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Malin | Book ravings

@vitterbok

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Dark • Fantasy • Romance 🥀
Here to rave about all the books I love.
No GenAI, thanks.

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Meet me in (mostly) shamefully stolen memes! ‘Cause this Swedish short-snout just isn’t that funny on her own. But I’m a hoot! I promise. Sometimes. Maybe.

On another note.

Vitterbok is a play on the words “Vittra” (mythological creature in Scandinavian folklore) and “vitter” (Swedish word for lover of literature/well-read). It can loosely translate to “the book of the Vittra”.

#bookstagram #booksta #vitterbok #bookravings #bookblogger #meetthebookstagrammer #ilovereading #bookphotography #bookishfeatures #booklover by @vitterbok

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2 years ago

Welcome to my little reading nook! 🖤✨

About my reviews. I wouldn’t say I do reviews per se, more that I rave about all the books I enjoyed reading. I won’t post about books I didn’t like, since I’m a firm believer that reading is subjective. What wasn’t for me, others might love, and that’s okay!

I am however pretty easy to please. I don’t need books to be a literary masterpiece to enjoy them. If the story sucks me in, I can ignore almost every misspelling or cringe writing. I’m all for the ride and the vibes!

Some things that could be good to know though:

• I try to make my ravings as spoiler-free as possible. Some small things, like tropes, might still spoil for some, but on the whole, you should be safe.

• I generally don’t post star ratings here, I reserve those for StoryGraph and Goodreads. I have several reasons for this. One is that I don’t want authors to accidentally stumble upon a rating, and another is that it’s so incredibly personal what is considered a good rating depending on the person. If I post about a book, it’s because I love and recommend it.

• About spice. 🌶 I love spice, and it’s one of those things I really want to know beforehand if there is any. Not because I dislike books without spice, quite the opposite, but I want to be able to make an informed decision, and so should everyone else. So when I say there’s spice, there are explicit sex scenes. I won’t use a rating system, since it varies so much from person to person. But I’ll try to summarise it in short words.
However! If I say steamy, there might be sexual tension, but no explicit sex scenes.

• Vibes. That’s my thing. I might forget the details of the book, but I will remember what vibes and feelings it gave me. As I mentioned, I’m just happy to be along for the ride.

If you read this far, hi! I’m so very happy to be here and follow everyone’s book journeys! I will see you all out there in the comment sections. 🫶 taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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8 months ago

I love a lot of books, but these have the most special place in my heart. 🖤

These are the series that I will never shut up about. They altered my brain chemistry, and I think about them daily. I love them with all my heart, and to me, they are without flaws. They are perfect with everything I want in a book, and they bring me unlimited joy.

They are filled with what I love most: Female rage, angst and emotional damage. They will break your heart and put it back together again. A HEA is promised, but the road to it is anything but.

Lady of Darkness by @melissa_k_roehrich
Epic dark fantasy romance. Starting as a classical fantasy, which evolves into something much bigger. We follow Scarlett, our badass assassin FMC. Part of Melissa’s Chaosverse. (Finished series)

Legacy by @melissa_k_roehrich
Dark (capital D) fantasy romance with an urban setting. We follow Tessa in the psychologically dark world of Devram where everyone (including our FMC) is morally grey. Part of Melissa’s Chaosverse. (Finished series)

Gods & Monsters by @amber.v.nicole
Dark fantasy romance that starts in an urban setting, but evolves into epic fantasy. Our FMC Dianna is the villain, and our MMC Samkiel is the hero. Nothing is as it seems, and no one is safe. (Unfinished series, 7 books planned)

If these women write it, I will read it. 🫶

If anyone wants to rave about these books with me, my DMs are always open!

And yeah, I know. I’m such a millennial for using this phrase, but it just describes how I feel about these series so well.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksta #melissakroehrich #ambervnicole #ladyofdarkness #legacyseries #godsandmonsters #darkfantasyromance #fantasyromance #darkromantasy #romantasy #fantasybooks #bookphotography #myromanempire taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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2 years ago

𝔖𝔢𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔟𝔬𝔬𝔨 & 𝔩𝔦𝔣𝔢 𝔴𝔯𝔞𝔭-𝔲𝔭 🍂

I’ve had both the best and the most stressful month, but September brought me so much joy! 🥹

Reading has been slow, with me being on annual leave I spent a lot of time doing other things. Like spending time with the pup, going on road trips and finally meeting my oldest book bestie @domiijulie. 🖤 (also been stressing over broken kitchen appliance, but let's ignore that)

We went castle hunting, book and Pokémon shopping, and just enjoyed our time together. I miss her dearly already. This definitely was my highlight of the year! I love her sm. 🖤

Now I’m back to work just in time for maintenance week, aka our busiest weeks of the year. But not long now until I can get back to reading as usual.

