Contest:!

I have reached 300 followers, that is amazing! I want to give something back to all of you that are following me, and have arranged for a new contest.

One lucky winner will get a prize pack consisting of the following:
1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare ( Paperback, brand new copy)
2. Firestorm by Rachel Caine ( Signed paperback)
3. Frostbite by Richelle Mead ( Used paperback copy)
4. Swag from the Midnight Breed Series by Lara Adrian
5. Norwegian chocolate & candy

The rules are simple:
Just enter your name and e-mail adress in the columns below and you are a part of the contest!
The contest is international, and you have to be a follower to enter.

My main focus for this contest is not to gain new followers, even though I do not mind new people following me, but to give something back to the people reading my blog. The contest will therefore only run for a short amount of time. You have until November 5th to enter and I will draw a winner next sunday November 7th.

The whole prize package will be sent from me personally.

Good Luck :)

In My Mailbox (8)

This is a weekly meme hosted by the Story Siren, where we talk about the books we got the previous week.

I have just gotten my first kindle ( I love it), and therefore I have received a lot of e - books:

For review (Via Netgalley)
A.J. Whitten: The Cellar
Elizabeth Laird: The Betrayal of Maggie Blair
Saundra Mitchell: The Vespertine
Carolyn MacCullough: Always a Witch
Amy Hoder: The Lipstick Laws
Lauren Oliver: Delirium
Cynthia Hand: Unearthly
Courtney Allison Moulton: Angelfire
Sharon Dogar: Annexed
Jackie Morse Kessler: Hunger & Rage

Bought:
Garcia & Stohl: Beautiful Darkness

Review: Stork by Wendy Delsol

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Paperback Pages:355
Source: ARC



















" Sixteen-year-old Katla has just moved from Los Angeles to the sticks of Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, she learns to her horror that she’s a member of an ancient order of women who decide to whom certain babies will be born. Add to that Wade, the arrogant football star whom Katla regrettably fooled around with, and Jack, a gorgeous farm boy who initially seems to hate her. Soon Katla is having freaky dreams about a crying infant and learns that, as children, she and Jack shared a near-fatal, possibly mystical experience. Can Katla survive this major life makeover and find a dress for the homecoming dance? Drawing from Norse mythology and inspired by The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, debut author Wendy Delsol conceives an irreverent, highly entertaining novel about embracing change and the (baby) bumps along the way."

Background:
Wendy Delsol made her debut as an author with "Stork" this month, and the book has already been nominated for "Best Fiction for Young Adult" by Yalsa. She wrote the draft for "Stork" in only five months. The book incorporates Norse mythology, and is the first in a planned trilogy. The second book, Frost, is coming out in September 2011.

The Story:
Katla does not appreciate that she has to move to Minnesota after her parent's divorce. She longs for sunny L.A, but soon her mind gets preoccupied by something else: She meets the ladies in the Icelandic Stork Society, an order were the members decide who gets pregnant with a specific child. Katla is overwhelmed by the fact that she is their youngest member, and soon her abilities starts to show. She also meets Jack, and he knows something crucial about Katla's past.

Main Character:
Katla is a name I associate with the dragon in Astrid Lindgren's "The Brothers Lionheart". That said, I think it is cool that the author uses this name for the main protagonist in Stork. Katla is a name that holds a lot of strength. It is also the name of the biggest volcano in Iceland. In this story Katla is a sixteen year old girl, originally from Los Angeles but now living in Minnesota. She is interested in design and designer clothes, but she is not a shallow girl. She has a lot of layers, is thoughtful and funny. And I liked her even more as the story progressed.

The Book:
I adored this book. It read like a fairytale to me. Wendy Delsol has created an atmosphere in this book, that spoke to me. I loved the book now, and I would have loved it if I read it during my childhood. This is a book I am going to read to my kids someday.

When my mom grew up, she was lead to believe that children were delivered to their parents by the stork. I also heard this myth when I was a young girl - it is something every Norwegian child has heard at one time. (We even have the stork has a symbol of our leading chocolate factory). I think it is great to actually read a book that takes this myth to a whole new level.

