Stop 1: Book. Stop 2: Movie. (or vice versa)

I have a wee obsession.

Okay, yes, fine, i have several wee obsessions – ranging from my inappropriate use of exclamation marks at the end of everything, taking photos of clouds in the sky, the Beckhams and their perfect life, and the use of the very Americanised ‘O.M.G’ and ‘Shut up’ at the beginning of a lot of my sentences!!! -  but let’s just take a look at the one that’s really relevant to this post: My obsession with book to movie conversions!

I LOVE THEM! Yes, yes, blah, blah… some do nothing but rape and pillage what was a frecken awesome book (‘My Sister’s Keeper’ anyone??). So to avoid this, my personal preference is to see the movie first, then move on to the book. Not always possible, but oh so preferable. ‘Why?’ you ask. Well, you probably won’t be disappointed that way. You see, when you read a book… the stage is fully yours… you create your reality of the story in your own head. Whereas with a movie, its someone else’s reality. And mostly, we believe that our reality is the right one… so the movie will probably suck for you.  

So, where is all this coming from… ?? Why, my reading and DVD choices these past few weeks of course! (Side note: As i’m writing this, i’m watching The Notebook, which i adore… did you know that Ryan Gosling wore brown contacts to play the part??)

My very loyal followers (so that’s my mom, sis and a small handful of mates that feel like they have to read this in case i ask them about it!) would have noticed that i haven’t blogged for quite a few weeks. That’s because instead of hanging with you dudes, i headed to Melbourne to help a friend with some filming (oh, yes, my life is just glamour, glamour, glamour!) and it was just kind of crazy after that. So, on Monday night after work and doing some much needed grocery shopping, i flopped onto the couch and popped on ‘Something borrowed’ expecting nothing much at all. Well, well, well… how surprised was i – i thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, i loved it.

It’s the story of Rachel (played by Ginnifer Goodwin – with awesome bangs!), a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl---until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend, Darcy (played by Kate Hudson – in all her blonde gorgeousness!), throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé (the very delicious Colin Egglesfield – not hard to see why they all wanted to marry him!). Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness. Mention does have to be made here of the other great characters too, especially John Krasinski who has some fantastic one liners. And the 'No, I didn't pull my vagina! I just pulled... near my vagina.' scene is classic! 

No surprises though, as with most of my movie favs, it’s been panned for all the reasons i loved it from here to New York review wise – which btw is where the book is based and looks fabbo. Quite typical... my love of escapism, light hearted trash that gives me über warm fuzzies mostly means that my movie choices are more likely to get nominated for Razzies rather than Oscars! Oh, to be an intellectual… not! Seems sooo boring and intense. So, of course, onto Book Depository i jumped and ordered the book (plus the second book ‘Something Blue’... they had a 10% off on all books!). Now i just have to wait and see if it will live up to the hype in my head. Will keep you posted. (I checked out Emily Giffin’s website... i kind of feel like she might be living my life... sigh!)

Which brings me to the book i’ve just finished… ‘OneDay’ by David Nicholls. For some obscure reason – ‘cause i’m yet to see the movie – i had an overwhelming need to read it and had to literally get into the car and drive to Whitcoulls right there and then rather than order it from my usual channels (online or library).

‘I can imagine you at forty,’ she said, a hint of malice in her voice. ‘I can picture it right now.’
He smiled without opening his eyes. ‘Go on then.’

15th July 1988. Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.
So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year which follows?

And that is what makes this book so amazing. It’s written to span across about 20 years but each chapter covers only one day  - 15 July - the day they met! That is so, so, so super ingenious and clever, i can just about wet my pants in envy! And then, on pg 385… holy f*ckburgers… well, you’ll need to read it yourself to see what happens. I’ll just say i did NOT expect that. So, now i’ve got to see the movie… and I’m scared… ‘cause reliving that part reminds me why i read escapism trash with vampires rather than real stuff from real life. (Reviews are scathings though... so might not be so bad!) 

