2014

Have you ever heard of the Norwegian folk tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon”? No? Well, me neither – until I read this wonderful retelling which is truly a fairytale in itself. But how could something based on a story with one of the most beautiful titles I ever heard be anything else but magical? To describe East in as little words as possible, I’d say it’s Beauty and the Beast plus trolls – and wind roses and mapmakers, superstition and prophecy, weaving, sewing and magical dresses, a castle inside a mountain, a light that should not have been lit, and a long and rocky journey to a palace in an icy barren land east of the sun and west of the moon . . .

Most of my blogger friends complain about their bookish wishes being ignored and often, I hear that someone doesn’t get books as a present anymore because he or she would already have enough – as if that’s even possible! …

Maybe you’ve wondered what I’ve been up to this past month. Although I do blog very infrequently, I’ve never been so absent – except for the time I wrote my Bachelor thesis. So, where the hell have I been? Pretty much between the pages of those …

Anna zu Pferde [Anna on Horseback] has everything young Ellie wanted in a novel: a kickass heroine, horses, a great atmospheric setting, a family mystery, and an unexpected romance. Reading it for a second time, the mystery fades into the background but I came to appreciate the historical setting much more than I did when I was younger. Just in case you were wondering: first and foremost, this is actually historical fiction. The title of this novel comes from the title of a painting of Anna and her horse that’s part of the story. Given that it is 1630, horses have to play a part if a character wants to get from A to B. Nevertheless, Anna’s close relationship to her horse is present but never in the foreground . . .

I think when one hears the term classic, one immediately thinks of old, literary novels. Still, every genre has its classics and every person has a different opinion guided by personal preferences and context. So here are some of the novels I read and consider classics …

Oh yes, indeed I have! There are currently 32 novels on my ordered shelf – however, most of them are from Better World Books or Thalia and just take their time to get here. But I do have a couple of actual pre-orders, too …

I got tagged yet again by the lovely Ric of Bed, Book & Tea. So, let’s get going …