The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

October 6, 2020April 18, 2021 innah9611 Comments

★★★★★

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is a book I have had on my TBR the longest.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is also the first book in the Millennium series. I wanted to read it since I was in high-school and developed my love for thrillers. Even though I was vaguely familiar with the plot, I went in blind, and I enjoyed every second of it!

Synopsis:

Lisbeth Salander can dig the deepest secrets of her targets. She is often underestimated because of her looks, but loves nothing more than to prove people wrong.

Mikael Bloomkvist is a disgraced journalist and when tasked to investigate him, Lisbeth finds nothing but integrity.

When his investigation of a mystery that happened a long time ago comes to a dead end, he needs help. And who could do that better, than the same person who investigated him.

My Thoughts:

I loved the pace this book has. It starts very slow, giving you time to adjust to the new setting and the characters that will be your companions for the rest of the book. Then it gradually throws plot twists and new challenges that need to be overcomed. By the end, you are on a rollercoaster and your hunger for clues and resolution comes to a climax. Every character has their own story and personal development that fits perfectly into the story.

The way the characters have their own personal development is incredibly done, especially in the case of Lisbeth. Even though Mikael’s development is also very noteworthy.

I had mixed feelings about the ending. I loved the mystery part, and I think that ended very satisfying. However, I wasn’t a fan of how the romance concluded, or rather, continued. But with that being said, and knowing the series continues, I am hoping to read the next book and see whether this might change in the future.

After finishing the book, I was curious about the author, and I was so sad to find out that he passed away before he knew about his book and the success it has in the world. I also feel for his partner as well – for all the injustice she has gone through.

To conclude, I loved The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo so much, and I am so glad I finally read it. I will definitely be continuing the series, and I hope you pick this one up as well.

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo [BLOG TOUR]

October 5, 2020October 4, 2020 innah9611 Comments

★★★★★

I am so happy to be part of the blog tour for Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo. And not only am I participating, but I also have the privilege to kick it off! Thank you to the amazing team at Mills & Boon, for this opportunity. Below is an image of the Blog Tour Banner – please check out the rest of the book bloggers that are participating as well:

The team were so kind to send me a very beautiful personalised package, including some handmade gifts as well. The beautiful biscuit is by PippingGoodBiscuits. The personalised bauble with my name by Claires.Crafts. And the handmade clay earrings by OchreHandmade. These are all amazing small business that deserve your attention. And if you cannot support them at this time, at least give them a follow. They are amazing!

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I am beyond happy today to receive this in the post! @millsandboonuk you made my day!😍 I will be participating in the blog tour for Meet Me in London by Georgia Toffolo, so look out for my post next week.☃️ This book will be the perfect one to take me into Christmas mode, and I can't wait to see whether Victoria, who needs a Christmas miracle, will find happiness in the end. Also, just have a look at those amazing goodies! I have tagged all the amazing small shops, please send them some love as well 🥰

A post shared by Ivana and her books! (@diaryofdifference) on Sep 26, 2020 at 2:38am PDT

Synopsis:

Meet Me In London is a beautiful and emotional Christmas book. It follows Victoria, a designer that hopes to one day showcase her work. And it also follows Oliver, a millionaire and an owner of a big business, who is under pressure from his family to find a woman and settle down.

Oliver makes a deal with Victoria. He will help her showcase her designs and help the children she teaches. In return, she will pretend to be his fiancee on the opening day.

But, as you can imagine, things won’t go to plan. They will start developing feelings towards each other. Furthermore, an accident that happened in the past has scarred Victoria for life, and because of that, she is afraid to open up and trust another man.

My Thoughts:

The romance is beautiful, because it is raw and real. I felt the love, care and lust, as much as I felt the pain, the hurting and the need to protect the other person. The slow-burn pace was also something I really enjoyed. I loved how caring Victoria is, not only with Oliver, but with everyone in her life. Especially the children that she teaches. All she does in life is just give and give, without expecting anything in return. And the fact that she has been so hurt in the past for various reasons is so heartbreaking, and it does make you root for her all the way through.

