Blogaversary! Swissbookworm Turns 1

One year ago today, I created this blog with an outburst of excitement. I can’t believe that already twelve months have passed! So much has happened and I’ve met so many wonderful people in the book blogging community.

I don’t know what better way to spend this day than lying in my bed, eating, reading and surfing on other people’s book blogs! That’s exactly what I’m doing (because I’m on study break I can literally do that without feeling bad about it).

In the past year I was able to read so many books and share my reviews here on my personal blog. I’ve joined a few readathons and other bookish events and I can’t tell you guys how grateful I am for this. Although my recent hiatus just came to an end, I’ve got big plans on posts and reviews for this blog and can’t wait to publish them all.

Thank you all for being here! I’m grateful for every single follower, commenter and friend I’ve got in this community!

Graphic Novel Review: Mer

About the book

Title: Mer

Author: Joelle Sellner

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy

Expected Publication: April 19th, 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Twilight meets the legend of Atlantis in this gripping graphic novel from writer Joelle Sellner and artist Abby Boeh. After the death of her beloved mother, Aryn’s father has moved her family to a new town hoping for a fresh start. At first things seem to be going well—Aryn is making friends and has even caught the eye of one of the hottest guys in school. But there are dark forces moving under the surface that Aryn cannot see; and her new crush may not be … human.

My Review

The story captures your attention right from the beginning. With a brutal intro, I couldn’t stop reading on and enjoyed Mer very much. The story concept contains a very cute idea and the artwork was quite my taste. However, there wasn’t a natural flow between the change of sceneries and I missed the time & place stamps I’m so used to in comics. But bear in mind, I just read a non-final copy so here's hoping they’ll change that before the final edition.

In my opinion Joelle Sellner did a wonderful job writing this story and if you enjoy reading fast paced comics without having to wait too long for action scenes, then you should definitely pick up Mer!

Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution.

There were two big plot twists. One, when it was first assumed that Julia was on the dark side, and two, when it was revealed that everything was just an act to save her friends. Although it was kind of an obvious plot line, I didn’t quite know if I should trust her character or not, which made it much more interesting and suspenseful.

I really liked the characters, and although the story was quite fast paced I think I got to know them quite well. There are still so many open questions, though, like did Arwyn’s dad also have feelings for Ophelia? Did she make it out alive? What’s happening in Atlantis? And is that Adrian in the end rising from the water? Hopefully, I’ll get my answers some day!

I'd like to know

Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Do you think you'd pick up Mer? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)

Stacking The Shelves #7: The NetGalley Edition

"Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual." It's a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

This week I decided to go on NetGalley and try to get some ARCs for the very first time. Although I signed up on the site last year, I never actually requested any books and it just sort of fell under the radar. Then somehow the website appeared in my mind on Monday and I thought why not try this out?

Immediately, I got 2 Read Now copies (which you don’t have to be approved for and can read and review right away) and then I got a little bolder and requested a few more. I was really surprised when actually two of those requests got accepted and on Wednesday night I summoned all my courage. I requested a copy of But Then I Came Back by Estelle Laure which is the sequel to This Raging Light which I read this month and absolutely loved. I didn’t have too high hopes, but when I got an email Thursday afternoon saying I was approved I was freaking out of joy!

So yeah, I’m really adoring this site right now. Let’s see what I’ve put on my shelves, shall we?

The Goodies

   

1. DC Essential Graphic Novels 2017 (an awesome catalog listing up all major DC comics, already read and reviewed)
2. Hidden Universe Travel Guides: The Complete Marvel Cosmos by Marc Sumerak (currently reading)
3. Mer by Joelle Sellner (a graphic novel to be released this year, read and review to come)
4. The Adventures of Technicality Man by Jessica Meats (looked really interesting and was my first request)

5. But Then I Came Back by Estelle Laure (I still can't believe I actually got this copy! I can't wait to start reading)

I'd like to know

So yeah, that was my Stacking The Shelves for this week! What lovely goods did you add to your shelves? What are you planning on adding next or in the near future? Are you also on NetGalley? Do you have any NetGalley tips & tricks that might help a newbie like me? Don't forget to share with me in the comments! :)

