Dinara Tengri

It's the end of the year, and my blog has just reached one thousand views . It doesn't sound like much, but for a blog that has only been open for a few months, and is run by someone who has virtually no experience in blogging, 1k views is a pretty big deal. It means that someone in this infinitely large Universe we call the Internet has found something in my blog they like, and that makes them  want to come back for more. So, a big and loud thank you for all of you who keep on clicking on my links. You guys are the best. Now to some more annual recaps and summaries. In my post, 2015 in Books and Movies I made a very short list of the best and worst books and movies I had the pleasure (or a misfortune) to discover. Today, I want to list the books that I bought in 2015. I usually don't buy a lot of books, since I can find most of what I want in the library. So when I go out and make a purchase, it has to be something special. The Yiddish Policemen's Union , b

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the Girls @  The Broke and the Bookish  . Also, check out all the previously featured lists on my blog RIGHT HERE . This week I'm listing Three 2016 releases I'm excited about. Only three ? Yep, my excitement level for the new 2016 releases could have been somewhat higher. I am more excited, however, for all the books on my TBR that I didn't have the time to read this year and that I will eat up in 2016.     1. Passenger , by Alexandra Bracken   Expected publication: January 5th, 2016 Why I'm excited: I read a review for this book on The Broke and the Bookish, praising it, and the premise is just so intriguing.     2. Age of Myth , by Michael J. Sullivan   Expected publication: June 28th Why I'm excited: It's the cover that got my attention. Yep, I'm that shallow. But just look at that tree!       3. NYPD Red 4 , by James Patterson   Expected publication: Marc

This year I have read 44 books. I've reviewed 13 books, 2 movies and one TV show.   Best of the best Best novel:   Best non-fiction: Best Movie: Bottom of the barrel Most disappointing book: Worst novel: Most disappointing movie: Right now I'm reading:

       

First of all, I want to apologise for this review being late. I was in the middle of writing my review for The Handmaid's Tale when I saw this movie last Friday. I have to be honest in my reviews, and honestly, I didn't like The Force Awakens . I was very disappointed by this movie. And before I get eaten alive by the fanboys, let me say that I wanted to like The Force Awakens . I went in with a lot of hope and high expectations. And, this is a spoiler free review . Also, it's a long review. I hate writing long reviews, but I have a lot to say about this movie. My major complaint about The Force Awakens is the script. Abrams, Kasdan and Arndt basically rewrote the whole original trilogy , plot point by plot point. There is nothing original in this story. The story is so recycled that it becomes predictable. There are scenes in this movie that are supposed to be filled with tension and have you wondering what's going to happen next, but I knew exactly how they

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book meme created by the Girls of The Broke and and the Bookish 1. You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), by Felicia Day Heard so much praise about Miss Day's memoirs and it just looks like a book that must be read.   2. The Martian , by Andy Weir I just want to own a copy.   3. Enter Whining , by Fran Drescher The #1 bestseller by one of my favourite actresses. I grew up watching The Nanny, and Miss Drescher has always been an inspiration to me.    4. The Silent Steppe: The Memoir of a Kazakh Nomad Under Stalin , by Mukhamet Shayakhmetov  This book has been on my TBR forever now. It's a classic of Kazakh history.   5. Lords of the Sith: Star Wars , by Paul S. Kemp I love Darth Vader. More Vader, please.   6. Bucky F*cking Dent: A Novel , by David Duchovny If this book is at least as funny as Holy Cow, I need to read it.   7.  Travelling to Infinity , by Jane Hawking The w

So I hit the town earlier today, and took a bunch of pictures of the Christmas lights. Nothing special, really, this is what Malmoe looks like every December. Malmoe is such a beautiful city and I just wanted to share some of my love for this city with you. Happy holidays :)      

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme created by Jenn @ A Daily Rhythm This week's question: What are your plans for this blog next year? Dinara Tengri is a very young blog.So far I have been writing reviews and following memes created by other bloggers. But I am always brainstorming for new features, and looking for ways to make this blog more entertaining. That means, that come 2016, there will be some changes to this place. First of all, I'm thinking about ending Musing Mondays. It's a great book meme, and it allows me to be creative, but I think it's time to try and create a meme of my own. Nothing is written in stone, however, I may not dump this meme just yet. Top Ten Tuesday is staying. I love this meme. Then there's also Wednesdays and Thursdays etc. And monthly memes as well. I definitely want to have a monthly feature, something that requires more preparation, like a bio of my favourite author. And since I love movies and TV, there should also be a

Title: The Handmaid's Tale Author: Margaret Atwood Year of publishing: 1986 I read: Hardcover edition by Heinemann Library   Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now... The Handmaid's Tale is a disturbing and depressing story about a woman being abused and raped by a totalitarian religious regime. It's full of desperation and despair and the world that

