In My Mailbox (#8)

Here are the books I got this week!

From Library:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Description (from Goodreads):
After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.
(I've read some pretty good reviews of this book so I decided to put it to my TBR pile. Hopefully it is as good as the reviews tell.)






Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange
Description (from Goodreads):
Amanda Grange continues her series of much-loved Jane Austen retellings with "Captain Wentworth's Diary". It is 1806, and the Napoleonic wars are ravaging Europe. Frederick Wentworth, a brilliant young man with a flourishing career in the navy, is spending his shore leave in Somerset, where he meets and falls in love with Anne Elliot. The two become engaged, but Anne's godmother persuades Anne to change her mind, leaving Wentworth to go back to sea a bitter and disappointed man. Eight years pass, and peace is declared. Wentworth is no longer a young man with his way to make in the world, but a seasoned captain with a fortune at his disposal. He is ready to marry anyone with a little beauty who pays a few compliments to the navy - or so he says - until he sees Anne. Anne's bloom has faded, yet she has the same sensibilities and superior mind she had eight years earlier, and before he knows it, he is falling in love with her all over again. Can there be a happy outcome for them this time around, or have they lost their chance of love forever?

(I am currently reading Mr. Knightley's diary by Amanda Grange. I can't wait to get into this one since I've heard that it is one of the best Austen hero diaries by Amanda Grange.)

Bought:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K.Rowling
Description (from Goodreads):
In December 2007, J.K. Rowling unveiled The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a very special book of five fairy tales illustrated by the bard herself, embellished with silver ornaments and mounted moonstones. Amazon was fortunate to come into possession of one of the original copies, and it was our privilege to share images and reviews of this incredible artifact. Now J.K. Rowling is giving millions of Harry Potter fans worldwide cause for celebration with a new edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, available December 4, 2008.

Offering the trademark wit and imagination familiar to Rowling's legions of readers--as well as Aesop's wisdom and the occasional darkness of the Brothers Grimm--each of these five tales reveals a lesson befitting children and parents alike: the strength gained with a trusted friendship, the redemptive power of love, and the true magic that exists in the hearts of all of us. Rowling's new introduction also comments on the personal lessons she has taken from the Tales, noting that the characters in Beedle's collection "take their fates into their own hands, rather than taking a prolonged nap or waiting for someone to return a lost shoe," and "that magic causes as much trouble as it cures."

But the true jewel of this new edition is the enlightening and comprehensive commentary (including extensive footnotes!) by Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who brings his unique wizard's-eye perspective to the collection. Discovered "among the many papers which Dumbledore left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives," the venerable wizard's ruminations on the Tales allow today's readers to place them in the context of 16th century Muggle society, even allowing that "Beedle was somewhat out of step with his times in preaching a message of brotherly love for Muggles" during the era of witch hunts that would eventually drive the wizarding community into self-imposed exile. In fact, versions of the same stories told in wizarding households would shock many for their uncharitable treatment of their Muggle characters.

Professor Dumbledore also includes fascinating historical backstory, including tidbits such as the history and pursuit of magic wands, a brief comment on the Dark Arts and its practitioners, and the struggles with censorship that eventually led "a certain Beatrix Bloxam" to cleanse the TalesTales, remarking that it was through "Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump" that "many of us [wizards] first discovered that magic could not bring back the dead." of "much of the darker themes that she found distasteful," forever altering the meaning of the stories for their Muggle audience. Dumbledore also allows us a glimpse of his personal relationship to the

Both a wise and delightful addition to the Harry Potter canon, this new translation of The Tales of Beedle the Bard is all that fans could hope for and more--and an essential volume for the libraries of Muggles, wizards, and witches, both young and old.

(I found this one from sale, it only cost 1.50€! I don't have all the Harry Potter books in my collection yet, I need to start to buy them too since I really love them.)

Won:

How to be Bad by Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski and E.Lockhart

Description (from Goodreads):

Vicks is the wild child whose boyfriend has gone suspiciously quiet since he left for college; Mel is the newcomer desperate to be liked; and Jesse will do anything to avoid a life-altering secret. Each one has her own reason for wanting to get the heck out of their nowheresville town, even just for the weekend. So they climb into Jesse's mom's "borrowed" station wagon and head south.

