Posted by admin on Jan 17, 2010 in
books,
lists 
The last two months have seen a heightened level of reading time, due to holidaying, and thus a great many more books were consumed than normal. Due to a particularly helpful bittorrent, I managed to make my way through some of my favourite authors back catalogue, and can happily now add a wide selection of Philip. K.Dick novels to my mental library.
The Gathering storm, Wheel of Time , By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
I was completely devastated when Robert Jordan died, in part because it’s always a shame when one loses a great man due to the ravages of illness, and partly because I’d immersed myself in the WOT series for ten years now, and NEEDED to know what would happen to Rand et al. Jordan created a world of such density and scale that Sanderson, the new ghostwriter couldn’t manage to end the age in one book, needing three in fact to do so. This is the first book in the final trilogy and Sanderson has an acute wry style which picks up perfectly where Jordan left off. His turn of phrase is remarkably accurate, and the characters conundrums continue to be compelling and perplexing. Read more…
Tags: Ben Elton Meltdown, books, Kiran Desai, Marian Keyes, Philip.K.Dick, reading list, Robert Aspirin, Wheel of Time
Posted by admin on Nov 28, 2009 in
books 
Another month, another multitude of books that have been devoured. A stranger selection than usual.
Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett
Pratchett bravely tackles the eccentricities of football in his latest book, referencing the varying views on the popular sport. You see the wizards of the Unseen University learning to master it, and the street urchins displaying unfathomable skill which seems magical to the wizards. An interesting dissection of how sport crosses all cultural divides, and how it’s perceived by those not directly involved in it.
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
Deeply delicious, this book follows the unlikely tale of a hostage situation, where a house full of wealthy people are captured and then held for over 3 months. The relationships and entanglements that form out of this situation are strangely dark, yet sweet; and though the end is inevitably tragic the journey is unforgettable. Read more…
Tags: books, reading, Terry Pratchett
Posted by admin on Aug 16, 2009 in
books,
geekery,
technology 
pop up book lamp
Isn’t this stunning? When I first spotted it I did a double take when I saw a price next to it- as something this funky, unusual and beautiful normally falls into the realms of the prototype design. But no, investigation revealed this intriguing pop-up book lamp is actually for sale- and isn’t it gorgeous!
Details on quite how it works ate a little vague, but I can tell you that you can choose between a red or gray linen book that pops out a pretty lamp when it opens. There are two styles of lamp to choose from- Parisian style or Streetlamp, but whether it runs off batteries or electrical impulses isn’t clear.
Due to the fact the dimensions are 41×30 inches I’m guessing they could fit some sort of battery, but who knows? It’s gorgeous, its affordable and it’s seriously quirky!
Get it for $95 from Charles & Marie.
Tags: books, design, gadgets, geek, pop up book
Posted by admin on Aug 3, 2009 in
books 
Another two months, another rather random selection of books under my belt- some of which have greatly troubled the boyfriend (see image above). I’m 5 books closer to finishing all the Booker novels (yippee!) and have read a startling amount of vampire themed kids books as well, which tie in quite nicely with watching Season One of True Blood. In no particular order, here are the latest on my literary adventures.
Night World, two anthologies by L.J.Smith
The first rule of fight club is that nobody talks about fight club, and the same principle applies even more closely to the Night World - where a mere mention of it means death to all. Think shadowy creatures of the night such as Vampires, witches ‘n werewolves , who lead a supernatural existence feeding off vermin (humans), but what happens when the rule of silence is broken- for love of vermin? The theme may be repetitive in the genre AND the books, but the prose is fast paced and easy to read, and written in a lighthearted yet compelling manner. I remember reading some of these when I was younger, and quite like how they’ve re-jacketed the book- very spooky- more angst ridden Harry Potter reader than a whimsical magic loving ten year old. Read more…
Tags: booker prize, books, science fiction, self help, vampires
Posted by admin on Jul 24, 2009 in
beauty,
news 
What does the word panto connote to you? It takes me back to auditoriums filled with sticky excited E numbered kids watching bejeweled men and women dance around in elaborate finery. There would be lewd jokes, men in drag and the obligatory, ‘He’s behind you’ catcalls, combined with the inevitable happy ending and feeling of magic. Cinderella was always my favourite, but I also have a soft spot for Aladdin, and it seems Selfridges buyers echo my feelings of nostalgia.
