Saturday, August 24, 2013

I want these!

Ok, I'm definitely getting the new edition of Harry Potter by Scholastic. The book covers are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! (Christmas present anyone? Pleeeease!). 




Saturday, August 17, 2013

Quick thoughts on Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher

"During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher."

Edgar Allan Poe
The Fall of the House of Usher


You cannot imagine the impact this short-story has had on me. I read it before going to sleep and I think that was a bad idea, I loved the story but then I kept dreaming about Lady Madeleine coming after me. Sometimes that happens, right? Something you read sticks with you and you keep turning it over in your head. I want to read this short story over and over again, I want to discover all of its meanings, I want to understand it all. It has a haunting effect on me, just like the house had on Frederick Usher.

It has always amazed how dark and grim Edgar Allan Poe's stories can be, but at the same time so addictive. I'm addicted to this one in particular. 

What are about you? Are you a fan of Edgar Allan Poe?


Thursday, August 15, 2013

Birthday books... and a lot of wine

I turned 27 last Tuesday. TWENTY SEVEN. I’m not going to rant about getting old because that is nonsense, but there is something about approaching thirty that feels kind of weird. Maybe the weirdness comes from the fact that I still have Disney bed sheets and teddy bears on my bed. 


My dad's painting
Anyway, I had a great birthday, surrounded by friends, family and a lot of food, I had a blast. One of the differences between my birthday now and in my early twenties is that back then my friends used to arrive with chips, soda and beer. Now they arrive with dessert and wine. A lot of wine. I think I received like 6 bottles of wine for my birthday. I have only one bottle left, hehe, but hey, I didn’t drink them alone. 

My friends also got me books, yay! I’m currently reading one of the books I received as a present, The Stonecutter (Las hijas del frío in Spanish) by Camilla Läckberg. It is a murder mystery and I’m loving it. Why is it that Swedish writers are particularly good with suspense-mystery novels?

But by far, the coolest present was my dad's. He painted my present. Yes, he painted a ballerina and dedicated it to me. How amazing is that? 


But back to the books: I finished reading Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel last week and I loved it even more than Wolf Hall. I didn’t think that was possible. I’m going to write my review soon, I promise. I have been reading a lot about English history and I have my eye on some books I want to get about Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I.

So this is my quick update about the past week, I know I’m not posting as much as I would like, but at least I am reading a lot. I’ll promise I’ll post more reviews soon.