TSS: February 2010

. . . 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


 

The Sunday Salon (on a Monday)

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. :)


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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

 

BTT: Encouragement

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

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.

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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.

 

TSS: Motivation & Resolutions

'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

 

TSS - Books & Films

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  

TSS - Recommendations

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.  

TSS - Currently Reading & an August Recap

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  

Weekly Geeks - Reviewing Books

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.
 

A New Booky-Wook

Happy Wednesday everyone! :-)

I can't believe it's midweek already.

Thank you again for all your kind and supportive words about my interview/job. Today was my first day of training and I managed to come top of the class (Yes, this is me gloating, and loving every minute of it).

Tomorrow will be a long day (10.30am-8.30pm) but that doesn't matter because I'm enjoying the job. It looks like I'll be getting the chance to join the team (at my new job) that campaigns for the WWF very soon (the World Wildlife Fund) which I'm out-of-my-mind excited about because that's the charity that I've been donating to since I was 10 years old. :-D

Anyway, I received this little treasure through the mail today to review for The Book Bag.

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.

Here's the list of authors featured:

- Kelly Armstrong
- Holly Black
- Libba Bray
- Sarah Rees Brennan
- Rachel Caine
- Cecil Castellucci
- Cassandra Clare
- Melissa de la Cruz
- Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié
- Dina James
- Karen Mahoney
- Maria V. Snyder
- Lili St. Crow

I'm very excited to read this, especially given that list of authors. I've been umming and arring about reading Cassandra Clare for a while because I hear very mixed reviews about her writing. This'll give me a chance to dive into her one of her stories and judge for myself whether I want to read her novels. The same can be said for Libba Bray and Melissa de la Cruz.

I've just got through reading two of the Wicked novels by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié so I'm really looking forward to reading another story by them. The same goes for Kelley Armstrong. Any other author I discover is a bonus. :-)

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I got tagged by Mel from Melody's Reading Corner for this meme so I guess I'll end the post with it. :-)

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Share your ABC’s
3. Tag three people at the end by linking to their blogs
4. Let the three tagged people know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website
5. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag

Available or taken? I'm taken. :-)
Best Friend? Rhi (my Ying)
Cake or Pie? Cake ... Ooh, it's a hard one. Pie. No, cake.
Drink of choice? Water.
Essential item for every day use? Asthma Inhaler
Favorite color? Black
Google? Quite a bit every day.
Hometown? An industrial place in South Wales.
Indulgences? Books, chocolate, and intarwebz!
January or February? January - My birthday ;-)
Kids and their names? I don't have any.
Life is incomplete without…? Love
Marriage date? I'm not married.
Number of siblings? Two little brothers.
Oranges or apples? Apples. I like having apple-biting competitions to see who can make the loudest crunch when they bite into them. :-D
Phobias and fears? Absolutely petrified of clowns and woodlice.
Quote for the day? "Dream as if you'll live forever; Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
Reason to smile? Life, my friends, and my family.
Season? Autumn - don't you just love wrapping up warm?
Tag 3 people?

Kay @ The Infinite Shelf
Taschima @ Bloody Bookaholic
Faye @ Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm

And anyone else who would like to play!

Unknown fact about me? I'm deeply insecure. My confidence is just a disguise.
Vegetable you hate? Carrot
Worst habit? Procrastinating/Day dreaming.
X-rays you’ve had? Dozens on my arms, legs and eb-low!
Your fave food? Anything Italian. Mmmmm.
Zodiac sign? Capricorn. :-)

 

My Life According to Books

I stole this from Kay at The Infinite Shelf. It looked like so much fun to do. If you haven't checked out her blog already, do so - it's really awesome.

Using only books you have read this year ( 2009), cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It’s a lot harder than you think!

*Describe Yourself: Witch

*How do you feel: The Color Purple

*Describe where you currently live: In Between the Sheets

*If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Digging to America

*Your favorite form of transportation: The Time Traveler's Wife

*Your best friend is: A Lover of Unreason

*You and your friends are: Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee (You couldn't find a bigger group of people with emotional problems :P ;-) )

*What’s the weather like: Howl

*Favorite time of day : Twilight

*What is life to you: Love, Janis

*Your fear: The Hours

*What is the best advice you have to give: Let the Right One In

*Thought for the Day: Will Jellyfish Rule the World?

*How I would like to die: Skinny Bitch

*My soul’s present condition: The Diary of a Young Girl

I think I answered those pretty well. :-D I invite you all to do it. If you do, let me know in the comments.  

Friday Fill-Ins - August 28th

And...here we go!