From the Author:

Willoughby's Return: A Tale of Almost Irresistible Temptation by Jane Odiwe

Description (from Goodreads):

A lost love returns, rekindling forgotten passions…

In Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, when Marianne Dashwood marries Colonel Brandon, she puts her heartbreak over dashing scoundrel John Willoughby in the past.

Three years later, Willoughby's return throws Marianne into a tizzy of painful memories and exquisite feelings of uncertainty. Willoughby is as charming, as roguish, and as much in love with her as ever. And the timing couldn't be worse—with Colonel Brandon away and Willoughby determined to win her back, will Marianne find the strength to save her marriage, or will the temptation of a previous love be too powerful to resist?

So what did you get this week?

Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger

Eternal on the Water will be published February 2010 by Pocket Books.

Cobb and Mary. From the second they meet each other they know they are destined to be together. They really are quite perfect to each other; both teachers, both passionate about something and at the moment they meet, both going to the same direction.

The story begins by foreshadowing what is going to happen in the end; Mary is going to die. Cobb starts to tell the story about their love to a ranger and that way the reader gets to know the story as well. I really liked the way Monninger starts up this book. All the way from the beginning I knew that the end of the book would be sad but also filled with love.

The language Monninger made me speechless at some points, it felt like I was reading poetry. The beautiful descriptions of landscape and the feelings between Mary and Cobb really bring the place the book is taking a place alive and emphasize the love between the two main characters.

With Cobb and Mary, the reader gets a change to travel to New Hampshire, Maine, Yellow Stone National park and Indonesia. All these different places somehow represent the stages of Mary and Cobb's relationship.

I really enjoyed Eternal on the Water. The story is really beautiful, as I said before, and that author has really done his research is writing this. The only minus I could say is the total perfection of the character, especially Cobb. That made the story a bit unrealistic. But we have to consider the fact that Cobb is telling the story right after Mary's death so probably he does not want to think about the bad things and just tells the wonderful things in their relationship.

The ones who love Nicholas Sparks should definitely check this book out!

'The Sweet by and by' by Sarah Evans with Rachel Hauck

Description (goodreads):
A redemptive story from multi-platinum recording artist Sara Evans.
Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago. Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Benson's love.

But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister. Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark closets of her past--the insecurity of living with a restless, wandering mother, the silence of her absent father, and the heart-ripping pain of first-love's rejection.

Turns out Beryl has a secret of her own. She needs reconciliation with her oldest daughter before illness takes her life. In the final days leading to the wedding, Jade meets the One who shows her that the past has no hold on her future. With a little grace, they'll meet in the middle, maybe even before that sweet by and by.

My thoughts: Jade has found the perfect man. Max loves Jade more that anything and they are planning their dream wedding. Everything seems to be well but there is a storm inside Jade-- she has a lot of things to go through before she can be completely happy and marry Max. Also Max has his own secrets which he has to reveal before they can be happy and live without secrets.

I really liked this book. The characters are realistic (in some books the perfection of the characters makes me mad). Jade feels like a type of person I would love to have as my friend. She is interested about vintage and she has her own store. She is funny, loving, caring and independent. She has had some major problems with her family, especially with her mother, and she believes that she will never be able to solve those problems.

You could call this book 'Christian fiction'. I would not categorize it there because Jesus, God and religion are quite lightly portrayed in this book. So even though you're not religious (I'm not) you totally can read this book without thinking it to be too religious.

The Sweet by and by is a lovely story about past and future. It is a story about old and new love. It is a story about mother and a daughter who have lifted apart. It is a story about a woman who must go back to his past to get on with her life.

In My Mailbox (#7)

Sorry, this is a day late, I messed up with days.

This week I only got 2 books from library. I am really excited to read these both:

Mr Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange

Description (from goodreads):
Relive Jane Austen's Emma- from Mr. Knightley's point of view.

Between managing his estate and visiting his brother in London, Mr. Knightley is both exasperated and amused by his irresistibly beautiful, outrageously mischievous neighbor, Emma Woodhouse, whose misguided attempts at matchmaking are wreaking havoc in the village of Highbury.

But when a handsome newcomer arrives and catches Emma's attention, Mr. Knightley is shocked by his reaction. Amusement gives way to another emotion entirely-for his unreasonable dislike of the handsome newcomer seems suspiciously like jealousy.

