The last day of the year...

Here it is again - the last day of the year. So many thoughts, hopes and dreams of a year gone by are being reviewed. Was it a good year? Perhaps even a great one? Or was it a rather bleak year, with far too many regrets? Perhaps your hopes for the year to come are all that matter right now. Or the chance to redeem yourself, to make up for something you have done badly or not done at all. We all need second chances in life. New opportunities and possibilities.

Hopefully the year to come will be your best one yet.

My lovely friend sent me this picture today. What a brilliant idea this is! A jar with random paper tidbits with notes about good things that happen - who would not love to open that next New Years Eve?

So simple, yet so amazing.

Whoever you are, wherever you are - I bid you a Good New Year. And thank you for the old.

Caz

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I wish everyone

A Very Happy Christmas!

May you get everything you wish for - and be surrounded by love, family and friends.

❤

My little Santa-village

Santa and his reindeer on the move

Decorating for Christmas!

Today we put up our Christmas Tree - which I carefully chose from the neighbouring farm a couple of days ago. I even got a sheaf of grain to put up for the birds for Christmas and some lovely porridge. Quite a fun day. The only thing left to do now is baking a couple more cookies, and that is it! Tomorrow (today, actually!) my entire family arrives. I am so excited! I have been looking forward to this for weeks!

I thought I would share a few photos of our Christmas house with you - I hope you like them.

Our living room

Peek-a-boo!

My favourite view...

...and my favourite room!

Perhaps there will be some brand new books in there in a few days...! *fingers crossed*

Anyone up for a ghost story?

It is Sunday yet again, and this time I am reading a ghost story. The book is called "The Woman in Black" and is written by Susan Hill. This will be the first book I have read by her, which is very exciting.

Here is my teaser:

'You must know at least one ghost story, stepfather, everyone knows one...'

Ah, yes, yes, indeed. All the time I had been listening to their ghoulish, lurid inventions, and their howling and groans, the one thought that had been in my mind, and the only thing I could have said was, 'No, no, you have none of you any idea. This is all nonsense, fantasy, it is not like this. Nothing so blood-curdling and becreepered and crude - not so...so laughable. The truth is quite other, and altogether more terrible.'

 The Woman in Black, p. 20

I cannot wait to read the rest of the story he is about to tell... Can you?

More teasers:
Flukten fra virkeligheten
Should Be Reading

❤ snow

A little Narnia-resemblance, perhaps?

Winter Wonderland

Last week, on my trip home from work, I flew across Norway. When looking out the window, I saw our mountains covered in snow. So pretty! The sun was peaking up above the horizon and painted the landscape pink for a little while.

This, along with my new book "The Woman in Black", made for a great start on the day ❤

Walking In The Air (from: The Snowman)

This is a wonderful Christmas song ❤




Enjoy!

Santa, I'm...

...wishing upon a Christmas star...

1.  The Little Vampire by Angela Sommer-Bodenberg:
      I have seen parts of the movie and whatnot, so reading the book seems like
      something I just have to do.

2.  The Whisper Jar by Carole Lanham:
      A collection of secrets... I have been wanting to read these short stories for a long 
      time!

3.  The Dead Girls Detective Agency by Susy Cox: 
      A bunch of dead girls solving their own deaths? Count me in.

4.  The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce: 
      Flying books! This sounds like a dream coming true. 

5.  The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale: 
      This girl is talking to animals - she is a princess - travelling the land - fighting for her 
      right - clearly this must be a good read!?

6.  The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde: 
      Someone is kidnapping characters from books, and Thursday sets out to solve the
      mystery. This is the first book about her.

7.  The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster: 
      Quite a few people seems to think that this is their favourite book from their 
      childhood - which intrigues me. I have also heard that the language is very good, 
      and that Juster is playing on words and meanings in this book.

8.  A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein: 
      A poetry collection with characters that have funny names. Sounds like a fun read.

9.  Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth by Lloyd Alexander: 
      Cats AND timetravel! Quite interesting.

10. The Case of the Missing Servant: from the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator by Tarquin Hall:
       The blurb tells me that this is India's answer to Mma Ramotswe from The No.1 Ladies' 
       Detective Agency. Need I say more?

Now, which ten books do you hope Santa brings this Christmas?

My wise Christmas owl

Waiting for Christmas

It is December again ♥ 

I love this time of the year! Snow outside, hot chocolate and a happy log fire in the fireplace. Family spending time together.

We made gingerbread the other day at my grandma's place. It is a long time since someone did that. She was so happy and loved the smell of freshly baked gingerbread with icing on. I even wrote 'grandma' on one of them! Or, rather, the norwegian equivalent: Mormor. She laughed good at that.

Yummy!

1st of December I was supposed to light the advent star in our home. Instead I had to go to work (quite the annoyance, I know). I cannot wait till I get back home so I can start decorating the house for Christmas! This year my family is coming down for Christmas, so I will even have a Christmas tree to decorate! Hooray! This will be our second Christmas tree ever (no point in having a tree if one does not celebrate Christmas at home, right?). Sitting in the living room late at night with only the lights on the Christmas tree lit is wonderful. We have little coloured lights on our tree, so they really give the room a warm and enchanted atmosphere.

This Christmas will also be a little sad... There will be no cats running around beneath the tree - we have lost them all the last two years. I am still struggling to find my footing again. They do get under our skin, our pets - do they not? I am still expecting to see them at the door, wanting to get inside. Sometimes I round a corner and think I see them at their favourite places, only to be bitterly disappointed. They were my precious babies ♥

My boyfriend has also lost a grandma this year. She is greatly missed. She was such a positive, wise and kind person, and we were always looking forward to seeing her the next time we were visiting back home. The world is not quite the same without her.

Even though Christmas is a time for rememberance, Christmas will still be Christmas. My family will stay for about a week, and during those days we will bake some more cookies, decorate a little more, wrap the last presents and put them under the tree (I wonder if there will be many books there this year?), have Christmas dinners, both at our place and at my grandma's, go to the cinema to watch The Hobbit (I am so excited!) and in general enjoy the time together. I am sure there will be quite a few late nights, too. I am hoping the snow will keep on falling the entire of December. It is so pretty outside when it is all white and sparkly! I love snow - the crisp feel to the air, the ice crystals and the softness of the landscape. A winter wonderland, for sure! 

The first snow gives a hint of what is soon to come.

Good Omens - all Hell breaks loose

Another brilliant book from Neil Gaiman - and Terry Pratchett. I have not read it through yet, but from what I have read so far this is one funny book.

What happens if the angel does the wrong thing, and the demon the right thing? Is that even possible?
What happens when the world is going to end next Saturday according to prophecy?
Well, rather a lot...

In this novel, the two authors have combined their imagination and somewhat obscure view of the world and the things in it, added a big dose of humour and storytelling - and hence ended up with a book about The Apocalypse you never thought you would read. Which, now that you do know of it, you obviously must read. I hope you like it.

Here is a teaser from Good Omens, p. 4:

 ............................................................................................................................

Eventually Crawly said, "Didn't you have a flaming sword?" 

"Er," said the angel. A guilty expression passed across his face, and then came back and camped there.

"You did, didn't you?" said Crawly. "It flamed like anything."  

"Er, well--" 

"It looked very impressive, I thought." 

"Yes, but, well--" 

"Lost it, have you?" 

"Oh no! No, not exactly lost, more--" 

"Well?" 

Aziraphale looked wretched. "If you must know," he said, a trifle testily, "I gave it away."

 ............................................................................................................................

 

More teasers:
Flukten fra virkeligheten
Should Be Reading