Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

Series: N/A, Standalone

Publication date: 1995 (orig. published 1993)

Publisher: Virago

Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography

Format: Paperback

Source: Book club

Pages: 168

BookDepository | Amazon | Goodreads 

In 1967, after a session with a psychiatrist she'd never seen before, eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen was put in a taxi and sent to McLean Hospital. She spent most of the next two years on the ward for teenage girls in a psychiatric hospital as renowned for its famous clientele -- Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, James Taylor and Ray Charles.

I love stories set in mental hospitals, I think it's an interesting setting and quite different from anything else, which was why I was looking forward to reading this book. It didn't really disappoint me with the setting but I would have loved a bit more detailed description of some of the things and I felt like Susanna was very absent most of the time. It was as if she saw everything from the outside instead of actually being the main character, as she obviously is, since the story is about her. 

I loved that everytime a new character was introduced, the chapter seemed to focus on that particular character. Why she was there, what she was like, who she was before she got to the McLean Hospital. I enjoyed getting to know the characters - even though some of them were quite different and some scared me. 

Even though I loved the setting, the book still had its boring parts - and in a book with less than 200 pages that is not that great. But since this is a nonfiction book and not a fiction book, it is understandable. Susanna didn't make things up, this is her story about her time living in a mental hospital becoming friends with people who never got out or never returned. 

With all that in mind I am a bit torn about this book, on one hand I enjoyed it, and on the other I am a bit "meh". My "meh" is probably because I had some expectations for this book and it didn't really live up to them. So I will give this book a 3 berry rating

Challenges: Full House: Setting I'd like to visit

Resolutions: Review all the books I read / Venture out of my comfort zone

Little Miss #1: Shy

I wanted to start another series, but this time I wanted to do something entirely different but still something that had something to do with my blog (especially my blogname). Then I started thinking, a "Little Miss Something" could be fun! That I choose a Little Miss or Mr once in a while and turn them into something bookish. For example take Little Miss Shy - shy characters, books that are underrated or books that not that many people have read and such. And Little Miss Sunshine can for example be happy books and characters.

One of my favorite books is 4 to 16 Characters - which only has 96 ratings on goodreads, and that number is simply not doing it. I loved this book when I read it and I think that Jane and Gary was perfect for each other!

I got this book through netgalley, and I tend to not really enjoy the books I get from netgalley - but this was an exception!

Review | Goodreads

I read Who is J.K. Rowling back in January and I loved it! She is one of my absolute favorite authors and since there isn't any official biography out yet, I think this is a great start. I know it is written for a younger audience, but I still think it is worth reading! I checked goodreads and it only has 127 ratings - which is way too low! I recommend this book to every Potterhead

Review | Goodreads

This is not a book, but a short story written by Isaac Marion (the author of Warm Bodies). I really enjoyed Warm Bodies, and then I found out about all his short stories. I haven't read all of them yet, but this is one of my absolute favorites! It is set in the future where sleep is cured. I totally think this story is worth reading - especially because it is so short and so interesting! AND it is free to read on his website!

Goodreads | The story

I think I know 1 other blogger that has read this book - but I've never heard anyone else talk about the book. I picked this book up on a whim and suddenly I was finished with it. It was one of the first book that I finished in one sitting and it is still one of my favorite books! It is set in an asylum for the criminally insane and everything that happens is just so manipulating and you never actually know what is going on. I love this book to pieces and I think you should check it out!

Goodreads

I have actually read this 2 times and I really enjoy it! It is a quick and light read - but definitly not for kids. I love the modern take on the fairytales and I just think it's weird how so few people have read it. I haven't heard any other blogger talk about this book, and since I love fairytales and everything along those lines - it's just weird..

Review | Goodreads

This was acutally also one of my first books from netgalley, I read it pretty quickly and I really enjoyed it! This was one of my first reviews on this blog (I believe it was the second) and because of that review I started to connect with the author - and she is even a follower of my blog! I even enjoyed this book so much that I had to get the sequel the day it came out (which didn't work) so I haven't even read it yet! But what I wanted to say was, that this was a very great take on robots and donating ones body after death!

Review | Goodreads

That was some of my favourite underrated books, do you have any to add?

Life of a Blogger: Camping

Life of a Blogger is a weekly meme that is hosted by Jessi at Novel Heartbeat. Every week there is a different topic and this week's topic is camping! 

When I was younger we camped a lot, we practically lived at a caravan park every summer for the entire summer - until my parents thought me and my siblings where too old for camping. I have very fond memories of camping since I met a bunch of new friends from all over the country - I am actually still friends with a girl named Daniella, it turned out that we lived not that far from each other (like 15 minutes in car) so we were best friends for some years I believe. We don't live that close now, since I moved... But I love meeting new people, as long as it's not too many at the same time, and I think camping is a very relaxing way to meet new people!

I remember always going to the beach while camping, it was a 10 to 15 minute walk and I always loved going there. The ocean was so big and I think I started to realize that the world wasn't so small and that we weren't the only country (I knew there was other countries, but I didn't fully realize it until seeing the ocean). 