For You Alone (Captain Frederick Wentworth: Book 2) by Susan Kaye

Description (from Goodreads):

How could he have failed to know himself so completely? Captain Frederick Wentworth, lately returned to England from a distinguished naval career fighting Napoleon, had re-visited the scene of his romantic defeat of eight years previous at the hands of Miss Anne Elliot to find his former love a pale, worn shadow of herself. Attracted by the libely young ladies in the area who regarded him as a hero, he had ignored Anne and entangled himself with Louisa Musgrove, a headstrong young woman who seemed all that Anne was not. Now, because of his careless behviour and Louisa's heedlessness, his future appeared tied to her just at the moment when it had become painfully clear that Anne was still everything he truly wanted. In honour, he belonged to Louisa, but his heart was full of Anne. What was he to do?

PREMIERE TONIGHT

I am a member of the Drama Guild of my school. I do sounds for this years play, The Love of Three Oranges. Today is a big day since our play is premiering 6pm Finnish time. I am so excited that we are able to present what we have to others, it is going to be great! Wish me and all the other luck!

Fictional Lover of the Week: Nicholas Devereaux

It has been forever since I last time posted Fictional lover of the Week. Sorry. I never actually posted about Mr. Darcy because of the Christmas madness. I will postpone him to some special occasion, since he is one of my top favorite ones and post about Nicholas Devereaux, a fictional guy from the Princess Diaries 2 movie.

Nicholas Devereaux
-fictional character played by Chris Pine
-meets Mia Thermopolis, the princess of Genovia, for the first time at a ball dedicated to Mia
-Mia and Nicholas dance and there definitely is some chemistry between them until Mia learns that Nicholas is actually the guy who is against her in the battle of the throne of Genovia (actually it is Nicholas' uncle [if I remember right] but Nicholas would be the one taking the throne)
-Mia says that she cannot stand Nicholas but infact she is already in love with him
-Just like in fairytales, there is the happily ever after when the problems are solved between Mia, Nicholas and the rulers of Genovia

I love Nicholas as a character because he is funny, charming and extremely handsome. The is the prince charming of the movie even though it does not feel like that from the beginning. I love Chris Pine and I think that he is excellent in this movie. He is someway so "normal looking" but still extremely handsome.

Some of you might already know that I simply adore the Princess Diaries books by Meg Cabot. I've been asked many times that doesn't it make me mad that the story of Mia is done so differently in the movies. Actually, it does not. I love the books as they are and I think that the movies are great as movies. Since there are 10 books, it would be hard (and probably in the end a little boring for the ones who haven't read the books) to make 10 movies. So I think it is perfectly okay to alter the story a little and do 2 great, romantic movies. I must say I was little disappointed at first when I saw that Michael is not in the second movie since he is one of my favorite fictional guys too, but luckily Nicholas is almost as perfect as Michael. :)

I will post something about Chris Pine during the weekend!

Guest blog From Bonnie Doerr, the author of Island Sting

Today I want to introduce you to Bonnie Doerr, the author of Island Sting. This is my first guest blog ever, lets see how it goes.

From Bonnie Doerr, author of Island Sting

And so you ask, how do I get beyond rough spots in the writing process…

I often, too often, reread a passage of my work and freak out at the crude writing I have done. I wrote better stuff than this in high school. Other times I’m fearful of the blank, blinding–white screen daring me to mar its purity with my feeble thoughts. At moments like these I used to fold the top down on my keyboard in misery, only to wander around the house muttering, whining, and frantically searching for chocolate. One day the worst kind of disaster struck. Not a crumb of chocolate to be found.

Just in time, a revelation! I found cocoa in the cabinet. A cup of hot chocolate used to cheer me as a child. I reached for one of my treasured pottery pieces. This chocolate needed heavy duty backup to lighten my spirits. This chocolate needed presentation. This chocolate must be enhanced by the sensual feel and look of a unique, handmade work of art. No ordinary cloned mug was up to the task.