I did manage to check two ARCs of my list this month, and what ARCs they were! I loved them both, but especially The Monster and the Masochist. It was my first true sapphic romance and I absolutely loved it! 🥹

Finished my reread of Eldritch in preparation for Vasmora, and got so excited I started the audio for Anathema first thing, haha. Was only going to read book two, but here we are.

But the book of the month goes to Tempting Venom! I absolutely loved Preston and Marcus, but Preston especially broke my heart completely. 💔 I’m still obsessing over it, and have this warm feeling in my chest thinking about them getting their ending. Ugh. LOVED. Can you tell?

For October I’m hoping to finish all my ARCs so I can finally go on a much needed ARC break! Going to try and fit in some atmospheric reads for the season. And read Vasmora! I’m really, REALLY excited for that one. Keri never disappoints.

What was your highlight in September?

Today btw marks one year since I took the background photo for the wrap-up picture, and a year since I met @kirstys_grimoire & @laurenjadereads in Edinburgh for the first time. As a sort of anniversary, we just booked our tickets for Romantasy Bookcon in Edinburgh next summer! I’m so happy we get to meet again! I could honestly cry. 🖤

#bookstagram #readersofig #wrapup #booksbooksbooks #darkromance taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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2 days ago

”I supposed you could know the secrets of the universe and still not understand women’s dressings.”

Florescentia kind of blew my mind! The way Ophelia is weaving together historic romance and sci-fi is utterly enthralling.

I’m not very well-versed in monster romance, so this isn’t my regular repertoire even if it isn’t completely unheard of. But with that said, I very much enjoyed this Eldritch romance! The plot is intriguing, and the world-building allows you to escape reality in the best of ways.

Set in a speculative take on a Victorian steampunk New York City, Lucia’s attempt to harvest luck doesn’t end up as expected, and a celestial entity interrupts her rituals and life.

The one thing that always makes my jaw drop when it comes to a book by Ophelia is their writing style. It’s simply beautiful, making me visualize every scene like a movie playing out in my head. Or a dream, for that matter. The prose makes you disappear into the age that the book hints at, showing homage to the gothic period of the late eighteen-hundreds NYC lifestyle. But this time with a fantasy twist I very much appreciated.

What I didn’t expect from this story was how low-key funny and witty it was! We get some epic lines in true Ophelia fashion, showcasing her strong-willed FMCs. But even Altair made me chuckle more than once! It was just my kind of humor.

If you enjoy a unique story, with a world built around celestial entities, lore, and worlds, while adding a dash of macabre romance, this is the perfect book for you!

And that ending? Diabolical. I can’t wait for book two!

Gothic steampunk fantasy
Monster (Eldritch) romance
Book one in planned duet
Dual POV
Woman in STEM
Vitiligo representation
Spice (monster kink)

Thank you so much @ophallic and Montlake for allowing me to read this ARC in return for an honest review!

Florescentia releases tomorrow, September 29th! taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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4 days ago

Daybreak broke me.

I need it to do it again, please.

The yearning and mental health rep in this book was exactly what I craved! I swear it healed a part of me I didn’t know needed healing. The love between Alex and Ophelia is so pure, and it gave me such heartbreak I may or may not have clutched my book (fine, Kindle) to my chest sobbing.

I loved it even more than book one!

Daybreak is the second and last book in the Sorrowsong University duet. It takes off a month after the ending that is Nightshade, and Ophelia is back at Sorrowsong while Alex… Well. You’ll see.

Ophelia, my darling Ophelia. My grumpy queen. Her growth throughout this story is something special to me, and I can see myself in her a lot. For that alone, she will always be dear to my heart.

With that said, I need Alex Corbeau to appear in my life asap. No one yearns like Alex! I mean it. Our number one Girl Dad™️ extraordinaire, who loves so deeply while also battling his severe depression. I lost count of how many times I just wished to hold him and tell him it would be alright. But as we all know, that is not what cures depression.

Speaking of, the mental health rep in this one feels so very real, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. Battling depression is no small thing, and this story shines a light on what makes it so hard to endure. The frustration, the bad days, and the unfairness of it all. You know I love when a book contains a heavy mental health rep, and this is one of the big reasons why this book felt so special to me.

Contemporary romance
Dark academia vibes
Finished duet
Dual POV
Mystery stalker
Mental health rep
Scottish highlands
Spice (low spice, often fade to black)

The ending in this duet was so beautiful. 🥹 I felt a small part of me heal. This book came to me at the perfect time, and I devoured it like nothing else.

