The Book on the Hill

He's not dead. He's resting.

2011-04-22T19:06:00.000+02:00

This post title is an extract from the infamous Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch.

And the analogy that I was trying to pull was : Parrot = My Blog. Seller = Me.
See, because my blog is not dead. No no no no. It's resting. It's stunned. It's pining.
It has not passed on, it has not ceased to be, it has not expired and gone to meet its maker. It's not off the twig. It hasn't kicked the bucket. It is not an Ex-Blog !

That said... HELLO LOVELIES! (if you actually read this)
So, as you probably noticed I could easily win the Most Silent Blogger Award. I haven't blogged since october. As I explained at the time, I've been through some tough times. And also, paradoxically, some great ones. But the mix left me with no energy nor time to keep on blogging as much as I used to. Which lead to the fact that I actually stopped.

Personal troubles put aside, my theater company kind of went through a huge boost at the end of last year. Which is awesome, but somehow we have trouble managing it all. I work way too much, because we can't seem to find a proper organization within the company yet. But we are really looking for a way to fix this. We actually have no choice, otherwise we'll become mad women who scream all the time and talk to pigeons.

Anyway, I'm not here to say I'm back. I still have a lot of stuff to sort out, generally speaking. But, man, I miss blogging! I miss this blog, and I miss your blogs. I miss my blog friends. I miss being part of the amazing book bloggers' community. I can't wait to get back to it all.

Actually, I decided to write a post today because I've just started a book which, I think, will help my multitasking problem (I tend to do a lot at the same time). It's called Refuse To Choose!, from author Barbara Sher. And since I, indeed, refuse to choose, hopefully this book will help me managing everything that I want to do, that I am doing, or that I should do. Which, of course, includes blogging.

I want to apologize to everyone who sent me emails to which I haven't answered, and also to bloggers who registered for my features. I put everything blog-related on hold, which was stupid. So, sorry for the big huge silence.

I hope you're all ok, I'm sending you a big French hug from here, and I hope we'll pick up where we left off when I'm back.

Take care, and talk to you soon!

Book Blogging Around The World (34) : Utrecht, The Netherlands

2010-10-03T13:23:00.000+02:00

Water and windmills, greenness, Islets green;—
Willows whose Trunks beside the shadows stood
Of their own higher half, and willowy swamp:—
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Name : Judith
Blog : Leeswammes' Blog

City / Country : (near) Utrecht, The Netherlands

Welcome Judith!

Tell us a little bit about you.

I’m a forty-something woman, but I don’t know how that happened: I do think I must be younger than that, for sure! I have a husband and 2 sons of 13 and 11. I don’t work right now. I enjoy being “at home” for the moment.

My hobbies are reading and blogging. I used to do a lot of genealogy, but I reached the point where I’ve found out enough about my ancestors and the rest is nit-picking. I also like swimming (once a week, with a friend) and walking (around the lake near my home, or in the woods).

Tell us a little bit about your blog.
My blog is mainly about books. I also like trying out new recipes, so sometimes you’ll find something food-related on my blog.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Yes, I lived in England for 15 years.

What countries have you visited?

Besides the Netherlands and UK, I’ve been to Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Malta, South Africa, and USA (AZ).

Houses at the lake near where I live (it's a residential area with a lake in the middle)

What countries would you like to visit?

I would love to visit New Zealand and maybe Japan. I would also like to go to the Far Oer islands that are situated between Scotland and Iceland.

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

Positive is that internet connections are usually good and we have no power cuts to speak of. I can get hold of most books that I want to read one way or another.
Negative is that there is no blogging community. I’ve looked for it during the last Bloggiesta but could not find anything like what I’m used to in the international community that we all belong to. I’ve started a Dutch blog recently (http://boekblogger.wordpress.com/) so I hope to get into contact with more Dutch bloggers that way.

What Dutch authors and books would you recommend?
My favorite author is W. F. Hermans, who published books between the 1940s and 1990s. My favorite book of all times is his book Nooit meer slapen, which is translated as Beyond Sleep.

I also love Renate Dorrestein, a more contemporary author. Her Crying Shame is brilliant but really you can’t go wrong with her books. They are slightly surrealistic (you’d almost not notice) which is good fun.

How many languages do you speak?

I speak Dutch and English, a little bit of German and a tiny bit of French.

Do you read more in English or in Dutch?

About equal I think. I read Dutch writers in Dutch (of course). For English writers, it depends on availability and whether I read them because they’re such good wordsmiths or because of the story. If it’s just for the story I might get the book in Dutch, but otherwise, I’ll try and get the English version.

Where do you usually buy your books?

I buy books from the local book store, from second hand stalls, and online: bol.com (the Dutch equivalent to amazon) or bookdepository.com.

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

Our local book shop has a selection of newly published English books, so that’s useful and the book store in Utrecht has a lot of English books, so I always check there when I’m in the neighborhood.

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

The drugs! You can get them at each street corner and no one bats an eyelid. Well it’s not true. You can get them at some street corner shops in Central Amsterdam and otherwise you really have to know where to go, because although it’s sort of legalized (soft drugs only), you can’t just buy it everywhere. And did you know that a higher percentage of UK and USA young people have tried some form of drugs than Dutch?

One of my overflowing book shelves (I'm getting new ones in a few weeks' time)

One quarter of The Netherlands is below sea level. If you could live under the sea, what creature would you like to be and why?
I honestly don’t like deep water all that much - I like to be able to stand in water! So, I’d have to be a shallow-water creature. Maybe I’d be seaweed and go with the flow.

Quick Q&A:

Favourite thing about living in The Netherlands: Low poverty level, most areas are neat and tidy.
Least favourite thing about living in The Netherlands: So many rules and regulations!
Favourite typically Dutch food: : Vla - it’s a bit like custard but more silky. It’s sold by the liter and people eat it for desert, usually plain. You can get vanilla vla, chocolate vla, strawberry vla, apple and pear vla, vanilla and caramel vla, etc.
Favourite place in The Netherlands: : I actually love the town where I live. Before we moved (back) to the Netherlands, we actively checked out towns to see which one we would like best. This was the one!
Favourite bookshop: Selexyz Broese in Utrecht.

Favourite Dutch author: W. F. Hermans.
Favourite Dutch singer/band: None, I don’t listen to music much.

Favourite kind of book to read while travelling: Something chick-lit.
Plane or train: Train: it’s great to be able to see the country side.

Boat or bus: : Boat: they both make me feel sick, but on a boat at least you can get some fresh air.
Bike or feet: Bike: we Dutch do everything by bike, even short distances.

Windmills are less common than you might think.
I only sometimes buy flowers, even though they’re quite cheap and cheerful here.

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

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

French Friday (39)

2010-10-01T16:00:00.005+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Hello everyone!

This week I am thrilled to welcome Kelly from Kelly's [Former] France Blog, who will talk about her relationship with the French Language! Thank you so much for participating Kelly. :)

My relationship with the French language

Bonjour tout le monde! Today I am very excited to talk a bit about my relationship with the French language. Thank you Charlotte for giving me this opportunity to talk about the language I love so much!

As readers of my blog may know, I am a French Language and Literature major in my final year of college. I love French. I speak and read French constantly. I would be unhappy without French in my life!

But my relationship with French was not always so great. When I decided in 6th grade (at the age of 11) to study French, it was solely because I despised Spanish. Over the next 6 years, French and I struggled continuously to keep our relationship afloat. It was frustrating when I didn't understand grammar or couldn't memorize vocabulary words quick enough. Looking back, I think the only thing that kept me in my French classes through my teens were the awesome teachers I had. They were funny and so passionate about the language that it (sort of) gave me hope for my own language skills.

Then in high school came the unit that almost ruined my relationship with French forever: the subjunctive. If you've ever studied French, you know what I'm talking about. I toiled with le subjonctif endlessly, yet I still could never grasp its rules. For a long time I hated French all because of the subjunctive, and almost didn't take Advanced French my senior year of high school.

So why, then, did I continue my French studies?? As my 2nd last year of high school was drawing to a close, I started thinking, like most kids my age, what the future would hold. What would I study in college and where would I go? As I pondered possible courses of study, it suddenly hit me that if I didn't continue my French studies, I'd most likely never study the language again, and a life without French seemed, well, bleak, boring, and very sad.

I'm happy to report that French and I slowly became reacquainted. Sure, it took a lot of studying, and most of all time and practice, to finally get over all the grammar hurdles. But now here I am, loving my French classes, dreaming of when I can get back to the country I grew to love so much, and worrying about what's to come when I graduate in May. As long as it involves French, I'll be happy!

Where's My Mind?

2010-09-30T22:02:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

Wow, I think it's the first time that I haven't been posting for such a long period of time... Alas, I'm here to post about the lack of posting, as it often happens... Plus, I realized that my blogoversary was a few days ago, and I didn't even celebrate with you all...! Let's not even talk about my Google Reader, which is overflowing with all your posts that I haven't read...

Let's just say that I'll be putting blogging in my non-priorities in the next few months. Without getting into some recent personal troubles, the thing is I also have some amazing things happening in my life. These things include the preparations for my company's next show. We've all been working on it last week, and the actual creation of the show and the rehearsals will take place during the whole month of november. It's called The Kookies and it's going to be some kind of concert/play around Fifties' music, but with a modern touch... I already can't wait. We're all very excited (as you can see on the picture). :) But it's a lot of work too!

I'll also be leaving France for a week in the end of october with my company to perform in Tunisia! Yay!

AND I'm also going to work with a band that I've loved for years. I'm a huge fan, and getting to be on stage with them is simply unbelievable and definitely AWESOME!!

But, don't worry, I'll be there from time to time, I am not letting this blog die in any way.

I hope you're all good, and I wish you all a nice beginning of autumn (ah, my favorite season!).

Tomorrow you will be able to read a French Friday guest post, and I'm happy to say that sunday a new Book Blogging Around the World interview will be posted.

Have a really nice weekend, lots of love from France!

Book Blogging Around The World (33) : Vaughan, Canada

2010-09-19T14:15:00.001+02:00

Oh Canada!
And spectacular's the only word,
that I have ever felt or heard
for the beauty that surrounds you here
is more than just the atmosphere.
Linda A. Copp

Name : Diana Dang

Blog : Stop, Drop and Read!

City / Country : Vaughan, Canada

Welcome Diana!

Tell us a little bit about you.

My name is Diana and right now while typing this, I’m 17. I’m entering university to go into business and I likely won’t change my mind about that because I cannot do science or math. I enjoy reading a lot and it likely will be like that forever. I am a Korean entertainment addict, especially when it comes to Kpop music! However, I also enjoy house and trance music that has that downtown feel to it.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

Stop, Drop, and Read! basically focuses on young adult titles and Japanese manga. They are the two top things I enjoy right now so it’s natural I will review them. I also review some of the movies I have watched, to give the blog a bit more variety.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

No sadly. I hope to one day travel if I get into international business.

What countries have you visited?

Mexico (for a day) and USA. Pretty sad, I know. I was supposed to go to like Cuba during the summer of 2010 but that flopped.

What countries would you like to visit?

Japan and South Korea for sure! I need to visit both of those countries before I die or I will haunt someone! I would also love to travel around Europe, their cultures are so rich.

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

Not entirely sure. I guess it’s good the fact that some major book companies have part of their industry in Ontario which allows me to review some of their novels much easier compared to me living somewhere like India.

What Canadian authors and books would you recommend?

Norah McClintock is a favourite of mine when I was younger. She writes fantastic mystery thrillers for teens! I also recommend C.K. Kelly Martin, she is amazing at contemporary realism for teens.

How many languages do you speak?

Two, English and Vietnamese.

Do you read more in English or in Viatnamese?

I can only read in English. I can attempt Vietnamese if there are visuals.

Where do you usually buy your books?

At Chapters or Indigo.

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

I don’t get foreign books because to be honest, I never tried. USA has so many and most of them stream into Canada so I just stick with those titles to be honest.

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

Us living in igloos. Maybe the far north but most Canadians I’m sure do not live in igloos.

Not often, but I did maybe three or four times when I was younger with the family. Nothing lately though, the last I cross I believe was six years ago?

Vaughan is quite close to the US border. Do you often cross it ?

Quick Q&A:

Favourite thing about living in Canada: The diversity, especially in downtown Toronto. The culture is so rich there! Festivities constantly!
Least favourite thing about living in Canada: The long winters for sure.
Favourite typically Canadian food: : Tim Horton’s donuts
Favourite place in Vaughan: : I don’t think I have one.
Favourite bookshop: Chapters

Favourite Canadian author: Top favourite? I will say C.K. Kelly Martin for now. :)
Favourite Canadian singer/band: Hm, I guess Nelly Furtado?

Favourite kind of book to read while travelling: Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood!!
Plane or train: Plane, never went on a train before.

Boat or bus: : I think bus.
Bike or feet: Depends on my mood.

Canada’s Wonderland (theme park) is overrated but fun.
I don’t care much for soccer.

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

If you'd like to be featured, this post is for you.
This week's BBATW post is the last one I had scheduled. So I'm definitely looking for new bloggers that might be interested in being featured!

French Friday (38) - Guest Post by Caroline

2010-09-17T14:31:00.000+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Well, ladies and gents, this is the first French Friday Guest Post and I am THRILLED to welcome Caroline from Portrait of a Woman for this week's French post!
Thank you so much, Caroline, for participating! And I have to agree with you, these French covers are really really pretty...

Hello everyone !

Today I will be sharing with you the beautiful French covers of the wonderful Sarah Dessen books! Now everyone loves Sarah Dessen (and if you don’t know her, hop over to the closest bookshop and get started!), she is incredibly talented and always writes very deep and character-driven stories.

I never liked the US covers as much as I liked the UK covers because the US ones usually look just like any other YA books whereas the very special UK covers exist only for Sarah Dessen’s books and make them as special on the outside as they are on the inside.

BUT that was before I came across the insanely cute French covers of some of her books! Not all of Sarah Dessen’s books are translated in French and some editions actually take the US cover, but for the four following books, a very special type of cover has been designed!

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

French title: Toi qui a la clé (You have the key)

US / UK / French

I am really loving the simplicity and cuteness of the French cover, the font is amazing and I like the mix of covers and the use of a tree. The US cover looks very peaceful and summery though.

~~~

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

French title: Ecoute-là (Listen to it)

US / UK / French

I really don’t like the US cover, it’s just too plain. I used to love the UK cover but it looks very full and bright in comparison to the French one. I like the simplicity of it and the colours. I don’t think there can be three more different covers for the same book!

