Peter de Sève's illustrations!

 

You most likely have already seen much of his work, although you might not know it. This is the man who's responsible for many well loved animated characters, such as Scrat, from Ice Age, Bruce the shark, from Finding Nemo. A brilliant artist. A must see!

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)

...by Baz Luhrmann

Get to know your parents.
You never know when they'll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings.
They're your best link to your past
and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Books

Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high.
How I love them! How I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.

- Arnold Lobel

This year's Way Out West festival!

Or you have would have liked, anyway. It was this weekend and it was amazing! The Gods of Weather and Wind smiled upon us and the music was fantastic!

My favourites were The Avett Brothers (of course!), Robyn, Prince, the Jayhawks and Tiësto!

The Avett Brothers were the whole reason I was there, really, I wouldn't have gone this year if they hadn't been booked. Everything else was just a bonus.

But Prince was sooo great! He put on a simply amazing show and you could tell he'd been doing it for 30 odd years, it was just beautiful! And he looked so happy and didn't seem to want to stop and that kind of joy is so contagious. Lovely!

Looking forward to next year! =)


P.S. If any americans (or anyone else, for that matter) want an invitation to Spotify, just say the word. I've got invitations to spare and it's a great tool for finding new music! D.S.

The Kate Daniels series

... by Ilona Andrews.

Kate is a great heroine who's not afraid to admit she's afraid (if only to herself) but won't let it stand in her way either. Raised by a man who did his best to turn her into a psychopathic warrior so that she could kill her own father, she has some emotional issues to work out, but since she came to Atlanta the steel plated brick walls around her heart are crumbling. And nothing is as scary as feelings.

The series is great and very similar to the Mercy Thompson books. Magic, monsters, action and wit in spades. Read it!

White Oleander

... by Janet Fitch.

This book is amazing, so very gripping and beautifully written. It's on my Top Ten list of all times.

Astrid's struggle to carve out a piece of happiness from an unyielding world is described in some of the most poetic sentences I've read so far. Each battle, each win and loss must be keenly felt by anyone with even a smidge of imagination and I cried several times, shaking my head at the unfairness of it all. Dramatic, but true.

I've read it in Swedish and, like I said, loved it. Janet's second book, Paint It Black, I read in English and... it wasn't as good. The story wasn't as captivating, the characters not as likeable and the language... not as beautiful. Colour me disappointed! 

Now, I don't know if this is because the book simply isn't as good as the previous, or... dun dun dun dunnnn; because the translator was the poet! That it was her voice coming through and making it the great read it was! Hmm... Now, of course, I could read White Oleander in English and know for sure. Get the author's words directly and see for myself if it's as ingenious as in Swedish. But I'm afraid to. I don't want to knock this book off its pedestal. In the words of Nelson Muntz; "Some of us prefer illusion to despair!” So...

The reason I'm saying this is simply to reassure you, that if you don't like book, it might be because of the language, not because you're not like me. ;-)

Shifters

... by Rachel Vincent.

We get to follow Faythe Sanders in her struggle for independence in a rigidly patriarchal society. It's a well thought through series with appealing characters and good action.

I think it's also finished, with Alpha as the finale, which I like, even though the books are great. As much as I like having a long series to look forward to, some authors really can't go out in style. Instead they drag the series out for decades, with only every fourth or fifth book actually worth the paper it's printed on. Bitter much? Nah.

Anywho, Rachel Vincent does tie the loose ends together nicely and this is a great read for anyone who likes Mercy Thompson and Gin Blanco.

Enjoy!

Barroom Girls by Gillian Welch

 

Here's a link to Spotify for better sound. =)

Gillian Welch – Barroom Girls

Scandinavia and The World

It's a comic strip by a Dane, about the relationships between different countries, mainly the Nordic ones. It's hilarious! It's way better to celebrate and get a laugh out of our differences than to get angry about them.

http://satwcomic.com/questionable-invasion

She does strips about historical facts, cultural differences and political hot potatoes. After each strip she explains the background and it can be quite informational. And it's SO funny! And the little guys are sooo cute!

Have a laugh!

R.I.P. Clarence Clemons

A great musician who together with The E Street Band made some of the greatest rock songs I've heard. This one for example...



Clarence's solo is at 3.04.

There's a Swedish dance band song about living in the here and now and not worrying about tomorrow. It goes;
"Yes, I know that it's two o'clock and it's late for a Sunday night

but nothing can get me away from here.

If one were wise one would go, but who wants to be rational

when one's got rock n roll and saxophone?"

I saw Bruce and the band i Gothenburg in 2008 and a couple of days before the concert I dreamt that I rode the tram through town with the band. I sat chatting with Clarence and told him about my job and my town and how excited I was about the concert. He was very nice.