Ah, and it was library day this week… really i just go there, pick up some random and big glossy picture books for me and the man, come home and flip through them for the next 6 weeks. Heavenly! Love the library. It's one of my happy places. 

v  Images of war : World War One : a photographic record of New Zealanders at war 1914-1918 / Glyn Harper and Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum.

v  Legendary sites of the ancient world : an illustrated guide to over 80 major archaeological discoveries, with expert commentary and more than 350 photographs and maps / Paul Bahn.

v  Eyewitness to history : from ancient times to the modern era / Stephen G. Hyslop, Bob Somerville and John Thompson ; foreword by James Reston, Jr.

v  Modern vintage style / Emily Chalmers ; words by Ali Hanan ; photography by Debi Treloar.

v  Hunting for a hobby / Trevor Paul Bentley.

v  The fashion file : advice, tips, and inspiration from the costume designer of Mad men / Janie Bryant with Monica Corcoran Harel ; foreword by January Jones ; illustrations by Robert Best

v  New York : flying high / [photograhs, Michael Yamashita ; text, Elizabeth Bibb].

v  The blood type diet cookbook / Karen Vago & Lucy Degrémont.

v  Maximise your health with the blood type diet : a revolutionary plan to achieve optimum wellness / James L. D'Adamo ; with Allan Richards.

v  The story of forgetting : a novel / Stefan Merrill Block.

v  Noble purpose : igniting extraordinary passion for life and work / Barry Heermann.

v  A space of my own : inspirational ideas for home offices, craft rooms, and studies / Caroline Clifton-Mogg.

v  Moments : the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs : a visual chronicle of our time / Hal Buell ; foreword by David Halberstam.

v  A matter of style : intimate portraits of 10 women who changed fashion / [text by Paola Saltari ; preface by Anna Molinari ; text translation by Alan Goldwater].

Ok, that's me out...

Kiss kiss love love

BBxx

Oh, Auckland, this is not your best....

Easter eggs and Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver Trilogy

Ah, Easter! One of my favourite times of year where it’s not only encouraged, but completely expected that you eat non-stop chocolate until you vomit… or at least feel overwhelmingly nauseous! And if you don’t… well, then, you’re simply not doing it right and need to try harder.

(Totally unrelated note – as i write this, the man is completely absorbed watching The Masters (i know, that’s a whole other blog!). It’s got incredibly dramatic theme music… every time i hear it; i think it’s the opening bars of the latest big James Cameron blockbuster! It’s so USA! USA! USA!).

And, swiftly-moving-on…

Even more reason to love Easter is that there’s not one, but TWO public holidays nicely bookended with a weekend in between to honour this most wonderful of wonderful chocolate eating celebrations. Of course, me and the man didn’t have to be asked twice before we raced up to the in-laws ‘cute-as-a-button’ bach in sleepy Northland for the weekend. So it was here, in Mangonui, ensconced in my idea of nirvana, surrounded by chocolate bunnies, cups of tea, freshly battered fish, chilled wine, hot cakes and even more chocolate bunnies that i finished the last book in Maggie Stiefvater’s stunning ‘Shiver Trilogy’.

Once upon a time, i never read a book more than once. And i also never paid for books either. Now, i treasure my growing library and with my penchant for Trilogies, Fourlogies, Fivelogies and Sevenlogies, i often have to reread books to remember the finer details before i can launch into the new stuff. But luckily, with writers like Maggie Stiefvater, it’s nothing but a pleasure to re-read lines that are so heart stoppinly beautiful and lyrically exquisite that you could read them again and again and again…


Take this paragraph….


‘…Then i picked my book up again and stroked her hair and read to the soundtrack of her breaths. The weight of her pinned my fleeting thoughts to the ground, and in that moment, i was more in the world than I’d ever been.’

See? See? Pretty awesome, huh?

But i’m getting ahead of myself. You don’t even know what it’s all about and i’m expecting you to ooohhh and ahhhh. So, here we go… Shiver Trilogy 101:

'For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.'

The saga starts with Shiver, moves onto Linger and finishes off with Forever, and as if the writing and story ain’t amazeballs enough, the cover artwork for all three books is totally da’ bomb.

As i read and read and read, i had no idea where Maggie was going with it all - or even how I wanted her to go - but there were definitely parts that i held my breath through, too scared to anticipate the outcome or how brave Ms Stiefvater was going to be with her characters.

