Happy New Year's Eve

Just a quick post to wish you all a Happy New Year's Eve. I will soon post an update about my future reading plans and reviews. Until then, have a great New Year's Eve and take care of yourselves!

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

Original Title: Mister Pip

Year Published: 2006

Published by: The Text Publishing Company

Number of Pages: 256

First Sentence: "Everyone called him Pop Eye."

Goodreads Rating: 5/5

Plot:

On a copper-rich tropical island shattered by war, where the teachers have fled with almost everyone else, only one white man chooses to stay behind: the eccentric Mr. Watts, object of much curiosity and scorn, who sweeps out the ruined schoolhouse and begins to read to the children each from Charles Dickens's classic Great Expectations.

So begins this rare, original story about the abiding strength that imagination, once ignited, can provide. As artillery echoes in the mountains, thirteen-year-old Matilda and her peers are riveted by the adventures of a young orphan named Pip in a city called London, a city whose contours soon become more real than their own blighted landscape. But in a ravaged place where even children are forced to live by their wits and daily survival is the only objective, imagination can be a dangerous thing. 

My thoughts:

This is a book that I had to read for uni. I never expected to love it as much as I did. We get to follow young Matilda, a young black girl on an island ravaged with redskins and rebels. When all the teachers have fled the island, the only white man in the village, Mr. Watts take over as teacher. Amongst other things he read Great Expectations to the children. Matilda find herself falling in love with the story and Pip becomes a friend to her.

Jones has cleverly intertwined the story of Great Expectations with Matilda's own story which is just as tragic. Matilda applies the characters from Dickens's book on people in her own life. Not only does Great Expectations allow her to travel to another world it also gives her a friend and a direction in life. 

Mr. Watts is at the start a mysterious figure, who pulls his wife along on a small red trolley, but becomes a figure of salvation for young Matilda. He is the one who introduces her to Dickens's works, and she becomes determined to figure Mr. Watts out since he is so mysterious about his own background.

This is a fantastic story about survival and imagination. It's a great example of our lives not being that different from characters in books and that you can easily find friends in books when you really need one.

Do I recommend it?

Yes. It's a great book and was very easy to read. The 256 pages just flew by and it never ceased to entertain me. 

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Original Title:  Les Trois Mousquetaires

Year Published: 2014 (my copy), first published in 1844.

Published by: BBC books.

Number of Pages: 698 (not including additional notes)

First sentence: "On the first monday in the month of April 1625, the little market town of Meung, birthplace of the author of The Romance of the Rose, appeared to be in the throes of as full-blown a revolution as if the Huguenots had come to make it a second La Rochelle."

Goodreads rating: 5/5

Plot:

The young Gascon d'Artagnan and the legendary musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis are ready to sacrifice everything for love, glory and the common good. The wicked machinations of Cardinal Richeieu and his accomplice, the magnetic Milady de Winter, propel the devoted friends across seas and battlefields from masked balls to a remote convent, in order to defend the honour of the Queen and the life of Constance Bonacieux, d'Artagnan's true love.

My thoughts:

I figured early this summer that it was about time that I actually read this book and since it was really cheap I bought it and started reading it. It didn't go to well at first. I have to be honest and say it wasn't the books fault, but I gave up nonetheless. About two weeks ago I picked it back up and dove right back into it. I am so glad I did. I never thought that I would love this books as much as I do. I've always loved the story of  the Three Musketeers but for some reason I didn't think I'd like the book. Possibly because it was written so many years ago.

However, the story is really great. There is so much more to the Three Musketeers than what is mentioned in the films, and they of course have a lot more depth in the book. I always thought that d'Artagnan was a reckless hothead, when he in the book is described as such, but also as loyal, clever, generous, and an overall gentleman. Things that are overshadowed by his youth in the films but are highlighted by his youth in the book. Even the bad guys, the Cardinal and Rochefort, have more layers in the book, layers that are actually quite important. Milady de Winter is more evil than you might think. It's not just the characters that have more depth, the actual story has more depth as well. The films usually focus on the retrieval of the diamond tags given from the Queen to the Duke of Buckingham. That is just one short story in the book, not the main plot. 

Some parts however were quite dreary. I really dislike Milady de Winter and there are some chapters in the book that are dedicated to only her and they were a little hard to get through, mostly because I wasn't interested. The few parts describing ordinary life were also slow but still managed to be interesting.

Do I recommend it?

Yes I really do. It was really interesting and captivating. 

Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

Original title: Horrorstör

Year Published: 2014

Published by: Quirk Books

Number of Pages: 243

First sentence: "It was dawn, and the zombies were stumbling through the parking lot, streaming toward the massive beige box at the far end."

