Tag: reading

“Like A Charm” by Elle McNicoll

This book is one of the most beautiful and charming books about magic I’ve recently read.

The Plot: We follow little Ramya Knox. She lives in Edinburgh, which appears to be filled with magical creatures. No one can see them except Ramya. Her beloved grandfather passes away and leaves Ramya with a knot of family secrets and riddles. Three words – Beware the Sirens – are one of the clues the grandfather leaves to his granddaughter. Ramya dives into the magical and dangerous adventure that changes her life upside down.

The Writing Style: The story is written easily, enchantingly, and beautifully. It is well-paced and twisty. The world-building absolutely conquered my bookish heart, making me feel like I was living the story to the fullest. This magical, action-packed story is full of slight sarcastic humor, highlighting the flaws of modern society. This vivid, captivating, gentle, kind, illuminative, and inspiring book for young minds and all those who believe in magic around us is the best fantasy book I’ve recently read. Many brilliant metaphors, comparisons, and quotes made me smile. If I had no distractions, I would read this book in one sitting.

“Stories are like footprints that can never be washed away…Even if the print fades or the pages rot or the writer is long gone…the story just moves into someone else’s head. It finds a new place to live.” Elle McNicoll, “Like A Charm”

The Characters: The book is full of numerous enchanting and intriguing characters. One of the things that I loved most about them was how deeply and accurately the writer portrayed their traits of character and feelings. The process of growing up, inner transformations, and exploring the world around them (the magical and real ones) is brilliantly depicted in the characters along the way the story unfolds.

The Fave Quote: “You are water. Water does not let the wind blow it in whichever direction it wishes. Water moves under its own laws.”

Would I read other books by this author: Undoubtedly!

My humble rating is: 5/5

“Books are like pockets of time…Little artefacts from other cultures and other periods of history. You can go to a museum where they put everything behind the glass and won’t let you touch things. Or you can read a book. I like knowing that some other being pored over the words I’m reading. That we’re connected.” Elle McNicoll, “Like A Charm”

“Like A Charm” by Elle McNicoll reminds me a bit of “Grimm” series. So, if you watched these series and enjoyed them, you’ll have a fantastic time with “Like A Charm.” This book is truly enchanting and will keep you under its spell from cover to cover.

“Like A Charm” by Elle McNicoll is available on Amazon.

I do hope you’ll enjoy reading this book as much as I did.

Anyway, thank you for dropping by and reading this post!

Stay safe, take care, and happy reading!

P.S. The bookmark is by beautiful Victoria (What Victoria Read)

#EllenKhodakivska #writerslife #whattoread #LikeACharm #ElleMcNicoll #chirdrensbook #magic #magicalcreatures #fantasy #booklover #amreading #bookreview #greatbook #bookaddict

“The Wonderful Adventures of Nils” by Selma Lagerlöf

📖It’s one of the wisest stories for young minds that never cease to surprise me. This book stole my heart many years ago, turning me into a reader. It significantly contributed to my childhood, fostering my love for reading and gnomes. Now, my son wants to read it on his own, and my daughter smiles when she sees me opening the first page of these incredible adventures.

Cat Josef also enjoyed reading it with us 🌟📖🐈‍⬛

🪿The Plot: We follow a little boy named Nils Holgeson. He was a sweet little boy, but still, he was nasty a bit. He played tricks on farm animals and misbehaved sometimes. One day, he played a trick on a gnome. The fairy creature decided to give a lesson to a naughty boy. The gnome used one of his spells and turned Nils to the size of a thumb. Together with a farmer gander named Martin, who appeared Nil’s single friend and agreed to help him, they started their adventurous journey across Sweden. Whether Nils learns the lesson and the gnome’s spell dissolves? Will Nils and gander Martin come back home?

🦆The Writing Style: The translation by Joan Tate remains my favorite, as do the illustrations by Lars Klinting. This fairytale is action-packed, twisty, and wise. It is full of hilarious moments and heart-breaking scenes. Packed with numerous life lessons, morals, and thoughts, it will stay with a reader long after finishing the book. Moreover, readers get the chance to have a brilliant virtual guide around Sweden on the wings of a kind and friendly gander, Martin.

