I've got a new About Me page! No particular reason, I just thought it was a fun replacement for the now-defunct Review Policy page I had before. Plus I can chop and change it on a regular basis, which will give me something else to play with when I'm bored at the shop. :)
Yes, yes, I know I only updated you all on my Mount TBR progress a couple of days ago, but I just wanted to share these pictures with you.
On Monday night and my day off on Tuesday I managed to clear another 40 or so books off the shelves - and to try and drive the message home to myself, I built a bonfire. No, I didn't set it alight - though it was tempting for a minute there. It comprised of about a third of my book collection, I'd say, maybe just under. These are books off my overstuffed kitchen bookcase and from the medium-sized box I had under the table (to the left of the picture). I took them all down from the shelves and (gently) threw them onto a massive pile, which I then left overnight to shock myself with the next morning.
It worked! When I came back to it on Tuesday I was pretty horrified by how big it looked! It took several hours to sift through and because I was getting so tired, much of it got re-shelved anyway, unfortunately. The box is empty now though, so that's a start. Nevertheless, the fact remains that if Mount TBR is currently sitting at, say, 1000 books, that means that at a reading rate of roughly 75 books a year, I have enough to last me 13-14 years. I WOULD BE NEARLY 40 BY THE TIME I FINISHED THESE BOOKS!
If that ain't enough to convince me I need to be more ruthless still, I don't know what is!
And on a duckling-related note...
My last ducky photo was, quite frankly, crap - so I took another one! All seven ducky babies, plus eight moorhen babies, were out by the path near the car park, awwww...
SO MANY BABEEEEZ! :)
Well, that's me done for now! I'm (finally) writing a review of V for Vendetta so hopefully that'll be on its way soon... As for right now, it's humid and sticky and thundery and wet and headachy, so I'm going to go stick my nose in a book and ignore everything for a while (including the crazy customers who have VOLUNTARILY ventured out in this, the fools!)... Read on!
Bloody hell, this post has caused me some grief! I just hate that the books I'm most passionate about promoting, the ones with the most complex plots and compelling characters, are always the books that are IMPOSSIBLE to review without days, even weeks, of reading and rereading, notes and strife, procrastination and pain. Hopefully In Cold Blood will be easier - if not, it might be a sign that it's time for a summer blogger vacation, give myself a bit of time to recharge the ol' reviewing batteries. In the meantime, here, at last, are my beyond-a-review-because-it-wasn't-enough thoughts on V for Vendetta...
THE BACKGROUND
I've been wanting to read this book for SO LONG. And I've been wanting to watch the movie ever since I discovered the book - prompted particularly by David's excellent double review during last summer's Page to Screen event here on the blog. Finally, fairly recently, everything came together! I found the DVD at a local charity shop for £2, the book came into the library at long last, and by the time I was halfway through it I'd fallen in love and bought my own copy anyway.
The basic summary goes like this: England is now under the control of a totalitarian government called Norsefire. The different branches of control - the Eye, the Ears, the Voice and so on - fall under the dictatorial eye of one power-hungry leader. The story opens on 5 November with Evey Hammond, a young woman, out after curfew and about to be raped by a bunch of corrupt government officers. To her simultaneous relief and surprise, she is saved by a masked and cloaked figure who rather theatrically recites a section of Macbeth as he effortlessly takes down the agents. Thus we meet the enigmatic V, and watch as he takes Evey into his confidence and sets in motion his elaborate plan to bring down the government once and for all. But who is he? What did they do to him? Is he a madman, a genius, a terrorist, a freedom fighter - or a mixture of all of these things?
The graphic novel was originally published in the 1980s, but my new edition was published by Titan Books in 2005. The movie, starring Natalie Portman as Evey and Hugo Weaving as V, came out in 2006 and was directed by James McTeigue and written by The Wachowski Brothers, of The Matrix fame.
THE BOOK
This being my first ever graphic novel, I really wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't know if I'd fully engage with the visual format, or if I'd be involved enough in the emotional aspects of the novel to really enjoy it. Which just goes to show how little I know - because it completely blew me away!