1. He was a skater boy (that's seriously the only thing I can think of - and I hate Avril Lavigne).

2. Wrapping up in layers is what I look forward to most this time of year. (FYI - Our summer is *way* over :-S )

3. My best friend is the man who makes my heart beat fast and slow at the same time.

4. I'm incredibly stubborn to be honest with you.

5. Appearances can be very accurate at times.

6. The last person I gave a hug to was my mother.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finally writing my review on the Wicked series, tomorrow my plans include going to see The Sound of Music stage production and Sunday, I want to avoid being asked "When are you going to get married?" at my oldest friend's wedding!  

Wordless Wednesday

 

Weekly Geeks - Waiting to Read

This week, tell us about a book (or books) you have been meaning to read. What is it? How long have you wanted to read it? And, why haven't you read it yet?

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in the classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, we heard only one side of the story. But what of her arch-nemisis, the mysterious witch? Long before Dorothy drops in, a girl is born in Oz with emerald-green skin. Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous witch, is a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived ideas about the nature of good and evil. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world. Gregory Maguire's novel is a rich and triumphant feat of imagination and allegory. It is an acclaimed New York Times bestseller and the inspiration for a hit Broadway musical, and has sold over two million copies.

The book I've been looking forward to reading for ages is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I first heard of this story when the stage production came to the West End in Britain.

I thought the concept was brilliant - I don't usually enjoy reading books that have taken someone else's work and added to it but, for some reason, the idea of seeing it from the perspective of 'the bad guy' sounded really appealing. (As does Gregory Maguire's other novel, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister.)

For a very long time I avoided buying it because my TBR pile never seems to shrink. I promised myself that I'd buy it as a reward for getting through my pile. A few weeks ago, however, after yet another failed job interview I wandered into Borders and decided to cheer myself up. I bought a copy and it's on top of my TBR, ready to read.

The reason I didn't read it straight away when I bought it? My "to review" books from The Book Bag were taking a priority, and now I'm waiting until I've attempted to finish my Classics Challenge. Once that's done, Wicked'll be next.

I really hope I enjoy this. I mean, I don't really read too much fantasy (though I have been getting into it a lot lately) and considering how long I've been waiting to get my hands on this book, I think I deserve a good reading session - Especially as Gregory Maguire's other books sound just as awesome.

Have you read this? What did you think?  

TSS 1

It's my first go at The Sunday Salon this weekend. Let's see how this goes.

It's not really been a great week of blogging. Then again, it hasn't been a great week for anything. I've been in such a funny mood - One of those 'isolation' moods. I just don't want to talk to people for a few days. It's strange. I've been enjoying my own company and making my own plans and haven't really wanted anything to distract me or bring me out of my own world.

August has been an unbelievably slow month with reading but this week I've finally managed to finish Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie. I received this from The Book Bag to review (which'll be up later this week) and Wow!

This is such an awesome series. It's a Young Adult series set around a group of witches and warlocks whose families have been at war for centuries. Witch and Curse are the first two books in the series and, after reading them, I will definitely be getting the rest. I have to find out how this story ends.

I'm not usually a 'series' type of reader but this is one I'll be getting my nose stuck into in the future. It's written really well - kind of like how I hoped Twilight would be written - and I can't wait to start writing my review on this.

Glancing over at my TBR pile, I haven't quite decided what to read next. It has to be a Classic. I am sucking at my Classics challenge and only have a few weeks to finish it.

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A big thank you to Mel from Melody's Reading Corner once more. I receieved my copy of the new Philippa Gregory novel, The White Queen, through the mail yesterday much to my delight. If you haven't checked out her blog yet, I insist you do. She's really awesome.

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One more mention of The Time Traveler's Wife. I caught the film adaptation last week and unexpectedly enjoyed it. It wasn't as good as the book but I really did like it. I'd see it again. I'll buy the DVD. Kudos to Eric Bana for not disappointing me (I'm waiting for your shoddy performance, dude - you can do no wrong) and Rachel McAdams was fabulous as always.


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And, lastly, over to awards. Taschima from Bloody Bookaholic has given me the Me-To-You Award. Thank you so much, hun. You rock.

The person who recieves this award must do a shout out and nominate 7 other bloggers.

Okay, so the people I'm passing this onto are:

1) Passing it right back to Taschima (Bloody Bookaholic)
2) Michelle (Master Musings)
3) Faye (Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm)
4) Kay (The Infinite Shelf)
5) Jaime (For the love of all that is written)
6) Naida (The Bookworm)
7) Susan (Well-Mannered Frivolity)

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This really isn't a great first 'Sunday Salon' post but, like I said, I'm in a real strange mood this week. Don't really feel like being very communicative. I like my isolation at times so I've been sitting in my room spending the days trying to find a job and my nights watching films. Hopefully more blogging will ensue soon.

Love to you all.

And a huge Happy Birthday to my Dad (Monday) and my little brother (Tuesday).

(Not that either of them are old, of course. ;-) They're just both Family Guy fans)