Goodreads rating: 5/5

Plot:

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland,Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjërring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they'll patrol the empty Showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

My thoughts:

I love this book. I thought that I was going to have problems reading it since I hate horror films and so on, but its brilliant. The setting of a low-budget version of IKEA is brilliant and there are many names in the book that make fun of the way IKEA name their goods. I can imagine that a closed warehouse during the night would be rather creepy, since a somewhat empty yet open warehouse is creepy during the day. 

The book has some "scary" elements and sections but it never gets unbareable, and that's coming from a proper scaredy-cat. The characters are quite good and diverse, and the main-character do go through some character development which keep her dynamic. The ending is quite open which makes me hope for a second book by this fantastic author.

Do I recommend it?

Yes! It's a great read and you do not need to like horror to enjoy this book. 

Christmas countdown - day 24 (aka the final day!)

A book with connections to Christmas

I know it’s not really a “Christmas book” but I’m going to pick Harry Potter nonetheless. I received the two first books on my birthday the year the second book was released, and because my mom wasn’t entirely sure what they were about and if they were appropriate for me to read (I was 8 years old) which meant I couldn’t start reading them until around Christmas since my birthday is in late November. Therefore the books are connected to Christmas to me. Also, they do have scenes in pretty much all books that are all about celebrating Christmas, and I loved reading those bits. I’ve always wanted, and still do, one of those ugly knitted sweaters from Molly Weasely.

So Harry Potter it is.

That's it for the Christmas countdown! Can't believe it's already here. In Sweden we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, today, so I'll be busy tonight opening presents and spending time with the family. 

So Merry Christmas to all of you, and hope you have a good day today and if you celebrate tomorrow I hope you have a great day tomorrow no matter what you are planning to do. 

Merry Christmas!

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Original title: The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Year Published: 2008

Published by: Lumos

Number of pages: 105

First sentence: "There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbours."

Goodreads rating: 4/5

Plot:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard contains five richly diverse fairy tales, each with its own magical charachter, that will variously bring delight, laughter and the thrill of mortal peril.

My thoughts:

I was really interested in the "The Tale of the Three Brothers" when it was mentioned in the final Harry Potter book. So I pretty much bought this one just for that story. It contains 4 other brilliant and interesting stories, that I would love reading to my children if I ever have some.

It's a great companion to the HP books, I also have Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them. The fact that Rowling has written additional notes from Dumbeldore's point of view adds that little extra charm to the book. 

Do I recommend it?

If you love the HP books and the HP world then you need this book. If not, then it is still some great fairy tales to read for your children if you want something different from Cinderella and company. 

Christmas countdown - day 23

A poem or a collection of poems

I love poems. However, I do not have a poet that is my favourite. A poem that has stuck with me is the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. I read it for the first time during upper secondary school and fell in love with it.

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sounds the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Do you have a favourite poem or collection of poems?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas countdown - day 22

A book about food

I can’t say that I’ve read that many books about food. Not cookbooks or books where the main characters talk about food a lot. I own two cookbooks but have never ever made anything from a recipe in them. As far as I can recall none of the books I own have food as a main theme. Unless you count some books where the main characters are waitresses? Ah well, I suppose that is all I’ve got to say about books about food, since I cannot pick one due to the fact that I can’t think of one.

Do you have a good book about food?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas countdown - day 21

Library memories

I loved going to the library as a child. We always borrowed books there for school, and we could choose any book we wanted to read during our “reading hour”. That’s how I found and fell in love with the fantasy genre. When I went to upper secondary school me and some classmates used to spend a lot of time studying in the library. I have a very fond memory of the three of us sitting in a corner of the library trying to study but instead giggling like madmen over random things as you do when you are 15-16 years old. We recorded a sound clip during that day which we still laugh about today almost 10 years later. Mature we are not.

I still like the library but since I buy all my books these days, I do not spend that much time there anymore. I was actually there this week, although it was only to return some books that I had borrowed for a course I’m reading.

Do you have any fun library memories?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas countdown - day 20

Short stories! Yes, no? Favourites?

Yes, why not? I have not read many stories in my free time but I have read several at school. I suppose that short stories are quite good to read when you don’t have the patience to sit down and focus on a book for a long period of time. Because I haven’t read that many short stories in my days I do not have a favourite. But one that I’ve read recently that I liked was “Lusus Naturae” by Margaret Atwood. It was cleverly written and if you like the slightly macabre you will probably like it. 

