Alice in Wonderland : My Thoughts on the Movie

At last, I saw it ! Alice in Wonderland came out last wednesday in France. I'd been waiting to see it for months, so I was quite excited. Unfortunately I didn't get to watch it in 3D, it was already full.

It was really weird for me : I read the book based on the movie script before seeing the movie. I had to review it for the publisher I work for. So I was already aware of what Tim Burton had in store. I was super duper excited to be able to read this book before the movie release. I loved the adaptation and could totally picture what the film would look like. I loved the writing, I really liked the fact that Alice was older and I enjoyed both the new things that Burton added to the stories but also the way he placed some of Carroll's sayings and original writings.

So, what did I think of the movie ? I shall organize my thoughts in a list, which will help me clear them, like I did with the Twilight saga.

I love lists. I don't list things enough here. :)

What I liked

The Costumes

They were brilliant. I want all of Alice's dresses ! Especially the one she wears at The Red Queen's castle. They were designed by Colleen Atwood, who is a fabulous costume designer. It was a pleasure for the eyes.

The Characters
Lewis Carroll was such a genius. And in the movie, the characters are all rich and unique too. Johnny Depp is amazing as The Mad Hatter, he's such a great actor. Helena Bonham Carter, as always, is fabulous. She's so good with mean characters. I loved that Burton picked a 'non-famous' actress for Alice. I think Mia Wasikowska did a great job. She made me think of Gwyneth Palthrow at times. I wasn't disappointed by the acting, and seeing all these characters on a screen was awesome.

Alan Rickman

Ok, I know he doesn't have a huge part and that, well, it's only his voice that we can hear (he's the caterpillar). But, oh my, how I LOVE his voice ! I'm a huge fan of Alan Rickman. I wish he could read me bedtime stories. He has such a powerful voice. I just had to mention him here. :)

Burton's Additions

Alice is 19 ? Great ! The Mad Hatter is mad because of a tragic situation he witnessed ? Perfect ! I loved all these developments. I love Carroll's books, but I wasn't annoyed by Burton's adaptation. Of course, Burton's view on things is always dark, but Carroll's books are not the happiest either. I really liked this version.

The Visuals

Colors everywhere, wonderful shapes and fantastic lights : I was mesmerized. Too bad I didn't see it in 3D...

What I Disliked

The Special Effects

Like I said before, I thought the visuals were beautiful. But I really felt like there were way too many special effects, and I thought that either the whole film should've been animated, or none of it. Plus, I thought the mix between real-life things and the effects was not completely mastered. The Knight's moves for example were really weird, unnatural in a bad way. The whole thing kind of gave me a headache. Again, I wish I'd seen it in 3D, I'm almost sure it would've felt smoother.

No Songs ?

Why weren't there any music and songs ? They are really important in Lewis Carroll's books, and Tim Burton always had fantastic songs and music in his movies. So why did they choose not to add some ? I was really disappointed.

Lack of Poetry

I felt like the whole plot wasn't poetic enough. The story itself was rather simplist I think, psychologically and morally speaking. For some reason, I wasn't moved. Weirdly, I was when I read the novelization.

Overall Feeling

I didn't get out of the cinema with stars in my eyes. Afterwards I spent all afternoon and evening with a friend, and almost forgot that I'd seen the movie. When a movie touches me it usually takes a few days for it to sink in. The movie kind of becomes my friend for a few days, and I think about it and visualise it in my head. But with Alice it didn't stick with me. Even now it starts to get blurry.

All in all, I had a great time watching Alice in Wonderland, but my high expectations were not fulfilled for some reason. I went through many ups and downs during the whole movie. I felt disappointed and impressed at the same time. I think having read the novelization before watching the movie ruined the surprise too. I wish I knew what I would've thought of it if I hadn't read it. It is not a bad movie at all, I just feel like there was something missing.

How about you guys ? What did you think ? Did you review the movie on your blog ? If so, do not hesitate linking it ! I may have already read your review, but you never know !

Book Blogging Around The World (8) : The Netherlands

Name : Nina

Blog : J'adorehappyendings

Country : The Netherlands 

Welcome Nina !

Tell us a little bit about you.

