Not in the Pink

Not in the Pink is moving!

2010-03-05T21:54:00.005Z

That's right!

Change the links you have in your Google Reader or on your blogs. I am no longer blogging at this address.

My new blog will be found here: www.notinthepink.com

So go subscribe and visit! And I'll be posting some reviews and fun stuff over the weekend. :D

Happy St. David's Day

2010-03-01T10:56:00.007Z

I'd like to wish my fellow Welsh peeps a Happy St. David's Day today.

Being 23 on St. David's Day is quite sad because, other than wearing a leek or daffodil, it's usually a pretty normal day.

Back when we were kids, we all came to school in a traditional Welsh costume (which was hideously embarassing at the time). Lessons were called off to sing Welsh hymns in the morning and have a big Eisteddfod. Then we'd have cawl and welsh cakes for dinner, and in the afternoon we'd do some old-fashioned Welsh dancing.

At the time it was such an annoying thing to do. Now I miss it. We don't really do anything as adults. We just get up, get dressed, put our leeks and daffodils (or, if your work place allows it, rugby shirts) on and go to work. Boring. :P

I still get pretty shocked when my English friends tell me they never celebrate St. George's and never did as kids either.

I couldn't imagine a childhood without the embarassment of an old-fashioned costume.

Anyway, as it's St. David's Day, and I'm under no illusions that Wales isn't quite a forgotten country when it comes to the UK, I'm going to set you all a challenge.

Everyone knows lots about England. A lot of Americans know a lot about their 'Scottish or Irish' roots. But Wales always seems to be forgotten. Probably because we're so small.

I challenge you today to find out a little bit about Wales. It doesn't matter where you're from. Just give yourself a bit of extra worldly knowledge today and find out some nuggets of information about my home country. :)

And have a fantastic St. David's Day! :D

TSS: February 2010

2010-02-28T19:15:00.019Z

. . . In Books

The first book I finished in February was John Lydon's autobiography, Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs.

As a huge Sex Pistols fan (from the '70s - don't get me started on what they've become) and a PIL fan, I'd been looking forward to this close-up look at what really happened during the UK's punk movement from the eyes of the infamous, 'outspoken' frontman.

This book didn't disappoint. It's exactly what I was expecting and more. Full of insight and anecdotes from additional musicians and journalists, it was one hell of a page turner and a must-read for a music fan. Other than that, there's not a lot I can say here that I didn't already say in my review.

I finished reading This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff soon after Rotten.

This was another book I'd had in the back of my mind as something I'd wanted to read ever since I saw the film adaptation with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro. The film is superb and the book is wonderfully written.

I read Wolff's short story 'Bullet in the Brain' back in university and, having already heard of him from the film, was even more eager to dive into his writing.

He wasn't a disappointment. This is a great introduction, not only to Wolff's life, but to his writing. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from him. Tales of awkward adolescence, dreaming of a better future, mixed with horrible domestic abuse, is told in an inspiring but brutally honest story.

This is another must read. A great start to reading for February.

Unfortunately that great start didn't last.

Guilt Trip was okay. Nothing special. Nothing mind-blowing. In fact, missing a lot of detail that I felt was needed. The subject of teenage suicide is introduced during the first quarter of the book but never explored any further. A young boy tries to kill himself ... but we never really find out why or anything else about that character.

That's very frustrating.

Plus, I'm usually all for main characters being unsympathetic and greatly flawed (for me, it makes them more human) but that got annoying really quickly in this. Ali comes off as a whiney self-indulgent brat. I'll be the first to admit that when I was a teenager, I was awful to live with. I was so moody and snappy - what teenager isn't? But Ali takes that to a whole other level. She helps to save Daniel Feeny's life but isn't interested in going to visit him or having anything to do with him afterwards.

In fact, she goes out of her way to avoid him. Why? What a surprise! It's never explained.

What a shame this story wasn't explored in greater detail. What a disappointment.

This is the first book I've read to review for Bookgeeks.

Unfortunately this was a disappointment too.

I've been wanting to explore the 'angel' genre for some time as I feel a strong need to take a break from my beloved vampires whose stories are being used for all they're worth these days. Angels sounded different. I'd never read a book that had an angel. (Other than Jodi Picoult's Keeping Faith which kind of touches on that subject.)

I have no doubt in my mind that there are interesting angel-themed stories out there but, unfortunately, this isn't one for me.

I know for a fact that there's a fan base out there for this kind of stuff. I know there are people who will love this book and its upcoming sequels. However, I'm not one of them.

How can I describe it? You know those Mills & Boon stories that all basically have the same plot and are very steamy and romantic and you know you can always turn to them for exactly what you're in the mood for? (Not that I've ever read one - I just studied them in my 'Genre Fiction' module at uni (a module which I soon dropped) .)

Well, I know for a fact that there are Mills & Boon-esque supernatural and fantasy stories out there right now. Those that are a little more steamier than your standard s&f tale that features a love interest. This is one of those books.

The story revolves around a vampire hunter who is hired to hunt down an archangel. Unfortunately, that would-be action-packed adventure is overshadowed by said vampire hunter and her chemistry with (another) archangel that has hired her.

Confusing yet boring. It's not something I find sexy. It's not my thing. But ideal for others.

I'm in the middle of writing the review for it at the moment. I'll post the link once it's up.

I started The Stand at the beginning of the month and am still reading it.

Not only did I have other books to review for other websites (which takes priority) but this is one freaking thick book!

My copy (which is the uncut version) is 1421 pages long. Phew!

I'm really enjoying it so far. King's never disappointed me. I've been a fan of his from around the age of 12-13. For the last 2 years I've made it my own personal challenge to read all of his novels and short story collections in chronological order. It's bound to take some time as there's a heck of a lot of writing and I'm not the fastest reader at the best of times.

Never the less, I'm enjoying myself. :)

I'm 3/4 of a way through this and, so far, it's the best thing I've read all year. It's probably one of the best things I've read in months and months.

This is the follow-up to Girl With a One Track Mind - a book I loved and recommend to EVERYONE.

This book explores what happened to 'Abby Lee' (or Zoe Margolis) after Girl With a One Track Mind was published and The Sunday Times 'outed' her. It explores what happened when everyone in Margolis' life suddenly knew all the intimate details of her sex life and how it affected her relationships, her career, and her confidence.

This is a really inspiring woman. She embraces her sexuality and femininity and isn't afraid of who she is. Her blog is here. Go visit! Now! And read both books. (The follow up is released this Friday.) The writing can be a little graphic at times but it's not overtly pornographic. Mostly it's just fun musings and thoughts that come from a woman with a high sex drive; A woman who isn't afraid to say, 'If men think about sex all the time, why can't we?'

~*~*~

. . . In films

I have a week to finish my Oscar Watch. Here's my progress:

Avatar (2009)

I enjoyed this much more than I expected.

I like James Cameron. He makes big films with interesting stories. This was a lot like The Abyss in the sense that it had a story that should make every person reflect on how destructive the human race can be.

It clearly mirrored the story of the Native Americans and how 'the white man' took over their land with no thought for anyone.

Predictable but an important story. I hate it when people say, 'Ooh, in the future we'll be able to live on so-and-so planet.' Why? So we can destroy that like we destroyed Earth? Ugh.

Visually absolutely stunning!

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

WOW!

This was incredible. I'd heard it described as a modern day Color Purple.

And WOW. This needs to be seen by everyone.

So touching. So moving. So heartbreaking.

No words can describe how incredible this film is.

If you get a chance to see it, do it. In fact, go out of your way to see it! This deserves any awards it gets. Mo'Nique's performance in particular was absolutely amazing. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up from me.

Up in the Air (2009)

Not the most uplifting film in the world but had quite a few funny moments and, overall, was a good watch.

George Clooney is on top form as always (God, he's just oozing that 'old Hollywood' quality, isn't he?) and Anna Kendrick was both hilarious and moving.

I'd say this is well worth the watch. A lot of realism to each character and storyline but not a film to watch if redundancy has hit you hard recently (It centers around a man whose job is to fire people). Overall, really well-written, beautiful to watch (even though a lot of it is centred around airports, the visuals are never dull or ugly).

Films left to watch before Oscar Night:
1) The Blind Side (2009) (One I'm looking forward to ... though I don't actually know anything about American football so usually tend to stay clear of films that heavily feature this.)

2) District 9 (2009) (I like sci-fi films. I can't wait.)

3) An Education (2009) (I love Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard so I'm saving this until last.)

4) The Hurt Locker (2009) (I'm a pacifist and don't believe in war. This could be hard one to watch.)

5) Inglourious Basterds (2009) (I love Quentin Tarantino. How could I not want to watch this?)

6) A Serious Man (2009) (I have started watching this but had to stop. It didn't snag my interest and I didn't 'get' it. I'm going to try again though.)

7) Up (2009) (I loved the trailer so I'm looking forward to it.)

While I'm on the subject of films, I do have to recommend one for all you book lovers out there.

Yes, the big girly in me got around to watching Bright Star this month and wept like a baby. This is the story of John Keats and Fanny Brawne's passionate and tragic relationship. I love Abbie Cornish. Ever since I saw her in Candy (another must-see), I've followed her career. And Ben Whishaw isn't too bad to look at too. ;-) This is a must-see for films lovers, period lovers, romance lovers, and poetry lovers. (And fans of Keats but that goes without saying.)

Oh *gushes*. I loved this film. I have no comprehensible explanation. I'd gush too much if I tried to explain myself further. Just watch it.

~*~*~

. . . In Life

February hasn't been the greatest month for me in my personal life.

Not only did I lose my grandmother but I made a few decisions that affected me and my best friend badly. Do I regret these decisions? Sometimes. But que sara, sara. What will be, will be. You never know what the future holds.

On the plus side, I've been more focused on my career aspirations, have managed to get a few more freelance jobs, have been looking at universities/schools to go back to for the future, and have a clearer idea of where I want to travel.

Very vague for this section of TSS, eh? Well ... right now my personal life is a confusing mess and can be overwhelming at times but thankfully I have two wonderfully supportive parents, a whole heap of good friends (in real life and online), and you guys. You guys and your comments always bring a smile to my face so in a way you've helped me get through some of my toughest times this month. Thank you. xxx

. . .

2010-02-25T18:59:00.004Z

So once again I am speechless.

Except to say, you know how annoying it is when really irritating money-grabbing film producers with no real artistic merit decide to remake classics that don't actually need remaking?

Mmmmhmmmmm.

Review: Guilt Trip by Anne Cassidy

2010-02-23T19:18:00.004Z

My review for Guilt Trip by Anne Cassidy is now up here.

Without getting into too much detail, I just want to say that I gave this book a 3 Star Rating, not a 4 star. My 3 star rating was being generous too.

I found it very hard to express what I thought of this book. It's haunting and poignant in places but fails to live up to what the 'present day' scenes promise, which is a book full of depth, mystery and humanity. The scenes set in the past were very disappointing and the only reason I couldn't put the book down was because I was waiting for it to improve. It didn't!

I think my editor sensed my inability to get this across clearly, got rid of a few criticisms, focused more on the positive and brought the rating up.

But, yeah, I just wanted to establish that I wouldn't bother reading it unless you're between the ages of 16-18 and living in Britain. Then you might find some sort of connection with it. Otherwise, just don't bother.

The Sunday Salon (on a Monday)

2010-02-22T20:37:00.005Z

This is because I was working yesterday and too exhausted to blog about anything by the time I came home. :P

I've been in work all day today too but feel guilty towards most of you guys who I'm subscribed to because I lagged behind in checking out your blogs this week and, as a result, came home to 1000+ unread posts on my Google Reader and promptly marked them all as 'Read'.

I'm a devoted follower to most of you, though, so will be checking out the posts I missed the next time you blog. :)

~*~*~

Today's Sunday Salon is mostly about film! (Don't worry - there's a bit about books at the end! Scroll down if you can't stand the film talk.)

Ta-Da!

Yeah, most of you who have followed me for a while now (and I do love you) will know that this blog isn't just a book blog. I also post about my bigger passion in life - films.

Now, books and films do tend to fight it out over what holds my attention more and where my heart belongs.

I love books. I'm a devoted reader.

But films are my passion. Films are what I'm obsessed with, what I can quote at the drop of a hat, and what I can talk about for hours and hours without getting bored (though the same usually can't be said for the person I'm talking about them too.)

That being said, as a film buff, I can honestly say that I HATE THE OSCARS.

The award season is the vainest, stupidest part of the year for film. All these films that sneak in and get a limited release at the end of the year (to a private audience featuring mostly film critics) are hailed as the greatest thing to hit our screens since celluloid was invented.

I just hate it.

One of the main things I really dislike is that the majority of these films are specifically made for Oscar consideration.

Just like a lot of summer blockbusters are made to pull the audiences in with their dazzling sfx and explosions, these films are always centred around one individual's - usually the underdog - struggle to overcome something fierce in life. They use the epically lame and dramatic music to bring a tear to your eye before you realise that this is Hollywood real, not real real.

When did this kind of thing start happening?

I first really noticed it when The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was released last year. This is based on a book by F. Scott Fitzgerald but was being advertised as the biggest vanity project I'd ever seen.

Constant moving images of soft lensed 'beautiful-looking' Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, falling in love, were displayed on TV Screens, Billboards, around the internet. Why couldn't this have been released in the summer if it was such an epic tale? Because it wouldn't have had a chance for consideration.

I still haven't watched it, but I've heard that it was quite the disappointment. I'll get around to it, eventually.

My point to this whole Oscar rant is that every year for the past couple of years, I've boycotted the award season. I refuse to watch actors being paraded around like prize ponies, claiming that 'their art' is important. (But clearly not as important as your vintage Chanel shoes, right?)

But then this year, I realised that, as a film buff, I'm missing out on films that might actually have a good reason to be considered.

One of my favourite films of the past couple of years is Juno.

It's so witty and clever and has such a good story - You'd be a fool not to miss it.

But this film garnered its awards too. If I hadn't seen it before the award season started, I might have completely missed it.

This was a small independent film written by a first-time writer and no huge superstars. But it had an incredible story and such a great script.

No-one ever thought this would be in line with some of the bigger Oscar contenders. But it was!

That just goes to show that sometimes the academy use their brain and actually think outside of the box of dozens of films that are being shoved down their throats for consideration during the last couple of weeks of each year.

So ... (Yes, I DO have a point!)

I have decided that this year, being the film geek I am, I am going to set myself a challenge watch every film that has been nominated for the BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR award this year! That way, rather than bitching about the films nominated, I can make a proper decision based on my own opinion of whether or not these are deserving of such an Oh-so-grand accolade.

Woot!

The list is as follows:

1) Avatar (2009)
2) The Blind Side (2009)
3) District 9 (2009)
4) An Education (2009)
5) The Hurt Locker (2009)
6) Inglourious Basterds (2009)
7) Precious (2009)
8) A Serious Man (2009)
9) Up (2009)
10) Up in the Air (2009)

So far, I've seen one of them. I went to see Avatar with my dad the other week. The review will be up soon.

I'm quite excited about this, actually. How many people actually sit and watch the Oscars (I won't actually be watching them this year :P but you get what I mean) having watched all of the nominees?

So my question to you, lovely readers, is:

Have you seen any of the films up for consideration this year? What did you think of them? And which one do you think will win?

~*~*~

ON THE SUBJECT OF BOOKS . . .

So, I noticed yesterday that I have 49 subscribers. I don't know how many of you still bother to read this blog but that is amazing.

I can't believe people actually want to read the crap I write. :P

So, as a treat to you to show you how grateful I am to you for putting up with me, when my subscriber list hits 50, I'm going to be putting on a mini sort of competition thing to celebrate my vanity. It's really that I'm going to give a couple of you a treat to show you how much I love yous.

It'll probably be a while. We still have to wait for that 50th subscriber but watch this space . . .

Have a good week. x x x

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T12:25:00.005Z

Twilight Incident

2010-02-16T22:32:00.005Z

In work today, something nearly made me physically sick.

I work in a jewellers and, today, a woman came in with her mother and her 13-year-old son, looking for a longer charm bracelet than the one she was wearing. She wanted to add more charms and there wasn't enough room on the bracelet she owned.

While looking at the selection my supervisor showed her, she proudly displayed her original charm bracelet and said, "It's my Twilight bracelet!"

My supervisor said, pleasantly, "Ah, really?"

The woman giddily went on: "I've got the wolf head. I've got the bat. I've got the heart. And I need to get this one for her graduation ... And this one for the wedding night because he gives her a special charm in the book but I can't put it on the bracelet yet because I have to wait for the film release ... And I've got all the books ... And loads of posters up ... "

Yeah, it didn't end there.

I could help but look at her 13-year-old son with pity.

It's one thing to be a fan of a series of books ... even if they're not actually aimed at your age group. (My darling friend, Michelle, could tell you all about that. ;-) )

It's even fair enough to get excited about the release of the film adaptations of your favourite books. (I mean, christ, I couldn't stop jumping around waiting for the release of The Time Traveler's Wife adaptation.)

But ... to be a forty-something year-old woman who collects shit like this and gushes in such a sickening way as though Twilight will forever go down in history as THE. BEST. STORY. EVER! is ridiculous.

I could forgive 'tweens and young teenagers for pulling this kind of stuff off. I mean, the series is written for them and I remember how unbelievably crazy I was for Leonardo DiCaprio after the release of Romeo + Juliet and Titanic. That's just what teens do. They collect tokens of their devotion towards some poor sod under contract to act as the perfect boyfriend figure in public.

But, seriously ... It's unbelievably sad how many women there are who look at the Twilight series - those stories about a sparkly emo vampire and an emotionally retarded teen - as though it symbolises something missing from their lives.

Really?

I can understand that this sounds completely horrible to this customer but I don't care. This wasn't just "I'm a fan" or "I'm a big fan". It wasn't even "I love this series so much!" This was take-my-breath-away, glazed-eyes swooning over the name of it. I wondered what her 13-year-old boy thought about it ... considering he probably goes to school with a bazillion fans too.

I was listening to a recent Hamish and Andy podcast and they had loads of guys phone in about how they'd had girlfriends dump them after watching Twilight.

Yeah, so I don't know what my point is.

Probably that anyone over the age of 21 who finds themselves spazzing out like this needs to get a grip. ... And maybe a boyfriend. ... And a life.

:P

I'm leaving you with this because it's just hilarious.

A fan of the series recorded their reaction to the New Moon teaser trailer last year. That was hilarious enough because she couldn't care less how geeky she looks (Good on 'er!).

But then this group of guys filmed themselves watching her.

Oh, hilarity ensues.

Monday Randomness

2010-02-15T16:08:00.011Z

So ...

Everyone's starting their Monday morning posts by describing how wonderful their Valentine's Day was.

As someone who recently made the decision to become single and had her first V day alone in four years, I'd just like to say:

FUCK VALENTINE'S DAY!

I hope you choked on your chocolates and your roses gave you hives.

...
...
...
...
...
...

Right. *phew* I think I got that out of my system. My apologies but I went into Starbucks yesterday and hadn't really realised, until now, how utterly disgusting and gooey people in love are.

So I went out with two of my friends and got drunk. :) 'Twas fun.

Anyway, was there a point to this post?

Probably not.

But while I'm here, I'd like to mention this book I'm reading at the moment. I chose it to review for Bookgeeks and, while I'm not really that into it, know that there'a a huge fanbase out there for this kind of stuff.

But I spotted the US cover and compared it to mine, which has the UK cover, and thought, 'Wow. If I'd seen the US cover, I'd have probably never looked twice.'

Isn't it amazing how we try not to judge a book by its cover but so do?

So, here's my question...

Which cover do you prefer? And would one make you more inclined to pick it up and read the back than the other? And why?

UK vs US

Toy Story 3 Trailer #2

2010-02-12T19:22:00.003Z

I was 8 when Toy Story came out. I was 12 when Toy Story 2 came out.

Now, I might be 23 years old, but I've waited 11 years for this, and hell yeah, I'm seeing it!

BTT: Encouragement

2010-02-11T14:32:00.002Z

How can you encourage a non-reading child to read? What about a teen-ager? Would you require books to be read in the hopes that they would enjoy them once they got into them, or offer incentives, or just suggest interesting books? If you do offer incentives and suggestions and that doesn’t work, would you then require a certain amount of reading? At what point do you just accept that your child is a non-reader?

In the book Gifted Hands by brilliant surgeon Ben Carson, one of the things that turned his life around was his mother’s requirement that he and his brother read books and write book reports for her. That approach worked with him, but I have been afraid to try it. My children don’t need to “turn their lives around,” but they would gain so much from reading and I think they would enjoy it so much if they would just stop telling themselves, “I just don’t like to read.”

I don't have children so I have no first hand experience of encouraging them to read. I've always known that when I have children, I'll be reading to them from a very early age so that they have that early memory of books and reading connected to the warmth and love that I gave them.

I always remember my dad reading me bedtime stories and it's well-documented in my family that I'd come home from nursery school (at aged 3) and drag my big basket of books to the nearest parents, demanding that every one of those stories be read.

My parents are voracious readers. I've never seen them not be in the middle of reading something. Our house is filled to the brim with books! I imagine it's where my brothers and I got our love of reading. We look up to our parents when we're children and want to be like them. If we see them doing something like reading, we'll want to copy them.

Plus our Junior school organised book clubs - We'd take a catalogue home every couple of weeks, tell our parents which books we wanted, we brought the money in, and the school would send away for the books for individuals. It was exciting.

I think in order to introduce children and teenagers who don't read to something they'd sit down with is to find out their interests. There's always a book they'll have something in common with.

If they're a big fan of certain films that are based on books, that's always a good way to turn them to reading aswell. :)

Weekly Geeks: Fun Facts About Stephen King

2010-02-10T14:00:00.008Z

This week’s theme is: fun facts about authors.