Christmas Countdown - day 19

A book with a non-human as narrator/protagonist

Oh my, it took me so effing long to come up with a book that I’ve read that had a no-human as a narrator/protagonist. So long! I’ve been pondering over this questions for days, and it was the hardest question to answer. I realised why it was so difficult when I actually googled what qualified as non-human in books. I think of everything that is humanoid as human, which apparently isn’t the case. Elves, trolls, hobbits, vampires, werewolves and so on are all non-humans. But before I googled it I actually came up with a book that I’ve read and loved that is narrated by a non-human.

The book is Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I love horses so the book was a must for me as a child. I can’t remember exactly when I read it, but I was probably around the age of 10. I had seen the movie previous to reading the book and loved the movie. The book is such a tearjerker and if you are an animal lover, or overall have a heart, this book can be quite difficult to read. 

Christmas Countdown - day 18

Do you read e-books? On what platform? Why/why not?

I do not read e-books that often, but I do have the Kindle app on my phone, iPad and PC, and sometimes if a book is released earlier on that platform or is, simply enough, much cheaper, then I will read the e-book. I’m one of those people however, who like to have the physical book in my hands, so I really hope that “real” books aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Do you read e-books?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Countdown - day 17

Having subtitles when watching TV or movies, what’s your relationship with that?

I live in Sweden so I’m very used to subtitles. We have that on all shows that aren’t originally spoken in Swedish. Apart from children’s shows we do not dub TV-programmes or movies in the cinema. So I’m very used to it. I don’t need subtitles when it comes to shows that are in English, and usually ignore them then. But I have a very long and good relationship with subtitles.

What do you think about subtitles?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Countdown- Day 16

The longest series you’ve read

The longest series I’ve read have to be “The Southern Vampire Mysteries” by Charlene Harris. It’s the books that inspired the True Blood TV series. It didn’t like the TV series but loved the books. I own them all, and have read several of them several times over. There are 13 books in the series which makes it the longest series I’ve finished. I’ve read books in several other series that are longer, but I haven’t finished the whole series. “The Black Dagger Brotherhood” by JR. Ward will either land on the same amount of books or be more, so we will see if “The Southern Vampire Mysteries” will stay on that number one spot. 

What's the longest series you've read?

Merry Christmas!

New Books!

I almost forgot! I went and picked up my new package of books today. The package was much bigger than I though it would be, so it's a good thing that I have the world's kindest brother who picked me up and drove me home.

Aren't they just gorgeous? It's the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians"-series by Rick Riordan, "The Ruby Red"-trilogy by Kerstin Gier and "Death Cure" by James Dashner. Cannot wait to get started on them. I will have to read the other two books in the "Maze Runner"-series first though....

Christmas Countdown - day 15

Book organization. Do you sort after author, genre, colour or other?

I generally sort after author, although not alphabetically. If there is a series I sort them from the first to last book. I like to have the largest book (height wise) on the furthest left and then the smallest to the right, unless all books are the same size. Right now I don’t have enough space for all my books to be organized exactly as I want, but my goal one day is to have a bookshelf organized by authors in alphabetical order. Not that I’m to bothered by it, but it so much easier to find books you are looking for if they are organized in some sort of way.

How do you organize your bookshelf?

Merry Christmas!

Ps. what happened yesterday? All of a sudden I log in and find that so many people from France has looked at the blog. Not that you aren’t welcome, it was just a surprise. Bonjour and joyeux Noël.

Christmas countdown - day 14

A book that was published on the day you were born, or an author with the same birthday as you

This was extremely hard and I actually had to Google people born or books published on my birthday, which is November 26. I was happily surprised to find that James Dashner, the author of the Maze Runner series, is born on the same day.

I've gotta be honest and say that I haven't read the Maze Runner series just yet but they are all wating for me in my bookshelf. I have to finish my books for university and the Hunger Games-trilogy first. I have seen the film though and really liked it. The overall man candy in that one would have been worth it even if the movie had sucked. It didn't though, so I'm really looking forward to reading the books. And next year I will remember to wish James a happy birthday on my birthday :D

Merry Christmas!

ps. We decorated our christmas tree today. I feel extremely festive! And it's only 10 days left until christmas!!! (in Sweden we celebrate on the 24th).

Christmas countdown - day 13

A book with Italian connections

When I sat down and looked at this question I first thought that no, I have never ever read a book with Italian connections. Then I realised just now when I started writing this that Romeo & Juliet take place in Verona ... in Italy. So shame on me. Will therefore be a slightly longer post than if I just sat down and said I've read no books with Italian connections.

