Book Review · Books

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini [BOOK REVIEW]

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini [BOOK REVIEW]

I cannot believe it took me this long to finally mark Eragon as a read book. This book has been on my shelves for way too long and I am happy I finally got to it.

About The Book:

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) by Christopher Paolini [BOOK REVIEW]

Pages: 517

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★★

My Thoughts:

Knowing how saturated the fantasy genre is today, I was apprehensive going into the book. The boy and the dragon story have been used very frequently. But as soon as I read the first few chapters, I was transported to Eragon’s farm in Carvahall, joined his adventure and never looked back. 

Eragon is just a boy on a farm, doing his bit to help his uncle. When one day he finds a shiny blue egg, he is sure he can sell it in town and buy food for the winter. But as soon as people find out he got it from the Spine, they want nothing to do with it. So Eragon decides to keep it for a bit, until he can find a buyer. When the egg cracks and a dragon is hatched, Eragon’s whole world is about to change. He knows a few things: he has a special connection with the dragon through his mind and he is in big danger. Along the way, an old man called Brom offers Eragon help and knowledge, and we find out so much more about dragons, Dragon Riders, magic and all the dangers Eragon Is about to face for being a Dragon Rider in his time, when the king is searching for him. 

From one adventure into another, the book is quite rich with action, stories, and interesting characters. I really liked Angela and the merecat, as well as the Twins. They seemed quite interesting, although I can’t say I trust them. I liked Brom and Murdoch too – their knowledge and experience in different topics intrigued me. 

The magic in Eragon was a cool concept.

I liked the Ancient language and the fact that you have to know certain words to cast a spell. I also liked that you cannot lie in the Ancient language, although I’ve seen that before in other lore that features elves. And I was also quite intrigued by the “true name” and the power it held, the possible duels and the rules on how magic works from a distance. The magic concept in Eragon intrigued me a lot and I loved that. 

Be prepared to watch Eragon learn about who he is now, his legacy and his powers. And watch him try to choose what allegiance he should aid, and how involved he wants to be. The Spiderman quote “with great power comes great responsibility” rings very true in this book. 

Eragon’s dragon, Saphira, is also a big character. She has great powers and ancient wisdom, and together with Eragon they make a great team. They share a unique bond and I’m excited to see how they’ll grow stronger together. 

I will be continuing the series and pick up the second book in the series, Eldest. I am curious to know more about their adventures. If you haven’t read Eragon yet and love fantasy, I warmly recommend it. It made me forget I was a book reviewer for a long time. I was so captivated by the story I forgot to take notes and had to re-read some parts of the book later. Could not recommend it more!

About The Author:

Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel, Eragon, in 2003 at the age of nineteen, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle—Eragon and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is his first adult novel.

Visit Paolini.net for the latest news about this project and connect with other fans at Shurtugal.com, his Facebook page and Twitter profile

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Book Review · Books · Monthly Tags

Sweet Readings – A Reading Update

Sweet Readings - A Reading Update

Hello, you lovely lot! It has been a while since I posted, due to me being on holiday and then having severe internet issues, but I’m back now and ready to share my reading experiences with you. This sweet readings post is dedicated to some lovely brownies and will feature a reading update of all the books I have read this month.

The Best Brownies I’ve Ever Tasted

I don’t say this lightly, because I do love all things sweet. The team at Chummy’s Bakery were extremely kind and sent me a box of brownies that I devoured in a day! They came in different flavours: Salted Caramel, Triple Chocolate, Nutella, Ferrero Rocher etc. and were quite delicious and melted in my mouth. Check out my unboxing video and order your brownies from them HERE.

@diaryofdifference

Thank you @chummysbakery for the delicious box of brownies! These #brownies are #yummy and #scrumptious – order yours today x

♬ Food – Fresh and Delicious – MuraMusicStudio

My Reading Update

During the past month, I have read 7 books, across multiple genres. I enjoyed all of them, some more than others, but they all were a unique reading experience to me.

Note To Self by Anna Bell

Sweet Readings - A Reading Update. Note To Self by Anna Bell

Pages: 384

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit

Publisher: HQ Stories

Format I read it in: Paperback, Uncorrected Proof

Rating: ★★★★

Thoughts: A wonderful story of a woman reading letters she wrote to herself 20 years ago. Very romantic and an absolute tear-jerker.

1984 by George Orwell

Sweet Readings - A Reading Update. 1984 by George Orwell

Pages: 326

Genre: Fiction, Dystopia

Publisher: Penguin

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★★

Thoughts: Incredible journey of a book, and scarily this dystopian terrifying world has too many parallel points with how things are now with the world. George Orwell was way ahead of his time.

The Baker By The Sea by Paula White

Sweet Readings - A Reading Update. The Baker By The Sea by Paula White

Pages: 40

Genre: Children’s, Picture Book

Publisher: Templar

Format I read it in: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

Thoughts: Beautiful story about a boy who is the son of a baker. Amazing art and powerful message. There is also a recipe for Hot Coconut Buns that I haven’t tried yet, but will do.