Between Moore and Lloyd they have crafted a beautifully stylised book that was as moving and exciting as any novel could be. The use of creative techniques like 'voiceover' captions and poignant juxtaposition actually creates an experience that is at times even more powerful than a 'conventional' novel. The musical interlude, a third of the way through the book, is one of the most poignant and memorable bookish moments I've ever come across - it is sheer genius from start to finish. Complimenting Moore's writing, Lloyd's artistic style is dramatic, using stark colour contrast and black backgrounds to bring England's bleak existence to life.
There were some elements of the book that differed from the film. There were more characters, exploring this new society across a wider range of individuals, including the wives and partners of some of the government agents. The key characters' back stories were also explored in more detail, as you might expect. It was perhaps easier to follow V's flights of speech and copious literary allusions in print, where they were obviously reduced to the readers' own speed. In the movie some of his rhetoric is delivered in a furious and unstoppable torrent, so it's easier to miss things along the way.
The symbolism in the book - and film - is one of its strongest points. I can see now why the Guy Fawkes mask has become such a potent cult emblem over the years. More than symbolism in itself, I think V for Vendetta is about the POWER of a symbol. One letter, one mark, one dynamic figurehead - that is all it can take to create an icon, to bring about a revolution. And alongside the power of symbols, of course, V is a deep believer in the power of the ideas behind them. The book explores how an idea can flourish and strengthen if you only ACT on it: something we can all take away and apply to our lives, where so many of our hopes and dreams remain just that - ideas.
Notable Quotables:
"Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain... Everybody has their story to tell."
"He's killed them, Dominic. Everyone who ever worked at Larkhill Camp, one by one, over the past four years... He's killed the bloody lot of 'em."
"It was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it's all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us... but within that inch we are free."
"Authoritarian societies are like formation skating. Intricate, mechanically precise and above all, precarious. Beneath civilisation's fragile crust, cold chaos churns... and there are places where the ice is treacherously thin."
"From rubble may we build."
THE MOVIE
The film adaptation of V for Vendetta takes the stylised swirl of Lloyd's images and makes them harder and cleaner. The theatricality and the most striking images remain, only now they live and breathe and move - which is exactly how a film adaptation should be! All of the key moments of the book, the most memorable frames, are there, and are reproduced so beautifully on screen that it really is a case of 'bringing the book to life'. The addition of music strengthens the atmosphere and creates even more layers in V's enigmatic story. Natalie Portman is on top form as Evey, and casting John Hurt as the High Chancellor is an inspired reversal of his role as 'everyman' Winston Smith in Michael Radford's Nineteen Eighty-Four.
I think one of the key strengths of the film is that it takes a superhero, a character who seems perpetually untouchable, calm and sure of himself, and makes him human. Although most of his surety and confidence remains, screen V is just that little bit less distant. He cooks breakfast (V with a dishcloth thrown over his shoulder, cooking eggs? Priceless!), he is unsure of himself, he gets angry, and if we could see under that smiling mask I'm sure we would have seen a blush or two. All credit to Hugo Weaving for giving a faceless character such a variety of expression...
There are some changes, of course. For example, Evey's moment of triumph near the end of the book is changed in such a way that it surely works much better on screen than the original would have done. The film also redeems those who deserve it, which the book doesn't entirely. The resulting finale is so powerful that I was holding my breath, tears streaming down my face as I watched it. The filmmakers have cleared out some of the more confusing or convoluted elements of the book's plot too - some of the sideline characters are gone, and the political environment feels more streamlined and focussed. In a way, Moore's story may have been made all the more powerful by the clarification allowed by the transition from page to screen.
THE VERDICT
I think V may be one of the most magnetic characters I've ever come across, on the page OR on screen. He's quite the gentleman, well versed in literature, music, and all the other elements of culture Norsefire has forbidden. Every frame and every scene he appeared in, I couldn't take my eyes off him. I think it has something to do with his monochromatic appearance, the clean lines, the efficiency of his vision... like all the best heroes, he cuts an impressive figure, while retaining a certain poetry that renders him irresistable. His Shadow Gallery is almost as covetable as the Beast's library (don't pretend you didn't want it, ladies!), and his care of Evey and reverance for the beautiful Valerie render him deeply, poignantly human. He reminded me a little of the Phantom of the Opera in a way, only he kills for justice, not out of bitterness and jealousy. In fact, he's pretty darn sexy!
