Scorsese To Direct "The Snowman"

Photo: Rune Kjær Valgberg/NRK

Jo Nesbø's seventh book about the anti-hero police detective Harry Hole, The Snowman, will become a film directed by the famous Martin Scorsese, reports NRK. Nesbø has been approached about turning the popular detective series into films several times, but has always declined – until now. "I didn't want to," he says, "but I always said that if Martin Scorsese called, I'd reconsider."

Scorsese is Nesbø's favourite director, and Nesbø couldn't quite believe the news when he heard Scorsese had signed the contract. "I called my agent and asked him to double-check," says Nesbø. "It's crazy but as a writer you develop delusions of grandeur, so in a way it's only logical that Scorsese will direct. He'll have great material to work with," Nesbø laughs.

The rights have been acquired by Working Title. Who will play the main character is yet to be decided.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books Collecting Dust On My Shelf

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature / weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week we make a top ten list from a given topic.

This week's topic is

Top Ten Books That are Collecting Dust On My Shelf 
(aka Top Ten Guilty Conscience Books)

I buy a lot of books. Unfortunately my incoming rate is not proportional to my read rate. Not even close. The result is shelves groaning under the weight of an ever-growing number of unread books. (One of the reasons I love Pickwick - my Kindle - he can keep a lot of books without getting fat.) Most of the books on this list are still unread because although I really wanted to read them when I put them on my wishlist, by the time I got my hands on them there were about a million other books I wanted to read first. Going through my shelves I realised that there are books I've had for almost ten years(!). Poor little things, they'll probably never get read.

1) Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
Some nice BookCrosser sent me this four years ago and I'm ashamed to say it's still unread. The whole point of BookCrossing is to keep books moving, and I have a pile of BC books that haven't moved from my shelf in years. I feel really bad about not reading them yet.

2) 5 Freunde auf der Felseninsel by Enid Blyton
I got this because I wanted to brush up on my German. I never did.

3) Dead Famous by Ben Elton
I bought this at a flea market four years ago, mostly because it was cheap and one of the few books they had in English. The whole controversy of reality shows seems to have blown over by now, so the book is not as current anymore. I've heard good things about Ben Elton though, so I'll read it one of these days.

4) A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
It's Shakespeare. I need to read it. I just have to find a study guide to have on hand when I do first.

5) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
This has been collecting dust on my shelf for six years and I'm beginning to realise I might never read it. It's one of those classics I feel I should read, but it just sounds so depressing I'm never in the mood to pick it up.

6) Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Revenge by Bernard Cornwell
These were two of the first BookCrossing books I received over six years ago. I always have to read series in order, so I put these aside until I could get caught up. I still haven't started the series.

7) Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
I bought this while I was an English student, thinking "finally a classic that sounds fun!". Pirates, adventure and buried treasure - sounds great, right? Why I've never read it remains a mystery.

8) Executive Orders by Tom Clancy
I bought this a long, long time ago when I had just discovered the thriller/spy genre but the daunting size (it's a brick!) put me off ever reading it. I think I'll just watch the movie (I assume it's been made into a movie?).

9) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy by Douglas Adams
I got this omnibus containing all five books in the trilogy at a bargain price about eight years ago. I've read the first two or three books (can't even remember that...) but never finished the whole thing. It's high on my TBR list though, so hopefully next year.

10) The Land Down Under
I was given this book by my host family for my birthday while I was in Australia in July 2001. It has travelled across half the globe. I love Australia and its culture and history. I should have read this book ages ago.

Please tell me I'm not the only one that keeps buying books and never reads them?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

 

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

I'm reading again!!

After hitting a reading slump that lasted about four months, I have finally found the joy of reading again. And it feels wonderful! :) I still don't know why I suddenly lost all interest in reading, but it doesn't really matter now and I'm not going to over-analyze it. Suffice it to know that I've read two great books in the past couple of weeks and really enjoyed them - so much so, in fact, that I stayed up until almost 3 AM this morning to finish one of them. I've been yawning all morning, but it was worth it.

Here's what I've read lately:

Murder in the 11th House by Mitchell Scott Lewis
This was a review book that took me forever to read. I never really connected with the main character, which is why I think I wasn't too excited about picking it up again once I'd put it down. Read my review here.

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
I read Incarceron around this time last year and really liked it, so when I started feeling like I wanted to read again I decided the sequel might be a good place to start - easy to read, exciting and with characters I already knew (plus I had to read it before I forgot everything that happened in the previous book). I don't think I'll be writing a review for this as I never reviewed Incarceron, but I like this series a lot. There's non-stop action, a brilliant setting and great supporting characters. I'd absolutely recommend it if you like YA fantasy/dystopia.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
This is the one that kept me up all night last night. I just couldn't put it down, it was that enchanting. And it has the most adorable cover. Review will be up soon.

Now the big question is, what to read next? I'm terrified of picking up something I'll end up not enjoying and falling into another reading slump. I think I'll look for something short and sweet just to be sure I won't put it down and not pick it up again. I love reading right now, but it somehow feels a little fragile, like the joy might disappear again without warning. It sounds silly but I can't help it.