Book Review: This Raging Light

About the novel

Title: This Raging Light

Author: Estelle Laure

Series: This Raging Light #1
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction

Published: January 14th 201

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Orchard Books

Edition: Paperback

Purchase Location: Gift from my Mom

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Lucille Bennett is pushed into adulthood after her mom decides to “take a break”…from parenting, from responsibility, from Lucille and her little sister, Wren. Left to cover for her absentee parents, Lucille thinks, “Wren and Lucille. Lucille and Wren. I will do whatever I have to. No one will pull us apart.” Now is not the time for level-headed Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.

My Review

On the night of January 4th, 2017 at 2 o’clock in the morning, a young woman dressed in her pajamas lying in bed all by herself, cried. Tears fell down her cheek and that was when she knew. She knew she had to put down the book and finally go to sleep to make it to the next day and continue reading then.

That’s how I know I’m reading a heartwarming story (or maybe I really was just too tired to think straight anymore and even the smallest of things could have made me cry - I’m not denying anything).

I was surprised to see that many of my Goodreads friends rated this book below average and that they really disliked it. Meanwhile, I think this was such a great read. Hmmm. Anyway, the story, though somewhat depressing, was written in a very light style - which I adore! I love it, when young adult literature pick up important issues, yet still make them easy to read about. Young readers should read about important issues in the world in my opinion and what better way to do that than with a strong yet vulnerable protagonist?

I totally recommend this book as a “get-away-read”. If you want a break from all your superheroes and love triangles and other drama pick up This Raging Light and give it a shot! Also reading about Lucille and Wren’s problems make your problem probably seem more solvable and you might gain more motivation and strength through Lucille's own strength.

Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution.

I can’t imagine being put in Lucille’s shoes and I hope that few people have to endure what happened to her and her sister. I definitely would never have pulled through as well as them. What I love about the story is that you don’t know who her friendly helper is. I always had this little hope that it was actually their mom, taking care of them in the shadows. But I think finding out that it was in fact their neighbours made the situation even better. And less forgivable for their mother.

A mother who just leaves her kids - a situation not understandable to me and one I’d probably never forgive. I don’t know what I would have expected from Lucille if her mother had reappeared, but I do hope to understand what happened to her in the sequel (which I’m very impatiently waiting for!). I’m also hoping to see what becomes of their dad, if he makes it back to his family and can take that heavy weight of her shoulders.

Most of all, though, I need to know how things turn out for Eden! Eden and Lucille’s friendship is so heartwarmingly beautiful. The fact that Eden missed out on a lot of Ballet classes (which she clearly lives for) to watch Wren just shows how deep their friendship goes. And of course, I want to know how things continue with Digby. I’m not quite sure yet how I stand on that end because I believe there’s nothing worse you can do in a relationship than cheat, so… Yeah, I can’t wait for the sequel!

I'd like to know

Have you read This Raging Light or are you planning to? What do you think of the plot? Have a chat with me in the comments! :)

DC Essential Graphic Novels 2017

About the novel

Title: DC Essential Graphic Novels 2017

Author: Various

Genres: Graphic Novels, DC Comics, Superheroes

Published: January 10th 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: DC

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

For years, DC has been synonymous with the greatest graphic novels ever created. Now you can start with the basics—DC's top-notch, must-read, absolute cream of the crop—all listed in this DC ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC NOVELS 2017 catalog. Anyone can experience DC from the best starting points possible with 25 graphic novels vital to any collection. From there, check out our list of the most important books for understanding your favorite characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League and more. From DC's Young Animal, to MAD and Vertigo imprints, to DC Super Hero Girls, DC has the most diverse library of graphic novels in all of comics. The DC ESSENTIAL GRAPHIC NOVELS 2017 catalog makes it easy to find the perfect story for everyone!