1. Choose a writer you like.
2. Using resources such as Wikipedia, the author’s website, whatever you can find, make a list of interesting facts about the author.
3. Post your fun facts list in your blog, maybe with a photo of the writer, a collage of his or her books, whatever you want.
4. Come sign the Mr Linky below with the url to your fun facts post.
5. As you run into (or deliberately seek out) other Weekly Geeks’ lists, add links to your post for authors you like or authors you think your readers are interested in.

----------

I decided to do my Weekly Geeks fun facts on Stephen King as I'm currently reading The Stand (I've become paranoid whenever someone sneezes or coughs around me now) and I've been reading King's books since I was about 13 so he's one of my all-time favourites.

So here goes . . .

- Stephen Edwin King was born September 21st, 1947, in Portland, Maine. He also grew up and went to college in Maine which is why most of his stories are set there. He sticks to a place he knows the ins and outs of.

- King graduated from the University of Maine in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science in English. He then went on, later in life, to teach Creative Writing there.

- King's first novel, Carrie, was published in 1974 and later made into a film. Originally he threw the uncompleted manuscript out after becoming discouraged with the idea. His wife, Tabitha, rescued it and encouraged him to finish it.

- To date, King has had a total of 48 novels published.

- In the late '70s/early '80s, King published a series of novels under a pseudonym, Richard Bachman, as an experiment to see whether he could replicate his own success again. He did. And Bachman was later exposed as King's pseudonym. This led to a press release announcing the death of Bachman from 'cancer of the pseudonym'. In 2007, King published an old manuscript of Bachman's, Blaze, and announced that all proceeds would go the charity for 'cancer of the pseudonym', in memory of Richard.

- When King overcame his addiction to drink and drugs in 1987, he came across one of his books, Cujo, that he couldn't remember writing. He had to reread it to learn what it was about as he was so heavily under the influence at the time he wrote it, he'd completely forgotten it.

- King's sons, Joe Hill and Owen King, are also published authors.

- On June 19, 1999, King was struck by a minivan on the shoulder of Route 5 in Lovell, Maine. The driver had got distracted by his dog, and King landed in a depression 14 feet from the pavement. He suffered from a collapsed lung, multiple fractures on his right leg, scalp laceration, and a broken hip.

- It was during his time in hospital that King got the idea for Lisey's Story. His wife told him she'd go home and make his office nice and tidy for his return. He panicked and told her to stay out of there, realising that if he had died, he would have left his papers and drafts very unorganised and free for anyone to look at.

- King bought the minivan that hit him and, on the anniversary of the accident, hammered it to pieces with a baseball bat.

- King suffers from a currently incurable condition called macular degeneration which eventually leads to blindness.

- King has stated that his favourite book-to-film adaptations of his work are Stand by Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Mist.

- In 2002, King wrote a TV mini series called Rose Red. He even made a cameo appearance as a pizza boy.

- People travel from miles around to visit King's house in Bangor, Maine, whose gates are adorned with bats and spider webs.

Review: This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff

2010-02-10T13:06:00.004Z

Title: This Boy's Life

Author: Tobias Wolff

Year: 1989

Rating: 5/5

Review written for: Me

Summary: Tobias Wolff takes us through his teen years as 'Jack' while on the road with his mother, striving to find something better for themselves and a future not so bleak.

Review: I first became aware of Tobias Wolff's story as a young teen. I caught the 1993 film adaptation of this book, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro, and was amazed to discover that everything I watched was based on true events.

Wolff's memoir of his teen years is a wonderful tribute to a time that most affected his adult life. This Boy's Life begins with Wolff and his mother travelling across the country with dreams of making it rich by finding uranium. It is a glowing, idealistic dream which distracts them from the fact that they are running away from Mrs Wolff's abusive boyfriend (who soon tracks them down).

After a few years of settling from place to place, Mrs Wolff falls in love with a man named Dwight who insists they move in with him and make a happy family. Dwight's abusive and domineering demeanor soon starts to show though, and Wolff soon discovers that if he wants any happiness, he has to work for it himself.

This Boy's Life was such an interesting read. Young Wolff isn't a perfect teen. In fact, he's a troublemaker. For every school he attends, he always seems to find the bad crowd to hang around with. Even Dwight's strict sense of discipline isn't enough to whip him into shape completely. I always enjoy narrators who aren't perfect. Toby is far from perfect. He's the kind of neighbourhood kid you'd have to watch out for; The kind of kid who'd throw rocks through your windows or steal the fenders from your car.

But he's likeable. His narration is packed with his inner thoughts that insist he hates the way he is and doesn't understand why he does what he does. He wants to better himself and go to prep school and a good college, like his father and older brother before him.

It's his lack of interest in school and his penchant for troublemaking that's putting a stop to this. He also begins to notice some of Dwight rub off on him - an angry attitude quick to put anyone down who'll do better than him.

This Boy's Life captures an adolescence so perfectly. The dreams that we have about our future and how they are altered by circumstance. Wolff is now a successful, award-winning writer but was told that he'd never amount to anything. I love hearing success stories. Teenage tearaways are never given any encouragement. If the traditional school system fails them, teachers give up and never expect to hear from these pupils again. It was the same in my school - If you didn't get A's from day one, teachers didn't bother. When these pupils can completely change their lives with newfound confidence, it makes me smile to think of how hard they've worked for it.

This Boy's Life was an excellent read about life in the '50s/60s. Being a teenager while faced with life decisions and an abusive homelife is an interesting world to dive into. I found the relationship between Toby and Arthur Gayle an interesting one. The two initially meet by getting into a fight over Toby calling Gayle a 'sissy'. They soon become the best of friends though Wolff is quick to hide this friendship because of how 'different' Gayle is - effeminate, sarcastic, smart. Wolff even mentions that one afternoon they find themselves kissing but never speak of it again. Small instances like this are perfect details for the kinds of crazy things we do during our teens that we never really understand - We just want to experiment with everything while trying to discover who we are.

I'll be on the lookout for more books by Wolff. I read his short story, Bullet in the Brain, while in uni and loved it so I look forward to getting more and more into his writing as the year goes on. I'd recommend this in a heartbeat - especially if you like teen reading. This is like a YA book but real and full of the little details that fiction would miss.

Review: Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs by John Lydon

2010-02-04T16:04:00.006Z

Title: Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs

Author: John Lydon

Year: 1995

Rating: 5/5

Review written for: Me

Summary: John Lydon, lead singer of Sex Pisols and Public Image Limited, traces his poverty-stricken, working-class beginnings to the height of his stardom as 'Johnny Rotten', frontman of one of Britain's most controversial and influential groups of all time.

Review: I'm going to attempt to write this review without any bias but, as a hardcore Sex Pistols and Pil fan, it might prove hard to remain objective through this one.

Rotten is divided up into 'segments', not chapters, chattering the passage of time in John Lydon's life. His narration is brutal and honest, completely true to himself, and he never stops to worry about whether he should be exposing certain bits and pieces about his past and career. He just wants the fabrications of the Pistols to come to an end and present an honest account.

While the book is carried by Lydon's narration, its pages are also interjected with passages from contributors including Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Billy Idol, childhood friends, family members, Warner executives, music journalists, and Sex Pistol roadies. As a result, at times there appears to be some conflicting accounts of the Pistols' time in the music industry. Lydon acknowledges this, and doesn't care.

The truth is that these extra contributors help convey the idea of what '70s Britain looked like and how the punk movement affected all people from every class. Many people are quick to point at the Ramones as the starters of punk. Lydon and his contributors barely mention them, citing the New York music scene at the time with having no relevance to what was going on in Britain.

The Pistols wanted to break through all the middle-class bullshit about what music should be and create a scene where artistic freedom ran lose and the 'rules' of what makes a good song was forgotten. Lydon has never been out to impress anyone; He just wanted to write and sing about life for the late teen-early twentysomethings who were given no ambition or motivation or free will (surpressed by teachers, parents, or 'the system' that tells us what the natural route in life is).

The punk movement of the '70s helped to bring together these feelings of confusion and longing to express themselves, whether the youngsters were from working-class areas, middle-class, or even upper-class, rebelling against mummy and daddy.

With every paragraph that Lydon describes his time in the Sex Pistols, we begin to understand more about the state of the world 'back then' and how they caused a massive affect on music, TV, politics, and life. All conservative rules about what was allowed to be heard, to be seen, to be shown, to be worn, was thrown out the window.

Lydon even touches on the court cases that followed the demise of the Sex Pistols between himself and his manager, Malcolm McLaren, that was fought for years to hand any royalties back to the members of the band rather than the negligent McLaren.

'Punk' has since become a real commercialised word. In fact, hearing that this new band or that new band is 'punk' will be the quickest way to turn me off. What's punk about them? What are they saying and how are they communicating the way the Sex Pistols did? Pffft.

Any Sex Pistols or Pil fan should have already gone out and bought this. That goes without saying.

However, any person who calls themself a music fan ought to read this too. The punk movement was something like nothing else. How many bands like the Sex Pistols come around and change the way we think about everything? Bands that really do influence the way we think about life and allow us to open our eyes and have some rational thought?

Lydon's honesty and openness about what he believes in - whether you think it's right or not - is brilliantly gripping and a real lesson about music, life, and self-expression.

Update

2010-02-04T12:12:00.002Z

Just when I begin to ingratiate myself back into the blogging community, something comes along and puts it to a halt.

Apologies for lack of posts here and lack of visits to your blogs too.

My family was dealt with a big blow this week. My beloved nana passed away early on Monday morning.

I'll miss her so much. She was completely full of life, spirit, and soul - everything a true Valleys girl should be. A brilliant sense of humour. And so unbelievably strong.

I think my brothers and I share the same childhood memory of my nana and her house. She loved fried food. In fact, her kitchen smelled of it. Whenever my parents dropped us off at Nana's house for the afternoon or morning, we'd all huddle together on her sofa to watch marathons of Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Willow, or Pete's Dragon, while she cooked us some bacon butties.

She loved to collect things. Her home was adorned with millions of antiques or trinkets and knick-knacks that she'd recieve or send off for. And she was a big knitter. She'd knit and make toys for all her grandchildren. Little dolls or teddies. Anything she could find a design for.

She really was amazing.

I miss you already, Nana. xxx

Review: Wicked 2: Legacy & Spellbound by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

2010-01-20T20:03:00.004Z

Title: Wicked 2: Legacy & Spellbound

Author: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

Year: 2010

Rating: 4.5/5

Review written for: The Bookbag

Review: Holly Cathers has returned, and this time, she's more powerful than ever. The war between the House of Cahors witches and House of Deveraux warlocks still rages on, and only one side will eventually triumph.

Having had just a short amount of time to adjust to her new position as the head of ... (click here to read more)

Review: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

2010-01-20T00:00:00.002Z

Title: Interview with the Vampire

Author: Anne Rice

Year: 1976

Rating: 4.5/5

Plot: One night, a boy sits down with a stranger to hear the story of his life.

What makes this stranger's life story so interesting, however, is that for over 200 years he has been living as a creature of the night - a vampire.

And so the stranger begins a tale of hurt and betrayal, love and passion, good and evil.

Review: It took me a good three months to read this book from start to finish. I first read Interview with the Vampire while I was in my teens after seeing the film, and I'd forgotten how heavy Anne Rice was as a writer.

In some ways she reminds me of John Steinbeck. Not in theme, but in style. Her pages are filled with description that, at times, aren't broken down for a long while. Perhaps it's my lifestyle that makes me tired the majority of the time, but I find books like this quite long-winded if I just want a quick read while on the train to work or while waiting at a doctor's office. As a result, I'll feel my eyelids start to droop quite quickly if the paragraphs aren't broken down enough. As I said, I'm tired a lot of the time because of my lifestyle but Rice's writing didn't help matters.

Nevertheless, I took a small break from it over Christmas, and was eager to come back to it. This time around I finished it no problem. Maybe I needed that time away from it to breathe.

Interview with the Vampire has quickly become a classic in vampire literature. It's not hard to see why. Rather than the sparkly, friends-and-lovers-of-people creatures we read about in today's novels, the vampires in this book are as they should be: scary, dangerous monsters.

Louis, the title character, is a wonderfully complex character. His struggle to come to terms with the change between human and immortal, and the terrible guilt he feels towards his desire to kill, is fascinating. It is Louis' journey to find a proper peace of mind and discover where he lies in the balance of things that we follow with equal wonder and excitement.

Louis' problem is that he was never really given a choice. As a human he suffered from terrible grief over the death of his brother, and wished for death to come to him too. A vampire heard his pleas and came to his aid. As a result Louis now has questions that he can't find the answers for.

If vampires are Satan's children, as he belives them to be, how can he achieve a confident state of mind and enjoy an eternal life as those immortals around him can?

His vampire creator, Lestat, is one of my favourite characters in literature. Lestat has such mystery to him. We don't know where this creature has come from. We know nothing of his history and why he keeps Louis in the dark about the secret to his 'curse.' Is Lestat merely disappointed by the answers or is he, himself, also a confused wanderer, struggling to find companions to shield the pain? If so, why? Again, where has he come from?

It is Rice's ability to create characters with such unbelievable depth and mystery that make her a mistress of her craft. While Louis' narration keeps us intrigued to find the answers he's been searching for, it also provides a one-sided view of many spectacular characters (Lestat, Claudia, Armand) that we long to hear more about. Louis' description of the glances and feelings he gets from these characters don't do them justice: We want to get inside their heads too.

I really can not wait to read the second book of The Vampire Chronicles. The Vampire Lestat should hopefully bring to light a lot of Lestat's backstory. I guess that's also why I'm slightly apprehensive to read it too. Do I really want to get rid of all this mystery that surrounds him? At the moment I'm deeply sympathetic towards him because I have an idea in my head of a poor lost soul, struggling to make sense of the immortal world himself, but hiding it better than Louis. The Vampire Lestat might shatter that image.

Moving on, though, in spite of the initial trouble I had with getting into Anne Rice's reading, once I picked up the book again, I whizzed through the rest and discovered I really enjoyed it. I love the characters, I love the story. I love that it spans over 200 years so effortlessly; Louis doesn't mention how much time has passed between each incident but you get the idea when he makes occasional brief references to what's happening around him.

The fact that his story begins in the eighteenth century, and the vampires' ways of travelling the world in coffins in carriages, is reminiscent of the old and original classic vamp tales like Joseph Le Fanu's Carmilla or Bram Stoker's Dracula. A real history is built there and the old image of vampires being terrifying creatures of the night who leer outside your window is restored.

In a world where vampires go back to high school to fall in love with the quirky outsider or head cheerleader, it's refreshing to revisit a story like Interview with the Vampire where traditional vamp rules apply. Sunlight kills them. They kill people. It's rare to find that kind of scary vamp novel that I love nowadays. (Though Let the Right One In seemed to be the recent exception.)

Overall, an excellent read. It lost half a mark in the rating just because it took me so long to get used to Rice's fierce writing style. If you haven't yet read it and are a fan of vampire novels, get on it. So much depth and such brilliantly fleshed out characters. A real classic.

About the Author: Anne Rice is a best-selling American author of gothic and later religious themed books. Best known for her Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematical focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history. - Taken from Anne Rice's Fantastic Fiction page.

TSS: Motivation & Resolutions

2010-01-17T22:07:00.016Z

'Tis the first Sunday Salon of 2010! Huzzaaaah!

And I thought I'd kick this off by listing a few of my goals (or new year's resolutions) this year. :D

1) Reviewing, Reviewing, Reviewing
Those of you who follow me on Twitter (do it!) will know that my attempt at writing a book review last night was an aggressive one.

I haven't reviewed in so long that I'm out of practice and find that my writing's ... lacking something. Talent, perhaps?

I need to get back into the habit. Especially as I also volunteer to write reviews for a wonderful website called The Book Bag. (Oh ... yeah ... and that whole ambition to write reviews professionally comes into play too.)

So one of my goals is to write reviews for at least 80% of the books I read this year, and at least 50% of the films I watch.

And I need your help with it. If you see my list of 'Books read' (on the left side bar) growing but haven't seen a review since the dawn of time, poke me. Nudge me. Kick me! Make sure I'm reviewing. This blog provides perfect practice for the writing career I'd love.

2) TBR Pile
As of January 1st, 2010, there were 50 books on my TBR pile.

I managed to read 50 books in 2009 so there shouldn't be a problem.

My big reading goal this year is to see the end of my TBR pile. It needs to disappear so that I can start buying new books from my wishlist. XD

3) Weight loss
As I blogged about before, I want to lose weight.

By December, I want to have shed two stone and have toned up. This isn't so much a vanity thing as it is a personal quest to health and fitness. I eat healthily (with the exception to a lot of birthday cake and Christmas choccies); I need the fitness. It'll also give me a chance to try and make my Asthma better. :)

I've rejoined the 100 mile challenge that Trish from Trish's Reading Nook is hosting and, this time, I'm determined to do it. Treadmill starts tomorrow morning!

4) Savings Just another personal goal for me but this year I plan to open a savings account and start saving towards what I really want to do: Travel.

I've been planning these travels for the last ten years. It's about time I put my head down and really do it.

That, and I also need a new computer. I'm trading this old Dell PC in for a 'Desktop Replacement' laptop. Unfortunately I know nothing about computers ... but lucky for me, my better half is a computer nerd.

If any of you do recommend some excellent laptops (price within reason - I only make minimum wage), please leave it in the comments for me. :)

5) Guitar
I don't know how far I'm going to go with this one but I'd really like to learn how to play the guitar.

I played violin for eight years and, as a result, can read music. I'd love to be able to play guitar and there's nothing stopping me. (Other than the inevitable cost of a purdy new guitar.)

6) Smile
Smiling makes me feel good.

But I don't do enough of it. I'm also very quick to voice my (grouchy) opinions on certain matters (and people) ... and can regret it because of how I sounded and may have come across.

I want to strive to think before I speak and better myself as a person. :) <3

~*~*~

I got two more books for my birthday last week:

My friend, Philippa, got me the restored edition of Sylvia Plath's Ariel, while my brother bought me Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson. I swear these are two people who know me so well. These were the perfect gifts.

I also wandered into Waterstones, found myself a little birthday treat and bought This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff.

I've always been a fan of the film and have wanted to read this for years. Especially after having read a short story by Wolff called Bullet in the Brain whilst in uni.

~*~*~

That's about it for the first Sunday Salon. I really want to get back into my blogging, full force, so you might start to see the occasional meme pop up as I try and ingratiate myself back into the book blogging and film blogging community.

I do have a question for those of you who are still lovely enough to follow me, though. :)

Is there anything in particular you'd like to see from my blog this year? Anything I could do more of? Anything about me you'd like to know? Any features I could do?

I didn't start this blog to please people. I started it to amuse myself. But I figure if people are taking the time to read my words, I might aswell ask what they'd like to see.

Leave it in the comments. :) TTFN. xx

Review: Silver by Norma Fox Mazer

2010-01-16T21:03:00.005Z

Title: Silver

Author: Norma Fox Mazer

Year: 1988

Rating: 5/5

Plot: Sarabath Silver isn't like the rich kids at her new school. She isn't driven to school in her dad's new Bentley from their multiple-roomed mansion, and allowed to go out on shopping sprees with her friends.

Sarabeth lives in a trailer park with her mum, where hard work and budgeting are number one on the agenda. Her mother is determined her daughter will grow up to have a better life. And Sarabeth doesn't let a thing like money stop her having fun as a regular teenager.

At school she manages to make friends with a group of popular girls, who Sarabeth imagined to be leading perfect lives. However, as her new friends begin to confide in her, she soon discovers that something is very wrong and that Patty, the blonde of the group and most known for her unpredictable moods, has been keeping the most painful secret of all.

Review: The one YA book I remember from my teen years is Silver by Norma Fox Mazer. I can't think of any other book I devoured more.

I recently came across it, covered in a mile high of dust, after having neglected it for the last 8 years or so and decided to re-read it with a new adult perspective.

While the story's clearly a bit dated (modern YA lit is now filled with references to mobile phones and facebook), the strong message of teen friendship still shines through and is what's important.

What I found interesting about this book, while I was a teenager, was that it touched on themes I'd never come across before. One of Sarabeth's new friends, Patty, is being sexually abused by her uncle and her mother refuses to believe her. This is an unfortunate situation that millions of children find themselves in to this day, and it's important that we have books like Silver to support those that feel scared and alone.

Issues like this aren't brought up enough in literature or film. While children might seen an advert or poster giving them information about what or who to turn to if they're being abused, a fictional - and relatable character - in a book or a film might give them the extra push they need to speak out. Especially if that character leaves them feeling less isolated.

Another message - maybe not quite as prominent but equally as important - is that of pre-judgement. Sarabeth's upbringing leaves her feeling somewhat vulnerable to the 'rick kids' at school. She imagines that they have everything they could ever want in life and are the very definition of 'perfect.' What she discovers about Patty teaches her that it doesn't matter what you have or own in life, or even where you come from. Money doesn't necessarily buy happiness and, while Sarabeth and her mother aren't always financially stable, they have the closest relationship.

If I ever have daughters, I'd like them to read this. It's a YA book from my own childhood and one that I still love and think is very well-written. The issues I mentioned are treated with some delicacy but enough emphasis is placed on what's important.

I'd recommend anyone who enjoys a piece of YA lit to give this a go. As I said, it's a little dated, but it has plenty of heart and a good message.

About the Author: While visiting Norma Fox Mazer's website to look for information on her, I was saddened to discover that she passed away in October from brain cancer. She was 78 years old.

Norma Fox Mazer was an American author who is best known for her books for children and young adults.

She was born in New York City but grew up in Glens Falls, New York, with parents Michael and Jean Garlan Fox. Mazer graduated from Glens Falls High School, then went to Antioch College, where she met Harry Mazer, whom she married in 1950; they have four children, one of whom, Anne Mazer, is also a writer. She has also studied at Syracuse University. - Taken from Mazer's page at Fantastic Fiction.