My advice to anyone considering reading their first graphic novel? Do it. And if you like masked heroes, political intrigue and gentle romance, this might just be a good place to start. V for Vendetta offers a wonderfully complex look at the corruption and brutality of a totalitarian government, and its effects on the whole of society, including the families of the people who forms its backbone. And on a smaller scale, it is the story of one man who is determined to set things right. He never moans, he never complains, but he knows what must be done and he does it.
Both the book and the filmare absolutely fantastic, but if you're planning to tackle both, I'd definitely recommend reading the book first. It will give you a stronger understanding of Norsefire and the politics of Evey's world, as well as giving you a good grounding in V's style. Some of his motives and explosive exploits are more thoroughly explored in the book, and it is obviously easier to follow his literary and ideological flights of rhetoric in print. Then when you're done reading, you can watch the movie and see Lloyd's illustrations coming to life before your very eyes...
Scarily accurate interpretation of my current book situation
I thought it was about time for a quick update on my new Mount TBR project, which I originally outlined in this post. Basically, my aim was to shame myself into reducing my out-of-control book buying, leaving the library alone for a bit, and actually reading some of the books currently running my house for me. At last count, this was well over 1000, more like 1500 when you counted all the books I hadn't added to my LT catalogue yet because I couldn't keep up!
So, how am I getting on? Well, I'm happy to report that I've hit my first 50 books toppled! My total currently stands at 54 and it's increasing by the day. Of these, three have been read and reviewed (Stevenson Under the Palm Trees, Vegan Virgin Valentine and Dearly Departed), one has stayed (Dearly Departed), one is awaiting review and will also stay (V for Vendetta), and the rest have been ruthlessly culled from the shelves unread. This last bunch includes:
A is for Alibi - Sue Grafton (A 26-part series? Do Not Need)
All Must Have Prizes - Melanie Phillips (Too out of date)
Black Arts - Andrew Prentice and Jonathan
Weil (Unsolicited ARC)
A Journal of the Plague Year - Daniel
Defoe (Intense critical edition)
Relentless - Simon Kernick (Can get something like this anytime)
Talk to the Hand - Lynne Truss (Too miserable)
And so on... You get the idea.
I'm definitely happy with my early progress, but more still needs to go. I have a few strategies to try to make things easier, which should help. For a start, I'm asking myself this: If this book came up in, say, a random number generator, and I had to read it now, would I be disappointed? Or excited to get stuck in? This helps weed out the 'maybe I'll read it someday but I probably won't' books! If I have a bad feeling about it for some reason, out it goes.
With my actual reading, I'm going to prioritise some of the books I'd really LIKE to read while I have them, but that might not make the cut when I have to box them up and shift them for moving. There are quite a few like this, that I'm reluctant to give up NOW, but that I'd be reluctant to dedicate heavy labour to THEN. Also along these lines, I'm going to try to prioritise some of the run-of-the-mill stuff that I have in hardcover. I want to read the books, but hardcovers are bulky and heavy, so the less of them I have the better. I'd rather save my hardback space for things like my David Attenborough and Brian Cox books, for example.
Right now things have been hampered a little bit by my last few library books. I've taken back a huge pile but I still have three I want to read. When I've finished those I'll really be able to crack on, plus start reading on a genuine 'what do I fancy now?' whim again, as Charlotte emphasised recently. It really is ridiculous how many books I've been 'keeping for best'! You know, 'I'm really looking forward to that one, it looks amazing... so I won't read it yet, I'll save it as a special treat.' I didn't even realise I was doing this, it's so stupid! Madness.
If anyone else is having similar troubles (aren't we all?), I'd heartily refer you to a new blog I've discovered this week during the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop. It's called Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity, and not only do Trish and I seem to have very similar taste (I've either read, wishlisted or bought about 85% of her review archive) but some of her posts could have been about me! I've been taking heart from her old Sunday Salon posts, Taming of the Shelves and The Great Bookshelf Overhaul, in which she laid out her own TBR problem and got some fantastic responses in the comments with ideas, tips and reassurance. Of course, deep down we all know a lot of these things already, but sometimes it helps to have twenty other people say it too!