This year the store is going to be bedecked in gaudy colours and panto-style accessories, with a whole range of beauty products to match! They’re releasing a makeup and skincare line of pantomime themed products and have a selection of other lovely tidbits to offer with names such as ‘the Peter Pan anti-aging night cream for men, for the boy who won’t grow up’ and the ‘Sleeping Beauty transforming night cream for happy ever after skin £15′. I’ve seen the mock ups of the packaging and it’s lovely- think Soap & Glory meets Benefit with some showgirl razzle dazzle.
They have a lot more goodies on offer though, with exclusive collections from some big name brands-here’s what you’ll be wanting under your tree this year!
– Exclusive: Shu Uemura Snow White lashes £25
Read more…
Tags: books, christmas, eyeshadow
Posted by admin on Jun 5, 2009 in
books,
lists 
The last couple of months have seen me whittle down my Booker Novels list even further and resort to reading lowbrow kiddie books when I’ve run out of novels. My office bookshelf has been firmly raided (we’re on a Penguin Kids and chick-lit mailing list) and I’ve been working my way through a variety of novels featuring boarding school, magic and vampires- and often all three. Who said children books were predictable? Read the short summaries here!
We need to talk about Kevin, Lionel Shriver
Dark, depressing and delicious, a book that you can’t help but adore despite yourself.
How the Light gets in by M.J Hyland
Gifted but troubled Australian sixteen year old heads to the USA on an exchange programme. Her disaffection and alienation slowly blight her relationship with her host family, and we get so see the prejudices of both nations exposed under a harsh light, with a side helping of alcoholism.
Read more…
Tags: books, childresn books, science fiction, vampires
Posted by admin on Feb 16, 2009 in
books,
news 
The first post in this blog was in regards to my New Years resolutions, those things we make every year and often fail. Well, I’m determined to fulfill at least half of the items on my list, and have been making firm progress . I’ve enrolled in Mandarin lessons (which were postponed due to low numbers), am visiting Portugal this week (tick number 5 off my list) and have booked flights to Australia for March.
Another of my resolutions was to complete all 40 Booker winning novels by the end of 2009, and January proved fruitful, as due to a multitude of airport visits and cross country trips I suscessfully ploughed my way through The English Patient (UK-Vegas), The Famished Road (California to UK), The God of Small Things (which I realized I’d already read half way through) and also discovered that I’d read more than I though I had, as I can also tick Disgrace by Joseph Coetzee off my list.
That still leaves a fair amount though, and recently bemoaning how much left I had left to got through, my friends and I embarked on a heated debate regarding the literary merits of many of the books on the list. It was a great evening in, as there was fresh lasagne, plentiful cava, and we even had fresh apple crumble with custard for dessert. OK, My contribution was of the cerebral kind, as I can’t a/cook, and b/ I really can’t cook, but with wine a-flowing and people chatting I had the un-original idea of starting a book club. As my friends are all English/Politics graduates who find their degree skills somewhat unwanted in their high flying city careers they agreed instantly, and the next day saw a flurry of work unrelated emails heading back and forth as we tried to decide on a book from the list to start with. Read more…
Tags: booker prize, books, friends, list, literature, review
The last two months have seen a heightened level of reading time, due to holidaying, and thus a great many more books were consumed than normal. Due to a particularly helpful bittorrent, I managed to make my way through some of my favourite authors back catalogue, and can happily now add a wide selection of Philip. K.Dick novels to my mental library.