Hi, my name is Nina and I live in Holland. I study history and my biggest dream is that one day I will teach history for high school students. I have the biggest obsession ever, and of course that is reading books and magazines…even though I haven’t bought a magazine in months.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

I started blogging in September, 2009 and am loving it. It’s a blog where I tell you my feelings about the books that I read and let me tell you that I enjoy doing that.

             

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world ?

Nope, never.

What countries have you visited ?

Curacao, Spain, Germany, Belgium and England.

What countries would you like to visit ?

I would love to visit the United States (New York here I come), France, Mexico, Peru, Africa, Egypt, Cuba and allot more countries. I have a whole list of countries that I would love to visit in the future.

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in The Netherlands ?

I guess that the negative aspect of being a book blogger here in The Netherlands is that I don’t get any books for reviews from the United States or anywhere else. It’s way too expensive to send their books to this little cold country!

And of course the best part of book blogging here is that I learned so many new people around the world and even here in Holland too. I love that the book blogging community is so nice to each other and that people all around the world can connect this way.

What Dutch authors and books would you recommend ?

I would recommend for young adults Carry Slee. She writes beautiful books and they always have a message in them for teens. In my opinion her best book was ‘Afblijven’.

Also I adore Sophie van der Stap, a young writer who had to deal with cancer on a early age. I haven’t read the second book of her journey, but it’s high on my tbr list. And if you need a good laugh buy the book ‘Boos op de lucht” (Angry at the sky) written by Paul de Leeuw. He’s a television presenter who also writes books and I think he’s the most funniest guys of Holland.

How many languages do you speak ?

In total I speak 5 languages. Spanish (broken..lol..still learning), Dutch (of course), Antilleans (the language of Curacao), German and English.

Do you read more in English or in Dutch ?

The books that I buy are always in English. My father always read in English and I think I’ve inherited that from him.

Where do you usually buy your books ?

After college me and my best friend usually go into the city, Amsterdam, and buy books at the American Bookstore and sometimes at Waterstone. They already know our faces there, because we go all the time. Maybe we should stop doing that, we don’t want them to get sick of us..we don’t always buy books..I mean window-shopping is also a lot of fun..

Is getting your hands on foreign books tricky or easy (not mentioning online stores) ?

Very tricky. The books that are out now in the US or the UK are not available here in the Netherlands. We have to wait for a few months before they come here and not all of them make it into the stores. And then not mention the prices, some of the new books are way to expensive to buy for a student.

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about The Netherlands do you consider disproportionate ?

That everybody smokes wheat in Amsterdam. I think it’s funny that lots of people think that and that it’s available everywhere. Well it’s not. Amsterdam is a big city and yes you can get wheat, but not in every shop!. There are allot of students who live in the city and they don’t smoke that or any other drug to get high. I think you have to see Amsterdam for yourself, so you can see that there are allot of serious people out there and it doesn’t smell like wheat everywhere! LOL.

Do you often go to Amsterdam ? Do you like the city ?

Everyday. My college is situated there and I used to work in the city.

I can truly say that the city is one of my dearest friend.

It is said that almost every Dutch person has a bicycle. Are you a bike girl ?

Yes, I totally am! I am already in my twenties, but haven’t got my driving license. I know..bad!

I love riding on my bicycle, you feel very free on it, like you can go everywhere in the world on it. :)

                     

Quick Q&A

Favorite thing about The Netherlands : The people

Least favorite thing about The Netherlands : The cold

Favorite typically Dutch food : Boerenkool

Favorite place in The Netherlands : Amsterdam

Favorite bookshop : American bookstore

Favorite Dutch author : Carry Slee

Favorite Dutch singer/band : Trijntje Oosterhuis

Favorite book to read while travelling : Books written by either Jane Austen of Terry Pratchett

Plane or train : Train

Boat or bus : Bus

Bike or feet : Bike

I would never bike in Amsterdam.

Tulips are very colourful.

Thank you Nina ! It was a pleasure having you up on the hill.

Next week we'll be traveling to New Zealand !

Question of the Week :

The Travel Fairy gives you a ticket to visit the capital of your choice.
What city do you choose ?

If you'd like to be featured, this post is for you.

French Friday (20)

Don't forget to check out Brizmus' French Friday !

Bonjour à tous !

Wow, this is the 20th French Friday, already ?! Happy 20th birthday then !