That day I devised the vision that now rescues me from paralyzing despair when my work is drivel or worse. I think about potters. The ceramic artist begins with bags, buckets, or handfuls of particles that to anyone else look like nothing more than rock fragments and dirt. One might think the artist is preparing to play in a sandbox. And in a way, play is what it’s all about. The artist messes with these materials, adding water and whatever other bits of clay, sand, or minerals are needed. And when the mixture feels right, step by step the ceramicist brings a vision to life.

The clay must be worked well, pounded, rolled, slapped around a bit until it is consistent. Then it is pulled, turned, carved, pinched, rearranged. Sometimes again and again until it nearly matches the potter’s vision. Pieces are torn or cut off. Others are added. It sits and rests, not forgotten, but maintained. The dream rests, then the artist returns to the work with renewed vision.

I think of the potters I have known to push me through rough spots in the work of writing. Think of it as play, not work, I tell myself. If a ceramicist can create a miracle out of such humble beginnings, I can play with my own raw materials. The potter doesn’t expect the first mix of materials to be perfect. A potter doesn’t assume each step of the creation will go perfectly. The potter expects much shaping, trimming, and reworking of a piece. She or he even knows that, after the piece is shaped, dried, and the final touches of glaze added, it could blow up in the kiln. Why should I not accept the same insecurities? Why don’t I look at it all as clay?

If I put drivel on a page, why should it send me screaming as if I’ve lost my way? Rather, I must look at those weak words and phrases as the raw material of my craft. I should be grateful that I have already procured my raw materials. They are there for me to shape, trim, rearrange, and pour on the glaze. And hope it doesn’t all blow up in end. But if it does? Well, there are plenty of raw materials for the next play period. Why should I fear the blank page? My raw materials are free and much easier to acquire than those of the potter. I always have them near. I don’t even need technology. Letters, words, thoughts. Put them on the page. Mix them up. Trim the excess. It’s all in the art of play. A lousy bit of writing? A blank page? No problem. These are simply the raw material from which a vision can be shaped.

I believe this. I do. I really do. I believe. I believe. I believe.

Island Sting by Bonnie Doerr is out NOW! For more information click here!

I want to thank Bonnie and Leap Books for giving me this opportunity to post this in Read Read Read.

In My Mailbox (#6)

Sorry, I've been extremely busy, haven't have time to read/post properly for the whole week. :(

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. It gives us opportunity to introduce the books we've bought/received/got from library during the past week. Here are my books, from the link you can go to goodreads and read more information about the book.

Bought:
-Krik?Krak! by Edwidge Dandicat
-Throne of Jade (Temeraine, #2) by Naomi Novik
-The Gathering by Anne Enright
-Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore
-Hitler's Empire: Nazi Rule in Occupied Europe by Mark Mazover
-Ekaterinburg: The Last Days of the Romanovs by Helen Rappaport
-The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

For Review:
-Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger
-The Sweet by and by by Sarah Evans and Rachel Hauck

From Library:
None But You (Captain Frederick Wentworth: Book 1) by Susan Kaye
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

So what did you get this week?

Btw, I must mention this. I've watch four amazing movies this week which you all should check out:
- Inglorious Bastards
- Leap Year (Matthew Goode is so YUMMY)
- The Lovely Bones
- Adam

In My Mailbox (#5)

A Weekly meme hosted by Kristi of the Story Siren.

From mail:

Mark Cotta Vaz- New Moon, The Official Illustrated Movie Companion
Description (from Goodreads):
Explore the making of the film New Moon in this ultimate visual companion, lavishly illustrated with full-color photos of the cast, locations, and sets. This beautiful paperback edition celebrates the onscreen creation of Stephenie Meyer's fascinating world, brought to life by Academy Award(R)-nominated director Chris Weitz.

With never-before-seen images, exclusive interviews and personal stories, renowned author Mark Cotta Vaz takes you behind the scenes with cast and crew, uncovering intimate details of the filmmaking process.
I got this one from the Jane Austen Ladies Society Secret Santa event. Thank you so much Cheryl, this book is a real treasure!

Jean Davies Okimoto- The Love Ceiling
Description (from Goodreads):
After the death of her Japanese American mother, sixty-four-year-old Anne Kuroda Duppstadt finds the courage to confront the toxic legacy of her father, a famous artist and cruel narcissist. When a former art professor invites her to his island art studio, she begins pursuing her lifelong dream to become an artist in her own right. But the needs of her family tug at her heart. Her thirty-two-year old daughter s love life is falling apart, and Annie s husband, facing retirement, struggles with depression, leading her to conclude, There is a glass ceiling for women...and it s made out of the people we love.
I got this one from the LibraryThing members giveaway. I already read this one, you can check out my review below.

