Dinara Tengri

Who else is going back to school next week? Yep, the summer is almost over, and I can barely recall what I have been doing these past three months. I've been studying, and listening to Stephen King's It . I've been going to the gym... oh, and I binge-watched Marvel's The Defenders. That's quite an accomplishment, wouldn't you say? Most importantly, I've been reading a lot. I read a total of eleven books. I wrote six book reviews, and one movie review. I'll get to the list very soon, but first, an announcement. I officially have a Bookstagram account now! It's called Books on Fire , and it's basically my personal Instagram account that I made public. I also deleted all the selfies, and other private stuff. I'm posting almost every day. Book hauls, pretty pictures of books and Star Wars coffee mugs, it's all there. You can follow me there on @dinaratengri . And now to the wrap-up! Book summer 2017 The Fall of Hyperion   by Dan...

Title:  Artemis Author: Andy Weir Expected publication date: November 14, 2017  Publisher: Del Rey Source: I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent. Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first. And, I'm back! I think this was the longest I went without posting anything ever. So sorry about that. Life got in t...

Edit: This review has been updated on August 8, 2017. Welcome to the first episode of Before They Were Blockbusters , a whole new series where I review books that became the basis for popular movies and movie franchises. My goal with this series is not to compare the books with their big screen adaptations , but to discover the books behind some of my favourite movies. First book in this series is The Prestige by Christopher Priest. The book was adapted to the big screen in 2005 by Christopher Nolan. I liked the movie quite a bit, even though I found it a little melodramatic. When I found out that the movie was based on a book, I immediately wanted to read that book.  So, without further any ado, here's The Prestige .  Note, that is a spoiler free review ,   so if you haven't read the book (nor seen the movie) you have nothing to worry about.  Title: The Prestige  Author: Christopher Priest First published in 1995 I read the 2011 edition by Gol...

And another month has just flown by. July is now officially over, so let's review this month, shall we? Book Reviews  Last month, I reviewed a total of four books, with an average rating of 4,5 stars. The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons - 5 stars Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone - 3 stars The X-Files: Cold Cases by Joe Harris - 5 stars Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine - 5 stars All I can say is that it has been a good month for reading. Movies I also went to see two new movies: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 , which was a blast. This movie was everything I wanted in a summer blockbuster. Plus, I'm positive that Kurt Russel will finally get people to stop saying that Marvel doesn't have good villains. I apologise for the fangirl moment. War for the Planet of the Apes, which was good. I liked it. It was trying too hard to be this epic drama, but it was the perfect conclusion to the new POTA series, and I had a lot of fun counting the easter eg...

Some days you just don't fee like writing a legitimate book review. Today is that day. And since this week, I'm supposed to be reviewing  Ink and Bone , I decided to write some random thoughts about why I freaking loved this book. Title: Ink and Bone (The Great Library, #1) Author: Rachel Caine Publication date: 7 July 2015 Published by: NAL Source: I purchased this book when I got into dentistry school. Do I know how to celebrate, or what? In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.… Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden. Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Libra...

It's Sunday, and it has been raining all day. In fact, it has been raining a lot this summer. I'm not complaining. I welcome the rain. That being said, all the summer activities require for you to be outdoors, and there isn't much you can do when it's pouring outside. So, what can you do on a rainy Sunday afternoon? I read an article today in the Swedish news outlet, Sydsvenskan, titled " Saker att göra när det regnar - Sticka eller virka en disktrasa " (or, "Things to do  when it's raining - to knit or crochet a dishrag). Sure, knitting is one thing you can do on a rainy day. For instance, I've been knitting a winter skirt, while listening to Stephen King's It  on Audible (now there's a book to set the mood for a rainy day!). But if you're not a knitter, there's so much more you can do to not only pass the time, but to make the most of your day indoors. Listening I've mentioned audiobooks. And you don't even have to...

Title: The X-Files: Cold Cases Author: Joe Harris Adapted to audio by: Chris Maggs Published by: Audible Audio, Unabridged Audiobook Publication date: July 18, 2017 Starring: Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, Mitch Pileggi, Dean Haglund, Tom Braidwood, Bruce Harwood, and William B. Davis Source: I pre-ordered this book on Audible. The series that had a generation looking to the sky gets a breathtaking audio reprise in an original full-cast dramatization featuring actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson returning to voice FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Based upon the graphic novels by Joe Harris - with creative direction from series creator Chris Carter - and adapted specifically for the audio format by aural auteur Dirk Maggs (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Alien: Out of the Shadows), Cold Cases marks yet another thrilling addition to the pantheon of X-Files stories. Featuring a mind-blowing and otherworldly soundscape of liquefying aliens, hissing cr...