~~~

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

French title: Pour toujours… jusqu’à demain (Forever… until tomorrow)

US / UK / French

Again, I don’t like the US cover at all, but the font of the title (had it been bigger) is really nice. I like the French cover but the grass thing looks a bit off. I think I’ll prefer the UK cover on that one, it’s gorgeous and I love the hand!

~~~

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

French title: Cette chanson-là… (This song…)

US / UK / French

This is my personal favourite! The US cover is very pale and not very clear. The UK cover is a beauty, there’s colour but not too much and the cover isn’t as crowded as Just Listen. But isn’t the French cover one of the cutest one you’ve ever seen? I know I have some sort of predisposition to think that all things pink are cute, but still… I *love* this cover!!!

If you want to know more about Sarah Dessen, head over to Sophie’s blog So Many Books, So Little Time, she wrote a post on her love for the amazing writer and was the one to tell me I should definitely read her books!

Which covers did you like the best?

Happy Friday people and thanks to Charlotte for inviting me on her French Friday feature!

BBAW 2010 - Day 4 : Forgotten Treasure

2010-09-16T16:00:00.061+02:00

Today is the fourth day of the Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Every day there is a blogging topic we can write about on our blog.

Today's topic is Forgotten Treasure
Sure we’ve all read about Freedom and Mockingjay but we likely have a book we wish would get more attention by book bloggers, whether it’s a forgotten classic or under marketed contemporary fiction. This is your chance to tell the community why they should consider reading this book! (BBAW)

The book I've decided to put under the spotlight today is:

The Solitaire Mystery

by Jostein Gaarder

When twelve-year-old Hans Thomas and his father set out by car from Norway to search for Hans Thomas's mother in Greece, he is unaware that his life will be changed forever. The bewildering disappearance of his mother many years earlier to "find herself" is just the first of many mysteries he will encounter.

Punctuated by frequent cigarette stops that allow Hans Thomas's father both to smoke and to philosophize about the universe, the journey also features some unusual occurrences: a midget presents Hans Thomas with a magnifying glass and gives them directions that take them miles out of their way to a village named Dorf; the baker in Dorf gives Hans Thomas a bag of sticky-buns, the largest containing a miniature book that is the memoir of a sailor shipwrecked in 1842; and a strange man reappears inexplicably several times along the way. Hans Thomas begins to read the tiny book with the magnifying glass and discovers an amazing connection between himself and the sailor, who describes finding himself on an island where a deck of cards has come to life. Gradually Hans Thomas unravels the mystery of the cards, and the knowledge he gains of the distant past sheds a surprising light on his own life. (summary taken from Penguin)

I've read this book several times during my teenage years, and re-read it not that long ago. I'd loved Sophie's World, which is the most famous book written by Jostein Gaarder. But, somehow, I loved The Solitaire Mystery even more. The main difference between the two is that in Sophie's World, it is obvious that you're reading about philosophy. In The Solitaire Mystery, philosophers or theories are not directly quoted, and it brings the reader to read about philosophy without being completely crushed by informations, thoughts and quotes.

I think the book was written for young adults, but honestly it's great to read it as a younger child or as an adult. There are some things that didn't touch me when I was 15, but that now absolutely ring a bell...!

The atmosphere is one my favorite thing about the book. It has an Alice in Wonderland feel, but in a modern and less mad world (even though there are some mad things happening!). I remember how, when I read it the first time, I could feel everything that was written: the colours, the smells, the textures,... The whole imaginary is extremely well depicted.

I absolutely adore the philosophical content of The Solitaire Mystery. Everything comes naturally, and we get to think and read about the meaning of our existence and of destiny throughout actual discussions between the father and his son, but also powerful yet subtil metaphors.

Every time I play cards, I can't help thinking about this book. I'll never see a set of playing cards the same way now!

I'll end this post with a extract from a review I've read on Amazon, that completely fits with my feelings towards the book : "I recommend this novel. It's fun and fantastic, but leaves you feeling pleasantly full of ideas and reactions, as well as appreciative of the life we get to live."

BBAW 2010 - Day 3 : Unexpected Treasure

2010-09-15T16:00:00.016+02:00

Happy Third Day, Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Every day there is a blogging topic we can write about on our blog.

Today's topic is Unexpected Treasure

We invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger. What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like? (BBAW)

Today's topic makes me nervous, for the simple reason that I have not yet read a book or started to read a new genre because of a blog or a blogger's recommendation. Which sounds terrible. The thing is, I have so many books to read for my job (explanation here) that I hardly have time to read books for myself. And I'm not even exaggerating here. I could count on one hand the books that I've read for myself in the last two years. I try to join challenges to force myself to find the time to read outside of my job, but I actually can't manage.

Since I've started blogging, I've been wanting to read many many books from which I've read enthusiastic reviews on other blogs. Every time a blogger friend recommended me a book to read, I've kept it in my head. I've even bought a lot of books because of these reviews or recommendations. But I've never found the time to read them! Which is a shame, and I often wish that I could dive into a book that I want to read, and not that I have to read. :)

What I can say, though, is that as much as becoming a YA professional reader broadened my horizon as a reader (I actually wasn't used to read a lot of YA books before getting the job, at least definitely not as much!), reading book reviews on book blogs broadened my horizon when it comes to YA. It made me want to learn more about the genres I'm not used to reading, and dig into the ones that I'm not fond of. Book bloggers are so passionate! And it sure made my wishlist grow bigger and bigger each month!

A lot of books are waiting for me to take them out of their shelves and read them. I'll get there someday!

BBAW 2010 - Day 2 : New Treasure - Interview Swap

2010-09-14T16:00:00.058+02:00

Here we are, on the second day of the Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Every day there is a blogging topic we can write about on our blog.

Today's topic is New Treasure-Interview Swap

Post the interview you did with your BBAW Interview Partner. (BBAW)

For this exciting Interview-Swap, I was paired with Bella from A Girl Reads a Book.

I didn't know Bella's blog, so I was quite happy to discover it! And Bella happens to be the girl who designed this year's BBAW themed button (see above)!

You can check out her interview of me on her blog.

Nice to meet you, Bella!

Describe yourself in five words.
Bookworm, Australian, Introvert, Hockey-fan, Chocaholic.

Describe your blog in five words.
Fun, mysteries, romance, fantasy, giveaways.

How, why and when did you start blogging about books?
I’ve been blogging on and off for quite a few years. I remember starting out with a livejournal blog back in 2006. This year I decided to get series and started A Girl Reads a Book in March, 2010. I wanted a place just to write my thoughts about books, but this soon turned into book reviews, and then I began taking part in the wonderful book bloggers community.

A Girl Reads a Book is run by you, and also by your friend Annabelle. How do you work as a duo?
Annabelle and I have known each other for years. One day I was talking to her about how I’d love to have a “retro reviewer”. We both love re-reading books that we loved as kids, and she thought it was a great idea. From there, I introduced her as my guest reviewer. Annabelle and I are still ironing out a schedule, but at the moment it’s pretty flexible. She reads mostly children’s books from the 80’s and 90’s and will submit a review to me once a week or once every two weeks. We are hoping down the track we will have a more regular schedule, and make her retro reviews once a week.

Out of all the reviews that you wrote, which one do you affectionate the most? And why?
Undercover by Beth Kephart. This was one book that I loved, that totally got under my skin and made me realize (yet again) how many wonderful, beautiful books are out there. While it’s not one of my more popular reviews, it’s the one that I always feel I expressed my emotions about this book the best.

What genres do you like best?
Mysteries are probably my most favorite genre. I adore murder mysteries so much, and love reading them every chance I get.

What are the best books you’ve read so far this year?
Oh you are asking the hard questions! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling. I put off reading the final book in this series, and this year I decided to re-read books 1 to 6, and then read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish it, and there were tears, laughter and so much joy. It was definitely the best book I’ve read this year.

If you could spend a day with an author, who would it be and why?
Terry Pratchett. I absolutely idolize Terry Pratchett, and would love to talk to him about his inspiration for writing Discworld. He has the most zaniest characters in the whole world, and would love to hear more about them.

If you could travel in a book, which one would it be and why?
Pride and Prejudice, without question. I’ve adored this book since I first discovered it in 1995, and it is by far my favorite book in the whole world. I would love to travel through Pride and Prejudice and fall in love with Mr Darcy myself!

What is the most exciting thing that happened to you since you started blogging?
I have loved every aspect of blogging, but still the most exciting thing is the joy of an author commenting on my reviews. I love when they do this, it makes me so happy to know they read our books and love what we write.

Could you tell us what is Book Buying Ban, which you are hosting this September?
I have a lot of unread books. In fact I have just over 2,700 unread books. When Carin at A Little Bookish found out this startling fact she suggested that we go on a book buying ban. Carin doesn’t have 2,700 unread books, only about 200. However, she felt she need a book buying ban too. It turned out there were a lot of people that needed a book buying ban, and now there are 27 of us pledging not to buy books in September. So far, none of us have caved and we are hoping to make it through the whole month. I’m not sure about others, but I intend on going on a healthy book buying splurge in October!

When you were a child, did you have a special book that you liked to read and re-read?
Oh yes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. It was my favorite book and I re-read it like crazy.

If you could interview yourself, what question would you ask? And what would be your answer?
What is your favorite book? My answer would be Dune by Frank Herbert. Most people don’t think I am a big science fiction fan, but I am. Dune is the book that forever changed my opinion of the science fiction genre, and I love it dearly.

It was awesome having you on the Hill, Bella!

If you don't already know Bella's blog, be sure to check it out!

BBAW 2010 - Day 1 : First Treasure

2010-09-13T11:38:00.000+02:00

Yay! Today is the first day of the Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Every day there is a blogging topic we can write about on our blog.

Today's topic is First Treasure.

We invite you to share with us about a great new book blog you’ve discovered since BBAW last year! If you are new to BBAW or book blogging, share with us the very first book blog you discovered. Tell us why this blog rocks your socks off and why you keep going back for more. (BBAW)

Since I started book blogging just a few days after last year's BBAW, I shall talk about the first book blog I discovered and which led me to start my own.

I discovered the existence of book blogs quite simply: I was looking for an online review of a particular book (I can't remember which one though!). And my google search led me to a place called Presenting Lenore...

My first thought was: "oh, what a nice header for a blog!". And then I started browsing through the posts, and just couldn't stop! I had no idea that book blogs existed. In fact, I had never thought about it, not being a big blog-reader.

I loved reading Lenore's reviews: to the point, honest and well-written. Who could ask for more?! Plus, I fell in love with the pictures that Lenore posted of her cats!

Then I saw that long list on the right, full of names linking to other book blogs. My passion for book blogging was then born. :)

I still visit Presenting Lenore regularly. I love her reviews, her author interviews. I love every single post actually! She's an awesome person and blogger.

Lenore was also king enough to participate in my Book Blogging Around The World feature. You can check out her interview here.

So, many of you probably already know Lenore and her blog, but if you don't I advise you to visit her! I am thrilled to say that Presenting Lenore made the shortlist in this year's BBAW award categories for Best YA Book Blog and Best Author Interviews. Good luck Lenore, you totally deserve it!

BBAW 2010 : In The Starting-Blocks!

2010-09-12T21:10:00.000+02:00

BBAW is about to start! Yay!
This year's theme is A Treasure Chest of Infinite Books and Infinite Blogs.

Here is the year's BBAW schedule, where I will link all my BBAW posts.

Monday—First Treasure

-> I will talk about the first book blog I discovered, which led me to start my own...

Tuesday—New Treasure-Interview Swap
Post the interview you did with your BBAW Interview Partner. If you didn’t sign up in time, please email bookbloggerappreciationweekATgmailDOTcom because there is a waiting list.
-> I will post my interview with Bella from A Girl Reads a Book!

Wednesday—Unexpected Treasure
We invite you to share with us a book or genre you tried due to the influence of another blogger. What made you cave in to try something new and what was the experience like?
-> This is where I'll embarass myself, you'll see why...

Thursday—Forgotten Treasure
Sure we’ve all read about Freedom and Mockingjay but we likely have a book we wish would get more attention by book bloggers, whether it’s a forgotten classic or under marketed contemporary fiction. This is your chance to tell the community why they should consider reading this book!
-> I will talk about a book that I love, but you'll have to wait for thursday to discover which one!

Friday—Future Treasures
We’ve been visiting each other and getting to know each other better…now is your chance to share what you enjoyed about BBAW and also what your blogging goals are for the next year!
-> The description says it all. :)

I simply cannot wait to read what everyone has in store!
Are YOU excited?!

Book Blogging Around The World (32) : New Delhi, India

2010-09-12T13:38:00.001+02:00

India is not just a people.
India is the celestial music,
And inside that music
Anybody from any corner of the globe
Can find the real significance of life.
Sri Chinmoy

Name : Misha

Blog : My Love Affair With Books

City / Country : New Delhi, India

Welcome Misha!

Tell us a little bit about you.

I am Misha, 20 years old from New Delhi. I am currently doing my post-graduation in Psychology. My career interest is in Human Resource Management (HRM). Reading is like oxygen to me. I have been reading since I was less than 10 years old.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

My blog is very new. I started on July 29th this year. Being an eclectic reader, I review a variety of books. Eventually I will have author interviews too. My first giveaway is going on. My blog is my platform to ramble endlessly about books.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Nope. I don't think I could either. I have severe adjustment issues. lol

What countries have you visited?

None! I know it’s unbelievable. My parents have been to other countries. But I prefer going to places which are few hours from home.

What countries would you like to visit?
Easy! Italy, France and USA.

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in India?
Positive aspect is that there are so many book lovers all around. Moreover, there are so many bookstores in Delhi that I don't think I will ever be able to visit all of them. The negative aspect is that it seems all bloggers are in the US. Publishers are not willing to send books and new books are released much later. As a consequence, I feel disappointed when I see other bloggers getting excited for a new release.

What Indian authors and books would you recommend?

There are so many! Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, books by Salman Rushdie, Anita Desai, Amitav Ghosh, Vikram Seth and Kiran Desai.

How many languages do you speak?

3, two of which are Indian. Third is obviously English.

Where do you usually buy your books?

