100 books in a year

World of Books January 1, 2013 Comments: 14

I wasn’t really sure I was going to participate in another 100 books in a year challenge in 2012 as I knew  my year wouldn’t be conducive to much reading. Turns out I did pretty well (still didn’t achieve the 100 though).

And as the challenge I usually participate in doesn’t include non-fiction books, I didn’t register for it but kept a list for myself.

You can see I listed some stories and novellas as well – anything to get the number as high as possible and re-reading HP helped as well as I read it fast (and it helps with stress too). So, with little cheating with the novellas, I actually got the list to a higher number this year (it was 81 in 2011).

Here is the list:

1. PC & Kristen Cast: Destined

2. Kresley Cole: Lothaire

3. Sabrina Jeffries: To Wed a Wild Lord

4. Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games

5. Suzanne Collins: Catching Fire

6. Suzanne Collins: Mockingjay

7. Lois M. Bujold: Cryoburn

8. Scott Lynch: The Lies of Locke Lamora

9. Amanda Hocking: The Hollowland

10. M.J. Rose: The Book of Lost Fragrances

11. Trish Milburn: The White Witch

12. Veronica Blade: Something Witchy This Way Comes

13. S.K.S. Perry: Darkside

14. Matthew Reilly: Scarecrow Returns

15. Stephanie Laurens: The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae

16. Stephanie Laurens: In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster

17. Sabrina Jeffries: A Lady Never Surrenders (The Hellions of Halstead Hall)

18. Linda Mooney: Captive Surrender

19. Julie Kagawa: The Immortal Rules

20. Marilee Brothers: The Moonstone series, Moonstone

21. Marilee Brothers: The Moonstone series, Moonrise

22. Marilee Brothers: The Moonstone series, Moon Spun

23. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

24.  J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

25.  J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

26. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

27. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix

28. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

29. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

30. Rachel Hawkins: Hex Hall

31. Rachel Hawkins: Hex Hall, Demonglass

32. Rachel Hawkins: Hex Hall, Spell Bound

33. Gwenda Bond: Blackwood

34. Scott Lynch: Red Seas Under Red Skies

35. Denyse Beaulieu: The Perfume Lover

36. Marilee Brothers: The Moonstone series, Moon Shadow

37. Amanda Hocking: My Blood Approves

38. Amanda Hocking: My Blood Approves, Fate

39. Amanda Hocking: My Blood Approves, Flutter

40. Amanda Hocking: My Blood Approves, Wisdom

41. James Rollins: Bloodline

42. Sherylin Kenyon: Chronicles of Nick, Invincible

43. Trish Milburn: Bane

44. Kresley Cole: Demon from the Dark

45. Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice

46. Kresley Cole: Lothaire

48. Elizabeth Peters: Crocodile on the Sandbank

49. Elizabeth Peters: Curse of the Pharaohs

50. Elizabeth Peters: The Mummy Case

51.Elizabeth Peters: Lion in the Valley

52. Gail Carriger: Soulless

53. Gail Carriger: Changeless

54. Gail Carriger: Blameless

55. Patricia Briggs: Alpha and Omega

56. Patricia Briggs: Cry Wolf

57. Patricia Briggs: Hunting Groung

58. Patricia Briggs: Fair Game

59. Tess Gerritsen: John Doe (Rizzoli and Isles series), story

60.  J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

61.  J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

62. Alyssa Harad: Coming to my Senses

63. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

64. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

65. Stephanie Laurens: Lady Risks All

66. Shayne Leighton: Of Light and Darkness

67. Temple Matthews: The New Kid

68. Kresley Cole: The Poison Princess

69. Kim Harrison: Pale Demon

70. Kresley Cole: Shadow’s Claim

71. Kim Newman: Anno Dracula

72. Natania Barron: Pilgrim of the Sky

73. James Rollins: City of Screams (novella)

74. Kim Harrison: A Perfect Blood

75. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

76. Cassandra Clare: City of Bones

77. Cassandra Clare: The City of Ashes

78. Liesel Schwartz: The Conspiracy of Alchemists

79. Heather Graham: Keeper of the Night

80. James Rollins: Tracker (a short story)

81. Sacvan Bercovitch: The American Jeremiad

82. Perry Miller: Errand into the Wilderness

83. Cassandra Clare: City of Glass

84. Roja Dove: The Essence of Perfume

Cassandra Clare: The City of Ashes

Book review, World of Books January 1, 2013 1 Comment

city ashesThis will not be a long review as book 3 awaits (yes, I am very eager to get back to it).