I won’t say much more, i’ll instead let you experience it all for yourself – glorious chapter by glorious chapter. But i will say this: i miss Sam, Grace, Isabel and Cole… and that to me is the mark of a totally kick arse book (and writer)… it’s when you’re genuinely sad to no longer be part of their worlds, and find yourself wishing that there were some words left to read that still made them part of yours.

Kiss kiss love love

BBxx

So, the thing is...

….i’m really inquisitive. Some may call it nosy. Or prying. I like to call it simply interested. I know, i know, i can practically hear the gasps of surprise (not!) but the truth is that i’m in various stages of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) for most of the average day.

You see, i’m petrified of one day waking up in my own version of ‘About Schmidt’ (Note to reader: If you want to depress the hell out of yourself, but still see a good movie, this one’s for you! Jack is, as always, amazing!). And sadly, I don’t think that this outcome is as rare as we’d like to believe since there’s a whole bunch of us out there that are sleep walking through their lives.


And i just don’t want to be one of them.

So i try stuff, read about stuff and talk to people about stuff that might make my life just that little bit more amazeballs or interesting than it already is. And sometimes, that just means reading some really good gossip!


So here’s my list of a few books and websites that have resonated with/amused me/delighted me/’more words along that vein’ me and become firm favourites:

Books:


‘You can heal your life’ and ‘The Power is within you’ by Louise Hay
I read ‘You can heal your life’ cover to cover, and then went in for more with ‘The Power is within you’. I simply adored them and still check in with both fairly regularly. It’s easy since they both sit permanently in the pile next to my bed.


‘Being happy’ by Andrew Matthews
So easy. So simple. And a delight to read… even on the second, sixth or tenth go.


‘The Power’ by Rhonda Byrne
I wasn’t a massive fan of The Secret and would not have bought this book for myself. But, alas, life is a funny old thing and it was instead given to me as a gift. Guess what? I loved it… for exactly that reason – it was all about the power of love, and how that gets you what you heart truly desires.


‘The Red Book’ by Sera Beak
Wow! What red hot passion for life does this girl have! I’m totally buying whatever she’s peddling ‘cause this sassy lady talks my lingo. Her ‘Red Book of Chakras’ is also very interesting.


‘The Goddess Guide’ and ‘The Goddess Experience’ by Gisele Scanlon
Oh, to have such a fancy pants name and such beautiful books against it. If i didn’t like her so damn much, I’d probably hate her. Some beautifully escapist stuff here. And the imagery – AMAZE!


‘Conversations with God’ -Book 1,2 and 3’ and ‘The little soul and the sun’ by Neale Donald Walsch
I’ve covered of how if feel about these in an earlier post but will add that, boy oh boy, these puppies get you thinking!


‘Crazy Sexy Diet’ by Kris Carr
So not what it sounds like so buckle up, baby, ‘cause i can assure you that you will never look at the things you are putting into your mouth quite the same way again.


‘Italian Joy’, ‘Paris Tango’ and ‘Chasing a dream’ by Carla Coulson
This girl just did it; she picked up her life and followed her desire. All with camera in-hand. My French Life by Vicki Archer was also photographed by Carla… STUNNING!


‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert
The hype hadn’t hit New Zealand yet, and the movie wasn’t made either when i picked up this gem in New York on my honeymoon in 2008. I was on the Sex and the City tour (oh, how i miss thee, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte – I own all the picture books of this epic show too!), munching a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery while browsing the book store across the road (also seen in an episode with Miranda). And there it was, nestled on the table, humbly declaring itself a #1 New York Times bestseller. It soon found itself on my best seller list too. Again, it’s the sassy gals ‘just doing it’ that find a place in my heart.