🪿The Characters: There are many characters in this glorious book. But how adorable they are! Selma Lagerlöf portrayed them all so masterfully and solidly. Each of them possesses features and traits that will stick in the memory and evoke feelings and emotions in the reader’s soul. All these participants in the book are multilayered, deep, and memorable.

☀️The Fave Quote: Truth be told, this book was, is, and will be one big wise quote for me. I just can’t define the one.

⭐️My humble rating is: 5.5/5

I gave my highest humble rating to this book just because it still takes the lead and remains one of my favorite books ever. Moreover, this book managed to make my son an avid reader and my daughter – an avid listener. “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils” by Selma Lagerlog contributed to my kids’ childhood and their personalities hugely, as it did to mine. And it feels priceless.

I hope this book will leave as significant and touching a trace in your heart as it did in mine and my kids.

Thank you for dropping by and reading this review!

Stay safe, take care, and happy reading!

#writerslife #amwriting #amreading #bookforkids #TheWonderfulAdventuresOfNils #SelmaLagerlöf #Sweden #booklover #childhood #catlover #catJosef #reading #reader #WhatToRead #bookreview

Release Day

🤍I’m thrilled to announce that my new novel, “The White Water,” is finally here!🤍☺️✍🏼

🤍I won’t talk much, letting the book speak for itself.🤍☺️✍🏼

🤍I sincerely do hope you’ll enjoy reading “The White Water” as much as I loved reading it!🤍☺️✍🏼

🤍Stay safe, take care, and happy diving in the heart of “The White Water.🤍

P.S.

Editor – amazing Havelah 🤍

Graphic designer – glorious Nadin

Cover – fabulous Anastasia

🤍 Stay safe, take care, and happy reading!📖🤍🙏🏼

#writerslife #amwriting #bookishlovergroup #unitedbookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #whattoreadnext #whattoread #novel #romance #truebasedstory #mystic #fantasy #newrelease

“How To Stop Time” by Matt Haig

This heart-warming novel is truly something exceptional and fragile. One of the novels that makes processing time’s riddles and believing in miracles.

The Plot:  We follow 41-year-old history teacher Tom Hazard. He looks like an ordinary person, but he isn’t. First of all, he is much older than he looks like. Secondly, he has a secret. Thirdly, he has some rules he has to live up to. The knot of secrets, challenges, and choices gets twisty with every chapter. Does the extraordinary Tom Hazard have a chance for an ordinary, happy life? This question kept me curious till the last chapter.

The Writing Style: The pace of the novel was a bit slow, but it still kept me curious till the end of the book. There were many smooth twists, heart-breaking episodes, and light sarcastic humor. I enjoyed reading the flashbacks with curious facts about outstanding personalities. I didn’t verify whether these were true facts, but even if they were just assumptions, they made me smile.

The Characters: There are many characters in this glorious time-stopping novel. I didn’t feel a strong emotional connection with them, except for one of them. I won’t mention this character because of spoilers. The one thing I can say is that it was a female character with a deep, kind heart, big soul, strong will, and wise decisions. The rest of them are portrayed nicely in all aspects.  

Fave quote: This book is a treasure of quotes. It is one of the points I loved the most about this novel. The author brilliantly turned all the daily observations and musings into wise and memorable quotes. One of them is the following: “People you love never die.”

Would I read other books by this author: Probably, yes!

My humble rating is:  I left this book without a rating. Truth be told, I’ve probably expected something else. That’s why I had mixed feelings about the book. But still, I had a great time with this novel.

P.S. If you enjoyed watching the “Forever” series with Ioan Gruffud and the “Highlander” series with legendary Adrian Paul, you’ll enjoy reading this book.

I genuinely hope you’ll enjoy reading “How To Stop Time” as much as I do.

Anyway, thank you for dropping by and reading this review.

Stay safe, take care, and happy reading.

#EllenKhodakivska #writerslife #HowToStopTime #MattHaig #booklover #bookaddict #amreading #amwriting #reading #writing #time #goodnovel #bookreview

“Happy To Have Nothing” by Stuart Hobrow

It’s one of the most beautifully written and touching novels I’ve recently read.