From library:

Lois Lowry- The Giver
Description: (from Goodreads)
In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders.
This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are "released"--to great celebration--at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also "released," but with no fanfare.

Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world.

With a storyline that hints at Christian allegory and an eerie futuristic setting, this intriguing novel calls to mind John Christopher's Tripods trilogy and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers.

This one sounds really good, can't wait to read it. I think this is a series. If this book is good I will definitely check out the other books as well.

Alice Sebold- Oma Taivas (Finnish translation of 'The Lovely Bones')
Description: (from Goodreads)
When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn't happen. In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief, her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor and begin the difficult process of healing. In the hands of a brilliant novelist, this story of seemingly unbearable tragedy is transformed into a suspenseful and touching story about family, memory, love, heaven, and living.

I really want to read this book before the movie comes out here in Finland. I wanted to read the English copy but since I don't have too much money to spend at the moment and the library had the Finnish translation of the book I think I will just read it.

P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast- Betrayed
Description (from Goodreads):
Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

I have to get the first book from somewhere before reading this one!

Gail Carson Levine- Ella Enchanted
Description (from Goodreads):
At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery, trying to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you've ever read.
Gail Carson Levine's examination of traditional female roles in fairy tales takes some satisfying twists and deviations from the original. Ella is bound by obedience against her will, and takes matters in her own hands with ambition and verve. Her relationship with the prince is balanced and based on humor and mutual respect; in fact, it is she who ultimately rescues him. Ella Enchanted has won many well-deserved awards, including a Newbery Honor.

I love the movie Ella Enchanted and I hope that the book is as good as the movie.

L.J. Smith- The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and the Dark Reunion
Description (from Goodreads):

Elena: transformed, the golden girl has become what she once feared and desired.

Stefan: tormented by losing Elena, he's determined to end his feud with Damon once and for all—whatever the cost. But slowly he begins to realize that his brother is not his only enemy.

Damon: at last, he possesses Elena. But will his thirst for revenge against Stefan poison his triumph? Or can they come together to face one final battle?

Collected here in one edition are the third and fourth volumes of The Vampire Diaries, a riveting conclusion to the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

I have to get the previous two books before reading this one!

So, what did you get this week?

The Love Ceiling by Jean Davies Okimoto

Description (from Goodreads):
After the death of her Japanese American mother, sixty-four-year-old Anne Kuroda Duppstadt finds the courage to confront the toxic legacy of her father, a famous artist and cruel narcissist. When a former art professor invites her to his island art studio, she begins pursuing her lifelong dream to become an artist in her own right. But the needs of her family tug at her heart. Her thirty-two-year old daughter s love life is falling apart, and Annie s husband, facing retirement, struggles with depression, leading her to conclude, There is a glass ceiling for women...and it s made out of the people we love.

My thoughts: I really thought this book would be boring and one of those books I cannot finish. The cause of that thought is the fact that I knew that the book will be about 60 something woman, does not sound very interesting for a young reader like me. I am happy to say that I totally disagree with my first thought now when I have read the book.

Annie seems to be the perfect wife, perfect mother and otherwise perfect. She really is, I think she is adorable character. I love the fact that even though Annie seems perfect there are problems in her life. Biggest of the problems in her 80 something father, a famous artist Alexander Gunther. For her whole like Annie has been despised by her father. With the love of her mother and later on with the love of her husband, Jack, she has gone on. When her mother dies, everything changes. The last wish of Annie's mother was that Annie would start to paint again. As a teenager Annie's father told Annie that she does not have the talent to paint and she stopped and believed her father. Now, with the couragement of Fred, an old artist and a new friend Annie starts to try to paint again and discovers her talent once more.. this time without her father's "advice".

Cass, Annie's 30 something daughter hasn't been herself for a while. When she gets to know that her boyfriend Richard has been laying to her for a long time everything changes. Cass is in a new situation and it takes her time to discover a way to go on. With the help of her friends and family Cass eventually finds the new happiness to her life.