My Review

A lot of people would love to start reading comics, but are overwhelmed with the amount of comics and graphic novels already out there and don’t know where to start. This catalog is a fantastic way for newbies to create their first impression of our beloved DC world. As a total newbie in the comic departement you should have no trouble getting an overview of the superhero world by DC and finding some awesome stories to begin with.

By no means do you have to begin at the very beginning of the first comic to have been published. This catalog gives you a lot of great suggestions based on the different superheroes and highlights the greatest comics in the series. The recommendation of the reading order also picks out a red line which you can follow whilst following up with your favourite superheroes.

From my personal favourites such as The Flash, Batgirl, and Superman to the other “Big Stars” like Batman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, all are covered in the catalog and introduced shortly. As a huge DC fan myself, I now know exactly which soon-to-be-released Graphic Novels I’m waiting for (im)patiently and which ones I still have to buy that have been released in the past.

With a creative layout and short commentaries I enjoyed reading this catalog as much as the actual comics themselves and the introduction story at the beginning starring The Flash and The Rogues is a beautiful way to start a catalog and makes it so much more alive.

I'd like to know

Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Are you a big DC fan yourself and who are your favourite superheroes? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)

Stacking The Shelves #6: The New Year Edition

"Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual." It's a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

It's been such a long time that I shared my newest aditions to my shelves with you guys! But today's finally the day, where I'll proudly present my new lovelies again. Some of the books I got from my parents from their trip to the UK (without me... they just left me at home :0) and some I bought in Rome (since I didn't go to the UK after Christmas, I decided to travel to a new place with a friend instead).

  

The Goodies

  

1. This Raging Light by Estelle Laure (Already read and review coming soon)
2. Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (My first read in 2017 and the review is already up on my blog, go check it out)
3. Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven (I'm so excited about this one, and my mom managed to get me a signed copy!)

   

4. SPQR by Mary Beard (I started reading this at the airport in Rome and it's so interesting to read about ancient Rome)
5. Meet Me at the Cupcake Café by Jenny Colgan (The story sounds so cute and I LOVE cupcakes)
6. Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins (Rebel Belle #2 and I'm currently somewhere in the middle and quite enjoying it)
7. Animal Farm by George Orwell (I've wanted to buy this book for so long and now I've finally got it in my collection!)

I'd like to know

Have you already experienced your first book haul in 2017? Or are you still dreaming about the books you got for christmas? Tell me about your newest additions in your bookshelves or which books are on top of your shopping list :)

Book Review: Gemina

About the novel

Title: Gemina

Series: The Illuminae Files #2

Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Space, Action

Published: October 18th 2016

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Gift from my Mom

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed. The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault. Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion. When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands. But relax. They've totally got this. They hope. Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

My Review

I can’t believe I waited this long to actually read Gemina. Okay, I just got the book after Christmas, but I could have ordered it online or got it from a bookstore… Anyways, I’m so glad that I finally managed to read it. After enjoying Illuminae so much, I was scared that I’d be disappointed by the second book in the series. But it was just as good!

I love the style Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff use to tell the stories. It’s so different to what I’m used to (there’s not really a narrator, but rather a collection of different chats, video commentary and other high-tech stuff). Also, this time around we get to see sketches from the protagonist’s diary which really lighten the story up a bit.

If you haven’t read Illuminae yet: Pick it up as soon as possible and I hope you’ll enjoy it! It’s definitely worth a try, and hang in there at the beginning. It might feel weird with this new writing style at first, but you’ll learn to appreciate and love it!

If you’ve read Illuminae already, but haven’t started Gemina yet: What are you waiting for? Go to the nearest bookstore and start reading! Don’t even wait until you’re home. Just sit down in front of the bookshelf in the store and start disappearing in the galaxy with Hanna and Nik!

Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution.

I really liked the characters Hanna and Nik! At first I was a little disappointed not to be reading mostly about Kady anymore because I adored her personality, but these two new protagonists were just as exciting to learn about. (I might admit that I missed the strong presence of AIDAN a little too, although he/it still creeps me out.)