Review: Murder In the 11th House

Murder In the 11th House

By Mitchell Scott Lewis

First published: September 2011 by Poisoned Pen Press

Series: Starlight Detective Agency #1

Read: 3 – 27 October 2011

Challenges: Mystery & Suspense Challenge #9

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley

From the publisher

Astrological detective David Lowell must use his charts and knowledge to solve the murder of a federal judge in a New York City parking garage. Joined by his daughter, Melinda, a young defense attorney; his hacker sidekick Mort; vivacious assistant Sarah; and bodyguard Andy, Lowell is racing against time to prove the innocence of Johnny Colbert, a loud mouthed bartender wrongly accused of the crime.

Birth charts and street smarts help Lowell sort out the misdirections of a cast of characters, from the judge's clerk and her lawyer boyfriend to the judge herself, to trace the real reason of the crime back to a surprising source.

Murder in the 11th House begins a new series that introduces a unique character to the annals of detective fiction.

My thoughts

I have always been interested in astrology and find it a very fascinating subject. Using astrology as a tool for solving murders sounded like a great concept, so I was excited to read this book. While the story itself was good, there were a few things that bugged me enough to make this a less enjoyable reading experience than I had hoped it would be.

The biggest problem for me was that I didn't connected with the main character David Lowell. From the very first page he came across as pretentious and arrogant and even though he mellowed a little during the course of the story, I never warmed to him. It felt a little like Lewis was trying too hard to make him a new quirky Sherlock Holmes and it just didn't work for me. My enjoyment of what I'm reading is always character-driven, so if I don't like the main character, chances are I won't enjoy the book as much. I did however like the rest of the cast, from Lowell's attorney daughter Melinda and the client Johnny to Lowell's secretary Sarah and assistant Mort. 

My other complaint, and people who aren't interested in astrology will probably disagree with me, is that I don't think astrology was used enough in the solving of the case. I think most of the information Lowell found by consulting charts could have been revealed by other means and sometimes I even forgot about the entire astrological element until Lowell pulled out another chart.

I also missed a little more story and less dialogue. Sometimes long dialogues consisting only of direct quotes got a little confusing. In addition there were some rants, for lack of a better word, on social issues like gambling that bordered on preaching in my eyes.

All that being said, the plot in itself was intriguing; a good murder mystery where the clues are slowly revealed and you can make your own guesses as to who the real murderer is.

My rating:

The Starlight Detective Agency Series

1. Murder In the 11th House (2011)
2. Death In the 12th House: Where Neptune Rules (2012) 

Nemi

I'll leave you with this comic strip of Nemi by Lise Myhre. I'm sure you can relate.

Taking a Break

When I first started blogging back in May last year, I never thought "Hilde's books" (the name at the time) would be anything more than a place to store my book reviews. I didn't even think of them as reviews, they were just my mostly incoherent thoughts on the books I was reading. Now, almost one and a half years and 96 followers later, The Turn of the Page is a source of great joy - but unfortunately also a growing headache.

I have to admit I'm feeling the pressure of creating quality content, not to mention reading - review books or otherwise. I have never been very creative about this blog, which the number of original posts reflect, nor do I read enough to be able to post reviews regularly. To be honest I have no idea why so many of you follow me! But because you do, I feel obligated to provide real content and sadly I haven't been able to fulfill this obligation for a while now. In a way I hit the wall at the start of summer, when I suddenly didn't feel like reading much anymore. Because of my reading slump I found myself with several review books that needed to be read rather quickly, and I think my brain interpreted that as assigned reading and decided it simply didn't feel like it. Since then I haven't read more than one or two books each month, and that is certainly not enough material to keep up a book blog. So I have decided that it's better for me to take the pressure off for a while and concentrate on rediscovering the joy of reading, because right now I'm not enjoying it at all. I will still post reviews as I finish books, and I'll do my best to finish the challenges I've joined. I might even do the odd meme or other bookish post to stay in the game, but I won't force myself to post when I have nothing to say.

I never expected this blog to last as long as it has, and all the credit for that goes to you, my dear readers. Your comments and interactions have brightened many a dreary day, and I'm sorry for not visting your blogs more. I do hope you'll stick around even if I don't post much for a while, but if you don't, I'll understand.

Thank you for your support, and I'll see you soon!

– Hilde

Are you on Pottermore?

After weeks of waiting I finally received my welcome email for early access to Pottermore. I had seen lots of people commenting on the experience, so I was happy to be able to try it out - I was especially looking forward to the sorting ceremony. Being a bookish person I have always pictured myself in Ravenclaw, but the Sorting Hat didn't agree and placed me in Slytherin. It came as quite a surprise! Mind you, I had a hard time deciding on my answers to the questions, so I think they ended up being rather random. But still, I am now a Slytherin (and getting used to the idea). :)

My wand, by the way, is 12 1/2 inches, hazel with a dragon core and surprisingly swishy (I love that last bit).

I'm still finding my way around Pottermore, trying my hand at spells and potion brewing (and generally failing at both), and reading all the new tidbits written by J.K. Rowling. I have to admit I've never been a proper Harry Potter fangirl, but Pottermore is a fun complement to the books and I'm sure the younger fans will love it. It has definitely made me want to read the books again.

