Author: Mittens and Sunglasses

The Diverse Reading Challenge

Mittens and Sunglasses

Lately I have been discussing diverse books with my friend Kevin, whom I first “met” on Instagram. We both agree there are not enough diverse books out there, and that we as readers need to show we care and actually want more diversity in literature! With that as inspiration, I decided that I wanted to host a diverse reading challenge.

I want this to be as easy and flexible as possible, so I am not setting a time limit. Nor am I setting a start date – people should be able to start whenever they want. All you need to do is to fulfill each point on the list. You can read the books in whatever order you wish.

I would love it if you posted your list of books as you read them as a comment here, or if you post them on your own blog or Instagram, that’s even better! If you post them on your blog, it would make my day if you link back to this post!

  • Book by a transgender author
  • Book by a bisexual or pansexual author
  • Book by a gay author
  • Book by a Zimbabwean author
  • Book by a Scandinavian author
  • Book by a Japanese author
  • Book by a Indian author
  • Book set in Brazil
  • Book set in Indonesia
  • Book set in Russia
  • Book set in Iceland
  • Book set in Iran
  • Book with a genderfluid main character
  • Book with a lesbian main character
  • Book with a main character with an immigrant background (first or second generation)
  • Book with a main character who suffer from mental illness
  • Book with a character in a wheelchair
  • Book with a blind character
  • Book with a deaf character
  • Book with a character who has ME
  • Feminist non-fiction book
  • LGBTQ+ non-fiction book
  • Non-fiction book on an Asian country (not a travel guide book)
  • Non-fiction book on a Nordic country (not a travel guide book)
  • Non-fiction book on an Indigenous people and/or their culture

I could have made this a lot longer, but that would made the challenge a lot harder. I hope lots of people will parttake!

Are you game?


A selection of some diverse books. Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2017
A selection of some diverse books.
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2017

Elin’s Chana Masala

Mittens and Sunglasses

I simply love Indian food, and chickpeas are among my favourite ingredients. One of my favourite dishes is chana masala, and here’s my super simple recipe. It is, of course, 100 % plant based, vegan, and gluten free. This recipe is meant for two persons, so if you’re four, make a double portion.

Ingredients
1 can tinned cickpeas (ca 500 g)
4 tablespoon rapeseed (or sunflower) oil
2-3 cm piece of fresh ginger
1 red or yellow onion
1 fresh chilli
2-3 tomatoes
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime juice
Finely chopped, fresh coriander (to taste)

How to
Pour the brine of the cickpeas into a cup or a small bowl (to be used later).
Peel the onion and the ginger, and cut the onion into two halves. Cut off the stem of the chilli.
Put the onion, ginger, and the chilli into a foodprocessor, and run until it’s all finely chopped.
Heat the oil in a pot. Pour the onion, ginger and chilli into the pot, and fry on a medium heat until the onion is golden.
Cut the tomatoes (use the foodprocessor), por them into the pot, and bring to a boil. Add garam masala and salt, and let this simmer for a few minutes.
Add the chickpeas, stil well, and bring to a boil. Let this simmer for a few minutes.
At the brine of the chickpeas, stir, and bring to a boil. Let this simmer for 30 – 45 minutes. Stir it every now and then, so it doesn’t burn.
Add the lime juice and the coriander, and simmer for 1 – 2 minutes.

I recommend serving this dish with rice.

A plate with chana masala, yellow rice, soy yoghurt, mango chutney, and naan.
Chana masala served with yellow rice, soy yoghurt, mango chutney, and naan.
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2021

London, writing and stuff

Mittens and Sunglasses

I’m currently in a café at Heathrow, heading back to Oslo after a coupe of days in London. I have been using most of today for writing, and it went very well. So I reached today’s goal, and am hoping to nap and read on the plane back.

While in London, I met up with the ever so lovely Pogodragon. It’s always good to see her, and I always try to meet up with her when in London. We had a lovely meal at a place called Wild Food Café, which is a vegan place in Covent Garden. I had a lentil cottage pie, and it came with kale crisps. The kale crisps were amazing. YUM!

I am hoping to finish my novel this week end, and I’m planning on going skating on Sunday, as the ice rink in the centre of Oslo is opening then. The great thing about the Spikersuppa rink is that if you have your own skates, it’s totally free, but you can also rent skates for 100 NOK per day.

I have quite a few new books I’m looking forward to reading. I haven’t really read a lot since I started NaNoWriMo. Come done with my novel, and I’ll read!


View from an airplane, you can see parts of the wing. Under it you can see the Themes.
London from above
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016

The famous TARDIS from Doctor Who
The TARDIS
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016

A pizza
Vegan pizza
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016

#AmWriting

Mittens and Sunglasses

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). This is somthing I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, and I’m finally doing it. I have been wanting to for a very long time, but work tents to eat it up, so to say.