‘Complete self-help for your nerves’ by Dr Claire Weekes
I’m sure most have you have worked out that i’m a bit of an over thinker. What happens with that is that you freak yourself out, but keep pushing, keep forcing while totally ignoring all the signs that your body is giving you to slow-the-f*ck-down. And then something snaps… and BOOM – its Panic Attack central. This book was the first real life raft that made me feel like there was a chance I might actually, just maybe, one day feel like myself again. For any of you out there experiencing this… know that there is hope, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Don’t give up moving towards it. x


Websites:


You’ll notice that these are A LOT more light-hearted than the reading material. They give me the simplest of life’s gifts easily – JOY!


http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ - oh where, oh where, oh where would i be without the joys of book depository! Um, free shipping… ‘nuff said. (Actually, one more thing, when i found these guys from a referral, i was so impressed that i emailed them. And I got a reply from one of the head honchos. To me, that’s impressive sh*t).


http://laineygossip.com/ – she’s an absolute bi-atch. I love her.


http://www.etsy.com/ - I love how this supports the little man to do what he loves and make a bit of $$ from it. There aren’t enough beautiful and unique things left in the world anymore thanks to ‘The Corporation’. Also quite like http://felt.co.nz/  – New Zealand’s own version. And http://www.trademe.co.nz/  of course, because we don’t need everything new all the frecken time.


http://pinterest.com/ - there is some cool sh*t on the world wide web… this is like the bestest place to keep it all. Yes, yes, yes – I know, big brother – it’s nigh impossible to avoid him these days. If only it wasn’t all so addictive.


http://scraphacker.com/ - more ‘cool sh*t’ sharing, I just love it all so damn much.


http://www.jessicaadams.com/ - love this girl, also talks my lingo.
http://www.astrostyle.com/ - why stick with one, when you can have two – literally.


http://www.thecoolhunter.com.au/ - this is my dream job, right here… i want to be a cool hunter too!


http://bleubirdvintage.typepad.com/ - more cool, so effortlessly cool it hurts my eyes.


Kiss kiss love love


BBx

A new year, a new (fill in the blank)

Holy f*ckballs! Someone turned off the lights and when they came back on... it was 2012!

Not that i entirely mind as 2011 – regardless of my rantings on what a great number it was/is (still sort feel that way... 11 11 11 11 ... such flow!) - sucked the big one! My diary entries started
off with a hiss and a roar, petered out from around march, and was practically blank from june! I’ll be happy as a mofo if i never ever, EVER have to repeat another year like that. I worked my frecken arse off, packed on the pounds, lost about 6,ooo words on my manuscript and didn’t really achieve much of anything outside of work! I honestly felt like it was just NEVER GOING TO END! But, like all things, it did... and i’m not ashamed to admit that when i walked out of the office for xmas break on Friday, 23 dec, i cried! Yes, real tears of sheer relief.

Results of said terrible year is that i’ve noticed that i’m a bit gun shy in 2012, and as soon as i feel like my work pile is getting up there, there are rumblings of anxiety and heart palpitations. But,
i quickly remind myself that i’ve now got an amazingly supportive team and am no longer rowing a leaky boat with no rudder and only half an oar through a tsunami. That kind of helps the hysteria.

Good old yin and yang is always in place though and all was not lost...
I may have lost 6,000 word on my 2nd book (i still clearly feel the cut of that pain when i think about it) – but it’s what led me to try Screenplay writing, which i’m really enjoying!
I may have put on at least 8kgs by rekindling my love of the perfect brioche and anything with empty calories – but it made me realise the damage i’m doing by putting so much sh*t into my mouth (Kris Carr can take credit here too)
I may not have done as much work as i’d have liked on my spiritual self – but i did take some key steps on that lifelong journey (Thanks, Melissa Bult!)
I may not have felt like i was going to get through in one sane piece that wasn’t completely anxiety addled – but i did, and it reconfirmed that i do have some amazing inner strength.

So, bottom line – it’s over and 2012 has arrived! And what a big year it’s meant to be...already notorious and coming with its own press and PR, its sounds like a good’un if we can make it past 21 December. But, see, that’s the thing about these things... you just never know until you’re on the other side.

Books i loved in 2011:

‘Your voice in my head’ – Emma Forrest
AMAZE! I could not put it down... loved
it! Emma Watson has been cast in the movie, and i cannot wait to see what she’ll do with this meaty content.

