Top Ten Books Set in World War II

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So my absence from the book blogging community has been extended for much longer than I had anticipated. But more on that later. For this week's topic, I had elected to go with books set in World War II. It was such a dark time in our world's history and the wealth of literature that sprouts from that setting really does pay homage to that fact. What makes the setting even more amazing is how every work differs from one another, whether it is detailing the lives of those in hiding, or the brutality of war, or the average citizens just trying to survive the war.

For this topic, I have decided to split the 10 books into the top 5 that I have read and the top 5 that are still (embarassingly) on my TBR pile.

Off Topic Sunday: Real Life Always Gets in the Way

Welcome to Off-Topic Sunday, a tag that I'm using to post whatever is floating in my head that I want to chat about. For the most part, they'll be book-related but you may occasionally see some non-book-related posts/rants as well.

Top Ten Bookworm Delights

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

These are just some of my favourite things. :D

Off Topic Sunday: My Recent Trip to Seoul

Sorry for the unannounced hiatus guys! Last week, I took a trip to Seoul, South Korea!!! It was mostly for work but I managed to go around and see a few amazing sites. I honestly thought I would have the time to post too but after just completing night shifts, flying for 12 hours (plus stressful layovers), and then sight-seeing plus conference, I was completely flat by the end of the night.

Seoul was simply amazing and super easy to navigate! I had booked my hotel near my conference place so that worst case scenario, I could walk to the conference every day. But from the moment the plane touched down, there were labels and signs everywhere telling you where to go. The city is very well equipped for tourists! The subway system is out of this world (for a Melbournian like myself)! Plus I never had to wait more than 5 minutes for trains. 

The city is an amazing complex blend of the new and the old. Nestled right in the heart of the city is Gyeongbokgung aka the Northern Palace, which is the largest palace in Seoul. It was absolutely stunning. And although I was technically two or so weeks too early, but there were some cherry blossoms blooming already and they were so pretty!

I could gush about my trip for hours but I really only posted to let you guys know that's where I've been hiding. Then work kind of took over. But I will definitely make an effort to get back into the blogging pattern. Especially since I have just read an amazing book that I could to share with you guys soon.

Until next time!

March 2016 Wrap-Up

We are now in the second quarter of 2016! How scary is that?!

This month was all about slow and steady. I had a busy work schedule this month plus I was ridiculously unwell for 2 of those weeks (and weren't able to take time off work) so I didn't really have a regular reading schedule. However, looking back at March, I still read 7 books and completed one more series. So I am pleased.

Highlights of the month:

• I listened to Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari as an audiobook and I really enjoyed it. He was funny, easy to listen to and made a lot of the dry data from the research really approachable and easy to understand. 
• I finally read something by Colleen Hoover! One more author off my "embarrassed I still haven't read these authors" list.

What about you guys? How did you go in terms of reading this month?

Top Ten of My Recent 5 Stars Reads

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I tend to be a bit stingy with my 5 stars ratings, especially since I'm prone to giving half stars so a lot of my favourite reads would have a 4.5 star rating rather than a full 5 stars. As a result, I had to look back all the way to the middle of last year to find the last 10 books that I gave 5 stars rating to but I think the hunt is worth it.

A interesting side note is that, looking back, I realized I have given 5 stars ratings to these books for different reasons. Some of them is because of their amazing story arcs, some because of their character development or imagination, some because they made to think, and some because they were truly entertaining. But yeah, without further ado, here are the 10 recent books that I felt were worthy of the 5 stars rating!

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Series: Millennium (book #1)

Publisher: Knopf

Release Date: 16th Septembe 2008 (originally 2005 in Sweden)

Read Date: 9th January 2016

Tagged Under: 2016 read, adult fiction, mystery or thriller, book review, 4

Check It Out @Amazon, @TheBookDepository, @GoodReads

Book Summary

Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch - and there's always a catch - is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

Book Review