My username is ShadowMirror54, so feel free to add me if you like - just please drop me a comment so I know who you are.

Are you excited about Pottermore? Do you plan to register when it officially opens in October (if you haven't already)? If you have registered, what do you think about it?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

 

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

FINISHED LAST WEEK
Nothing! I'm falling further and further behind on my reading challenge and if I don't start reading soon, I won't be able to catch up. I know challenges don't mean anything, but I'm competitive. ;)

CURRENTLY READING
I put aside No One Lives Twice by Julie Moffett to read a review book, Murder in the 11th House by Mitchell Scott Lewis. It's about an astrological private detective, which in itself sounds like an interesting plot. Unfortunately I'm 1/4 into the book and it still hasn't grabbed me. It's a pretty short book so I'm sure I'll finish it anyway.

WHAT'S NEXT
I'm tempted to forget about review books and other books on my "must read soon" list and just finish the Harry Potter series. I also want to read more books by Norwegian authors. I have always hated required reading, maybe that's why I haven't been reading much lately; because I've been reading books I have to read instead of books I want to read.

What are you reading this week?

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Sequels I'm Dying To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature / weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week we make a top ten list from a given topic.

This week's topic is

Top Ten Sequels You're Dying To Read

I admit it, I start way too many series. This year alone I have read 12 books that are first in a series (OMG, I had no idea it was that many!)! And since I don't like reading books in a series back to back, I always end up reading just the first book before picking up something else. I always mean to return to the series soon, but more often than not it's months or even years before I get to the next book – by which time I will have forgotten most of what I read. I don't read that many new books, so most of these sequels are already out. And most of them are already sitting on my shelf, so I really have no excuse!

1) Evil Kill by Justin Gustainis (out April 2012)
I just finished Hard Spell and really liked it, and I can't wait to see where this new series is going.

2) Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
I swore I wouldn't wait long before I read the sequel to Incarceron. That was November last year and I still haven't read Sapphique. Something else always came up (it always does, doesn't it?), but I would very much like to know what happens next.

3) Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know that The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. In fact I re-read it earlier this year, but I've yet to read the sequel. Initially I was saving it for closer to the release date of the third book, but that has been pushed back so many times the past couple of years I'm starting to think it will never be released.

4) The sequel to The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell (hopefully out 2012)
Twisted Tale is one of my absolute favourite reads this year, and I cannot wait to meet the feisty heroine and her cute brother again.

5) Naked Heat by Richard Castle
I was actually planning on reading this during the summer while Castle was on break, but the new season starts in just a few weeks and I still haven't read it. And with the next book coming out soon too, I really should just read it right now (but I won't).

6) Harry Potter 6 and 7 by J.K. Rowling
I really, really want to finish this series!

7) Scotland By Starlight by Nancy Volkers
A Scottish Ferry Tale was another favourite this year, and I long to return to magical Scotland.

8) Kakkerlakkene by Jo Nesbø
I don't read nearly enough books by Norwegian authors. Jo Nesbø was a pleasant surprise when I read the first Harry Hole book in January, and I can't wait to read the next book (this one hasn't been translated into English yet).

9) Bank Shot by Donald E. Westlake
This is the second in the Dortmunder series about a charming thief and I would love to read it. Unfortunately it's been out of print for a while and I haven't been able to locate a copy anywhere.

10) 2nd Chance by James Patterson
I loved the short-lived TV series based on the books and starring Angie Harmon, and even though 1st To Die didn't impress me as much, I still want to get acquainted with the Women's Murder Club through the books.

What sequels are you dying to read?

Patiently Awaiting

These are some forthcoming books that I am patiently (or not so patiently) awaiting the release of.

Season 4 of Castle premiers 19 September, the fourth installment of the Nikki Heat series comes out the day after. It will be a good fall.

Heat Rises by Richard Castle
Expected publication: 20 September 2011 by Hyperion

Fast-paced and full of intrigue, Heat Rises pairs the tough and sexy NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat with hotshot reporter Jameson Rook in New York Times bestselling author Richard Castle's most thrilling mystery yet.

The bizarre murder of a parish priest at a New York bondage club opens Nikki Heat's most thrilling and dangerous case so far, pitting her against New York's most vicious drug lord, an arrogant CIA contractor, and a shadowy death squad out to gun her down. And that is just the tip of an iceberg that leads to a dark conspiracy reaching all the way to the highest level of the NYPD.

But when she gets too close to the truth, Nikki finds herself disgraced, stripped of her badge, and out on her own as a target for killers, with nobody she can trust. Except maybe the one man in her life who's not a cop: reporter Jameson Rook.
In the midst of New York's coldest winter in a hundred years, there's one thing Nikki is determined to prove: Heat Rises. (Goodreads)

I'm not even close to catching up to this 16th book in the Jack Reacher series, but I'm always happy to see a new Reacher book being published because then I know I have even more to look forward to.

The Affair by Lee Child
Expected publication: 29 September by Bantam Press

Everything starts somewhere. . . .For elite military cop Jack Reacher, that somewhere was Carter Crossing, Mississippi, way back in 1997. A lonely railroad track. A crime scene. A coverup.

A young woman is dead, and solid evidence points to a soldier at a nearby military base. But that soldier has powerful friends in Washington.