'The Love Ceiling' is amazingly written book about growth, past and future. It is a beautiful story about a woman who on her old age realizes that there are so many things she wants to do and she has to start to do them now since she does not know how much time she has left. The adorable characters and the story itself make this book a wonderful read!

On My Wishlist (#3)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City. It allows us to share books which we want to read but haven't read/bought yet. My list is getting longer and longer everyday and today I will post about couple new additions.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Synopsis (B&N):

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Probably everyone else than me has read this book! I really want to read it since the synopsis sounds great and this book has got amazing reviews. The Finnish translation will be published at February but I would really like to read this in English.

Living Death Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Synopsis (B&N):

Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared.

Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.

Once upon a time, I didn't know how lucky I was.

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends — her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

I've been wanting to read books by Elizabeth Scott for such a long time. I cannot find any of her books from the local library (not a suprise though, they do not have that much of YA books in their collection) and I even did this proposal so they could order some of her books. I need to check out the status of my proposal today. :)

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

Synopsis (B&N): One pregnancy. Four friends. It all adds up to a profound time of change in this poignant, sensitively written YA novel.

Ellie remembers how the boys kissed her. Touched her. How they
begged for more. And when she gave it to them, she felt loved. For a
while anyway. So when Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life, leads her from a party to the backseat of his van, Ellie follows. But their "one-time thing" is far from perfect: Ellie gets pregnant. Josh reacts with shame and heartbreak, while their confidantes, Caleb and Corinne, deal with their own complex swirl of emotions. No matter what Ellie chooses, all four teenagers will be forced to grow up a little faster as a result. Told alternately from each character’s point of view, this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one fragile girl’s life — and the realities of leaving innocence behind.

What caught my eye was the cover of this book, I love it! The synopsis sounds really good too!

My books-to-buy list gets bigger and bigger every day. I am going to London later on the spring and I've been doing this list of books I want to buy from there and I think I will have to start to take books out of the list because it is already massive! I possibly can't bring all those books I would like to back home. Or maybe if I ask my friends to take the books don't fit to my bag to their bags... ;)

Okey, those 3 books will do for this week. I need to get back working with the sounds for our play. Gosh, only 17 days for the premiere! And there is some ski jumping coming from the TV, yay!

Teaser Tuesdays (#2)

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!

Teaser from The Love Ceiling by Jean Davies Okimoto:

"My heart ached for my mother. When she was alive she'd never miss one of his openings, and not just because it was expected of her and she was, at her core, conscientious and dutiful."

New Year's Read A Thon: Wrap Up

This New Year's read a thon thing was so much fun even though I am bit disappointed since I did not read as much as I would have liked to.

My reading hours:
Thursday- ZERO (this is very special day for me because normally I read at least a little EVERY DAY)
Friday- 3 hours (One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Lost Symbol)
Saturday- 6 hours (One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Lost Symbol)
Sunday- 4 hours (The Lost Symbol, my history book, Being Elizabeth Bennet-Create your own Jane Austen adventure)

So my total is: 13 hours!

The thing I am most happy about is the fact that I was able to finish One Hundred Years of Solitude. That is going to help me so much when the school starts and I am going to talk myself over and over again. I am still reading 'the Lost Symbol', I will probably start another book and read them at the same time. There are some review titles coming up (more about them later) which I can't wait to read. :)

Awards, New Year's read a thon and Ski Jumping

I have gotten some great awards! Thank you so much!


I received this "Be Friends" award from Velvet of vvb32 reads. Thank you so much!

The award is for:
Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to 8 bloggers.


Circle of Friends Award which I received from the O.W.L. Thank you!

For this award I must mention 5 things I love:
1. Books
2. Star Trek
3. Facebook
4. London
5. Weekends

It is extremely hard for me to choose for who to give this awards for because I would love to give them to every blogger I follow (probably like 200 bloggers) so I will not pass them on right now.

Read A Thon: Today I've been reading for only about 2 hours. I am not really sure of my total amount of hours read at the moment, I will do a wrap up post tomorrow with the total hours spent for reading during the weekend.