Romeo & Juliet then. It's one of the most famous love stories ever written. It is usually the first thing people say when you ask them to mention a work written by William Shakespeare. I do realise it is in actuality written as a play, but for some reason I always think of it as a book. I have very mixed feelings towards Romeo and his dearest Juliet. It is classified as a great love story and many times when I think about it that is exactly what it feels like. 

However, sometimes when I think about it I just feel like Romeo and Juliet are just two horny teenagers, who then lose their minds. Perhaps they are slightly deluded even. Pessimist is my middle name. 

So that is my book with an Italian connection. Do you have one?

Merry Christmas!

The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts (Book three in the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy)

Original Title: The Perfect Hope
Year Published: 2012
Published by: The Berkley Publishing Group
Number of Pages: 308
First Sentence: "With a few groans and sighs, the old building settled down for the night."
Goodreads rating: 4/5

Plot:
Ryder is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out - with a tough-as-nails outside and possibly nothing too soft underneath. He's surly and unsociable, but when he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist his sexy swagger. Except, apparently, Hope Beaumont, the innkeeper of his own Inn BoonsBoro...

As the former manager of a D.C. hotel, Hope is used to excitement and glamour, but that doesn't mean she can't appreciate the joys of small-town living. She's where she wants to be - except for in her love life. Her only interaction with the opposite sex has been sparring with the infuriating Ryder, who always seem to get under her skin. Still, no one can deny the electricity that crackles between them ... a spark that ignited with a New Year's Eve kiss.

While the inn is running smoothly, thanks to Hope's experience and unerring instincts, her big-city past is about to make an unwelcome - and embarrasing - appearance. Seeing Hope vulnerable stirs up Ryder's emotions and makes him realize that while Hope may not be perfect, she just might be perfect for him...

My thoughts:¨
First of all, whoever wrote the teaser for this book should be shot. Okay, maybe not a destiny so violent, but it's a horrible summary. The plot above is taken from the jacket of the book and it's just awful. The "embarrasing encounters from her past" are literally two events that happen midway and almost at the end of the book. They aren't one of the main-plots, they are tiny unsignificant sub-plots that literally could have been removed from the book and not changed much at all.

The book itself is good, although slightly rushed. At the same time it's rushed the love story also takes much longer and it doesn't have the same feeling as the first two books. However, it's a good story and the characters are still good and entertaining.

The best part of the story is however the ghost, Lizzy, and her story. The whole book would have been worth reading just for the ghost if the rest had been crap (which it wasn't).

Do I recommend it?
Like I said on the review for book nr two, yes if you've already read the other two books. It's a fairly entertaining trilogy, but it isn't one of NR's best.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Me and my wifey Eelas did a poetry video for our literature course. It is not the best but we are happy with it, and hopefully our teacher will be as well.

Enjoy!

Christmas countdown - day 12

How many books have you read?

It's actually a really good question. According to Goodreads I've read 115 books, but that isn't close to how many books I've actually read. That's just the ones I've remembered to add to Goodreads, I think it might be more than 600-700 books so far in my life. I wouldn't be suprised if it is even more.

How many books have you read?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Countdown - Day 11

 The worst book you’ve ever read

The worst book I've ever read has to be Hard Times (1854) by Charles Dickens. It's just so extremely boring! I know it's a classic and probably quite important to read but dang it it's just way to boring to be worth it. There are probably loads more of books (such as Twilight) that rank on the "bad"-list for me but I still cringe when I Think about Hard Times and therefore that's the one I choose for todays question.

Which one is the worst book you've ever read?

Merry Christmas!

The Last Boyfriend By Nora Roberts (Book Two of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy)

Original Title: The Last Boyfriend

Year Published: 2012

Published by: The Berkley Publishing Group

Number of Pages: 319

First Sentence: "A fat winter moon poured light over the old stone and brick of the inn on The Square".

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot: 

Owen is the organizer of the Montgomery clan, running the family's construction business with an iron fist - and an even less flexible spreadsheet. And though his brothers bust on his compulsive list-making, the Inn BoonsBoro is about to open right on schedule. The only thing Owen didn't plan for was Avery McTavish...

Avery's popular pizza place is right across the street from the inn, giving her a first-hand look at its amazing renovation - and a newfound appreciation for Owen. Since he was her first boyfriend when they were kids, Owen has never been far from Avery's thoughts. But the attraction she's feeling for him now is far from innocent.

As Avery and Owen cautiously take their relationship to another level, the opening of the inn gives the whole town of Boonsboro a reason to celebrate. But Owen's hard work has only begun. Getting Avery to let down her guard is going to take longer than he expected - and so will getting her to realize that her first boyfriend is going to be her last...

