2014/06/30

Book Haul: June

I got some new books this month, and I thought I'd show you!

I haven't gotten any new books in quite some time before buying these, mostly because I've been busy graduating. But I'm finally done, and ready to have a summer full of fantastic reads.










I've already started reading The Great Gatsby, and I'm super excited for Across the Universe, since I've heard so many great things about it. Also, excited to read We Were Liars and figure out what all the fuss is about...



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2014/06/29

What Do You Prefer

coffe or tea (hot chocolate, because I'm 12)

books or movies

fruits or vegetables

headphones or earbuds

laptops or pc

facebook or tumblr

netflix or tv

hardcover or paperback

tv or movies

hp or thg

light or dark

salt or pepper

starbucks or dunkin donuts

reading or writing

writing or drawing

hot or cold

talking or listening

instruments or voice

cake or cupcakes

forest or ocean

sunset or sunrise



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2014/06/28

Top 5: Graphic Novels I Want To Read

I've always read a lot, ever since I was a child, but I've never really read any graphic novels. I have read some Spider-Man comic books, but that's as close as I get.

So, I feel like there's this whole word I haven't discovered yet, so I found 5 graphic novels I really want to read. I don't own any of these... yet.
1. Alice in Wonderland by Camille Rose Garcia


I don't really know if this is the actual story with new illustrations, or if the story has been changed, but this art makes me sigh. I've been wanting to reread Alice in Wonderland anyway, so if it's the same, then that's great. If not, it'll be a surprise.

There's also a Snow White graphic novel by the same artist, but I can't find anywhere to buy it, and it's sold out from Garcias website. But maybe if I like this one, I'll get that one too.
2. Blankets by Craig Thompson


Found this on Goodreads, and it has gotten pretty good reviews. I really like the cover, and I think the plot sounds interesting. I think it's about sibling rivalry and love.
Northanger Abbey by Nancy Butler (text), Janet Lee (illustration)


I read this novel by Jane Austen quite some time ago, and it's the only one I've read of her six novels, so I'd like to read this and see if I can remember the story, or get some new perspective on it.
4. The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Suehiro Maruo


What drew me in about this one is the art on the cover. It looks gorgeous! The artist is Japanese and I think the original version was in japanese also. I like asian art, so this looks really compelling.

Not sure what it's about, but it's gotten good reviews. I think it's an adaptation from a novel, but I'm not sure. Either way, would love to read this one.
5. Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa


Last but not least, this sounds like a really interesting. It's about a family; one day three shadows show up at their door, and they know there is no way to escape them. But they can't let go, so they try to run away anyway.

Love the cover, looks sort of creepy and cool.
So, whenever I get around to actually buying some of these, I'll be sure to write reviews. I'm really excited! I think I'll start with the first and the fifth, because they're the ones I find I'm most drawn to.




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2014/06/27

#FridayReads


The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

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2014/06/26

Page vs Screen: The Virgin Suicides

So, I read "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides earlier this year, and I absolutely loved it.

A couple of weeks ago, I watched the movie.

Plot Summary:
Told from the perspective of a group of men, looking back to the days where they lived in the same neighborhood of the five Lisbon sisters. The boys are obsessed with these girls, and they tell the story of the year leading up to the day they commit suicide, trying to solve the mystery.

The Book:
Actually, I was lying before. I didn't love it at first, but I really liked it. Now however, it's sort of grown on me. It just kept buzzing in the back of my head, and I kept thinking about it afterwards.

That's how I know a book has really made an impression.

The writing is absolutely beautiful, and I like how it feels very poetic and very smooth. I also, when I think about it now, realize it's actually a sort of creepy book too.

I also thought it was cool how you almost feel like all the girls move as one organism, just floating around, and how they boys so desperately want to just be near them and touch them and touch the things they've touched. Also very creepy when you think about it.

I really loved how the girls felt like this mystery that I couldn't quite unravel, which is how it feels like for the boys who watch them; the Lisbon sisters are a mystery they will never solve. I really felt a connection to the boys who watch them, I realized how young they were and I really felt their desperation to figure it all out.

5/5

The Movie:
I always feel like you can't get the same enjoyment out of a movie if you've read the book first, because you know everything that's going to happen. It's the same if you watch the movie first, you just sit there waiting for the things that happened in the movie to happen in the book. With this, however, it's a little bit different.

The thing about this story is that everyone knows what's going to happen just by reading the title of the book/movie. They are going to kill themselves, that's inevitable. And the book is told very much like this; we all know it's coming, let's just see how we get there. Because of this, I felt like I enjoyed the movie more than I normally would.

I felt like the movie captured the mood of the book, and I thought it was directed beautifully. I didn't quite feel like the girls had the same air of mystery, but I think that's inevitable when you see something on screen. I really liked they boys though, that they looked so young and acted the way they did, it felt very much like it did in the book.

One of the things I really enjoyed was the Lisbon sisters mother and father. They're quite the characters in the book, and I thought it was translated beautifully to screen.

4/5
Overall, the book made much more of an impression than the movie, but I thought it was a good adaptation, and definitely worth watching.

I do, as usual, prefer the book.




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2014/06/25

Beautiful Books: Classics to Collect

Not too long ago, I decided to start collecting classic works of literature. This was mostly in an effort to get inspired to read more classics, but also because there are just so many beautiful versions one can collect.

So today, I thought I would show you the ones I like the most, and would love to have on my shelves. Whoever says covers aren't important... they haven't seen these.
WORD CLOUD CLASSICS


These are the classics I am currently collecting, and I own around ten.

