alongside them you get two bookmarks with a quote from each book.

The Stolen Child  by Lisa Carey { Goodreads } Published by Orion Publishing Group in 2017 Hardback edition; 336 pages { BookDepository } The Stolen Child transports us to St. Brigid’s, a remote island off the west coast of Ireland. Its inhabitants, mostly women, live as if they are in the past although the book is set between 1930 and 1960 – the story goes back and forth all the time. For me, it felt as if the story was set in the 18 th century rather than the 20 th and it creates and interesting atmosphere within the novel.

Spring is here. For many this is good news. For me, who suffers from hay-fever, this is not good news. Anyhow, let’s talk about books. A few months back I decided to stop making monthly TBRs altogether because I was horrible at sticking to the books I planned to read; instead though I’m gonna start doing seasonal TBRs. I find them easier to follow and it gives me a wide timeframe to get to them. I want to read more than this (if possible) but from now on, and with every new season, I’ll pick 5 books from my shelves and attempt to read them before the end of the season.

Nina is Not OK  by Shappi Khorsandi { Goodreads } Published by Ebury Press in 2017 Paperback edition; 352 pages { BookDepository } Nina is not OK is a coming of age story about Nina, a 17-year-old in her last year of college and about to do her A-levels who likes drinking – maybe a little bit too much; a lot actually. So much that most of the time she has troubles remembering what she does during those crazy nights and that’s how we meet her: after she’s been thrown out of a nightclub after being caught in a sexual activity. The next morning she’s not sure of either what she did and what she didn’t and the shame she feels is overwhelming. She promises herself she will never drink again but that is easy said than done. Shappi Khorsandi tackles the difficult topic that is addiction through the experiences of an alcoholic teenager.

Idaho  by Emily Ruskovich { Goodreads } Published by Random House in 2017 Paperback edition; 305 pages { BookDepository } Idaho , Emily Ruskovich’s debut novel, deals with the repercussions of an accident – involving the mother and an axe – that happened to a family many years ago. I don’t want to give much away because I feel like it is better to go in not knowing the full details although most of it is revealed very early on. The consequences of this event are what the novel focuses on.

Otared  by Mohammad Rabie; translated by Robin Moger { Goodreads } Published by Hoopoe Fiction in 2016 Paperback edition; 352 pages { BookDepository } Otared is a difficult book to review. It is a good book but not the right one for me. It was different from everything I’ve read before but ultimately, too brutal, at times way too slow and if I’m honest I don’t think I completely understood the idea Mohammad Rabie was trying to convey.