My thoughts:

I liked this book much more than the first one. It was much easier to get into and flowed differently. I think it was because you already knew all the characters and the town of Boonsboro so there weren't as many introductions in this one as in the first. 

This time around it's Owen and Avery's turn to be hit by Cupid's arrows. They've known each other since childhood and have taken turns crushing on each other. However, romantic feelings have never appeared before. Just like all Robert's novels you know the ending before you've even started. However, she makes the journey there worth it. All the characters from the first book are present in this one and I love the fact that Robert's doesn't just center the book on Owen and Avery. Instead you get to see things from Hope, the Innkeepers, view, Ryder, the eldest brother, and several of the other charcters as well. The risk with writing like that is that it can be confusing but Robert's pulls it off. What is annoying though is that she can switch p.o.v. in the middle of a paragraph. That means that you are reading Owen's p.o.v. and suddenly you switch to Avery's, It caused slight confusion for me, especially when she switched like that between the female characters.

I said that I'd fallen in love with the Inn in the first book. The love intensifies in this book. They are nearing the final stretch on renovations in the first half of the book and by the end the Inn is open for business. The descriptions of all the rooms and the overall feeling of the Inn makes it hard not to love. However, I found out today that the town of Boonsboro is real, and that all the places described in the book exist in real life. So I had to google the Inn and see if it was as beautiful as it is described. The outside lives up to expectations but not the inside. Therefore I will just stick with the images I had in my head. 

Do I recommend it?
If you read the first one and liked it, then yes you should read this one. Do read the first one first though. Here is my review on the fist book : click

Christmas Countdown - Day 10

A book by a Nobel prize winner

How can we already be on day 10? Time just flies by! Wishing for some snow here in Sweden though, at the moment we've only got rain. We are celebrating Alfred Nobel today here in Sweden, and several of you probably know that the Nobel Prize is being awarded in several categories in our capital city Stockholm as well (just like always). In my house we will have the ceremony and banquet on as background noise for the rest of the evening. Anyway, on to the questions!

I've read books from Pär Lagerkvist (won 1951),  Selma Lagerlöf (won 1909), Rudyard Kipling (1907) and some poetry by W.B. Yeats (won 1923). Considering that the prize has been awarded since 1901 that's very few authors that's won the Nobel Prize that I've read books from. 

If I have to pick one book from these 4 authors I'd have to pick The Jungle Book (1894). The book version of The Jungle Book is a collection of short stories and are in the shape of fables. It has all the elements of the Disney film so a lot is recognizable if you've seen the film. Why did I pick this book? Mostly because I pretty much hated everything I've read from Lagerkvist och Largerlöf, and I've only read a few poems by Yeats. 

How are you celebrating the Nobel Day? 

Merry Christmas

Christmas Countdown - Day 9

A thick book

William Shakespeare's Complete Works. 

(not my picture)

It is really thick, obviously since Shakespeare has written a lot of texts, both plays and sonnets. It is one of the thickest books in my bookshelf. It is brilliant to have all of his works compiled into one book, although I have to be honest and say that I do not read his works all that often. 

Merry Christmas!

The Next Always by Nora Roberts (Book One of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy)

Original Title: The Next Always

Year Published: 2012
Published by: Piatkus
Number of Pages: 324
First sentence: "The stone walls stood as they had for more than two centuries, simple, sturdy, and strong."
Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot:
The historic hotel in BoonsBoro has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumoured hauntings. Now it's getting a major a facelift from the Montgomery brothers.

As the architect of the family, Beckett Montgomery's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen.

After losing her husband, Clare Brewster has returned with her three young sons to run the town's bookstore. Clare finds herself drawn across the street by Beckett's transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look at the building - and the man behind it. These stolen moments are the beginning of something new - and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next.

My thoughts:
I liked this book. I didn't feel like reading any of the books I wanted tor read after finishing Kite Runner. So I went through my moms bookshelves and picked this book up because I wanted some light reading. Nora Roberts delivers as always. It was a little hard to get into this book but after a few chapter it redeemed itself and became quite entertaining.

It's typical Nora Roberts though. Widowed mother of three reignites a friendship with an old friend from high school. Said man is of course one of three brothers.Classic Roberts. They slowly start to date, and eventually fall in love. There is a big thing in town, in this case the inn, that binds all the characters together. Oh, and a little supernatural element involved as well in the shape of a ghost.

However dreary that might sound, you do get invested in the story. I fell in love with the in and will now have to finish the other two books because I want to see it open, as it is only being renovated in this book. The characters are lovable, although they can all be found in different incarnations in other Nora Roberts books.

Do I recommend it?
If you like simple romance stories where you know there will be a happy ending then this book is for you. If you also love Nora Roberts than you simply enough have to read it. Otherwise, not reading this book won't have an impact on your life.