The Hunger Games ‘Mockingjay’ – Suzanne Collins
I was a little slow on the uptake here... i read the first 2 books in 2010, bought the 3rd when i came out but wasn’t inspired enough to read it straight off. By the time i started it months
later, i couldn’t recall what had happened in book 1 and 2, so started them again and... LOVED IT! My books are now being circulated at work as everyone gets into it in anticipation of the first movie instalment next week. I’m not that keen on the casting of Peeta (he’s shorter than me!) but the jury is out until i see it... will keep you posted!

Game of Thrones series – George R.R Martin
OMG – sucked in, hook line and sinker! I actually watched the HBO series first from a recommendation and because i love that sort of sh*t so much, i rushed straight out and bought the first 4 books... and they DID NOT disappoint! I cannot wait for HBO’s next series to start on 1 April - it’s already diarised! Shout out here for Tyrion Lannister... Peter Dinklage doing an amazing job with my fav charater!

The Mortal Instruments Series (Book 1-4...more to come) – Cassandra Clare
Just my usual weakness for paranormal romance... total escapism trash... hmmm, ‘nuff said! Did also start the Infernal Devices series (Book 1 and 2) but think i preferred TMI.

Conversations with God (Book 1, 2 and 3) – Neale Donald Walsch
Love. I learn something every time i pick them up. The wisdom leaves me well overwhelmed... it just has to come from a higher source, it’s just too clever not to! Read them yourself though and make your own call.

‘The biology of belief’ – Bruce H Lipton
Another one that got my brain tick, tick, ticking. Some pretty thought provoking observations. And it wasn’t that complex either, meaning that my wee little brain could keep up. He talks ‘ordinary peeps’ rather than ‘PHD peeps’.

Hmmm... yes, those are the ones that i can recall right this minute.

So, that’s me for now.

Kiss kiss love love

BBx

“Called or uncalled, God is always present.” - Erasmus

My dirty secret....

Right, here it is... this might make or break our relationship but all of us have something we're a little ashamed about but love anyway. At least mine isn't something like... say, i enjoy wrapping my bits in glad wrap and then electrocuting myself, or wearing other people's dirty underwear that i've stolen from a laudromat!

Instead, my dirty secret is that i love the Twilight Series. Yes, yes, i've heard it all before. Whatever! I love it, and i think that Stephenie Meyer (even though that wrongly placed 'e' in her name does make me raise an eyebrow) did an amazing job.

And i love the movies too. I actually saw Twilight before i read any of the books. I was flying to Melbourne, there was nothing else to watch, so i gave it a go and just loved it. We had some really bad turbulence, and i was like, please God, can you keep this plane in the air at least until i see the end of this movie. Of course, the books were purchased at the airport on the flight out.

I've even did the midnight screening for New Moon and Eclipse (not again though, i don't think i'm Twihard enough!). And that's HUGE for me 'cause i've never allow myself to get sucked in this sort of thing - way TOO cool for school - HP was blah (great writing though), the Spice Girls never floated my boat (although i love Brand Beckham now and secretly want to be BFF's) and i never owned a Cabbage kid or anything gimmicky like that. But still, i'm counting down for Breaking Dawn... One and Two (hello, money spinner!)

And then there's Rob Pattinson. The man is frecken gorgeous, there's no denying it (although i don't think he's even remotely like his character, unlike KS - who i have a love hate relationship with). Excitingly enough, he even sneaks in as acceptable on the cougar scale (divide your age in half, and add 7) which means i can legitimately fantasize about him and not get arrested. I like his acting too. Yes, really. I loved 'remember me' and can't wait to see 'water for elephants'.

But even i, who loves the series, is an absolute supporter of SM's vision, and have spent my fair share of $$ on the franchise, am just sooooo amused at how completely crazed some of the fans are.

Seriously, people, IT IS JUST A STORY! I know, I know, really hard to believe that vampires aren't running around secretly (hopefully i won't regret that statement in a few years down the track) and that it's all pretend. BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS AND THAT IS THAT IT IS JUST A STORY! (BAM! How's that word play!)

Which is why things like this amuse me sooooo much. Are these people GENUINELY arguing on amazon -with strangers - about the authenticity of Bella's pregnancy (Oops, sorry, may have spoilt that for some... my bad!)?? Really? Really?? Reaaalllllllyyyyyy???

