30 Day Book Challenge Day 1

Hey guys :)
So in order to get me posting a little more I decided to join the 30 Day Book Challenge from tumblr I found over at Quotes from Fiction.
Here is day 1:

Best Book You Read Last Year:

Remember at the end of last year when I couldn't decide wich book was the best and instead of nailing it down I made a 12 books in 2012 list? Seems I have to make that decision now after all.
So the best book I read last year was...
Oh my god I read so many good books last year! But if you want a recommendation you definitely have to read The Heroine's Bookshelf by Erin Bowman. I love that book! And it is so inspiring.
Here is what I had to say about it in my review (Because I think this describes perfectly how much I loved this book):


This is going to be a very private review for this is about a very private book. Erin Blakemore shares with us some of her precious memories and the precious memories of many remarkable women writers.
The Heroine's Bookshelf shows which character trades a modern heroine should have in times like these, explaining that there is a heroine in every women. Each character trade is described with the help of a fictional heroine who portrays the feature. Erin Blakemore does not just outline why the heroine she picked is a heroine, she also allows us a deep glimpse into the struggles the authors behind the books had to overcome. Therefore she shows us, what we can learn from women like Scarlett O'Hara, Scout Finch or Alice Walker.

Divergent Book Three and Casting Round Up!

This is just a short update since I'm running out of time a lot lately:

Veronica Roth has finally revealed the titel of the last book in her trilogy and it will be *drumroll* Allegiant! Well it is not that of a big deal for me since I yet have to read the first two books.
There is a huge buzz about it going on on the internet especially with the book being turned into a movie. (It will hit theatres on March 21 2014)
Did you read the book? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?

In other great Divergent news: Shooting of the movie has officially began and the cast is asembled!
I already posted something on the matter when Tris was rumored to be cast and since I haven't read the book I will keep my opinion out of this.
But for everyone interested in the movie go and visit the authors official blog.

Love and words
KJ

The Hobbit movie and movie guide

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Official Movie Guide by Brian Sibley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a must read for all the fans of the movie and the book. It shows detailed insight on what goes on behind the camera.
It is really interesting to see how much work and detail go into such a movie.
For me it was really inspiring to read about real people that were so fascinated and in love with their own work. Everyone on the set put so much effort into the movie trying to bring a story I more than love to life.

So as you can see I read the behind the scenes book for The Hobbit movie and since I loved that book (well both of them. The Hobbit and the Official guide) and the movie I thought "Why not write a post about it?" The thing with this is, I knew from the begining that this would be a really emotional post. This is personal, I'm going to share my feelings with you, beware ;)
Just imagine me sitting in the cinema beside my best-friends-little-brother, who kept telling me many things I never knew about middle-earth, and the movie starts. You can see a black screen with writing in the usual middle-earth font on it while the melody for the shire plays in the background. And I am already close to tears.
I hear the music and read the opening lines and I felt peace inside, all the stress from the last weeks fell of me, I felt like coming home.
As you may have already guessed watching The Hobbit was a really emotional thing for me. I loved the book and I loved the Lord of the Rings movies. But even more important was the fact that my father, who died four years ago, loved it, too. So while watching the movie I always thought to myself "He would have loved that, too". And he definitely would have.
The movie is beautiful beyond words. The landscapes, the atmosphere, the actors, the emotion, ... , everything from Bombur's lovely hair to the amazing score is just fantastic. And I am seriously running out of adjectives to describe that greatness.
Peter Jackson changed some things while adapting one of the most loved stories in the world to the big screen. And I know that a lot of people dislike that fact but I think it made the story even better (Don't get me wrong, the book was great without those changes, too.).
In the Lord of the Rings he gave Arwen a bigger role, to add a strong female character, which the original work lacked entirely. Now he made the whole movie darker, less a children story. He showed us what was happening in the rest of the world. And even most important: He turned all 13 dwarfs into real characters not just names and different colored coats. Tolkien did not have the space to do that in the books. So I am more than sure that those changes made the world of the Hobbit even more believable and rich (and they gave us 13 great characters :) )
The movie made me feel somehow connected to my father since it is something I know we would have both enjoyed. It touched something deep inside me, which I cannot say about a lot of modern movies.
The Hobbit is truly a masterspiece based on a wonderful story.

