Title: Bilbo: En hobbits äventyrAuthor: J.R.R. Tolkien
Original title: The Hobbit
Genre: High fantasy, Classic
Series: --
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 306
Finished: 12/6/17
Summary: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.
My thoughts: Honestly, this time, I don't have a lot to say. At least not at the moment (being early in the morning just after I finished the book). What I can say is that I'm proud over myself for finally reading this and I'm very happy that I did. It's a fun, exciting adventure to take part in, even as a reader. Gandalf was sassy, Thorin Oakenshield was grumpy, Bombur was fat, and Bilbo just wanted to go home. A lot of things were different from the movies. Radagast wasn't in the book, and neither was Azog the Defiler, and I was at first very confused at his absence, as he plays a very big role in the movies. Not here, though, in fact he plays no role at all really.
All in all, I liked it! It's a great summer read for both fine days and bad.
Rating: 4,5/5
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Title: SteelheartAuthor: Brandon Sanderson
Original title: Steelheart
Genre: Science fiction, YA
Series: Reckoners #1
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Finished: 18/6/17
Summary: Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning - and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.
My thoughts: Wow. I can't believe I put off reading something by Brandon Sanderson for so long. I mean, I've been wanting to delve into one of his series for ages. I was originally planning to start off with the Mistborn trilogy, but I ended up purchasing Steelheart instead at the Swedish Bookfair in maybe 2015, I think? This book is half the size of The Final Empire, so I guess this was the better one to start off with. And I have no reason to regret that decision! It's action packed, fast-paced, and exciting beyond measure! I was so fascinated by the villains of the story, in particular Steelheart and Nightweilder. I love the idea of humans with superpowers going evil (hence my fave novel being Vicious by V.E. Schwab, hehe), so I knew from the start that this aspect of the story would appeal to me a lot. One of the small faults that I found in the novel what that since it focused so much on plot and excitement, it lacked somewhat in its descriptions of certain characters. Now, I don't mean that the characters were shallow and all the same; it's the opposite and I guess that's why I was disappointed when I didn't get to know some of them as close as I'd have wished. Cody and Abraham could definitely need some more time in the spotlight and I can't say that I know much about Thia either. These characters were all still awesome, though!
My reason for not giving this a full five stars is because I feel like there is room for improvement. I like the writing style and the characters and the plot, but I still felt like it missed that little extra that earns a full score. Of course I'll be continuing the series, because this was awesome, but I think I'll look into some of his other series first maybe... especially Mistborn :)
Rating: 4,5/5
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Title: CinderAuthor: Marissa Meyer
Original title: Cinder
Genre: Science Fiction, YA, Retelling
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publisher: Puffin Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 387
Finished: 23/7/17
Summary: Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.
My thoughts: I loved this. This was so great. It's so refreshing to read a YA novel that stands out from the rest; that doesn't stick to the norms and that dares to challenge the similar structure that most modern YA novels follow. Cinder was such an amazing book, and what made the experience even more wonderful was reading it together with my dear friends Matilda, Emmy and Karin.
The characters were on point. They weren't shallow or just there to alter the course of the plot; they had actual personalities and acted according to those, not just to be convenient. The writing style had me capture from the sentence to the last, and although it was not beautifully poetic it had a way of gripping me as a reader. The pages flew by and I had a hard time putting it down. The whole concept of the setting and the story is just amazing and I love it. I can't believe this book has been collecting dust on my shelf for so many years, but all the same I'm glad that I waited until now to read it. It was a good book for a book club! I just wish that we'd gotten to see more of the universe and that the book had been maybe 50 pages longer. Anyways, it was amazing!
Rating: 5/5