There are so many plot twists and turns, that I never saw coming, and one that I just anticipated throughout the whole story. It was so clear that those Lanima would come back to get in the way of our heroes. I even expected that there would be some kind of parallel universe that got mixed up and would save Nik’s live, although at the same time I had barely any hope left for him to actually survive the story (read on for my conspiracy theory against the authors…).

The last few pages of the book, though. PHEEEWWW. I’m still not over those! The authors played with my emotions: Ripped out my heart, broke it apart and then tried to miraculously stitch it back together (which worked pretty well, but I wasn’t over that shock for a few days straight). I really thought that all those people actually died and that Rapier / Jackson survived… (I already had all my conspiracy theories against Amie and Jay lined up because I thought they had some kind of guilty conscience because they let both of the heroes live in the first book and they wanted to shake things up a bit. I’m really glad that it was all just a secret plot against Biotech!

Other Reviews in the Illuminae Series:

Illuminae #1

I'd like to know

Have you read Illuminae or Gemina? What are your thoughts on the series and do you share my opinions on the story? Let me know in the comments! :)

Kicking off 2017

Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed New Year’s Eve and started with the right foot into the new year. I had a blast on the 31st. A couple of friends and I went to eat dinner in my favourite restaurant in Zurich and then we went to a club to celebrate the new year. It was fun, but I’m still so tired (yes I know it’s been two days already, but all I can do is lie around in bed the whole day).

2017 Reading Challenges

New year, new me, right? Nopes. This year I decided not to get too excited about the new year because I realised it doesn’t really change that much. Except in the bookish world. So I decided the only goals I want to set are in my reading habits.

All of the reading challenges I’m going to try to participate in this year will be updated with every book as always on the official 2017 Reading Challenges page. The official challenges I signed up for are:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 30 Books
2017 Dystopia Reading Challenge: 6 Books
Flights of Fantasy 2017: 10 Books
2017 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge: 26 Books

This year, I've set some extra goals for myself, too.

Re-read 5 books
Read 3 Science Fiction books set in space
Read 1 Auotbiography
Read 5 Books from my TBR Pile (see TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2016)
Read 10 New Comics (Trade Paperback)

Lovely Letters

To kick off 2017 (and to enjoy my semester holiday) I decided to join the Lovely Letters program by Claudia (MySoulCalledLife) for the second time. Back in September (I think?) I joined for the first time and I really enjoyed it. So I hope to get to know another awesome person this time around. If you’d like to find out more about this, or even sign up (wink wink), go to Claudia’s Sign Up Post. Lovely Letters is a Snail Mail pen pal program and it’s really fun to participate in.

Plans in January

I’m going on my first vacation in the new year on Friday. We’re going to Rome (my best friend, the same one who went on the month long vacation with me last summer). I’ve never really been to Italy and I can’t wait to see that beautiful city that has been on my bucket list for years now. Also I can’t wait to eat tons of pizza and pasta. :P

Currently Reading

And finally I want to tell you about the book I’m currently reading. I picked up Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff yesterday and I’ve been really fighting against putting it down because it’s so incredibly good. I read Illuminae last year and couldn’t await the sequels’ release and now that I’ve finally got it, it’s kind of surreal. The story is just as adventurous and fascinating, also a little terrifying, as the first book in the series, and it’s been ages since I’ve read 400 pages in one day. Continuing this pace I’ll hopefully finish it tomorrow and I’m really happy about Gemina being my first read in 2017.

I'd like to know

What did you do on New Years' Eve? Did you get to celebrate with your friends or family? Have you had a good start in 2017? What are your reading goals for 2017 and what Reading Challenges are you participating in? Also, have you read Gemina and what are your thoughts on it? (No spoilers please, I haven't quite finished it yet.)

End Of Year Recap 2016 in Books

Wow. This is my very first end of year recap on my blog. How exciting! Nearly a year ago I started this blog and I’ve had so much fun (just ignore my months-long hiatus since September). I’ve read so many awesome new books and I want to use this post to create an overview over the past year.