This week I decided I would give a little rant about a problem that seems to be more and more frequent in the books I read. And it involves the French language. :)

          

I've recently had a few books to read where France or the French language had an important place in the plot. Meaning that, of course, some passages (especially dialogues) were in French. Here's the thing : I would like to know how and why these parts were not corrected by someone who knows a thing or two about how to speak French ?

First, I'm intrigued by the fact that these authors did not take 5 minutes of their time to ask a friend/relative/professional who speaks French to check out if what they wrote actually means something. Ok, let's say they didn't find anyone, or thought that Google Translate was enough. Now, what about the agent ? Or the editor ? Or the corrector ? That's where it's starting to worry me. 

If I wrote a book that took place in, I don't know, Germany, and wanted to add German dialogues for the plot's sake, I would definitely ask someone who speaks German if the translation I tried to work on really means something in German. This is part of the research I think. I would never dare to send my manuscript if I wasn't 100% sure that the German parts were good.

I've had quite a few books these past months where this particular problem appeared. And many were already released. When I get drafts, I always have in my head that it's still a draft, therefore not corrected yet. But when a book is published and read by everyone, it just bugs me a lot. And I guess this is a universal problem, and that it must happen with other languages too. I'm sure that some French books with English in them have the same kind of mistakes.

I will illustrate this by giving you a few extracts. I took them out of books of which I will not give the title here, but when I post the reviews of these particular books I will mention the problem. :)

Example n°1

"Vous là ! Arrêt !"
English translation : "You there ! Stop !". This is clearly a Google Translate thing. It does mean something in English. But this is something we clearly wouldn't say in French. "Vous là !" is correct. "Arrêt !" is not. You would say "Arrêtez-vous !". "Arrêt !" all alone would be like saying "Stopping !" to someone instead of "Stop !" in English. You just don't say it.

Example n°2
"Arrêtez-moi disent"
English translation : "Stop me say".
Hum, ok, this is not French. Nor English when translated. This is just plain weird.

Example n°3
"Je n'ai pas de la force."
English translation : "I haven't got the strength."
Once corrected, this should be "Je n'ai pas de la force" or "Je n'en ai pas la force".

Example n°4
"Un source"
"Magie Noir"
English translations : "A spring". "Black Magic"
This is the most common grammatical error that English-speaking people make, and I totally understand it since feminine and masculine are hard to get a grip on. Having many English-speaking relatives, I'm used to these mistakes, and I actually think it's cute. But in a book, it just should be corrected. So, these two examples should be written : "Une source" and "Magie Noire".

Here we go, a little complaining does no harm, right ?! I know that this may sound not that important, but it actually is because it's directly linked with how books are re-read and corrected. What do you think ? And have you ever encountered this problem with other languages ?

Oh, and on a more exciting and positive note, the Salon du Livre de Paris starts today ! Yay ! I will probably go next week. There are many interesting conferences and I simply can't wait. I will take pictures of course. ;)

Happy friday everyone !

Book Blogging Around The World : Book Recommendations

Here are all the books and authors recommended by bloggers that were interviewed for Book Blogging Around The World.
They were asked what books or authors from their country they would recommend.

Some of the books are not translated in English. These are the ones with a * .

This list will be updated each week.

AUSTRALIA

BOOKS:

An Angel in Australia by Thomas Keneally

Journey to the Stone Country by Alex Miller

CANADA

BOOKS:

Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery

Emily Climbs by L. M. Montgomery

Emily's Quest by L. M. Montgomery

Mistress Pat by L. M. Montgomery

Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery

The Hidden World by Alison Baird

The Willowmere Chronicles (trilogy) by Alison Baird

The Guests of War (trilogy) by Kit Pearson

Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint

Trader by Charles de Lint

Yarrow by Charles de Lint

CHINA

BOOKS:

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

The Piano Teacher by Janice YK Lee

CROATIA

AUTHORS :

Marija Jurić-Zagorka*

Ivana Brlić Mažuranić

Vjenceslav Novak*

DENMARK

AUTHORS:

Hans Christian Andersen

Soeren Kierkegaard

BOOKS:

The Fishermen by Hans Kirk

ENGLAND

AUTHORS:

Jane Austen

Theresa Breslin

Agatha Christie

Brontë Sisters

Kevin Brooks

Lucy Christopher

Keren David

Grace Dent

Charles Dickens

John Fowles

Julia Green

Joanne Harris

James Herbert

Kate le Vann

Brian Lumley

Sara Manning

Michelle Paver

Luisa Plaja

Louise Rennison

JK Rowling

BOOKS:

Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Segwick

Brenda and Effie (series) by Paul Magrs

Doing It by Melvin Burgess

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Extreme Kissing by Luisa Plaja

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Lucas by Kevin Brooks

Monster Republic by Ben Horton

Noughts and Crosses (series) by Malorie Blackman

Screwed by Joanna Kenrick

Shopaholic (series) by Sophie Kinsella

Spellcrackers.com (series) by Suzanne McLeod

Split by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja

Swapped by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja

Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus

The Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

When I Was Joe by Keren David

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

FINLAND

AUTHORS:

Kaari Utro*

BOOKS:

Moomintrolls (series) by Tove Jansson

The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna

FRANCE

AUTHORS:

René Barjavel

Xavier Mauméjean

Jules Verne

Voltaire

Bernard Werber

BOOKS:

Empire of the Ants by Bernard Werber

GERMANY

AUTHORS:

Uwe Timm

Nina Blazon

BOOKS:

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

JAPAN

AUTHORS:

Natsuo Kirino

Miyuki Miyabe

Haruki Murakami

Ryu Murakami

Koushun Takami

Shoko Tendo

BOOKS:

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

MALAYSIA

AUTHORS:

Ramlee Awang Murshid*

BOOKS:

Personal Justice by Ramlee Awang Murshid

MEXICO

BOOKS:

El Quinto Dragon by Paulina Aguilar*

Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

NEW ZEALAND

AUTHORS:

Ken Catran

Maurice Gee

David Hill

BOOKS:

Talking To Blue (trilogy) by Ken Catran

The Fat Man by Maurice Gee

SWEDEN

AUTHORS:

Camilla Läckberg

Stieg Larsson

Astrid Lindgren

Henning Mankell

Liza Marklund

Håkan Nesser

Katarina Von Bredow*

THE NETHERLANDS (HOLLAND)

AUTHORS:

Carry Slee*

Sophie Van Der Stap*

BOOKS:

Boos op de lucht ! by Paul de Leeuw*

THE PHILIPPINES

BOOKS:

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

USA

AUTHORS:

Jennifer Brown

Cassandra Clare

Simone Elkeles

Barbara Kingslover

Robert Frost

Stephenie Meyer

L.J. Smith

BOOKS:

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Major Crush by Jennifer Echols

Southern Vampire (series) by Charlaine Harris

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingslover

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

The Help by Kathryn Stocketts

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer

I'd also like to remind you the existence of the wonderful website/blog Packabook, where you will find recommendations of books set in the place you visit or would like to read more about.

You can also check out the interview I did with Suzi from Packabook here.

Red Handed and Blacklisted (by Gena Showalter)

RED HANDED
by Gena Showalter
Release date : June 2007

Phoenix Germaine has been trying to earn back her mother's trust after going into rehab and kicking Onadyn -- the drug of choice for New Chicago teens. But when a party in the woods turns into an all-out battle with the most ferocious aliens Phoenix has never seen, she's brought home in what appears to be an Onadyn-induced state. Hello, reform school. Except, what her mother doesn't know is that Phoenix has just been recruited to join the elite Alien Investigation and Removal agency, where she'll learn to fight dirty, track hard, and destroy the enemy. Her professional training will be rigorous and dangerous, and the fact that one of her instructors is Ryan Stone -- the drop-dead gorgeous, nineteen-year-old agent she met in the woods that night -- doesn't make things any easier. Especially when dating him is totally against the rules.... (taken from Simon and Schuster)

MY THOUGHTS : A thrilling book that I read very quickly ! For me, the book's strength laid in the characters. I followed Phoenix really closely and fell in love with all of the other characters. The story is punctuated with action, emotion and humor, jumping from one to the other with finesse.

I had a problem with the timeline though. I felt like the whole year was partially covered, jumping too quickly from the beginning to the end. I thought the love story didn't have enough suspense, which was disappointing because it works really well. I was a bit frustrated by the descriptions too, I wanted more !