I buy most of my books online through a fantastic online book shopping site called Flipkart.com where I can even order the new books , yet unreleased in India because it imports them. Some bookstores in Delhi that I love are Landmark, Oxford and Odyssey.

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

It’s actually very easy. All bookstores have foreign books. The tricky part is getting the newest releases which release much later.

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about India do you consider disproportionate?
There are so many, some very funny ones too. But the one which makes me want to laugh like a crazy woman is that - "In India you will find tigers , elephants and snakes on the streets." This has to be the funniest one. People from abroad are even surprised that I actually know English.

The emblem for India is the lion. What would be your personal emblem and why?
Woah! I really need to think about this. Hmm.. a rabbit maybe, haha, because I am introverted and very anti-social.

New Delhi

Quick Q&A:

Favourite thing about living in India: The culture, the festivals, the diversity and the history
Least favourite thing about living in India: Inter-religion biases and political power-play
Favourite typically Indian food: : All south Indian food especially Idli and Dosa
Favourite place in New Delhi: : All historical places. I love all of them!
Favourite bookshop: Landmark bookstore ! It’s gigantic and you can spend hours there.

Favourite Indian author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Favourite Indian singer/band: Shreya Ghoshal, AR Rahman

Favourite kind of book to read while travelling: Something light, maybe fantasy.
Plane or train: Train. I am terrified of flying!!! (Another reason why I have never traveled abroad lol)

Boat or bus: : Bus.
Bike or feet: Bike.

New Delhi is an exciting place to live in.
I think dogs are funny.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to Canada!

If you'd like to be featured, this post is for you.
Next week's BBATW post is the last one I've got scheduled. So I'm definitely looking for new bloggers that might be interested in being featured!

French Friday (37)

2010-09-10T17:39:00.000+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Bonjour tout le monde !

Little reminder: I'm looking for guest posts for my French Fridays! If you're intrigued and/or interested, everything's explained over there.

Now, here's another round of... French covers!
I'm pretty excited about these ones, since I'm a huge fan of Cate Tiernan's books, and that I actually read these books for work, and they are going to be published in France. So yay!

Sweep by Cate Tiernan

French Title: Wicca (Wicca)

My thoughts: I really like the orginal covers of this series (with the hole in the cover and everything). I know I'm repeating myself, but I don't really like covers with huge faces on them, so I have to say the original cover wins as far as I'm concerned.

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

French Title: Immortels (Immortals)

My thoughts: Hum, this is a tough one. I LOVED this book. And, well, I'm unfortunately not a fan of either cover. I think the original cover would fit more for the Sweep series than for this one. And the French one has a "pop" feel that I think doesn't quite match the story.

Becky at The Bookette recently reviewed Immortal Beloved, and I completely share her point of view, so if you're interested you can go and read her review over there. :)

So, what do you guys think about these covers?!

Happy Friday everyone!

In Which The Blogger Doesn't Know How To Say It...

2010-09-07T11:12:00.000+02:00

How to say it without getting too personal? That's what I've been asking myself for a while now. And it's not actually possible. So I guess the best way to do it is being honest, concise and to the point.

There will no longer be book sketches to illustrate my reviews.

Those of you who know me and who know who Mr Illustrator is might put two and two together: after six years together, we have decided to break up. It's been a few weeks since we've come to that decision. The next months are going to be tough and I have a lot to organize. I am, of course, very sad. But we know it's for the best.

I don't know if I would've shared this news with you all if the situation didn't affect the blog. But I knew that if suddenly there were no longer book sketches some of you would've asked me why. So I thought I might as well say it once in a blog post, instead of several times in the comments. :)

So, a new life awaits me. It's going to be hard for a while but I'll live through it, everyone does from what I've heard...

*runs off to eat chocolate creams*

Book Blogging Around The World (31) : Sydney, Australia

2010-09-05T14:00:00.002+02:00

Sydney Sweet Sydney
I love your red roofs
And I’m spending all my money
in your telephone booths
So many people so many types
So much truth and so much hype
The Skyhooks

Name : Saskia
Blog : Tea Mouse

City / Country : Sydney, Australia

Welcome Saskia!

Tell us a little bit about you.

I’m Saskia, I’m 17 and in my final year of high school (ahh, scary!). I’ve loved books since I can remember – reading them, writing them, buying them, it’s all good! I really love blogging about the awesome (and sometimes not so) books that I find and am always in need of more money to buy books! I’d love to get into the writing industry someday – whether that be in journalism, editing and publishing or even being an author! That is, if I ever get away from my books and finish school!

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

Tea Mouse was started in October 2009, and I run it with one of my best friends (we go to school together) Roz. We had been blogging quite a bit before that, and Tea Mouse wasn’t a book blog originally, but then we got the idea that we wanted to release all the bookish energy and a blog was the perfect place to do just that! We mainly review young adult, paranormal, fantasy; but occasionally there is a bit of adult and children’s lit in there.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Nope! I’ve never even moved houses!

Sydney City

What countries have you visited?
I’ve been to New Zealand and New Caledonia, but I’m going to Canada and the US at the end of this year.

What countries would you like to visit?
Oh, everywhere! But I’d love to go to Europe and trapse around to all the historical places. I’m a bit of a history buff. I guess I’d love to see Egypt as well, and maybe throw in Japan because it’s something different.

A tiny beach in Sydney (it was a rainy day)

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in Australia?
I guess one of the fantastic things about blogging, and the internet in general, is that it’s virtually universal. There aren’t as many barriers, so even though I live so far away from people who are blogging in say, England, I can still connect with them! There are so many amazing people out there that I’ve met through blogging, and they really make it worthwhile.
But there’s a bad side too. So many aspects of the book blogging world are geared towards readers in the USA. Giveaways are often for members of the US only (and I’m not blaming bloggers for this – shipping is expensive! Heck, I can’t even host giveaways at the moment) and release dates are so different for Australians. That can be frustrating.

What Australian authors and books would you recommend?

If you haven’t read John Marsden’s ‘Tomorrow’ series, I’d suggest you run out and buy the first book (Tomorrow, When The War Began) now! They’re fantastic because they’re set in Australia, but they’re so action packed and well written that it’s easy to lose yourself in the descriptions and the action no matter where you are.
Melina Marchetta is also a great Aussie author, and though I’ve only read two of her books, if you haven’t tried On The Jellicoe Road then you really have to! It’s so beautiful and amazing – and this is coming from someone who really doesn’t read contemporary literature!

How many languages do you speak?

Well, I speak English (clearly) and as through school I do beginner’s French. So I only speak a little, for now!

Where do you usually buy your books?

Usually our local bookshops, Angus & Robertson, Borders, Dymocks. Sometimes I visit the occasional indie bookshop, but we don’t have that many where I live. I’ve used Amazon once or twice, but that requires Mum’s credit card so it’s easier to just go to a bookshop.I’ve actually found that books are cheapest at our department stores (like Big W; I used to work there). So they’re always a haunt of mine.

an image of Angus and Robertson bookstore (not my picture)

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

We don’t really stock non-english books in the main bookstores, unless you go to a specialty one like Kinokuniya (in Sydney CBD). If we’re English talking books from other countries, like the US, it can be really frustrating. Sometimes books are released here at the same time as the US, but other times we have to wait ages to get them. It can be really frustrating, and there are some books that I have heard about (and am dying for) that have been out in the US for years, and there is no sign of them here. So that can be pretty tricky without using online stores.

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about Australia do you consider disproportionate?
We don’t ride Kangaroos. Ever. If you tried to ride a Kangaroo, it would rip you to shreds. Trust me, I have been attacked by one and they are way stronger than you think they are.
Oh, and once I was asked by someone if ‘because I was in an earlier time zone, could I tell the future?’ Um...no.

Cronulla Beach (on another rainy day)

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?
Well, actually I’ll be over in Las Vegas for Christmas this year! So while it won’t be white (I don’t think...) it will be colder than I’m used to. In Australia, we get upwards of 40°C (that’s 104°F) over our Christmas. Then again, I hate the cold, so no dreaming for me!

Quick Q&A:

Favourite thing about living in Australia: Beaches, the HEAT, the smell of bushfires (even though they are bad).
Least favourite thing about living in Australia: It’s so far away from everything else! And books are so expensive!
Favourite typically Australian food: Do we even have typical food? It’s really multicultural here...so I guess I’ll have to go with ‘snags’ (sausages...no one I know actually calls them snags btw.)
Favourite place in Sydney: The city/The Rocks. It’s so historical, and beautiful (and sometimes gross) at the same time. There is great shopping, and you find something new every time. The atmosphere is just fantastic.
Favourite bookshop: Borders, even though it’s insanely expensive, it’s the biggest we’ve got and I just can’t go past being surrounded by that many books.

Favourite Australian author: Definitely John Marsden.
Favourite Australian singer/band: Oh, um... Paul Kelly! Strange, but cool. :)

Favourite kind of book to read while travelling: There are too many! Whatever I have in my bag at the time, I guess. I don’t really re-read books, so there isn’t just one pick!
Plane or train: Plane! I hate trains. They have that particular smell and they’re always late.

Boat or bus: : Bus. My favourite form of transport.

Bike or feet: Feet, all the way.
I would never say G’day in Sydney. (My Dad does it sometimes, but I think it’s weird.)
If I were a kangaroo, I would probably rip you to shreds if you try and hug me or box with me.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to India!

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

Book Blogging Around The World (30) : Jakarta, Indonesia

2010-08-29T14:00:00.001+02:00

Name : Novia Rozet
Blog : Novroz' Favorite Things

City / Country : Jakarta, Indonesia

Welcome Novia!

Tell us a little bit about you.

I’m 32 years old and I still live with my parents, because here in my country it’s a common thing to live with our parents till we get married. When it comes to favourite things, I am a loyal person, I like the same things for years. I am a teacher and I don’t want to be anything else but a teacher. I love my pets very much, I even made a special blog for them, and my deviantart is full of their pictures. I am currently working in 2 places, as a Chemistry teacher for high school and as science experiment teacher for elementary.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

My blog is about everything that I like (or hate – quite rarely). I write book reviews, movie reviews, music, my favourite bands (L’Arc~en~Ciel and Muse), my pets (kame and Kroten) and how to raise turtles, my job and many things. It’s a combination of 3 languages. I used to write the most in Bahasa and few in English but, since 2 years ago, I’ve been writing more and more in English.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Is anywhere else meaning other countries? If it is, then the answer is not yet. If it is in another city, then the answer is yes, I’ve lived for 3,5 years in Bogor (a city next to Jakarta) to study.

What countries have you visited?
I have never visited other countries. I do not come from a wealthy family that can spend money to have a trip to another country.

What countries would you like to visit?
If I have a chance, even though it’s a once in a lifetime chance, I’d love to visit Japan, especially during L’Arc~en~Ciel concert tour. I love things Japanese a lot.

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in Indonesia?
Hmmm…this is a very difficult question. Maybe, the positive aspect is the fact that there are still few book bloggers in Indonesia, and the negative aspect is people rarely read book blogs.

What Indonesian authors and books would you recommend?

The only Indonesian author that I like is Andrea Hirata. He just had his books translated into English. If you can find them, please check them out. His famous tetralogy called Rainbow Troops is based on his past, a very inspiring story. He wrote a new book recently, I’ve bought it but haven’t read it yet.

How many languages do you speak?

I can speak Bahasa (Indonesian Language), because it is my native language. I speak English fluently. I speak Japanese, but still not fluent. And I am a passive Padangese and Sundanese (Padangese and Sundanese are one of many traditional languages in Indonesia. We have 1 national language, Bahasa, and lots of traditional languages).

In which language do you read the most?

I prefer to read books in their original languages (not the translated ones). Since I can read English, I read more and more books in English. I try reading Manga (Japanese Comic) in Japanese. Which one is the most? The answer is in English.

Where do you usually buy your books?

Bookstores such as Times, Periplus and Kinokuniya. I also like to visit second-hand bookstores and book fairs to find cheaper books.

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

It depends! There are a lot of book stores that sell imported books in Jakarta and Bandung (it’s very difficult outside these 2 cities), therefore it is easy to buy foreign books. But, finding the ones that I want are a bit tricky. I love Stephen King books but they don’t sell much of his books, sometimes I ask someone to buy it for me when he/she goes to another country.

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about Indonesia do you consider disproportionate?
Another difficult question. If you ever heard that Indonesia is a clean country, then you heard it wrong! Because people are still throwing garbage everywhere…one of the things that I hate from most of Indonesian people.

I read that Indonesia is home to some of the rarest creatures in the world, including miniature deer or fish that climb trees to catch insects for example. If you could be an animal with unusual powers, what would you be?
I want to be a komodo dragon because you could only find me here in Indonesia :)

Quick Q&A :

Favourite thing about living in Indonesia:
Least favourite thing about living in Indonesia: Undisciplined People
Favourite typically Indonesian food: Padang Sate
Favourite place in Jakarta: I have no favorite place

Favourite bookshop: Times
Favourite Indonesian author: Andrea Hirata

Favourite Indonesian singer/band: The S.I.G.I.T
Favourite kind of book to read while travelling: Mystery books
Plane or train: Plane

Boat or bus: : Bus

Bike or feet: Feet
Islands are thousands in Indonesia.
My blog is the reflection of my hobbies.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to Australia!

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

On The Facebook Hill...

2010-08-28T19:52:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone,

This is a quick post to tell you that The Book on the Hill has its own page on Facebook.
Feel free to "like" it!

It's Time to Vote!

2010-08-28T14:00:00.001+02:00

Hey ya all!

As I mentioned a few days ago, I entered Brizmus' Make Me A Button Giveaway and designed a button for her Nihon no Kinyoubi feature, aka Japanese Friday, aka French Friday turned Japanese! And now it's time to vote for your favourite button!

There are some really beautiful entries (I LOVE Kirthi's third button, it's just gorgeous!). So it's time for you to make your choice.

So hop off over here to vote!

My entries:

French Friday (36)

2010-08-27T14:00:00.001+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Hello dear French Fridayers!

Before starting this French Friday, I shall remind you that I'm looking for guest posts for my French Fridays! If you're intrigued and/or interested, everything's explained over there.

Now, let's get back to business wiiiith... French covers!

Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd

French Title: Où Vas-tu, Sunshine ? (Where Are You Going, Sunshine?)

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