Stats

Total books read: 38
Total pages: ehm… maybe I’ll leave this for next year, alright?
Re-reads: 5 (wow, I expected more!)
Most read genre: Fantasy (unexpectedly, I thought it would be dystopia)
My average rating in 2016: ★★★★

Reading Challenges 2016

Back in January I decided it was best to participate in a lot of challenges, so I picked out a few that I was really interested in being a part of and here's how that went.

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016

Dystopia Reading Challenge 2016: Incomplete 8/10 (80%)

Addicted to YA (Goodreads Group): Complete 4/3 (130%)

TBR Pile Challenge: Fail 4/10 (40%)

Flights of Fantasy Challenge: Complete 15/10 (150%)

End Of Year Survey

And now I’m going to answer a few questions from Jamie @ Perpetuapageturner (not all, though, only those I can answer). You can check out her Survey here.

1. Best Book You Read in 2016?Arrgh. This is such a difficult question! But … I’mma go with Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I just can’t stop thinking about it even 12 months later (it was my first read in 2016).

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn’t?Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon.

3. Most Surprising Book You Read?In a very good way: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

5. Best series you started in 2016? The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

6. Favourite New Author You Discovered in 2016?Jandy Nelson

8. Most Action-packed / Thrilling / Unputdownable Book of the Year?The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan

9. Book You Read in 2016 That You Are Most LIkely To Re-Read Next Year?Definitely Fangirl!

10. Favourite Cover of a Book You Read in 2016?Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

11. Most memorable Character of 2016?Levi from Fangirl *swoon*

12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2016?We’ve got a tie! Fangirl and I’ll Give You The Sun.

13. Most Thought-Provoking / Life-Changing Book of 2016?Am I Normal Yet by Holly Bourne

14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?The Heroes of Olympus series (and I still haven’t finished it!)

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2016?Shortest: Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell, Longest: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

17. Book That Shocked You the MostCan I cheat and say shocked me in how bad I thought it was? I’m just gonna leave The Kill Order by James Dashner here…

18. OTP OF THE YEARAyyy. Again so many to choose from! I’ll go with PERCABETH!

19. Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship of the YearPercy and Hazel

20. Favourite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read PreviouslyLady Midnight!!

21. Best Book You Read in 2016 That You Read Based Solely on a Recommendation From Somebody Else / Peer PressureIlluminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

22. Newest Fictional CrushBecause it says newest, I can’t go with Levi. So I’mma say Joe from The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face / Was the Most FUN to ReadKindred Spirits by Rainbow Roell

26. Book That Made You Cry in 2016Well … It’s no secret that I’m built very close to the water (do you even use this phrase in English?) so there were more than one books that left me teared up. But it was I’ll Give You The Sun that made me jump into a pool to hide my tears from the entire hotel.

27. Book That Made You The Most MadUhmm… The Kill Order?

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?

Because I just entered the blogging world this year, I discovered all the blogs I follow this year, too. So I can’t really pick a fave because there are so many awesome blogs out there.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?

Oh god. I have no idea! I’m just gonna leave this link here: Maybe my favourite review?

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

Definitely the time when I recapped my Harry Potterish- Summer.

4. Best event that you participated in?

Lovely Letters that was organized by the lovely Claudia @ My Soul Called Life. If you wanna know more about this read about it here.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?

Definitely when I started this blog in JANUARY! :)

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Starting Uni was a very harsh way of me being forced into a blogging and reading hiatus :0

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog?

The Most Views I got on Ten Books I Read in Class

The Most Comments I Got on Stacking The Shelves #4: The Pop Vinyl Edition

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

A Shadowhunters Week

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Book Depository!! I only discovered this site this year and I’ve already ordered some books there and I’m very happy about how they treat you as a customer (even if something goes wrong)

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Yes! See above.

I'd like to know

So how has your 2016 been? Have you read all the books you wanted? Accomplished all your reading goals? Tell me in the comments, I'd love to hear about it!

How 2016 treated me (and all about my recent hiatus)

Hey there! It's been a long time since my last post, and I really want to apologize about that!

We’re already at the end of 2016. It seems to me the older I get the faster time goes by (which actually doesn’t make me feel good at all). 2016 had a lot in store for me and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that was shocked about everything happening in the world this year. But I’m just going to concentrate on the good stuff that happened in my life.