I'm not sure have I mentioned it before, but I simply love Ski Jumping. The thing is that in ski jumping Finns even have a change to win, which is pretty rare. Today there was a world cup competition at Innsbruck and Janne Ahonen, probably the best ski jumper in Finland was on 3rd place, which is pretty cool. Gregor Schlierenzauer from Austria won the competition. He is an amazing athlete, he is only 19 years old and he is talented! I always cheer for him if the Finnish guys are not doing well. :) And well, I would say that he is pretty much an eye candy! Me likey!

In My Mailbox (#4)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Won:
Arizona: Book 2 (Beautiful Dead #2) by Eden Maguire
Published: October 2009 by Hodder Children's Books
Description (Goodreads):
There's been no sign of the Beautiful Dead for weeks. Darina achingly misses Phoenix all over again. But surely he will return with the rest of the Beautiful Dead as so much still remains unresolved. It's been ten months since Arizona drowned in Hartmann Lake. Suicide, it would seem. But something doesn't add up. Drowning herself in a hidden-away lake does not sound like strong, confident, Arizona: Ellerton High School's high-maintenance drama queen. Darina needs to help Arizona the way she helped Jonas. But time is running out ...

This is a second book of a series and I haven't read the first book. Do you think I must read the first one before this one? This book sounds REALLY good and I want to read it, but if I am not going to understand it completely without the first book I will wait that I get it from somewhere. I just love the cover of this book, so beautiful.

LIBRARY:
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Published: September 2009 by Transworld Publ. Ltd UK
Description (from Goodreads):
Robert Langdon flies to Washington after an urgent invitation to speak in the Capitol building. The invitation appears to have come from a friend with copper-bottomed Masonic connections, Peter Solomon. But Langdon has been tricked: Solomon has, in fact, been kidnapped, and (echoing the grisly opening of the last book) a macabre mutilation plunges Langdon into a tortuous quest: his friend’s severed hand lies in the Capitol building, positioned to point to a George Washington portrait – one that shows the father of his country as a pagan deity. The ruthless criminal nemesis here is another terrifying figure in Brown’s gallery of grotesques: Mal’akh, a powerfully built eunuch with a body festooned with tattoos. Mal’akh is seeking a Masonic pyramid that possesses a formidable supernatural power, and a pulse-pounding hunt is afoot, with Langdon stalled rather than aided by the CIA.

I am currently reading this one! I really like it even though at some points I fell like I am reading wikipedia because of all of the information.


Charming the Highlander by Janet Chapman (Highlander #1)
Published: November 2003 by Pocket
Description (from Goodreads):
A feisty beauty tempted by a bold highlander's touch...When a plane crash strands brilliant scientist Grace Sutter on an icy mountaintop in Maine, she finds herself alone in the wilderness with the only other surviving passenger -- Greylen MacKeage,a sexy, medieval warrior who's been tossed through time to find the woman he's destined to love. Forced together to survive the harsh, wintry landscape, neither expects the fierce passion that flares between them. But Grace is not used to letting her heart take control, and Greylen will settle for nothing less than her heart's surrender....

This series came to the local library collection just couple of weeks ago and since my mom works there she was able to take me this copy right away. Can't wait to read it, the cover is so beautiful and the description at least sounds really good.

So what did you get this week?

New Year's Read A Thon update

Today I've been reading for 5 and ½ hours so far. I completed 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' and now I will have time to read 'The Lost Symbol'. I think my total reading hours at this point is something like 8 and half hours, which is pretty good. The best thing is that I was able to finish with OHYOS because when the school starts again I won't have that much of time to read, especially books like that where you must think ALL THE TIME or you get really confused.

So how is your challenge going on?

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Description (from Goodreads):
"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."

It is typical of Gabriel García Márquez that it will be many pages before his narrative circles back to the ice, and many chapters before the hero of One Hundred Years of Solitude, Buendía, stands before the firing squad. In between, he recounts such wonders as an entire town struck with insomnia, a woman who ascends to heaven while hanging laundry, and a suicide that defies the laws of physics:

A trickle of blood came out under the door, crossed the living room, went out into the street, continued on in a straight line across the uneven terraces, went down steps and climbed over curbs, passed along the Street of the Turks, turned a corner to the right and another to the left, made a right angle at the Buendía house, went in under the closed door, crossed through the parlor, hugging the walls so as not to stain the rugs, went on to the other living room, made a wide curve to avoid the dining-room table, went along the porch with the begonias, and passed without being seen under Amaranta's chair as she gave an arithmetic lesson to Aureliano José, and went through the pantry and came out in the kitchen, where Úrsula was getting ready to crack thirty-six eggs to make bread.