But I had that feeling because I found this book full of qualities and gripping, even if I felt like it lacked the little something that would have made it even more exciting. And I wanted to read the sequel right away. So I did. :)

BLACKLISTED
by Gena Showalter
Release date : July 2007

High school senior Camille Robins and her best friend are determined to snag the attention of their crushes before graduation next month. Armed with red-hot outfits and killer hair, they sneak into the hottest nightclub in town -- which caters to the rich and famous, both human and alien. They end up following Erik (who is human) and Silver (who isn't) through a guarded door and are soon separated and under attack...and not the good kind. Bad boy Erik spares Camille's life, but the two are soon being chased by gun-toting Alien Investigation and Removal agents. Camille's more confused than ever because Erik's finally showing real interest in her, but the agents are accusing him of dealing Onadyn -- a drug that ruins human lives. Suddenly, with the heat of his kiss lingering on her lips, Camille has to decide whose side she's on...and whether she's willing to put her life on the line to save Erik's. (taken from Simon and Schuster)

MY THOUGHTS : I loved the change of characters, I thought it was a great idea. Especially since the new characters are as endearing as the previous ones. Like for the first book, they are what made me feel involved in the story.

But I was sad not to cross the Red Handed protagonists more, these parts were too short for my liking. I felt like there was much more suspense and action than in Red Handed, which was nice. So yes, another page turner. But I'm still reticent, and this is due to a few things : the changes of narrators were a bit unsettling at first. Also, the action is hectic and thrilling, but I found the story a bit too simple and the twists predictable.

All in all, I'm torn : it was an entertaining read, but not rich enough somehow.

Pretty Bad Things (by C.J. Skuse)

PRETTY BAD THINGS
by C.J. Skuse
Release date : March 2010

Twins, Paisley and Beau Argent are in the headlines again. Last time, they were the 'wonder twins', when, as six-year-olds, they were found alive in woods after three days missing following their mother’s death – three days spent looking for their dad.Now at sixteen, life’s not so wonderful. Cast out and exploited by their money-grabbing grandmother, they’re still clueless about their dad’s whereabouts. Until they discover an old letter from him. That’s when they decide to hit the road – and make headlines again. Holding up fast-food joints in Las Vegas might seem extreme but if they can get on the news, and tell their dad they need him, they might just get the dream reunion they never thought could happen. (taken from Chicken House)

MY THOUGHTS : Although I thought this book was a little slow to start, I found myself immersed into this dramatic and both realistic and absurd adventure. The chapters alternate between Paisley and Beau, which is a technic I always enjoy (when nicely done), since it gives both dynamic and omniscience to the plot.

What I liked : The whole Tarantino aspect, with sweets replacing blood...! It gave a kind of sweet and sour feel to the story, and I loved every second of it. I loved the descriptions and atmosphere of Las Vegas and the incredible situations in which the twins put themselves into. I also liked Beau's character. I thought the whole idea and treatment were fresh and original.

What I disliked : There were too many F words for my taste. I'm not a prude and it takes more than that to shock me, but too many swear words tend to get to my nerves. I didn't really like Paisley's character, I found her annoying and her rebelliousness and ready-for-anything personality felt a bit overdone.

All in all, this book really became interesting for me and grabbed my attention when action appeared (I won't say what or how, I don't want to spoil the fun for you!). But I didn't find the first and last part exciting enough somehow. The cliffhanger didn't make me want to read the next books. But I think you shouldn't miss this one, it's definitely something else from what we're used to see in YA books, it's new and fun.

Book Blogging Around The World (7) : London, England

Name : Jo

Blogs : Once Upon a Bookcase

Ink and Paper

City / Country : London, England, UK

Jo has celebrated her Ink and Paper first blogoversary a few days ago !

And she has a contest to celebrate... Happy blogoversary Jo !

Welcome Jo !

Tell us a little bit about you.

I’m 22, and I’m a Journalism Studies graduate. I’ve been an avid reader since I was about 11, when my Dad introduced me to David Eddings’ Belgariad series. Fantasy will always be my first love when it comes to books. It’s my dream to end up working in publicity in book publishing.

Tell us a little bit about your blogs.
Once Upon a Bookcase is a YA book blog, where I review YA of any genre, and Ink and Paper is my fantasy book blog, where I review high fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance, adult or YA. Ink and Paper will turn one in March, and Once Upon a Bookcase will turn one in June.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world ?
Nope, just London.

What countries have you visited ?
France, Denmark, and Gran Caneria. Apparently I went to Wales for a day when I was a baby, but I don’t remember that.

