Title: The Comedy of ErrorsAuthor: William Shakespeare
Original title: The Comedy of Errors
First published: 1591
Genre: Play, Comedy, Classic
Series: --
Publisher: Avenel Books
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 20
Finished: 19/04/2020
Summary: Two sets of twins are separated at birth by a storm at sea: a pair of masters (both named Antipholus) and a pair of servants (both named Dromio). Years later, the Antipholus-and-Dromio pair raised in Syracuse happen to visit Ephesus, where the respective twins reside—providing the basis for ongoing incidents of mistaken identity, within a lively plot of quarrels, arrests, and a grand courtroom denouement.
My thoughts: This is the book I read for the prompt to read an entire book/literary work in just one room. I of course picked my bedroom, which is where I do the vast majority of my reading nowadays. I did, however, venture outside with this book, but only to take a photo for instagram.
So what did I think? Well, this is the first time I properly delve into Shakespeare, and I must admit I was a bit apprehensive. Would it be too difficult? Would I understand nothing? Would I be left in despair? Alas, this was not the case. It actually went really well! I've seen the play before in Swedish, and that helped me a bit in following the plot. It's an amusing story, but what I enjoyed most were the typical Shakespeare insults that I've only seen in quotes before. "Dromio, thou drone, thou snail, thou slug, thou sot." It was a good time, and I'm glad to have finally read some Shakespeare. I feel encouraged to read more in the future. This is also the oldest piece of literature I've ever read now, I think!
PS. This play took up only 20 pages of my edition, whereas it usually takes up around 100 pages when it's published on it's own. Just saying, that font was small and compressed af :/
Rating: 3,25/5
So what did I think? Well, this is the first time I properly delve into Shakespeare, and I must admit I was a bit apprehensive. Would it be too difficult? Would I understand nothing? Would I be left in despair? Alas, this was not the case. It actually went really well! I've seen the play before in Swedish, and that helped me a bit in following the plot. It's an amusing story, but what I enjoyed most were the typical Shakespeare insults that I've only seen in quotes before. "Dromio, thou drone, thou snail, thou slug, thou sot." It was a good time, and I'm glad to have finally read some Shakespeare. I feel encouraged to read more in the future. This is also the oldest piece of literature I've ever read now, I think!
PS. This play took up only 20 pages of my edition, whereas it usually takes up around 100 pages when it's published on it's own. Just saying, that font was small and compressed af :/
Rating: 3,25/5
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Title: Bloodlines
Author: Richelle Mead
Original title: Bloodlines
First published: 2011
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Bloodlines #1
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Paperback
Pages: 421
Finished: 26/04/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert for Vampire Academy! Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.
But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.
The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one...
Author: Richelle Mead
Original title: Bloodlines
First published: 2011
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Bloodlines #1
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Paperback
Pages: 421
Finished: 26/04/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert for Vampire Academy! Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.
But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.
The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one...
My thoughts: I read "Bloodlines" for the reading theme of April, which was to read a book with big or somehow annoying faces on the cover. The covers for all the books in this series are all about faces, so it seemed an appropriate choice. I've also wanted to delve into the "Bloodlines" series for over a year now, since it's the sequel spin-off series to "Vampire Academy", which I really enjoyed in early 2019.
There's something about these vampire books that makes me want to keep reading forever. Once I'm reading one of these books, I can't stop thinking about them in between reading sessions. Are they great pieces of literature? Well, perhaps not on the same level as for example "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr, but I don't think that's a fair comparison to make. Mead's books are pure YA entertainment, and she does it well. There wasn't a ton of action in this first book of the series, but I still enjoyed it a lot because of the characters. I really like the new protagonist, Sydney, and feel that I can relate to her on a more personal level than I could to Rose. She's academically ambitious, wants to solve all the problems she encounters, and always wants to do her best to help others. And of course I'm still loving Adrian, despite his obvious faults. He's the stellar image of what a love interest was supposed to look like in YA fantasy novels back around 2010; tough on the outside but soft on the inside, emotionally unstable, and is reluctant to fall in love with the protagonist. Clearly that was a winning concept then, and I'm still enjoying it now for old time's sake.
I sincerely look forward to continue reading the series, and I can only imagine that it gets better from here.
Rating: 4,25/5
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Title: The Golden Lily
Author: Richelle Mead
Original title: The Golden Lily
First published: 2012
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Bloodlines #2
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Paperback
Pages: 418
Finished: 04/05/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert! In hiding in a Californian boarding school, Sydney's life has become irrevocably intertwined with Jill Dragomir, the vampire Moroi princess she has been tasked with protecting. She has grown close to those in Jill's royal circle - and to someone in particular. Someone that forces her to question everything the alchemists believe in. Someone forbidden.
When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world - her new world - apart, Sydney's loyalties are tested more than ever. Should she trust the alchemists - or her heart?
Author: Richelle Mead
Original title: The Golden Lily
First published: 2012
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: Bloodlines #2
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Paperback
Pages: 418
Finished: 04/05/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert! In hiding in a Californian boarding school, Sydney's life has become irrevocably intertwined with Jill Dragomir, the vampire Moroi princess she has been tasked with protecting. She has grown close to those in Jill's royal circle - and to someone in particular. Someone that forces her to question everything the alchemists believe in. Someone forbidden.
When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world - her new world - apart, Sydney's loyalties are tested more than ever. Should she trust the alchemists - or her heart?
My thoughts: I enjoyed this just as much as "Bloodlines"! Sydney is still a character I can relate to and I liked seeing even more of Adrian. Guessing what's going to happen in the story isn't super difficult, but sometimes that's what I need in a book. Easy to love, easy to follow. Not everything needs to be super complicated. I just want to keep flying through this series, but I think I'm going to take a small break to read something else between this and the next book, "The Indigo Spell". Luckily, the upcoming two books in the series are both just over 400 pages. After that, I'm in trouble with the rest of the series... oh well.
Rating: 4,25/5
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