Christmas Countdown - day 8

A learners book that you clearly remember from childhood/teenage years

Well... there really isn't one. My crappy translation from Swedish here means that "learners book" refers to a course book you had in one of your subjects at school. Not even one of the books that I had in school during childhood and teenage years are books that I remember. I know I had to read loads of them but apparently I cannot remember them. 

Really quick and short answer today. Do you have a learners/course book that you clearly remember?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Countdown - Day 7

A fairy tale. Classic or modern interpretation.

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

Let's start with the modern interpretation, which I consider the Disney version to be. I absolutely adore the music in The Little Mermaid, and that's why it's one of my favourites. I also love the story, the idea that love conquers all. Sebastian is probably one of my favourite characthers of all time in a Disney film. Everything ends happy and the Little Mermaid gets her prince. 

Ironically the classic Brother's Grimm verions is not as romantic and happy. Here the Little Mermaid isn't as lucky. The prince fall in love with someone else, our heroine has to kill him in order to return to the sea and cannot do it and instead turns into seafoam. Not to mention the fact that every single step she takes on her human legs is extremely painful. However, I like this version as well. The LM is redeemed at the end and turned into a spirit because she took the moral highground and did not take the selfish way out which would have ment killing the prince. 

That's my answer for day 7. What is your favourie fairy tale?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas countdown - day 6

What’s your relationship to reading in school? As a student, teacher or parent.

I honestly haven't done that much reading in school unless you count reading course books. However, I have done a few courses that required reading literature. Since I in general love reading I usually don't have a problem reading in school. There is a tendency amongst teacher to chose the most boring books though which is a little bit annoying. But realistically you can't pick the most interesting books all the time, you do need to read the classics as well.

I'm currently studying to become a teacher myself and now realise that it's not that simple for a teacher to pick a book that will be entertaining for everyone in a class. Not everyone will be happy with your choice of book, nor does everyone like reading. 

The day I have children I will ensure that they read but will not force them if they end up not liking reading. That I don't believe in. I will however encourage them to read because I know how important reading is. 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Countdown - Day 5

Do you read comic books or graphic novels? Favourite genre?

No I do not. Simple enough because I've never come across any that I've been interested in reading in later years. I did read comic books when I was kid however, like the Phantom for example. If I was recommended some I wouldn't hesistate reading them however (wink wink)

Here are the rest of the question if you've missed them.

Merry Christmas!

Finish That Series Challenge of 2015

Damn you Bella! It's entirely your fault that I found and got interested in this challenge. Bella found THIS video on youtube and thought it would be a good idea to do. I, like the lemming I am, also thought this was a good idea after reading Bella's blog about it. So please, blame her.

The rules are fairly simple:

1. The series has to be COMPLETELY FINISHED for it to count in the challenge.
2. If the series is not completed (as in the author is not done writing it) you have to read up until the book that was published last.
3. You don't need to read the novellas in a series for the series to count, just the main books.
4. You don't need to start the series in 2015, just finish it. So if you started a series in 2008 now is your chance to finish it.
5. The series has to have at least 2 books already published for it to count. 

Alright, all I have to do now is pick the series I want to finish. If you watch the video you'll find that you get points for the amount of series you finish. I'm not sure how many series I want to read but I'm thinking about finishing at least 10. This beacause I have a few series in which I only have one more book to read to complete it.

My series:

The Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks

• Of Poseidon
• Of Triton
• Of Neptune

The Maze Runner series by James Dashner

• The Maze Runner
• The Scorch Trials
• The Death Cure

The Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins

• Sweet Evil
• Sweet Peril
• Sweet Temptation

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

• The Hunger Games
• Catching Fire
• Mockingjay

Percy Jackson & the Olympins by Rick Riordan

• The Lightning Thief
• The Sea of Monsters
• The Titan's Curse
• The Battle of the Labyrinth
• The Last Olympian

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

• A Game of Thrones
• A Clash of Kings
• A Storm of Swords
• A Feast for Crows
• A Dance with Dragons

The Abandon Trilogy by Meg Cabot

• Abandon
• Underworld
• Awaken

Heather Wells series by Meg Cabot

• Size 12 is Not Fat
• Size 14 is Not Fat Either
• Big Boned
• Size 12 and Ready to Rock
• The Bride Wore Size 12

Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward

• Dark Lover
• Lover Eternal
• Lover Awakened
• Lover Revealed
• Lover Unbound
• Lover Enshrined
• Lover Avenged
• Lover Mine
• Lover Unleashed
• Lover Reborn
• Lover at Last
• The King