... the fact that The Avett Brothers are performing at Way Out West in Gothenburg in August!

Fantabulous news! And just when I needed a little sunshine in my life.

Always remeber
there was nothing worth sharing
like the love
that let us share our name

A Gift For Melody Anne

... by The Avett Brothers



Well, I just want my life to be true
yeah, and I just want my heart to be true
yeah, and I just want my words to be true
I want my soul to feel brand new

So true.

The Gentleman Bastard Sequence

... by Scott Lynch.

Set in Camorr, a world reminiscent of medieval Venice, this is the story of a young man with an extraordinary talent for getting into trouble. Unfortunately the consequences often effect those around him. 

Again, I love the characters. Locke and his companions are the kind of friends who would take a bat to someone's head if they threatened you, and, while this is something I myself have no use for, I would certainly appreciate such gestures if I lived in their world. They care naught about the greater good, but care only about enjoying life and thumbing their noses at the establishment. Any establishment.

The city of Camorr is vividly described, but not in that boring Lord of the Rings way, where the shape, weight and taste of every effing stone in the whole effing valley is analysed. No, this world simply wraps around you until it's like you're there, right along with Locke, running over rooftops and cobblestones and hopping from barge to barge in the canals.
The books are fun and filled with action, and I like the fact that, even though it's a fantasy novel, magic doesn't have the central role. Instead it's being smarter than everyone else that saves the day.

Two books have been published so far, and the third is on the way, even though it has been delayed several times. It is now set to be published in November of 2011. 

Here's to hoping.

The Ballad of Lou the Welterweight

... by The Felice Brothers.



Beautiful and sad. I especially love the line " Heaven knows she thought the world of Lou".
A song that puts in mind the luxury and joy that can be found in the small things in life. A night on the town with your darling. And getting loved from behind.

Mercedes Thompson

... by Patricia Briggs.


Mercy is a VW-mechanic who shifts to coyote whenever she gets a chance. She has a self-proclaimed gremlin for an ex-boss, a vampire in a Mystery Machine for a customer/friend and a nosy werewolf as neighbour. And whenever there's a mystery needs solvin' in the supernatural community, for some reason it always falls on Mercy to do it. Go figure.


I love the way Mercy fights her own fights, but still admits that she can't do it all by herself. It also has a nice balance between the fighting and the romance (well of course there's a guy in the picture!) and never gets to gooey. It's just lovely.


And to make it lovelier still, there are already six books published in the series, which gives you at least a week's entertainment!


Have a great weekend!

The Avett Brothers covering Bruce Springsteen's "Glory days"

 

 'Nuff said.

But will say more about The Avett Brothers at a later date.

Old Crow Medicine Show

... who spin traditional folk and bluegrass yarns with a rock & roll attitude (from Spotify).

They sing about love and friendship, parties and hardships and drugs, and about how we're all in this thing together. In Next Go 'Round I sing along to how we'd do it if we got another chance, but as we all know, in this life, we don't get no next go 'round. No do-overs. So wonderfully melancholic.

Highway Halo - Shine like gold!
Methamphetamine - It's gonna have you beggin' pretty pleeeeease!
Caroline - There ain't no way we can be so free as we were back in -83! So what's the use in even tryyyiiing!?
Hard To Love I wish I was a pretty little bird, I wish I was a pretty little beeeeeeee!
Wagon Wheel Johnson City, Tennesseeeee!
James River Blues - I'll becooome a memoryyyyy!

These are just some of my favourites (with the lines to really sing your heart out to, all the way from your toes) but there are so many great songs on the six albums they've put out so far. And for those of you unfortunate enough not to have Spotify you should go to Old Crow's website.

And enjoy!

White Russian

… which you make by pouring 5 cl of vodka, 2 cl of coffee liqueur and 3cl of cream over ice (according to the IBA).


Since I’m not anal about things like proportions I usually mix to taste and I use milk, not cream, because cream tends to stick to the roof of your mouth. A White Russian should be enjoyed ice cold, with your feet up after hard day’s work.


I recommend pairing it with The Big Lebowski by the Cohen brothers, in which White Russian is practically a main character.

The Cal Leandros Novels

… by Rob Thurman.

Cal, full name Caliban, is a half human, half monster slacker who, together with his ass kicking half brother Nico (fully human) fights bad guys of all species in New York, while trying to keep one step ahead of Cal’s monster kin who want him to join the family business. It’s fast paced and fun and I love the characters, the sharp banter and the witty one-liners.

There are six books in the series so far, which should at least last you through the week.