The perfect ending to the duet. 🖤

I btw don’t know why, but for me, this song is extremely Daybreak coded. Every time I hear it I think about Ophelia and Alex. Ugh. Excuse me while I go and be all emotional again. I just miss them. taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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9 days ago

Two years on Bookstagram! 🥀

This year I’m celebrating with a re-edit of my first-ever picture on this account. Has anyone been here from the start?

I know we all rave about how much joy and happiness being on Booksta has given us, but it’s so true.

Today I'm a little extra sentimental after having waved off one of my oldest bookfriends @domiijulie after she flew to Sweden all the way from the US to meet me. 🥹 We bonded over our love for Melissa K Roehrich’s books over 2.5 years ago, and have been talking ever since.

She’s actually the reason I dared to start this account, and has been cheering me on from the start. So she definitely deserves a mention, and all the love in the world. 🖤

No matter what happens in the future, I will be forever grateful for all the love, support, and friendships this little carved-out world of the internet has given me over these two years.

Who could have thought some silly little books would give you friends for life from all over the world?

Thank you all for being here, and for keeping me sane and loved even when life isn't always the greatest.

🖤

#bookstagram #readersofig #booklover #booksbooksbooks #bookstaversary taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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13 days ago

Only Alina May can write a deliciously dark and angsty MM romance that will make you cry over a skunk.

PRINCESS CUPCAKE SPRINKLES TO THE RESCUE!

For real. Alina’s side characters in the form of animals are always a delight, and this time was no exception. But it’s not only her sidekicks who will make you emotional, this book was also filled with angst in the form of former trauma, and my heart hurt for both men.

Maddox has escaped an abusive relationship and is scraping by while trying to run from his past and present. Meanwhile, Micah thinks himself cursed, everyone seems to find the love of their life and leave him for someone else. But at least he has his beloved skunk, Princess, who also needs some babysitting.

This book hurt in the best of ways. The way we got to follow Maddox try to escape his inner and real life demons drew me in in a way that made me feel what he felt. The way his traumatic mind plays games upon games inside his head captured me completely. His trust issues with himself and the world made my heart ache for him. He deserves all the love, but doesn’t dare to trust in it. Ugh, I just wanted to hold him.

Then comes Micah, who is actually perfect for Maddox, if only Maddox weren’t so afraid and hurt. Micah has enough love to make him burst, which has worked against him his whole life. This man is so precious, and I have a big soft spot for men who love so freely.

All in all, this book got me emotional on several occasions and levels, making me feel a big spectrum of emotions, and for that I love it. It was less spicy than its predecessor Make Me, but heavier on the angst.

But don’t fear! We still get the impeccable comic reliefs that Alina is known for. In this case, it’s Princess, and I love that skunk to death.

Dark contemporary romance
MM romance
Dual POV
Interconnected series
Hurt x comfort
Pet skunk
Spice (sounding)

I had such a fun time reading this! And getting the crossovers to all the other books in the Silent Hollow series Alina shares with @alexandrastpierrebooks was so much fun, and I can't wait for the next books in this shared world. 🥹

Thank you so much @alina_may_author for letting me read this ARC! taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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15 days ago

Your honor, I love them. 😭

If you’ve ever suffered from trauma - I wish you all get to meet your Cassandra. I know I want her in my life, badly.

Ugh, this book you guys. The trauma and healing arc really hit with this one, and even though I don’t have the same experiences as this book, it was healing in a sense even for me.

@alexandrastpierrebooks wrote this beautiful and dark FF romance with the street fighter Theodora, and the take-no-shit lawyer Cassandra. If you’ve read the first book in this series, you know they met during the story about their brothers, and let’s just say, they were not the calmest of circumstances known to man. Remember Theo defending Ryan at school? Yeah, keep that in mind.

Theo, my badass baby girl, I honestly love this woman. How she handles her trauma is so real, and it hits you right in the heart. I cannot and will not blame her, for this is a representation that matters, and the nuances are everything.

Cass though? What. A. Woman. Can I please have her in my life? She’s fierce, slightly (ehehe 👀) psychotic, and a force of a woman. This does not neglect her own trauma, but how she’s worked with and handled it is very much an inspiration in itself. Even the slightly, let’s call them unorthodox, ways.

Dark sapphic romance
Interconnected series & world
Multiple POVs
Trauma rep & healing arc
Feminine rage
Monsters in my head (literally)
Spice

I swear, Alex is incapable of writing a bad book. This was another one that just drew me in, both characters and plot. I adore her writing, and she just cemented her place as one of my favorite authors!

This book is part of an interconnected series, and an interconnected world with Alina May. If you don’t mind small spoilers for the first book in this series, you can read The Monster and the Masochist first even though there are a lot of crossovers (The crossovers are actually everything!), they are written with little spoilers for the actual story.