And I also loved the respect that Oliver showed, always ensuring Victoria is okay and in agreement with whatever comes next. I don’t think this happens too often in romance novels, and it was a really important moment to note. The character development between Victoria and Oliver is amazing, and it all ends up in happy tears. I love how she makes him care more about the people and the community, rather than just his business.

I also loved Oliver’s family. When a millionaire’s family with a family business is represented, we usually see them as bitter and arrogant. And very often, they are rude to the person their son is dating. So I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t expecting that. But this book surprised me in a very positive way. The family of Oliver were very supportive of Victoria (minus the annoying cousin). They made her feel welcome and very loved from the start. She even got along very well with the mother.

The friendship in this book is precious! The lovely bond that Victoria shares with Zoe, Lily and Malie is beautiful! Since the accident in which they all were involved, they have become closer than ever and always supported each other through thick and thin. The friendship that these girls share is something every girl dreams of.

I loved this book so much! It put me in a wonderful Christmas mood, and made me want to decorate my Christmas tree, even though I need to put pumpkins first. 🙂 I really hope Meet Me In London by Georgia Toffolo is made into a Christmas movie. I swear, I will be the first person to watch it!

Also, there is a new book coming out in Spring 2021 called Meet Me in Hawaii, with Malie, one of Victoria’s best friends. It has surfing and I cannot wait for it!

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

Book Review · Books

The Courage To Care by Christie Watson [BOOK REVIEW]

October 4, 2020October 4, 2020 innah968 Comments

The Courage To Care: A Call for compassion by Christie Watson Book Review blog blogging diaryofdifference diary of difference

★★★★★

I was part of the Instagram Readalong of The Courage To Care: A Call For Compassion by Christie Watson, thanks to the TandemCollectiveUK team. They sent me the book, together with the discussion prompts, and me and an amazing group of bookstagrammers have been reading it and discussing it for the duration of five days. The Courage To Care is published by Vintage Books.

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Readalong time – The Courage To Care by Christie Watson! A huge thank you to the amazing teams at @tandemcollectiveuk and @vintagebooks, as well as the author @christiewatsonwriter – for including me in this readalong and sending a copy of this book my way. I will also tag all the other amazing bookstagrammers that are participating 💙 DM me if you want to tag along, and I will send along the reading schedule and discussion prompts 💙 I used to work as a carer in a care home for people suffering from Dementia. It was the hardest job I have ever done in my life. 12 hour shifts, night shifts, watching people get more ill and eventually die. Seeing relatives and their sadness when their mum or dad don't remember them. And people often ask me – how did you do it, day in, day out? Well, this is where Christie's book answers all those questions. From a nurse's perspective, she will talk about all the lows. But she will also talk about all the good things. The rewarding feeling of being part of a team that makes people's lives better. Putting yourself on the line, especially in today's world of a pandemic. Having people around you that share the same mission. This book already made me cry. And it also made me hopeful. It gave me a wave of positivity I didn't expect, and the most important message – to be brave, no matter what the purpose may be. Courage is a very powerful trait to have, and nurses all have it! I am so lucky to have experienced this first hand, working as a carer, and also now with this book.

A post shared by Ivana and her books! (@diaryofdifference) on Sep 30, 2020 at 4:21am PDT

I chose to read The Courage to Care because both my auntie and mum are nurses. I also used to be a carer in a Care Home for people suffering from Dementia. The work nurses do, the hours they put into saving lives and the compassion and courage they have is incredible. I felt an obligation to read this book, and use my platform to emphasise how important nurses are.

In The Courage to Care, Christie Watson writes about the importance of nurses, not only in the hospitals, but just everywhere. The schools, on the streets, hospices, care homes, in prisons. And in Covid-19 times, when people need them the most, nurses are there, sacrificing their own health and families in order to help others. Their courage and bravery is something I have always admired, but especially in these hard times, it is something we shouldn’t forget.

This book is filled with different stories, showing nurses in different environments.

