28 augusti 2011

In my mailbox (23)

This week my mailbox has been sadly empty - of books that is. Otherwise I have gotten loads of great things. Like my new driver's license with my new name on it, a new credit card with my name on it and my first paycheck (although the money of course goes directly into my bank account) from my new job.

But books - none, zilch, zero, nada. I'm hoping for a better week next time.



26 augusti 2011

Book Blogger Hop (6)


The Book Blogger Hop is a place for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  Hosted by Crazy for Books,  this weekly meme is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, get to know someone new and basically just share our love of books! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list! 

This week's question:
Non-book-related this week. Do you have pets?


I do not have any pets. The main reason is that I am allergic to furred animals, as are my sisters. We did have two leopard geckos for a couple of years though, back when I was around 13-14 years old. 


Lizards were not all that having pets was cracked up to be. It's not like you could take them out and cuddle them; they'd just run away and hide in the sofa. Once they escaped the terrarium during the night and it took us two days and much lizard poop later to find them again (among the cables behind the TV where it was nice and warm). And the live crickets that they had for a diet wasn't all that pleasant either. When we sold our house and moved to an apartment we gave them away. 

In the future, me and my husband are looking into maybe getting fish.

23 augusti 2011

Review: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Plot: 17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts.After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them... (Summary from goodreads.com)

My opinion: What originally drew me in was the gorgeous cover. I just love the blue dress and red heals. The premise also sounded unique and the love story promising. So, did it live up to my expectations? Yes, it did! I found this a rather intriguing read that I finished in a few short sittings (although portioned out over a few days). Despite the fact that I just started a new job and have had loads of new things to do, resulting in a very tired me, I kept turning the pages late in the evening. I just had to find out what would happen next!

I really liked Lila, who was a character that I easily could relate too (though I don't master telekinesis and my mother is very much alive) and that I cared about. Alex really was a swoon-worthy love interest and Lila's all-life crush on him is easy to understand. There was good tension there..

The only thing that was a downer for me about this novel was the way too open end and the obvious pass to the coming sequel. I don't mind a series when the author is this good, the premise this exciting and the romance this... romantic, but I do wish that even books that are part of a series could have an actual ending too.

Hunting Lila was a fast paced, funny, compelling and romantic debut novel and there were few dull moments. This truly is a great novel and you should read it!

21 augusti 2011

In my mailbox (22)

 In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and is a way for everyone to share their new books with the world: bought, gifted, won, borrowed or from the library. All links go to Goodreads.


Bought:




Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I only got one book this week, but then again, what a book! Another book that I pre-ordered ages ago but that finally found its way home to me. I realize I might be the last one on earth who hasn't read this book yet, but then I have something to look forward to. *swoon*

20 augusti 2011

UK / US / Sweden

I do love beautiful covers so much that I sometimes wait for months to the book with the prettiest cover. This is a feature which compares covers from the UK, the US and Sweden.


Amy & Roger's Epic Detour


UK / US / Sweden


What's interesting about the covers this time is that the US and Swedish cover actually use the same cover, just that the crop is a tad different. On the US version we see more leg and on the Swedish cover part of Amy's face and hair. The UK cover consist of momentums from the actual detour so it might fit better with the storyline, but it just doesn't cut it for me. As I've said before, I much prefer covers with people on them so this week it's a tie between US and Swedish, because let's face it, they're basically the same.

16 augusti 2011

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Anyone can play along! 


Just do the following: 
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  •  Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 




"There was a crease by his eyes that looked suspiciously like the beginnings of a laughter line. I felt a pang of jealousy that someone else was making him laugh, getting to hear him laugh." 

 - p. 24 Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson


15 augusti 2011

Book Blogger Hop (5)


The Book Blogger Hop is a place for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  Hosted by Crazy-For-Books,  this weekly meme is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, get to know someone new and basically just share our love of books! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list! 

This week's question:
Let's talk crazy book titles! Highlight one or two (or as many as you like!) titles in your personal collection that have the most interesting titles! If you can't find any, feel free to find one on the Internet!

I've always been very interesting is looking at and comparing translations of original book titles. It was almost as hobby of mine when I was little, comparing the original English title with the Swedish translation and trying to understand what went through their minds when translating. There were some crazy translations. And there might not be many doing it the other way around, translating from Swedish to English, but there is one very current example of this, namely the English translations of Stieg Larsson's triolgy about Lisbeth Salander. Except for number two, the translated titles have practically no connection with the original ones what so ever. So here they go:
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (original: Män som hatar kvinnor - Men who hate women)
The Girl Who Played With Fire (original: Flickan som lekte med elden - The Girl Who Played With Fire)
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest (original: Luftslottet som sprängdes - The Air Castle Which Got Blown Up)

Another title that I really like because it tells me exactly what kind of book I'm holding is Ali McNamara's From Notting Hill with Love... Actually. Loving both of those movies, I just knew I had to have this book! 

14 augusti 2011

Review: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Plot: When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food. 

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty comes a strikingly original look at friendship, love, and sisterhood—in a future that is eerily believable. (Summary from goodreads.com)

My opinion: I was really excited to dive into this one, and maybe my expectations were sat a bit too high. There were things I enjoyed and things I did not enjoy with the novel. Perhaps it was the point of the novel, but I found it rather creepy. Both the world where Melody lives, where teenage girls are baby machines and Harmony's Godside, where the people are being brainwashed by religion. I hope no-one takes offense now, but I have a really hard time with religious mumbo jumbo, disregarding of religion.