This is what I'm aiming for - only with FILLED crates of books, obviously!
So, the journey goes on. I'd really like to get to a point where I don't feel like my TBR shelves are taking over my life. I don't want to feel like I should be reading at every spare moment, not because I want to, but because I need to clear some books. I'd like to be able to hear about an amazing new book, buy it, and read it there and then without waiting five years! And when we move, I'd really like not to have my entire bedroom taken over by bookshelves. Once upon a time I'd have loved it, but it's all getting a bit much now... Ideally my books will be a nice focal point of the room, not THE ENTIRE ROOM! ;)
So, that's how Mount TBR's been reduced thus far. Any advice or words of encouragement to offer up as I carry on clearing? Leave 'em in the comments!
Welcome to my first ever giveaway hop! The Literary Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes, is an alternative to a lot of the giveaway hops held elsewhere that seem to comprise of mostly YA, fantasy and paranormal blogs and prizes. I enjoy those too, because I read a bit of everything, but often a lot of the same books are being given away across the board, so I wanted to take part in a more eclectic version!
There are several big 'anniversaries' happening for me at the moment so it seemed a good time for a giveaway. My 2-year blogoversary is at the start of July, it's our bookshop's third birthday around the same time, I turned 25 at the end of May, and it's been a year since last summer's big Page to Screen event here on Musings of a Bookshop Girl! How time flies, and all that...
The Books
So, what can you win? Given my general adherence to the 'read then watch' rule, I've decided to offer up a selection of books that are making (or have already made) the leap onto the big screen in 2012 (plus one that isn't far behind). I love reading a book then finding out how a director has worked that book into a new medium, for a new audience!
The winner will choose ONE BOOK from the following list. There are some fantastic titles up for grabs, so choose wisely!
1. The Woman in Black - Susan Hill
2. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
3. Bel-Ami - Guy de Maupassant
4. We Bought a Zoo - Benjamin Mee
5. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen - Paul Torday
6. Cosmopolis - Don DeLillo
7. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
8. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick
9. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
10. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
11. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
12. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (this one's 2013, but so what!)
The Rules
1. Just fill in the form below - it's as easy as that! I've never used Rafflecopter before, so if you have any problems, let me know!
2. This giveaway is
INTERNATIONAL, as long as Book Depository ships free to your
country. I have Amazon Prime now so if the winner is in the UK I may send your book that way instead.
3. You get one free entry on the form; all additional entries are optional.
4. The giveaway runs to the end of 27th June.
5. The winner has 72 hours to respond to my email; after that I will choose a new winner.
6. You may receive a different edition/cover to the one shown, and I reserve the right to amend the list if prices of any of the books
suddenly rocket ridiculously. Not that I think it'll happen, but better to be
safe than sorry! :)
This book is what would happen if Doctor Who, Gone With The Wind and the complete novels of Charles Dickens were all blitzed together in a blender and served up with a hot zombie on the front. Seriously. After a fairly slow start, it gradually picked up pace until by the end, I couldn't have stopped reading if I'd tried...
The first in Habel's Gone With The Respiration series, Dearly, Departed is about the kidnap of Nora Dearly, a young lady in a post-apocalyptic New Victorian society. Still reeling from the death of her father a year ago, Miss Dearly is attacked in her home by a band of zombies - only to be rescued from her own rooftop by another. Before she knows it she is having to come to terms with life in a zombie army camp, and finds herself caught up in a war that is fast becoming far more personal than she could ever have dreamed. As the icing on this new and bizarre cake, she might just be falling for the handsome Bram, the young (dead) captain of the 'Z-Comp'...
There is much to recommend Habel's debut novel. There are some wonderful characters at the centre of the story: Bram and Nora are deeply appealing, and the supporting cast are, without exception, utterly engaging. I particularly liked Bram's witty friend Chas (who reminded me very much of Arriane in Lauren Kate's Fallen series) and one of the zombie doctors, Doctor Samedi (great name, too!) who both lit up the page every time they appeared! The slow-burning romance, with its emphasis on genuine old-fashioned courting and mutual understanding, is a far cry from the much-maligned insta-attraction of some modern YA and paranormal novels.