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

• Clockwork Angel
• Clockwork Prince
• Clockwork Princess

Wowiee. Get a little stressed looking at that list now... Good thing I will have a whole year to read them. As you can see, in some of the series I've only got 1 or 2 more books to read in order to complete them. The only one that'll probably be difficult to finish is the A Song of Ice and Fire, since I've tried to start the first book so many times without success. Ah well. I might add some more series during next year, you never know.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

(photobomb from my cat Thorin)

Original Title: The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
Year Published: 2013
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
Number of Pages: 464
First Sentence: "The dungeon was a miserable place."
Goodreads rating: 3/5

Plot:
Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change. When the twins' grandmother gives them a treasured fairy-tale book, they have no idea they're about to enter a land beyond all imagining: the Land of Stories, where fairy tales are real.

My thoughts:
First of all, I need to stress the fact that this is a children's book. It's target audience is children and that is obivious when you read it. The language is choppy and quite simple (for obvious reasons) and for an adult reader that is sometimes slightly annoying. The story is weirdly paced at times; Colfer stress over parts that should have been longer and then the other way around with parts that should have been shorter.

It is however still a good story. You get to met classic Disney characters in a new way, as Colfer envisions this story to take place after all the classic fairy tales have. If I had kids I wouldn't hesitate to read this to them or let them read it themselves. For anyone under the age of 13 this is a brilliant book, but when you are 24 like me you expect a little bit more. However, I was still entertained and enjoyed reading this book.

Do I recommend it?
If you have children then most definitely. I have to be honest and say that I will not purchase the two other books in this trilogy, but if I had had children I would have bought them immediatly.

Christmas countdown - Day 4

Talk about translations. What language do you read in? A good or bad translation?

I read in both Swedish and English since that's the two languages I know. I mostly read in English though since most of the books and genres I'm interested in are dominated by English speaking authors. I read more in Swedish when I was younger, but as I've grown older and more confident with my English, I now prefer English. The English language is so much more and usually translations from English to Swedish lose a lot of depth and meaning. 

I haven't re-read that many of the books that I originally read in Swedish that were originally written in English, so I can't really rate the translations. I did read the first three Harry Potter books in Swedish and the language as far as I can remember was good. Like I said, I have not re-read them in English so I can't really rate the translation. 

Christmas countdown: Days 1-3

The first book you remember/read

It's actually a really good question. I do know that I read this really tiny short childrens books as a child, but cannot for the life of me remember their names. The first book that I properly remember is Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking. I read the entire series as a child and I remember that I loved it. So that's what I will answer the first queston with!

A really short book

Animal Farm by George Orwell. It's only 152 pages long, so it is a really short book. Boring as well. There is nothing more to say about this book.

A trilogy. Good? Bad? Memorable?

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. It's a classic and it's absolutely brilliant. It consists of three books (that's why it's a trilogy) The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. I'm a huge fan of both the books and the film. It is the book series that alongside the Harry Potter series got me intersted in fantasy. I can remember so much from the books even though it was years since I last read them (and no it's not just because I've rewatched the films). Tolkien was an amazing author and the world he paints is just so fantastic and rich. If I could choose any book world to travel into it would be this one. Preferbly after the good guys won...

(Not my books, taken from Pinterest)

Alright, that was the first three questions on the Christmas countdown. Hope you enjoyed!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas countdown!

Didn't even think about doing a thing like this until I saw that my good friend over at Bellas bokblogg was doing a countdown to Christmas. Figured it was a great idea, so blatantly stole her questions and translated them into english. I do realise that I'm already three days behind, so will post the first three in one post.

Here are the questions:

1. The first book you remember/read
2. A really short book
3. A trilogy. Good? Bad? Memorable?
4. Talk about translations. What language do you read in? A good or bad translation?
5. Do you read comic books or graphic novels? Favourite genre?
6. What’s your relationship to reading in school? As a student, teacher or parent.
7. A fairy tale. Classic or modern interpretation.
8. A learners book that you clearly remember from childhood/teenage years
9. A thick book
10. A book by a Nobel prize winner
11. The worst book you’ve ever read
12. How many books have you read?
13. A book with Italian connections
14. A book that was published on the day you were born, or an author with the same birthday as you
15. Book organization. Do you sort after author, genre, colour or other?
16. The longest series you’ve read
17. Having subtitles when watching TV or movies, what’s your relationship with that?
18. Do you read e-books? On what platform? Why/why not?
19. A book with a non-human as narrator/protagonist
20. Short stories! Yes, no? Favourites?
21. Library memories
22. A book about food
23. A poem or a collection of poems
24. A book with connections to Christmas

Merry Christmas ya'll!!!