In the beginning, it was difficult for me to keep track of which MC was narrating at the time and I had to go back to the start of each chapter to see and then turn to the blurb on the back to see which was which. The end did not appeal to me at all since there really wasn't any, just an almost cliff-hanger to the next books (if there even is one coming... if not, the end is even more disappointing). 

The premise though, was interesting and though-provoking for sure, and I really liked Zen. He seemed like the only sane person in a loony bin. For all its flaws, I did find the novel intriguing enough to keep on reading and finished it rather quickly.

In my mailbox (21)

 In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren
Links go to The Book Depository.




Gifted:

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne
The Reading Owl from Graceful Reads was kind enough to send me this as a RAK this month and I'm really exited to start reading it. This is the first in a series and it sounds great.



Bought:

Bumped by Megan McCafferty
I pre-ordered this ages ago and it finally arrived this week. I was very much into dystopia when I ordered it and I might just get back into it with this novel. I've already started it and it is promising so far.

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson
This really was an impulse buy. I just fell for the cover, the premise and the hint of a love story. Sold.



What did you get?

12 augusti 2011

Busy bee

I know I haven't posted anything lately, and I'm sorry. I've just been so über-busy with renovating our new house and all. We've been there every weekend, every evening for the past month. We do listen to Harry Potter but my ordinary reading suffers greatly.

So as crazy as it may sound, when I start work again next week after the summer vacation I'll get some more reading done. After all, the train to work is the place where I get most reading done. So just be patient.

7 augusti 2011

In my mailbox (20)

 In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren
Links go to The Book Depository.



Bought:




 Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
Outside In by Maria V. Snyder



 




 What was in your mailboxes?

5 augusti 2011

Book Blogger Hop (4)


The Book Blogger Hop is a place for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  Hosted by Crazy-For-Books,  this weekly meme is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, get to know someone new and basically just share our love of books! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list! 

This week's question:
What is the once ARC you would love to get your hands on right now?


That's an easy one! I just finished Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson and I adored it! I just read that she will release a new book in June next year (Second chance summer) and I would love to get my hands on that ASAP. If it's even half as good as her first novel it's gonna rock!

Review: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Plot: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew—just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road—diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards—this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself. (Summary from goodreads.com)

My opinion: Oh. My. God! I absolutely loved this book! It is amazing, probably the best one I read all year!

It might have started off a little slow, but once I got into it, it was impossible to stop reading. For me, the proof of how much I like a book is obvious judging by my reading MO. With this one, I really wanted to read every free second because I had to know what happened next, but I stopped myself and forced myself to read slowly--to savor it. I didn't want to miss a single word.

I loved that we got to take part of Amy's traveling scrapbook and whenever I came across one of Roger's play lists I got the urge to listen to them on Spotify. But I always found myself reading the novel rather far away from a computer with an Internet connection to sadly I never had access to Spotify (which might be one of the top inventions ever...) so I just never got around to doing it. I also got this yearning for road tripping through the US... any volunteers?

What I liked best about the novel though were not the fast food receipts but the main characters. They were two people that I as a reader really cared about. Amy is easy to related to, even though you haven't been in her situation and I like the writing technique of letting us get to know her by letting us see glimpses of her past. Roger being calm and respectful is not only a great company for Amy on her journey of self-discovery but finds that he changes too. A road trip is bound to be life-altering and one as epic as this one definitely was, for both characters. 

I'm not gonna say anything more because I don't want to spoil anything, but wow this novel blew me away! You have to read it!

4 augusti 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

I know, I know, we might have been the last people on earth to go and see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2, but during the weekend me and my husband went to catch it at the movies. If you, against all odds, have not yet seen the movie - stop reading now as this post will contain spoilers.




I have loved the movies, all of them, and I think that this was a worthy ending to a great series. Finally, Ron and Hermione got together. We've only been waiting for a few movies now...

But that was not my favorite part. That was Snape's memory in the pensieve. I'm so glad that he finally got his vindication. When he Avada Kedavra'd Dumbledore in part 1, I was utterly convinced that it was all part of some elaborate scam and that Dumbledoer was in on it. I'm so glad I was right! That memory scene might have been the best during the entire series, if you ask me.And I was very moved that Harry had named one of his children Severus.

I am, however, not suffering from PPD (Post-Potter Depression) although they actually had a spot on the news about it. It's almost actually the other way around; I am no more interested. I have to admit that I've only read the first two books, back when they were first published, but now I've got all of the audio books (on mp3) narrated by the fantastic Stephen Fry and I listen to them a lot now that me and my husband work on renovation our new (yet very old) house. We've gotten to HP and the Goblet of Fire so far.

My husband is not as thrilled as I am, since they're in English and all, so he's just letting me play it to be nice, but I love it. You know, it's like an extended version of the movies, you get to know so much more.

1 augusti 2011

July RAK Wrap-Up

It´s August so if you want to participate in Random Acts of Kindness this month, you can sign up here.





Book Soulmates



I participated in my first RAK in July, so I should perhaps not be so surprised that I didn't receive any book this month. The odds just weren't in my favor. However, I did sent two RAK's though. I decided to reward a few European blogers (outside of the UK) since we're often left out of great giveaways. This is what I sent this month:




The Dead-Tossed Waves
to Nikita @ Leafy Books











The Summer I Turned Pretty
to TheReadingOwl @ Graceful Reads









You know what they say: It's better to give than to receive. Let's just say that they both seemed happy with their novels.
  
Myself, I'm hoping for a better August.