I also loved the fact that the author has used a lot of icelandic names and titles like "Fru" ( translates as Mrs, we actually use this term in Norwegian), "Hulda" , Gudrun etc. It made me feel more close to the story. Here in Norway we have shared a lot of history with Iceland, and our languages has a lot of similar words and expressions. I really hope a Norwegian publisher buy the rights for this book, I think it would appeal to the Norwegian audience. I also think is is so cool that the author named Katla's new town "Norse Falls".

The book is full of mystery, the more I learn about the Stork Society, about Katla and Jack, the more I want to know. Why does Katla hate the cold as much as she do? What is the significance of the birds that seem to protect Katla. I just wanted to read and read.

I could have written so much about this book, but you really have to read it to see how great it is. It stands out from a lot of the books published in the YA - genre today. It has something classical about it. I can't wait for the sequel, "Frost", to come out. Stork is original and well written, a marvelous debutnovel by an author I am eager to read more from.

Candlewick Press has also done a great job with the cover for the book. It is truly beauiful!





Other reviews for this book:
Book Crazy
I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read
Larissa's Bookish Life

In My Mailbox (7)

This is a weekly meme where we talk about the books that arrived in our mailbox the past week, or books we borrowed at the library, bought etc. The meme is hosted by The Story Siren.

The past week I got some great books.

For review:
Lauren Conrad: Sweet Little Lies
Lauren Conrad: Sugar and Spice


The L.A Candy series is loosely based on the author's life and details the life of a young woman who moves to Los Angeles and becomes the star of a reality show on TV. I am looking forward to reading these books, and I love the covers.

I also bought a lot of books this week:

Bought:
Michael Grant: Gone 3 - Lies ( I bought the Norwegian translation)
Alyson Noel: Dark Flame ( The Immortals 4)
J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber if Secrets
J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Lauren Kate: Torment
Jane Eagland: Wildthorn

I must be one of the few persons on this planet, who have not read anything by J.K. Rowling yet. So, I decided to do something about it. I also needed to have book 3 in the Gone - series. I recently read the first book in the series, and loved it.

The Immortal - series by Alyson Noel is one of my favorites, but since I am buying the books from the UK I have not read "Dark Flame" yet.

"Torment" was a great read. I reviewed the book on my blog based on a manuscript I received from the publisher, but I wanted to have my own copy of the book as well. "Wildthorn" is a book I have heard great things about, so I wanted to buy it. And the cover is gorgeous.

Now, I only need to find more reading time. I wish I could spend a whole week just reading books. That would be like heaven.

What did you get in your mailbox?

PS: I also reached 300 followers the past week. That is amazing. I need to celebrate that the next week. More information will be posted soon.

Review: Gone, Michael Grant

Publisher: Schibsted
Format: Paperback
Pages: 575
Source: Review copy ( I read this in Norwegian, and the cover in this post is the Norwegian cover for the book)












"Suddenly there are no adults, no answers. What would you do? In the blink of an eye, the world changes. The adults vanish without a trace, and those left must do all they can to survive. But everyone's idea of survival is different. Some look after themselves, some look after others, and some will do anything for power...Even kill. For Sam and Astrid, it is a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives...What is the mysterious wall that has encircled the town of Perdido Beach and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange powers? And can they defeat Caine and his gang of bullies before they turn fifteen and disappear too? It isn't until the world collapses around you that you find out what kind of person you really are. This book offers a chilling portrayal of a world with no rules. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes."
("Description from Amazon)

Background:
Michael Grant is the pseudonym for Michael Reynolds, Grant / Reynolds co-authored the series Animorphs (1996 - 2001), but the Gone - series was his first debut on his own. The first book in the series, was published in 2008. He is also writing another series, Magnificent 12. The first book in this series, was published this August. The Gone - series is going to consist of a total of 6 books. Grant lives in Chapel Hill, California with his wife and two kids.

Story:
"Gone" takes place in Perdido Beach. California and opens with a strange event. In a blink of an eye every adult and person over fifteen in the town just disappears. One moment they are there, and the next...gone! The children that are left behind are confused, in shock and do not understand what has just happened. As the hours go by, it becomes very clear that the missing people are not going to come back anytime soon. The remaining children also discover that a big wall of energy is surronding the town, making an escape impossible. The children are left to fend for themselves.

