Month: December 2020

December Countdown: One Prompt per Day. Day 31 – Recap

It’s the last couple of hours of 2020 and our last post for the year. Tomorrow will be a brand-new year with lots of new challenges, hopes, sunny days and of course – books. As we are counting down the last hours of this year, here’s our final update for the December Countdown. This was so much fun and once again, thanks to Lynn @ Lynn’s Book Blog for hosting this monthlong challenge. Snow – a book set in a cold or wintry climate Shopping – the last book added to your wishlist Wrapping paper – a lovely cover Presents – a book you enjoyed more than you expected to Chocolates – a book that was simply delicious Christmas stocking – stocking fillers – a novella or short story Christmas Tree – traditional style, winter read Baubles – these add some colour, a very colourful and striking cover Fairy Lights – a book of the fae Under the Tree – a book you forgot you owned Mistletoe – a little bit of romance Holly and Ivy – a book with great world building Feast – a book that was magnificent Christmas pudding – if you could squeeze in just one more book […]

Posted December 31, 2020
4 Comments

Reading Challenges 2021

Oh woe is me, oh how dreadful this will be. Yes, yes – I am being a bit over dramatic here. But please just put yourself in my paws for a minute or two. Just a couple of hours ago, I told you how grateful I am that my Mommy managed to finished her Alphabet Reading Challenge 2020. She got distracted by no less than 25 book of the planned 54 to make up a grand total of 79 books. Apparently she now thinks she’s the queen of all Reading Challenges and decided to sign up for 4 (four) ????, Reading Challenges and aim to read 80 (eighty) 10 x ????????, books in 2021. Good Grief Woman. You do know that you still have to work, feed all of us, uphold your social calendar and pay attention to Daddy?? Maybe I should rather just give her the benefit of the doubt. She has proven to be able to complete a task at hand, even though it might be in some unconventional ways. So let’s see what she’s planning. (You are all of course aware that if these challenges do materialize successfully, I will take all the credit. If not, it’s all […]

Posted December 31, 2020
15 Comments

As Easy as ABC

It’s the very last day of 2021 and I can almost not believe that my Mommy managed to complete her Alphabet Reading Challenge with only a couple of hours to spare. Hooray! Bring out the champagne! When she said she’s going to do an Alphabet Reading Challenge the beginning of this year, I wasn’t much fazed. 26 Books isn’t that hard a challenge. But then she had to go and bring in a twist, just to make sure my nerves will get in a knot. First of all, she decided to do the 27 letter Alphabet. The one with the ampersand in. And just to make sure I will really become a nervous wreck, she decided to read two books for each letter of the alphabet. One for the title and one for the author. Good Grief, woman! You really don’t want me to grow old with you? I took a few deep breaths and decided that 54 books might be manageable. There’s however, one very, very, huge, problem with my Mommy. She constantly gets distracted by other books and lose track of the task at hand. But if I look back today at what was accomplished, I guess putting […]

Posted December 31, 2020
2 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Favourite Reads for 2020

Greetings! Can you believe it’s the last TTT for 2020? Not sure if we should be happy or sad about it. Aaah well, it’s still the prompt we are all waiting for the whole year, of any year. Your favourite reads! Me and Mommy has read 75 books this year (still counting, as I’m sure we can fit in at least two or three more), but our favourites weren’t hard to pick. Just for a bit of fun, I’ve asked a few gorgeous fellow feline kings and queens to present our best reads for 2020. We can all do with a bit of glitz and glam and wearing a crown sure does add some sparkle to the last few days of this dreadful year. So without any further ado, I present, on the Elza Reads Catwalk, our Top Ten Books read in 2020. As with any other countdown, we will start with Number 10 and work our way down to the winner. Skarlaken deur Irma Venter – One of the best plots in a long time. So sorry it’s not available in English yet, but just be patient, it’s coming soon! Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo – Chills and thrills […]

Posted December 29, 2020
68 Comments

The Sunday Post #23

Greetings! It’s the Sunday after Christmas and the last one for 2020. Does anybody feel particularly nostalgic or like reminiscing the past year? We haven’t even done any planning for 2021 yet. My Mommy did receive a lovely new planner for 2021 and I guess maybe somewhere in the week she might start browsing through it and start to get excited for the new year that is just around the corner. How was your Christmas? Our Christmas Eve was lovely and Christmas day was rather quiet and uneventful. I was a very good girl this year regarding the tree, but the presents under the tree did tempt me a bit. I managed to control myself very well and only halfway destroyed two presents. We’ve had a lovely, warm summer Christmas and if I were any of the holiday makers who are still not allowed on the beaches, no Christmas present will make me feel better at all. Talking about presents, did you get a few nice ones? My aunt send my Mommy a whole bag of new clothes as she is the world’s best shopper and my Mommy the worst. She is normally here with us for Christmas and then […]