The political backdrop tying the characters and plot threads together is satisfyingly complicated, with wars erupting between the living and the dead, between the Punk and New Victorian societies, and between 'good' zombies and 'bad' zombies. This paves the way for the exploration of plenty of ethical and moral grey areas, led by complex characters with both glorious virtues and horrendous flaws. There are some gory moments, but equally there is always a dose of humour to lighten the most intense chapters. The zombie-creating 'Lazarus' virus is well thought out (and again, wonderfully named!), and the 'coping mechanisms' Habel has created for her zombie army are quite fascinating. The multiple narrative works well, allowing several important subplots to play out side by side in the build-up to the explosive climax.
There were, however, a few things I didn't like so much. Occasionally I felt like I'd missed a step and had to go back and read a section again to untangle a dodgy paragraph or unclear plot point. The book had a very slow start that I initially found ominously offputting, taking far too long to establish the New Victorian technology and attitudes. The 'teen angst' during this opening section didn't really sit well with the rest of the novel either. The futuristic Victorian-based society definitely allows Habel her creative freedom, but occasionally felt like an excuse for accidental slips of language and modern idiom. A few bad typos didn't help matters ('pouring' over a map?) and got quite jarring at times.
Happily, despite these small (and easily fixable) issues, I found myself utterly immersed in Habel's world, with its horrors and delights, romances and friendships, political unrest and old-fashioned manners. It was quite an addictive read in the end, and I found myself turning the pages faster and faster, rooting for Bram and Nora and the triumph of the good guys over the bad guys. Habel left the book on a bit of a cliffhanger ready for the next in the series, so I'm now chomping at the bit waiting for Dearly, Beloved to hit our shelves! Highly recommended!
Notable Quotables:
"There are symbols of me everywhere around you. I am in everything I have ever touched. I am in every memory you may have of me. I am in every utterance of my name. I am in every atom of your blood.' He looked deeply into the camera. He was crying... 'It is impossible for human beings to truly die. We leave too much behind.'"
"It is the ability to carry on with life that will see us triumphant in the end."
"I stared at the doors until they stopped moving. I stood there until I was fairly sure I was composed. She really needed to not do things like that, because the Laz was thrilled at the idea of chasing her, and priming my muscles for the task."
"I had nothing to give her. I couldn't exactly arrange for a skating party or a trip into the city, or anything. I really sucked at this whole 'I am very attracted to you and would like to demonstrate this to you via attention and creative uses of my disposable income' thing... I finally had to fully acknowledge it. I liked her. I liked her a lot."
"I looked at Bram. I looked at all of them in turn. It was like I was caught up in a carnival freakshow, or one of the lowest levels of hell. In my panic, I felt like they were looming over me - creatures full of holes, their flesh missing, their skin stitched together like horrifying rag dolls, watching me with eyes like mirrors reflecting a sickly moon."
"This time, I let myself fully enjoy it - the fact that I had already come to care for her, and that she obviously cared for me. The fact that I could touch her, and she wouldn't rebuff it. The fact that she sought me out. It was the simplest, purest thing I've ever experienced."
Source: Many thanks to the lovely folks at Random House Children's Publishing, who sent me a copy of this book for an honest review (and did a bit of fangirling about the cute cover model along the way!).
Soooo, it's been a while. It's that time of year again, when the shop gets busier, the tourists get louder, and I lose the will to do much beyond playing around online and/or burying my nose in a book. Unfortunately, our internet at home has been down for the last couple of weeks, so most of my playing around online has happened at the shop, and I've not really been in the mood to blog at all! Oh well... So, what do I have to tell you?
I HAZ A PINTEREST
And I've been VERY busy on there, haha! I'm still at the Crack Addict stage, so please bear with me... Why did no one push me over there before? I have an addictive personality, it was MADE for me! I'm now planning my dream wedding (even though I'm single), pinning beautiful places to visit (even though I work six days a week), drooling over food porn (even though I don't cook) and going crazy finding ideas for my room when we move house (yeah, that's a valid one).