What countries would you like to visit ?
Too many! I’d like to visit several states in America, I wouldn’t mind going to Australia, either. Spain and Italy. Places where it’s hot!

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being an English blogger ?
The positives would be that there are so many other countries in the world that are English speaking, and so there a lot of people I can reach with my blogs. Which also means it’s pretty easy to find people to ask for blogging advice, info, or just for a chat. The negatives would be that there are a lot of fantastic books that are published in America, and it’s really difficult to get hold of them if they’re not published over here too; a lot of American publishers don’t like to send review copies internationally. Relying on online bookstores is the only way to guarantee getting a book, as not all bookshops will stock them if they’re not yet well known.

What English authors and books would you recommend ?

Luisa Plaja all the way. She’s the YA author of Split By a Kiss, Extreme Kissing, and soon to be released Swapped by a Kiss, sequel to Split. Luisa’s novels are always funny and brilliant, but they can also cover important issues for teens. They’re brilliant!

I would also recommend Suzanne McLeod’s Spellcrackers.com adult urban fantasy series, vampires and fae, and a whole lot of trouble!

When I Was Joe, debut YA novel by Keren David is amazing, about a boy who goes into witness protection program after seeing someone murdered.

Other novels I would recommend would be Screwed by Joanna Kenrick, The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus, Monster Republic by Ben Horton, and Doing It by Melvin Burgess, all brilliant YA novels. And, of course, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

How many languages do you speak ?

Just English, I’m afraid. I did take French as one of my GCSEs, and did pretty well, getting an A, but I’ve forgotten most of it. Je ne suis pas too clever.

Where do you usually buy your books ?
Before it closed down, it would normally have been Borders. But now, it’s any bookshop I come across, Amazon UK, The Book Depository, and the Oxfam Bookshop I volunteer in.

Is getting your hands on foreign books tricky or easy (not mentioning online stores) ?
If the book isn’t too well known, and isn’t published in the UK, then probably; book shops don’t tend to stock books that aren’t too well known, or so I’ve found. But saying that, if the book doesn’t reach a certain level of popularity, I’m not likely to know about it.

Big Ben

Every country and capital have their clichés. What cliché about London do you consider disproportionate ?

The only one I can think of is that we Londoners don’t speak like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. Some of the people who live in East London do have a cockney accent, but Van Dyke exaggerates it to an extreme. Then you get more recent movies that do the same thing; take G.I. Joe for example. But even those with cockney accents aren’t the majority, most of us have what I would call non-accents, compared to all the other regional accents in England.

If you met JK Rowling in the street, what would be the first question you’d ask her ?
Ohh, I have no idea! I don’t know if I would ask her anything, it would be more like I’d just ramble on about how much I love her books! I’d probably ask for any info she could give me about her next book/series.

Quick Q&A
Favorite thing about England : Monarchy
Least favorite thing about England : Weather
Favorite typically English food : Fry-up
Favorite place in London : Home (or pub)
Favorite bookshop : WHSmith (now)
Favorite English author : J.K. Rowling and Luisa Plaja.
Favorite English singer/band : Pixie Lott (currently).
Favorite book to read while travelling : Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Plane or train : Train
Boat or bus : Bus
Bike or feet : Feet
Jelly is scrummy (but only if it’s lime).

Jane Austen is legendary.

Thank you Jo ! It was a pleasure having you up on the hill.

Next week we'll be traveling to The Netherlands !

Question of the Week :
You did it : you just climbed on top of Mount Everest ! What would you say once at the top (and once your breathing is back to normal) to immortalize the moment ?

If you'd like to be featured, this post is for you.

French Friday (19)

Don't forget to check out Brizmus' French Friday !

Actually, Brizmus will soon be moving to Japan, so these few weeks may be the last French Fridays at her blog. Which makes me sad, but how exciting is it to be moving to Japan ?! I'm so happy for her. She has a lot of great contests right now, including a Moving Away International Mini-Giveaway, so hop off to Brizmus Blogs Books to enter !

Bonjour à tous !

This week I'm pretty excited to share with you two French covers of books that will soon be coming out in France. I am particularly excited about these two releases because I read these two books for review for my job a long time ago : I loved (adored) both of them, and both were chosen by Hachette, so like always when my positive reviews play a role (even if it's a small one) in the decision I am feeling extremely useful and happy !