French Title: Quatre Filles et un Jean (Four Girls and One Pair of Jeans)

Wishing For Tomorrow by Hilary McKay
French Title: Les Petites Pensionnaires (The Little Boarders)

My thoughts on the covers:

Solace of the Road

I Definitely like the original one better. I love the colors and basically the whole picture. And shall I remind you that I'm not a fan of covers with faces on it?! Plus, what is that title's translation? Why?

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I like the French cover better. I'm not fond of the font they used on the original cover, and the pair of jeans are just too.. simple? I think the French cover has more peps, with the colors and all.

Wishing For Tomorrow

Again, I must say that I like the French cover better. It's more simple, with less things to look at. And I love the tree. :) It's funny how they used the same girl but not the same place.

Now, What do YOU think?

The Compound (by S.A. Bodeen)

2010-08-24T11:56:00.000+02:00

THE COMPOUND
by S.A. Bodeen
Publisher: Square Fish (MacMillan)
Release date: September 2009

SUMMARY: Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they’ve become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy. No amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place, with only his two sisters, only his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day after day. As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary—and their sanity—Eli can’t help but wonder if he’d rather take his chances outside. Eli’s father built the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe—really? (taken from MacMillan)

REVIEW: May I say that I ADORED this book?! The permanent suspense and the way the story grew crescendo throughout the whole book turned the atmosphere into that of a Kubrick movie. The characters are perfectly characterized. I lived Eli's life in the compound through his eyes, trying to shield myself from the truth just like he does, which led to discovering this same truth together. Life in the compound and the relationships between all family members are described wonderfully, giving free rein to the imagination but being clear enough not to miss any details. Unexpected twists are around the corner almost during the whole read. It's a very humane story, generating multiple issues, including ethical ones. I kept on wondering what I would have done in their place, which I always love to do when reading a book. A vibrant and original book, I had trouble putting it down and almost read it in one sitting!

RATING:

BOOK SKETCH:

My Blog Dedicated to Acting

2010-08-23T19:24:00.000+02:00

Hey everyone!

I've been thinking about doing this for a while now. I've been sick for the last few days, and kind of procrastinating instead of working (bad bad girl!). And, well, I thought maybe now was the time to do it : I created a new blog, dedicated to my life as an actress. My first job is acting and my second one is reading. So why have a blog about reading and none about acting?!

Plus, it means I won't bore you with my acting life on this blog anymore. So if you're still interested by it all, you can check out the new one!

It's called Keeping People From Coughing. It's brand new. I will try to write about what happens behind the scenes, and hopefully I will make it interesting. We'll see how it goes! I'm not putting any pressure on myself with it. It's online now, and whenever I feel like writing in it I will. It probably won't be as active as The Book on the Hill. But you never know, plus this year is going to be an important one for my theater company, so I might have some exciting things to share!

So, if you're interested, feel free to check it out and become a follower!

Have a really nice day!

Book Blogging Around The World (29) : Hampshire, England

2010-08-22T16:00:00.000+02:00

Meadowsweet and lady smocks
Gentian, lupin and tall hollyhocks
Roses, foxgloves, snowdrops, forget-me-nots
In an English country garden

Percy Grainger

Name : Sasha

Blog : The Sweet Bonjour

County / Country : Hampshire, England

Welcome Sasha!
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Tell us a little bit about you.

Howdy y’all! That is something I’d never ever in a billion years get away with saying as I’m a Brit who lives in a kind of insignificant village in the very, very, very, very South of England. It’s near Southampton and Portsmouth but is often overshadowed by these two rather large cities. I’m fourteen and I love reading as well as watching movies (although I’m very critical of every single film I watch), eating Oreos and procrastinating.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

The Sweet Bonjour is a Young Adult blog that centres around most types of teen fiction. I tend to review books within the romance, fantasy, realistic fiction, comedy area. I take part in In My Mailbox and Waiting On Wednesday as well as posting reviews, interviews, guest posts and just random pieces of bookish news.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?
Nope! I’ve lived in England for the fourteen years that I’ve been alive. It’s okay but I’m planning to live somewhere else in the future. New York, maybe?

What countries have you visited?
Now I think about it, I’ve visited quite a number of places. I’ve been to: Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Holland, Florida, Turkey, China and Wales. I know Wales isn’t that far away but it’s still a different country. I have a feeling I’ve been to other places as well but I can’t remember. I loved Florida! I went to Disney World and swam with dolphins which was just amazing! I also loved China because it was so different and…well it’s China! My all time favourite place was Venice. I LOVE Venice. It was so gorgeous and scenic. I’m also from Italian heritage so I guess I was destined to like it.

Street market in Shanghai

What countries would you like to visit?
Wow, there’s too many to count. Let’s start with Japan, Thailand, India, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Lapland. I love countries where you can visit something totally different and immerse yourself in the culture. I’m not really a ‘Oh, let’s go on holiday so we can sunbathe’ kind of person. If I wanted to sunbathe, I could do it here.

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in England?
To be honest there aren’t really any of either. Obviously I like being a blogger so I guess that’s a positive. I like chatting to other bloggers who like books as much as I do. I like talking to authors and I like getting star struck (over the internet if that’s possible) when it’s an author I love. I remember when I went to the Richelle Mead signing and that was all thanks to blogging and reading other people’s blogs. I was like ‘Omigod! It’s Richelle Mead!!’

At the Richelle Mead signing

What English authors and books would you recommend?

I actually can’t think of any English authors off the top of my head. Wow, that’s bad but down to the fact that I read a lot of books by American authors. Most of my favourite books are by American authors as well. Err, let’s see…I really like books by Luisa Plaja and Grace Dent. Julia Green is also a good author with two really awesome books that I liked. I can’t believe my mind went blank at English authors. Err, what about J.K Rowling?! Anyhoodle…

How many languages do you speak?

Just English. I am still at school so I learn French and German but am nowhere near to speaking them fluently. I’m not that good at languages to be honest but I’ll make it my mission to learn a different language one day even though I’ll just forget it all as soon as I’ve learnt it.

Where do you usually buy your books?

Usually in bookshops like Waterstones or W.H Smiths. I sometimes order things off of Amazon or online stores so I can read books that aren’t available in England yet. I’m a neat freak so all of my books have to be in pristine condition. Therefore, I probably wouldn’t buy them in a charity shop.

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

If we’re not mentioning online stores, it’s practically impossible! All of the new releases in the U.S, are extremely hard to come by without going on Amazon. On the very rare occasion that I do find a book that hasn’t been officially published in the U.K, I tend to buy it. If I ever saw something like Brightly Woven or The Iron King in a U.K store, I’d be flabbergasted!

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about England do you consider disproportionate?
After speaking to many people who live in America, they all seemed to think everyone in England lived in little thatched cottages like we did about five-hundred years ago. For anyone who thinks this, it’s most definitely not true. Not everyone in England knows each other either; there are quite a lot of people in this country.

Hampshire is famed as home of Jane Austen. If you could come back in time and meet her, what would be the first thing you would ask her?
I think I would ask her what her biggest secret was. She probably wouldn’t tell me anyway but people who want to know everything about Jane Austen, still don’t know her deepest darkest secrets. I would want to be the only person in modern day times who’d know something utterly shocking about someone as famous as Jane Austen.

Quick Q&A :

Favourite thing about living in England: Being two hours away from London!
Least favourite thing about living in England: Katie Price and Alex Reid.
Favourite typically English food: Fish & Chips
Favourite place in Hampshire: Southampton.

Favourite bookshop: Waterstones.

Favourite English author: Luisa Plaja
Favourite English singer/band: Florence + The Machine.

Favourite book to read while travelling: Perfect Chemistry

Plane or train: Plane
Boat or bus: : Bus

Bike or feet: Bike
I don’t particularly like tea.
I hate pickled onions, but love ice cream. Nomnom!

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

Next week we'll be traveling to Indonesia!

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

My Life as a Book (2010 version)

2010-08-21T16:44:00.000+02:00

A year ago, I was getting acquainted with the blogosphere. I had started a personal blog (that doesn't exist anymore), where books took so much place that I decided to create The Book on the Hill.

At the time, I participated in a fun meme that I'd seen on many blogs (so many that I haven't the slightest idea of who created it!). The idea was to answer some questions using titles of books that were read during the year. Unfortunately my 2009 version of the meme is not online anymore since I deleted my old blog. But I just saw over at Pop Culture Nerd that she was doing a 2010 version of the meme! So I thought I'd give it another go! She reworded some of the sentences and skipped some others, but I stuck to the original ones.

Here it goes!

Describe yourself: Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

How do you feel: Spoiled.

Describe where you currently live: 666 Park Avenue.

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Wildwood.

Your best friend is: Guardian of the Dead.

You and your friends are: Little Vampire Women.

What's the weather like: Unearthly.

Favourite time of day: By Midnight

What is life to you: Revolution.

You fear: Personal Demons.

What is the best advice you have to give: Shift.

Thought for the Day: Sucks to be Me.

How I would like to die: Sudden Death.

My soul’s present condition: Cloaked.

Books mentioned :

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini TAylor
Spoiled by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce
Wildwood by Colin Meloy

Guardian of the Dead by

Little Vampire Women by Lynn Messina
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
By Midnight by Mia James
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Shift by Nicole Maggi

Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Sudden Death by Nick Hale

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Wanna join?!

The Eyes of a King (by Catherine Banner)

2010-08-21T13:05:00.000+02:00

THE EYES OF A KING
by Catherine Banner
Publisher : Random House
Release date : May 2008

Fifteen-year-old Leo North's prospects in life are limited. He attends military school, lives with his fearful grandmother, and looks after his brother Stirling. He resists his innate powers, because those who demonstrate any sort of magical ability are considered enemies of the state. But when he finds a blank book in the snow, his typical indifference melts away. From the first moment he touches the book, he senses its strange power. Passages start to appear on the pages—revealing family secrets, telling the history of Malonia, and uncovering the story of Ryan and Anna, two teens from a parallel universe. When Leo’s seemingly narrow path takes an unexpected tragic turn, he finds himself on a journey from which he can never really return. And, as he slowly begins to lose touch with reality, Ryan and Anna’s story comes to the forefront. Their idyllic summer romance—seemingly worlds away from Leo—has everything to do with Malonia. (taken from Random House)

REVIEW : There are times in life where some things make you angry. When you failed doing something. When you were forbidden to do something you were dying to do. But also when you go and see a movie that is so bad you want to call the director to ask him what was going on in his head when he made it. Or when you read a book that doesn't, in your mind, deserve to be called a book.

I am a nice person. I read a lot of books. My job made be become more and more critical, but in a good way. I am not mean. I simply judge a book for what it is. On this blog, even when I'm not a huge fan of a book, I talk about its positive side and try to be fair. My tastes are not everyone's taste.

But this book is, out of all the 300 books I've read so far as a reader, the one that made me the more angry, frustrated and bored all at the same time. I know that sounds harsh. But I couldn't find one single positive thing to say. I browsed through the reviews on the internet, and saw that my thoughts were shared by many readers. Phew, at least I'm not alone! Now, to the review. I will, for this book, write my review as a list. A list of all the things that made my reading laborious and frustrating.

- The narrative is divided into three stories / different narrators, written in three different fonts: Leo, who recounts his experiences in the past (regular font). The book, which tells the parallel story as a third person (font type "manuscript", ouch for my eyes). And Leo's thoughts on what is being told in the main story (normal font in italic). Very confusing, poorly controlled, I found the change of narrative more disturbing than interesting. In addition, the narrative written in the book appears after a while in Leo's dreams and arises sometimes without you knowing where it came from.
- I was lost with the characters: I didn't understand who was who, who was where and why, and I didn't stick with anyone, not even the protagonists. I won't share spoilers, but one major scene that should've been intense and sad didn't move me at all.
- "I started" was repeated a hundred times.
- In the second half of the book, I felt like I had no choice but follow the non-adventures of a young man who is mourning, crying day and night, and regularly fainting. Leo's tears got to my nerves big time.
- I found the dialogues too elaborate, it became tiring.
- We are led to believe that at some point the story that takes place in the parallel world will mingle with that of Leo, but it only happens late, and without being brought up in an interesting way.
- The general themes of death, religion and politics are treated too lightly and simplistically.
- The book could've been way shorter.

I always finish books, even when I have trouble doing so. This time, I wanted to put it down every five minutes. I don't enjoy ranting, but I really needed to share my thoughts on this one. And I would love to have opinions of people who read it and either liked it or disliked it.

Has it ever happened to you to feel angry after reading a book?

To end on a positive note, here is a link to a more positive review. :)

RATING :

BOOK SKETCH :

The French Friday Lady is Hiring...

2010-08-18T21:55:00.001+02:00

Yep, you read that right!
The French Friday Lady is currently looking for bloggers to participate in her French Fridays!

Why? What? How?
I'm here to explain it all of course!

I'm going to be honest here : I find it harder and harder to find some interesting things to share with you in my French Fridays posts. The main reason is that I've been performing far from home each week on thursday nights this summer, and therefore spent most of my fridays in my car or at someone else's place. And since it was quite a busy summer for me, I had trouble finding the time working on my French Fridays, let alone pre-scheduling them. And things will be busy for a while I think.

So I thought that, instead of struggling, it might be cool if you dear bloggers could participate in French Fridays. It's an occasion for me to host guest posts (other than BBATW ones), which is something I've always wanted to do. It's an opportunity for you (I know I love guest posting, it's always fun!). And it's actually quite necessary to keep French Fridays running for a while. I don't want French Fridays to die. But I just can't manage right now. I'd like to dedicate more of my time on reviews, which have been almost inexistant on my blog for a while now. Plus, the idea of having international bloggers sharing their view on France has always been on my mind. :)

Now, how does it work? Well, basically, it's up to you! The idea is for you to write a guest post. What kind of guest post? It can be anything (post, vlog, photos, art, etc.). But it has to be something French-related of course.

Examples :