Bookshelves

2010-01-13T15:26:00.009Z

I don't take part in the Monday Musings meme but a lot of the book blogs I visit do. This week they were asked to post pictures of their bookshelves.

I love seeing pictures of people's bookshelves. Bookshelves and whatever little trinkets are on there say so much about a person.

I thought I'd do the same.

Of course, there is one thing. I don't actually have any bookshelves.

My room is the size of a kennel and, as a result, can only fit a wardrobe, single bed, mini cupboard and a tiny desk on wheels inside. This leaves me with very little room for anything else.

Consequently, my books are piled up, wherever I can fit them. Look at all the dust!

My TBR pile serves as a sort of bed-side table, squeezed between my bed and mini-cupboard.

It's currently complete with a bottle of Baileys I got from my brother for my birthday, a box of Maltesers (another birthday gift) from my boyfriend, a bag of Galaxy Minstrels (a Christmas stocking gift), a box of Lush bath smellies (a birthday gift from my other brother), and several asthma inhalers!

Books I've read! Squeezed between my wardrobe and a random wall.

This pile is adorned with two identical chocolate selection boxes I got for Christmas (one from my parents, one from the in-laws), my camcorder, and camera charger.

More books I've read. These are piled on top of my mini-cupboard.

Here they're complete with a couple of CDS (Wow! Remember those?) and a large collage of pictures of my boyfriend and me that has been framed.

The other side of my wardrobe pile. Lots of DS Games and part of a Russian doll.

A Piece of Me

2010-01-13T14:19:00.003Z

Book reviews to come very very soon. :D ... And thank you all for your wonderful birthday wishes. I had a wonderful (drunken) time. ;-) 2010 is starting out really well for me.

In the meantime, I was sorting through my old university coursework and came across this piece I submitted for my Creative Writing modules. I got a good response from my lecturer and my friends at the time but, now that I read back, I'm not sure what to make of it. hehe.

So, I'm going to post it and see what you guys think.

Bath

Crystal clear water fills the empty tub. My palm touches the surface, letting the heat send tingles through to my fingertips, and I watch as the bubbles dance around my skin, performing their own ballet to the beat of the waterdrops.

I leave behind a trail of musty clothes and dip my toes into the warm liquid, setting aside all my usual inhibitions about who I think I am, letting my naked body be free. I am one with the water; it consumes every grimy piece of dirt that attaches itself and slides along my skin with more tenderness than any man has ever shown to me.

All I have to do is finger the blade of an old razor to remind myself why I’m still alive. The sting of the rusted metal against the dark fuzz that covers my leg is enough to make me flinch. Pain is not a comfort to me. Not like it used to be. I won’t let anything touch me. I am a closed book. My chapters have long since ended.

My head is under water and I hear the fierce pounding of my heart ringing in my ears. My lungs expand, waiting for their new breath of air to come, while I float like a foetus still holding on to the safe walls inside its mother. Here the world cannot abuse me. I cannot abuse myself. I am at peace with the notion that soon I will reawaken and find a new day to start afresh. I will forget about those that scorn at my deformities.

When I resurface, nobody is there. Now all I have to cling on to are the thick, white substances that shoot from clear bottles, absorbing themselves into my pores, creating softness that I never thought I’d find. I want to smell like a fresh posy and attract attention when I walk into a room. My gels and soaps work with me to improve my life, to create something spectacular inside.

Birthdayyy

2010-01-09T12:05:00.002Z

Today your not-completely-sane blogger friend turns 23. Eep!

I'm definitely reacting to it better than I did last year. Last year, the clock struck midnight and I cried. I really did not want to be 22.

But, this year, I'm more comfortable with myself, have better goals, and am generally happier.

Which is why I'll be spending the day indulging in a trip to the cinema, some games of bowling, and over-the-top drinking!

Alice in Wonderland (Extended) Trailer #2

2010-01-09T00:38:00.002Z

This really does look amazing, doesn't it?

I thought the original trailer looked 'Wow!' This looks simply incredible. Visually stunning. A stellar cast consisting of:

Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry, Anne Hathaway, Christopher Lee, Matt Lucas, Tim Spall, Crispin Glover.

And, of course, on top of that mix, it's directed by Tim Burton. Do you ever get the feeling that certain stories are just meant for some people. Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton = What a combination.

Expect to see me first in line when this comes out.

The Tudor Book Challenge

2010-01-09T00:26:00.004Z

Third book challenge of the year I shall be joining will be The Tudor Book Challenge.

This should be easy for me. It takes a year and I'm taking part in the easiest level. I love anything to do with Tudor history. Love it.

This challenge takes place between January 1, 2010 and December 31st, 2010.

The Challenge Rules:

You may read your books in any format – e-books, audio books, electronic reader books, and printed books are acceptable.
You are welcome to use the books you read for the Tudor Book Challenge in other challenges (where applicable).
Books can be fiction or non-fiction, but they must be about or inspired by Tudor England. If you do not know much about the Tudor dynasty, that’s okay. That’s part of what this challenge is about. If you’re lost, try the Tudor Book Resource for some Tudor book suggestions. You can find even more Tudor book suggestions here.
You are not required to post a list of the books you intend to read. You may choose them as you go.
Bloggers and non-bloggers alike are welcome to participate in the challenge. If you do not have a blog, you will need to review the books you’ve read on some book-related website: i.e. GoodReads, Amazon, Borders, etc. and send in the links (via comments) to be eligible for the prizes. I need to be able to verify that these books were read by you.

There are four levels for this challenge:

King or Queen – You are the ruler of your dominion. You will read at least 11 Tudor-related books.
Nobleman or Noblewoman - You are honorable, indeed. You have earned your title by agreeing to read at least 9 Tudor-related books.
Courtier – You are a rising star in the royal court. You have decided to read at least 7 Tudor-related books.
Commoner – Your role in the kingdom is small but mighty. You are going to read at least 5 Tudor-related books.

I have quite a lot of Tudor related books on my TBR but I'm not a fast reader so I'll be a Commoner for the duration of this challenge. :D

This is being hosted by Michelle from Benedictionary and, if you still want to sign up, go to this post here.

I'm really excited about this challenge. I should be able to do it. And ye Gods, I will! :D

2009 Wrap-Up (At last!)

2010-01-08T23:27:00.003Z

I was going to do another vlog about this but I can't bear to watch myself just yet ... I'm suffering from skin problems like a 13-year-old (as well as carrying five extra chins) - thanks to the last of the Xmas choccies for that. :P

So, here's what 2009 was like for me. :)

~*~*~

Books

My biggest goal was to read 50 books in 2009. With only four hours to spare on New Year's Eve, I DID IT!!!!!

To a lot of you book bloggers, this is obviously a small amount but, for me, this was a huge accomplishment that I'm really proud of. :D

1) The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff
2) Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
3) Dracula by Bram Stoker
4) Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee by Meera Syal
5) Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
6) In Between the Sheets by Ian McEwan
7) The Wise Woman by Philippa Gregory
8) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
9) She Came to Stay by Simone De Beauvoir
10) The Good Mayor by Andrew Nicoll
11) A Lover of Unreason: The Life and Tragic Death of Assia Wevill - Ted Hughes' Doomed Love by Yehuda Koren & Eilat Negev
12) New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
13) Digging to America by Anne Tyler
14) Asa, As I Knew Him by Susanna Kaysen
15) The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
16) Howl by Allen Ginsberg
17) Love, Janis by Laura Joplin
18) Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
19) The Stolen by Jason Pinter
20) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
21) Necroscope by Brian Lumley
22) Will Jellyfish Rule the World? by Leo Hickman
23) The Hours by Michael Cunningham
24) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (re-read)
25) The Color Purple by Alice Walker (re-read)
26) Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
27) Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
28) Shame on You by Clara Salaman
29) The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
30) Witch by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié
31) Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié
32) The Eternal Kiss edited by Trisha Telep
33) Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
34) The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
35) Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
36) The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
37) The Hollow by Jessica Verday
38) Wicked by Gregory Maguire
39) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
40) The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
41) A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
42) Ariel by Sylvia Plath
43) Silver by Norma Fox Mazer
44) Glasshopper by Isabel Ashdown
45) The History of Mary Prince: A West Indian Slave by Mary Prince
46) Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon
47) Legacy by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié
48) Diary of a Chav: Trainers V. Tiaras by Grace Dent
49) The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
50) How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Three books that I tried to read but had to put down half-way through were:

1) The Monk by Matthew Lewis
2) The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm
3) Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Favourite book this year?
Probably The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It was wonderfully written and a really touching and profound story.

Most disappointing read?
In Between the Sheets by Ian McEwan. A collection of short stories not up to his usual standard.

Most surprising?
Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I expected a fairytale but got a serious political story that touches on a lot of issues still relevant to today's society.

~*~*~

Challenges

Every challenge I took part in this year I failed. hehehe.

Lame.

But this year I'm more determined than ever and will be posting on those that I'll be taking part in (on top of the GLBT Challenge & the Harry Potter Challenge.)

~*~*~

What a waste of a post, really. :P I guess I wanted to warn you that your Google Reader might start being flooded with an abundance of posts from me in the next couple of days. Sorry. :P

On a personal note, in real life (as opposed to net life), 2009 saw me ...

- Start a blog.

- As a result of that, I made a lot of wonderful (and patient) online friends. :) <3

- Try living as a vegan. (That lasted about a month or so before I switched back to Vegetarianism.)

- Get my ear pierced for the ninth time.

- Move back in with my parents.

- Read 50 books.

- Appear in the audience of a live TV Show, looking bored and grumpy, while my friend got his nose poked. (Did I mention it was live?)

- Turn down four job offers before settling into my current one which I love. :)

- Discover The Clash.

- Become addicted to Twitter.

- Start planning my worldwide travels.

~*~*~

In all seriousness to you guys who still read this, I know my posts have been pretty shit in the last couple of months. I had a fabulous anonymous message from someone a few days ago which informed me that I now suck (in a less polite way of speaking).

I've been busy with the job and pretty determined to make sure I get back into the swing of things for 2010 and I know my posts haven't been great but, seriously ...

I don't mind constructive criticism. In fact, you can only better yourself with it. But there's a certain way of going about it. :P Noobs.

I refuse to let it bother me.

As I'm starting over for 2010, I'd really love if you guys could tell me what you want to see more of or how I can improve this thing, though. Leave it in the comments. :)

Thank you for making my first 8 months as a blogger bearable. Thanks to my bloggy friends. Love you. xx

Vlog! In which I expose the fact that ...

2010-01-04T19:57:00.004Z

... I really am a gimp. :P

... And that I feel really uncomfortable being able to see myself while talking to the camera.

... And that I edited this video really badly. (Sorry!)

... And that I'm also a dork, nerd, and a big huge geek!

Yeah, so this is my vlog for my book loot from Christmas. (At last!) As I said, it's not the best quality and it's not very well edited.

I'm also not the most comfortable person in the world with myself so I try to make up for this by giggling at stupid things.

It wouldn't surprise me if I lost a ton of followers after this! hehe

Drinking game: Take a shot every time Ceri says, 'Yeah' 'So...' or plays with her hair. (Please excuse the latter - it's become a nervous twitch :P )

WARNING: Don't watch this with your children in the room. There's one swear right at the beginning. (Oops!)

Part One

Part Two

Books featured:

- Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

- The Blonde Geisha by Jina Bacarr

- My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

- Diary of a Chav: Trainers V. Tiaras by Grace Dent

- There's Probably No God: The Atheist's Guide to Christmas edited Ariane Sherine

- Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

- New Moan by Stephfordy Mayo

- The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry

- No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs by John Lydon 'Johnny Rotten'

Two days after Christmas, I went into Waterstones and found Ancient Gonzo Wisdom: Interviews with Hunter S. Thompson for half price!

In hardback too! There was no way I was going to let that go to waste so that was my Christmas present to myself. :)

Video fail!

2009-12-29T18:58:00.007Z

I just spent the last 20 minutes filming the vlog for my Christmas book loot.

Unfortunately it wasn't until I played it back that I realised my webcam is so old and decrepit that the video can't keep up with the sound. :( Fail.

Fortunately I do have a normal camcorder and will proceed to start all over again as soon as I get an energy boost.

Right now, I look like this:

Normally, a sound and picture sync wouldn't bother me too much but then I realised who my audience are. The majority of you guys, my beautiful readers, are American. My father and I recently took a trip to Liverpool, and even those guys had to ask us to repeat what we were saying.

The thing about Welsh-accented people is we speak wayyyyyyy too fast without actually realising it. Hence why my webcam video probably can't keep up with the sound! :P

But, yeah, if there was a chance that any of you guys had a hard time keeping up with my accent, at least you could try reading my lips. With this video, there's no chance. :P

Ah, well.

I'll try again in a bit.

Not to waste a post, I'm going to show you some images of what I've been up to lately (during my absence):

The snow has finally began to melt by me.

The UK seemed to have gone batshit crazy when we were hit by snowstorms just before Christmas. No-one here knows how to react to the stuff because we don't usually get it until March. And even then it never sticks.

This time there were plane/train cancellations, people being stuck on the motorways in cars for 16 hours, all that kind of stuff. Yikes! I just wanted to throw snowballs! :P

As I mentioned, I went to Liverpool with my dad. Liverpool always holds a special place in my heart as it's where my grandfather and his family come from. I was also born near there in a city called Chester.

My dad took me up there to Anfield, Liverpool's football ground, to watch a match. :D

We lost. :-(

But it was still an experience of a lifetime. Something I'll definitely do again. Oh, yeah, and it was freezing! I took a bottle of water in with me. By half-time the water was colder than when I'd bought it!

Last bit of 'news'? New piercing!

The top one. It hurt like fudge! (See how I'm trying to curb my swearing? ;-) ) It hurt worse than my tattoo. But I wonder whether that's because it's been a few years since I had some 'needlework'. I got my three other ear piercings while still in school, and my tattoo when I was 18. It's been a while.

What do you think? :)

RIP Borders :'-(

2009-12-27T15:12:00.005Z

Ye will be severely missed. Especially now that the post-Christmas sales are on and I'd love to spend all my Christmas money on you.

Those of you not from the UK and haven't heard the news, all Borders shops across Britain were closed last week after the company went bust.

It was so strange walking past the Cardiff branch last week on my way to work.

Every day the posters on the windows screamed something new: "6 DAYS LEFT! UP TO 30% OFF!" "4 DAYS LEFT! 50% OFF!" "LAST DAY! 90% OFF! ALL FURNITURE FOR SALE!"

That's right. Even the shelves, chairs, and tables were being carted out by customers.

I popped in there one day last week to have a quick look around. It was manic! Everyone had gone nuts and all the books, DVDs, and CDs were in complete disarray.

Perhaps worst of all was the staff. They didn't bother to tidy or organise anything. Why should they?

I asked one staff member where the religion section was. He didn't even look at me. Just said, in a disinterested tone, "Should be upstairs if there's anything left."

I asked two boys at the till what would happen to them once the shop closed down. One said bitterly, "Nothing. We're on the dole for Christmas." The other attempted a light-hearted joke by saying, "I'm going to sell all my stuff and join a cult."

As sad as I am about not being able to go into my favourite place to buy books at bargain prices, I really do feel for the Borders staff. No-one deserves to lose their job on the 23rd December.

Especially when (having had personal experience with this) all jobs that start at the beginning of January would have already been interviewed for in late November/early December.

I hope they're okay and have friends and families there for them.

Months ago, Gordon Brown said the recession was officially over. What a joke.

Review: Glasshopper by Isabel Ashdown

2009-12-27T14:28:00.004Z

Title: Glasshopper

Author: Isabel Ashdown

Year: 2009

Rating: 4/5

Plot: Portsmouth, 1984. Thirteen-year-old Jake's world is unravelling as his father and older brother leave home, and his mother plunges into alcoholic freefall.

Despite his turbulent home life, Jake is an irrepressible teenager and his troubled mother is not the only thing on his mind: there's the hi-fi he's saving up for, his growing passion for Greek mythology (and his pretty Classics teacher), and the anticipation of brief visits to see his dad. When his parents reconcile, life finally seems to be looking up. Their first family holiday, announced over scampi and chips in the Royal Oak, promises to be the icing on the cake - until long-unspoken family secrets begin to surface.

Review: Amongst the wave of new British writers, comes the touching debut of Isabel Ashdown. 'Glasshopper' is the story of a mother ... (click here for more)

Merry New Year Mas

2009-12-26T23:20:00.006Z

'Tis nearing the end of 2009 and, after a predictably rushed and event-filled twelve months, we're preparing ourselves for the second decade of the millenium.

Promises of more blog posting for you beauties haven't quite been filled ... but I'm working on it.

In fact, I'm planning two book-related video logs to be uploaded in the coming week - One will be about the books I recieved for Christmas; the other will be on my 50 book challenge.

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrated it. And Happy Chanukah to those who recently celebrated that too.

A big Happy Holidays to those of you who have become some great internet friends (you know who you are).

Rewatched Sweeney Todd today - my little brother bought the DVD for me for Christmas. I forgot how much I really do love that film.

And I'm currently reading Nightlight: a parody.

Here's a snippet from page 76 that literally made me laugh out loud:

"Besides, isn't it a little soon to cut yourself off from the rest of your peers, depending on a boyfriend to satisfy your social needs as opposed to making friends? Imagine what would happen if something forced that boy to leave! I'm imagining pages and pages would happen - with nothing but nothing but the names of the month on them."

LOL

More to come soon . . .

Feeling nostalgic

2009-12-02T01:19:00.004Z

Book and film reviews to come, I swear. I have them stacked up and ready to post.

Until then I'm gathering my ideas together for Christmas presents (yup, Christmas shopping starts Thursday - clearly I'm very responsible) and concentrating on starting one of my new year's resolutions: losing weight! For years I've been going on and on about losing weight but never actually done anything about it.

For some reason I feel incredibly motivated now and feel as though this is something I can do. I'm 5'7.5" and my weight currently fluctuates between 12.5-13 stone (175-182 lbs). Ideally, this time next year I'd like to have lost at least 2 and a half stone (35 lbs) but, more importantly, be fit and healthy. I'm so unfit, it's almost unreal. I can't even walk fast without getting out of breath - I think that has a lot to do with my Asthma. For years I blamed not being able to do a lot of exercise on being Asthmatic.

That's a load of Bull. There are dozens of professional athletes who suffer from Asthma. In fact, getting healthy and fit and doing regular exercise might help my breathing difficulties.

I've cut out all the crap (chocolates, biscuits, crisps, cakes, etc.) and am starting myself on a slow and steady exercise routine which will gradually get more and more vigourous as time goes on. More than anything, I'd like to tone up my body. Even the thinnest parts of my body aren't tight from lack of proper exercise from the past 7-8 years.

So, yeah. Wish me luck. :)

Tonight I've been in a nostalgic mood and listening to some old Robbie Williams tracks.

Songs like Let Me Entertain You, Let Love Be Your Energy, and Rock DJ really take me back. No matter how old the man gets, Robbie will always be sex on legs.

While Millenium was his first solo number one, Let Me Entertain You was what I remember being played on the radio over and over and over and over when I was a child.

Watch the video below - Go on, you know you want to. ;-)

(Additional Note: I suddenly realised that I described Robbie as sex on legs but posted one of his weirdest videos. ... And it was also filmed at a time when his drug addiction was at its worst. Ermm ... yeah. He's still damn sexy - watch any other video than that and you'll see what I mean.)

Twilight hysteria

2009-11-30T14:08:00.002Z

I'm not going to make a huge deal of this. I saw New Moon over the weekend and I thought it was better than Twilight but not great. Kind of like the way I felt about the books.

I'm still Team Jacob if I have to pick a team. But that's pretty much it.

My feelings can be pretty much summed up here where Lainey from Lainey Gossip hits the nail on the head.

It's just my opinion. That doesn't take away the fact that you might have loved it. Good for you. :D

I like Robert Pattinson. I just don't like Twilight. From what I understand, he auditioned for something he knew nothing about, couldn't predict the outcome, and is now in a contract he'll never be able to get out of. (His lack of enthusiasm for the books during promotional interviews say a lot about how he feels about the series.)

Oh yeah, Edward and Bella's relationship has officially been declared abusive according to the National Domestic Violence hotline. Everything it lists as a cause for concern happens in the series. Check it out here. It's a must-see.

But, yeah, I'm looking forward to his next film, Remember Me. I read the script before he was cast and, if they haven't made any changes to the story, this should be an incredible film.

The trailer's been released. Do watch. :)

GLBT Reading Challenge 2010

2009-11-29T22:55:00.005Z

Woohoo! So Amanda from The Zen Leaf has managed to save me from complete challenge disaster by introducing the GLBT Reading Challenge 2010.

The same principles as her original GLBT Reading Challenge apply but this time this challenge runs for the whole year round and has three basic levels of participation.

Rules/Guidelines:

The basic idea of this challenge is to read books about GLBT topics and/or by GLBT authors.

The challenge runs year-round, and there will be three levels of participation:

Lambda Level: Read 4 books.
Pink Triangle Level: Read 8 books.
Rainbow Level: Read 12 or more books.

You don't need to choose your books right away, and they can change at any time. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.

There's a reason I've been sucking at my reading challenges: At the beginning of 2009, I decided to challenge myself to read 50 books for the year (not a great amount compared to how many most of you get through). It's the last week of November and I've read 44 books so far. These last 4 weeks mean I really have to knuckle down and get six more books out of the way.

That's the reason I know I won't be able to complete Amanda's original GLBT Challenge.

Next year, I'll be challenge free, so I'm willing to give this one a go. :D

And I'll be determined to do well in it so I'm going to go for the Pink Triangle Level: Read 8 books.