The first one is Fire by Kristin Cashore. I fell in love with Graceling, my review must have been the most enthusiastic of all the reviews I've ever written, and when I got Fire I was even more enthusiastic. Fire will come out in may in France as Rouge. I spoke with my boss recently about the title's translation. I thought it would be translated by Flamme (Flame) since Feu (Fire) isn't the most beautiful of names. But they chose Rouge (Red) because there's already a book called Flamme, Cheval Sauvage (Flame, Wild Horse). :)

Anyway, here are the French covers. The first one is the same as the original UK cover, and the other one I've only seen in France yet. I'm a huge fan of the UK and US Graceling and Fire covers. I really prefer them to the new French one. But I think it has a little something, even if I would definitely pick the first one for my bookshelf.

The second book cover is for Threads by Sophia Bennet. It was translated as La Vie est un Conte de Filles (Life is a Girl's Tale). It sounds weird in English, but in French it's ok. Although this is yet another title translation that gets me thinking about why and how they think about such different titles...! It will come out in April here. I LOVE the French cover ! You can check out my review of Threads and my interview with Sophia Bennett if you haven't already. :)

Which covers do you prefer?

Have a nice friday!

Princess For Hire (by Lindsey Leavitt)

PRINCESS FOR HIRE
by Lindsey Leavitt
Release date : March 2010

When a flawlessly dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and wants to know, like, now if you’d like to become a substitute princess, do youa) runb) faintc) say Yes!For Desi Bascomb, who’s been longing for a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C–that is, once she can stop pinching herself. As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula “Royal Rouge,” she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don’t know? Or when a princess’s conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off–and you know she would want you to change his mind?In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl’s dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time. (taken from Lindsey Leavitt's website)

MY THOUGHTS : Such a fun read! This book is fun and original, and so much more than a simple princess and tiaras story...! I followed Desi's absurd and thrilling adventures with real pleasure. Desi's character is aware not only of her weaknesses but also of her strong points, and it was nice to see her evolution through these believable although surreal life changes. The situations she has to face while being a substitute princess are very funny and absolutely cliché-free.

The Facade environment (Facade is the agency) is crazy and absurd (I love crazy, and I definitely love absurdity !) and works perfectly. It made me think of a modern version of the world of Oz, with all its excentric characters, from their weird personalities to the colors of their hair!

I was carried by this entertaining story throughout the whole book, and what is great about it is that it delivers a good message while being funny and never moralist. I really look forward to reading more about Desi, in her princess life as much as in her real life. I had so much fun!

I recommend this book to young girls as much as women. If you want to have a good and fun time, this book is for you. Girls will find everything in this book : glamour, life's obstacles and modern princess stories.

The Kiss of Death (by Marcus Sedgwick)

THE KISS OF DEATH
by Marcus Sedgwick
Release date : September 2008

Marcus Sedgwick's tale of Venice and vampires is a captivating companion volume to the bestselling My Swordhand is Singing. Marko and Sorrel meet in Venice for the first time. They must uncover the mystery of what has happened both to Sorrel's father, plagued by a strange madness that prevents him from sleeping, and to Marko's father, a doctor, who has mysteriously gone missing after travelling to Venice to help his old friend. Years on from My Swordhand is Singing and Peter is still on the trail of the Shadow Queen. His search leads him to Venice, a city whose beauty disguises many ugly secrets. The Shadow Queen is there, gathering strength, recruiting a new army of the Undead for a final confrontation.

MY THOUGHTS : A thrilling read, a story written with care and finesse and with a subtle and enjoyable voice. I was immersed in this magical Venice right from the first lines. The relationships between the characters play an important part in the story, which gives depth and a little something more to the base of the plot, revolving around horror and death. There is suspense, action, mystery, emotion, and you can read between the lines more than once. The protagonists are engaging and original, and very well characterized.

I guess it must be even nicer to read this book after having read the first one, My Swordhand is Singing. But the plot is understandable for readers who have not read it (like me) and I wasn't lost nor frustrated.

A very nice addition : each major section concludes with some history concerning the Shadow Queen, told like a tale which explains who she was before becoming this horrible woman and what led her to become like that.

I really enjoyed this book ! I recommend it to lovers of magic, vampires, mystery, Venice and 18th century's misty atmosphere.

Book Blogging Around The World (6) : Vasa, Finland

Name : Blodeuedd

Blog : Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

City / Country : Vasa, Finland

Welcome Blodeuedd !

