Top Ten Tuesday - Desert Island

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's list topic is

Top Ten Books I'd Want on a Desert Island

I guess the natural thing to do when making a list like this is to think of huge books that would take some time to read - at least that's what I did. So this list is a mix of some of my favourite books that I would like to re-read and some really long ones that I would like to read for the first time.

1) The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder. This is my favourite book ever, and I haven't re-read it in a while now.
2) Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. Another favourite of mine. I figured it could get very hot on this desert island (it's a tropical island, right?), so a book set mostly in Scotland in December might help cool me down.
3) The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. This is the biggest book I own, and it's been sitting on my shelf for a few years now.
4) Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. This is the second book in the Gentleman Bastard sequence. I was delighted by the first book, The Lies of Locke Lamora, and can't wait to visit that world again.
5) The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I read these as a teenager, and have been meaning to re-read them since the first movie was announced.
6) The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. Another series I read as a teenager. I own a beautiful omnibus containing all five books that I would love to read, because I honestly don't remember much other than the fact that I loved them.
7) Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I started this one on a bus ride four years ago, but for some reason I put it down and never picked it back up. Not because I didn't like it, because I did, I guess the time just wasn't right. I'll have to start from the beginning again now.
8) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This would be the omnibus of all five books in the trilogy. I've read the first two, but I would like to read all of them. I'd certainly be guaranteed a good laugh.
10) And finally SAS Survival Handbook - The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere by John Wiseman. I've been interested in reading this for a while. Besides, it might come in handy.

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!

This week's teaser is from Inkspell by Cornelia Funke (I haven't actually started the book yet, so this is a surprise for me too!)

Hesitantly, Dustfinger took the sheet of paper. It was covered with fine, slanting handwriting, the letters tangled like thread.

I really want to go read now.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (4)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.





READ LAST WEEK:
Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher
I have yet to be disappointed in a book by Mrs. Pilcher. She always writes stories I want to be in, with characters I want to be friends with, and this was no exception.




CURRENTLY READING:
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke.
At least I will be once I start reading it. I have been at work all day and I have to work tonight as well, so don't know if I'll actually get around to starting it today. But I loved Inkheart, so I'm really looking forward to this one. And I love the cover of this edition.


WHAT'S NEXT:
I have no idea at the moment. As usual it will depend on my mood when I've finished Inkspell, but I should probably get started on the Aussie Author Challenge soon.

Read in June 2009

Catching up...

12) To the Nines by Stephanie Plum
Read: 31 May - 1 June
Pages:384

I read this one in two days, which is very rare for me - I usually need at least a week on an average-sized book. But the Stephanie Plum books are easy to read, not to mention funny, and this was no exception. Unfortunately I haven't made any notes about it, so I have no idea what the story was about (they tend to mingle in my mind), but I must have liked it, judging by my rating.

Rating: 5

13) The Clue in the Old Stagecoach by Carolyn Keene
Read: 2 June - 3 June

Another 2-day read, but a very short one this time. Nancy Drew was my heroine when I was a kid (still is, in fact), and every once in a while I like to dig out an old "Miss Detective" book I haven't read before. I think this was the first time I read one in English though, which was neither better nor worse than reading them in Norwegian, just a slightly different voice.

Rating: 4

14) The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett
Read: 4 June - 16 June
Pages: 285

No notes on this one either...

Rating: 3

15) The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Read: 18 June - 23 June
Pages: 289

Nobody Owens is growing up on the graveyard on the hill with the ghosts Mr and Mrs Owens as his parents because his living family was murdered by a mysterious man when Bod was a baby. There are many exciting and dangerous things to explore in the graveyard, but it is in the living world the real dangers lurk. Because the man jack is still out there...
An incredibly suspenseful, scary, funny, creepy and sad book about growing up, feeling different, making choices and finding yourself. Not one single page was boring, not one single word superfluous. Gaiman at his best.

Rating: 6

Teaser Tuesdays (1)

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!

This week's teaser is from Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher:

Staring at her like a fool, a number of thoughts flew through Antony's mind. She was here, he had found her. She didn't look too furious. She had cut her hair.

She said, "Yes?" which was a funny thing for her to say, but then this was a funny situation.

Antony said, "Hello, Rose."

"I'm not Rose," said Rose.

Mini-review: Rise and Shine

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen

Read: 23 May - 4 June 2010
Pages: 337

It’s an otherwise ordinary Monday when Meghan Fitzmaurice’s perfect life hits a wall. A household name as the host of Rise and Shine, the country’s highest-rated morning talk show, Meghan cuts to a commercial break–but not before she mutters two forbidden words into her open mike. In an instant, it’s the end of an era, not only for Meghan, who is unaccustomed to dealing with adversity, but also for her younger sister, Bridget, a social worker in the Bronx who has always lived in Meghan’s long shadow. The effect of Meghan’s on-air truth telling reverberates through both their lives, affecting Meghan’s son, husband, friends, and fans, as well as Bridget’s perception of her sister, their complex childhood, and herself. What follows is a story about how, in very different ways, the Fitzmaurice women adapt, survive, and manage to bring the whole teeming world of New York to heel by dint of their smart mouths, quick wits, and the powerful connection between them that even the worst tragedy cannot shatter.

This was a nice read; warm-hearted, poignant and occasionally funny. I found Bridget, the younger sister and the narrator of the story, to be very likable and realistic, but I never really warmed to her sister, the famous Meghan. I loved the prose - Quindlen's language washes over you in small, soft waves and makes reading very pleasant.