Like I said in my review of The City of Bones, we see the possibility of the family issue being resolved to the happiness of our little tragic couple (it really seems like they came out of a Greek tragedy).

After stealing the Cup in book one, Valentine manages to steal the sword as well. Both being very important Shadowhunter objects of power necessary for them to perpetuate their line.

Of course he wants to use them to gain control of the Shadowhunter world and kill all demons and Downworlders then (those being the werewolves, vampires and fae) even though there is an uneasy truce between SHadowhunters and Downworlders – demons being the creatures bent on destruction and not belonging to our world.

So, Jace being Valentine’s son has to deal with the backlash of the pretty much whole Shadowhunter community and I must say, I didn’t expect him to behave like a grown person and was very much surprised when he did. Pleasantly.

The reason I am so eagerly waiting to read book 3 is because we get several hints as to the possibility Clary and Jace are not brother and sister (yesss!) and it ends with the possibility of Clary’s mother waking – so with cliffhangers like that, I’m off to see what happens next. 🙂

Cassandra Clare: The City of Bones

Book review, World of Books January 1, 2013 Comments: 2

city bonesSometimes I wonder how is it possible that even though I read YA novels regularly and sort of follow the scene, I miss some of the more famous series?!

Like the Shadowhunters one. Happened with the Hunger Games too. And Beautiful Creatures just a week ago. I learned about all of them only because they were made into movies. I guess I’m not following the scene as much as I thought.

The story is not really new. 🙂 We have a bad guy re-appearing for whom everyone thought was dead. The bad guy who used to be a good Shadowhunter.

Then we have the girl stumbling into the world because her mother’s precautions got  a bit late this year and now she can see through the glamours the Shadowhunters, Downworlders and demons throw to hide themselves from people. That is also how Clary meets Jace just as her mother is kidnapped by the bad guy and the story starts getting complicated.

Here is also where from the beginning it becomes clear who is who and I got really upset when my thoughts on the subject became true. Well, you couldn’t really come to any other conclusion.

Luckily for me, I’m already starting on book 3 so I know from the second book, that (spoiler ahead) the family issue will probably be resolved to the satisfaction of all. Not without tragic teenage suffering, I am sure. 😉

Liesel Schwarz: A Conspiracy of Alchemists

Book review, World of Books January 1, 2013 1 Comment

conspiracyI am slowly but surely beginning to understand the love people have for steampunk novels. They are just so much fun to read.

I guess having a good writer helps too. 😉

I very much enjoyed this book although I must say in the beginning, I got a distinct impression that Elle wasn’t so much stubborn as stupid in her discussions with Marsh but that improved later (it seemed she gained both a backbone and a logical mind).

What I enjoyed so much was the fact that steampunk was so easily mixed with paranormal to create a new world – one where paranormals exist together with people (everyone being aware of everyone) and wizards are “good” (as much as old men with power and the possibility to get more, albeit for good can be) and alchemists works with (or for) vampires which is the reason for their conspiracy from the title.

Where do Elle and Marsh come in? Well, Elle doesn’t remember her mother as she got killed when Elle was very little but we soon learn she is to follow as the Oracle in her mother’s footsteps (as a direct descendant of her line).

Not something Elle (and for that matter Marsh too) is happy about. Especially as she needs to find her hijacked father.

So, here we embark on the adventure – well, the adventure basically started from the second page, but here we embark on the second part of adventure.

I won’t discuss what that entails but I’ll just assure you, it’s not slow going. 🙂

P.S. It seems lately either I’m reading books that discuss scents more, or I am more attuned to them, but here I especially loved the fact that Elle applies freesia perfume oil.

Looking back on 2012.

I've been thinking, World of Perfume December 28, 2012 Comments: 18

Prompted by this lovely post of Olfactoria’s.

This wasn’t an easy year for me and I can honestly say I can’t wait for it to be over. But even so, it has been incredibly fulfilling and has taught me and showed me many things I am grateful for. None of them came easily but nothing that is really valuable comes easily.  And here I am mostly talking about non- material things.

I think the most important lesson (after never say never)  I learned this year was that there is nothing you cannot do if you really want it and work hard for it.
Both apply to running. I never thought I’d get hooked, let alone run 2 half-marathons in a year. I was pretty much saying that would never happen when I heard that particular running school plan.

What I still can’t believe is that all the work (and torture) I went through with my thesis is finally done. I did it! IT’S OVER! 🙂

It took a lot of time and energy, taught me many things about researched writing that will be judged by university professors and generally gave me a glimpse into the world of research. It was fun to research and do it (except for the judging part but that also went well).