Tell us a little bit about you.

I have loved books all my life, and especially fantasy has grabbed me, oh and historicals (and the list goes on). Right now I am studying (2 different things).I have spent most of my life in this area. Not a citygirl, but a country girl, but my village is really close so not a big jump. And Vaasa is a nice green city with the sea right outside my window, so I feel right at home.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

I am blogging about books, and it tends to be in a lot of genres. Urban fantasy, fantasy, paranormal romance, chick-lit, historical romance, fiction, and so on. But there are some genres I do not read, like mysteries and thrillers. I still feel I can offer a wide range of books.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world ?

No.

What countries have you visited ?

Sweden, Germany and the Czech Republic.

What countries would you like to visit ?

Ireland, Wales and Scotland

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a Finnish blogger ?

Well, some contests are not open to us, and we might not always get those review copies. I have only ever met 4 Finnish bloggers in the big wide blogland of books, we are so few. And I do get jealous of people getting to meet authors, and going to conventions. I would love that.

Positive aspects, well at least they remember me, cos not many Finnish bloggers out there, at least not that I have met.

What Finnish authors and books would you recommend ?

Hrm, blush, yes I do not read them, I can read translations of books, but not books by authors I should read. I only read them when I was little, children's books.

But there is one exception cos I just loved her books. Kaari Utrio, but I doubt she has been translated. But she has written some great historicals set in Finland during the middle ages.

But read Tove Jansson (people loves those Moomin books), and people do seem to like Arto Paasilinna, but I am not that big a fan of dark humour.

How many languages do you speak ?

Swedish, Finnish, English, some German, I understand Norwegian and Danish (and they understand me), tiny amount of French.

Do you read more in English or in Finnish/Swedish ?

I am actually a Swedish speaking Finn, but I only read Swedish books if I can't find the book any other way, and I just can't wait for a translation. I have this thing against translations, cos I have read some bad ones. So after I discovered the joy of reading English books, I never looked back.

               Cold december                                                          Summer

Where do you usually buy your books ?

From the bookstore, of course they never have any books I want so I have them order books if they can.

Is getting your hands on foreign books tricky or easy (not mentioning online stores) ?

I know it could be really easy to order from bookdepository, but then I would need a VISA or something, and in the end that would just be tricky, and I am not that trusting of the internet. So it can be hard, but the more they are known, the easier it gets. And now this DVD/CD site in Scandinavia started to have books too, and I have seen some good ones there. But yes I always have to order them online.

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about Finland do you consider disproportionate ?

That we are quiet..which we totally are ;) It is not that we are cold, but to strike up a conversation with a total stranger, no way. Think of it like this, it's cold here, so it takes a while for us to warm up.

Oh and that we wear knives, I even found that in The City of Thieves by David Benioff (the Russians thought it), but no, everyone does not wear one, or go to the sauna every day, or get drunk all the time.

                    March/April                                                       Summer

I heard that there are more than a dozen different words for “snow” in Finnish. Would you mind explaining it to us ?

Well it has to do with us living 6 months with snow, and during that time a lot of different kinds of snow will fall. Hard snow you walk on, the snow you use to build snowmen, wet snow, snow with rain etc. You get the general idea, for every different kind of snow there has to be something to describe it. And depending on if it's cold or warm, the snow changes.

Quick Q&A

Favorite thing about Finland : The snow, and long summer nights.

Least favorite thing about Finland : it gets so cold :(

Favorite typically Finnish food : Karelian pirogs, yum!

Favorite place in Vasa : Suomalainen Kirjakauppa (a bookstore), and the city library

Favorite bookshop : Akademiska bokhandeln, that is the bookstore in Helsinki (it's is bigger) and it is heaven when you step in.

Favorite Finnish author : Kaari Utrio

Favorite Finnish singer/band : The Rasmus

Favorite book to read while travelling : Magician by Raymond E. Feist

Plane or train : train

Boat or bus : bus

Bike or feet : bike

Snow is beautiful.

Saunas are hot!

Thank you Blodeuedd ! It was a pleasure having you up on the hill !

Next week we'll be traveling to England !

Question of the Week :
Last week I asked you about your best trip ever.
This week, I shall then ask : What was your worst trip ever ?

If you'd like to be featured, this post is for you.