So, what’s different this year, you might ask. Well, I have been mad enough to take four weeks off work. Unpaid. Simply to write. So, that’s what I’m doing. Come 30 November, I will have a novel of 50 000 words. I’m well on my way, but there’s still a lot to do.

I am currently trying to write 2 000 – 3 000 words every day. This leaves space for bad days. Like last Wednesday, when the day was filled with bad news, a migrain attack, and some other blahness. I managed only 500 or so words. Fortunately, I had had a couple of other days with about 3 000 words, so it was okay. There will be good days, and there will be bad days. It’s just as well to write more on good days.

Are YOU doing NaNoWriMo this year?

An open laptop computer, showing a text document. To the right there's a carafle of coffee, as well as a cup of coffee.
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016

September Challenge – how did it go?

Mittens and Sunglasses

As I wrote earlier, I set myself a challenge to read more books in Norwegian. So, how did my challenge go? How many books in Norwegian did I manage to read?

1. Hålke, written by Helene Uri

I was fortunate enough to win a ARC of Helene Uri’s new book, Hålke. It was published early in September, and is a book on an elderly couple who early in January don’t get to leave their flat due to it being icy outside. With only a little food to get by on, and the coffee running out, we get to know this elderly people. What’s their marriage built on? Why do they still keep together after over 40 years, in spite of unfaithfulness (her) and violence (him)? It was a really interesting read, and I really enjoyed it.

2. Odinsbarn, written by Siri Pettersen

This was actually a reread. I first read Odinsbarn (meaning Odin’s Child in English) shortly after it came out, and it’s the first book in the Ravneringene (meaning “The Raven Rings”) trilogy. I love this trilogy, and thought Odinsbarn was even better the second time around.

3. Et norsk hus, written by Vigdis Hjorth

This was my first book Vigdis Hjorth, and I borrowed it from the library’s ebook app. I enjoyed reading about this middle aged textile artist who rented out a part of her house to a Polish family and the conflict between them. And even though this lady is a weird woman with many faults, I grew to love her… I am definitely going to read more books by her!

4. Forbannet, written by Tonje Tornes

This was the second book in the Kire series, and it has been a while since I read hulder, the first book in the series. I am loving this series, and I liked the second book even more than the first – it’s darker and there’s more magic! I can’t wait for the third book, even though I have no idea when it will be published.

So, I ended up with four Norwegian books in September, which wasn’t so bad. I also read On Writing by Stephen King, which is also a very good read. I think my conclusion is that this challenge was good for me, even though one of the books was a reread. I will try to read even more Norwegian books, and am hoping to get some more read this year.

Did you succeed with your September challenge?

A pile with some of the books mentioned in the post.
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016

It’s Monday, what are you reading?

Mittens and Sunglasses

I finished Et norsk hus, written by Vigdis Hjorth yesterday, on the plane back from Oslo. I had a nice week end with the boyfriend, even though I wasn’t feeling too well. The plan was to run the 10 km run during the Oslo Marathon, but I wasn’t well enough to participate.

I am kind of reading Dronningens løfte, but I can’t seem to focus, so I have decided to put it aside for now, and read Forbannet, which is the second book in the Kire series written by Tonje Tornes. I enjoyed Hulder, the first book in the series. I have a signed copy of both books in the series, so they’re not leaving the house. I have borrowed the e-book version from the library e-book app eBokBib, which makes it easier for me to read.

What are YOU currently reading?

An eReader is laying on a table. Behind it is a lit candle, and a cup of coffee.
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016

Travelling east…

Mittens and Sunglasses

People who know me, know that I am vegan. I have been fully vegan since January, and I haven’t eaten meat for over 20 years. Though things have gotten a lot better, especially the last couple of years, travelling can still turn out to be a challenge. Especially at Norwegian airports.

One of the airports I travel from the most is Stavanger airport. I often go there right after work, and pretty much every time I wish there was a place at the airport where I, as a vegan, could get a hot meal.

To be honest, I don’t get why they can’t have, for example, a simple pasta dish with a simple tomato sauce of tomatoes and herbs. I would have been thrilled! It’s easy and cheap to make, and I think even kids would be happy to eat it… There’s so many people travelling, I am sure many would buy it, vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters alike.

Os there something that bothers you when you’re at an airport?

Busy airport... Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016
Busy airport…
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016

The best way to start the day…

Mittens and Sunglasses

Autumn is here, and the light summer mornings are gone. Getting up in the mornings aren’t as easy these days, and getting out of bed before 6 is a struggle. Knowing I can start the day with lighting a candle and having my breakfast with a good book and coffee helps, though. In my opinion, the best way to start the day os with reading a book.

An open book to the left, a plate with breadwith spred can partly be seen on the right. Behind them there's a lit black candle, and a cup of coffee.
Photo: Mittens and Sunglasses © 2016