Bibliophile

Hi my dear readers,

I'd like to add a new aspect to this blog, to cover another of my hobbies: reading!
I used to read a lot when I was a child, a little less when I became a teenager, and since I started studying, textbooks covered most of my reading schedule. But I noticed how much I missed reading, especially fiction (although I also enjoy non-fiction!).

Even if I didn't take the time to actually read a lot, my wishlist on amazon grew (and still grows) quite a bit. So when I got some money and bookshop gift cards for Christmas, I didn't spend it all at once on books because that would be irresponsible couldn't resist and stocked up my reading materials:

It's not "too many books", it's "not enough bookshelves"!

Along with some more books that are on my to-be-read-pile, these should keep me busy for some time (^.^)
It's also a good thing that this book challenge keeps floating around (I found it on tumblr, but I think it's also on other social media platforms), which I want to join:

In order to keep track of it, I decided to post at the end of every month which books I've read and hence what I can cross off the list. I interpreted it insofar that one book can cover more than one request (to quote a friend who also participates: "my challenge, my rules!").
So, what did I read in january?

I'll write a little something about every book, I hope you don't mind (^.^).
So let's have a look!

Walter Moers - Die Stadt der Täumenden Bücher (German, 455p.) & Das Labyrinth der Träumenden Bücher (German, 427p.)

- A book with nonhuman characters
- A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet

So far, I've only read Die 13½ Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär by Moers, but I've loved it. The author has this brilliant use of language and an extensive vocabulary, which always makes me feel very smart when I read his books. 
These two books are the first two of a series (the third volume is released this year), so the content is linked together. It's about a young writer who visits what sounds like the best place on earth; The City of the Dreaming Books. It's a city full of bookstores, libraries and cafés, where everyone reads, writes or sells books. Sounds amazing, right? However, beneath the town lies The Labyrinth of the Dreaming Books, a vast cave system that holds many dangerous adventures for our hero!

Susan Cain - Quiet. The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (English, 280p.)

- A book by a female author
- A nonfiction book
- A book by an author you've never read before

I first learned about this book in connection with this amazingly beautiful comic "Introversion" by Luchie (please look also at the rest of here blog!).
I consider myself an introvert, and it's more often than not a difficult trait of my personality, so naturally, I was intrigued. And I can highly recommend this book, whether you are an introvert or extrovert.

It's very well researched and based on numerous scientific studies, but also personal experiences of the author. The definition of introversion, why our society is based on an extroverted ideal (and why that might be a bad idea), how introverts can benefit from their personality without being forced to pretend to be someone they aren't; Cain explains all this in a very entertaining language, accompanied by many examples and stories of her own life. Despite being cramped with information, it's agreeable to read. Many things dawned on me while reading it, and I think I understand myself a bit better now.

Rachel Hawkins - Rebel Belle (English, 345p.)

- A book set in a different country
- A book based entirely on its cover
- A book with a love triangle
- A book set in high school
- A book with magic

They say you shouldn't judge a book based of its cover, but I must admit, the cover was what got me interested in this book in the first place (shame on me). The content is pretty much obvious from the points it crosses off the challenge which I listed above. Although this might not look like something I'd enjoy reading on first glance, I did not hate the book. It's well written, witty, and the main character is very charismatic. Also there's magic and wiches and some historical facts included, so I'm contemplating to read the second book of the series, Miss Mayhem, which will be published in april...

Kouyu Shurei - Alichino (Manga, 3 volumes, German)

- A book a friend recommended
- A book you can finish in a day
- A graphic novel
- A book that was originally written in a different language

Yes, I'm shamelessly going to count mangas as books too! A friend borrowed them to me, since she wants to cosplay a character and I didn't know the series before. It was published in 2005 and put on hiatus after three volumes. Which is a shame, especially the elaborate costumes are really pretty! They might even get me into cosplaying after all...

So, looks like my book challenge started not too badly:

I really hope I can finish it by the end of the year! (*_*)