As with all life, the happiness seems to always be balanced with grief and I got my share when we had to take my little old dog to the vet as she was suffering very much.

When I look back, those are the things that occupied most of my time and concentration and are basically the reason I didn’t do as much reading, blogging and smelling as I would have liked.

I want to end on a positive note so I want to say that as I grow older, I appreciate more the friends and family I am blessed with.

Here I need to point out that my new friends are more and more coming into my life through our common virtual world.  Meeting them in real life is always incredible fun but getting to know you all virtually is both globalization at its finest and a wonderfully exhilarating experience. 🙂
Don’t you feel our lives would feel like we missed the friends we never would have
otherwise met?

I wish you all a successful and a fulfilling year – full of fun, hapiness and health!

champagne_toast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. No perfumes in this post, but I’ll be posting about them soon enough. 🙂

Ghosts of Perfume Past, Present and Future

Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume December 21, 2012 Comments: 23

Welcome to another Christmas-y blogfest! 🙂

Organized by Natalie of Another Perfume Blog with the name coming from Undina of Undina’s Looking Glass, bloggers will be posting their own thoughts on Ghost of Perfumes.

As we’re doing this right before Christmas and on the first day of winter, my thoughts naturally turned to smells and perfumes associated with this period.

I believe one of the first smells I ever associated with winter and the one I enjoy the most in this period, is the smell of snow in the air. Sometimes the air will smell of snow even though none will appear.
miris snijega
It might not really be the smell of snow, it could just be the crisp, cold air of bright winter but as days like that are hard to come by in Zagreb (the air is neither clear nor bright), on those rare occasions it smells like that – it reminds me of snow. The way air smelled in my childhood when it snowed or when we went skiing in the mountains. The one you breathe in as much as you can and the one that feels like it’s bringing health back into your body with every inhale.

If you know of a perfume that smells like that, I would very much like to know. I know one will eventually appear – it happened so far several times when I wished for a perfume to fit the idea I had in my head. This is the Ghost of Perfume from my past.
vanič
As for ghosts of present perfumes, I will be calling those forward before Christmas when I plan on doing vanilla crescents (that’s my free translation of the name of cookies) and again the meringues with cinnamon and almonds.

The warm scent of vanilla and spices will work its magic and I expect bring more calm into my life (and pleasure to my taste receptors). The perfumes that evoke such sweet and spicy things – Spiriteuese Double Vanille (review by Olfactoria), Piment et Chocolat, and basically any warm vanilla or warmy spicy oriental (some ideas would be welcome on this part as well). 😉

My future perfume ghosts still tease my mind.

Those are the perfumes I imagine when I read the notes and then when they come, they are not what I imagined. Not that they are bad, just not what I imagined.
boži kolači
The smell of Christmas trees, candles, mulled wine and cookies. As a perfume. All at once.

The dry smell of dirt and asphalt during summer in the city.

The green, wet smell of spring.

Please visit other participating blogs:

Olfactoria’s Travels

Another Perfume Blog

EauMG

Muse in Wooden Shoes

Undina’s Looking Glass

Suzanne’s Perfume Journal

ChickenFreak’s Obsessions

My Christmas picks

World of Perfume December 18, 2012 Comments: 8

My Christmas list pretty much always includes things I would like to receive for Christmas (sometimes things I give myself for Christmas). 🙂
So here is the list of my fragrant picks:

winterwoods
A we’ve been snowed in the past weekend, my thoughts naturally turned to Winter Woods and the perfumes Laurie Erickson makes. The other one I find very lovely and in the spirit of giving warmth is Ambre Noir.

No Christmas spirit is possible without some of Dawn’s creations. I know I repeat myself each years but I can’t help it, Christmas time spells Dawn’s perfumes for me.
pimetchoc_forweb
Some of my favourites include Festive, Piment and Chocolat, Gingembre, Nourouz and Cimabue and I’ll be having those in regular rotation these days.

I know this has already been mentioned on my blog but I am very much impressed with Voluspa candles. They don’t have Christmas candles but they do have seasonal candles and it’s not difficult to find those that would fit for the Christmas time.
I use the jar they come in for holding decants handy afterwards. 🙂

No list of mine would be complete without the mention of L’Artisan Parfumeur but this time I’m not going to reference perfumes but other fragrant items like: L’Artisan candles
and the most lovely L’Artisan Amber Balls.
amberballs

The last but not the least, the perfume to wear for snuggling on a cold winter night – Ambre Sultan

And this year’s other picks would again include Mariages Frere Christmas tea – I am a huge fan of their teas and regularly buy them.
I still haven’t tried the Noel one – hmm, I could make that my Christmas gift to myself.