A review of a French book, or a book that takes place in France
A post about what your idea of France is
A post about French food (recipe, cook book, memory of a French meal you ate)
A post about your visit in France
A post about French book covers
A post about your relationship with the French language
A story you write that has something to do with France
Etc.

Are you interested? If you are, send me an email with the ideas you've got!
thebookonthehill@hotmail.fr

I will get back to you to confirm your participation, and then it's all up to you! I will publish the posts in the order in which I receive them. And, don't worry, if I haven't got a lot of participants interested I'll do everything I can so that French Fridays keep on running. :)

I already can't wait to see what you will come up with!
Have fun, and long live French Fridays!

Make The Girl a Button!

2010-08-16T15:00:00.004+02:00

Hello everyone!

Remember French Fridays?
Remember how Audrey, from Brizmus Blogs Books, used to participate when she lived in Paris? Well, now the lucky girl is living the dream in Japan, and her French Fridays became Nihon no Kinyoubi aka Japanese Fridays.

But Nihon no Kinyoubi doesn't have a feature button! How could that be?! So Audrey is having a Make me a Button Giveaway. And, of course, I HAD to participate! I just can't help myself, when there are buttons involved, I'm there!

So, if you haven't entered, if you like designing buttons, and if you want to win a book, this is the place to go to do so! The giveaway had been extended, so you still have your chance.

Here are my entries (yes, I know, I made TWO buttons...).
I will probably get back to you when the voting starts for a little help from my friends... :)

Book Blogging Around The World (28) : San Francisco, USA

2010-08-15T14:28:00.000+02:00

If you're going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you're going to San Francisco
You're gonna meet some gentle people there

Scott McKenzie

Name : Leah aka Amused

Blog : Amused by Books

City / Country : San Francisco / California / USA

Welcome Leah!

Tell us a little bit about you.

Hi there! In real life my name is Leah, but around these parts I go by Amused. Why? Because books amuse me so! Don't you just find them so amusing too? Whether I love them or hate them I blog all about them and tell you whether you should read them or push them aside for something even better!

Sometimes I like to blog about other things to, like how to decorate with books and how to use those books to cook with. I love to read fiction of any kind (and some non-fiction!).

Monterey, CA

When not reading, I am working hard for my money, exploring the great city of San Francisco, and harassing my boyfriend's cat. I work full-time but nobody wants to hear about that, so in my off-time, I also love to cook and when that fails, head out and try one of the many delicious restaurants in the city. My boyfriend and I enjoy fixing up our house by visiting flea markets and plant indoor gardens in our small space. My green thumb is getting better but if you have any tips I will gladly take them because so far I have spent a lot of money on plants that I quickly throw out! In the summer time we love to bbq and make delicious cocktails. I also love to do a bootcamp near my house in the park – it kicks my butt but it’s totally worth it!

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

I started my blog in September of 2009. I’ve always been an avid reader and I was getting a lot of my book recommendations from magazines and discovered that they were often leading me towards books that were not very good. This soon led me to searching the internet for recommendations which lead me to book blogs. A light bulb went off. What a wonderful idea! Cataloguing and discussing your books online with like minded people! It sounded like so much fun and I am so glad I started my blog because everyone is so friendly and there are always so many wonderful events going on. I have learned so much since starting my blog and believe me, the book recommendations have vastly improved since reading blogs and I hope others have gotten a lot of great recommendations from reading mine!

I love to read general fiction and some non-fiction. If you're just checking me out for the first time you might not know that I am a pretty eclectic reader. I love to read all of the books that get listed for the Man Booker and Orange Prize lists but when it comes right down to it, I also love some chick-lit and domestic fiction too. Travel memoirs and historical fiction are great for those times when you just want to escape and non-fiction and cookbooks are great when you need to learn something new. So as you can see, basically throw something at me that sounds interesting, and chances are, I'll find a reason to be amused!

me at the LA Times Festival of Books

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?
I am pretty much a West Coast girl through and through. I was born in a small town in Idaho but my family quickly moved us to Seattle, WA. When people ask me where I grew up that’s where I say. To me, I will always consider some of my home in Seattle. The mountains, and the ocean, and the beautiful trees all in one spot it’s hard to compare. I know some people complain that it rains too much but I think that it’s totally worth it for the natural beauty!

During college I spent a semester living in London. That was one probably the most fun 6 months of my life! I had an absolute blast living that far away from my family for the first time in my life, travelling around Europe and learning to really rely on myself. I forged some of my most lasting friendships while living there and as a result, London will always hold a special place in my heart.

After college, I lived in Portland, OR for one year. It was pretty but too much like a little Seattle for me and I needed a bigger change and that’s when I moved to San Francisco and I’ve been here for five years now and it really feels like home.

Port of SF

What countries have you visited?
I’ve been through most of Europe, the UK like I mentioned, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary and Portugal. Every time I travel to Europe there is a new place I want to visit and old places that I’ve been that I want to go back. It’s hard to pick a favourite!

Growing up in Washington, Canada was just across the border (and their legal drinking age was before that of the US, so you know, trips had to be made!) so I’ve been to Vancouver, Whistler, and Victoria in British Columbia.

Also living in California puts us close to Mexico (and again their legal drinking age is a little more lax, man this is starting to make me look like a lush!) so trips across the border to Tijuana and Ensenada had to be made. All very cultural indeed!

Oh and obviously, lots of places throughout the US but I’m not sure that counts here...

What countries would you like to visit?
Let me count the many! Well I definitely want to go to Australia and New Zealand at some point! I have a real fascination with the place. I think it just looks like so much fun and the people are so friendly! There are still lots of places in Italy I’d love to go to and I haven’t been to Scandinavia. I would also love to visit South America. Oh and I hear the Bahamas are lovely this time of year. :)

San Francisco's Coit Tower

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in America?
As far as positives go, from what I can tell we seem to have a lot of resources at our disposal with authors and publishing houses on our shores. I would say that having so many book bloggers in the US is great because there is always someone to chat with but since the Internet is 24 hours we can chat with anyone anywhere and I love to connect with people worldwide so I don’t really think that matters in the end.

As far as negative aspects, I have noticed that there are times when it can take forever for foreign books, and by foreign, I mean even British books that have been nominated for major awards to reach our shores! And as someone who tries to read all of those books that can be incredibly frustrating. I think American publishers can be very “American-centric’ if you know what I mean.

What American authors and books would you recommend?
Fun question! What book enthusiast doesn’t love to discuss questions like this? I would have to put Barbara Kingslover at the top of my list. Most of her books are by far, some of my favourites (let’s just not talk about her most recent!). If you haven’t read The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Trees please do! Some recent books by American authors that I’ve loved include Kelly Corrigan’s The Middle Place (Northern California Author!), Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, and The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.

How many languages do you speak?
Well, English is what I was born and raised on. My family (from way back) is German so I took that in high school and some classes later on. I was able to practice this when I visited Munich multiple times. I thought what I was saying sounded exactly like what they were saying, but honestly they probably spoke better English than me so we stuck with that!

Where do you usually buy your books?
Honestly, I use a book swapping site called paperbackswap.com. It’s the best thing ever to feed my habit! I couldn’t afford to continue to buy new books all of the time. It was getting too expensive. When I do though, I’ll use Borders, Amazon or some of the many specialty local bookstores in San Francisco. San Francisco likes their quirky bookstores, like bookstores that just do travel or just do cookbooks, so it’s not really one stop shopping!

Is getting your hands on foreign books tricky or easy (not mentioning online stores)?
Well like I said earlier I would say that American publishers, I think, tend to favour American authors unless they are big names. Even if they are award winning. Once they get recognized then we can get them pretty easily. It takes time though!

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about America do you consider disproportionate?
What, the cliché that we are all fat and loud? What don’t say everyone doesn’t say that about us! Here’s what I think, I live on the West Coast which is known for its good weather and it’s outdoorsy healthy types. We’re generally pretty fit but you travel around a bit, and yeah there are some pretty obese people up in this land of ours but there are in lots of 1st world countries so good luck with that. Loud, well, say it loud, say it proud! When you are in a foreign country just try not to bring your US of A hat, ok people?!

The fortune cookie was first baked in San Francisco at the Japanese Tea Garden. If you opened a fortune cookie right now, what would you want it to say?
That’s true, I’ve been there! I’d want it to say something like “You live long, happy life and will be loved’.

Quick Q&A :

Favourite thing about living in America : Mexican Food!
Least favourite thing about living in America : Strip-Malls
Favourite typically American food : Pie
Favourite place in San Francisco : Dolores Park

Favourite bookshop: Omnivore Books

Favourite American author: Barbara Kingslover
Favourite American singer/band: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Favourite book to read while travelling: Anything by Bill Bryson

Plane or train: Plane
Boat or bus: : Boat – Cruise preferably!

Bike or feet: Feet
I’ve always been crazy but at least I’m not going insane (quote from an awesome Waylon Jennings song!).
I would never say never in California.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to England!

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

I. Can't. Wait.

2010-08-12T13:26:00.000+02:00

November seems so far away suddenly...

YA Fantasy Character Showdown

2010-08-10T18:00:00.011+02:00

The ultimate battle is going down now!
Check it out!

Book Blogging Around The World (27) : Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2010-08-08T16:00:00.001+02:00

My Rio, Rio by the sea-o
Flying down to Rio where there's rhythm and rhyme
Hey feller, twirl that old propeller
Got to get to Rio and we've got to make time

Fred Astaire

Name : Larissa
Blog : Welcome To Larissa’s Bookish life

City / Country : Rio de Janeiro / Brazil

Welcome Larissa!

Tell us a little bit about you.

I’m a 26-year-old book lover. I’ve studied English language and Communications in college but never graduated. I was an English as a second language teacher for 6 years until 2007. I lived the last 3 years in Israel, but I moved back to my hometown 3 months ago. I LOVE reading and I have been known for reading VERY fast. I read 350 books in 2009 =)

Tell us a little bit about your blog.

I started my blog in November 2007. It was called Welcome to Larissa’s Life and it was a personal blog. November last year I started tweeting a lot and followed my favourite authors. I met a few book bloggers and it was then that I thought “I have this blog that I update much, I read a LOT, why don’t I start reviewing the books I read?”. I started book reviewing right then and there and never stopped.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Yeah, I went to Disney World when I was 13 =). I lived in Israel for 3 years and I went to Rome in February for a week.

What countries have you visited?

U.S, Israel and Italy.

What countries would you like to visit?

England, Australia, U.S again =)

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

The negative is that it’s really hard to get books in English here so I spend a lot on Amazon. Also, because of copyright, most publishers can’t send me books for review.
The positive is that I am one of the, or the only person in Brazil, book blogging in English... It’s pretty cool.

What Brazilian authors and books would you recommend?

I haven’t really read anything in Portuguese in a LONG time. I don’t know =/

How many languages do you speak?

Four languages. English and Portuguese fluently, Spanish pretty well and basic Hebrew as well.

In which language do you read the most?
English.

Where do you usually buy your books?

eBook stores or Amazon.com.

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

Very tricky. They don’t have many options of books in English in our local bookstores.

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

There are a few, but the one that Brazilian women are easy is the worst in my opinion.

You’ve lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, for three years. What are your best memories of your life there?
Feeling like home, the feeling of safety when walking around the streets; People usually have the wrong idea, but I never felt safer anywhere else, ever.

Quick Q&A :

Favourite thing about living in Brazil : No language barriers
Least favourite thing about living in Brazil : the heat
Favourite typically Brazilian food : Churrasco
Favourite place in Rio : my home

Favourite bookshop: Saraiva Megastore

Favourite Brazilian author: I don’t know
Favourite Brazilian singer/band: Cazuza and Renato Russo

Favourite book to read while travelling: hmmm any book I’m reading at the moment

Plane or train: Plane
Boat or bus: : Boat

Bike or feet: Feet
I would never forget in Rio.
I don’t care for coffee.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to the USA!

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

French Friday (35)

2010-08-06T13:42:00.000+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Hello everyone!

Welcome to this week's French Friday!

Here is a little ol' round of covers for your lovely eyes...

Das Geheimnis um die Seelenpest (The Secret of the Soul Pest)
French title : La Peste des Âmes (The Soul Pest)

Day of Tears by Julius Lester
French title : Les Larmes Noires (Black Tears)

The Hollow People by Brian Keaney
French title : Le Rêve Interdit (The Forbidden Dream)

The Cracked Mirror by Brian Keaney
French Title : Le Sacrifice (The Sacrifice)

My favorites ?
1. French
2. Original
3 and 4 : French

What do you think?

In Which The Blogger is Interviewed

2010-08-05T11:17:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

Last month I told you about a feature called Book Bloggers Abroad at Leeswamme's Blog, remember? Well, I participated and my interview is now online!

For those of you who don't know what this feature is, basically it's in the same vein as Book Blogging Around The World : we talk about our life in our country, our relationship with books, etc. And don't hesitate checking out all the other interviews!

It was fun! A big thank you to Judith for having me!

Do check it out here if you want!

The Deep Breath Before The Plunge

2010-08-04T15:08:00.000+02:00

Pippin: It's so quiet.

Gandalf: It's the deep breath before the plunge.
Pippin: I don't want to be in a battle.
But waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse.

Extract from The Lord of the Rings (movie)

Something is going down. Something big.

How would you like to see Edward duke it out against Hermione? Or Katniss and Katsa? Well, guess what? You can, in the first ever YA Fantasy Showdown. In celebration of Suzanne Collins' final book in the Hunger Games trilogy, a group of bloggers are pitting some of the best-known characters in YA in the ultimate showdown. And you get to pick the winner.

That’s right. You read the battles, evaluate the characters, and vote for who has the honor of moving on to the next round. It’s a tournament like you’ve never seen before (because there’s more). The authors have been asked to participate and advocate their character in writing their own version of the battle. It’s going to be truly epic. Or at least a good way to pass the time until Mockingjay comes out.

It all goes down August 10th.
at YA Fantasy Character Showdown