Overland by Richard Kaufmann

Sweet Readings - A Reading Update. Overland by Richard Kaufmann

Pages: 224

Genre: Travel

Publisher: Raz el Hanout

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★★

Thoughts: Intriguing travel book, featuring travelling by train. Read my full review HERE.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Sweet Readings - A Reading Update. Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Pages: 517

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★★

Thoughts: I can’t believe I haven’t read this sooner. Epic adventure about a dragon, a young brave man and the fight for what’s right.

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

Sweet Readings - A Reading Update. Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

Pages: 352

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Format I read it in: Uncorrected Proof, Paperback

Rating: ★★★★

Thoughts: Quite an interesting mystery, full of adventures, secrets, grief and the biggest battle a person can have – the battle with themselves.

The Guilty Wife by Nina Manning

Sweet Readings - A Reading Update. The Guilty Wife by Nina Manning

Pages: 334

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★

Thoughts: Fast-paced mystery about a woman carrying a lot of grief and her past catching up with her. For me, the ending had its flaws, but I can see people enjoying the story.

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Book Review · Books

Overland: Travelling with No Plan by Richard Kaufmann [BOOK REVIEW]

Overland: Travelling with No Plan by Richard Kaufmann [BOOK REVIEW] 

Honestly, I can’t recommend Overland enough, if you love to travel!

Reading Overland was an adventure in itself for me, because of multiple reasons, which I will explore in more detail below. Reading Overland in the way I did made me experience this book in the most adventurous way and understand the points it makes so much better. 

About The Book:

Overland: Travelling with No Plan by Richard Kaufmann [BOOK REVIEW] 

Honestly, I can’t recommend Overland enough, if you love to travel!


Pages: 222

Genre: Travel, Nonfiction

Publisher: Raz el Hanout

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★★★

My Thoughts:

I am so glad the author, Richard Kaufmann, agreed to send me a copy of this book. The first bit I loved about it was the design. The book cover looks amazing, as well as the pictures inside the book, that give life to the places and characters in the stories. But aside from this, the book also comes with a big map and a postcard, both also looking gorgeous. The map shows the travel lines between major cities and more information about the journeys too. 

“One does not travel in order to arrive, but for the sake of the journey itself.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

When I started the book, I was preparing for a holiday. A 2-week road trip to Skopje, Macedonia in a car. According to Google, it takes 26 hours of driving (in one way). I was planning to finish Overland and write the review before we head off. And then the first paragraph of this book changed my plans. If I am about to travel so many hours, Overland would surely be the best choice of book to bring with me.

I am so glad I made that choice, and although this delayed my reading process and review (so sorry, Richard), I will forever cherish the connection this book now has with my road trip. What was supposed to be a “drive to get there” because a road trip in its fullest. My boyfriend and I decided to drive and stop in a lot of places throughout Europe, and explore a little bit of each country before we reach our destination. 

Overland focuses on travelling slowly, mostly using the train as a transport mode.

Richard begins his story by talking about his adventures and why he fell in love with travelling. Going to Morocco with one plan and ending up with a ton of memories, new friendships and stories to tell. Then travelling to Iran via train and meeting Anna, who will later on become his wife. I loved how well described the places and people are in this book. I can feel the culture, I can almost smell the cities. Everytime I read about an adventure, I want to travel and experience that too. 

A very important message that is shared in this book is about how holidays are perceived today by the majority of people. People book a flight, and then wait until they reach the destination for their holiday to start.

“I think that we should free ourselves of the idea that the holiday doesn’t start till we reach our destination, and that the happiness we find there ends with our departure.”

Through the stories in Overland, we can see there is more to travel than the actual destination. Travelling to a certain destination is an adventure in itself. I know my road trip with a car can’t compare with train or bus travels, but I saw so much more out my window than I would have if I was inside a plane. If I was on a plane, I would never have driven past Frankfurt, and seen a bridge above the motorway that happens to be a runway, and actually see a plane taking off right in front of me whilst I was driving. 

The book also explores travelling without a plan, and travelling with as little planning as you can manage. Usually, we are very quick to moan if something we’ve been expecting from our holiday is not there. But what if we don’t have any expectations? What if we just have our destination in mind, and then take things as they come? Imagine all the places you can see, all the new interesting people you may meet. How many adventures have we missed by sticking to our holiday plans? 

I am a very organised person, and having no plans would stress me out immensely. But after reading Richard’s stories, I know it’s possible to plan little to be able to relax, but also leave a lot of free space for memories to just create themselves on their own accord. And that’s where the real fun is. 

Honestly, I can’t recommend Overland enough, if you love to travel!

And even if you don’t, it will prompt you to book your next holiday. It has so many amazing stories that feature slow travel. A lot of tips about the locations, organisation, planning, budgeting, culture, etc. It has amazing quotes, mentions of books, movies, and music. It even has a little bit of petry included, that I quite enjoyed!

About The Author:

Overland: Travelling with No Plan by Richard Kaufmann [BOOK REVIEW] 

Honestly, I can’t recommend Overland enough, if you love to travel!

Richard Kaufmann, born in Dresden in 1985, is a freelance copywriter and author. He gained a BA in International Communication Management in Amsterdam, and after many years in marketing for a range of internet start-ups, made his great journey to Iran in 2014. Back in Berlin, he founded the magazine transform with a series of illustrators, journalists and friends, and then became its editor and director. Today he lives and works in Leipzig.

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