I think the reason I'm enjoying it so much is that it's like being a child again. You know, when you were a kid and you used to have a scrapbook with your favourite things in it, and you used to love looking through catalogues and looking at nice clothes, and you had a field day with school projects because you could plan your dream vacation without having to worry about little things like Luggage Allowance and Paying For Stuff? No? It can't just have been me!
Pinterest brings it all back in an EASY way. It gives you permission to dream big again. You don't have to be moving house, or creating culinary masterpieces, or going around the world, or getting married - but you can FANTASIZE about what you'd do if you were. You can get excited about the little details. You can think beyond your normal boundaries. You can widen your horizons. And with the technological upgrade from cork board to online board, you can see OTHER PEOPLE doing these things and BE OBSESSIVE TOGETHER! I love it! It's reminding me of all the things I love, all the things I want, all the things I could do and be - it's no wonder I've barely been off it since I joined!
If you'd like to check out what the heck I've been doing with my time recently, you can find me HERE, or click the 'Follow me on Pinterest' button in the sidebar. :)
I HAZ A FEVER
For interior decorating. And organisation. And getting rid of stuff. We all get it every now and again - the Urge to Purge, to have a Really Good Clear-Out - but right now that Urge is strong. So I'm going with it, because it doesn't happen nearly often enough! Between the hoarder programmes I love so much, and Pinterest showing me all the pretty bedrooms and glorious tiny houses, I'm in a real mood to clear some stuff the hell out. Magazines, books, clothes, as well as digital stuff like music, images and emails - it all needs doing again, so I'm going to see how much I can do before lethargy once again becomes my default setting!
I HAZ A WISDOM TOOTH
Several of them, in fact. And they're nasty little buggers, and they're making my head hurt and my face feel like I was a chipmunk in a previous life. That is all.
I HAZ A MOVIE
Okay, now, seriously - how cool is this? First up, it's very cool that City Lights are still printing Howl by Allen Ginsberg in the same cute little pocket edition as the original. Then, for added coolness, the Ginsberg estate wanted to do something special, and A Movie Was Made. It is a biopic-type film about the Howl obscenity trial, starring James Franco as the offbeat poet - and as we all know, James Franco does offbeat poetical biopics VERY, VERY WELL. I've seen half of it so far (it really needs to be WATCHED, and it was getting late), and it is SPECTACULAR. A mixture of documentary-style segments, courtroom drama (with Don Draper for the defence, oh yes), biographical flashbacks and these bizarre animated sequences set to the frenetic pace of the poetry itself. As if that wasn't cool beans enough, CHECK THIS OUT!
Here is the book and the movie, with the slipcase thingy on:
And here is the book and the movie, with the slipcase thingy OFF:
THEY ARE THE SAME! WHY WOULD YOU PUT A CRAPPY MODERN SLIPCASE OVER THE DVD WHEN IT IS ALL ICONIC AWESOMENESS UNDERNEATH? Madness...
I HAZ A DEAD DUCK DAY
In a bookshop first, yesterday I had to clean up a dead duck. It had obviously been hit by a car near the bridge, and had either flown up and hit the wall, sliding down it cartoon-style, or (and this is possibly more likely) someone picked it up and lovingly PLACED it by the wall upside down to get it out the way. There were feathers everywhere, and a sodding DEAD DUCK. So I was nominated to head out with a bin bag and carefully pick it up. Poor thing. People were watching and I felt like a total criminal, stalking away from the bloody crime scene with a body in a bag. I felt even more like a criminal (only in a farcical comedy, a bit) when I had to swing the bag round to tie it off, then surruptitiously shove it in a public bin by the river because there's no council service at weekends... Sometimes this job is just plain WEIRD. :(
I HAZ (LIVE) DUCKY PHOTOS
Happily, not all the duckies this weekend were dead ones. We've also FINALLY spotted a new mother duck with seven healthy ducklets (awwww!) and a new mother moorhen with EIGHT teeny tiny stubby-winged babies. With all the cold and rain, and the river levels going up and down and destroying nests every five minutes, it's nice to finally see some little ones around here! It was a bit windy to get moorhen photos, but I did manage a ducky one when the mother wasn't looking! It's a rubbish photo, but it's the best I could do...