Main Character:
At first glance, there appears to be many main characters in this book. Sam Temple is the main protagonist, but Astrid Ellison, her autistic brother Pete and Caine Soren do also appear frequently. The point of view shifts from chapter to chapter.

But back to Sam Temple: You may think that he is just an ordinary teenageboy, but Sam hides a secret. He is able to shot flames from his hands. The children in the town look upon him as some kind of hero, because he once saved the schoolbus from an accident. Sam is not comfortable with being named a hero. The author has done a great job portraying him. He is a character it is easy to like, but he has his flaws, which only makes him more human. It is also evident that he grows throughout this story. Sam is a character thas has great potential. I am looking forward to get to know him better.

The Book:
I guess every child and teenager has one thought: the world would be a so much better place if there were' nt any adults around. In Perdido Beach this becomes a reality in a blink of an eye, but rather than celebrating, the children and the town are thrust into chaos. What are they going to do when all the adults are missing? Who will look after the babies and the younger children? What about food?

The children must try to organize themselves as best they can. Some rise to the occasion and show what they are truly made of. Some will be tempted to try to manipulate others and gain power all for themselves - and some will betray even their best friends in order to survive. On top of all this, it is soon revealed that there is more strange things going on. The teenagers develop superhuman powers and the animals mutate.

"Gone" was an absorbing read, very hard to put down. But it did take me some time to get absolutely engrossed in the story - but when I did, I read it until it was finished. I became deeply fascinated by the whole story, and the mystery that is always present: what has actually happened to the people over fifteen?

I am a big fan of Stephen King, and this was like Stephen King would have written for a young audience, I think. And it is appearent that Grant actually is a big fan. "The darkness" reminded me a bit of "It", by Stephen King. But you find a lot of other references to his work as well. I also thought about "Under the Dome", which was actually published after "Gone".

There were a lot of different characters, whick kept the story going and made it interesting to read. I liked the countdown, which starts off every chapter. I was eager to read on to find out what as going to happen at the end when Sam turns fifteen.

Add a bit of X-men, Heroes and Lord of the Flies, and you have Gone. A great sci-fi novel for young adults, packed with suspense and mystery. But is you buy this book, I suggest you buy two copies - because your mum or dad is also going to want to read it.

The book have a lot of pages, but you could finish it in one sitting. That's how good it actually is. It is engrossing. I am looking forward to the next installment, which is waiting for me in my bookshelf.




Other reviews:
The Book Smugglers ( Review of book 1 & 2)
One Librarian's Book Review
Presenting Lenore
The Book Eater

In my Mailbox (6)

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we talk about the books we received in our mailbox the past week, or books that we bought, borrowed from the library etc.

This week I got one book, andt I am very excited about it:

For review:
Reckless, Cornelia Funke

I got the Norwegian translation of the book and I am going to read it as part of a Norwegian blog tour later this autumn.

Here is the Norwegian cover. I think it is quite pretty:

" For the first time in his life, Jacob Reckless is afraid. For years he's stolen across to another world. A dark enchanted place he's loved for its treasure, secrets and dangers. Until now. Will, his younger brother, has followed him with terrible consequences: The boy will turn to beast; the girl he loves will break her hert and chaos will rule forever, unless Jacob can spin a fairytale to save them .."
(Description from amazon.co.uk)

Watch the booktrailer:



What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Review: "Torment", Lauren Kate (Some spoilers)

Publisher: Random House Uk
Format: Bound manuscript
Pages: 464
Source: Manuscript sent from publisher















"How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else? "
(Description from Play.com)

Background:
"Torment" is the second book in the Fallen Angels series, written by Lauren Kate. The first book, "Fallen", became an instant hit and a worldwide bestseller with over 500.000 sold copies all over the globe, and has not left the New York Times bestsellerlist. Disney has optioned the books for film.