While I am writing this I’m dog-sitting the cutest dog ever! My friends let me watch him when they both have to work so I get to spend time with him a lot (although today I regretted that a little when I had to shower him and clean the staircase of the entire building because I let him play in the mud). Van Damme (that’s his actual name… my friends are big fans of the actor Claude) is also a big part of 2016 because he appeared in our lives in March (I think.. It could also have been April or May, I'm not that good in keeping track of months). When I’m looking after him I get to read a lot and actually many blog posts of mine were written during that time.

The Early Months Of 2016

Sooo.. I can hardly remember what I did in January and February. I remember that I was sick a lot during that time because in March I had my tonsils (the literal translation from German would be Almonds, but I don’t think you call them that in English…) taken out, following by the most agonizing painful two weeks of my life. Seriously, I hope to never have to experience such pain ever again (and I don’t wish it anybody else, either). In March I also started a new job where I could work until I started Uni. Oh I nearly forgot (how could I?)! Before starting the job I got to go on a wonderful vacation with my family to Singapore and Phuket!

The Best Summer Of My Live (so far)

Before the actual summer started (the weather in Switzerland was really bad) I went to two awesome festivals, which marks the first time I actually slept in a tent (and by sleeping I mean awfully flipping from one side to the other trying to fall asleep whilst nearly freezing to death until I gave up).

After working real hard and saving up a lot of money I got to travel through the UK and Ireland with my best friend. We had a lot of fun and I discovered so many awesome new places that I hope to revisit soon. (If you want to read more about this, check out this post: A Very Potter Vacation.)
Then I spent more time taking care of Van Damme and preparing myself for University which leads us to…

My Underestimated First Semester At University

Oh how promising that title sounds, I imagine you thinking. Starting University in September for the first time hit me like a truck. Well maybe more like a snail truck (I just invented this, but I hope you get the picture). At first all was well and the exams (insert here the truck metaphor) were far far away and I got to meet new friends and a lot of awesome people. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, the “far far away - exams” were two weeks away and I startet panick-learning. Seriously, I’ve never studied so hard in my life. And it still wasn’t enough. We had 6 exams in four days and I just wasn’t prepared for it all. I took it quite well, though. I didn’t stress out during the exams too much about it, because my expectations weren’t too high anyways and I will just have to repeat some classes next year again, which I'm not as sad about as I think I should be.

So yeah, I think that explains my absence from the blogging world, doesn’t it? (I hope it does, because if you still don’t believe me … well, you’re just going to have to live with it, ‘cause I’m not going to upload my study schedule to prove it to you.)

My Top 5 Favourite Moments Of 2016

This is a very shortened list, because it could be endless and basically I just want to show off with some cool pictures. No, just kidding, but I’d love to share some of my favourite moments with you guys.

Nr 1: The Cursed Child

I waited so long for this moment and I still can’t believe how amazing the play was. I wish I could see it all over again for the first moment.

Nr. 2: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

What an amazing film! I have to honestly say that this is now by far my favourite movie in the Harry Potter world. It’s incredible how good it was done and I’m really glad that all of my fears of it being terrible were totally contradicted.

Nr. 3: Halloween

I’m such a Halloween person! It’s my favourite day (night) in the year. I went out as a skull and got to party with my friends at an awesome location. It was a really great night. (Oh by the way, what did you guys do this Halloween? Since I wasn’t online during that time..)

Nr. 4: October Fest

For the first time in my live I went to October Fest in Munich. A bunch of my friends and I had a blast and it was a cool trip. (We took the bus there in the morning and got back home at night. We had to drive for 4 hours every way).

Nr 5: My 20th Birthday

I feel old. My back hurts, I don’t get asked for my ID anymore and I have to pay all my own bills (well, some of them..).

I'd like to know

So how was 2016 for you guys? What did you do? What adventures did you take on? What have you achieved in your personal life? I'd be very interested in hearing your stories in the comments!! :)