They are published by Canterbury Classics, and I really love the simplicity of them. They have a quite modern design, but my main reason for choosing to buy these is the fact that they're quite light in weight and are very durable (they are a sort of faux leather, they have sown spines, so you won't break them). 

I wanted to be able to carry them around, and they're a sort of mix between hardback and paperback which make them perfect for me.

I also love the color palettes, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY the ENDPAPERS! The endpapers are all different and perfectly match the story of the book. If you ever see them in the store, check them out!


I have to admit, these images of the covers do not do them justice at all. So if you want to see some pictures of them, you can click here. They have embossing and many of them have shiny letters and all that jazz.

I must add, these are also quite cheap for classics, so that's a bonus.
CLOTHBOUND CLASSICS

These classics are published by Penguin. These are maybe some of the more popular ones to collect, I think. They are designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith and they are hardbacks.

I actually have "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens somewhere, but I've never read it. Very beautiful, and I think the design is just gorgeous.

PENGUIN ENGLISH LIBRARY

These are also by Penguin, and have really funky spines (which I like). The best thing about this series of classics, is that there are sooooooooo many of them, meaning you can probably get all the classics you want in the same series. That thought brings joy to a heart who loves matching things.

They are paperback books, so they're also easy to carry around, which is always a plus.

These are also on the cheaper side, which means you can get a couple without living on noodles for the rest of the month.

I really, really want to get some of these, but I first I feel like collecting more of the series I already have. Sooo pretty though.
BARNES & NOBLE COLLECTIBLE EDITIONS


These books make me want to cry. They're by Barnes & Noble and I just discovered them by seeing a picture on Tumblr. I've actually ordered a box set of these books, but it's not here yet.

I also already have "The Complete Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle in this series, and it is beautiful.


These come in a mix between single standing novels and collected works (Like you can get Pride & Prejudice on it's own, but also Jane Austens Collected Works).

I love the spines of these, and how they look sort of old fashioned. A lot of them also have wonderful drawing and illustrations in them. 

The only downside to these is that they are on the pricier side and they have a tendency to be very heavy. Still worth it though, if you ask me.
VMC DESIGNER COLLECTION
These editions... I can't even. They're published by Virago Press Ltd, and they're in hardback.

The minute I saw them, I just thought: I HAVE TO HAVE THEM. I haven't bought any yet, but they are very, very high on my wish list. They're just so... they're just amazing.

There aren't that many of them as far as I've found, but the ones they've published look fantastic.
Us book lovers may often find our wallet a little empty, but we're never bored, are we? You could entertain yourself just by looking at your bookshelf with all these books.

Sigh.


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2014/06/24

Book Review: Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Title: Inferno
Author: Dante Alighieri
Published: 1314 (as a part of "The Divine Comedy")
Language: English
Pages: 208
Rating: 4/5


Summary: 
Dante takes a trip through Hell, with the poet Virgil as his guide. Here they meet all kinds of different characters from history, and learn of what punishment is dealt for different kinds of sins, from the unbaptized to treacherous.




Review:
First off, this was a difficult read for me. In some parts, I struggled to understand what was happening, and I didn't know half the people Dante and Virgil met. To understand better, I read the summary of each chapter on Sparknotes, right after I'd read it, so that I knew I was getting what was going on and who everyone was. This really helped, and made it much more enjoyable.

Hell in this story is very thoroughly thought out, and it is quite horrifying the deeper they descend into the depths. It is quite violent and I can understand that people freaked when it was first published. I found it quite fascinating to see the connections between this story and our modern view of what hell is like.

I would recommend this for those who feel like taking on a challenge and have an interest in history.
You can get it from The Book Depository*
*AFFILIATE LINK
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2014/06/23

Season Recommendations: Summer 2014

Today is the official start of summer vacation here in Norway - school is out, and so is the sun.

So, today I thought I would recommend five books that I think would be good to read this summer!


One of my favorite books, a quite easy read. It's a fantastic mix of being funny, being sad, being realistic. It's a beautiful love story, and it's so easy to follow and fall in love with! Perfect if you want something light but substantial. 


PS: Bring tissues!



A captivating story of six teens who meet at a summer camp in 1974, and their lives and friendships from that point on. It addresses the theme of perhaps not becoming as great as one dreamed of - and being around people you view to be greater than yourself.

 It's a little more adult than the first book on this list. Definitely an interesting book, and a good one to take on vacation.


If you haven't read it already, this summer is the time! 

Set in a dystopian Chicago, society has been divided into five different factions, based on five different virtues. In this world, everyone must choose their place, and stay there. But what if you belong in more than one place?

Very interesting story, quite easy to follow, but still exciting.


If you haven't already seen the movie, this is the book to read. It's a sort of love story, but seen through the eyes of someone on the outside of it; the character of Briony Tallis, an imaginative child. It starts on the hottest day of the summer in 1935, when Briony watches her older sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner, a childhood friend. From that night on, their lives will have changed forever.

A truly fascinating story. A bit heavier to read than the other books, but the writing is gorgeous.


Though actually a children's book, this is a beautiful little story, perfect for summer. It's an easy read, but of high quality. It's main character is orphaned Mary Lennox, a horrible child, selfish and spoilt, and we follow her as she moves to Misselthwaite Manor, where she discovers a secret garden. But the Manor holds more than just one secret.

Everyone should read this, no matter what age you are!
Happy reading, everyone!




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