"Holy Mother of God!" Úrsula shouted.

The story follows 100 years in the life of Macondo, a village founded by José Arcadio Buendía and occupied by descendants all sporting variations on their progenitor's name: his sons, José Arcadio and Aureliano, and grandsons, Aureliano José, Aureliano Segundo, and José Arcadio Segundo. Then there are the women--the two Úrsulas, a handful of Remedios, Fernanda, and Pilar--who struggle to remain grounded even as their menfolk build castles in the air. If it is possible for a novel to be highly comic and deeply tragic at the same time, then One Hundred Years of Solitude does the trick. Civil war rages throughout, hearts break, dreams shatter, and lives are lost, yet the effect is literary pentimento, with sorrow's outlines bleeding through the vibrant colors of García Márquez's magical realism. Consider, for example, the ghost of Prudencio Aguilar, whom José Arcadio Buendía has killed in a fight. So lonely is the man's shade that it haunts Buendía's house, searching anxiously for water with which to clean its wound. Buendía's wife, Úrsula, is so moved that "the next time she saw the dead man uncovering the pots on the stove she understood what he was looking for, and from then on she placed water jugs all about the house."

My thoughts:
When I started to read this book I did not really have any expectations towards it. My Finnish teacher as well as my mother told me that this book will be pretty hard to read. After this reading experience I totally agree with them. There are many factors which make this book hard to read but also many things that in the end you notice and you understand all the happenings.

One extremely hard thing in reading this book was following the characters. The members of Buendia family always got the same names and it was really hard to follow all the Aurelio's and Jose Arcadio's and many times I had to go back and see which character is told about at the moment. Also following the characters who leave Macondo and come back was pretty hard.

In this book family members have sex together, there are whores, parties and magic. Some parts of this book where extremely funny, some just plain boring. I think that you really must WANT to read this book so you will be able to finish it. I HAD to read this book, we will discuss it in my Finnish class after the break ends.

I was looking for a family tree of the Buendia family and I found many good examples from the Internet. I found this one the best for my purposes.

This was the first review of 2010! YEY! And the first book completed in 2010.

Challenges I can count this book into:

J. Kaye's +100 Reading Challenge
J. Kaye's Support Your Local Libraty reading Challenge
Gilmore Girls reading challenge (category:other)

New Year's Read A Thon

I did not even remember that this read a thon continues through the whole weekend. Great, since I did not really do any reading yesterday. :/

Last night, at the new years eve, my awesome friend Katariina came over to my house. We made some tortillas and salad and ate way too much. A friend from school came over to my place and we were just chatting and gossiping. Just before the midnight we went to this park next to my house to watch the fireworks. After a while we came back to my house; Katariina, me and two guys from the school. We played Alias (girls vs. boys, girls won OF COURSE :D) and watched 'White Chicks', which most be one of the funniest movies ever. The guys left at 6am and Katariina and me watched the first hour of 'The Holiday' just that we could go sleep with Jude Law's face in our eyes. :)

Today I've spend about 2 hours reading 'The Lost Symbol' by Dan Brown. I also read 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' for about an hour. I need to read it for my Finnish class and I feel like I'm stuck with it, the books just keeps repeating itself and I get really confused with the characters. I hope that during this weekend I will be able to finish with 'The Lost Symbol'. I think I will able to do that if I read a lot tomorrow and Sunday. Too bad I also need to read OHYOS at the same time.

More updates coming up tomorrow! :)

2010 Debut Author Challenge

2010 Debut Author Challenge is hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren. If you want to sign up, click here. The goal is to read YA (Young Adult) and MG (Middle Grade) novels published in 2010 written by debut authors.

Some books I would love to read for this challenge:
-Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
-The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
-Princess for Hire by Lindsay Leavitt
-The Mark by Jen Nadol
-The Sky is everywhere by Jandy Nelson

(Since I am a international reader it might be hard for me to find these books from Finnish bookstores/libraries. I will try my best in ordering them online. I will also be going to UK at April so from there I can buy some debut author YA novels.)