Posted December 27, 2020
36 Comments

Wondrous Words Wednesday – Christmas

Season Greetings! Just before we log of for the Christmas weekend, I asked my Mommy if we can just have a quick look at the word Christmas. Tomorrow it is Christmas Eve and the day after, it will be Christmas. The bestest day of the year. But what does this wondrous word actually mean? I was still a wee little kitten last Christmas and all I was really interested in, was of course, the tree. I simply couldn’t resists it and climbed and scratched and got tangled like you won’t believe. I kind of remember my Mommy packing out these little figurines and I got a very, very strict talk. I am not suppose to touch those little men, the woman or the baby with even a whisker. This year when my Mommy packed them out, I got the same talk. But I also finally got the other talk and now I know who these little figurines are and I know what the true meaning of Christmas is. I think this acronym (oh, how we love those) are simply perfect: I couldn’t have done it better myself. We are not going to be sharing any books […]

Posted December 23, 2020
11 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Books I hope Santa brings

Season Greetings! I guess everybody is busy wrapping presents and starting preparations for all those delicious Christmas meals. What’s on your Dear Santa list? For today’s Top Ten Tuesday, Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl asks us (with Santa’s permission of course) to show us your bookish wish list. Poor Santa, books can get very heavy you know and I guess the old chap’s back isn’t all that strong after 1750 years of carrying Christmas presents. Maybe we should just make sure he knows that we are quite happy with Amazon Kindle or any other e-book gift vouchers as well. I know my Mommy’s list are quite longer than her Christmas groceries list, but we’ll just showcase the Top Ten. 1. The boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (If this one can be in a paperback of hardcover, we’ll be ever so grateful) 2. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Have I got a surprise for my Mommy. But shhhhh) 3. Ek wens, Ek wens deur Zirk van der Berg (It’s and Afrikaans book and if she can get this one in printed form as well, pretty please) 4. The Night Portrait: A Novel by WWII and Da Vinci’s Italy by Laura Morelli 5. Us […]

Posted December 22, 2020
32 Comments

The Sunday Post #22

Ho ho ho!! In just 5 days time, it will be Christmas. It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas in our house. Presents and trinkets and little notes of everything my Mommy is forgetting, is scattered all over the house. And the best of the best is still coming up – wrapping the Christmas presents! Our week wasn’t bad at all. Except for the Grinch that stole our Christmassy beaches, we have nothing to complain about. A human can hardly dare try to go to town, as all the holiday makers who were supposed to be on the beach, are now in the shops. Therefore my Mommy leaves very early if shopping needs to be done and then she spends the rest of the day with me. Best time ever! As you can see, she spent hours on the blog. Making new graphics and labeling all the previous posts. It took quite some time. At least one and a half audio books. But I love it and my Mommy are also rather chuffed with herself. No new books acquired this book, we are holding thumbs that Santa Clause will bring some books. You can check out our […]

Posted December 20, 2020
44 Comments

My Life in Books: 2020 Edition

Greetings dear Humans! No, no – no need to get excited. This is not our wrap-up post for our books read in 2020. This is one of those strings you dangle in front of a cat and they simply can’t resist. Book Tags! Or I guess you can call this a book tag? Please correct me if I’m wrong. I might simply ignore you and walk away, but it’s always good to know. My Mommy first saw this fun post over at Books Please and saw that it travelled all the way from Annabookbel. Now tell me this doesn’t seem like a lot of fun to quickly do: Using only books you have read this year (2020), answer these prompts. Seeing that I’m a cat and I always follow the beat of my own paws, I will of course give a reason for my choice where I see it. So here is our 1. In High School I was The Sun Sister – Haven’t been to High School yet, but I can bet you that’s what they’ll call me. 2. People might be surprised by Something in the Water 3. I will never be Olive Kitteridge – My vet-book says I am Elza Thalwitzer. I’m quite happy with […]

Posted December 19, 2020
26 Comments

December Countdown: One prompt per day (Day 16 & 17)

So sorry that we’ve missed yesterday (again). My mommy was working on her blog graphics and it simply slipped our minds. Here’s our day 16 and 17 of the December Countdown. Snow – a book set in a cold or wintry climate Shopping – the last book added to your wishlist Wrapping paper – a lovely cover Presents – a book you enjoyed more than you expected to Chocolates – a book that was simply delicious Christmas stocking – stocking fillers – a novella or short story Christmas Tree – traditional style, winter read Baubles – these add some colour, a very colourful and striking cover Fairy Lights – a book of the fae Under the Tree – a book you forgot you owned Mistletoe – a little bit of romance Holly and Ivy – a book with great world building Feast – a book that was magnificent Christmas pudding – if you could squeeze in just one more book for 2020 Mince pies – a little sweet something Turkey Dinner– a book that is almost too big to face Glitter – A book that you simply have to have Day 16 – Turkey Dinner. A book that is almost […]

Posted December 17, 2020
10 Comments

Month: December 2020

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