Another amazing story by Alex! Thank you so much for allowing me to read this ARC. 🖤

PSA! Regarding triggers. This book deals with religious trauma and CSA and should be read with care.

The Monster and the Masochist releases TODAY! taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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22 days ago

HAPPY BURN DAY! 🔥

Who is picking up Burn right away?

The day is finally here, and the wait is over. We finally get to know what happens after the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers that was Heat.

I finished my audio reread just in time (the audiobook was amazing, btw), and am finally ready, if it wasn't for the small detail of being on a tight deadline with ARCs the whole month. Oh, well. I’ll dive into it as soon as I’m out on the other side. I and @domiijulie have been waiting since 2023/2024 to buddy read this. SOON!

Luther, the number one yearner of all time - I’m ready to meet you again.

#bookstagram #readersofig #burnoftheeverflame #penncole #kindredscursesaga taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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24 days ago

𝔄𝔲𝔤𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔩𝔦𝔣𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔟𝔬𝔬𝔨 𝔴𝔯𝔞𝔭-𝔲𝔭 ✨

How it is already September is beyond me, but I’m not complaining because I’m finally on my annual leave, and I’m THRIVING! Almost four weeks without work, and I can finally breathe.

Reading-wise has been a bit slow. September turned into ARCtember, and I’m ngl, I’m a bit stressed. How you dedicated ARC readers do it I have no idea, but my admiration for you has just been taken to a new level. I bow to you all.

So far I’ve read three ARCs, and I have four more to go. But I’ve really enjoyed all of them! Especially The Cannibal and the ending to this trilogy. 🥹 I’ve also been fortunate to read these ARCs at the same time as a bunch of friends, and I’m so grateful for how booksta brought us all together. 🖤

Book of the month for August is Daybreak, I lovedddd it, and it came at the perfect time for me. Alex and Ophelia are just so precious. Review to come!

Also finished my reread of the Kindred’s Curse saga, and I’m finally ready for Burn! It will however have to wait until I’m out of ARC Land, but I’m very excited about it. Had forgotten how much I loved these books!

Life in general has been a rollercoaster of puppy life and everything else in ✨life✨. I’m ngl, it’s been a rough summer for my mental health, but we’re slowly getting sorted, I hope. But life has also been filled with good food, friends, nature (this is how I escape everything else), some SE’s, and voting. Always vote when gotten the chance people! Our general election is on September 13th, and I’m scared.

But! It finally feels like autumn, and I’m so ready!

What was your favorite read of August? 🖤

#bookstagram #readersofig #monthlywrapup #booksbooksbooks #booklover taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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a month ago

What do you mean this is the end? I don’t want it to be over.

But what an ending it was. 🥹

I’m a bit lost for words, but know this - I absolutely loved it.

The Cannibal concludes The Poisoner series and ties it up beautifully. It really feels like a full-circle moment, finally seeing Alina and Silas getting their happily ever after.

If I were to describe this book and this series in three words it would probably be Brutal and Hauntingly Beautiful. The Gothic aesthetic of this series will forever be one of my favorites.

My little gothic childhood heart who dreamed of being a vampire during the Gilded Age can’t stop itself from loving this. It is everything I dreamed of and more, and why I keep this story close to my heart.

The story of the Poisoner and her Creature is not for the weak of heart, but despite its dark nature, it reads as deeply romantic. Silas who despite being of questionable character, spoiled and pompous, still stole my heart with his yearning, silver tongue, and deep devotion.

Alina Lis. You are and will forever be one of my favorite FMCs. She stole my heart from the start with her dark and witty comments, and it only grew as we got to know all her colours, I even love her more for her less desirable ones. She is not perfect, and she isn’t intended to be. The Cannibal really was a full circle moment for Alina, and her and Silas’ character growth is so captivating.

And I can’t leave a review without mentioning their banter! I 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒 for the banter between these two. Dark, sarcastic, and just my kind of humor. Ugh, I just love them.

Dark gothic romance
Paranormal (vampires)
Finished trilogy
Multiple POV
Gilded Age NYC
FMC in STEM
Spice (check TWs)

I already miss Ophelia’s writing. The prose isn’t only beautiful in how they composed the sentences, but also in their descriptions. I could re-read this story for the writing style alone. It really enhances the gothic feel these books already contain.

All in all, a fantastic ending to this trilogy, and I’m in grief.

Thank you so much @simonmaverickbooks and @ophallic for the opportunity to read this ARC! 🖤

The Cannibal releases tomorrow, September 1st! taken in BOOKSTA by @vitterbok

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a month ago