Saturday, May 21, 2011

Introducing The Norwegian Book Girl

Since I am attending BEA next week, I wanted to do as so many other bloggers attending have done, and introduce myself.

So, this is me:

I live in Norway, not far from the capitol Oslo. I started blogging in Norwegian in January 2010, and half a year later I started The Norwegian Book Girl. I have a pretty eclectic tast, but mostly I read mystery/suspense and Young Adult. I especially love books with a dystopian theme and/or paranormal elements.

Aside from reading, I have interests such as interior design, cooking and healthy living, dogs and travelling.

I will be attending BEA the whole week, and I will also attend the Book Blogger Convention. There is a lot of signings I am planning to attend, a selection are:

Tuesday:
Alma Katsu: The Taker
Tahereh Mafi: Shatter Me
Richelle Mead: Bloodlines
I will also attend the Children's Breakfast this day.

Wednesday:
Lauren Oliver: Delirium
Ally Condie: Crossed
Wendy Delsol: Frost
Maggie Stiefvater: The Scorpio Races
Maureen Johnson: Name of the star
I will also be hanging around for signings at Booth 4638 this day.

Thursday:
Anna Carey: Eve
Marianna Baer: Frost

And I will be attending the Teen Author Carnival om Monday and the Writing for Teens Today at Wednesday.

I may appear to be a little shy in the beginning, but I like to socialize and talk to people, so if you see me, just say hi :) I speak English fluently. I am staying at a Hotel in the Theatre District.

Wishing all the attendees at BEA a great exprience!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: Shatter Me & The Taker

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we talk about books we are anxious to read.

My picks this week:

Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

Unfortunately, there is'nt a cover for this book yet.

I am also looking forward to this book:

Alma Katsu: The Taker

Described as an "epic supernatural romance," The TAKER combines historical fiction with a supernatural element for a dark romantic story that's "astonishing... heartbreaking and magical."
In the novel, set in the 19th century, a girl from northern Maine falls for and gets impregnated by a wealthy local out of her social league. When she flees to Boston to have the baby, she gets swept up by a group of immortal beings, and a tricky love triangle develops after the leader of the undying crew falls for her and gives her everlasting life

Booktrailer:




Monday, May 16, 2011

Music Monday, Scandinavian Version (3)

Welcome to Music Monday, Scandinavian Version, where I share some of the Scandinavian songs I listen to at the moment.

Rikke Lie: Better Off



Rikke was one of the finalist in the Norwegian version of X-Factor in 2009. She didn't win, but afterwards she signed with Universal music. She has a very special voice, and this song is just beautiful.

The Ark: Calleth You, Cometh I




The Ark is a glamrockband from Sweden. They were formed in 1991, and have released 6 albums. This year, they have decided to quit, sadly. But their music lives on. They write songs that gets you in a good mood.

Hope you have a great week, everyone. I have butterflies in my stomach and can hardly concentrate. All I can think about is that I leave for New York on Friday. It will be an adventure, I am sure.

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Publisher: Mangschou (Norwegian publisher)
Pages: 395
Format: Hardback
Released: April (Norwegian translation)
Source: Review copy












For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. As author Ally Condie’s unique dystopian Society takes chilling measures to maintain the status quo, Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice

Life in a protected bubble

Matched is a great dystopian novel. I could not put this book away.

Imagine a society where all the big choices in life are decided for you by others. A society where officials decide who you are to marry, fall in love with and when you can have a baby. A society that decides what food you are allowed to eat, and also when you die. A place where no one must differ from the right norm, and where every wrong step may lead to terrible concequences. A place where something as private as your dreams is being monitored too. Welcome to Cassia's world.

There have been sometime since George Orwell wrote his famous novel 1984, but the heritage from that novel still lives on today. That is apparent in Condie's bestselling novel. Big Brother is watcing you and officials controls what you get to read and listen to. People are not able to write by hand anymore, everything is conducted on computers.

Cassia have never questioned this way of living, it is the only way of living she knows. She likes living in a world free of dangerous diseases, and is looking forward to the day when she will be matched with the boy she later will marry. Little does Cassia know that the day of the matching will change her life in ways that she never could have imagined. She gets to know Ky Markham more, and soon she starts asking questions about her life and the choices made for her by the officials.

Matched
is a great novel, and I could not put it down. I became fascinated and was horrified by the world the author has created. I felt strongly for all the characters, especially Cassia and Ky.

The writing was good, and Condie is really great at conjuring metaphors and beautiful pictures. I also think she is talented when it comes to character-development. She describes Cassia's relationship to Ky and Xander in a very believeable way.

There is a lot of questions in this book that do not get answered. That didn't bother me, but actually served as an incentive to keep on reading. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, and can't wait to see what Condie are up to next. A great debut.

Other reviews:
Wondrous Reads
The Infinite Shelf
The website for the series
Matched on Goodreads

Book-trailer :


Monday, May 2, 2011

One weeks silence

I will be away from the blog for a week, but I will be back next week with bookreviews, Scandinavian music and more. So stay tuned for reviews of Long Lankin and more.

But before I go, I want to share two new booktrailers with you. Enjoy:





Happy reading :)
 
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