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Original Title: The Kite Runner
Year Published: 2003
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Number of Pages: 340
First Sentence: "I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975."
Goodreads rating: 5/5

Plot:
Afghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russian invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.

My thoughts:
I would never have picked this book up if it wasn't required reading for my uni course. and that would have been a damn shame. This is a lovely book. Heartbreaking, but lovely. Its a story about a boy, who throughout his whole life tries to get his fathers attenition and love. Its about a boy and his best friend, and the bond that is friendship. Its about a young boy and him handling the guilt of one event in his past. Its about a boy growing up to be a man, and dealing with all the things he is scared of.

It is a fantastic story with many heartbreaking moments, events that make you want to hide away, and scenes of love wheter its between friends, family or lovers. Its a heartbreaking tale of Afghanistan and its demise. The young man grows up in a beautiful safe Kabul, the man returns to a Kabul ruined by war. It is an intense story that capitvates you, and manages to pull on every single heartstring.

I don't normally cry when reading books but I found myself having tears in my eyes many times whilst reading this book.

Do I recommend it?
Yes, I really do. It's not a light read, it wont make you warm and happy. But it is a story everyone should read, and it's written in a captivating way.

Book Haul December 2014

Thanks to the fact that my birthday was in November (I'm now 24 years young) I've received so many new books. The books in the picture are just a few of them, not to mention the books on my bookshelf that are just waiting for me to read them. 

So what am I planning to read in December? Well, first of I've got a few books to read for Uni courses. They are:

1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
3. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

However, I am also planning to read for pleasure. I do know that I sadly enough won't have time to read all new books I now have. So I have picked out a few books that I'm planning to read, so you know what to expect:

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (which I've already started)
2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (for reasons)
3. The Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings
4. The Wishing Spell by Cris Colfer

To be honest, I'm a quick reader when I finally get into a book so there might be many more, but I will make no promises. If you have any tips or if you rather I read any of the other books in the picture or mentioned in previous post (not reviews obviously) don't hesistate to send me a comment. 

Happy December!

Mort by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #4)

Original Title: Mort
Year Published: 1987
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Number of Pages: 243
First sentence: "This is the bright candlelit room where the life-timers are stored— shelf upon shelf of them, squat hourglasses, one for every living person, pouring their fine sand from the future into the past."
Goodreads rating: 5/5

Plot (Taken from Goodreads):
In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse -- especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory. As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.

My thoughts:
He does it again. Mort is a brilliant installment in the Discworld book series. It's an oldie but a goldie. You get to meet Mort who by strange circumstances become the apprentice of Death, you get to know Death and his daughter alongside several other grand characters. Mort soon realizes that being the apprentice of Death is even more strange and complicated that it seems at first glance.

The Terry Pratchett humor is great in this book and intervowen with some more serious elements, and that is honestly what makes Pratchett's books so amazing. He entertains his readers with sarcasm and more straightforward humor, but at the same time brings an element of seriousness that grounds the stories in reality.

Do I recommend it?
Yes, just like with any of the other Terry Pratchett books I've recommended :D

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Book 1 of 3)

Original Title: The Hunger Games
Year Published: 2008
Published by: Scholastic Ltd
Number of Pages: 454
First Sentence: "When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."
Goodreads Rating: 5/5

Plot:
In a dark vision in the near future, twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live TV show called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed.

When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survuval is second nature.

My thoughts:
I cannot believe that I've waited this long to read this book. Extremely late to the party but I'm happy that I finally arrived. I mean, I've seen the films but that doesn't count (although they are great as well). This is a fantastic book that is so hard to put down. I literally had to pace myself since I do not yet own the other two and have to buy them soon. But I couldn't help myself and finished it in two days. It is just so amazing.

Katniss is just wonderful. The fact that she is only 16-years old hardly ever shows, she is an extremely mature character. She proves from the start that she is not one to go down without a fight, and although she has moments of doubts she never fully stops fighting for her life.

Peeta is lovely and just so charming. Haymitch a lovable drunk, Effie the obnoxious but still lovely escort for the games and Cinna who I just adore. There are so many other characters, including Katniss family and Gale, the rest of the tributes and the inhabitants of the Capitol. that are so well-written and adds so much to the story.

As a reader you are kept in constans suspense, I honestly can't say that I was bored during anytime whilst reading this book. Fantastic language, the world is so amazingly thought up and the characters are as said just fantastic.

Do I recommend it?
Oh God YES!! If you haven't read these books yet go ahead. I'll buy and read the other two as soon as possible.