The Plot:   We follow three teenagers – Melanie, Alison and Robert. They all have their challenges, troubles, inner tortures, and different events influencing their features and friendships. Three friends surf through their teenage years, trying to discover themselves and understand what they truly want and what really matters in life. In a while, we meet them as adults. They have new lives, new beginnings, and new starts, but some of them prefer living in the past, which makes things more complicated.

The Writing Style: The novel reminds me of a marvelous stream twists in and out among the rocks. I mean, it is written in some peculiar, fabulous style. There is no rush, though the chapters flow into one another at a suitable, vigorous pace. As I’m a big fan of old-fashioned letters and letters in books, I savored this book twice as much, especially in these episodes. In general, the writing style is easy and beautiful. The book is full of heart-breaking and heart-warming moments, as well as tragic and inspiring events. And, of course, the whole book is penetrated with almighty feeling – love!  

The Characters:  There are many characters in this novel. They are all well-developed and eye-catching. The author brilliantly portrayed their souls, revealing reflections, tortures, and deep wishes layer by layer. It felt like the writer created and treated his characters with love and care, no matter what happens on the pages of the novel. It means a lot because, as a reader, I had the same attitude toward them.

“The life of a teacher – never a dull moment or devoid of a fresh challenge.” Stuart Hobrow, “Happy To Have Nothing”

My fave quote: “At some time in life you will let someone steal your heart, Alison. So be careful not to crash, because if you do your heart is not like the shell of a car. If it gets dented, it’s difficult to reshape.”

Would I read other books by this author: Sure!

My humble rating is: 5/5

I do hope you’ll like “Happy To Have Nothing” by Stuart Hobrow as much as I did.

Anyway, thank you for dropping by and reading this post!

Stay safe, take care, and happy reading!

#writerslife #EllenKhodakivska #bookreview #HappyToHaveNothing #novel #StuartHobrow #booklover #bookaddict #amreading #amwriting #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #reading #author

💌𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓮📮

“Handwritten letters are incredible talkers. In them, each comma and letter speak loudly of what a sender would prefer to keep silent about”

Ellen Khodakivska, “The Everlasting Dance”

💌 Do you still write old-fashioned letters?

💌 I do😊 A handwriting saturates an impact of my letters, where the words are waltzing airily to the people I love the most. 💌✍🏼😊

📮The book is available FOR FREE on Amazon on May 22-24.

Thank you for dropping by and reading this post!

Stay safe, take care and happy reading!

#EllenKhodakivska #writerslife #amwriting #amreading #TheEverlastingDance #book #WhatToRead #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity #reading #writing

“Follow the Blue Rabbit” by Elena Carter

If you are looking for a cleverly written novel where you can live in numerous magical parallel worlds, this book is definitely what you need.

“Every person has unlimited creative power” Elena Carter, “Follow the Blue Rabbit.”

The Plot:  This is the second book of “The Dream Tamer Chronicles.” We follow a young woman Tina – a creative and aspiring writer. She is still deeply grieving and desperately misses her husband, who perished in a car accident. Her friends do their best to support her, and Tina works eagerly on numerous projects to distract herself from sullen thoughts. But her nocturnal life remains the main escape from reality. Tina travels along numerous parallel worlds and magical realms, trying to solve many riddles that will help her and some of her friends get what they truly need. But all these journeys are not as safe as they might seem at first sight. Moreover, they are full of danger and can even be fatal.

The Writing Style: I had barely closed Book 1 when I opened the next one and couldn’t tear my eyes off its pages. The novel is written cleverly and thoughtfully, with many smooth but heart-squeezing twists. I truly enjoyed how deeply it was created from a psychological perspective – I could feel the pain of all the heart-bleeding scratches and wounds in the depths of the characters’ souls. I could perceive a feeble flickering of a little borning fire in the characters’ hearts, the fire that might grow into a big cozy fire that warms their souls at last. The book is written in balance – it was rapidly paced where it felt needed, and it slowed the pace elegantly, stylishly, and gradually at the right time. This mesmerizing novel made me drown in tears, enveloped me with warmth, and gave me some bottomless inspiration. I enjoyed the adorable, fantastic world-building with many cute and heartwarming details. The novel is absolutely unputdownable and bewitchingly charming.