If you want to learn abou this future event's birth, Heather explains it all here.

Into The Land of the Unicorns (by Bruce Coville)

2010-08-03T19:32:00.000+02:00

INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS
THE UNICORN CHRONICLES : BOOK 1
by Bruce Coville
Age : 9-12
Release date : 1999
Publisher : Scholastic

SUMMARY : Eight!… Nine!… Ten! As each bell chime sounds, Cara pushes herself faster up the steep bell tower steps that lead to the roof. Eleven! She must be on the roof when the next bell tolls. As she races up the stairs. Cara can’t believe everything that has happened. Wasn’t it just a few minutes ago that she and Grandmother Morris were peacefully walking home form the library? When did that mysterious man start to follow them? What does he want? Where did he come from? Who is he? Twelve! The ringing bell brings Cara back to the moment. Gramma told her what she must do! With a deep breath, and only half believing she will be safe, Cara jumps off the church roof and into the adventure of her lifetime—into the Land of Luster, the world of the unicorns. In Luster, Cara meets the Dimblethum, the Squijum, and the most magnificent of all the inhabitants, Lightfoot, a rebellious young unicorn. Together the new friends set out on a quest—to reach the Unicorn Queen and prevent the destruction of all unicorns. (taken from back cover)

REVIEW : A magical book that has everything in it: a thrilling plot, a lot of action, a nice atmosphere and very funny, likeable and unique characters. The first pages were enough to get me hooked.

Explanations arrive bit by bit, without being too long or too concise. They are perfectly balanced according to the obstacles and the new places that Cara faces with her friends. I know I tend to talk about the plots' explanations and descriptions a lot when I review books, but that's because it means a lot to me. Especially in fantasy books. Some authors tend to make the details drag on, forgetting the plot because they fear that the reader won't understand all the basics of the world they created. The problem is that it often takes our mind out of the story. Others, on the contrary, don't give enough material for us to visualize it all or even understand who's who in the story. Which leads to us being lost and wanting to throw the book against the wall (don't worry, I never really do that). So, when it's nicely done, I'm very happy. :) In this case, it is.

Back to the unicorns. Every twists and turns are unexpected. The world of Luster is very well described, its magic and its beauty as much as its dangers. Cara, who asks herself a lot of questions on her past, is profoundly human. The writing is fluid, and I really didn't want to put the book down. Reading this book equals traveling in dreamland. Humor and a good moral can be added to the mix. I think it is a very nice read for young readers (and old too as a matter of fact!).

So, thumbs up unicorns! I recommend this book to parents and children alike. It made me want to read the sequels, which is always a good sign. :)

RATING :

BOOK SKETCH :

On Becoming a Peanuts-a-Holic and Other Things

2010-08-02T20:34:00.000+02:00

Hey Folks!

So, recently I've been doing a lot of stuff non-reading and non-blogging related. I've even had trouble keeping up with the books I read for Hachette. Basically, whenever I have a few hours ahead, I read. (Oh, and I had to read Money Run by Jack Heath, which was AWESOME! I highly recommend it!).

Take last week for instance. I was giving a four days theater course to 10 children (aged between 7 and 13). Ahem. Teaching theater is one thing. Teaching theater to ten children who'd rather be swimming with their friends instead of doing improvs is another. Each day ended at 4pm. Then I would work on what I'd make them do the day after that. Until... late. Then I would spend a few minutes reading Snoopy comic books, to chill out a little. Then I would go to bed and read my Hachette books until 2am. And wake up at 7am.

On the last day, I had to drive to the place where I'm performing on thurdays. Get ready. Perform until 11pm in front of A LOT of people (it's the summer rush down here). I almost had to shout my songs so that everyone could hear a little. I came home completely exhausted. And not very happy with my performance either.

Anyway, that's an example of what my life looks like this summer. I'm waiting for a new bunch of illustrations for my reviews, but Mr Illustrator is busy too. That's one of the reason why there haven't been a lot of reviews posted lately. So, sorry guys!

A few days ago we took the time to take new photos of me for my book (as an actress). Mr Illustrator (who is also Mr Director and Mr Photographer) took them. I think some of them are nice. It's always hard to judge yourself on a photo. There's always something wrong. And I hate posing. But I need pictures, so I have to go through that anyway! Here are a few of them, so you can see a bit what I look like (for those who don't already know!).

I hope you are all enjoying your summer, wherever you are and whatever you're doing.

I'll now leave you with a little Peanuts Philosophy (to which I agree).

Book Blogging Around The World (26) : Adelaide, Australia

2010-08-01T19:25:00.000+02:00

I'm always travelin'
And I love bein' free
So I keep leavin' the sun and the sea
But my heart lies waiting over the foam
I still call Australia home.

Peter Allen

Name : Bernadette

Blog : Reactions to Reading

City / Country : Adelaide / Australia

Welcome Bernadette!

Tell us a little bit about you.

I have a busy day job that requires me to keep my personal online presence quite separate from my work online presence for fear of saying something that would make my employers cross enough to sack me. When I’m not working or reading or blogging about reading I am usually to be found walking, doing some work for the community garden that I am helping to establish, taking photographs somewhere, arguing about politics or visiting some of the several hundred wineries in South Australia.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.
I mainly write reviews of books from my personal library (with a few ARCs thrown in) and post an occasional rant. Virtually all the fiction I read these days is crime fiction so that’s what I discuss. It is my outlet and a place to write about something non-work related. The fact that other people read my ramblings and sometimes stop in to comment is still astonishing to me and is more reward than I deserve for a personal indulgence. I have no plans to do much else with it or grow or monetize the blog, it is what it is.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

I’ve only ever lived in Australia, here in South Australia and also in New South Wales (where Sydney is).

What countries have you visited?

I do love to travel and many of my trips have been for months at a time. So far I have been to Austria, Canada, Egypt, England, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Germany, Grand Caymen Islands, Greece, Holland, Mexico, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, the US (a number of times, I have family there) and Wales. I have also visited every state of Australia (there are only 8 but still).

What countries would you like to visit?

Ever since reading about the fjords in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy I’ve wanted to go to Norway and I don’t know why I haven’t done it yet. Lately I’ve read quite a few books set in Sweden so I’ve got a hankering to visit there too. I would also like to go to Peru. And China. And Northern Ireland. And Russia. And back to all the places I’ve already been (except Switzerland, I don’t mean to offend anyone but I like a bit of chaos in my life and everything was just too darned efficient in Switzerland).

Autumn in Mt Lofty

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

I live in a fairly small city at the bottom of the world (refer map) and there just aren’t that many people here who share my particular reading interests (there is at least one but I only met her through blogging). Having the blog has put me in touch with people all over the globe who share my tastes and obsessions and widened my reading horizons a gagillion times over. I’m even planning to go to the UK next year for a crime fiction convention and to meet some fellow bloggers. On the down side, being in Australia it can get a bit frustrating hearing about all the great conventions, author events and tweetups going on half a world away.

What Australian authors and books would you recommend?

It would depend on who asked for a recommendation. I know that sounds like a cop out but people’s tastes vary widely. If you like crime fiction I’d suggest you visit the Aussie Authors page on my blog.
I do, occasionally read things other than crime fiction and for that I’d recommend Alex Miller’s Journey to the Stone Country or Thomas Keneally’s An Angel in Australia. The Aussie Author most well known outside this country is in my house referred to as the author who shall not be named (he’s won two Booker Prizes and you’re all clever enough to work it out). I hate everything of his that I’ve read and think the guy is a prize pratt as well.

How many languages do you speak?

One and a quarter, I studied French and remember enough to get myself out of some tight spots while travelling including on a memorable night in Turkey where there was an altercation at a café and to avoid getting thrown in a Turkish prison I explained what happened in French to another patron who could speak French and Turkish who translated that to the policeman who spoke only Turkish. I’ve no idea what story he heard but I stayed out of jail.

Where do you usually buy your books?

Book Depository. It is about one-third the cost of buying a book here. My many audio books come from Audible.com

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

Our bookstores are so full of American and English books that it can be quite difficult to find Australian books (unless you’re looking for sporting biographies in which case you’ll trip over about 20 of the blasted things just inside the front door of any bookstore). I’ve never tried to buy a foreign language book here but I don’t imagine it’s terribly easy (let’s just say I don’t see a heap of them on the shelves anywhere).

Favourite bookshop

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

I suspect most people who have never visited Australia think we all live in the outback/bush and hunt crocodiles before breakfast like Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin. The reality is the vast majority (close to 90% of us) live along a couple of coastlines and are largely concentrated into a few cities. Hardly any of us hunt crocodiles either before or after breakfast. Though we do ride kangaroos.

I read that there are 1500 species of spiders in Australia. Are you afraid of spiders? If not, what is the animal you’re the most afraid of?

Did you have to mention them? Really? I am a true arachnaphobe. A couple of years ago I made myself sick enough to be taken to hospital because I sprayed so much bug spray in our small laundry when a particularly nasty spider wouldn’t die. I can deal with pretty much anything else.

Quick Q&A :

Favourite thing about living in Australia : I’m going to get soppy here but…It affords me a lifestyle that would be difficult in lots of other parts of the world. Within an hour or so I can walk to work, shops, marvellous parks and a myriad of restaurants and markets through clean, safe streets in what is usually beautiful weather; I have a decent job and it’s in a pleasant, safe environment and pays me well enough to support living in a comfortable house, travelling occasionally and buying a crap load of books. It is indeed the lucky country.

Least favourite thing about living in Australia : People’s obsession with sport (not playing it which I would be very supportive of but watching it and talking endlessly about it and saying stupid things like “we” won that game when in reality “we” were sitting on the damn couch with a beer while someone else did all the running around getting sweaty)

Favourite typically Australian food : vegemite spread thinly on a toasted, buttered crumpet

Favourite place in Adelaide: Mt Lofty in autumn (see photo)

Favourite bookshop: There is a new Mary Martin store inside a heritage-listed church that is a 25 minute walk from where I live. I don’t buy many books there but I do drink a lot of coffee :) (see photo)

Favourite Australian author: Leah Giarratano, Adrian Hyland, Thomas Keneally, Colleen McCullough (yes I know that’s not one, so sue me)

Favourite Australian singer/band: The Whitlams

Favourite book to read while travelling: I don’t have specific books for travelling; I just read more of what I normally like to read. My favourite book about travelling is Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island.

Plane or train: Train

Boat or bus: : Boat

Bike or feet: Feet
I would never have adverts on my blog.
I’m Australian, therefore I laugh, often inappropriately.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to Brazil!

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

Bernadette

French Friday (34)

2010-07-31T12:31:00.001+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Hello dear readers!

I know, today is saturday... Bad bad me!
I have trouble keeping the blog updated right now, so much is going on here...

In a past French Friday, I talked about the French translations of the Harry Potter series' words and names. Today, I'm going to do the same with The Lord of the Rings. Some names are the same, but some were a bit changed or litteraly translated. I only chose a few, otherwise the list would take ten pages...!

Frodo : Frodon
Bilbo : Bilbon
-> I have no idea why they added an N at the end. But it must be for a really good reason, knowing that Tolkien used to check all the translations!
Brandybuck : Brandebouc
Baggins : Sacquet
The Shire : La Comté
Rivendell : Fondcombe
Whitwell : Blanche Source
Tuckborough : Bourg-de-Touque
Michel Delving : Grand'Cave
Hobbiton : Hobbitebourg
Bywater : Lézeau

What names do you like best?!
PS : If I were a Hobbit, my name would be Alyryan 'Proudfoot' Norcross. What would YOUR name be ? Check it out here, and share it in a comment!

Book Blogging Around The World (25) : Oak Harbor, USA

2010-07-25T15:26:00.000+02:00

The shattered water made a misty din.

Great waves looked over others coming in,

And thought of doing something to the shore

That water never did to land before.

Robert Frost

Name : Heather

Blog : A Bibliophile’s Paradise

State / Country : Washington / USA

Welcome Heather!

Tell us a little bit about you.

I am a 22 year old Navy wife with a 2 year old daughter and an amazing husband. I’m a stay-at-home mom (the best job in the world) and I am also working on my English degree at AMU.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

I was born in Dallas, TX where I lived for 18 years, besides that I have lived in Virginia Beach, VA for 6 months, Tampa, FL for a little under 3 years, and we just moved to Washington a few months ago.

What countries have you visited?

Mexico and the Bahamas.

What countries would you like to visit?

Canada (we plan on going next month), Japan (to visit my brother who is in the Marines), Russia, Germany, and UAE (United Arab Emirates).

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

I don’t think there is anything negative about being a book blogger in America. I have met some awesome book lovers like myself and have also been introduced to some amazing books.

What American authors and books would you recommend?

Lauren Kate (Fallen), Charlaine Harris (Southern Vampire series), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight series), Nicholas Sparks (Dear John), Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife), and of course my favourite poet Robert Frost.

How many languages do you speak?

Just English. I would however like to learn German and Arabic.

Where do you usually buy your books?

Border’s or Half-Price Books.

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

I have yet to have any problems although I’m sure I just jinxed myself.

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

Since I grew up in Texas I’m going to stick with what I know. We do not all wear cowboy hats, the women don’t have huge hairstyles (that makes them a foot taller), not everyone has a Southern accent, and not everyone likes steaks.

Oak Harbor was named after the Oak trees. If you were a tree, what kind would you be and why?

I would be the Salix babylonica or better known as the Weeping willow. They are such beautiful, elegant trees and it reminds me of all the great times I had on my grandparents’ farm.

Quick Q&A :

Favorite thing about living in the USA : opportunities

Least favorite thing about living in the USA : that without money you have no power

Favorite typically American food : Fried Pickle Chips & Red Vines

Favorite place in Oak Harbor : Deception’s Pass

Favorite bookshop: Half-Price Books

Favorite American author: I have too many to just pick one

Favorite American singer/band: Lady Gaga and Lady Antebellum

Favorite book to read while travelling: it has to be a new book

Plane or train: Plane

Boat or bus: : Boat

Bike or feet: Bike

Living on an island is okay some days until I need a mall or bookstore.

I would never let my daughter and husband feel unloved.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to Australia!

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

French Friday (33)

2010-07-23T19:00:00.000+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Hello dear readers on the hill!
Welcome to this week's French Friday!