Story:
"Torment" begins where "Fallen" left off. Daniel Grigori has made sure that Luce is transferred from Sword & Cross to Shoreline, in order to keep her safe from the Outcasts. The angels and demons have decided on an eighteen day truce, in order to hunt down and kill those who are threatening Luce. Suddenly, Cam and Daniel must stand side by side to protect Luce from the threat.

Shoreline is not your typical American school either. Most of the students are Nephilim kids, who are attending the school to develop their abilities. Luce meets a lot of new characters, and starts to question her love for Daniel and what has really happened in her past.

Main Character:
I like Luce a lot. She is a protagonist it is easy to empatize with. She is strong, but at the same time vulnerable. And she does not automatically believe everything she is told, but seeks the truth her own way. She is not a girl you can boss around. She has her own opinions and will fight for her right to be heard. She is also passionate, and is drawn to a lot of people. She is thoughful, in so many ways. A person with a lot of depth. Even though I do not understand a lot of the choices she make, I still like her.

The book:
The story in this book takes place in California. I was a bit afraid that would influence the atmosphere in the book in a negative way - but I was wrong. I am instantly propelled into the story, and I do not want to leave Luce and Daniel's world. The gothic atmosphere is not so present in this book, but I do not mind. Actually, I think "Torment" is a far better book than is predecessor. It is a more complex book, a book with a lot more depth.

The story of the shadows that have haunted Luce her entire life, is revealed. They are now called "The Announcers" and the history behind them is old and so magnificiently developed by the author that I could actually have believed it to be a real story. We are told more about the angels and the past relationships between Luce and Daniel. The author introduces us to a new, male character that will gain Luce' attention.

Some of the themes in Luce and Daniel' s relationship is probably also known to readers of Alyson Noel's books. Luce and Ever are both seeking out the truth of their past lives and they both starts to question if their boyfriends have told them everthing there is to know about their past reincarnations. Destiny is also a big part of the mix, and they both ask themselves if there is perhaps another soulmate waiting for them out there. I think it is interesting that both authors have chosen to focus on these aspects, but I do not think either one of them has borrowed from the other- just want to state that.

You can also see some similarties between Daniel and Edward from Twilight. But Luce is not in any way like Bella. She does not try to kill herself when Daniel leaves her, no, she starts to question if he is actually right for her. When I read Twilight, I had a hard time understanding Bella and how she could let herself almost fade away in the relationship between her and Edward. I am so happy that Lauren Kate has not done the same with Luce. Luce knows how to stand up for herself, and she knows that every girl deserves the best - and if Daniel is not the best choice for her, well then she just have to find another boy that is. That said; I also understand why Daniel can't be with her. He loves her, but at the same time he have to make sure that she is safe.

"Torment" is not a fastpaced book. There is not a lot of action, but at the same time there is just something about this book that really captivates the reader and keeps you wanting to read and read and read. I read the book almost in one sitting.

I had a lot of expectations for this book, and every single one of them was met. I think that "Torment" is a much better book than "Fallen". Lauren Kate has once again done an amazing job and given us an atmospheric, romantic, dramatic and great read. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, "Passion".

This book went straight to my heart. I loved it!








Other reviews:
Stiletto Storytime
For What It's Worth
Proud Book Nerd

Follow Friday & Blog Hop 1/10

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee.

For more details on this great meme, check out her fantastic blog here.
If you are a new follower, please leave a comment so I can check out your blog.
And check out the interview I did with Lauren Kate here. Her new book "Torment" is amazing and was released in the UK yesterday. I will post my review of it tomorrow.


Another meme I am participating in, is the weekly blog hop, hosted by Crazy for Books.





This week's question: How do you spread the word about your blog?

I have learned from the "masters", if I can say that. Which means, when I was new to blogging I visited a lot of blogs that have been up and running for quite some time, to learn from them. I read all I found on book blogging, etiquette and other relevant stuff and off course articles about how to promote your blog.

I have a twitter account for this blog, and one for my Norwegian blog. I also try to leave relevant comments on other blogs, because that may generate some visitors for this blog. I also try to participate in meme' s, challenges and other events. I also use Goodreads. You need to put yourself out there in order to be seen. I am not so good at this all the time, but I try.

Have a great weekend everyone!