The Characters: In my humble opinion, only a person with a big heart and pure soul who faced many challenges could create such glorious, multilayered, and deep characters in all senses. They are like exotic flowers that are replanted in some ground which is harmful to them, but they still keep blooming. The depths of their souls are portrayed brilliantly. Their sufferings, inner tortures, thirst for life, and zest for finding the needed answers are described so powerfully that I wanted to hug them and join their adventures to help them follow the light and the blue rabbit.

The fave quote: “Always follow the light. There is no such thing as absolute darkness. Darkness wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for the light.”

Would I read other books by this author: Absolutely yes!

My humble rating is: 5.5/5

“I think people should never underestimate their dreams” Elena Carter, “Follow the Blue Rabbit.”

P.S. I gave my highest humble rating to book 2 in this series. The point is that one of the main characters – Alice, who appeared to be one of my favorite ones, had come through incredibly tough times. The author managed to depict her feelings masterfully. In some moments, I endured the same tortures, and I know how bloody it hurts. The author knew what she wrote about; at least it was written competently – no made-up, fictional feelings, only true ones.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading this book as much as I did!

“Follow the Blue Rabbit” is available on Amazon.

Anyway, thank you for dropping by and reading this post!

Stay safe, take care, and happy reading!

#EllenKhodakivska #writerslife #bookreview #ElenaCarter #FollowTheBlueRabbit #novel #amreading #amwriting #indieauthor #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #whattoread #booklover

“Words & Eagle. From the heart”/ Sukanya Bora/ BOOK REVIEW

If you need a collection of wise short poems and little stories, you’ll enjoy this one.

Genre: Collection of poems/tiny stories 

Pages: 32

Language: English

Publisher: Independently published

Release date: 2022

The Plot:  The book consists of 16 cozy, charming, and touching poems. Each poem is penetrated with life pearls of wisdom, inner tortures, deep thoughts, motivational issues, and warm messages.

The Writing Style: This is a debut book by this writer. I should mention that it is pretty successful, and it’s obvious that the collection was written from the depths of the writer’s bottomless heart. The author managed to sort out all the controversial feelings on the invisible shelves of my bookish soul.

Warnings: Depression, loneliness

My Favorite Quote: “There’s nothing wrong in being an introvert.”

Would I read other books by this author: Definitely!

My humble rating is: 5/5

“There’s nothing wrong in being an introvert.” Sukanya Bora, “Words & Eagle. From the heart”

I do hope that this collection of poems will drop a huge anchor into your bookish heart! It is available on Amazon.

Anyway, thank you for dropping by and reading this post!

Take care and happy reading!

#EllenKhodakivska #writerslife #indieauthor #WhatToRead #poems #India #booklover #WritingComminity #ReadingCommunity #AmWriting #AmReading

BOOK REVIEW / “What Stories Letters May Tell”/ Judah Lamey

If you like mystery novellas full of family intrigues and unexpected twists, you’ll enjoy reading this one.

Genre: Mystery novella   

Pages: 66

Language: English

Release date: 2019

The Plot:  James Frost is a butler in the mansion of Agatha Brottie. He has been there for ages and has seen many hustle and bustle of the big Brottie family. But a few days before his departure appear to be extraordinary ones. He happens to get into the middle of the fatal mystery taking place among the family members. Would he be able to get to the bottom of the puzzle without danger for himself? You can find it out while reading this splendid novella.

The Writing Style: I fell in love with this writing style from the first pages. It possesses an old-fashioned charm that I love the most in books! A leisure pace mixes with a smart, humorous, twisty, and well-structured world-building. One of the things I liked the most was a description of the food and cooking process. The writer managed to depict it so great that I felt like having snacks almost when I was reading it.

The Characters: The number of the characters is average. The author described them so well that I felt as if I suddenly met friends that I’ve not seen for ages. I liked how the author managed to express the wisdom of aging people and the young one’s unthoughtful decisions. James Frost, Agatha Brottie, and Kalynn are definitely my favorite characters in this novella; they conquered my heart from the early beginning.

Warnings: War, death, grief, family scandals/intrigues

Would I read other books by this author: Absolutely yes!

My humble rating is: 5/5

This book on Amazon –

#EllenKhodakivska #bookreview #indieauthor #WhatToRead #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity #booklover #bookaddict #books #reading #novella #mystery #WhatStoriesLettersMayTell #JudahRamey