And then there's shit like this, and this. And this! People, at the risk of getting a twihard whipping myself, it's pure fiction, pure and lovely escapism trash. You do not have to threaten people's lives over this or attack those that aren't as fervent as you are. Love it by all means, adore it, go ahead, but please, come, join us in the real world again. It's actually not a bad place to be.

Right, my piece said i've got to go and board up my house now for my own safety.

Kiss kiss love love

P.S To validate if you might be a Twihard, please check the description here. However, if you are feeling waves of anger and potential violence towards me, no need to check - I think we can safely assume you're one.

And the award for worst blogger in the world goes to....

Me!

Or alternatively, it's just that i'm so ahead of the times and didn't even know it (admittedly, i didn't get to the end of post... i got bored half way and just took what i wanted from it!).

Well, you might have noticed that it's 2011! Whoop whoop... 11 is a great number. I love 11... there's something awesome about it, like it has some sort of quiet strength that just pisses all over 10, 12, 13 etc etc. And of course, it's the year of the rabbit, which means we get to catch our breathe after the year of the tiger, along with - apparently - loads of luxury and plenty of money. Erm, wasn't it exactly all those things - or our infatuation with them - that made the year of the tiger such a bitch?? But, hell, ok, yes, i'll take it thanks... i'm so over the doom and gloom.

Not that you can get away from that either. Take Christchurch, poor, sweet, already hammered Christchurch. How much more can that wee little city take?? As if living with after shocks 24/7 isn't enough, turns out lightning does strike in the same place twice. And with a vengeance. Probably not appropriate to bring this up now, but I got so irritated by how everyone went on and on and on about 'poor Christchurch' after the first earthquake. I mean, seriously.... not even a gold fish died after a 7 pointer hit (at least, there weren't reports of it and we all know how the media loves to grab onto that sort of thing and run with it)... how could that NOT be something to dance in the streets about and celebrate. But instead, it was dramatization media style - would they ever recover from it all??? And now, and now... yes, this is tragic, this is sad, this is horrendous. People have died, families and friends have lost loved ones... this is some serious shit. Serious and devastating. This is when we are validated by saying 'poor Christchurch'. And my heart absolutely bleeds for them. Still though, you won't find me saying 'Will they ever recover?"... of course they will. They have to. They must. It would be even more tragic if they didn't. So they will. And the memories of all those that didn't have a choice will remain at the centre of that.... cherished and alive.

But enough... i'm getting myself all worked up about it.. .which is why i avoid the news at all costs. The news is shit. It's horrible. It makes me feel like there is very little hope of... anything really. And... well, oh so very very guilty about my sweet, nice, safe little life. And we all know that guilt is the most useless of emotions.

And on the topic of my sweet, nice, safe (boring?) little life... what have i been up to?? Very little if the truth be told. Short version: Work my arse off in the week, and then totally blob on the weekends, shacked up in the four walls that i call home. My writing, well, my writing hasn't been all that hot. I seem to have lost my mojo... which is annoying because the story is good. In fact, the story is great! But still, i prefer to wrap myself up in the worlds of other's making... and not focusing on getting mine built up. I'm sitting on about 25,000 words, it's at a crucial part, and still, i can't convince myself to sit down and get going. Even though i can clearly recall how it makes my blood hum and heart hammer, how an amazing session of writing is better than sex and chocolate - combined - yet i still cannot seem to convince myself to just sit down and write... which is basically what you're required to do if you want to be a writer! Hmmmm...

But, one piece of good news, and 'scuse me while i just blow my own trumpet around now, is that I finished my freelance journalism course... with some damned good feedback. Thank God it's over... it was hanging over me like a bad smell (and was also one of my excuses as to why i wasn't writing!). A+ on my last assignment ain't a bad way to finish up... with comments like 'an absolute pleasure to read. I wish all my assignments were this good.' My lecturer also added, 'You're a really talented writer (and i don't say this lightly - you're genuinely really good!!).' Ahhhh.... gave me the warm fuzzies that .... and left me wondering why i don't do more of it. So why don't i???