I HAZ A CUNNING PLAN
Despite all of these excuses things, I do have ackshual plans and posts and stuff on the way at some point, I promise. I've finished Dearly Departed by Lia Habel, and I've nearly finished V for Vendetta as well, so I'll be reviewing those. After that I'm finishing the intriguing In Cold Blood, and then I'm free of the current batch of reading and I can pick something completely new! Towards the end of the month I'm taking part in Judith's Literary Giveaway Blog Hop over at Leeswammes, as well as posting a Mixing It Up Challenge check-in to mark our half-way point. All of which means that I WILL have to get off Pinterest at some point, which is probably a good thing! :)
What have you been up to recently, either inside or OUTSIDE the blogging world? Are you a Pinterest fan, and how do you use it? DID YOU KILL THAT DUCK?! Confess all in the comments!
I picked this up in a book sale and didn't really expect much beyond a fluffy light read. What I actually discovered is that this is a fresh, breezy and relatable YA novel that I will be happily keeping on my shelf for next time I need something fun to cheer me up!
Mara Valentine is perfect. She has the perfect grades, the perfect extra-curriculars, the perfect future, and the perfect plan to get there. In between organising student events and liaising with her teachers, she is planning a fast-track summer of college courses so that she can enter Yale as a second year. Then, to her horror, her wild, pot-smoking 15 year-old niece V arrives and turns her life upside down - and as if this wasn't enough to contend with, she also realises that she is falling for her handsome older boss James. The novel explores how these two completely different girls' lives converge. V can teach Mara a thing or two about living life to the full - and about how there's more to life than what grades you get. Meanwhile Mara and her parents slowly begin to instil in V a sense of stability, pride and family loyalty, encouraging her to pursue her talents and study more. If only they could stop treating each other like alien enemies, life in the Valentine house might even become pleasant again...
I really enjoyed Mara and V's journey! I think that anyone who has ever felt the weight of expectation hanging over them during their academic years can relate to Mara - particularly if things haven't always quite gone to plan. I was cheering for her every step of the way! I think that the moral of the story is very sound: that academics are important, but that you can't be good at everything, you can't do it all, and there are other important things in life that can't be graded, like love, friendship, great books, great movies, exciting trips, and taking time to enjoy the world around you. Parents and teachers aren't always right, and ultimately you'll have to make your own decisions.
It's worth mentioning that there are a couple of scenes of mild drug use, and Mara is old enough to go off to university so there's a bit of sexy spiciness between her and James. For that reason alone, I'd be cautious about recommending it to the youngest end of the YA spectrum, but it's a fantastic little read for the older teen market. I'll be keeping Vegan Virgin Valentine on my shelves, and picking up Guyaholic, the second V Valentine novel, at some point too!
Source: I bought this book in an Amazon bargain-bin clearance sale.
This is a shorter read-a-thon than Bout of Books - three days, not seven - but to my delight, spans a Monday-Wednesday, which means IT HITS MY DAY OFF ON TUESDAY! Yessssssss!
It's another great opportunity to devote myself to reading for a few days, to push myself to keep returning to my books instead of mucking about online or watching TV, AND to meet some new blogger friends along the way. Hopefully I might even have finished most of my library books by then, so I can concentrate on toppling a couple of titles from Mount TBR which, as you all know, is in imminent danger of avalanche. Or being rock blasted by my mother. *gulps*
For all the details, and to sign up, you can click on any of the three host blogs listed above. The Linky is the same across all three blogs, so you only need to sign up ONCE.
There will be challenges to participate in, and anyone who participates in at least one challenge and posts at least one update will be eligible for the read-a-thon prize: a $60 Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Book Depository gift card. Now that's a dangling carrot if ever I chased one. :)
Whaddya think? Fancy signing up with me? Go on - you know you want to...
Yes, I hit my quarter-century this week, woohoo! 25 and counting. I had a nice quiet day off that mostly involved reading and sizzling outside in the sunshine - exactly how I like it! I got some lovely cards first thing, most of which involved either cats or cake. Honestly, it's like people think I'm a sweet-toothed cat lady or something... *coughs discreetly* A few people donated to The Trevor Project for my birthday, which was fantastic - thanks everyone!