Reacher is ordered undercover—to find out everything he can, to control the local police, and then to vanish. Reacher is a good soldier. But when he gets to Carter Crossing, he finds layers no one saw coming, and the investigation spins out of control.

Local sheriff Elizabeth Deveraux has a thirst for justice—and an appetite for secrets. Uncertain they can trust one another, Reacher and Deveraux reluctantly join forces. Reacher works to uncover the truth, while others try to bury it forever. The conspiracy threatens to shatter his faith in his mission, and turn him into a man to be feared. (Amazon)

I've only read one book by Cecelia Ahern before (The Book of Tomorrow), but I really liked it. I can't wait to try one of her adult books, and this one sounds interesting. And I love the cover.

The Time of My Life by Cecelia Ahern
Expected publication: 13 October by HarperCollins

Dear Lucy Silchester, You have an appointment for Monday 27th July 2011. Yours sincerely Life.

Lucy Silchester has received an appointment card. Actually, she's been invited along a few times to this appointment, but she keeps brushing the gold embossed envelope under the shag pile carpet. She's taken her eye off the ball and has busied herself with work (a job she doesn't love), helping out friends, fixing her car, feeding her cat, seeing her family and devoting her time to their life dramas. But Lucy is about to find out that this is one appointment that she can't miss. And she can't escape it either. Her Life is about to catch up with her in the most surreal of ways. (Goodreads)

The Scarecrow series is my favourite of Matthew Reilly's books, and this sounds just as good as the rest.

Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves by Matthew Reilly
Expected publication:12 October by Simon & Schuster

At an abandoned Soviet base in the Arctic, the battle to save the world has begun...

THE SECRET BASE
It is a top-secret base known only as Dragon Island. A long-forgotten relic of the Cold War, it houses a weapon of terrible destructive force, a weapon that has just been re-activated...

A RENEGADE ARMY
When Dragon Island is seized by a brutal terrorist force calling itself the Army of Thieves, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and there are no crack units close enough to get there in time to stop the Army setting off the weapon.

ONE SMALL TEAM
Except, that is, for a small equipment-testing team up in the Arctic led by a Marine captain named Schofield, call-sign SCARECROW. It's not a strike force; just a handful of Marines and civilians. It's not equipped to attack a fortified island held by a vicious army. But Scarecrow will lead the team in anyway, because someone has to.. (Goodreads)

What books are you patiently awaiting?

Review: Hard Spell

Hard Spell

By Justin Gustainis

First published: July 2011 by Angry Robot Books
Series: Occult Crimes Unit Investigation #1

Read: 3 – 25 August 2011
Challenges: Mystery & Suspense Challenge #8

Review copy provided by the author

From the publisher
Like the rest of America, Scranton’s got an uneasy ‘live and let unlive’ relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call me.

My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge.

Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9 mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.

Book Trailer

 

My thoughts

Lately I have read a few books with a supernatural theme and after not particularly enjoying any of them, I decided I'm not a fan. But that was before I read Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis. You won't find any sparkling vampires in Scranton, PA – these supes should not be taken lightly.

This gritty detective story is witty and suspenseful and full of memorable characters. I like how the supernatural element isn't the main focus of the book; it's just there and has been since World War II. Vampires and wizards and werewolves are a natural part of society, and despite their biological non-human traits, most of them actually feel quite human – except for the ones that are decidedly not. I wouldn't ever want to come face to face with one of Scranton's demons. I also love the clever way the "supes" appear in historical and pop culture references – anyone seen the musical "Bats"?

The main character is Detective Sergeant Stan Markowski with the Scranton PD's Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit. He's essentially a good guy who's had some bad things happen to him, and some of those things have made him less than fond of supernatural beings, vampires in particular. Markowski's a well-developed character with a history that unravels bit by bit, much like the mystery itself. I quickly warmed to his no-nonsense approach to everything from exorcists to dead bodies falling from the sky, while still obviously caring for the people close to him.

Despite the dark theme, the novel is dotted with humorous passages and witty one-liners, and I found myself frequently chuckling to myself. It's mostly the little things, like the fact that Markowski's ring tone is the theme from The Exorcist; or the matter-of-factness of Markowski's narrative voice: "It wasn't until we'd signed out and headed for home that one of us almost died."

The only criticism I have is that certain things felt a little too convenient. Those six pages Prescott had translated from the huge Opus Mago turned out to be exactly the pages containing the spell Markowski needed? Now, that's fortunate! Also, the novel contains a fair amount of blood and gore and graphic descriptions. I'm not too squeamish about these things myself, so I didn't really mind. But if you have a weak stomach you are hereby warned.

Book 2 in this series, Evil Dark, will be out in April 2012. I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Bottom line: Hard Spell is a gritty, yet witty urban fantasy mystery with a supernatural element that should be taken seriously.

My rating:

The Occult Crimes Unit Investigation Series

1. Hard Spell (2011)
2. Evil Dark (2012) 

You can read more about the book from the publisher (including a sample chapter), or by visiting the author's website.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

 

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

It's cold and rainy here today – perfect weather for curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea and a book. The summer flew by, but I'm actually looking forward to cosy autumn nights with candles and blankets. Not to mention that Christmas is less than four months away. I need to get started on those Christmas cards soon (I always say this, but does it happen? Nope).

