A book igloo

I just love this idea. Imagine sitting inside the igloo, completely surrounded by books - that is a place for dreams and discoveries. It is just lacking some blankets and pillows and cozy lights... Cannot really figure out how they made this - some of it looks rather haphazardly stacked to me. Quite an achievement to pull this off!

Miler Lagos' Book Igloo

A teaser from Beautiful creatures

I am so far really enjoying the start of the Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The characters are so cute, there is magic and a curse - what more to ask for? I am really looking forward to the next books...and to the movie, too!

" I felt like I had sucked the air out of a giant balloon, like my brain wasn't getting enough oxygen. 

  Clouds were more interesting, the lunchroom less disgusting, music sounded better, the same old jokes were funnier, and Jackson went from being a clump of grayish-green industrial buildings to a map of times and places where I might run into her. 

  I found myself smiling for no reason, keeping my earphones in and replaying our conversations in my head, just so I could listen to them again. 

  I had seen this kind of thing before. I had just never felt it. "

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Treading on dreams

I heard this wonderful poem the other day. Do try reading it aloud - it is most charming.

 " Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light, 
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths 
Of night and light and half-light, 
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; 
I have spread my dreams under your feet; 
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. "

William Butler Yeats

I wish I knew more about poetry - I am completely mystified as to where to look for great poems and poets. I have never heard of this particular poem before, and that just shows how frightfully ignorant I am.

A fun weekend at Oslo book festival!

Last weekend there was a book festival in our capital, Oslo. There were several tents filled with books and authors just waiting to be discovered! I obviously wanted to go, but as it is an hour drive from us to Oslo I knew I was in for spending the whole day there. Which, by the way, I was already inclined to do...! My boyfriend, however, was much less inclined to do just that - so the quest was on to find something for him to occupy his hours with. Fortunately, there was a food festival just around the block from the book tents, so that was easy going. He was quite happy to drop me off at the book festival before he went off in the persuit of delicacies down at the food market!

This is my dream scenario, you know - loads of books stacked in high piles on every available surface, authors to meet and get signed copies of, new book stores to explore, discussions, shows... - and (almost) all the time in the world! Needless to say - I loved it!

Firstly, I wandered past this little antiquarian shop. I have never seen it before, so, as you might have already guessed, I spun around on a dime and went straight in. It was big, had all these lovely old books and was covered in owls! Yep, that is right - owls. Porcelain owls, wooden owls, glass owls, paper owls, pictures and drawings of owls - the place was covered in them. They were standing in between the books, hanging from the ceiling, lying in baskets, on the walls...quite astonishing! I was (and am) completely mesmerized. Believe me, I could have spent hours in there.

So colourful! Cannot wait
to read them!

As it happens, though, I was a good girl. I found three books I just had to take with me home and two old printings. I love old printings or drawings of animals, birds or plants. Anything accurate - like old biology posters from schools. These two were of a bird and of a flower - both had been a part of old books once upon a time. I will get them framed and hang them up in my library. I will post pictures later.

The rest of the time was spent roaming about between the book tents. I queued up and got several authors to sign my books - Victoria Hislop, Cecilia Samartin, Jennifer Cody Epstein and Linda Eide. Great fun to meet them! They were all so nice and even took their time to chat a little. I did not have a camera, so sadly I have no pictures of them. That is something I should remember the next time!

Sadly, I could only find one
of these in English

I also met this old man when I was waiting for Victoria Hislop. He said he was so old that he no longer had a home, and so did not have the space to store books anymore. Instead he collected signatures. He had this bunch of nice little blank cards which he got people to sign on. He was ever so cute - he just kept on talking and talking as he showed me the signatures he had got on the festival so far. An adorable man.

Last stop of the day was down on the food market where I found my boyfriend. We sat on a bench there, munching away on a trout wrap and a deer burger with some apple cider samples. Quite tasty, all of it. We stopped by my grandma on our drive home. I gave her a book I got signed for her about the history of Oslo itself by Nils Petter Thuesen, and I told her all about our day over some tea and coffee ♥

Walking in Pimlico - a murderous teaser

So, tonight my teaser is about a murder. A Victorian murder, in fact:

" But Bessie is scared also, backing away from me across the yard, stumbling over the rough stones as her legs buckle beneath her. 

Watching her fall, and rise, and fall again and, knowing the moment is mine, I am suddenly calm. 

The searing rage burns cold now, sits in my belly like a tight fist, and I take my time to stride over to her, enjoying the flood of composure. I possess the yard, even the foul red bricks with their greasy skin. 

I cover the ground, striking double time with my heels, and stand over her in moments. "

"Walking in Pimlico" by Ann Featherstone

I quite enjoyed this novel. I like the way Ann Featherstone writes the story from different views; she has made the characters each a voice of their own, complete with specific slang words and phrasing, which works really well. The descriptions and glimpses of the theatrical and entertainment world of the era has an unnerving feel of reality to them, and I cannot help myself but think that I am quite lucky to never have seen it firsthand. All in all, it is a compelling read.