I haven't decided which 8 books I'll be reading yet but this is where I'll keep a record of them:

1) Girl With a One Track Mind: Exposed by Abby Lee
2) My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

Yay! Good luck everyone who decides to join in on this. :D

(P.S. - Amanda, I'm sorry. I had a brain fart and signed up for this challenge via Mr. Linky without posting a direct link to this post. I suck at life. :S )

Advice to a Younger Me

2009-11-28T22:43:00.019Z

- Don't let your first love stop you from doing everything you always wanted to - He's your first love; Not your last.

- Becoming more confident with people is great; Just don't let it get the better of you. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance.

- On that note, Buy black eyeliner. The moment you start using it, your confidence will soar.

- Stop listening to pop music and don't get so worked up because your favourite boybands are splitting up. In five years time, you won't give a shit and will be listening to real music like The Sex Pistols, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, David Bowie, and The Rolling Stones.

- Not being afraid to do something different than your friends is a good thing. Keep this up. :)

- Please try and smile more. And don't take yourself so seriously. It's harder to start turning things around when you're in your twenties.

- You're a big dork. Don't worry; it's more fun that way. :D

- Keep drinking all the water you've started chugging down. Having that rather than fizzy pop is going to help you drop two dress sizes.

- DON'T tell people you barely know your deepest darkest secrets. It comes back to bite you on the arse - several times.

- Teachers aren't always right. They're human too, just like you. The sooner you realise this, the better. Otherwise you'll end up having a huge problem with authority at the age of 22.

- You'll find yourself straddling two worlds when you go to university. Keep wanting more for yourself and striving to achieve your goals but never think you're better than others.

- The first person you meet in college will change your life and become one of the best friends you've ever had. She'll be the ying to your yang. Don't let go of her.

(If you could give advice/write a letter to your younger self, what would you say?)

Cezzie Returns!

2009-11-20T21:50:00.007Z

Yeah, so my blog has been pretty dead for the last month or so. Starting a new job has really impacted on how much free time I have and how tired I am. Usually by the time I sit down to look at my Google Reader, I get through six or seven and then feel too tired to carry on.

But, don't worry. I'm here to tell you, I'm back.

And I deeply apologise for not replying to comments lately, and not visiting your blogs.

I'm getting on top of that asap as I have this whole weekend off and am going to have a fabulous time relaxing and doing whatever the hell I want. :D

Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up - Yay!

Are you all looking forward to it? I am. Though I have yet to start my Christmas shopping (yikes!). Better get on that one.

Anyway, the point of this post was to say Hellooo everyone. I have returned from my 'hiatus' of sorts and I shall be reviewing and visiting and interacting more. :) Missed talking to y'all.

Review: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

2009-11-14T00:13:00.002Z

Title: The Undomestic Goddess

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Year: 2005

Rating: 4/5

Plot: Samantha Sweeting as at the top of her game. About to be made partner for the law firm she's been working at for the last seven years, she feels as though she has it all. However, when a simple mistake costs her £5 million of her client's money, she runs away and catches the nearest train to anywhere.

Still in a state of shock, she finds herself at the front door of a rich couple who mistake her for an interviewee and hire her to be their new housekeeper. The problem is that Samantha doesn't know how to sew a button, turn on the oven, dust a counter, or even get the ironing board to open.

Samantha soon realises that she must make a choice: Adapt to her new life or return to face the mistakes she's hiding from.

Review: I needed a book like this. After months of reading stories that I enjoyed but really made you think about important issues and hidden meanings, I needed a story I could just dive right into and flat-out enjoy.

I'd never read anything by Kinsella and haven't really picked up a lot of chick lit since uni, but this had been sitting on my TBR since by college days and I knew that if I wanted to pick up a better pace in trying to complete my 50 book challenge I'd need something I didn't need to think too much about. I was wrong!

Once I got into this story I couldn't put it down. It definitely didn't leave my mind and I was constantly wondering how it was going to end. It was everything I could have asked for - romance, laughter, and a bit of drama.

I understood Samantha's determination to do well in her career and her utter panic at having the world falling down on her shoulders. She was a likeable character; So was Nathaniel. Even Mr and Mrs Geiger, who were quite caricature based, were fun to read about.

Light but not too fluffy and a really interesting and gripping read. Thank you, Sophie Kinsella, for putting my mind at ease.

Happy Bonfire Night

2009-11-05T09:59:00.005Z

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Happy Guy Fawkes night. Buy a load of fireworks and go nuts with them. :) I'm in work until 8pm so will probably see the sky full of them on the train on the way home. Have a good night, everyone.

Throwing in the towel

2009-10-30T22:24:00.006Z

As much as I hate to do this, it's gotta be done. I'm an avid reader but not a fast one and, lately with my new job and life being slightly more hectic, I've barely had time to read.

There isn't any way I'm going to read and finish four Classic books by the end of tomorrow and, as much as I'm really enjoying it, I'm not going to be able to finish Interview with the Vampire by tomorrow.

This means I'm throwing in the towel for my Classics Challenge and my R.I.P. Challenge.

Obviously my progress isn't as impressive to those of you who devour books like chocolate (oooh, yes please) but, meh, I did what I could considering I can't really buy any new books until my TBR disappears. :)

Result: 2 out of 6

Result: 1 out of 2

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

Oh well. I tried and gave it my best. That's what matters. :)

Happy 77th Birthday Sylvia.

2009-10-27T21:26:00.003Z

Sylvia Plath

b. 27th October 1932

Today is one of my all-time favourite writers' birthday. If she had lived to the year 2009, Sylvia Plath would be turning 77 today. Happy Birthday, Sylvia.

While it is not birthday centred, I thought I'd post this poem by her - about the gift she really wants to receieve.

A Birthday Present
By Sylvia Plath

What is this, behind this veil, is it ugly, is it beautiful?
It is shimmering, has it breasts, has it edges?

I am sure it is unique, I am sure it is just what I want.
When I am quiet at my cooking I feel it looking, I feel it thinking

'Is this the one I am to appear for
Is this the elect one, the one with black eye-pits and a scar?

Measuring the flour, curring off the surplus,
Adhering to rules, to rules, to rules.

Is this the one for the annunciation?
My god, what a laugh!'

But it shimmers, it does not stop, and I think it wants me.
I would not mind if it was bones, or a pearl button.

I do not want much of a present, anyway, this year.
After all I am alive only by accident.

I would have killed myself gladly that time any possible way.
Now there are these veils, shimmering like curtains,

The diaphanous satins of a January window
White as babies' bedding and glittering with dead breath.
O ivory!

It must be a tusk there, a ghost-column.
Can you not see I do not mind what it is.

Can you not give it to me?
Do not be ashamed - I do not mind if it is small.

Do not be mean, I am ready for enormity.
Let us sit down to it, one on either side, admiring the gleam,

The glaze, the mirrory variety of it.
Let us eat our last supper at it, like a hospital plate.

I know why you will not give it to me,
You are terrified

The world will go up in a shriek, and your head with it,
Bossed, brazen, an antique sheild,

A marvel to your great-grandchildren.
Do not be afraid, it is not so.

I will only take it and go aside quietly.
You will not even hear me opening it, no paper crackle.

No falling ribbons, no scream at the end.
I do not think you credit me with this discretion.

If you only knew how the veils were killing my days.
To you they are only transparencies, clear air.

But my god, the clouds are like cotton.
Armies of them. They are carbon monoxide.

Sweetly, sweetly I breathe in,
Filling my beins with invisibles, with the million

Probable motes that tick the years off my life.
You are silver-suited for the occasion. O adding machine -

Is it impossible foryou to let something go and have it go whole?
Must you stamp each piece in purple,

Must you kill what you can?
There is this one thing I want today, and only you can give it to me.

It stands at my window, big as the sky.
It breathes from my sheets, the cold dead centre

Where split lives congeal and stiffen to history.
Let it not come by the mail, finger by finger.

Let it not come by word of mouth, I should be sixty
By the time the whole of it was delivered, and too numb to use it.

Only let down the veil, the veil, the veil.
If it were death

I would admire the deep gravity of it, its timeless eyes.
I would know you were serious.

There would be a nobility then, there would be a birthday.
And the knife not carve, but enter

Pure and clean as the cry of a baby,
And the universe slide from my side.

A Bundle of Everything

2009-10-26T17:16:00.015Z

I feel as though there are a bunch of little things I want to say but none of them deserve their own post so I'm going to bung them all together here. :) As a result, each section might seem a little random.

First of all, I intend to write at least one review by the end of the day for my recently read books so my apologies if I clog up your Google Reader.

~*~*~

A BIG WELL DONE TO ALL WHO TOOK PART IN THE READATHON THIS WEEKEND!

Seriously guys, I couldn't have done what you did. I get very easily distracted or end up falling asleep after reading for more than an hour in one place. You all did amazing jobs - I'm in complete awe. Give yourselves a pat on the back.

~*~*~

I have five days to finish Interview with the Vampire for my R.I.P. Challenge. That might not seem like a lot to those of you who read at the speed of light but yikes! I'm determined to finish at least one challenge this year and this seemed like the easiest to take on. I actually forgot how heavy Anne Rice's writing is. Oh well, crossed fingers!

After that, I'll be 10 books away from my 50 book challenge. Five a month so plenty of poking my nose into pages for the rest of the year.

~*~*~

A few weeks ago I wrote a 'random post' that seemed to come out of nowhere about the fact that I had no idea what I really wanted to do with my life and who I was. I actually got a whole bunch of comments I wasn't expecting - you guys gave me some really supportive words and made me feel better about myself so thank you so much. :) It's amazing how great a bunch of internet friends can make you feel.

I think I weighed up all my options for what I'd ideally want in life and what I'm comfortable with:

- I'm opinionated and enjoy expressing my opinions through writing.
- I have subjects I care passionately about and would love to spend my life writing about them (film, books, class, economy, environment).
- I want the freedom to live anywhere I want and travel as much as I want.
- I don't mind working extra jobs.

Yesterday I started a part-time job at a jewellers. It's not much money and it's never going to get me around the world, but it's currently enough to support me while I explore the option of freelance writing. I like the idea of writing about different subjects for different publications/websites/blogs and I'm keen enough to just go for it. :)

~*~*~

Most of you know who this man is, right?

Why is he supporting these idiots who are fast making their way to the final of The X Factor? The man produces the show - if he doesn't like them, why can't he just throw them off?

Those of you lucky enough to be in the US and don't get The X Factor on your tellys on Saturday night, please, click this link (go ahead, click it) and see what the British public keep voting in to stay. *slaps forehead*

~*~*~

This made me laugh . . . A LOT.

This comes from a hilarious website - Lamebook. One of my new favourites. :-D

Best of Luck!

2009-10-24T17:36:00.004+01:00

I wanna wish all my online book buddies who are taking part in this weekend's readathon the best of luck. I don't know how you guys have the stamina to go for 24 hours. I get way too distracted ... or end up falling asleep if I'm in one place at the same time. I guess caffeine's the option, right? ;-)

Anyway Good Luck, all! Am cheering you on and will be looking forward to your updates. :-D

Why I hate the UK . . .

2009-10-23T23:30:00.005+01:00

... Okay, I don't hate my country but, as with anything that you love with a passion, it has its downsides. It has lots of things that get right on your nerves and you start to realise that that's the reason you have a blog - to vent your demons to a lot of anonymous followers who'll probably skim over that post.

My target for today? My fellow Brits.

Not all of them. Just a handful.

Last night, Nick Griffin, head of the BNP (British National Party) appeared on BBC's Question Time.

I didn't watch it. I didn't watch it because I couldn't care less about the BNP or what Griffin has to say. That also goes for Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems, the Green Party, and every other UK political party.

I don't support any political party because no politician has ever impressed me. I can find fault with them all and I can honestly say I've never stood and listened to one of them feeling a great sense of inspiration. They're all the same - they're all idiots with empty promises.

My problem with Nick Griffin's appearance on Question Time came from the reaction on Facebook and Twitter from people who were watching it.

First of all: Apparently Griffin barely had a chance to speak without being booed and yelled at. Well done, liberals. You can rest assured that any on-the-fence supporters of the BNP looked at that 'victim' Griffin with sympathy last night and are willing to attach themselves to his name.

Secondly: Lots of Facebook statuses with "Nick Griffin is such an idiot" "I hate the BNP" etc., etc., appeared last night and this morning. This makes me laugh. Whether we like it or not, there are always going to be people who are ignorant racist bastards in the world. The BNP aren't ashamed of the fact that they're white supremacist Nazis and I don't condone that for a second. It's disgusting.

But instead of bitching about it on Facebook, why don't you do something about it?

You're going to feel hate for the BNP for a couple of days, moan about it, then go back to your jobs and lives and forget about it until the next awful thing happens.

I've always been a keen environmentalist and, even in my financially crap situation right now, I still do what I can. I sign petitions, I give the little money I can to charity, and am always on the lookout for more ways to help.

Moaning never got us anywhere. Try signing a petition. Organise a debate. Go to a protest. Find out why there are people feeling this way and try to educate them about why it's wrong to react this way.

Third: People loved the fact that Nick Griffin was made to come face to face with a Muslim who asked him, "What are you going to do with me if you take over the country?"

But shouldn't we be doing that with all the politicians?

It's looking like the Tories are going to win the next election. Why don't we sit David Cameron down with a gay man? (Do you think the majority of the Conservatives favour gay marriage/lifestyles?)

How about sitting Gordon Brown down and asking him why the Labour Party are doing such a bum job of keeping up with the Kyoto Protocol?

Or why don't we ask Nick Clegg, head of the Lib Dems, whether he has any sense of reality before he opens his mouth?

People also seem to forget that this year, the BNP were voted in for two seats at the European Elections. Nick Griffin is head of a fascist party. But it's our people who showed their support for him this year.

It's a sad day when something like that happens. But we can't blame the party for the result. It's the voters who chose them.

Why does Britain want this? A few people said it could have been because of the recession - Lots of people lost their jobs and complained that they'd been replaced by "foreigners who work for a cheaper price."

What is happening to our multicultural country? Since when was there a "Whites Only" sign on the Union Jack?

I realise that even now I'm complaining about the BNP and their supporters (it's hard not to) and that wasn't my intention for this post.

My point was that the BNP are never actually going to win the General Election. There're currently not enough supporters by a long shot.

But instead of focusing our aggression on a party who aren't going to win, why don't we turn our attention to one who will?

As usual it'll be the Tories vs. Labour with the Lib Dems holding third place. These are not perfect parties. Let's challenge them. We need them to make their party one we can believe in; one that'll inspire our county and bring acceptance and understanding to everyone.

It's almost as though we're too scared to ask them. Stop faffing about Nick Griffin - he's not worth your words. We need changes in our major political parties and soon. These are the people who will be running our country.

The Wolfman (2010) trailer #2

2009-10-22T13:14:00.002+01:00

Yup. I think this is an even better trailer. The film looks really ready now. And amazing! Love Benicio. Love Anthony (he's from my hometown, dontcha know? ;-) ). Love the look of it. I can't even complain about the special effects - for once, they look pretty awesome. (Watch in fullscreen for the full effect.)

My Top 5 Scariest Films for Halloween

2009-10-20T14:48:00.011+01:00

So Halloween's coming up and I'm actually going to be at someone's birthday party rather than at home watching scary films and stuffing my face with sweets meant for the trick-or-treaters.

The theme of the party is 'dead celebrities' and, while I haven't decided who I'll go as yet (any ideas?), I thought I'd get myself more in the Halloween-y mood and list the top five films that scared me the most. :)

5) The Exoricst (1973)

I can't imagine anyone would discredit me for having this on the list. Regardless of what my generation and younger think of the "old-fashioned" special effects in this film (GTFO!), this is a scary film. Unlike other ignorant souls, I can appreciate a film for what it is and how it was regarded when it was released.

People were having fits and throwing up at screenings of this thing. How can you not find it scary?

I mean, a girl is possessed. Need I say more?

But this is on my personal scare list because this is one of the films that stayed with me after I watched it and that's what makes it frightening. Whenever I went to bed I couldn't shake the image of Regan MacNeil on her bed. That possessed voice haunted me and still does. She's a scary MoFo.

4) Candyman (1992)

So ... how many people avoided looking in the mirror after this one? I sure did. This film makes number 4 because I still can't stand in the bathroom, brushing my teeth in the mirror, without trembling slightly. When a film affects you like that, you know it's done its job.

Not only is Tony Todd the most frightening man in cinema but that rusty hook and the choir-sung theme music makes every moment of this film that much scarier than most. Todd's baritone voice is made even deeper in this and I will never be able to get that haunting "Heee-leeeennn" call in the carpark out of my head.

I do have to say, though, that the last time I watched this I saw it from a completely different angle. The love story that's underneath it is terribly romantic and, kind of like the way I was with vampires (before the unspoken rule was broken), I can't help but swoon now.

3) Salem's Lot (1979)

What do you know? I managed to find a picture of the scene that made me switch this film off. That's right. Regardless of the fact that I've read the book by Stephen King, a 14-year-old me sat down with her father to watch this and I had to ask that it be turned off.

I haven't returned to it since and have no intentions to. I couldn't watch it through the first time, I can't imagine managing it a second time.

Look at that image. Just look at it.

That is a little boy who was buried that day (because he's dead). Now it's the middle of the night and he's floating around outside (yeah, he's floating in the air!) the window while scratching on the glass!

Like Candyman with the mirrors, this film affected me to the extent that I still find it really difficult to look out a bedroom window in the middle of the night. Would you want to see that?

2) An American Werewolf in London (1981)

As much as I love vampires, werewolves have always scared me. I mean, really scared me. Vampires are too prim and proper and have much too much vanity to be that scary. Werewolves on the other hand? If one catches sight of you, there ain't no way you're escaping.

There's something so frightening about a creature that wipes away every trace of human thinking and just becomes a beast.

I think films have affected me a lot more than I should have let them. I've already mentioned about Candyman and Salem's Lot. The mythical creature that is the werewolf affects me to the extent that I really don't like going outside when there's a full moon. And I mean, really don't like it. I don't want to take the chance that ... you know. (Yes, I know, I'm an idiot.)

If this film taught me anything it was that both villagers and city folk can be hunted by a werewolf. No-one is safe. The scariest scene is that poor guy on the tube. He's underground, on his own in the middle of the night, and hears a growl. Next thing you know he's running through those endless tunnels trying to find a way up. Really scary stuff.

If I could have one wish it's that Hollywood drops its plans to remake this. There's no need. The groundbreaking transformation scene is still amazing to this day - you can't do anything to make the special effects seem all the more awesome.

But, yeah. Number 2. Werewolves frighten me and this really is a horror masterpiece.

1) The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Yeah, yeah, judge all you want to but this is the one film that has consistently scared the s*** out of me the most.

The feeling of actually 'being there' is probably what did the trick. I do feel like I'm in a tent with those kids. I can hear something outside the tent and don't want to know what it is. Weird stuff is happening when I wake up. And the end scene? *shudders*

I have this film on DVD and here's my confession: the only way I'm able to watch it is with the director/producer's commentary on. They take you through the film, telling you, "Oh, that was my pile of stones ... That was my stick man ... That was me shaking the tent ... Haha! He has tights over his head when she says, 'What the hell is that?' " I'm safe in the knowledge that the filmmakers are playing pranks on the actors rather than some scary witch person in the middle of the woods following kids my age.

But when I watch it without the commentary, I get sucked into the woods with the characters and end up screaming at the slightest creak my house will make.

The scariest thing about this film is that it's all in your mind. You don't see a guy in a hockey/scream mask wielding a knife around. You see practically nothing. And that's what's terrifying - the power of your imagination.

That's my Top 5 Scariest Films. Tell me if you agree or disagree. And give me your own Top 5. :)

Tried & Failed: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

2009-10-19T22:11:00.003+01:00

Title: Doctor Zhivago

Author: Boris Pasternak

Year: 1958

Rating: Unfinished/Unrated

Plot: "Doctor Zhivago is the epic novel of Russia in the throes of revolution and one of the greatest love stories ever told. Yuri Zhivago, physician and poet, wrestles with the new order and confronts the changes cruel experience has made inhim and the anguish of being torn between the love of two women."

My Thoughts: I really wanted to love this book. I really, really did. And, to be honest, I didn't hate it. I just found it really hard going.

I think one of the main reasons I wanted to enjoy this book (major name dropping about to happen) is that my boyfriend is Boris Pasternak's great-nephew. One of the first things my boyfriend would tell me about, when we first met, was the stories his Pra-Babushka (Boris's sister) used to tell him and his sisters as children. From what I gathered, a handful of the family moved in secret from Russia to Britain during the war as Jewish refugees. It sounded fascinating and I wanted to learn more about my man's family history.

So I turned to the famous Boris himself.

There's nothing wrong with Doctor Zhivago. In fact, I can understand why this is thought of as a great novel: it's fabulously well-written (though my boyfriend tells me the untranslated version is much better), says a lot about Russian politics and also speaks in great detail about the human condition and a lot of famous philosophers (that, incidentally, Pasternak hung around with). On top of that, I began to uncover this great love story I'd been waiting for.

So why couldn't I get through it?

Well, I managed to read about a third of it before realising that I wasn't having fun. This novel took a lot of effort and strength out of me because, for a majority of the time, I didn't understand much about what was going on. I don't know the first thing about Russian history. I know that it's a Communist country (is it still a communist country?) but that's about it. I don't know anything about any revolutions that happened over there, any dictarships, nothing.

And I've never taken a philosophy class in my life so every philosophical theory that's referred to in passing went straight over my head.

These are subjects that I'm very ignorant about though I am willing to learn. For the last year I've had A History of Russia on my wishlist (that's more to do with my vow to learn more about countries I was never taught about in school though) and I think Zhivago's going to have to wait until I've read that instead.

Otherwise I'm going to find myself getting premature wrinkles from scrunching my face up so much at all the references I don't get.

I don't blame Pasternak at all for alluding to the history of his country - I mean, the book was written in Russian, for the people of Russia. It's just our fault that we're not taught enough about the wider world. I hope that one day I'll be able to pick this book back up and read it through properly and get captivated by the story. For now, it's going back on my TBR until I can get a proper history lesson.