Like I did with this last item. 🙂
Made by a Croatian designer Zoe leggings, they come in all manner of fun designs and I had a hard choice in front of me when I tried to decide which ones to buy.
In the end I went for Back to the Roots.

roots

P.S. And Santa, if you’re checking my list for possible gifts for me, a bottle of good whisky or red wine would be fine too. 😉

Images taken from: http://www.deshperfumes.com, http://www.sonomascentstudio.com, Zoe Leggings facebook site

Heather Graham: Keeper of the Night

Book review, World of Books December 12, 2012 1 Comment

I wish all my readers a very merry Christmas! I hope you spent it with your dear ones and had lots of fun times with them, enjoying good food and company.

Now, onto the book. 🙂

I don’t remember ever before reading a book that reminded me so much of a TV movie. You know, the one where the story is interesting enough and fun to read but not of cinematic value. Can’t say that is very surprising, this being a Harlequin title.

But the thing is, sometimes that is exactly what you need and I had fun reading it.

It was very easy to read and enjoy, had an interesting crime back story, interesting chkeeper nightaracters (the female hero is a tall redhead!), and an obvious plan for other books in the series.

We have 3 cousins who became Keepers of vampires, elves and werewolves (each for one race). It happened sooner than it was expected and now they are in L.A. having to perform their duties when they all wanted to pursue different careers. Rhiannon is the vampire keeper and just as she arrives to L.A., she has some big crime to solve. Luckily, there is the Elven Mac to help her. Well, work alongside her is probably better said.
Basically all components for some light book enjoyment.
I couldn’t guess the murderer but I know who is the next couple 😉

Tranquility connected to whiteness – White Aoud

World of Perfume December 12, 2012 Comments: 15

I’ve known for some time that smoky woody notes, especially those that were historically used for holy (and similar) purposes work for me when I need psychological tranquility. So it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise that oud would fit right in with those type of perfumes.

I feel like a broken record, this whole year I kept whining about how stressed I am and I kept hoping it would pass. Well, it hasn’t, and I’m even more exhausted now which is why I am craving tranquility in any manner I can gesnow whitenesst my hands on.

So, in keeping with that thought, yesterday I went to try some of the decants I have but never use, and ended up trying White Oud.

Oooh, the serenity that went through my nose and spread to my mind!

Today when I sprayed it on I got the most weird opening that is terribly familiar but for the life of me I couldn’t remember from where. 🙂 I keep thinking it must some type of medicine I took at some point in my life but can’t remember what. The saffron, oud and cardamom combination are to be “faulted” for that but I really enjoyed it. It doesn’t last long though, and I find it funny that even though I can smell oud perfumes and realize the differences between them, I still have a problem smelling those differences that aren’t oud.

There is some kind of bitterness swirling around the rose in the heart, possibly a combination of patchouli, cardamom and vetiver. It is also where the rose is most prominent to my nose.

Wearing White Oud has really helped me be calm and collected today and managed to keep my stress levels low as I breathe it in with each inhale (and I furtively smell the collar of my turtleneck each chance I get).

The combination of whiteness outside (there is still snow around) and the White Oud (how aptly it is named in my case) are really working for me – obviously the whiteness spells tranquility for me.

 

Notes: Damas Rose, Safran, Oud, Cardamom, Jasmine, Patchouli, Mysore Sandalwood,
Precious Wood, Amber, Vetiver, Vanilla, Labdanum

Snowed in!

World of Perfume December 9, 2012 Comments: 17

I shouldn’t be so happy about it but I can’t help it. 🙂 I love snow.

And we had a record-breaking snow yesterday. 40cm of snow fell in less than 15 hours which has never happened before in Zagreb (last record is from 1955 when 38cm fell in 24 hours).

The whole city pretty much stopped yesterday and luckily it happened on a weekend as I can’t imagine what would it have looked like if it were a normal work-day.

This made me feel Christmas is near and I put everyone in the mood yesterday by making warm egg-punch (made with rum, oranges and wine) and today by making meringues with almonds and cinnamon. They might not look great but they taste quite good. 🙂

So, as I’m getting in the mood for Christmas, I’m compiling a list of my Christmas fragrant and non-fragrant picks I hope to post soon.

Here are some photos of snow.

The terrace today:

snijeg2

The terrace yesterday:
snijeg4

Zagreb yesterday (pic taken from http://www.rtl.hr):

snijeg5