I realized today that, when posting French and foreign covers, I always show covers of foreign books that were translated in French. But I've never looked for covers of French books translated in English. So, this week will be the first French Friday in which French books will be the base of the cover-compare game!

Les Enfants de la Liberté by Marc Levy
Litteral translation : The Children of Freedom
Official translation : The Children of Freedom

My thoughts : I like the French cover better (love the colours), even though the US one kind of makes the book more exciting maybe.

Biographie de la Faim by Amélie Nothomb
Litteral translation : Hunger's Biography
Official translation : The Life of Hunger

My thoughts : I definitely prefer the US cover. I love the whole design/drawing/colours/font ensemble. I really don't like the French one.

La Traversée by Philippe Labro
Litteral translation : The Crossing
Official translation : Dark Tunnel White Light

My thoughts : I love the concept of the US cover. It fits with the book. But I don't dislike the French cover either, as long as there are trees on covers, I'm happy. :)

What do you think?

Just For Fun...

2010-07-21T00:51:00.000+02:00

I've always loved Snoopy as an author.
:)

Book Blogging Around The World (24) : Rochdale, England

2010-07-18T13:02:00.000+02:00

There'll always be an England

While there's a country lane,

Wherever there's a cottage small

Beside a field of grain.

There'll always be an England

While there's a busy street,

Wherever there's a turning wheel,

A million marching feet.

Parker and Charles

Name : Aly

Blog : Fantasy 4 Eva

City / Country : Rochdale / England

Welcome Aly!

Tell us a little bit about you.

Aly here! I’m one of those girls who constantly has headphones plugged in, who will read a book no matter what time or place. Music and books are my life, and I adore them both, I hope to be a teacher someday. I want to influence children to be role models to those younger than them, to have a positive attitude and to be respectful. Heck if society isn’t going to teach them I will. :)

Tell us a little bit about your blog.
Fantasy4eva came at random as most things do. I decided to get a blog when a friend of mine seemed to be really into it, out of curiosity I gave it a shot and now I am a complete addict! I’m a rambler and love expressing my opinions… My blog allows me to do just that so it makes perfect sense to have one. As for the name, it came at random also, but I live in dreamland way too much at times, maybe that inspired the name in a weird way. I focus on mainly book reviews, but I like a variety of everything, so I review TV Shows, Movies, and gossip. I also have a little shrine just for those I admire.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Nope and I really can’t imagine doing so, I would be totally homesick.

What countries have you visited?

Just Pakistan when I was young.

What countries would you like to visit?

Omg so many! I would love to go Paris! Egypt to see the pyramids, that is like my dream. I have this strange fascination with Egyptology. Also Mauritius, it looks absolutely gorgeous.

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in England?
The obvious one would have to be contests, you have no idea how many contests I have gotten hyped up about only to see that they are not international, really sucks :(

What English authors and books would you recommend?

JK Rowling of course and Kevin Brooks, he is amazing! Lucas is one book I will definitely recommend, I don’t think I have ever read anything quite like it.

How many languages do you speak?

Being Muslim some of our languages are similar, so mine would be Punjabi, Urdu and Mirpuri.

Where do you usually buy your books?

WHS and Waterstones

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

Very tricky because either I have to wait like forever for it to be published here or just give up, it is annoying since a lot of awesome books are from the US. I try to be patient though, no point moaning, it’ll just give me wrinkles D:

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about England do you consider disproportionate?
That we’re all fat, stuck up and have posh accents!! No people, we are not all fat and stuck up, and we don’t have posh accents, I don’t know where people get that from. I understand if you’re from London but seriously…. I live in a little town, posh accents do not exist here.

In your blog, you talk about your love of quotes. Which quote would fit your current state of mind ?
Yup! I am an extreme quote lover, there’s just something about quotes that really attracts me.
“True love stories never have endings”
I’m just feeling in an imaginative sort of mood right now, I have this urge to write like real bad, maybe I’ll do a story post today. Hmm shall see.

Quick Q&A :
Favorite thing about England : The food!! Arghhh you want you some yummy food? This is the place to be folks.
Least favorite thing about England : The silly rain
Favorite place in Rochdale : My little library, I love you!
Favorite bookshop: WHS it’s the nearest access to books I have
Favorite English author: Kevin Brooks
Favorite English singer/band: Leona Lewis
Favorite book to read while travelling: Thirteen Reasons Why
Plane or train: Plane
Boat or bus: : Boat
Bike or feet: Feet
I look like a mess.. just got home and I am soaked!
I’ve never read Rules of attraction *sad face*

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

Next week we'll be traveling to America!

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

French Friday (32)

2010-07-16T14:18:00.000+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Is it friday already?

Who fast fowarded this week? Who?!
This French Friday won't be about books. Is that ok? I thought I would share with you a bit of my acting life, which is in full swing this year (yay!).

Time goes extra fast. I think I won't even realize there was a summer this year. It's already been three weeks since I started performing every thursday in Dordogne. My weeks basically revolve around thursdays.
It's a three hour drive to get there and then come back home (at around 3am). Four of us perform there, so each week has its own organization (Which car do we take? Where do we sleep? Who's where at what time?). Even of it's only one day a week, there are always complications. :) The rest of the week, I'm working on our next show and preparing a theater course I'll be giving to a group of children in two weeks.

The show is starting to look like one. The 'premiere' was weird. We had to find our marks. The second time was better : more people and more confidence on our side. And yesterday was even better. We're getting there! This is something I've never done before: singing in front of people who didn't come for the show, but to visit a place in which we happen to be. Actually I'd never done a show in which singing is the main thing. Usually I sing in plays. Not the same thing at all. So it's quite scary but a great experience.

Now, what is the show about? It's actually more of a gig. A typically French one : we sing songs from the Bal-Musette repertoire. We have a whole set of songs, and each of us has a specific character. I'm the happy-tacky singer, who thinks she's the best singer in the world and is obsessed with love songs. My fellow accordeonist plays a blasé and mean musician, who only likes depressing songs. There's a lot of improv going on, either with the audience or between us. Each week we find new things, which is refreshing and really fun. People seem to appreciate it, and I'm seriously enjoying the interaction with the audience. There are all kinds of people visiting, so it's different all the time. I also try to make people dance (which is not that easy, but it works sometimes!).

The show lasts two hours. It's quite exhausting, since we have to fight all the time to get the people's attention. Again, this is something new to me. I've always performed on stage, where the audience listens to you even if they don't like it. :) This is something else entirely. We have to impose ourselves all the time, otherwise people leave after one or two songs. Which is completely normal, since they have the whole place to explore and we're only a little part of the visit. I have to sing at the top of my voice, because the place is pretty big and weirdly set up. It's hot. There are mosquitoes everywhere and I always end up with bites all over me. But hey, that's my job! Making people laugh and dance! And as insane as it is, I love it!

Happy friday everyone!

Bran Hambric : The Farfield Curse (by Kaleb Nation)

2010-07-12T15:17:00.000+02:00

BRAN HAMBRIC : THE FARFIELD CURSE
by Kaleb Nation
Age : 9-14
Publisher : Sourcebooks
Release date : August 2009

Bran Hambric was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind — until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him. Bran finds that he is at the center of a plot which started years before he was even born: the plot of a deadly curse his mother created…and one that her former masters are hunting for him to complete. Haunted by the spirit of his mother’s master and living in a city where magic is illegal, Bran must undo the crimes of his past…before it is too late. (taken from BranHambric.com)

REVIEW : An interesting idea that I, unfortunately, found poorly treated. I thought the installation took too long, and the plot only began in the third part of the book. Which is a pity because once the action started, I was easily taken by the story. But to get there, I felt like I had to struggle through incomprehensible descriptions of places, magical powers and characters, and repetitive cliches. I found the writing average, and thought that the dialogues were poorly led, sometimes boring and sometimes also repetitive. There are at times some touches of humour and irony that would have done well had they been more frequent. Basically, I found the whole book heavy and long.
Some points are still original, and the fact that magic is forbidden is interesting. Bran's life was sad and dull (Bran lived in a family equivalent to the Dursleys, even though he doesn't live under the stairs but in the attic) and the sudden appearence of magic, the existence of gnomes and a fantasy world works really well.
I was not hooked, and reading this first book of the series didn't make me curious to read the sequels.I think the plot would've deserved to wake up earlier and with greater force...

RATING :

BOOK SKETCH :

Book Blogging Around The World (23) : Hong Kong, China

2010-07-11T14:37:00.000+02:00

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.

Chinese proverb

Name : Alice Chan

Blog : A Severe Book Addiction

City / Country : Hong Kong / China

Welcome Alice!

Tell us a little bit about you.

Hi! I’m Alice (: I’m just about 14 years old, and my obsession is books. My friends call me weird and a nerd cos I read so much, but I guess it’s kind of true (: I consider myself a very outgoing person – I’m the type of girl who isn’t afraid to say what I think and I’m seriously hyper, pretty much all the time.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.
My blog is a mostly YA book review blog that I update REALLY frequently! I’m just starting out but I’m planning to have a lot of features and interviews and contests later on (:

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Nope, I was born and raised in Hong Kong.

What countries have you visited?

Wow. Uh… a lot. My parents love to travel and they always take me and my siblings along with them! I’ve been to France, Spain, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore. Australia, all over the US, Canada, Britain, Nepal, India, Austria, Thailand, and quite a few more.

What countries would you like to visit?

I’m dying to visit the Maldives, especially before it sinks! Oh, and I’d love to go to places like Fiji and Greece and Italy!

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in China?
Positives: A lot of books come out earlier here than they do in the US, which I think is really cool!
Negatives: Authors don’t come here much ): Plus, all those awesome events like BEA and all are always in the US!

What Chinese authors and books would you recommend?

I really loved Cindy Pon’s Silver Phoenix, and I was really impressed by the historical accuracy of The Piano Teacher by Janice YK Lee (but that’s an adult book, actually). Plus…manga! (:

How many languages do you speak?

I speak fluent English and Mandarin, but I can also speak Cantonese, Japanese, and a bit of Malay.

In which language do you read the most ?

I’d have to say English, because I go to an American school here in Hong Kong so the language I use the most is English! I wish I could say I read a lot of Chinese books too.

Where do you usually buy your books?

Dymocks! They have a great book selection and I can’t resist walking by one without going in (:

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

No, I don’t think so! I have a Sony eReader, so I read a lot of my books off that. I also get a few off netGalley. The book stores here are really great, too! They have an amazing selection of both English and Chinese books, as well as other foreign languages.

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about China do you consider disproportionate?
I think a lot of people have the idea that China is really dirty and loud and smelly and stuff, and I guess in certain parts it kind of is, but for the most part it’s not! I’ve been to a lot of places in China that are absolutely gorgeous!

What does your average school day look like ?
Hmm, well, I guess my average school day is pretty busy! My school schedule changes frequently, because my school has a day cycle, which means we have A days and B days. On A days, I have Strings (I play the violin) and P.E. in the morning, and on B days I have Chinese and Religion class. Then in the afternoon, I have my core classes (meaning, English, History, Math and Science). We do get a few breaks in between though, mainly because my school’s huge so it takes time running from class to class! I usually have an hour’s worth of homework and studying, then I’m free to get online and blog and Facebook and etc.! Haha (:

Quick Q&A :
Favorite thing about China : The culture! Hong Kong is so diverse and I love that.
Least favorite thing about China : The pollution, Yuckk.
Favorite typically Chinese food : Dumplings, I’d have to say. (:
Favorite place in Hong Kong : Central, it has a lot of great shops and places to hang out with your friends!Favorite bookshop: Dymocks. But Page One comes in a close second.
Favorite Chinese author: Cindy Pon, probably!
Favorite Chinese singer/band: Hmm…I don’t really listen to any Chinese singers, but I have to be loyal and say that it would be Chelsia Cheng – she’s actually a really good family friend, lol!
Favorite book to read while travelling: : I don’t really have a favorite book to read while travelling, I have too many books to pick favorites (;
Plane or train: Plane! Definitely.
Boat or bus: : Bus. I get seasick really easily.
Bike or feet: I’d have to say feet… mostly because I can’t ride a bike…I KNOW! I KNOW! Don’t judge )’:
Skyscrapers are scary if you look down from the top, but awesome otherwise.
I’m currently reading Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to England!

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

And The Winners Are...

2010-07-09T14:01:00.000+02:00

The 150 Contest winners whose name popped out of my magic hat are...

Juju

who won

Other People's Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See

edited by Bill Shapiro

and...

Nina

who won

An Abundance of Katherines

by John Green

Congrats girls!
You both have been notified by email!

Thank you to everyone who entered!

French Friday (31)

2010-07-09T12:04:00.000+02:00

French Friday is a weekly meme hosted here. Each week, I write about bookish things happening in France, share French book covers, titles' translations and more...

Hello everyone!

Beginning of summer = lack of posting

I just started to perform my new show, and I've been running everywhere.
This past week, I couldn't even find a single free hour to rest.
I now have a few days to 'relax'. Yipee!

And today is French Friday. So it's cover time!

Here are the French covers for Michelle Zink's trilogy.
In French, the titles means Cursed.
I'm not sure which covers are my favorites. Probably the original ones, although I'm not a fan of covers with faces. :)

And here are the covers for two books by Monika Feth. I LOVE the French covers!

What do you think?

Happy friday!

The 150 Contest is Closed

2010-07-06T00:05:00.009+02:00

Entries for the 150 Contest are now closed.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

I will soon announce the winners, who will also be notified by email.

Good luck to all, let's hope your name will be drawn out of the hat!

Book Blogging Around The World (22) : Halmstad, Sweden

2010-07-04T14:30:00.000+02:00

Name : Sara
Blog : YA Vampire Books
City / Country : Halmstad, Sweden

"We’re living in a free country, aren’t we?
Aren’t you allowed to walk any way you like?"

Pippi Longstocking - Astrid Lindgren

Welcome Sara!

Tell us a little bit about you.

My name is Sara and I’m a 21-year-old book blogger from Sweden. Besides reading, I love traveling, summer and ice cream (or best of all, all four things together!). I’m obsessed with skylines, bridges and graffiti.

Tell us a little bit about your blog.
Back in September last year I was a bit bored and had nothing to do. Since I had been reading book blogs for years I thought ‘why not start my own blog’? So I did. But I knew that there were hundreds of regular book blogs out there, so I wanted to do something special. So I started blogging about vampire books along with vampire TV series and movies. :)