From what I read, it's really well-written and the characters seem to be well-developed and interesting. If you have a pinch of knowledge about Russia's history, give it a go. Otherwise you might find yourself in my shoes and struggle.

It's a funny ol' world

2009-10-18T00:19:00.003+01:00

The weirdest thing happened to me over the last hour which has proven how much we rely on information from the internet these days.

Let me explain:

About an hour ago, I was browsing YouTube and noticed that one of the people I'm subscribed to (a Satanist) had a new video up. It was literally a 3 second video of a close-up of himself saying, "I'm f***ing bored" and nothing else. As I was also bored, I started messaging him and over a couple of pm's we came to the conclusion that through mutual boredom, the logical thing to do would be to get married. (If you're not following our dry sense of humour, that was a joke.)

I Tweeted and updated my Facebook status saying, "Think I just got engaged to a Satanist."

And, low and behold, within half an hour, I have messages congratulating me, and my (real-life) boyfriend has had messages sent to him. Even my little brother knocked on my bedroom door with a very puzzled expression on his face.

I think what I'm trying to say here is that it's absolutely amazing that people will believe anything that's written on the internet, right?

My boyfriend and I laughed about it on MSN. The main reason being that he's a very outspoken atheist (which we thought all of our friends knew!). If we were getting engaged, why would I write that my fiancé is a Satanist? He came up with the reasoning that a lot of people can't seem to differ between the two anyway. :P

But, like I said, it's a funny ol' world. If something's written on Facebook and Twitter, it must be true. (But it was a joke, silly noobs. :P)

Review: The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan

2009-10-17T21:26:00.007+01:00

Title: The Cement Garden

Author: Ian McEwan

Year: 1978

Rating: 3/5

Plot: After the death of their parents, four children try to come to terms with their grief and relationships with each other.

Review: I've been on an Ian McEwan hiatus since I read his collection of short stories, In Between the Sheets, earlier this year. In Between the Sheets was released in the same year as The Cement Garden and, I later found out, released to coincide with McEwan's debut novel as a double publicity feat. It was rushed and not up to his usual standard of work in my eyes. I was disappointed and distanced myself from a former favourite author for succumbing to publisher's demands rather than write for himself.

I picked up The Cement Garden (gathering dust on my TBR pile for nearly a year) a few weeks ago and decided to take a chance on McEwan's writing once again. Luckily, this time, I wasn't disappointed.

Jack is our teenage protagonist, living with his two sisters, Julie and Sue, and his younger brother, Tom, after the death of their father. Unable to cope with an unmentioned illness and the loss of her husband, their mother takes to her bed for a couple of weeks before passing away too. The children realise that without parents, they will likely be taken into care so, to avoid being split up, they hide their mother's death from the world by taking her to the basement and covering her with cement.

The story then continues with each child trying to cope with their own grief and responsibilities in an adult world. As Sue begins to lose herself in her books more and more, little Tom starts to experiment with transvestism while also resorting to acting like a toddler in front his mother-ish older sisters. Meanwhile, teenagers Julie and Jack enter into an incestuous relationship.

Having read some of McEwan's later work (Atonement, On Chesil Beach) and some of his earlier (First Love, Last Rites, In Between the Sheets) it's fair to say that as time went on, he improved with his writing and found his niche. As a young author, it's clear from his work that McEwan's full of ideas that he needs to get down on page as quickly as possible. More to the point he seems fearless and not afraid to shock.

In his debut novel, McEwan tackles the subjects of death, incest, and transvestism. I imagine that in 1978 these topics were even more taboo than over 30 years later. What's interesting about McEwan's approach is that he doesn't tiptoe around these things. Jack and Julie's attraction to each other is never hidden and they are not wary or careful about what they might do. To them it is one of the most natural things in the world and, following the death of their parents, they are thrown together even more for comfort.

This is a disturbing novel, I'm not going to lie. I've been surprised at how intolerant some of the book blogging community are towards certain books - they'll quote a passage and deem it 'disgusting and dark' while I'll sit back and think, "You haven't lived! I've read way more disturbing things that that!" A lot of people will think this book is weird and strange and kooky while touching on things that can make a lot of people feel uncomfortable. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that McEwan almost seems unsure of himself at times.

Reading the novels he's written in his later years, you can see that he's taken a hold of his talent and knows how to use it. A young McEwan struggles at times with his first novel; It feels like he doesn't know how to display his talents properly and use them to their full extent yet. Nevertheless it's a fascinating read. The children don't seem relatable a lot of the time and act in strange ways but that could be McEwan's ways of showing us that these children really are alone, have no structure, don't know how to deal with their emotions and loss, and live in an isolated world that they create for themselves.

I'd recommend reading this if you don't mind unusual atmospheres and situations and aren't instantly offended by taboo subjects. While this wasn't one of my favourites of McEwan's, I still enjoyed it and thought it was a good debut from him. I'm glad I've gotten over my hiatus, will definitely be carrying on with more of his books in the future, and look forward to observing him grow as a writer through his work.

Review: Dorian Gray (2009)

2009-10-15T18:23:00.006+01:00

Title: Dorian Gray

Rated: 15
Release Date: 9th September, 2009
Country: UK

Director: Oliver Parker
Starring: Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Ben Chaplin, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Rebecca Hall, Emilia Fox

Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: A naive young man arrives in London and is quickly taken under the wing of Lord Henry Wotten and artist Basil Hallward. Inspired by Dorian's youth and beauty, Basil paints a grand portrait of his friend which is praised by all who lay eyes on it. Meanwhile, as Wotten encourages his young protégé to grasp life firmly with both hands and take advantage of every passion that comes his way, Dorian begins to notice that his wild activities are having no affect on his own body but on the picture in question. As the years go by, he begins to realise that while his outward beauty is everlasting, the ugliness of the portrait grows inside him.

Review: Rather than write up a very long and comprehensive review, I'm going to highlight what I liked and what I didn't like about this film.

What I liked about the film -

1) The casting of Dorian. Dorian needs to be someone that has 'obvious' good looks and youthful exuberance. I don't know much about Ben Barnes (as I've never seen the Narnia films) but I couldn't have imagined anyone else in the role. He has a beautiful face, great acting chops, and a good ability to carry the film.

2) The casting of Henry. Colin Firth shows that he isn't just the 'Mr. Darcy' man. Henry Wotten was always my favourite character in the book because he really didn't care what he said. Firth was brilliant. He gives the film its charm (without being charming).

3) The music. The main theme music to this film is spooky and haunting while giving you that great turn-of-the-century atmosphere. Brilliant. Probably my favourite thing about the film.

What I didn't like about the film -

1) The ending. They changed the ending in a more-than-obvious attempt to make it more 'movie dramatic'. I enjoyed the film up until this point. The ending to the film made me sick with its gratuitous attempts at making Dorian seem like a 'good guy' (whereas anyone who has read the book will know that while he remains forever young, he gets uglier and uglier on the inside - duhhhh, that's why it's a 'curse').

2) The addition of a character - Emily Wotten. So Henry has a daughter ... and she becomes Dorian's new love interest. Call me crazy but I'm pretty sure this is a made up character. I don't remember any Emily Wotten in the novel. And there are two reasons why this character doesn't work - 1) The character is unbelievably '21st century' compared to everyone else. I love Rebecca Hall but she struts around London with Dorian as though she's taken a time machine to the turn of the century. She's not believable as a Victorian young woman and that's probably because the writers threw her in amongst characters that had already been created. 2) The whole Dorian/Emily romance completely takes away the significance and tragedy of the Dorian/Sibyl Vane story.

3) The sets. They might as well have filmed this on a stage in the West End. Incredibly wooden and unbelievable sets which is very distracting when you want to believe that this is Victorian England.

4) The lack of subtlety. The beauty of Oscar Wilde's novel is his ability to write a sentence that could have five possible meanings. Homoerotic undertones and subtlety about Dorian's wild activities are not left to the imagination in this film. In fact, nothing is left to the imagination. And I mean nothing - even the relationship between Basil and Dorian. I've studied this book in university - the great thing about it is that you could sit there for hours in class having in depth discussions about the relationship between Dorian, Basil, and Henry. What does it mean? It is really a sexual thing? Are they just being protective and providing a guardianship to the young orphan? There's nothing in this film to provoke any thoughts - It's boldly put in front of you, and you have no choice but to go with it.

5) That line. Why oh why did they have to include one of the most overused lines in cinema?

Emily: What's your secret?
Dorian: If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

I could almost hear the eye rolling of every person sitting in that cinema. That line is not funny, nor is it effective. End of story.

Conclusion -
Overall, I did kind of enjoy the film. In fact, I very much enjoyed the first half. It was when Emily Wotten showed up and the whole second half changed that I had a problem. The lack of subtlety is something I could have dealt with because this is a film, not a piece of literature, but Emily Wotten's presence ruined everything for me. Poor Sibyl (and Rachel Hurd-Wood) - that storyline is completely overlooked and underplayed because of the new character. The film had really great potential and will probably be enjoyed by those who haven't read the book. Unfortunately, I found it disappointing and could only watch it again if I knew I wanted to switch my brain off and not take it too seriously.

The 3.5/5 goes to the first half of the film for having its good moments. The second half is best left unrrated. :P

Favourite Moment: Dorian's mother/daughter seduction within minutes of each another. I couldn't help but giggle.

My Secret Friend

2009-10-12T23:37:00.003+01:00

I've been feeling pretty uninspired as far as blogging goes lately. I read a ton of books last month and felt superproud of that. Only 13 more books to go and I'll hit my 50 books challenge. Unfortunately it's nearly half way through October and I'm still faffing about with the same book - Wicked by Gregory Maguire. :P

In the meantime, I can enjoy a new music video by one of my all-time favourite bands. (There's only four.)

IAMX has teamed up with Imogen Heap and the music video is incredible. It's directed by Chris (IAMX himself) and his and Imogen's appearances are somewhat ... hmmm? Surprising ... and AWESOME!

Drag to the max!

Take a look . . . (Fullscreen)

Happy National Coming Out Day

2009-10-11T17:06:00.004+01:00

Today is National Coming Out Day. Tomorrow (October 12th) the UK celebrate it. But today it's celebrated in the rest of the world.

I'm proud to be a bisexual woman but not so proud of the fact that I live in a world that still refuses to give gay people equal rights.

Homosexuality and bisexuality is as natural as heterosexuality . Why should two men or two women not be allowed to marry? It is not a dangerous environment. Open your eyes.

Here in the UK, two people of the same sex are allowed to enter into a 'civil partnership' which gives the individuals pretty much the same legal rights as those in a marriage. This is great. It's fabulous. People can celebrate their love.

But if they have the same rights and responsibilities as a hetero couple, why not call it a marriage? Why can't it just be a wedding and a marriage and be called exactly the same thing?

Same-sex adoption is currently legal in these countries:

- Andorra
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- Iceland
- the Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- South Africa
- Spain
- the UK
- Uruguay

Only 14 states in the USA support it. And one territory and state in Australia (ACT & WA).

In Germany, Finland, Greenland, Israel, and the Australian state of Tasmania, "stepchild-adoption" is permitted, so that the partner in a civil union can adopt the natural (or sometimes even adopted) child of his or her partner.

I hope that 2010 sees a better awareness of the importance of gay rights. It is not a disease. It is not a sin.

And it is now Purple ...

2009-10-11T16:22:00.001+01:00

Just messing around with colours now. All the HTML training my Mum gave me a few years ago is coming back to me.

What do you think of this colour? Less intense ... Opinions? :)

'Tis Pink

2009-10-11T04:09:00.003+01:00

Aye. If you hadn't already noticed (how could you miss it? The neon looks like what the gangs of girls in Cardiff dress up in when they go out on a cheap imitation '80s night), I changed my blog design. I was sick of flowers and butterflies - they don't reflect my personality.

Neither does the colour pink but I love the background, and it's the closest thing I could find to being what I wanted. It's only temporary until I find that *perfect* layout but it'll do for now.

The colour is no reflection on the name of this blog. As I've explained before, the phrase "not in the pink" comes from a Queen song titled "I'm Going Slightly Mad." Listen to that song and you'll get the general idea of what I was trying to do. It's just a coincidence that the colour and the name clash. :P

I'd really like it if you could leave me a comment about how it looks on your computer. I want to know if things seem a bit squinty, not-aligned, you can't see columns because they're all over the place, etc. At the moment, my only problem is that my header and blog description (at the top) aren't perfectly aligned at the centre, and I want the header to be slightly bigger (Any HTML whizkids who can help me out with that?). Everything else looks fine on my computer - there are three columns, they seem to be matching in width or near enough.

But what does it look like to you, dear readers? Feedback would be much appreciated. And I'll send you each a muffin for every comment you leave.

It's 4.15am here. I was supposed to have an early night - The parents are back from holiday tomorrow and I'm supposed to be getting up early to clean the house. Instead, after changing my template, I lost all my blog widgets and spent a few hours fixing them. Now I'm still up and watching Jeremy Kyle on YouTube. Bugger.

It's going to be a long Sunday. :-S

Review: The Hollow by Jessica Verday

2009-10-09T17:34:00.004+01:00

Title: The Hollow

Author: Jessica Verday

Year: 2009

Rating: 4/5

Plot: When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone in the town assumes that she is dead. Everyone, that is, except Abbey.

Struggling to come to terms with Kristen's disappearance and desperately seeking some answers, Abbey finds herself drawn more and more to the mysterious - and drop-dead gorgeous - Caspian, who keeps reappearing in her life. But Caspian has secrets of his own, and when Abbey uncovers the frightening truth about him, she starts to question not only their emerging love but also her own sanity . . .

Review: When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, disappears and is assumed dead, Abbey feels as though she has no-one left to talk to. Refusing to believe that Kristen is really gone, ... (click here for more)

random & pointless post

2009-10-09T13:48:00.005+01:00

Bugger me. I can't remember the last time I left it a week before I blogged again. Think my addiction to the internet's getting ridiculous. But it's been a good couple of days away from it. No pressure to post anything of importance. Then I opened Google Reader this morning to find 729 unread posts (and that's just from book blogs) - I'm trying to catch up with everyone's blogs but if I miss out one or two of your posts, understand that I'm not a miracle worker. ;-)

So, what's new? Has everyone had a good week?

The parents left for their anniversary holiday last weekend and it's been up to me and baby brother to look after the house. So far, he's done the best job. I've nearly burned the house down . . . twice!

Was cooking Gypsy toast on Tuesday (think you guys call it eggy bread/French toast) and spilled some butter onto the electric hob. Poof! Up comes a flame. I managed to blow it out ... which was a stupid thing given that fire thrives on oxygen.

And this morning I'm getting dressed and the shopping arrives (my parents have it delivered). Baby bro and I dash downstairs to collect it and put it away. Twenty minutes later I realise I've left my hair straighteners switched on ... lying on my bed! Finally managed to get rid of the burning smell but it's safe to say I should never be given any responsibility from now on. How did I manage to live on my own for four years?

I've been having one of those weeks where your head's just at random places. I've been thinking about my new year's resolutions for next year; have decided I'm getting my tattoo darkened (red's just not my colour anymore); and that I really really don't know what I want to do with my life.

That last bit sounds really heavy, doesn't it? But after reading The Hollow by Jessica Verday recently (review up soon), I realised how lucky some people are - The protagonist, Abbey, knows exactly what she wants to do with her life. She wants to open a perfume shop in Sleepy Hollow and design unique scents for every customer (it's a little more in depth than that but you get the general idea). Some people are so lucky that they know exactly what they want to do.

My little brother's the same. He's always wanted to write - has always been a natural, talented writer - and made his mind up a long time ago that he'd get into teaching to financially support his dream.

I have zero clue what I want to do. Not really. I've been through the whole list of career options:

- Vet (Doesn't every 7-year-old want to look after animals?)
- Pop star (Fabulous dreams of a 13-year-old that couldn't sing)
- Actress (Let's stick to that as a hobby)
- R.A.F. pilot (Doesn't work now because I don't believe in war. What stopped me at the time was having Asthma, flat feet, awful hearing, and short-sightedness.)
- Blurbologist (*snores* I need something a little more exciting.)
- Midwife (I think that dream lasted for a whole four days until I realised I suck at science)
- Film Reviewer
- Book Reviewer
- Author (Despite what the boyfriend says, I am not a good fiction writer. Descriptions are plentiful in my writing but stories never appear.)
- Journalist (Long, boring reasons for kicking that option in the teeth.)
- Teacher (Ah ha ha. That's a no. I hate children - Couldn't teach them. And university lecturers are too middle class for my liking.)

Anyway, you get the point. :P

I have no idea who I am and what I want to do . That's why I want to go travelling. I think travelling might help me in my 'road to discovery' and make me decide what I really want to go for in life. As much as I dream about reviewing films and books for a living, I don't know if I could actually go through with it. So many are made for money and say nothing important about the state of the world.

~*~*~

Enough of that heaviness. I took a two hour break between the last bit and now so I'm feeling a little perkier.

Last week I joined the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge. This is being hosted by Trish from Trish's Reading Nook. She also hosts the Classics Reading Challenge. As I'm failing that challenge, hopefully this exercise challenge will be one of hers I'll be able to complete. :P

The rules are that you walk or run 100 miles between the beginning of October and the end of December. This is something I need to do. I know how much chocolate I'll end up guzzling by Christmas time so it won't hurt to start getting some exercise now. I'm so unfit - unbelievably unfit, in fact. If I hit 50 miles by the end of the year, I'll be proud. Any more than that will be a bonus.

I can't remember why I started this post now or what the point to it was. :P

Anyway, more reviews and random stuff to come when I can get a moment's peace from my phone's constant ringing. For the last two weeks I've had three seperate scammer companies phoning me and leaving weird messages. I'm thinking of changing my number. Has anyone ever had to deal with this on their mobile before? What did you do?

(Edit: Oh, and if you haven't already done so, vote in my poll ;-) )

Review: (500) Days of Summer (2009)

2009-10-02T17:40:00.011+01:00

Title: (500) Days of Summer

Rated: 12A
Release Date: 2nd September, 2009
Country: USA

Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel

Rating: 5/5

Plot: Heartbroken Tom Hansen (Levitt) reflects back on the last year and a half spent together with the love of his life, Summer Finn (Deschanel), a girl who refuses to believe that love exists.

Review: Having watched Levitt and Deschanel team up together for the powerful indie flick, Manic, a few years ago, I was eager to see them reunited in a film that critics haven't been able to stop praising since it hit the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of the year. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.

Perhaps the best thing about (500) Days of Summer is that it never promises to be bigger than it is. This is a simple tale about a boy who falls in love with a girl, and the complications that arise from that relationship. Hollywood has its legendary love stories - This is not one of them.

Over the course of 500 days, we explore the friendly meet-and-greet between Tom and Summer, the flirtations, the first kiss, and so on and so forth. But, as the viewer is warned from the very beginning, this is not a love story.

It's hard to describe what gives (500) Days of Summer that edge. What makes it different to other films that expore relationships? It's not filled to the brim with modern day wit; It doesn't contain a handful of classically over-the-top 'uh oh' comedy scenarios; It doesn't give you a toothache from unrealistic sweetness. Instead, what makes (500) Days of Summer different is its realism.

It realistically portrays a one-sided love affair and never overplays those touching moments (usually prolonged in Hollywood films for sentimental value). Tom and Summer aren't perfect characters, and that's what makes them so endearing.

Over the summer, critics have shown that they can't get enough of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Since his turn as Tommy in 3rd Rock from the Sun, the 28-year-old has shyed away from the media, choosing to work on his craft rather than stardom, in indie flicks such as Stop-Loss, Brick, and Mysterious Skin. With the surprising success of Days of Summer filmgoers and critics alike are amazed at how much talent Gordon-Levitt is showing since his days as a child actor. And I'll join them on that.

As Tom, Gordon-Levitt shows that he is not a former child star - He's a natural talent. He's clearly grown into a man who cares about his work, looking to film as pieces of art (rather than money, like a lot of young film stars these days). Having caught up on the other indie films Gordon-Levitt has been dabbling in in between 3rd Rock and Days of Summer, I was reminded of a young Pacino, Hoffman, or DeNiro - an actor who has strived to prove himself as an actor, not a celebrity.

It is Gordon-Levitt's natural charm that makes Days of Summer's Tom so appealing and, though the character isn't the most complex, it gives audiences a taster of more great things to come from the young actor. Tom's clear giddiness when he first meets Summer, and the horrible pain he goes through as things begin to take a downward turn are the kind of emotions so brilliantly portrayed that we can't help wanting to celebrate with him at first and then take him in our arms and tell him it's all going to be okay.

Zooey Deschanel's slight quirkiness and old-star elegance brings Summmer the depth she might have otherwise lacked and, together, the couple's chemistry combines to make a wonderful onscreen pairing.

(500) Days of Summer isn't a huge film. It won't overwhelm you and blow your mind with special effects. But it will make you laugh, cry, and think about those you hold close to you.

While it was The Time Traveler's Wife that was predicted to be the big hit romance film of the year, it is in fact this small-budget picture that has garnered a better response. And that's because (500) Days of Summer is everything The Time Traveler's Wife promised to be and wasn't.

(500) Days of Summer covers every aspect of a relationship from start to finish in its own understated, simple and sweet way. Nothing is missing.

I'd recommend just about everyone to go and see this. This isn't a chick flick. It isn't a love story. So guys, you make sure you go see it too. It'll be worth it. I promise.

Favourite Moment: The dance sequence after Tom and Summer's first night together.

Please Help . . .

2009-10-01T17:22:00.004+01:00

As some of you may have already heard, Tuesday saw a horrific tsunami wash upon the islands of Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga.

The prime minister of Samoa said 110 people were dead on his islands and the devastation "was complete".

Officials said planes carrying aid supplies were arriving on Samoa and nearby American Samoa.