Bloody hell... am i meant to answer that?? Why don't i do a lot of things i should... like eat less, exercise more, meditate, do yoga, write... blah, blah, blah - all for the same reasons... i'm a lazy bitch! Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that i've got no kids, so can be lazy. Hmmm... or maybe not. Bottom line... i seem to NOT do a lot of things i should.

Ok, bored with that.... (when i should be writing and not blogging)!

Let's get onto the good stuff... what i've been reading:

Well, first of all, it was xmas so i wanted some real light hearted, easy to read trash, and so caved and bought the first 2 books in Lauren's Conrad's 'LA Candy' trilogy. I haven't bought the 3rd one yet, but will no doubt cave there too... they actually weren't that bad and seriously easy reading. Totally about her life though even if she claims they aren't. I was never a Hills watcher - i tried, but the vagueness and stupidity of even people that weren't regulars just about killed me - but a g-friend who was regular is reading the books and she says almost totally the same. Which does make me wonder, what will LC write about after this?? Will be interesting to see. At least i know now what the spots are called that famous folk have their pictures take at... hold up, i think i've forgotten - was it a still see, a see off, a see spot... something like that!

Of course, I can't resist any Lauren Weisberger novel, even though i don't think 'The Devil wears Prada' will ever be topped (go on, Lauren, prove me wrong!) so paid my cash and was the proud owner of a shiny new copy of the 'Last night at Chateau Marmont'. Love what that girl has done with her brand using shoes, love, love, love it! Quite enjoyed the book, super easy to read and typically Lauren, although some of the characters were a bit 2-dimensional. She did keep me guessing with how she was going to finish up so that Julian isn't the prick he surely has to be... non?

And then let's move onto 3 lots of trilogies (all of which have their last books come out in Summer 2011) that i absolutely adored...

Maggie Stiefvater, you're amazing! I started off with 'Shiver', which i loved... so promptly moved onto 'Linger', which was just as wonderful. And it was wolves, not vampires, how refreshing! So, of course, i had to try 'Lament', which was just ok, and then 'Ballad', which i quite enjoyed. 'Lament' and 'Ballad' really showed me how writers develop and improve their writing styles as they go along. I am so waiting in anticipation to see what will happen to Sam and Grace.

And then there was Becca Fitzpatrick, whose 'hush, hush' cover i just adored. Becca, love your work, but out of the three, I'd say it was my third place. Not that Patch and Nora's story isn't worth a read... i totally enjoyed... there was just something about some aspects, like being left alone as much as she was, that left me wondering.

And then there was Lauren Kate's 'Fallen' and 'Torment', which i absolutely consumed. Amazing covers too. I loved it... Fallen Angels have totally tickled my fancy.

Cannot wait to read the last books of all of these!

So, now what, maybe a break from the paranormal... ok, let's give Sara Donati a go. So into the'Into the Wilderness' series i jumped... but it took AGES for me to get sucked in. At 876 pages, this book is a monster, and i was more than half way through before i found myself wondering about the book during my day to day stuff - aka doing some work to earn $$! So it was ok - a sweet and beautifully written book - but i think that my reading tastes have changed so much because i usually love these sorts of books. I have just purchased the 2nd in the series so it must have interested me somehow.

And then it was onto.... 'The Black Dagger Brotherhood' by JR Ward. Ah-mazing! Was riveted from the word go and chewed through them. Have finished the 6 i had, and there is another 2 to go, and then she has a - wait for it - FALLEN ANGEL SERIES! But on the Brotherhood books, could no put them down. Did struggle a wee bit with the stunningly names characters - Wrath, Phury, Tohrment, Vishous, Rhage and my favourite, Zsadist - but that's just me, whenever names are more exotic than Isabel, Spike and Spencer, i seem to really struggle with keeping up whose who (happened in 'Into the Wildernsess' too, was never sure, right up to the end, what the diffs was between the Kahnyenkehaka characters).

Ok, i think that is enough to make up for the fact that i haven't blogged since April last year. I'm sure there are some books i've forgotten, and i'm too tired to get into the movies i've seen... but let's look at the bight side - THE DROUGHT IS BROKEN.... I'VE ACTUALLY BLOGGED!

Love love kiss kiss