FINISHED LAST WEEK
I read Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis, a supernatural detective story that I ended up really liking despite not being a big fan of the supernatural genre. This one however, was a lot different from everything else I've read so far (maybe I just haven't been reading the right books?). Review coming very soon.

CURRENTLY READING
No One Lives Twice by Julie Moffett, first in the Lexi Carmichael series. Lexi is a computer geek who works for the government and gets herself into all sorts of trouble. So far it's been a light and funny read and I really like Lexi.

WHAT'S NEXT
The most likely candidate is The Magicians by Lev Grossman, although there are at least ten other books fighting for my attention. Once again I wish I was a faster reader.

Are you sad summer is almost over, or do you look forward to autumn like me?

I'm at The Story Factory Reading Zone today!

I'm being interviewed over at The Story Factory Reading Zone today as part of the Summer Special feature. Hop on over and read my thoughts on blogging – and see what fictional character I think I'm most like!

And while you're there, be sure to enter my giveaway for Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer – open internationally until 31 August.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Loved But Never Reviewed

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature / weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week we make a top ten list from a given topic.

This week's topic is

Top Ten Books I Loved But Never Reviewed

This week it’s time to give a shout out to all those books you loved but never reviewed, either because you read them before you started blogging, or because you didn’t get a chance to or couldn’t review when you read it.

I find it extremely hard to write reviews for books that I love, because I don't really have anything to say other than "I loved this book so much!". These are all books like that; the ones I love so much but can't seem to form a coherent review of without going into massive fangirl mode. Obviously you should read all of these.

1) Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
Set mainly in Scotland in December and focusing on love and friendship, this is the perfect Christmas book. I re-read it every other year, and it never fails to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

2) The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Probably the best fantasy book I've ever read. You should read it. Right now.

3) The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
I think we all agree that these books are brilliant. There's really nothing more to say, so no need to write reviews. (No, I haven't read the last two yet. I'm getting there.)

4) The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
This has been my favourite book for more than half of my life. I really want to share it with everyone, but nothing I say can even come close to describing the magic of this book. You need to read it for yourself.

5) Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
I really liked this book and I fully intended to write a review, but somehow it never happened. Great book though, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

6) Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
I read this before I started blogging, and need to read it again before I can write a review because I have forgotten much of it. But I do remember loving it to bits. My favourite Gaiman book.

7) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Another book I read before starting to blog. Fantastic novel that made me cry – which is not easily done. The setting, the mood, the plot, the characters ... I loved everything about this one.

8) Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
I have reviewed book 2 in this trilogy, Inkspell, but I read Inkheart before starting the blog, so no review for it. I remember being totally mesmerised by it and not wanting to put it down. The whole concept of being able to read characters out of or into books – how great is that?

9) The Princess Bride by William Goldman
I'm sure you've all heard of this one, but have you read it? If not, you really should (and then watch the movie). Perfect fairy tale.

10) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
In my notebook I described this as "a tragic and beautiful ghost story complete with mad people, ruins of old mansions, dark secrets and a cat." Do I really need to say more?

Review: The Devil Colony

The Devil Colony
By James Rollins

Published: 1 July 2011
Series: Sigma Force #7

Read: 14 July - 1 August 2011
Challenges: Mystery & Suspense Challenge #7

Review copy provided by HarperCollins / NetGalley

From the publisher
Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a gruesome discovery—hundreds of mummified bodies—stir international attention and fervent controversy. Despite doubts to the bodies’ origins, a local Native American group lays claim to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an unfathomable script.

During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly: burned to ash in a fiery explosion in plain view of television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help: her uncle, Painter Crowe, director of Sigma Force.

To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war across the nation’s most powerful intelligence agencies. Yet, an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky Mountains have set in motion a frightening chain reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.

From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen colonies.

But can he discover the truth—one that could topple governments—before it destroys all he holds dear?

My thoughts

I have mentioned earlier that James Rollins is my go-to guy when it comes to scientific thrillers. His stories, while action-packed and over-the-top, are always based on facts and the plots are always relevant to today's world. This is also the case with The Devil Colony.

I have to admit that the science bit went a little over my head this time, but then again you don't need to understand the exact science to enjoy the story – which I did. I particularly liked the historical element, involving Native Americans, Lewis & Clark, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and an early draft of The Great Seal of the United States. I love these kinds of things; National Treasure is one of my favourite movies and this part of the book gave me that same feeling.

Although the Sigma Force books revolve around a whole team of characters, I personally wouldn't have minded seeing more of Grey and Seichan this time, especially considering the unexpected turn of events at the very end of the book. The character of Grey Pierce is much more three-dimensional than a lot of other action heroes around, and I always enjoy reading about him. I'm also wondering what is going to happen with Monk in the future, but I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Bottom line: The Devil Colony is another strong thriller from James Rollins that will take you on a roller coaster ride and maybe teach you a thing or two at the same time.