They said tens of thousands of people need help in villages swamped by waves triggered by Tuesday's huge earthquake. The United Nations said it was sending an emergency team to Samoa. Some villages have been completely washed away. Several hundred people are still missing after being swept out to sea.

As some of you might know, recently I've been reading a lot about and studying the history and cultures of the Pacific Islanders. I am absolutely devastated to hear of this tragedy and I do think that's it our job to not just sit back and watch this happen.

The world's falling apart and, while we can't do a lot to stop these natural disasters, we can get together to help those who need us.

The people of Samoa and Tonga have had their community washed away in a matter of 10 minutes and it's our job to help restore their faith. I don't know about you but, as with the Thai tsunami a few years ago, I feel so hopeless sitting here in my home on the other side of the world.

I've set up a Relief fund online and am trying to encourage people to donate a little something to go towards the islanders. Every bit makes a difference.

Today, in the Daily Telegraph, an article was published telling the story of one family currently mourning the loss of 21 members, including a year-old baby girl, after this disaster.

It's families like this we need to help. Hundreds are homeless. Please do the right thing.

You can donate and help on my relief page here:

http://www.everydayhero.com.au/ceri_tsunami

Thank you so much. It really means a lot.

See pictures of the disaster here.

Awards Galore!

2009-09-30T17:20:00.010+01:00

A random note to start: Jaime & Ryan - I'm more than willing to take you guys up on your Kool Aid offer. ;-) And if there's something British you fancy a taste of, I'll send it your way. hehe.

~*~*~

I've been neglecting a couple of awards I received so I'm taking this opportunity, on the last day of September, to pass them around. :-D Apologies again if you've already received these awards. You can have them a second time. ;-)

From Michelle at Michelle's Masterful Musings
(Thanks, hun. Your blog is one of my favourites.)

THE SISTERHOOD AWARD

I'm handing this over to:
1) Lauren at Half Deserted Streets
2) Amanda at The Zen Leaf
3) Jaime at Revenge of the Book Nerds
4) Sarbear at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale

~*~*~

From Sarbear at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale
(Thanks so much hun. You're rock and are made of awesome!)

Being a recipient of this award affirms that this blog invests and believes in the Proximity – nearness in space, time and relationships.This blog receives this great award as a further way to re iterate that it is exceedingly charming, and aims to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!

This goes to:
1) Mel at Melody's Reading Corner
2) Naida at The Bookworm

~*~*~

From Kath at Bookworm Nation
(You guys have one of my new favourite blogs. How did I go this long without you?)

THE ME-TO-YOU/FLOWER BEAR AWARD

This goes to:
1) Ryan at Wordsmithonia (Forgive me - this is a very girly award but I love your blog so consider it a hug from me to you)
2) Kristina at Kristina's Favorites
3) Susan at Well-Mannered Frivolity
4) Becky at Becky's Book Reviews

~*~*~

From Taschima at Bloody Bookaholic
(This girl is actually amazing. Fact. If you haven't, go check out her blog NOW.)
&
From Jess at Bookworm Nation
(Those girls are spoiling me.)

(The irony of this award is that I'm currently looking for a new template. But thanks so much anyway, hun. :) )

This goes to:
1) Vivienne at Serendipity (Never change your look, girl. It's mouth-watering!)
2) Joanne at The Book Zombie
3) Mary at The Sweet Bookshelf
4) Kay at The Infinite Shelf
5) Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads

~*~*~

From Ryan at Wordsmithonia
(I can't get enough of this blog. :-D )

I wish I had one of those 'Top commenter' boxes on my blog now but, instead, I'm going to hand this award to every single one of you who've ever left a comment. Whether you've left one or a million, I really do appreciate every single one I get and it really means a lot that you've taken the time out to leave a little message. :) You bring a smile to my face. So thank you.

So, yeah, whether you've left one comment or a whole bunch, you're given this award. Take it and pass it on. :-D

~*~*~

That's it for now. New reviews up soon.

I've put a poll on the left hand side of the blog for your opinions on the new comment box. I just wanted to make sure that everyone could actually comment if they wanted to (I know some people have comment blocker) so I'd like to gather your opinions. :)

Hope you all enjoy the last day of September. I can't wait for October - it's my favourite month. :-D

Review: Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

2009-09-29T01:35:00.000+01:00

Title: Rosemary's Baby

Author: Ira Levin

Year: 1967

Rating: 4/5

Plot: Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse are a young married couple just about to move into the Bramhouse, an old Gothic-style New York City apartment complex with a disturbing history of witchcraft and murder.

After the suicide of a young woman living down the hall, Guy and Rosemary befriend their neighbours, Mr. and Mrs. Castevet, an eccentric elderly couple who invite themselves into the Woodhouses' lives more and more as time goes on.

When Rosemary's falls pregnant, she begins to suspect that her meddlesome new neighbours aren't quite what they seem when mysterious happenings begin to surround her and her new baby.

Review: This book has everything you could want in a quick horror novel. Though it's only a meagre 200 pages, Levin manages to draw up a full cast of well thought out, third-dimensional characters that take you through the story in the most intense, knee-knocking and nail-biting way.

Rosemary is a curious character. She's a young housewife who clearly dotes on her husband and longs to become a mother. But we always sense that there's much more to her. Though she spends her days setting up the house, there's a strength inside her that we catch glimpses of from the very beginning. She isn't afraid to speak to her new neighbour friend, in spite of the spookiness of their surroundings (in the basement); she voices her opinions on the strange elderly couple down the hall; she won't take crap from her husband.

It is this depth and honesty that makes us connect with Rosemary, and that is where the problem truly begins because we find that we can not bear to leave her alone to face the oncoming nightmare. Once Rosemary begins to suspect that her new friends are hiding something dark, Levin takes us deeper and deeper into the horror with every page, finding new and shocking ways to terrify us. With our new attachment to Rosemary, we can't help but feel just as trapped and claustrophobic as she feels in the confines of her new appartment.

This was a really remarkable book. I'd seen the film for the first time last year and, as I was reading the novel, found myself having to look up both release dates. The novel came first but it is so vivid and well-written that it's easy to believe Ira Levin saw his own version of this.

There's no big build-up to the suspense as the action starts from quite early on but each chapter's pace is steady enough to get sucked in to.

This is a must-read for any horror fan: It paved the way for the likes of The Omen and The Exorcist, and, unlike most half-hearted attempts at the genre these days, is well-focused on its characters and creating the terror around them by putting them in realistic situations.

I really enjoyed this. I'd read it again for a quick scary read. You should too. And then you should check out the film - it's a fabulous adaptation. (How ironic that I'm talking about a tale Roman Polanski directed during the week he's back in the press.)

This is the first book for my R.I.P. Challenge.

TSS - Books & Films

2009-09-27T15:52:00.012+01:00

I've been exceptionally lazy with my blog this week as far as posting reviews goes. I've whizzed through a few novels and haven't yet gotten to the reviewing part. Shame on me. Especially because one of them was for my R.I.P. Challenge.

As some of you might have seen, I reviewed The Unbearable Lightness of Being which was the second book in my Classics Challenge. I was quite surprised to find that I enjoyed it as much as I did. I'd probably read it again, which is something I didn't expect to be saying. I haven't had that with a lot of the books I've read recently.

Rosemary's Baby was the next one. Very well written. I watched the film about a year ago and, while reading the book, found myself checking the release dates for both that and the film. Have you ever read a film-to-book book? One that's released to accompany a film? That's what Rosemary's Baby is like. In this case, the book did come first, so kudos to Roman Polanski (who I've just read has been arrested again) for doing a great job of the adaptation. It's a scary one. The one thing I learned from the book: Never ever ever befriend your elderly neighbours - they might be Satan's workers.

Then the other night I finally caved in and read something by Ian McEwan. Some of you may know that I have been a big fan of Ian McEwan for years. Then this year I read his second collection of short stories, In Between the Sheets, and was greatly disappointed. Not only were they not particularly well-written but you could tell that they a lame-ass attempt at getting something published to fulfill a contract.

That had kind of put me off him. But the other night I decided to take a chance and get back into reading his books. I took a chance on The Cement Garden, McEwan's first novel which was released the same year as In Between the Sheets. While it wasn't a masterpiece, I enjoyed it. It had all of McEwan's quirkiness and contained controversial subject matters that young writers are never afraid to take on. When you compare The Cement Garden to something like On Chesil Beach (which was written 25 years later) you can see the complete maturity McEwan's acquired as time goes on. I love reading writers whose writing changes and improves and it's exciting to be able to see that through the books. My Ian McEwan dry spell is over.

~*~*~

I'm currently reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire (at last!). This is a book I've been wanting to read since it was released and I'm finally getting down to it. I'm not going to say anything about it yet because I'm only a couple of chapters in but I will say this - I'm having to try and get used to the idea that this is a novel written for adults. I always associate The Wizard of Oz with childhood so to be brought back into Oz accompanied by talk of sex and bad language is quite shocking.

I swear like a sailor and don't mind reading hardcore porn but this is taking it's time to adjust. It's strange. Childhood and adulthood have totally come together in an unexpected way. Let's hope I get used to it.

~*~*~

A little excitement this weekend. The Book Bag is sending me this to review:

The Hollow by Jessica Verday!!!!

Now I've reviewed a lot of great books for that website and discovered authors I never would have thanks to them. But I've never seen a book that's on my Amazon wishlist before. :-D

Over-excitement? Yes but I don't care. Do you know how long my wishlist is? (Check it out here.) I haven't bought any new books for over a year because I'm determined to get through my TBR pile first. So yay! I look at it as a treat to myself.

~*~*~

Audrey Niffenegger's Her Fearful Symmentry is released on Tuesday and, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to devour the shit out of this book (told you I swear like a sailor! :P ). I'm willing to make an exception for my 'Read the TBR pile first' rule for this. Unfortunately, I has no monies! And hardback books are not cheap. Let's hope Cardiff's Borders knock off a couple of pounds - They usually do with new releases because Waterstones is right next door.

~*~*~

Before I end this post, I'm going to say this. If it's still in your local cinema, go and see (500) Days of Summer.

It's about relationships and it's such a beautiful story. So well-written and shot. And very well-acted. It doesn't overplay. And there's nothing missing. It's just simple and sweet. And it has the delicious Joseph Gordon Levitt in it who is all grown up. It's a little strange to hear his voice now - it's all deep and ... deep. I mean, he sounds like a real man.

He's older than me but I still think of him as the long-haired squeaky-voiced Tommy from 3rd Rock from the Sun.

I mean, I hate to say this but, (500) Days of Summer is everything The Time Traveler's Wife should have been. As much as I loved TTTW, I couldn't help but think that something was missing. So if you find yourself in the local film rental place and can't decide on what to watch, choose (500) Days of Summer. It's so worth it.

Anyway, that's it for my Sunday Salon. Lots to come this week. Lots of reviews and a Weekly Geeks to post.

Oh, and I finally changed the comment box. It's now a pop-up box like the majority of you wanted. :)

TTFN. xx

50 Things That Should Not Exist

2009-09-25T15:43:00.006+01:00

Because it's Friday and I'm too lazy to think of something original, I've decided to post this list I found of 50 Things That Should Not Exist because we all need a good giggle at the end of the week and most of these I couldn't agree more with.

I've put in bold which ones I particularly agree with. Fun!

1. Headaches.

2. Stupid, uncomfortable chairs.

3. People who sharpen their pencils slowly.

4. Stores that check your receipt as you exit, making you feel like a criminal.

5. Mean cats.

6. Soft Jazz.

7. People who cut paper slowly.

8. Disease.

9. Big scary bugs with many legs.

10. Tuna salad with celery.

11. Celery.

12. Food service employees who assume that when you said, "No tomatoes," you were lying.

13. Mysterious sticky spots on desks.

14. Mysterious warm sections in pools.

15. The phrase, "We need to give it 110%."

16. Long sales receipts that include a code at the bottom for an online survey, that, when completed, will enter you for a chance to win a gift card. (We never win, and yet we always get our hopes up.)

17. Blisters on the back of the ankle caused by new shoes.

18. Parody versions of the Happy Birthday Song.

19. Grass (Because you'd think by now it would have evolved and learned that if it grows, it will get mowed.)

20. Facial hair (For the same reason as grass.)

21. Tiny cups of coleslaw served at diners.

22. Remakes of bad horror movies.

23. Back-of-the-knee sweat.

24. Greeting cards with glitter.

25. Televised poker.

26. Splinters.

27. Wheat Pennies and Bicentennial Quarters (Because we never know if it's OK to spend them, or if we should save them.)

28. Wisdom teeth.

29. The Hills on MTV.

30. Poverty.

31. Fluctuating speed limits on long stretches of heavily patrolled road.

32. Popped collars.

33. People with tattoos written in a language that they cannot speak.

34. Hurricanes.

35. Teachers with coffee breath.

36. Ziggy comic strips.

37. DVD commentaries in which the commentators simply describe what is happening on the screen while congratulating themselves. (E.G. "OK, so then he's going to pick up the phone. This is such a great scene. Now, he's going to say something.")

38. Racism.

39. Park benches that are still wet from the storm that came through about two hours ago.

40. Anti-matter. (This isn't an annoyance, but instead, is something that should not exist.)

41. Product placement visible in most TV shows and movies.

42. Elderly relatives on social networking sites.

43. Bathroom stalls that don't have doors.

44. Any arcade game or toy vending machine that costs more than 50 cents.

45. Prickly bushes that are in close proximity to the basketball court or the bottom of sledding hills.

46. Waiting rooms with a TV smaller than 13 inches.

47. The fact that Shakespeare in Love beat out Saving Private Ryan for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

48. Traffic. (Especially if the cause of the traffic is a mystery even after the traffic jam eases up.)

49. People who tell you about the concert that you didn't go to.

50. The last 20 minutes of Peter Jackson's The Return of the King (other than the last part, it's a pretty cool movie).

I can't imagine many people having issues with any of those things on the list. The question is: What else would you add to the list? Leave it in the comments. :)

Review: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

2009-09-24T22:31:00.005+01:00

Title: The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Author: Milan Kundera

Year: 1984

Rating: 3.5/5

Plot: A novel of irreconcilable loves and infidelities, which embraces all aspects of human existence, and addresses the nature of twentieth-century 'Being'.

Review: I've taken the above synopsis from Amazon's description because, as anyone who's read this novel will tell you, it's hard to summarise what The Unbearable Lightness of Being is about.

At the heart of the novel we have a group of characters whose lives entwine over a period of years. Tomas, the protagonist, is a surgeon living in Prague, renown for his womanising ways and light-hearted take on life. After falling in love and marrying the emotionally vulnerable and naive Tereza, he finds himself trapped between the ongoing desire to explore each and every woman he meets, and remain faithful to his wife.

It was hard for me to hate Tomas: In spite of his philandering ways, I understood his urgent need to take grab life with both hands and float around with it. Having been disappointed with an earlier marriage, he dedicates his life to making the most out of what he can get. Tereza, on the other hand, lives for Tomas: His unfaithful encounters drive her almost insane, and his 'lightness' is the stark contrast to how 'heavy' her love and relationships play a part in her life.

Perhaps it is my own naivety about the world, as I'm still a young adult, that made me empathise and understand Tomas so well - After all, in reality who would tolerate so much infidelity in one relationship? But I found Tereza to be such a pathetic character most of the time. She unknowingly binds herself into these relationships that hurt her (her mother, Tomas, etc.) but refuses to stand tall and discover her own identity.

In contrast to Tereza is Sabina, Tomas' favourite mistress. Sabina is almost the female version of Tomas in that she is the 'lightest' character in the novel: her willingness for freedom (something Tomas craves but can not bring himself to head for) makes her leave her great love, Franz.

While Tomas and Sabina take up the 'lightness' of life, Tereza's mind is 'heavy.' She suffers from nightmares every night, during which she must be soothed and coaxed back to sleep. The only time she finds any kind of identity, anything to be passionate about other than Tomas, is when she snaps pictures of the Communist soldiers during the Soviet takeover in Prague and hands her film over to the international journalists, but even those actions hold a certain naivety about the world.

While this is happening, liberal-minded Tomas openly objects the new government and, such is his lighthearted take on life, finds himself sinking into the lower rungs of society as the novel progresses.

It is Tomas and Tereza's relationship that explores the nature of existence. Through different classes, environments, and political standings in society, the pair are tested on their different outcomes on life. Tomas is eager to fly away with his freedom, but it is Tereza's heaviness that reminds him to stay. Ever since she turned up on his door, he's been left with an image of her as a child being put into a basket and sent downstream to him. It is her naivety and sorrow that attaches him to her, and he resents having the curse of 'compassion' on his shoulders.

While Tomas might have seemed like an unlikeable character to many, I couldn't help feeling my own 'compassion' for him. As I've said, perhaps it is my naive youth, or perhaps it is my history of depression, that has made me scorn Tereza as something I once was, and look at Tomas as something I'd want to strive to be. Though Tomas' exuberance is his eventual downfall (having to give up the one thing he cared about in the world - being a doctor), I'd rather live my life full of passion than full of regret.

I don't ever want to shrug my shoulders and say, with a heaving sigh, "Es muss sein."

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes to read a bit of philosophical fiction. It's far from light (as the title suggests ;-) ) but can work wonders for an internal investigation about your view on life.

This goes towards my Classics Challenge as Book #2.

Review: The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)

2009-09-22T18:41:00.003+01:00

Title: The Truth About Cats & Dogs

Rated: 15
Release Date: 26th April, 1996
Country: USA

Director: Michael Lehmann
Starring: Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin, Jamie Foxx

Rating: 5/5

Plot: Dr. Abby Barnes (Garofalo) is a quick-thinking, smart-talking radio veterinarian. After helping Brian (Chaplin) over the phone and on-air with his out-of-control dog, she finds herself asked out on a date by the man in question. Suffering from low self-esteem, she asks her beautiful, model neighbour Noelle (Thurman) to pose for her instead. With Brian falling for Abby's voice and personality over the phone, and fake Abby (Noelle)'s stunning good looks in person, he thinks he's found his dream woman. In the meantime, can Abby bring herself to tell Brian the truth before he falls deeper and deeper in love with her?

Review: I love this film. I really do. It's such a funny, cute, witty romantic comedy with a good message. While Abby has the brilliant mind, Noelle has the great looks. Together they make the 'perfect woman' but have very low self-esteem when it comes to Abby's outer beauty and Noelle's intelligence. The question on every viewer's mind is: Once Brian finds out, who will he choose?

To be honest I don't think Janeane Garofalo is unattractive. She has beautiful eyes, fabulous lips, and a great face. But the fact that it's mentioned quite a bit how low her self-asteem is makes up for the fact that Abby isn't exactly bad-looking.

Thurman plays the beautiful girl but manages to win over your hearts by being equally self-conscious about her intelligence. She knows she's not the smartest person in the world but doesn't play the character as a stereotypical 'dumb blonde'.

I love Ben Chaplin even though he had to leave a great TV show we had in Britain called Game On (about an agoraphobic man and his flatmates) to do this film. He brings so much charisma to the leading man role that we don't persecute him for being entranced with fake Abby's face.

So many romantic comedies follow the same storyline but this one's in a league of it's own. Garofalo is hilarious as always with her dry wit and cynicism, and Thurman is sweet with her charm and naivety. My mother and I even got my dad to sit down and watch it with us one day - and he enjoyed it - so it's not just for girlies. ;-)

If you haven't seen it, watch it. It's a must-see, feel-good film that'll make you laugh and cry.

The Origin of Stupidity

2009-09-22T14:48:00.003+01:00

I am not posting about this to offend anyone. I mean no disrespect whether you believe in Evolution or Creationism.

But this is really fucking stupid.

You don't even need to click on that link to watch the whole video because below is a video response by a fabulous YouTuber called ZOMGitsCriss. You don't need to have seen that original Kirk Cameron video to watch this response because Criss covers it perfectly.

I was going to post about my reaction to this 50-page introduction but Cristina pretty much sums up everything I wanted to say.

Ray Comfort has since announced that he's now giving away 100,000 books at 100 universities, Darwin's text will be left in tact, and he's now revising his 50-page forward to be more fair to evolution and atheists.

That smells too much like bullshit.

I'd love a free copy of The Origin of Species but I don't trust any edition given to me by the likes of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. Unaltered text? Yeah ... sure.

Here's the 50-page introduction in case you want to read it.

Unlike a lot of atheists, I don't think Richard Dawkins is the be all and end all of great thinkers. I mean, I believe that as long as religion and state is kept seperate, and religion isn't greatly affecting society and people's lives (which, when we think about, it is), they can believe whatever the hell they want. But I'm seriously considering starting an online petition to get Dawkins to do that 50-page intro to the Bible. Yeah, it's petty and childless and two wrongs don't make a right, but when people like Comfort who are scared shitless of logical thinking start throwing their creepy views around, someone's got to say something.

Rant over.

More Awards and junk :-D

2009-09-19T19:03:00.006+01:00

Something miraculous happened this week - I discovered the wonders of Google Reader!

After observing BBAW from the sidelines and getting a zillion recommendations for awesome blogs every hour, I realised that the list of "Blogs I love" on my sidebar was getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and, eventually, my blog wouldn't be able to take it.

Now, in the past, I've put all of my favourite blogs in the list to the right and arranged them so that the recently updated are at the top. That's how I'd keep tabs on who I visited. But, I realised this week, that that's now impossible.

Google Reader to the rescue.

But, bugger me, it's still so hard to visit everyone's blog in a day! I always prided myself on being quite a good commenter and reading and commenting on 90% of what people posted. Now, I just can't do it! I'm overwhelmed with fabulous blogs and have no time left in the day to do it.

How do you guys manage it? At the moment all of my 'book blogs' are in one category and it's hard to remember who is who by not seeing the proper design of the blogs. So, what do you guys do to keep up with everything and manage to visit your favourite blogs?