I at one of Halmstad's many beaches.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Yes, I have lived in the US for six months. Best time of my life! I lived in Virginia, just outside Washington D.C.

What countries have you visited?

Denmark, Norway, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Slovenia, Croatia, USA, Great Britain, Thailand and the airport in Sharjah (part of the United Arab Emirates)!

In Washington D.C.

What countries would you like to visit?

Soo many! Australia, Canada, Russia, New Zealand, the Caribbean and South America…to name a few.

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in Sweden?
Well, the positive aspect, I guess, is that you’re able to read books in two languages. Since English isn’t my native language I'm hoping that blogging will help me maintain, and maybe even increase, my knowledge of English.
The negative aspect is that lots of books that I want to read aren't available in Sweden. Some bestsellers are translated into Swedish, but that usually takes months. My library has ordered some young adult books in English lately, though. Which I appreciate!

What Swedish authors and books would you recommend?

Astrid Lindgren for children books. Katarina von Bredow for Young Adult books. On the adult market detective- and crime fiction novels are hugely popular! Some famous Swedish crime authors are Henning Mankell, Liza Marklund, Stieg Larsson, Håkan Nesser and Camilla Läckberg, just to name a few!

How many languages do you speak?

Swedish, English & some German. And I understand Norwegian & Danish if they speak clearly enough!

Where do you usually buy your books?

Online. Lately from the Book Depository.

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

Yes, it is kind of tricky! The supply of books in English in book stores is small, and the books are usually expensive! A lot of books are being translated into Swedish though, but they are mostly for the adult market.

The newly-built main library in Halmstad

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about Sweden do you consider disproportionate?Polar bears do not in fact walk on city streets (they stay in the forest).
Oh, and all Swedish girls are not (1) blond (2) blue-eyed and (3) stupid. (Just look at me – brown hair, green eyes, and ahem, not that stupid)

Could you tell us about your interest in vampires in Swedish (and translate it in English afterwards...!) ?Haha of course!

Anledningen att jag gillar vampyrer är för att de är mystiska, fascinerande och såklart otroligt snygga varelser! ;) Det finns så många bra TV-serier och böcker om vampyrer, och jag hittar alltid nya favoriter. Och den största anledningen till att vampyrer är så fascinerande? Man kan aldrig vara 100 % säker på att de inte finns i verkligheten!

The reason why I like vampires is because they are such mysterious, fascinating and of course incredibly handsome creatures! ;) There are so many great TV series and books about vampires, and I’m constantly finding new favourites! And the main reason why vampires are so fascinating? You can never be 100 % sure that they don’t exist!

Quick Q&A :
Favorite thing about Sweden : Social security.
Least favorite thing about Sweden : Weather
Favorite typically Swedish food : Meatballs! And I have to mention the Swedish candy supply – amazing! Walk into any Swedish food store, and you’ll find shelves looking like this:

Just grab a bag and pick what you want, pay by weight. No wonder Swedes eat most candy in the world! ;)
Favorite place in Sweden : Beach
Favorite bookshop: Library :P (free books!)
Favorite Swedish author: Katarina von Bredow
Favorite Swedish singer/band: The Ark
Favorite book to read while travelling: Vampire Academy
Plane or train: Both
Boat or bus: : Boat
Bike or feet: Bike
Seasons are : Overrated
If I were a vampire, I would suck your blood!

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

Next week we'll be traveling to China!

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

150 Contest Reminder

2010-07-03T15:07:00.000+02:00

A quick post to remind you all that the 150 Contest will close on monday!
Only a few days to enter! Good luck to you all!

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On another note, I didn't have the time to post a French Friday post yesterday, sorry about that!

A Crazy Summer

2010-06-28T16:39:00.000+02:00

On thursday I'll be performing our new show for the first time...
I'm kind of nervous.

No, wait.

I am absolutely and utterly stressed.

Nope.

I know.

I'M TERRIFIED!

It's the first time that I'll be singing alone with only one musician.
Usually I'm singing in plays, which is different.

In this show, I'm on my own. I can't cheat. Argh.

We're going to perform every thursday all summer.
Which means that july and august will be a marathon.

The place in which we're playing is three hours away from my home.
I'm going to spend more time in my car than on stage, basically.
And I'm the choreographer for our next play.

So I will be working on the dances all summer (including one tapdance and one on roller skates).
It's going to be a crazy summer.

But it's going to be great fun ! (scared. scared. scared.)

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For those of you who missed it, Velvet hosted an event last week called Mansfield Park Murder Mystery.
As always, her event was awesome.

And as always, I wrote a few guest posts :
Lady Charlotte

Mansfield Park Menu
Mansfield Park Kitchen

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Talk to you soon!

International Events in the Blogosphere

2010-06-27T10:07:00.000+02:00

International Book Blogger Mentor Program
at Presenting Lenore
It can be tough to keep up with the book blogging community when you don’t live in the US or Canada. Publishers won’t send you books, most contests aren’t for you, and it can be next to impossible to find certain titles in your home country. Lenore would like to continue supporting international book bloggers and has decided to start the International Book Blogger Mentor Program. Any book blogger who blogs in English about books and lives outside the US and Canada can apply. Each month Lenore will pick one blogger to send 2-3 of my most recent review copies to. Upon request, she will also look over the reviews you write for the books and suggest improvements. Once you post your first review, you and your blog will be featured on Presenting Lenore.

Book Bloggers Abroad
at Leeswammes's Blog
An international event in the same vein as Book Blogging Around the World : What’s it like to be a book blogger in a far away country? Do you have access to the books you want to read? Do you have electricity failure or internet disruptions? Do you have limited time for blogging because you’re working full-time? Or do you have a housekeeper and plenty of free time? And where do you read? Is it warm enough to sit in the garden under a tree, or is it much too warm or cold for that? Where’s your favorite book store? What’s your favorite national author? Each week, Leeswammes is going to ask one guest blogger to answer these questions. It’s a great way to tell us about yourself, your country, and to get new people find their way to your blog.

The Book Read 'Round The World
at A Little Bookish
Carin sends a book around the world and have people report back to it by doing guest posts on her blog (and post on their blog about the experience as well).

Packabook
at Packabook
At packabook we believe travel is enriched by reading great novels set in the places you are visiting. We invite you to explore this site to find books that give you extra insight into your destination, allowing you to experience the stories and history of any place through its fiction. And even if you're not traveling anywhere, we can all dream! Take this opportunity to immerse yourself in some wonderful travel novels and imagine that you are exploring the backstreets of Barcelona, or breathing in the tropical air of Peru...

Book Blogging Around The World (21) : Terengganu, Malaysia

2010-06-27T09:44:00.000+02:00

Name : Darlyn

Blog : dArLyN & bOoKs

City / Country : Terengganu, Malaysia

Welcome Darlyn!

Tell us a little bit about you.

Hi. My name is Darlyn and it’s not my real name. It’s just the abbreviation of my full name because it is so long. I’m 24 years old and currently I’m doing my Master’s Degree in Aquatic Biology (Plant Ecology and Diversity) in a local university in Malaysia. And I love books!

Tell us a little bit about your blog.
My blog is where I review books I’ve read. It started quite recently in December 2009.I read a lot of different types of genre, YA, contemporary fiction, paranormal, thriller, mystery and anything I could think and grab my hands on. I’m not really selective only that I try to be honest with my review, pointing out any pros and cons in each books. I participate in a few memes and giveaways too just to try my luck. I meet a lot of book bloggers online and I feel excited to know them and also share opinions, recommendations of good books.. =0.

Have you ever lived anywhere else in the world?

Apparently no. But I wish I could live in Rome.

At Lata Kijang Waterfall, Perak

What countries have you visited?

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, China, Thailand.

What countries would you like to visit?

UK, US, Egypt, Denmark, Rome and France.

According to you, what are the positive and negative aspects of being a book blogger in Malaysia?
Negative = There’s not so many bookish bloggers in Malaysia. I could name a few even though I browsed so many times searching for them so that at least we could share something similar. But almost most of them read more Malay fictions than English. So that’s a bit hard to do book swaps, sharing or recommendations. Other than that, it’s a bit disappointing when I can’t participate in most giveaways/contest which requires US or Canada address. *LOL*. But I’m grateful because there’s also lots of book bloggers that considers their international follower like me =)
Positve = This is hard. Very. That’s why I gave the negative first. Maybe the positive aspect of being a book blogger is that lots of my Malaysian’s friend asks my opinions/ recommendations of which English book is good to buy/read. It seems that book blog is not a trend in Malaysia, yet. I hope in future there will be more.

Tasik Puteri/ Princess Lake, Terengganu (5 min from my house)

What Malaysian authors and books would you recommend?

Ramlee Awang Murshid! I love all his books. But of course they’re written in Malay Language. There is one of his novels translated in English recently entitled Personal Justice or Aku Darah Anak Malaysia (A.D.A.M). The book is the best ever and I really really like all his other books.

How many languages do you speak?

Malay, English, Arabic and a bit of Japanese.

Do you read more in English or in Malay?
Haha. Now I feel bad to my own country. I read more English than Malay =)

Where do you usually buy your books?

At MPH or POPULAR Bookstore. However, there are a lot of used books at my local area or even online trough Mudah.com. I’ve never buy for BookDepository or Amazon.com. Not really familiar/compatible with me I guess.

Similajau National Park, Sarawak

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

I don’t think it’s hard. But sometimes it is if I am craving for new release books because we have to wait for quite some time like a few weeks or maybe months later after the actual worldwide book release.

Every country has its clichés. What cliché about Malaysia do you consider disproportionate?
Wow, this is hard because I always love Malaysia. We have multi-races citizens like Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibanese, Kadazans and the list could go on. But the one and only thing that I think I would be really annoyed is the political propaganda of a few politician parties that hate the idea of coexisting together (that maybe my own point of views). I don’t know which if either the government or the opposition parties is right. What I know for sure, some people are taking advantages of this and projected a lot of speculations which creates prejudices. Really hate that.

A view from Kota Kinabalu Waterfront, Sabah

I’ve read a lot about Malaysia’s extraordinary flora and fauna. Do you feel close to nature or are you more of a city girl?
I am both. But maybe I’m closer to nature. There’s so many beautiful and unique species of floras and faunas in Malaysia. Terengganu is popular with a few species of turtles and islands. Since I’m studying and doing my research in Sarawak which is located in Borneo, it’s even more mesmerising! In fact, Borneo is known as endemic species reservoir. We have orang utan, tapir, hornbills, Rafflesia (the biggest flower in the world). We have so many National Parks and gazetted as Malaysian heritages. I’m a taxonomist in the making, so I’m a little excited and overwhelmed to talk on this. Sorry =)

Quick Q&A :
Favorite thing about Malaysia : Multiple races
Least favorite thing about Malaysia : Hot
Favorite typically Malaysian food : Satay
Favorite place in Terengganu : Princess Lake
Favorite bookshop: MPH
Favorite Malaysian author: Ramlee Awang Mursyid
Favorite Malaysian singer/band: BUNKFACE
Favorite book to read while travelling: Anything that my hand can grab.
Plane or train: Both
Boat or bus: : Either
Bike or feet: Bike
Traditions are cultures.
I love the beach.

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

Next week we'll be traveling to Sweden!

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

Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2010

2010-06-26T15:06:00.000+02:00

This year's Book Blogger Appreciation Week has been announced!
I created The Book on the Hill on september 2009. BBAW had just ended, and at the time I felt like I had missed a huge celebration. So I'm quite excited right now.

Book Blogger Appreciation was started by Amy Riley of My Friend Amy in an effort to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading. The first Book Blogger Appreciation was observed in the fall of 2008 and occurs every September. The week spotlights and celebrates the work of active book bloggers through guest posts, awards, giveaways, and community activities. Book Bloggers are encouraged to register their participation for inclusion in a database of book bloggers.

This year, the nomination process has changed: bloggers are to self-register instead of being nominated by others. Each blogger has to provide 5 posts in order to be considered for an award (you can register for a Niche and a Featured Category). After much thinking, I decided to register The Book on the Hill.

I am registering my blog in the niche Best Eclectic Book Blog.
Here are the five posts for consideration.

Review: The Vampire is Just Not That Into You - Vlad Mezrich
Review: The Great Death - John Smelcer
Review: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Post: And Then She Finished The Twilight Saga...
Post: Punctuation Epiphany

I am also registering for the Featured Category Best New Book Blog.
Here are the five posts for consideration.

Review: The Vampire is Just Not That Into You - Vlad Mezrich
Review: The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Interview: Interview With The Illustrator
Post: French Friday (20)
Post: Book Blogging Around The World (8) : The Netherlands

The Petrifying Problem With Princess Petronella (by L.M. Moriarty)

2010-06-26T13:44:00.000+02:00

The Petrifying Problem With Princess Petronella

by L.M. Moriarty
Age : 9-12

Publisher : Egmont
Release date : January 2009

SUMMARY : The Space Brigade and the Petrifying Problem with Princess Petronella is a fun and fantastic inter-galactic adventure... Nicola Berry loves eating All Day Lasagne, is great at writing stories, uses the word 'preposterous' frequently, and longs to escape Mrs Pumpkin's incredibly boring Geography lesson. When Georgio Gorgiosko from Planet Globagaskar visits her class, Nicola gets the opportunity... The King and Queen of Planet Globagaskar have gone on holiday and left their spoilt daughter, Princess Petronella in charge. The sulky princess wants to turn earth into a rubbish dump. Georgio Gorgiosko must find an Earthling Ambassador to convince the princess otherwise and save earth. Nicola is up for the challenge, but what can she do to change the princess's mind? Even with a new outfit from the wardrobewhizonic ladies, it's going to be impossible to do on her own. She'll need the help of her friends in the Space Brigade. Be whisked away to Planet Globagaskar, where there's freeze grenades to freeze someone for ten minutes, a telepathy chef where you can think of something you'd like to eat and it will appear in front of you, and you can go swimming in the clouds. (taken from Egmont)

REVIEW : Fun and exciting! The world in which we're thrown in makes our imagination work all the time. The events are cleverly linked together, and I really wanted to learn more about these magical planets. Children can easily find themselves in the heroine, who is completely human (with her qualities and mistakes) and with her very 'Earthling' way of thinking. The relationship between the Earthlings and the Globagaskarians is interesting and often brings the story to themes that we face every day (political relations between countries, environmental protection). The writing is really accessible to children.

The whole book is fun and, although the ending is predictable, the twists are surprising. I think the title is awesome too, even if long! The construction is quite usual but the atmosphere is unique. I adored the scene in which they jump in the clouds, such a dreamy thing! A very colorful story, well described, just enough to leave room for dreams. A morality based on friendship, respect and confidence. I really wanted to discover more of Nicola's adventures!

RATING :

BOOK SKETCH :