Image source: Audible Title: The Man in the High Castle Author: Philip K. Dick Year of publishing: 1962 I listened to: Audiobook by Brilliance Audio Narrated by: Jeff Cummings It's America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some 20 years earlier the United States lost a war, and is now occupied jointly by Nazi Germany and Japan. I streamed The Man in the High Castle on Audible, and it took me about two weeks to finish it. And while for the most part I enjoyed both the story and the narration, I have to say I was a little disappointed. Cummings, I thought, did a very good job narrating this book. Aside from having a voice that's nice to listen to, he gave great performances, portraying very diverse characters in this book. While I found his German and Japanese accents comical at first, I then got used to them. So much about the n

  Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created and run by the girls of The Broke and the Bookish . Here's the list of ten best books I've read this year.   10. Newburry and Hobbs series, by George Mann     I loved all the books in the series, so it's hard to pick a favourite. Let's just say the man knows how to combine Steampunk tech with exciting and story and memorable characters.   9. Holy Cow , by David Duchovny   Easily one of the funniest and most uplifting books I've read in a while. The idea of a talking cow boarding an air plane risks to be a tad too absurd, but Duchovny's humour makes it work.      8. The Martian , by Andy Weir   'Nuff said.     7.  The Simpsons and their mathematical secrets , by Simon Singh   The Simpsons is my favourite animated show, because it's both funny, witty and full of social commentary. But I didn't know how many of the show's writers started out as mathematicians

    Musing Mondays is a weekly meme that asks you to answer a bookish question about yourself. It was created by Jenn @ A Daily Rhythm .    This week's question: What book do you want to read on Christmas?   With Christmas easily being the most hectic time of the year, filled with shopping lists and unrealistic expectations, I want to read something that will bring me some peace of mind. Something fun and entertaining.   If I'm going to read something during the holidays, it most definitely will be a novel. Sci fi or fantasy. About a world that I can safely immerse myself in, knowing that there will be no unpleasant surprises or heartbreaking deaths. Most likely it's a book I've read before. Not necessarily a masterpiece, but a book that makes me feel good.   With these criteria the only book I can think of is  The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy , or any of ts sequels. So maybe I will take some time to read about the misadventures of Dent A

Title: Cleo - how an uppity cat helped heal a family Author: Helen Brown Year of publishing: 2009 I read: the Swedish edition by Malmö Bokfabriken Helen Brown wasn't a cat person, but her nine-year-old son Sam was. So when Sam heard a woman telling his mum that her cat had just had kittens, Sam pleaded to go and see them. Helen's heart melted as Sam held one of the kittens in his hands with a look of total adoration. In a trice the deal was done - the kitten would be delivered when she was big enough to leave her mother. A week later, Sam was dead. Not long after, a little black kitten was delivered to the grieving family. Totally traumatised by Sam's death, Helen had forgotten all about the new arrival. After all, that was back in another universe when Sam was alive. Helen was ready to send the kitten back, but Sam's younger brother wanted to keep her, identifying with the tiny black kitten who'd also lost her brothers. When Rob stroked her fur, it was the f

Image source: Wikipedia So it's official now. Next Friday it's Star Wars time for my brother and me. Star Wars Episode VII: The Fore Awakens premieres on December the 16th here in Sweden, but we're skipping the madness of the opening night and going a little later, instead. It's been over ten years since we last saw a Star Wars movie in the theatre. And Revenge of the Sith is still my third favourite Star Wars movie, right after The Empire Strikes Back and the first one (I'm not calling it  A New Hope ). Of course, I'm excited. But I'm also a little cautious about not getting too enthusiastic. Because there's always this question in the back of my head: What if it won't be that good? Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see. And I think it will be a great idea to stay away from the social media until then, because, as you know, the social media is a spoiler minefield . Plus, it will be healthy to get a little breather from Facebook

Image source: Wikipedia If you're a fan of the X-files, then you're most likely taking part in 201 Days of X-files . It started on July 7th, when Fox dared us all to watch one episode a day, leading up the big premiere in January. The response has been massive, with fans publishing their fanart on Facebook and tweeting about the upcoming episodes. I myself am not participating, because I've re-watched the first seven seasons a few years ago with my brother, and then binge-watched the last two sometime later. In fact, it took me over a decade after the show was cancelled to watch seasons eight and nine. As you may remember, David Duchovny left the show after season seven, and would only have a recurring role in season eight. He was absent throughout the whole ninth season, appearing only in the not-so-grand finale, as well as directing one of the episodes. Duchonvy's departure forever changed the show. It left the fans disappointed. Whoever Fox got to replac

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme created by the girls of The Broke and the Bookish .   Alas, I could not come up with a list of ten new-to-me favourite authors. I didn't read that many books this year (only forty two). These seven authors have all written books that are either thought-provoking and deep, or very funny. Enjoy!   1. Svetlana Alexievich   This year's Nobel Prize Winner in literature, and a very brave woman who isn't afraid to write about the most painful chapters in the history of former Soviet Union. You can read my review of her book, Voices from Chernobyl right here .   Image source: Goodreads     2. Helen Brown   The author of Cleo , the book about a cat that helped Helen's family heal after the death of her son. I love her language and her honesty. She's a real inspiration.   Image source: Goodreads     3. Charlotte Bronte   Bronte must have been a genius, because Jane Eyre is a masterpiece.