My rating:

The Sigma Force Series

1. Sandstorm (2004)
2. Map of Bones (2005)
3. Black Order (2006)
4. The Judas Strain (2007)
5. The Last Oracle (2008)
6. The Doomsday Key (2009)
6.5 The Skeleton Key (short story exclusive) (2011)
7. The Devil Colony (2011)

Booking Through Thursday - National Book Week

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading.

This week's question is:

It’s National Book Week. The rules: Grab the closest book to you. Go to page 56. Copy the 5th sentence as your status.

"Well ... ah, hell, you know I'll do it, so we can skip all the hemming and hawing."

– The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe

I haven't read this one yet so I have no idea what he or she will do, but now I'm curious!

Norwegian Edition: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Norwegian Edition is a new feature here at The Turn of the Page. Usually we only see the US and UK editions of books across the blogosphere, so I thought I would showcase some Norwegian editions now and then.

Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris

Over the past two years the Sookie Stackhouse series has been published in paperback with matching covers by Cappelen Damm. So far the first 10 books have been translated into Norwegian. Here are the covers (click the picture to see a bigger version):

Personally I'm not wild about them. The colour scheme is pretty good, but with the different cover art it almost feels like you are looking at two different series. I think it would have been better if they had chosen either only images of people or only graphics. Plus, those covers with people seriously creep me out and I would never buy them. I also don't like that "True Blood" is the main text of book 4, 5 and 10. You can't even read the actual title unless you are really close to the book. I understand them wanting to point out the connection with the TV series, but then it should have been the same for all of the books. My favourite covers of the above are number 2 and 3; simple, elegant and bloody. ;)

What do you think of the Norwegian covers for this series? Do you think they fit the books?

I'm on The Scene of the Blog!

The Turn of the Page is featured at The Scene of the Blog over at Kittling: Books this week! It's a weekly feature where bloggers show off their blogging and reading spaces. I'm very excited to be featured, so head over to Cathy's to see my pictures of my blogging space and read about my bookish life. And while you're there, be sure to check out the rest of the fabulous Kittling: Books!

See you there!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

 

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

As I touched upon in my monthly summary post yesterday, I have been a very bad book blogger lately. I have been buried in work the past few weeks and I've had no energy left for blogging at night. But it should start to calm down this week, and then hopefully I'll have time to read and review some great books. I miss reading - and all of you guys!

FINISHED LAST WEEK
Since the last Monday post two weeks ago I have finished the newest Sigma Force novel, The Devil Colony by James Rollins. Like all books in the series it is a scientific thriller, but this time the exact science went a little over my head. Good thing there are explosions and guns too. ;) Expect a review later this week.

CURRENTLY READING
I'm reading Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis, the first book in a new paranormal detective series. This is the kind of paranormal stuff I can like; where vampires are actually scary and demons are not something to be messed around with. I'm about a quarter into the book and I really enjoy it so far.

WHAT'S NEXT
Either No One Lives Twice by Julie Moffett or The Magicians by Lev Grossman, depending on my mood. I have review copies of the sequels to both books, and as I hate reading series out of order, I want to start at the beginning with both series.

What are you reading this week?

My Month in Books - July

I have been a terrible blogger lately - I'm sorry! July was all about work; I found myself with three big projects at the same time and as a result I have hardly had time for anything besides working, let alone reading and blogging. Heck, it took me 3 weeks just to get through Harry Potter 4 - and it was a re-read! But after tomorrow all those projects will be handed in, and then I will hopefully have a lot more spare time on my hands. And then I'll get back to taking care of this blog, I promise!

Read in July

27) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Aaand that's it. I did read most of one other book, but I didn't finish it until 1st August, so it will have to go into next month's summary.

I did post one review in July:

A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers. Such a delightful read!


Incoming Books

Well, if my read books / incoming books ratio was bad before, July certainly didn't make it any better!

For review
Wyatt by Garry Disher (Soho Press, Soho Crime/NetGalley)
The Magician King by Lev Grossman (Penguin Group, Viking/NetGalley)

RAK
Break Out by Nina Croft (Thank you, LunaMoth!)

Won
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens (Thank you Kristen @ We Be Reading!)

BookMooch
Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Bought
Scotland by Starlight by Nancy Volkers (e-book)
Under the Black Ensign by L. Ron Hubbard (free e-book)
The Ultimate Book of New York Lists by Bert R. Sugar & C.N. Richardson (free e-book)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (I've read this before, but I wanted a specific edition to match the other Gaiman books I have)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Challenge Progress

First in a Series Challenge – 6/6 – Completed!
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
2. Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block
3. Heat Wave by Richard Castle
4. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
5. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory
6. Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer

2nds Challenge – 2/3 
1. Outside In by Maria V. Snyder
2. Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

Mystery & Suspense Challenge – 6/12
1. Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block
2. Heat Wave by Richard Castle
3. The Survivor by Sean Slater
4. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
5. Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
6. The Doomsday Key by James Rollins

Other Posts of Interest

Booking Through Thursday
Night Owl

Norwegian Edition (new feature)
A Discovery of Witches

Misc
Top 5 Books of 2011 - So Far
Quote of the Day: On Kindles and Elevators

Giveaway Winner!

The lucky winner of my birthday giveaway is

Sonia @ The Story Queen!

Congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who participated, and thank you to all the new followers - have some virtual chocolate on me!