Oh, FYI - if your blog was in the 'Blogs I love' list to the right but has now disappeared, don't panic. I haven't gone off you. I just had to trim that list down majorly over the last couple of days and it doesn't mean I don't love your blog. I'm still visiting it. :-D

Anyway, moving on from that silliness . . .

Now that I've managed to tear myself away from religiously watching Summer Heights High and We Can Be Heroes (Seriously, Chris Lilley - you're a genius!), I have some awards to give out: (My apologies if you've had them before but you get them again :) )

From Faye at Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm
(Her blog is soooo awesome - please visit it, I'm hooked and have a ton of books on my wishlist because of her.)

THE SUPERIOR SCRIBBLER AWARD
Here are the rules for this award:

1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

4. Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

My nominees are:

1) Tena from Crazy Book Slut
2) Susan from Well-Mannered Frivolity
3) Mary from The Sweet Bookshelf
4) Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings
5) Ryan from Wordsmithonia

-----

From Ryan at Wordsmithonia
(A blog I've recently discovered and is *amazing*. This guy knows how to write reviews!)
THE YOUR BLOG ROCKS AWARD

My nominees are:

1) Taschima from Bloody Bookaholic
2) Kerri from BookEnds
3) Jess from Jessica Sheff

-----

From Nikola at Nikola's Book Blog
(Another fabulous 'recently discovered' blog that's so cool.)
THE WHO LOVES YOUR BABY AWARD

My nominees are:

1) Melissa from Shhh I'm Reading. . .
2) Jessica from Shut Up! I'm Reading
3) Jill from Rhapsody in Books

Hope you all have a good weekend peeps. And did any of you catch the new series of Peep Show last night? Good to know it still hasn't lost it's touch. :-D

Review: Once Were Warriors (1994)

2009-09-19T00:08:00.003+01:00

Title: Once Were Warriors

Rated: 18
Release Date: 8th December, 1994

Director: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, Julian Arahanga.

Rating: 4/5

Plot: A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.

-----

Review: The plot summary above is taken from the IMDb and, in my opinion, doesn't summarise this film very accurately.

Once Were Warriors tells the story of an urban Maori family, the Hekes, struggling to make ends meet while living apart from Western culture in their close knit community. While Beth comes from an old-fashioned and traditional family, her huband Jake is an example of what some Maori have become. They have a family of five children: 13-year-old Grace, the eldest daughter daydreams about running away from her community to live a better life and reads and writes stories to her two youngest siblings; Mark 'Boogie' has been taken away from his family after a series of minor criminal offences; and Nig moves out to join a street gang who also embrace their Maori culture through a series of facial tattoos.

The first time I saw this film was a few years ago in college. In the UK, we barely learn about any other country's history, so I was not very aware of the Polynesian history in Australia and didn't truly understand the significance of this film.

Five years later, I've rewatched it and, having learned a bit more about the history, see this in a different light.

The film's a perfect example of how some of the Polynesian people of today have turned out. Statistics show that the Maori have, on average, fewer assets, live in higher deprivated areas, and are more liable to negative social outcomes.

Jake, the patriarch of the family, uses his fists to get his way, and Beth, in spite of her obvious inner strength, always succumbs to them. Having lost his job, he spends most of the time at locacl bars with his friends, getting drunk, and inviting them back to the house for all-night parties that his children are subjected to. While Beth enjoys joining in with her husband, she eventually begins to see how their lifestyle is taking its toll on their children as the family starts to fall apart.

This film touches on domestic violence, alcoholism, rape, crime, and old Maori warrior culture. In spite of its graphic and violent content, it has a clear and tragic message. You could almost set the family's lifestyle to how a British family lived nearly 60 or so years ago - the domineering man ordering around the domesticated wife. But the worst part about it is that its set in modern times and you know that this is a culture that still exists and is very real. All around the world there are families like this but Once Were Warriors shows us what happens to the minorities in our countries who were cast out a couple of hundred years ago and are now on the poverty line.

It's the fact that the cast of actors aren't 'Hollywood' pros that make the performances so gritty and realistic. We believe that this is a family, and we believe that this is their lifestyle. Temuera Morrison is terrifying as Jake, and I challenge anyone to look this man in the eyes after watching this film. Rena Owen shines as her character gradually finds the strength of her Maori background to stand up for what she believes in.Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell is the heart of the film: Grace observes her family with an almost outsider's point of view, acknowledging that this isn't the way she wants to be living, but due to fear of her father is forced into silence.

While the two older brothers of the family seperate themselves from the home and explore more about their background (Boogie is kept in a state foster home where he is ruthlessly taught about his heritage), I would have liked to have seen it captured in greater detail. While the film is only 100 minutes long, we are only shown glimpses of what Nig and Boogie are uncovering and, as a result, aren't given the full lesson on Maori history, but are stuck in the modern Maori world with Jake and his friends.

Regardless of this, I do think this film's a must-see. It's very graphic with some horrifying scenes of violence but it's also a lesson in other cultures.

Review: The Eternal Kiss by Trisha Telep (Editor)

2009-09-16T16:09:00.002+01:00

Title: The Eternal Kiss

Editor: Trisha Telep

Year: 2009

Rating: 5/5

Plot: Supernatural forces and desires come alive in these thirteen vampire tales. Like love, the adventures are never safe and hungers never die. And chances are taken. If you are seduced by the mystery of the heart, beating for a destiny unknown, you will helplessly follow the characters' in this collection - longing for one to call their own.

Featuring several New York Times Bestsellers, connect with the pulse of the talented Eternal Kiss authors . . .

Review: Do you love vampires but aren't sure where to go from here? Perhaps you've just read ... (click here for more)

Review: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

2009-09-16T02:03:00.004+01:00

[WARNING: This is a horribly written review because it was written over a period of three days and I've had other things on my mind. My apologies.]

Title: Eclipse

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Year: 2007

Rating: Undecided

Plot: As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob - knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werwolf. With her graduation approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

Review: *****A Few Spoilers Included*****

Bella's back and in trouble ... yet again. Not that she shouldn't be expecting it. I mean, she has chosen to spend her free time with vampires and werewolves. You'd think she would have guessed that it wouldn't all be smooth sailing.

Because I didn't review the first two books, I'll sum up what I thought of them here so you can get a general idea of how I feel about the series.

I bought the first three books in a 3 for 2 offer at Borders around the time the film was coming out. The plot sounded interesting and 'Twilight' mania hadn't quite hit Britain yet so I was still curious.

Needless to say, I was greatly disappointed in Twilight. I didn't enjoy the way it was written: I found it very fanfiction-ish. It reminded me of being a teenager and writing fanfiction about the latest dreamhunks that were on the covers of Sugar and Big! magazine. All those kind of fanfiction are pretty much the same: you write about a girl who is a very thinly disguised version of yourself; She becomes the object of [insert hunk's name]'s affections.

That's how I found Twilight was written. Don't get me wrong, I know this is written for YA. But, considering the series has such a large following, I was expecting characters with a little more depth. And, the fact of the matter is, I don't find it to be the best written story in the world either.

Saying that, I have no doubt in my mind that if I was ten years younger, I'd probably think it was the best book in the world. Oh yeah. This shit was written for 12-year-old me. The me who'd spend hours in her room lusting over boybands and learning dance routines.

New Moon was a book I couldn't put down. I didn't know whether I'd just gotten used to Meyer's style of writing or it was the lack of sparkley vampires that intrigued me. I find Jacob Black to be a much more endearing character than Edward Cullen, and the Quileute tribe's stories were fascinating.

Eclipse is somewhere in the middle. While I didn't find it as intolerable as Twilight, I enjoyed it less than New Moon and I've narrowed it down to a number of factors.

First of all, the relationship between Edward and Bella puzzles me. I don't understand why Bella is in love with a man who is paranoid about where she goes, who she talks to, what she thinks about every second of the day. The man has some major trust issues and a bit of a one track mind. Is this really the kind of man young teens and 'tweens are hoping to end up with? Someone who'll pay his sister to kidnap you while he's away for a few days just in case you decide to go and visit your other friends (who are feeling pretty crappy)?

Also, I've never trusted Bella's infatuation with Edward. If memory serves, he gives a grand speech in the first book about how he's designed to suck you in to his presence; Everything about him is designed to be the most appealing thing in the world so that he can, y'know, kill you. Given the fact that Bella goes on and on and on about how beautiful and gorgeous and breathtaking Edward is, I do wonder whether it's real love or the fact that he's designed to make you feel that way.

Does she really love him? Or is it his vampirey design?

Yeah, so the whole Edward/Bella relationship bothers me.

The Bella/Jacob relationship is an interesting one. I'm intrigued by it because these characters seem to have had a more drawn-out romance that has resulted in real love. Towards the end of the novel, Bella realises that Jacob is her soulmate in the 'real world' and Edward is her soulmate in the supernatural world. This confirms my idea about the fact that Bella's love for Edward seems to come from the vampire design rather than a drawn-out romantic friendship (like she has with Jacob).

I think these relationships are probably what bothers me the most about this series. Of course it's not supposed to be realistic but I don't want to think about what kind of message this sends across to youngsters who've yet to experience their first romance.

Moving on from that, one of the most enjoyable things about Eclipse was more of the ancient tales of the Quileute tribe. I loved hearing about the tribe's history and how they came to be werewolves through spirits and souls and mystical creatures. Brilliant! It's everything the Cullen family are lacking - a history. We got a tasters of Carlisle's background in Twilight. Then Alice's in New Moon. In Eclipse we heard about Rosalie and Jasper. But what's missing is that Meyer touches on these backgrounds and then abrubtly drops them. The Quileute's history is ever present in the characters and affects who they are and what they say. The Cullens' history is written more as a series of flashbacks to a bad soap opera, and never really follows through with the characters except for a short series of whining.

I want to like the Cullens. I really do. But I don't.

As a character, I find Bella to be a little pathetic sometimes. She wants to have sex with Edward ... take their relationship to the next level. He wants to get married first. She doesn't want to get married - she's 18!! - but somehow gets peer pressured into an engagement. I want to shake this girl and tell her to get a hold on her life. Perhaps she's too weak to make real decisions and her mission in life was to be controlled by others?

I don't understand it. I understand that there are probably young girls out there who'd like that kind of stuff and find it endearing, but it's not for me. It's not the kind of relationship I'd want to get myself mixed up in, and that's probably why I've had a hard trouble with these books.

I've left it unrated because I gave Twilight a 2/5, and New Moon a 4.5/5. I go back and forth about giving Eclipse a 2.5/5 or a 3/5. Like I said, it was much more tolerable than the first book but the controlling aspect of the Cullens (which, I guess, is very vampirey) bothered and distracted me too much to really *like* the characters and empathise with Bella.

A Eulogy for Jim

2009-09-14T19:11:00.009+01:00

R.I.P. Jim Carroll
1949-2009

I've been trying to get a couple of reviews posted today and nothing more, but my mind is wandering elsewhere after hearing about the death of Jim Carroll. I didn't expect his death to affect me as much as it did and have tried to work out why.

I guess it's because Jim was my first real lesson in poetry. As a child you're given your first taste of poetry through the use of rhyme. The Cat Sat on the Mat. How clever. You're a poet. You go to school and learn about Shakespeare, Keats, Byron and Woodsworth. But they never teach you about anything hard-hitting. Anything that requires you to really think about the grim realities of the world and human emotion. You learn about the classical poets.

I came across Jim in my 'I love Leo' years at the age of 11 after seeing the big screen adaptation of The Basketball Diaries. The film taught me about a few things.

Perhaps one of the most important - Drugs. I didn't grow up in the nicest and safest town in the world - in fact, I've lost count of how many times the reaction to where I'm from has been an eye-popping, "Oh, eek!" (There are two drug dens in the houses opposite mine and, during my childhood, this town was #2 most polluted town in Britain and in the top 10 worst for criminal activity.) Somehow I was sheltered from it until I discovered this film, this book, this poet. I never partook in any of it but Jim actually opened my eyes to the real world. People I know and love have gone down these paths and, at one stage in school (aged 12-13), I was hanging around with future addicts and criminals, and could very well have done the same. I always wonder whether my early discoveries about the affects of drugs and crime - thanks to Jim's writing - ingrained themselves so deeply that they shaped who I am now, rather than who I could have been.

I already knew about the different ways to take heroin, and which pills in your parents' medicine cabinet would bring you up or knock you down, while my friends were daring to steal a quick sip of shandy from their older siblings. The knowledge made me curious, but it also steered me away from it.

From The Basketball Diaries (particularly the book) I got my first real lesson in poetry. I never knew that you could write about anything in the world that affected you. Jim Carroll's words were my first lessons that life isn't always about love and nature and prancing around the countryside with animals and flowers. Growing up in New York, he wrote about what he knew and lived a thousand lives before he turned 15. At last this was a man who I could connect with more than Marlowe's dream of "valleys, groves, hills, and fields."

Now that I'm an adult and have studied at university, I've found a much wider range of writers, similar to Jim, who I can connect to just as equally. But Jim Carroll will always be the first writer to help me 'think outside the box.' Outlaws like him have helped shape who I am today and told me that it's okay to ask questions. They've made me comfortable as a person and comfortable as a writer.

The few articles that have cropped up about Jim's death today have described him as a 'Punk rock poet.' That barely does him justice. He was a true libertine and an inspiration to many.

Rest in Peace Jim. We'll miss you.

(The Jim Carroll Band with ''People who Died'' - a song written about the countless number of people Jim outlived during his youth, and my first taste of punk music at the age of 11.)

TSS - Recommendations

2009-09-13T14:52:00.008+01:00

Gosh, these weeks are going by so fast, aren't they? Yikes. I can't believe it's Sunday already. Well, I hope you've all had a good week. This Sunday Salon I'll be going through my recent reads and also asking you guys to recommend a few books for me. :)

As some of you may have read, I started reading The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm last week and was unable to finish it in spite of it's meagre 100 pages. I can usually overlook and respect the fact that books will get dated but this was ridiculous and I felt like I was wasting my time reading it and gaining no real insight.

That's the second book this year I've not managed to finish which is a pretty good count for September.

Doctor Zhivago is still on hold and I've turned my attention to Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. I can't imagine needing to explain what this series is about. Needless to say, so far I'm not a huge fan of the series. I kind of semi enjoyed the film - not enough to buy the DVD but enough to go and see it. I like Pattinson and I like Nikki Reed.

The first book I hated. I didn't like the way it was written, it was very fan fiction-y. None of the characters were that endearing and whenever Meyer brought up an interesting background for the supporting characters (like Carlisle) she closed it just as abrubtly.

I loved the second book. I couldn't put it down. But I have strong suspicions that may have to do with the fact that the glittery vampires are out of the picture most of the time. The werewolves' storyline is so much more interesting - I love learning about the tribe's background and old stories. I find Jacob a much more endearing character.

Now with this ... hmmm. It's okay. It's not as good as the second one but certainly much better than the first. I suppose the only thing I'm going to say about this is that I don't really understand the appeal in Edward Cullen. It scares me that pre-teen and teen girls are lusting after a character like this - a man who's very controlling and has those infamous stalker tendencies. What's attractive about a man who forces you into getting married at 18?

Anyway, I'm about 150 pages away from finishing. I'll save the rest of my thoughts for the review.

Yesterday I started my first e-book. Well ... I say, e-book. That's a lie. Somebody sent me a copy of Graham Greene's Brighton Rock in Word and, though I was unsure about how easy it would be to read in that condition, I'm finding it surprisingly easy.

That's about it as far as reading goes this week.

As far as personal subjects go it's exactly the same: I'm still relentlessly looking for a job. I've had to turn down three offers in the last week and a half because of location. I hate being in an awkward town and not being able to drive. :P

I've also been looking at university courses. I can't wait to go back and do my Masters and I'm determined to make it the best experience I've ever had. (Hence, dreaming the dream and looking at courses abroad ... Like I said, I can dream. ;-) ).

Before I end I wanted to ask you guys for any recommendations on the following:

1) Japanese/Geisha literature: I read Memoirs of a Geisha a few years ago and absolutely loved it. It really got me wondering about Eastern Asian culture and I realised that I knew absolutely nothing about it. Can anyone recommend any good reads? (You get a bonus for any more about geishas.)

2) Australian literature: I recently realised that I don't think I've read a single book written by an Australian ... or at least written about Australia/New Zealand/The nearby Islands. Whether it's contemporary and set there, or literature about the history, I'd love the recommendations.

3) Travel guides: Obviously this isn't fiction. I have plenty of books about 'First Time Travels', etc. and there're plenty of books about specific countries and places. I was just wondering whether anyone knew of any books aimed at people who have never travelled before and are looking for ideas about where to start. I've been to France quite a few times but that's just across the pond. I wouldn't know where to start for travelling - Are there any books that'll offer friendly suggestions about how to decide?

Thanks for any help you can give me guys. Will be trying to check everyone's blogs today - I'm so behind. :P My apologies.

TTFN.

The Wolfman (2010) trailer

2009-09-09T20:07:00.003+01:00

I wasn't going to post anything today but I saw this over at Vampire Wire and couldn't resist. I'm not one for remakes but I love Benicio Del Toro and am genuinely looking forward to this.

My apologies for the recent heap of vampire/werewolf related stuff I've been posting about. I must be subconsciously readying myself for Halloween. :P

Review: The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm

2009-09-08T17:17:00.002+01:00

Title: The Art of Loving

Author: Erich Fromm

Rating: Unable to Finish

Year: 1957

Synopsis: In this stimulating and thoughtful look at the theory and practice of love, Erich Fromm discusses romantic love, the love of parents for children, brotherly love, erotic love, self-love and love of God. Learning to love, he suggests, requires practice and dedication.

Review: I received this book second hand from a book swapping website earlier this year. I'd just read A Lover of Unreason and it mentioned that Sylvia Plath had read The Art of Loving while her and Ted Hughes were having marital problems. As a hardcore Plath fan who's always willing to dive into her mind, I knew this was something I'd want to read. If she read it, I'd read it.

A few weeks ago I was served by a guy at Borders who recommended reading any of Erich Fromm's works after we got into a discussion about humanism.

Now, I'm usually the first to point out to critics of old writing that opinions written in the past are bound to be different and less tolerant as we are now. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand it in this book and had to put it down this morning.

Fromm's preface begins:

"This book ... wants to show that love is not a sentiment which can be easily indulged in by anyone, regardless of the level of maturity reached by him. It wants to convince the reader that all his attempts for love are bound to fail, unless he tries more actively to develop his total personality..."

and so on and so forth. I took from that that Fromm meant in order to fully commit to someone, to love a person wholeheartedly, you must first try to love yourself, to be entirely comfortable in your own body to avoid projecting your own insecurities out on those around you.

And I'm pretty sure that's what he was getting at. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to ever actually get to that point.

This book is just over 100 pages long and I stopped about 54 pages in. I skimmed through to see if I would be making any progress soon but was dismayed to find that Fromm's focus is more on the 'types' of love (romantic love, the love of parents for children, brotherly love, erotic love, self-love and love of God) rather than the practice.

I know that lust and desire can be mistaken for love. I know that a parent's love is unconditional. I know that it's important to 'love thy neighbour.' And, as a result, felt as though I was wasting my time being told this over and over again.

Not only that but some of his ideas were dreadfully old fashioned:

"Sexual attraction between the sexes is only partly motivated by the need for removal of tension; it is mainly the need for union with the other sexual pole. In fact, erotic attraction is by no means only expressed in sexual attraction. There is masculinity and femininity in character as well as in sexual function. The masculine character can be defined as having qualities of penetration, guidance, activity, discipline and adventurousness; the feminine character can be defined as having the qualities of productive receptiveness, protection, realism, endurance, motherliness."

I think my sex life just went down the drain. I realise this was written in the '50s. I do. I really do. But I can't sit back and read a man describe a woman as being 'motherly' when it comes to erotic love. As a young woman who's very in tune with her own sexuality and (TMI!) quite 'adventurous' with it, I don't appreciate the old-fashioned ideas about men and women's traits.

More to the point, he mentions how sex is only slightly used as a way to relieve tension. What we really want is love. Yes, I'm sure we do ... eventually. But, as I've said, young people in the modern world want to experiment with their sexuality before finding the 'one' to settle down with and are proud of that and probably don't like being told that they're craving closeness.

Don't get me wrong, I'm in a long-term relationship. I'm in love and I enjoy what I have. But it's so wrong to assume that everyone does want the act of sex to be about love and closeness and intimacy.

Moving on from that, another example of his old-fashioned views on parenthood:

"Fatherly love is conditional love. Its principle is 'I love you because you fulfil my expectations, because you do you duty, because you are like me.' "

I know fathers like that. But they aren't all like that. If that had been the case, my father would have disowned by younger brother long ago because they're polar opposites. And I also hate the assumption that all mothers instantly feel that connection to their babies. I'm afraid it just doesn't happen sometimes, especially with cases of post-natal depression and ... some mothers just don't feel it immediately. It can take time.

I realise that I've only quoted some very old-fashioned views here (don't get me started on the 'homosexuals will never feel complete because they're the same sex' point Fromm makes) but the real reason I couldn't finish this book was, as I said, that the points he was making were points I already knew. I didn't feel like I was getting any deep insight into the human psyche and there was nothing remotely profound about what he wrote. Not to mention, his references to the New Testament and 'love of God' were something I couldn't actually connect with.

Maybe I'll give Fromm another chance one day with another book and another subject but I couldn't finish this one and will probably never pick it up again. I like the way I love my friends and family and everyone I meet. I don't need any coaching at the moment. Let's move on to the next book instead.

Awards

2009-09-07T19:57:00.006+01:00

I finished The Eternal Kiss last night and started The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm. The book's incredibly short and I should have it read by tomorrow morning so I'll be sure to get a review up for that. I'll also post a link to The Eternal Kiss review once that's up on The Book Bag's website :-).