Another perk of camping is that you get to see new places - if you travel while camping. We never did that so we only saw one place, but I still liked being able to go somewhere else and just relax instead of being home all the time. Camping felt like my second home in the young years. 

My grandparents have always been very fond of camping - my grandfather lives at the caravan park from the day it opens to the day it closes (my grandparents are divorced). 

I have always thought of camping as a sanctuary because I don't have that many bad memories from camping. 

What do you think about camping?

WWW Wednesday #2

I have been thinking about joining in on some different weekly memes, and I like this one, it's nice and simple and I get to tell you about books!

But this meme is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading (just like Teaser Tuesdays). All you have to do is answer 3 questions. 

1. What are you currently reading?

2. What did you recently finish reading?

3. What do you think you'll read next?

   

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak | This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl

I have read about 200 pages in The Book Thief so far, I don't really know what to think about it yet. But so far I don't think it's anything special - except the point of view of course.

In This Star Won't Go Out I've read about a 100 pages, I am slowly going through this, since I know I'm gonna cry. But I am really enjoying getting to know Esther. 

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

It's not like I hate this series, but I don't love it either, maybe Champion will sort it all out?

   

The Edge of Never (Edge of Never #1) by J.A. Redmerski | Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

I have wanted to read The Edge of Never since I bought it.. But since it's my first New Adult novel I'm a bit scared... I got the sequel for my birthday though, so I have to read it sometime.

I actually read a few pages in Vampire Academy last night, I don't really know if I'm in the mood for a vampire book right now, but something is drawing me towards it. 

Remember to leave your answers/links in the comments below! 

Teaser Tuesday: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Want to join? All you have to do is grab your current read, flip open to a random page and share a non-spoiler teaser. Easy, right? Then just write it in the comments or make your own post and put the link in the comments. - But I like to share 2 teasers instead of one.

I am currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, I am not that far in, about 130 pages. I think the POV is interesting and definitely different from what I'm used to. 

Publisher/Year: Alfred A. Knopf / 2005

Genres: YA Historical Fiction

Format: Paperback

Source: Bought from the Book Depository

Summary: It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

If you want you can read a sample for free on amazon!

I think the first teaser is beautiful! I love this quote and I think I will keep it in mind! The second teaser shows one of my favorite relationships in the book so far, I love the connection between Hans and Liesel - he is the perfect foster father for her and I think he is the sweetest man and he really loves Liesel!

Remember to leave your links in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday: Popular authors I've never read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful team at The Broke and the Bookish. Every week there is a different topic, this week's topic is popular authors we've never read - and I have a bunch of those! If you want to join Top Ten Tuesday, then just head over to The Broke and the Bookish and put your link in the linky (once you've made and published your Top Ten ofcourse) 

As usual in no particular order:

I have been wanting to read a Ned Vizzini book for a while, specially It's Kind of a Funny Story, but my library haven't got it yet, so I have to wait.....But I am looking forward to it

The size of his books scare me... I have It, Cell and Under the Dome, their size is just to daunting and I back out every time. But I will man up! and then I will read a King book.

When I heard about The Darkest Powers trilogy, I knew I had to read it. I actually wanted to start it right away, but since Jayd and I decided it was going to be our buddy read for October (since it contains ghosts) I have to wait until October....

I actually own Going Bovine, I've just never gotten arond to it - I don't even know what it is about... But I really want to read the Gemma Doyle trilogy since I crave historical fiction at the moment. But I am looking forward to it! 

I have a habit of not starting series before all of the books are out, especially when it comes to trilogies. But since the conclusion just came out, I want to read it soon! 

I have heard so many wonderful things about this trilogy, but right when I was about to start, the final instalment got pushed back, so I had to wait.. and now I don't know when I will start reading the series - but I think it's going to be great!

Since only 2 out of 5 books are out, I want to wait until at least the 3. is out and the 4. on its way. But I WILL read a Susan Ee book, I just don't know exactly when. 

The Lux series has been talked about a lot the last couple of months because of the release of the 4. book I believe, but I don't even know if I'll ever read a Armentrout book... 

Apparently this is a great author, according to a bunch of booktubers, but I am a bit meh.. I don't think they sound that interesting but I might have to give it a go..

I just got Vampire Academy from local library - I am definetely looking forward to read it! 

Which popular authors have you yet to read?

Codeacademy

I just found out about codeacademy today, and I could not keep this to myself! Since I started blogging I've learned a lot about HTML and CSS - especially when I made my drop down navigation bar. I didn't actually know what I was doing - I just tried and tried until it worked!

Then I found out about this page where you can learn to use HTML and CSS properly, you have to complete different tasks and you get to know why it works and what the different things stand for. HTML and CSS aren't even the only things you get to learn how to use. You can learn about jQuery, Javascript, PHP, Python and Ruby, and there is even other stuff to do where you get to use what you learned in practice!

I can't believe I hadn't heard about this page before! I think every blogger should go through the HTML and CSS course, it helps so much!

I am currently 10% through the very first course and I am having a great time! I think it's a different "talent" and I am having so much fun learning about it!

But anyway, I just wanted you to know about this website because I think you can benefit a lot from it - you even earn badges once you complete something!