Although this isn't a particularly funny story (rather the opposite), I just wanted to share this passage which completely cracked me up, and also, I think, illustrates the crazy life of the rich and famous.

"Isn't she the one who was a call girl in L.A. and then married somebody really rich?" said Sam.

"I don't think so. I think she was somebody's assistant, then somebody's girlfriend. Then the wife of somebody."

"So she's not the one whose husband died in some weird accident and there were rumors that she or her trainer, I think, were involved?" I said.

"I know who you're talking about," Kate said. "That's somebody else."

"My God," said Sam," this conversation is surreal."

My rating: 4

Book Card

This is a card I made for World Book Day last year. I didn't find any cards with a bookish theme, so I decided to make one myself. I'm not super happy with the result, but I thought the idea was good. Might have to perfect it some time.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (3)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.
What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.






READ LAST WEEK
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (review)
I liked the book so much better than the TV series True Blood (at least the half season I've watched). I'll definitely look for the next book in the series.






CURRENTLY READING
Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher
I've only just started this, so I don't know what I think yet, but Rosamunde Pilcher has not let me down so far.






WHAT'S NEXT
I haven't quite decided what's next yet, it will largely depend on my mood and what I feel like reading once I've finished my current read. I think I might start The Secret River by Kate Grenville, as it fits all my three challenges this year.

Making My Mind Up...

...is something I find very hard to do sometimes, hence all the design changes lately. I've been playing around trying to find a design I liked, and thanks to the new Template Designer I think I've finally found one I can live with for a while. So hopefully next time you're visiting, you'll recognise the place. ;)

Review: Dead until Dark

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Read: 4 - 9 June 2010
Pages: 292

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....

Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

I made the mistake of watching half of the first season of True Blood before reading this book, and because the show follows the book quite closely, the first half of the book wasn't as exciting as it could have been. I'm really glad I didn't watch the whole season though, as that would have spoiled some really good moments (Bubba being one of them).

I like Sookie - actually I like her a lot better in the book than in the TV show. I like the fact that she can take care of herself and doesn't need anyone to rescue her, human, vampire or any other being.

I like the mystery and the setting and the fact that I didn't guess who the murderer was until it was revealed (another thing the TV show would have ruined completely). And although I'll admit that vampires may have some attractive traits, I still prefer humans.

Or, you know, that other being.

My rating: 4

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.
What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.



READ LAST WEEK:
Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen
This was an enjoyable read about the relationship between two sisters living in New York: Meghan, a famous television host, and Bridget, a social worker. I loved the descriptions of life in New York City, as seen from both the glamorous and dark side, and the prose was wonderful.




CURRENTLY READING:
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I originally planned to read Under Gemini after I had finished Rise and Shine, but I found I wanted something completely different before starting another book about family relations, so I picked up the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series. It's a fast, easy read (I read about 100 pages today while waiting for my mother at the hairdresser's), and I'm enjoying it.


WHAT'S NEXT:
Under Gemini by Rosamunde Pilcher
This is part of my BookCrossing reading challenge, and I thought it would be good to read it now as we have entered the sign of Gemini (21 May - 20 June).

Lofoten International Literary Festival

This weekend the literary festival "Reine Ord" is taking place in Reine, not far from where I live, with writers such as Per Petterson, Anne B. Ragde, Kjartan Fløgstad and Mustafa Can. Last night I attended an Italian evening with Klaus Hagerup and his wife Bibbi Børresen. Together they have written two books from different regions in Italy, discussing food and wine local to the regions. I haven't read any of the books myself, but I love Italy and Hagerup used to be one of my favourite authors when I was younger, so it seemed like a perfect match.

It was a great night. Bibbi talked about the history, geography and food of the regions, and Klaus read excerpts from their books, which were really funny. The restaurant served a buffet of Italian and local food and some great Italian wines. I went with my Mum, and we both had a good time. The power went out a couple of hours before the event, but we hardly even noticed until it came back just before we went home.

Read in May 2009

(Yeah, I'm a bit behind...)

10) American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Read: 10 April - 12 May
Pages: 583

I found this book very hard to get through; why, I'm not sure. The story in itself is both intriguing and thoughprovoking, but somehow it never gets exciting. This isn't a colourful adventure like some of Gaiman's other books, and in my opinion, it's not his best. I was only mildly interested in the characters and what happened to them - in fact, the most suspenseful part was when the old clunker would fall through the ice. The idea is good though, and I might have enjoyed it more had I been in a different frame of mind. Might have to try it again some other time.

Rating: 3

11) The Shakespeare Secret by J.L. Carrell
Read: 18 May - 31 May
Pages: 480

I really wanted this book to be good, but unfortunately it left a lot to be desired.

It seems to me the author wanted to write about a treasure hunt for one of Shakespeare's lost plays, but had no idea of how to get the hunt started - or how to finish it, for that matter. The explanation of how Kate, the main character, came across the clue to the lost play feels very contrived, and I didn't believe in either her or the bad guy's motives for wanting the play. The introduction of the competent sidekick Ben was utterly unconvincing, and the poor guy never developed a personality. There were some better parts in the middle of the book, but mostly the whole thing felt rushed. The author also got lost in a subplot trying to figure out who Shakespeare really was, but after introducing a bunch of Earls and ladies, it sort of dwindled into thin air. I can't help but see this as a rather poor attempt at Da Vinci Code fame - even the title and some dubious family relations are similar.

All this being said, I don't regret reading the book in any way. It was quite suitable for holiday reading, which is how I read it, and made me want to read up on my Shakespeare.

Rating: 2