In the meantime, I've also been applying to jobs, looking at university courses, and lazing about watching episodes of We Can Be Heroes and Summer Heights High - check them out, guys. They're both hilarious. Chris Lilley is a genius.

Anyway, to the point of this post - I've been given two more awards and I'm gonna hand them right back out. :-)

Sarbear from My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale awarded me the Me-To-You award. I love this one. It's so cute. Thanks so much, hun.

I find it so hard to choose nominees because there are so many wonderful bloggers but I'm going to hand this Me-To-You award over to a few peeps I've only recently discovered.

1) Back to Sarbear.
2) Mary from The Sweet Bookshelf.
3) Kelsey from The Book Scout.
4) Vivienne from Serendipity. (I get such a sweet tooth visiting her blog.)
5) Nikola from Nikola's Book Blog.
6) Rachel from The Book Wars.
7) Andreea from Passionate Booklover.
8) Pirate Penguin from Pirate Penguin's Reads.

~*~

The second one was the I heart your blog award from Faye at Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm. Thank so much, hun. You rock.

I love all the blogs I visit but I'm gonna hand this over to some peeps whose blogs I've been visiting the longest.

1) J. Kaye from J. Kaye's Book Blog.
2) Eva from A Striped Armchair.
3) Violet from Violet Crush.
4) Joanne from The Book Zombie.
5) Amanda from The Zen Leaf.
6) Melody from Melody's Reading Corner.
7) Naida from The Bookworm.

TSS - Currently Reading & an August Recap

2009-09-06T16:56:00.017+01:00

Hello, Hello, everyone. Wow, what a week! What a month!

I can't believe it's September already. Summer is most definitely over for us here in South Wales. You know it's Autumn when you have to wear a jumper indoors, and your right hand is freezing after sitting at the computer for too long.

Christmas and Hanukkah will be here before we know it - the Christmas cards are already available in shops. And I saw the first Christmas decorations up in a house this week. No joke! All the multicoloured lights on the house and Santa and his sleigh on the roof. My dad nearly crashed the car because I exclaimed in such a loud voice, "Christmas decorations!!!" when I spotted them. People are insane.

Anyway, rewind back to September.

I want to start by talking about my reading challenges. Let me just say that, Boy, do I suck. I was always the 'fast reader' of my group of friends, ever since primary school. But you guys are whizz kids at it! Bravo.

I can't seem to get enough read and, if I'm honest, am probably going to end up failing my classics challenge by the end of October. Why did I opt for the six book level? Oh, well, I'll learn next time.

How do you guys manage to read so fast? Have you always been a fast reader? Or does it just come with the more you read? Teach me your secrets ;-) . Pweez.

*~*~*

I've discovered a bag full of authors this week thanks to my reading of The Eternal Kiss edited by Trisha Telep.

I had to take a break from Doctor Zhivago - it's a fabulous story, so well written, but I struggle every now and again with it because I get the feeling I'd appreciate it more if I'd studied philosophy or even knew anything about Russian history. I will finish it but I need a break for now.

The Eternal Kiss is what I received from The Book Bag on Wednesday. It's compiled of thirteen short stories about vampires, and I've nearly finished it.

I was excited to read this because it had a few authors in it that I'd never really dared to buy their books but was curious about their writing style. Needless to say, thanks to this book, I've added a heap of books to my Amazon wishlist.

My favourite so far has been Holly Black with her story, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I don't think it was the story as much as the style she wrote in. I like the idea of being inside the head of a girl who's going through the transformation of human to vampire, and using alcohol as a way to numb out any desire to drink blood. The ending of the story was superb too.

Kelley Armstrong didn't let me down with Kat either. I read her novel, Bitten, earlier this year and look forward to more from her Women of the Otherworld series.

Libba Bray has been fabulous - I adored her story, The Thirteenth Step, about a detox house with 'mystery' about how they get their addicts clean. (I don't want to give too much away.) And Sarah Rees Brennan and Maria V. Snyder are other authors I'm making sure to check out in the future.

Karen Mahoney is a new writer - her only publication to date is Falling to Ash in this collection. I'm really looking forward to seeing more from her and made sure to send her a message telling her that on her blog. She'll definitely be one to watch out for. :-D I can't wait.

The biggest surprise so far has been Cassandra Clare. Her short story, Other Boys, did not seem too original when I started reading it. In fact, with the way her female teen high school characters spoke, I almost had to stifle a roll of my eyes. However, talk about your twist!! The story was so unbelievably predictable until the last couple of pages when she gave us a completely unexpected twist and turned it on it's head. Well done, Cassandra. Your books are now on my wishlist. That was brilliant.

I've just got three more stories to get through by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié (co-writers of the fabulous Wicked series I read the other week), Lili St. Crow, and Dina James. Obviously not all of the stories I've read have been uber amazing - With all the teen vampire romance tales out there now I guess it's hard to think of something original.

Plus I'm not a teen anymore. And I've never really liked teen vampire tales too much - I'm more of an old school Anne Rice/Stephen King/Brian Lumley/Joseph Le Fanu/Stoker fan. :-)

*~*~*

Last but not least here's the books I read in August:

1) The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
2) Witch by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié
3) Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

Lame. Yep. I think that pretty much sums up my reading for this month. Lame. Three books = very bad. I'm trying really hard to get a much bigger number for this month.

I suppose the upside is that I discovered a series I really enjoyed (the Wicked series) which outweighs the fact that I was disappointed with The Virgin's Lover (in spite of having enjoyed all of Gregory's other books).

*~*~*

The films, on the other hand, is a different story. Here's my count for 'Films watched' in August:

1) Shattered Glass (2003)
2) Sixteen Candles (1984)
3) The Sure Thing (1985)
4) Say Anything ... (1989)
5) The Omen (1976)
6) Orphan (2009)
7) It Runs in the Family (2003)
8) The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
9) Chopper (2000)
10) Disturbia (2007)
11) Funny People (2009)
12) Love the Beast (2009)
13) Muriel's Wedding (1994)
14) Meet the Parents (2000)
15) Meet the Fockers (2004)
16) Black Hawk Down (2001)
17) Speak (2004)
18) The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
19) Practical Magic (1998)
20) The Craft (1996)
21) Babe (1995)

I love that I started the month out by watching a serious film about the true story of plagiarism at 'The New Republic' but ended my month by watching a childhood favourite. ^^

Anyone notice how Eric Bana mad I went after seeing The Time Traveler's Wife? Chopper; Funny People; Love the Beast; Black Hawk Down; The Other Boleyn Girl - those aren't accidents. ;-)

Oh, and I do urge anyone who is actually a fan of Bana to watch his documentary film - Love the Beast. Don't let the fact that it's about his car put you off. I know zip about cars. I couldn't tell you what the make of any car is - I distinguish them by colour (and license plate if I have my glasses on).

But Love the Beast actually made me tear up! It's a great love story about Bana's passion outside of acting - you can see how much racing and cars mean to him, and how tragic it is when ... well, you'll have to watch. Trust me - the way he shot it and put it together is beautiful (there's some fabulous shots of Australia) and really quite touching. He made cars - things that I've never held the slightest interest in - sound really quite exciting and I kind of wanted to know more. Think of how much books can mean to a bookworm? How passionate you are about talking about them and reading and how at home you feel in a library or a book shop? Well, that's your 'Beast.' His 'Beast' is his car. And racing.

I never thought I'd cry at a car-based documentary. :P Oh - and Jay Leno, Jeremy Clarkson, and Dr. Phil are in it for a few giggles. ;-)

Anyway, that's my Sunday Salon. Have a great week everyone. xx

Being Human - Series 2

2009-09-05T17:47:00.002+01:00

It's official! They're coming back with a second series. I couldn't be more excited. :-D

For those of you who didn't watch this series, it's about a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost living together in a house in Bristol.

Superb acting and so much fun to watch.

Weekly Geeks - Reviewing Books

2009-09-05T14:52:00.004+01:00

Following Amanda's discussion on memes last week on her blog, I've had a good think about those that I participate in and how I present my blog. I think, as most people who replied to her have said, when I started this blog I jumped on the bandwagon to do as many memes as possible - what a perfect way to meet new people!

Now I realise that I'm just doing them out of habit more than anything and, to be honest, I'm getting quite bored with them. Not too many are thought-provoking. The only exceptions to this rule seems to be the Weekly Geeks meme and The Sunday Salon. From now on I think I'll stick to just these two. I'm sure there'll be further exceptions and one offs, such as the one Melody tagged me earlier this week, but these two will be the ones I'll concentrate on from now on.

This week's Weekly Geeks question is:

Shannon Hale (author of Austenland and The Actor and the Housewife, as well as many other books) recently posted on her blog about reviewing books. Take a moment to go read her post, in which she talks about going beyond saying simply whether or not you liked a book when writing a review.

For this week’s Weekly Geeks, we challenge you to respond to the questions Ms. Hale asks in one of three ways.

I'm going to be answering the six questions Ms. Hale put on the end of her post. (Option 3).

3. At the end of her post, Ms. Hale posed six questions for those who review books on their blogs or other sites. Write a letter to Ms. Hale explaining your position on each of these questions, then return to her post and leave a comment with a link to your post. And remember her request to speak freely, but kindly and respectfully!

- Do you find that the anticipation of reviewing the book has changed your reading experience?
Yes. I have an excellent memory when it comes to details and whenever I'd watch a film or read a book for review, I'd never take any notes. My mind had a way of remembering everything I was taking in and I could just look back at it later when it came to writing the proper review.

Now that I've started writing my reviews for this blog and The Book Bag, I find myself more and more worried that I'll forget things. I keep quite a few book journals and make sure I jot down everything that comes to mind while I'm reading. If I'm on a train or bus and have no book journal around, I'll write my notes at the front or the back of the book.

- Are you rating the book even as you read? Or do you wait until the end to sum it all up?
Yes. Obviously like everyone else if I'm reading a book I don't enjoy, I can imagine how I'll feel at the end of it - relieved it's over or disappointed that I didn't get more out of it. Though lately I've realised that I'm rating these books out of five in my head. Half way through reading The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory I realised that it was a disappointing read and if it hadn't been for one particuloar character and for the fact that I usually enjoy Gregory's work, I would have given up long ago. As a result, I already knew that I was awarding it a 2/5 rating.

Of course, you can't really tell what you're going to think of a book until you've reached the end. I found Necroscope by Brian Lumley a very slow start buy by the end, I gave it full marks for how exciting and well-written the story was. I do think it's important to include your initial reaction in a review, though. If you enjoy a book so much but found it to be a very slow start, it's important to tell anyone reading your review that while the pace might lag at first, it'll be worth it in the end.

- Does knowing you'll be reviewing it (or rating it) publicly affect which books you pick up in the first place?
Not at all. I don't always review the books I read (I've never reviewed The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger because it's my all-time favourite read and I find it hard to break down and put into words just why I love it). I read what I want to read and what I think I'll enjoy. Then I'll make the decision whether to review it or not based on whether I feel I can write a review for it.

- Does the process of writing the review itself change how you felt about the book?
Not usually. Most of the time I'll know exactly what I want to write and what my opinion is.

What I do usually find, however, is that I'll look back on a review from a year or so ago and think, 'Surely it wasn't that bad?' or 'I remember it differently' and want to read said book again ... just to make sure.

- What is your motivation to assign a rating to a book and declare it to the world?
It comes from my love of films. I'm a film buff to the extreme and love talking about films and what I thought of them and the process the directors, producers, writers, and actors went through to make it. I've always wanted to review films for a living.

When I went to university to study English, I realised that I could also review books if I wanted to - especially as I was already a bit of a bookworm. I suppose my motivation is that I'm a bit of a chatterbox and I'm a big believer in freedom of speech. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, whether you agree with it or not, and I love giving my opinion. :)

- If you review a book but don't rate, why not? What do you feel is your role as reviewer?
I do rate my reviews because I feel as though it gives the reader a brief glance into what the tone of this review is going to be like. Perhaps they're not in the mood to read someone gushing over how great a read is, or perhaps they don't enjoy it when someone criticises a writer. My rating system gives them a quick insight into what's in store.

Review (but not really!): Sweeney Todd (2007)

2009-09-04T22:55:00.007+01:00

Title: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Rated: 18
Release Date: January 25th, 2008

Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen

Rating: 5/5

Plot: Returning back to London after his wife and daughter were stolen by Judge Turpin, Benjamin Barker adopts the name Sweeney Todd and relocates his barber business to the top of Mrs. Lovett's pie shop. Todd wants his revenge on the man who has now adopted his daughter and works with Mrs. Lovett on an evil plan. Todd will slice the throats of the unsuspecting public while giving them a shave. These bodies are then turned into Mrs. Lovett's new meat pies. With this plan being successful, all Todd needs to do now is try to convince the Judge to sit in his chair.

------

My Thoughts: I can't do a review on this because I loved it so much. I find it so hard to properly review things that I love love love so this is more of a compilation of my thoughts.

Tim Burton's one of my favourite directors and until last night there were only a handful of his films I haven't seen: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Big Fish and this. I don't know why I hadn't seen this yet - especially as I already knew what the story was and was keen to see it.

I was definitely not disappointed. This film was amazing. It incorporates everything I love. It's two main characters, Sweeny and Mrs Lovett, are superbly sadistic and make fabulous schizophrenic sociopaths.

Burton is the perfect director for this story: the sets and costumes are gorgeous in true gothic Burton fashion. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter are surprisingly fabulous choices for the lead roles. They can both sing. Like, really sing! None of that straining of the voice that you heard in Mamma Mia! They sound completely natural, and the supporting cast sound like they've stepped off the West End/Broadway stage. Perfect! :-D

A word to the wise: This film is much more gorier than what has been seen on stage. We've got blood gushings reminiscent of the first Kill Bill film, and bodies being dropped on their heads so we hear the bones in their neck crunch. Mmmm. If just having that described to you made you squirm, you probably don't want to see this.

Even though you should. ;-)

I think the gothic, dark, disturbing elements combined with the music, the costumes, the sets, and the fabulous acting (Helena Bonham Carter is a goddess, and Johnny Depp is ... well, Johnny Depp!) was an obvious winner for me. This film kind of pinpoints my sadistic sense of humour to a tea.

It's currently fighting it's way to a number one spot in my 'Favourite Musicals' list. Grease has always been an old favourite of mine but Sweeney Todd is a real treat. It's hard to choose. Sweeney's definitely pushed his way into my top ten favourite films. I can't believe I just said that but it's true. I loved this film that much. One day I'll have to post a proper 'Top Ten' favourite films list.

A few notes on the supporting cast: Ed Sanders (seen in clip 3 below) as Toby is so enigmatic to watch. What a little darling. I could listen to him sing all day. I sincerely hope he carries on with the acting - There's no doubt this young boy has star quality. And West End star Laura Michelle Kelly as the Beggar Woman was wonderful. She proves she has the beauty, talent, and strength to succeed on both stage and screen.

Of course, this post wouldn't be complete without mentioning the wonderful Alan Rickman - can this man ever do anything wrong? A true quintessential English actor - who plays the 'villain.' Or does he? Who isn't a villain in this film? I mean, it's main characters kill people. And cook them in pies! And feed them to the rest of London! Disgusting perfection. ;-)

This is such a lame 'review'. Just go and watch it. It's worth it. I love it. End of.

I have to leave you with a few musical clips. Watch one of the three below to give yourself a taster.

Clip 1: 'Little Priest' - Fabulous moment in the film when Sweeney and Mrs Lovett concoct their plan. ;-)

Clip 2: 'By the Sea' - Worth watching if only for the scene 1min11secs in - Sweeney and Mrs Lovett at the beach, and Sweeney's "Anything you say ... " Classic! :-D

Clip 3: 'God, that's Good!' - Short clip. One that I watched just before the film to whet my appetite. Does anyone else find the way Helena sings, 'Fresh supplies' insanely creepy??

Big rant (V. long, sorry!) :-(

2009-09-04T11:17:00.009+01:00

Bear in mind that this post doesn't give me any pleasure in writing. I just really need to rant and vent my frustrations and this seems like as good as place as any to do it seeing as you guys have been unbelievably wonderful to me over the last couple of days.

Yesterday I had to turn down the job. This rant isn't about the job. But I need to give you some background details on this week. Now this is going to get slightly confusing so here's what my schedule's been this week:

- Thursday, 27th August: 1st Interview w/ Marketing Company

- Tuesday, 1st September: Observational day/2nd Stage interview w/ Marketing Company

- Wednesday 2nd September: Training day 1

Okay, so yesterday, sadly, I had to contact the company and tell them I couldn't take on the job. It was a number of pros and cons that I weighed up having spent a few days with them and figuring out what the job entailed.

For those of you who aren't sure what this marketing company does, they deal in charity organisations mainly. You know those annoying, chirpy people who knock on your door and ask for a direct debit from you for the charity? That's the job. Which, to be honest, I don't have a problem with. I've always wanted to feel as though I'm really doing something while working and I felt confident that I would be good enough to do it.

The problems occur with the hours and the travel. As some of you may know from earlier posts, I moved back in with my parents a few months ago. I no longer live in Cardiff and it's a 35 minute train ride to get there. I don't have a problem with travelling into Cardiff for work but this job entailed getting to Cardiff and then travelling around the country to get to certain areas. My day would look like this:

Home --> {40 min. train} --> Cardiff

Cardiff --> {1 hour/2 hour train} --> Random area

Random area --> {1 hour/2hour train} --> Cardiff

Cardiff --> {40 min. train} --> Home

The problem with this was that I'd be in this 'Random area' from about midday until 8.30pm. That would mean getting home at 11pm/midnight some nights. And I have to get up at 6.30am in the morning to ensure I get into Cardiff on time in the morning (I have to leave the house an hour and a half before work starts).

I'm really sorry if that confused you. Trust me, it would mean getting roughly five hours sleep a night and ... well, not having any dinner. Ever. :-S Living on a sandwich and a bowl of cereal each day isn't good.

On top of that, we have to pay for our own travel to these 'random areas.' That can cost up to £20 a day! And, as you get paid on commision, if you don't make a sale, you can't really afford that travel.

I think you can kind of understand why I couldn't take the job. The cons started to outweigh the pros. On top of that, I caught a load of sniffles from being out on Tuesday and, as Asthma gets bad in the winter and I'm prone to flu and chest infections, being outside in the cold and rain isn't the best environment.

Okay, now, my rant isn't about the job. I just wanted to let you guys know that once again I'm unemployed and looking for a job but that was my decision. It was for the best and the marketing company were very understanding and said that if circumstances changed I'd always be welcome back. I didn't apply for it, they found my CV so I felt better about quitting that way.

What my rant is about is the JobCentre. I've been signing on to JobSeekers for the last 7 months. I've turned up for my appointments on time. I've applied for about fifty jobs a week.

My appointment to sign on was on Thursday 27th August. I called them and said I couldn't make it; I had an interview.

They said it was fine and that I should come back in on Tuesday 1st September. Of course, then I was offered a second interview, so called them again to say I couldn't make it again because I'd got through to the second stage interview.

The job centre said to come in on Wednesday 2nd September. Yeah, you get where this is going. When I called them on Wednesday to say I had a training day and that I might have got the job they said fine. And nothing else. They didn't give me another appointment.

Yesterday (Thurs. 3rd Sep.) I turned down the job and went to the JobCentre to sign on again. (I have to go every Thursday.)

When I got there a man said to me, "You were supposed to come yesterday. You missed it."

I said, "Yeah, I did phone up and tell you guys that I had a training thing to go to. You didn't say anything."

The man just said, "Well, you'll have to come in tomorrow now (Friday) at 10.20am."

Silly me didn't write the time down and, for some reason, got it into my head that the time was 10.40am.

So I went in this morning and said, "I've got an appointment at 10.40am."

She looked through her notes and said, "Oh, it was at 10.20."

I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought it was 10.40. I didn't write it down. I was sure it was 10.40."

She sighs and says, "Okay, let me just go and see what we'll do."

I watch her go over to a 2nd woman and talk. They both come back over and the 1st woman says, "Right, you'll have to come back in on Monday 7th at 10.20am."

I say, "Okay, no problem."

The 2nd woman decides to speak and says in a very snooty tone, "You know, we nearly cancelled your claim this morning because you keep missing these appointments. This isn't the first this week."

Shocked, I say, "I've had interviews!"

She gives me a look and says, "Just the one."

By this time I'm upset. So I say, "NO! I've had two interviews and a training session this week. I was supposed to sign on on Thursday but you told me to come in on Tuesday. Then I had a second interview Tuesday, you told me to come in Wednesday. Then I had training that day and you said nothing. I've had no support from you guys at all. You think I'm lying about these interviews. I had to turn down a job this week - do you think I enjoy coming back here?"

Yeah, so unfortunately, I'd burst into tears by this point. The stress of the week topped with this shit and the fact that I'm really over-sensitive kind of exploded. I did apologise half way through that speech for the tone I was using but it was so hard to try and keep it calm.

Honestly, the crap I've had from these people this week has been unbelievable. They're supposed to try and help you find work but once you have an interview there's no "Good luck!" or supportive words. They think you're trying to get out of your appointment!

Yes, fair enough, I know I was 20 minutes late this morning but Jesus Christ! *screams into pillow*

I don't really understand why they thought I'd been skipping appointments. When I'd phoned up, they'd asked for my details so I assumed they're put the 'interview' information with my profile.

Anyway, this woman sort of lost her snootiness after I apologised for my tone and could probably see I was upset so just said, "Do you have documents from the company or something to prove you were there?"

Thankfully I do so I have to bring those with me on Monday. Honestly, the way they treat people there is awful. I've always hated going there anyway because people treat you like the scum of the earth for not having a job. You don't expect that kind of attitude from the people who work there.

Anyway, end of rant.

Seriously, if you've actually made it this far and have read all of that, you deserve a gold star, a gold medal, and a big hug. Sorry for the rant. I just really needed to let that out.