What else, what else? Ooooh, presents! Cash from the grandparents, of course - and if you've never tasted Marks and Spencer Rocky Road bites, DO IT! My lovely Nana brought me a tub yesterday and OH MY GOD. Chocolate, oats, biscuit, marshmallow, sultanas and glace cherries, all tumbled together. Heaven.
My stepdad, knowing my love of gerbera daisies, bought me a cute little slim bouquet of five and left them downstairs for me to find when I got up. Mum cut some pieces of eucalyptus to fill out the vase and Millie helped me arrange them - don't they look lovely?
Of course, I also got a few books - how could I not? It's the only way I'm going to be getting any for a while, with Mum's "Let Me Teach You About Decimation" threat hanging over me, oops! The lovely Jess at Jess Hearts Books continued her 'yummy book' tradition for another year. Last year it was Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan; this year it was Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams, which is going to make my summer a little bit sweeter, I think! Meanwhile my wonderful sister opted for a pomegranate face mask ("It's so much fun to peel off!") and Alberto Manguel's The Library at Night. I'll read that one when I want to feel super-intelligent. :)
I had a nice relaxed lunch of pitta bread and hot chocolate while I read my book (the lovely Vegan Virgin Valentine - review coming soon!), then decamped outside into the sunshine to catch some rays during the afternoon. When it all got too much I came back inside for a little snooze, haha! Honestly, I read for more than half an hour and I just can't help myself.
Later on we all got a bit dressed up and went off to a nice pub about ten minutes away. It was fairly early so the place was empty and the sun was streaming in through the windows. The food was lovely - beer battered fish and fluffy chips with garden peas, yummy - and it would have been perfect had the woman working on the main till nearby refrained from dishing all the dirt on her divorce, remarriage and various other things practically into our ears as we ate...
I was so tempted to pick something off the tantalising dessert menu (Chocolate chip pancakes! Lemon meringue pie! Aaargh!) but sadly, by the time I'd forced down the last bite of crispy batter even one more sip of water was starting to feel like a Very Bad Idea. So I came home, read a bit more, lay very still for an hour or two... then ate an enormous slice of chocolate birthday cake with vanilla ice cream and mini marshmallows. This was repeated for two more nights only with fresh strawberries instead, and OH MY GOD IT WAS GOOD.
See what I mean? So that was my birthday.
This was also the Week of the Hot Air Balloons. I love hot air balloons. They come down our valley all the time, and when they veer in too low it's pretty exciting. Once or twice we've had them skim the rooftops and almost land in our field, and seeing them appear over the woods, narrowly missing the treetops, always makes for a good photo opportunity.
And now, last but definitely not least, I had a special visitor this week! One of my bestest blog friends arrived, with a cool Kermit bag and a big smile - but it was the giant wedge heels that gave it away... Here's me and the lovely Hanna (of Booking in Heels) in the shop!
Yes, I look like a total dweeb... but I wasn't expecting visitors or I'd have made more of an effort! And hey, shut up, MY HAIR ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE THAT WHEN IT'S HOT! And, er, the rest of the time. I SAID SHUT UP. So anyways, we chatted, and talked books, and then after she left we both got a bit giddy and kept Tweeting at each other in excitement. In short, it was most excellent. :)
I'd also like to thank Miss Hanna very much for her lovely birthday presents! I definitely had an idea that a Pirates! book would be coming my way as we're both a bit hooked, so it wasn't much of a surprise when The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists by Gideon Defoe fell out of the parcel. What WAS a surprise was the beautiful (and deliciously chunky) Storyteller: The Life of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock. I've had my eye on it since before it came out in hardcover, but it was just too big to buy until it came out in paperback! And isn't the cover pretty? THANK YOU HANNA!
Okay, I think that's everything for today! It's now the middle of DAY TWO of the Bank Holiday, and I'm already exhausted. It's been crazy busy - not always in the good way - and I'm craving a little peace and quiet, something to eat, and bit of decent reading time! I'll be writing my review for the very fun Vegan Virgin Valentine over the next day or two, hopefully, and in the meantime I'm going back to In Cold Blood and V for Vendetta, Bank Holiday madness allowing! I'm working all four days, so I might as well try to get stuck into a book, save my sanity as far as possible! *cackles maniacally*