Random Acts of Kindness - August

New month, new RAK courtesy of Book Soulmates:

In July I received:

From LunaMoth: Break Out by Nina Croft

Thank you so much!

Now come join the August RAK!

This month the lovely girls at Book Soulmates have included a giveaway of a $20 giftcard to Amazon – open to all RAK participants! Link to sign-up at the bottom of the post!

The RAK Rules:

• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
• Create a wishlist and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wishlist and contact that blogger for their address.
• NEW REQUEST: Please, once you receive a RAK, email or tweet me {Vanessa} so that I can update the Google doc. There are a lot of requests for this!
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!
Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Lets's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

SIGN-UP PAGE FOR AUGUST IS HERE.

My wishlists are pretty full because I add anything that sounds interesting, but these are the main two: Kindle wishlist and general wishlist in case anyone wants to take a look. :)

Booking Through Thursday - Night Owl

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme about (mostly) books and reading.

This week's question is:

What’s the latest you’ve ever stayed up reading a book? Is staying up late reading a usual thing for you?

I am most definitely a night owl. I love staying up late into the night and do so whenever I can (one of the perks of being a freelancer; I don't always have to be up early). I do more things than read, like watch a film or create something, but I like reading at night because I know I won't be disturbed. I don't know exactly what the latest I've stayed up reading is, but if I were to guess I'd say around 3 or maybe 4 in the morning. Sometimes if I have only a few chapters left of a book I think I'll just finish it before I go to bed, but I always read much slower than I think so it usually ends up being quite late before I finally fall asleep.

Are you a night owl too?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

 

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

I'm sure you have all heard about the tragedy that hit my peaceful little country over the weekend. I won't say too much about it because everything that can be said has already been said, and in much better ways that I can say it. I just want to extend my condolences to everyone who lost a loved one these past few days. My heart breaks for you. I will always remember the words of one of the survivors from Utøya: "If one man can show so much hatred, imagine how much love we can show together."

Show some love today. You will make the world a better place.

Yesterday was my birthday, and to celebrate a little I'm having a birthday giveaway here on the blog. It's open internationally, and you can win a book of your choice! Enter here until 31 July.

I had a nice, quiet birthday at home. Mum made me pancakes and Dad came home from a fishing trip with some coalfish, so I'm happy. The fish is delicious warm, but even better cold with potatoes, cucumber and sour cream. Yummy!

I don't have much to report in bookish news. I'm still reading The Devil Colony by James Rollins. I thought maybe it would be strange to read a thriller after last Friday's events, but I found reading fiction actually helped. I'll finish it this week, and then it's onto another review book, Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis. I hear it's good, so I'm looking forward to it.

A little different format for this meme today, but I hope you understand. Take care of each other out there.

Birthday Giveaway!

Since today is my birthday I thought I would celebrate in true book blogger style and have a giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive a book of their choice from The Book Depository worth up to $15.

I am a fan of quick and easy giveaways, so here are the rules:

– Open to everyone with a postal address in a country TBD ships to (see list here).
– You do not have to be a follower or promote this giveaway anywhere (but I'll send you lots of virtual chocolate if you do!).
– Fill out the form below to enter.

Giveaway closes 31 July 2011, 24:00 CET. Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Good luck!

On Kindles and Elevators

"Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators."
– Stephen Fry

I do believe he is right.

Norwegian Edition: A Discovery of Witches

Norwegian Edition is a new feature here at The Turn of the Page. Usually we only see the US and UK editions of books across the blogosphere, so I thought I would share with you some Norwegian editions now and then.

First up:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Alle sjelers natt ("All Souls' Night") was released in Norway in March, and this is the cover for the hardback. It's very different from any other editions I have seen.

I haven't read the book yet, so it's hard to say how the cover art relates to the story. I love the colours and the full moon, but there is something about the whole thing that gives it an almost cartoony feel. Maybe it's the silhouetted bird that puts it over the top for me.

My favourite cover for the novel is this edition from Viking Adult:

What do you think of the Norwegian cover for A Discovery of Witches? What about the title?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

 

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

I finally found my reading mojo again last week and what happened? I got swamped with projects at work so I hardly have time to read at all the next few weeks. Hrmph.

FINISHED LAST WEEK
It took me almost 3 weeks, but I finished my re-read of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. I really regret not finishing the series years ago, because with the last film coming out it was impossible to avoid spoilers unless I moved into a cave in the mountains for a while (and I appreciate modern comforts too much to do that). So now I know all sorts of things I didn't want to know until I had read the last two books. Oh well, perhaps it's better to know what's coming so I can prepare myself for the turmoil?

CURRENTLY READING
I'm about a fourth of the way into the newest Sigma Force novel, The Devil Colony by James Rollins. So far this scientific thriller is very good.

WHAT'S NEXT
I'm thinking it will be Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis, the first in a new paranormal detective series that sounds intriguing.

What are you reading this week?

Review: A Scottish Ferry Tale

A Scottish Ferry Tale
By Nancy Volkers

First published: 2009
Series: Scottish Ferry Tale #1

Read: 15 - 18 June 2011
E-book

Amazon description
Newly single Cassie Wrentham spends a long weekend in Scotland with frightening-looking cows, difficult cats and friendly, stubborn Scots. One attracts her immediately, and the feeling is mutual. But Cassie is ruled by her head, not her heart; she can't even read a fairy tale without rolling her eyes and picking the plot apart. She won't fall for the love-at-first-sight thing – or will she?

Delightful and uplifting

I typically don't read a lot of romance novels, because frankly, most of them bore me. But after reading Alice's review over at Girls Just Read I thought this particular one sonded good, so I picked it up. And I'm so glad I did, because A Scottish Ferry Tale turned out to be a delightful and heart-warming story.

The description above makes the book sound a bit bland, which is sad because it is anything but. I would write my own description if I had the skills to summarize a story in an accurate and witty way, but I think the author's comment on Goodreads does a better job:

"If you're looking for historical fiction, deep analysis, bodice-ripping romance, or vampires, you won't find it here. You do get a stubborn, over-analytic woman; an unusually sensitive, direct man (...), a very large dog, a couple of boat rides, some fairy tale analysis (have you ever wondered why Snow White is compelled to commit breaking and entering to *clean someone else's house*?), and a bit of love. Oh, and chocolate cake."

Even though Cassie and I are completely different, I found it very easy to relate to and empathize with her. She is the kind of person I wish I could be (or rather had been when I was her age). Sure, there were times when her choices frustrated me and I wanted to smack her over the head for being such a fool, but I'd like to do that to my best friend sometimes too. And Ralph, the sturdy, charming Scotsman who sweeps her off her feet is just perfect. 

The writing is fluent and beautiful, and often funny: 
"He laughed, that deep, joyous, genuine laugh, and a little voice inside me said Uh Oh. This Is Someone You Can't Not Pay Attention To. (Yeah, the little voice had bad grammar and akward sentence structure sometimes. But it was often right.)" 

And then there are passages that are just so true:
"Here's what I think," she said. "You love him. The two of you are amazing together. And that scares you. You are sure that because it's so good, something will go wrong, and instead of enjoying it, you're on guard, waiting for the bad thing to happen."

Not to mention the paragraph about how a flock of sheep lying in the middle of the road behave when a car comes along – spot on! I guess sheep behave in the same way no matter what country you are in. 

The setting is just magical, and having just come back from a week in Scotland before reading the novel, I had no trouble imagining the scenery. In fact, it made me want to go back again and look for my own happy ending. 

A Scottish Ferry Tale is a gem of a novel that you don't want to miss; it's charming, hopeful, and funny and it made me happy.

My rating:

Note: The sequel, called Starlight in Scotland (don't you just love these titles?), was published earlier this year.

My Month in Books - June

Oops, I'm rather late putting together this summary of June – we're already well into July. I don't know how it happened, but somehow half the summer is already gone and it's almost time to start thinking about Christmas presents again!

So, let's talk about June. Not a very good month for me reading-wise. I hit a severe reading slump about mid-way through the month and haven't finished a single book in weeks now. I'm getting back into the swing of things now, but it made June a bad month in that respect.

What made June a good month however, was going to a Bon Jovi concert in Oslo on the 15th. It was an incredible experience and I'm still not over it. In fact, I think that concert might have to take some of the blame for my reading slump, because after I got home I couldn't stop listening to their music (and I can't read and listen to music at the same time). But if that's the case, it's okay – I can read anytime but I don't get to see Bon Jovi every day.

Read in June

Links go to my reviews

23) Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
24) The Doomsday Key by James Rollins
25) The Skeleton Key by James Rollins (novella)
26) A Scottish Ferry Tale by Nancy Volkers

I also posted my review of Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz. Love this series!

Incoming Books

I'm terrified of this list. I swear books are finding their way into my home of their own accord. My TBR pile is growing by the minute. This has to stop (yeah, as if).

For review
Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis (from the author)
No One to Trust by Julie Moffett (NetGalley/Carina Press)
The Mountain of Gold by J.D. Davies (NetGalley/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

RAK
Toil and Trouble by H.P. Mallory (thank you Rebecca from Kindle Fever!)

Won
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend (thank you Daphne from Loving Books!)

BookCrossing
The Thieves of Faith by Richard Doetsch

Bought
The Pawn by Steven James (e-book)
The Girl With the Long Green Heart by Lawrence Block (e-book)
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales
Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe
Allegra Biscotti Collection by Olivia Bennett (free e-book)
The Skeleton Key by James Rollins (e-book)
Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick
Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers
The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell (free e-book)

Challenge Progress

First in a Series Challenge – 6/6 – Completed!
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
2. Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block
3. Heat Wave by Richard Castle
4. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
5. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory
6. Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer

2nds Challenge – 2/3 
1. Outside In by Maria V. Snyder
2. Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz

Mystery & Suspense Challenge – 6/12
1. Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block
2. Heat Wave by Richard Castle
3. The Survivor by Sean Slater
4. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
5. Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
6. The Doomsday Key by James Rollins

Other Posts of Interest

Top Ten Tuesday
Favourite Book Settings

Booking Through Thursday
Soundtrack
Size Matters

Misc
Solar Eclipse

Here's to the rest of July – which happens to include my birthday. :)