Seriously I am really obsessed with this story. I saw the movie twice, in two different languages, in 2D and in 3D. And after thinking about it for a long time I can only conclude: This is movie is a masterpiece! (and my big bro is stupid for not seeing it in the cinema)

So maybe I am a little bit biased, but the movie was truly epic! Go and watch it if you haven't already! I can surely not wait for the next one!
Love and Words
KJ

View all my reviews

Cover Love: The Chaos Of Stars and Not A Drop To Drink

Hey there :)

A lot of beautiful covers have been revealed over the last few days, I thought I'll start a little recap and show you my favourites.
The first one would be The Chaos Of Stars by Kiersten White.
All right let's just step back a moment and behold this beauty.
When I first saw this cover I was like "Awwww, I love you!" It's just so simple and still so beautiful! I love the colours and the font, the little line in the right corner is really catchy.
I especially like the effect that the blue and white look like a sky full of stars. It really fits the titel perfectly.
Have you seen the little bird in the left corner? That's one of my favourite details of the cover.
Here is the official synopsis from Goodreads:

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

Doesn't it sound awesome?I love stories about Egyptian gods! It definitely goes onto my TBR list and I cannot wait to read it when it comes out  September 10, 2013

And I also love the cover for Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis.
The colours! Look at the colours! I love the sky and how the dark fades into yellow. There is a really dark and gloomy atmosphere here but because of the rising sun there is also hope.
The water reflecting the scene is a great element, since the book revolves around water. Water is the only hope they have and it is the reason for their devastation, therefore it reflects both colour schemes. A great metaphorical picture. (Or maybe that's just my imagination going wild :D)
This is a great cover for a post-apocalypse book and I wanted to read Not A Drop To Drink right after I read the summary for the first time, somewhere at the end of last year.
It really does sound amazing the cover seems to fit it perfectly. The book will also be released on September 10, 2013.

Here is the summary taken from Goodreads:

If she has water, she has life. 

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

Wait a minute! Both books come out on the same day? Which am I supposed to read first? That's a hard decision...
But don't forget you cannot judge a book by it's cover!
What do you think of those two? And which one is your favourite?
Love and Words
KJ

A Game of Thrones Wishlist and predictions for season 3

Hello friends and foes :)

I finished reading A Storm Of Swords the second novel in George R. R. Martin’s A Song OF Ice And Fire series a few weeks ago. It is known that the third season of HBO’s Game Of Thrones (wich is coming in march this year! I cannot wait any longer!) will cover the first part of the book.

There are a lot of great things in the book that the TV series will have to leave out or change and I understand that completely. A show tells things different than a book.

But anyway I thought I make a little wish list of what I would enjoy seeing next season and what I’m looking forward too the most:

Be aware! There will be spoilers for what is going to happen so if you do not want to read spoilers, don’t read any further!

1. Ramsay Snow

I cannot wait for the Bastard of the Dreadfort. And as it happens that has nothing to do with the actor portraying him. Yes, the actor is good looking and I never saw anything he stared in, so I cannot say if he is a good actor or not. But I would be looking forward to Ramsay in anyway, no matter who they would have casted. I really like Ramsay’s character.

There I said it. I like the most unlikeable character in the whole story (which is a title well earned considering he had to fight with people like Jaime or Cersei to get it).

In Westeros every character is made of different layers. George Martin has a great way of giving depth to his protagonist. No one has just a good side or just a bad side, you can understand every motivation, and find something great in everyone. Except for Ramsay. I can not come up with one thing that makes him less evil. He is cruel, he’s mean, and that is it. (yes, (SPOILER alert!) he saved us from Theon, but honestly the Greyjoy did not deserve that)

I think he is really fascinating and I cannot wait to find out how that will be transported to the screen. Sadly 

2. Mormonts Ring Of Fire

I looked forward to Sam’s first chapter since I found out he was turning into a POV character. And the chapter got me hooked from the first line. I was really feeling with Sam and wanted him to go on walking so bad. But than he thought: “The Old Bear’s ring of fire(…)” (Page 238) and in my mind started playing the Jonny Cash song…

But anyway that ring would make a great atmosphere. Just imagine Sam walking through the Haunted Forest, snow coming down everywhere, and the distant gloom of the torches… That would look just great on screen! I know that he is not with the other Night’s Watch members at the end of season 2, but I hope he finds them again. Can you imagine Sam being alone north of the wall all by himself? I cannot stand the thought! Poor Sam…
Of course there will be many other awesome scenes, like Dany freeing the Unsullied, Bran's green dreams, the red wedding (though I'm not really looking forward to that scene :( ) and the death's of many great characters.

Suprise! Books and broken rules...

Hey there :)
I kinda broke one the rules today :) But just kinda :D
You know last year I signed up for a Weltbild edition. Which means that one of the big German booksellers sends me one fantasy book each month for a lower price and they all look pretty awesome.

Today I was just relaxing on my couch watching tv and looking pretty horrible (you know the "I'm-not-doing-anything-today-so-I-don't-need-to-look-acceptable) when the door rang. And what did I found there? A big and mysterious package:

And what was in there? The last books I needed to finish the edition! Because Weltbild decided that they did not want me to wait any longer for the rest of the books.

So I kinda bought books today without finishing one before, which breaks my reading rule . But I did not intend to buy them today so I think that does not really count...
Anyway look how awesome they all look on my shelf now:

(These are not all, they were too much to fit on the picture, all in all I have now 27 pretty hardcover books)

I love them! They are all so pretty!

Now all I need to do is, well you know, read them :)
Which is your favourite fantasy book?
Love and words
KJ