The rage and the coldness of the murderer is quite outstanding, by the way. It really gave me the chills.

"Mind your eye, Corney!" as Lucy says...



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A fairytale place

Imagine sitting on this bench, reading and enjoying life or possibly just sharing a loving moment with someone dear - it would not be too bad, right?

If anyone knows where to find this place, please let me know...!
I would love to go there.

Elfquest

Two weeks ago I finally managed to find the last issue of one of my favourite comic series; The Elfquest! The series was published in the 1980's, and has been fairly difficult to collect as there are so many out there loving it. Best of all, I found them all in different bookstores scattered across the country. I knew it would be a lot easier just roaming about online looking for them, but hey, where is the fun in that?! My stubbornness, plus a fair amount of luck, eventually granted me my goal, and here they are:

Elfquest

I remember reading the series (well, not all of it - my sister and I obviously only owned a few copies back then) when I was a child - I adored the colourful pictures, wonderful characters and exciting stories. It was pure magic! I remember wishing they were for real. That I could live as they did. Have that special connection to everything around me - the nature, wild creatures, other people... The very word "soulmate" is forever linked to these elves. Today, as a "grown-up", I still relish the magic inside the old, somewhat battered, copies. They always bring a smile to my face ♥

Have you ever read this series? If so, who is your favourite character? 

A slightly disturbing teaser

I love Neil Gaiman's work. Rarely do I come upon an author who writes so adversely as he does. His stories are unbelievably different from each other; they vary from enchanting love stories to disturbing nightmares and haunted fairytales, yet at the same time they reflect a man who's incredible imagination and ingenuity forces us to think again. His combinations of everyday life with the rather unusual twist will not leave you unharmed. Consider yourself warned. Gaiman really does do magic, you see.

"  'Hold out your hand,' she told him, 'and I'll tell yer fortune.' He did as he was told. She put her old hand into his, and held it tightly, and then she blinked a few times, like an owl who had swallowed a mouse that was beginning to disagree with it. 'You got a long way to go...' she said, puzzled. 

    'London,' Richard told her. 

    'Not just London...' the old woman paused. 'Not any London I know.' It started to rain, then, softly. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'It starts with doors.' 

    'Doors?' 

    She nodded. The rain fell harder, pattering on the roofs and on the asphalt of the road. 'I'd watch out for doors if I were you.'  "

"Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman

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The time is...

...now!

Use today as a tool - you can achieve anything you want!

Oh, and have fun.

Something to look forward to

It is getting colder outside, and I find myself looking forward to spending days curled up in the sofa with a nice cuppa tea or hot chocolate, just listening to the rain or snow hitting the windows ♥

"Days like this one is meant to be spent on the sofa!"

"Ah! Let it snow!"

A late night teaser - The Hunger Games

I am reading "The Hunger Games" trilogy at the moment. I went through the first two books so fast I did not even stop to consider finding a teaser for you! Today's teaser is therefore from the last book, "The Mockingbird":

"I set the case flat on the floor and undo the latches along one side. The top opens on silent hinges. Inside the case, on a bed of crushed maroon velvet, lies a stunning black bow. "Oh," I whisper in admiration. I lift it carefully into the air to admire the exquisite balance, the elegant design and the curve of the limbs that somehow suggests the wings of a bird extended in flight. There's something else. I have to hold very still to make sure I'm not imagining it. No, the bow is alive in my hands. I press it against my cheek and feel the slight hum travel through the bones of my face. "What's it doing?" I ask. "Saying hello," explains Beetee with a grin. "It heard your voice."

I really love the series so far. It is so exciting and so much is happening it is quite frankly breathtaking at times. I cannot wait to get to the end of it - to see how it all turns out and whether Katniss can finally find some happiness and peace. I think she deserves that much by now. I do love her spark, though, which is so unbelievably suited for "the girl who was on fire".

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My ship is filled with...books

Obviously, I never go anywhere without a book if I can help it. So on today's boattrip it was mandatory - who knows where we might end up with time to spare, right?! Besides, it is really nice sitting in a boat, reading a book and fishing at the same time. Did not catch any fish, though, but, nevertheless, it was a great trip.

We stopped at this tiny island to bbq and swim when the sun was at its highest. It was my first swim this summer - which is, when you think about it, actually shocking! I mean, it is almost autumn - I should be tired of swimming by now, not just starting...! It was cold, if anyone wonders. Refreshing and fun, too. My boyfriend promptly refused getting into the water with me. He was really impressed by my ability to stay out there in water he announced way too cold to enter. I was quite glad the sun was as warm as it was and that I dried up pretty quickly, though. I have to confess that much.

The little bay we found was absolutely perfect. Apart from a couple of sheep we were completely alone. A couple of the lambs were pretty curious and came up to us to have a closer look from time to time. When they got a bit too interested in our snacks and - yep - my book (!), we had to chase them off. Imagine what they could have done to my book! Probably chewed it to pieces...

When it got cloudy it was time to head back home. A bit sad, really. I cannot wait till the next time the weather is just as nice - we will definitely be going back to that island.