It is also filled with Christie’s personal stories and struggles, managing her nursing career, whilst also ongoing an adoption process and being a single parent.

It is very hard for me to write a detailed review of this book, without spoiling the stories for you, and I will do my best, because these stories are something that you should experience first-hand, for yourself.

With every story, we get close not just with the nurses, but with the patients and their families as well. We get to feel how they feel. And sometimes nurses are able to help them and bring happiness and hope to their lives. Other times, there is nothing else a nurse can do to help, except to just show compassion and make the patient feel comfortable. And during Covid-19 times, the nurses share the last moments with the people that couldn’t be with their loved ones.

This book made me cry more times than I could count, but it also made me giggle at times too.

Among all the sadness that comes with illnesses and hospitals, nurses are also there to make lives better for people. Give them hope. And for a moment, help patients forget that they are ill, even just for a moment.

I am so grateful to be able to read the Courage To Care.

And I am so grateful to be healthy at this very moment. This book made me appreciate the present. It reminded me to be kind and to show courage where needed, and help others who might need help. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

Book Review · Books

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green [BOOK REVIEW]

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 innah9613 Comments

★★★★★

This year, I had the opportunity to re-read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It was a favorite of mine when I was in high-school, and I read it again to see whether I still enjoyed it.

John Green’s writing is one that I can always come back to. It’s very easy to enter the world he builds, and I remember vividly how much I enjoyed Looking For Alaska as well.

Hazel is suffering from terminal cancer. And even though her tumor shrunk by some miracle and bought her a few years, Hazel knows not to be hopeful. She is lonely and depressed, and she feels like a burden to her family. She goes to Cancer Kid Support Group, quite frankly, just to make her mum happy.

But then one day, a gorgeous Augustus Waters suddenly appears, and Hazel’s story is about to change. He is immediately intrigued by her, and he wants to get to know her. Before they know it, they spend all their days together and get closer to each other.

And Augustus’s story is also not a fairytale. He has been battling cancer and won, and now he’s supporting his friend Isaac with his eye cancer too. Which is also how he ends up to the support group meeting.

I loved their instant connection, and I loved their love.

Their bond was something special and for the short time they were together they manage to have so many adventures and learn so much about each other. And when the tragedy strikes, which I won’t mention, even though most of you probably know how it ends, it’s very sad. It’s devastating and heartbreaking. That part made me cry the first time I read it, it made me cry on my re-read and I am quite sure it will keep making me cry every time I read it.

I loved Hazel and Augustus’s love for books, and the whole part about Hazel’s favourite book and their trip to Amsterdam. Not only because they do it, but because of how selfless Augustus is with his last wish, and his letters, to try and make this happen – just for her. You can see that the only thing he cares about is Hazel. And it’s such a beautiful thing to see.

But something I noticed, that many of you might disagree with, is that I wasn’t too fussed about their love this time. It was cute, but maybe because they were teenagers, it felt not as deep. I think that if they happened to stay together and marry, that after 10 years they wouldn’t be happy. There were little things in the book that made me feel like this. And I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I’ll just put it out there.

What I loved most about The Fault in Our Stars is how real this book is. Especially about the cancer part.

I have had the luck to not ever be ill myself or have any family close to me, but I have had friends and long distance relatives suffer from cancer, and I could feel the suffering and heartache it causes. Especially when a person you love so much doesn’t make it. And the process of treatment is such a hard battle, ongoing struggle and fighting the odds. It must be so hard to keep fighting and to stay positive. I can understand why some people feel like they just want to give up. Even Hazel does a few times, especially at the beginning of the book. The pressure you feel from the family as well, they want you to keep fighting, and you just can’t imagine another day of suffering, it must be devastating. And John Green explains this part so well – and it hurts my feelings every time.

The Fault in Our Stars is a one of a kind.

Still an all-time favourite, and I think it will always stay that way. Happy and sad story of two teens in love, trying to fight cancer against all odds and just be happy, when destiny has other plans. I definitely recommend it!

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |